Maintaining my mane...

  Apart from once having my hair cut into a bob (shudder), I've had long hair for as long as I can remember.  Oddly enough, I find that the older I get, the less manageable my hair seems to get but these are a few budget products I rely on to keep my hair in tip top condition.

 

I tend to switch my shampoo and conditioner up on a regular basis and it always amazes me because when I think I find a shampoo and conditioner that I love and can't get enough of, I switch them and my hair looks even better! I guess that's down to your hair getting used to what you're using. 

At the moment I'm using the Toni & Guy Cleanse and Nourish shampoo and conditioner for damaged hair.  My mum actually bought these for me for my birthday and I honestly think they beat my usual Aussie fav's! After using the duo, I can instantly feel a difference in my hair. It's a lot softer and much easier to manage.

From time to time I'll use the Touch of Silver shampoo and conditioner when I feel like my blonde locks are getting a bit brassy.  Within one use you can totally notice the difference.  It scares me a little because when you apply it, it turns your hair purple and can stain your clothes so I try not to use it too much! If you've got light blonde/platinum hair and haven't used this yet, try it, you won't believe your eyes! :)

I indulge in a good hair mask a couple of times a week. Some might think that's too much but my hair gets really knotty! I thought my knots were down to my hair being so long but I had quite a lot cut off not long ago and to be honest, my hair still seems to get as knotty as ever.

The Herbal Essences Seductively Straight Intensive Mask is a hair mask I constantly re-purchase.  It smells out of this world, so fruity and you can still smell it for hours after you've rinsed it off! Apart from the scent, it really does do what it says on the tub and I don't have to straighten my hair after I've used this mask.

I use the TRESemme split remedy when to put it bluntly, my hair feels a bit straw like! After a few uses I notice that I have less split ends and my hair doesn't break off as much as it normally would when I'm brushing it.

To keep my hair soft and fluffy, argan oil is a huge must for me. At the moment I'm using this beautifully scented TreSemme one. I find that argan oils all do the same thing and this is a cheaper alternative to the famous Moroccanoil Moroccan Oil.  It really adds a lot of moisture to dry hair and eliminates any frizz! The best thing is that you can also use argan oil for your cuticles, as a moisturiser and if you're daring enough, your face! 

Aussie's Miracle Colour Insurance leave in conditioner has been a staple hair product of mine for years now. When I'm in a rush and don't have time to condition my hair, I'll spritz this all over before drying it and you can't even notice that I haven't used proper conditioner. It's great.

Dry Shampoo is an essential in my life and if I don't have a can in my house I panic.  What if I wake up late for work and I don't have enough time to wash my hair?! My hair is extremely prone to greasiness and if I touch it too much the day before, it's disgusting the next day. I'm 24, will I ever grow out of this?! I've been using dry shampoo for about 3 years and have experienced a lot of different types in that time but nothing has ever beat Batiste. If they were ever to stop making it, my life would never be the same again! I'm not even being dramatic. Haha. 

 

DON'T LAUGH! I swear by detangling sprays when my hairs too knotty even my tangle teezer can't take it.  I have been known to make my mum/sister/friends to sit down for hours untangling my hair! I really do find that they make my hair a lot easier to manage and the sweet scent of pear whilst untangling is enough to make me block out a the pain!

PHEW! This post feels like it's taken forever to write especially since I've been writing through tears, thank you Surprise Surprise! I hope you've all had a great weekend and you're all looking forward to Monday ;)

Grace x

Current Favourite Glitter Polishes

With Christmas quickly approaching (31 days to go if you're wondering!), my inner magpie just wants to coat everything in glitter and my nails are not an exception.  I feel like it's unacceptable to wear glitter on your nails in the Summer for some reason so during the festive season I tend to go a bit wild!

I literally spent about half an hour trying to decide on my favourite glitter polishes but these are the ones that have made it in to my top 5 (Do I think I'm on X Factor here?!)

From left to right - Models Own Hot Stuff, Models Own Dancing Queen, Models Own Sparkler, Barry M Rose Quartz and Kelly Brook Glitter.

 I've swatched the nail polishes on their own and also with a base coat of Models Own Utopia.  Annoyingly, the background actually matches with Utopia so you can't really see that too well but you can still get the gist.

I'm unsure whether the Kelly Brook nail polish is still available as I got it in a duo from New Look as a gift from my Sister. Admittedly, it is a bit of a pain to apply as much like other glitter polishes, you have to dab it on a little to get the desired effect but once it's on, it's definitely worth it! 

What are your favourite glitter polishes? Any recommendations of what I should buy next?! 

Grace x

Soap and Glory Girl-o-Whirl

 Hi lovelies! As soon as I saw that Boots' star gift of the week was Soap and Glory's Girl-o-Whirl, I knew I had to have it.  For those of you who aren't aware, this cosmetic kit is currently on offer for £19 for one week only.  It's usually £40 so grab it here whilst you still can!

The kit contains 6 lid stuff eyeshadows, Soap and Glory's best selling thick and fast mascara, a sexy mother pucker gloss stick, glow all out face powder, solar powder bronzer, 6 supercolourfabulipsticks, an eyeshadow brush, powder brush and a lip brush. 

From left to right; Vanilla, Wild Blue, Black Gold, Minky, Dandy Plum and Smokin'.

From left to right; Naked Beige, Guava Rama, Red my Lips, Missing Pink, Perfect Day and Man Trap.

 

 

I am a huge fan of Soap and Glory bath/skincare products and had only ever tried the thick and fast mascara before purchasing this gift set.  My expectations were so high for this kit but unfortunately, it definitely has not met them.

Firstly, I had to swatch the lighter eyeshadows about 3 times for them to actually show up on my hand. I do think Dandy Plum is absolutely gorgeous though and I can already sense that I'll be wearing it a lot over the festive period. 

I'm not all that impressed with the colour range for the lipsticks, I'd have loved a bright pink in there somewhere!  My heart sank a little when I swatched these too, they're really not all that pigmented.  If I'd have purchased one of the full sized lipsticks for £9 a pop, I wouldn't have been a happy bunny!

 Funnily enough, Solar Powder and Glow All Out haven't impressed me whatsoever. As you can see, the pigmentation, again, is next to nothing. They are basically glorified talc. 

I'm not too put out as I bought this with my advantage card points so it was practically free.  I just feel so disheartened when quite expensive brands aren't as good as the likes of MUA who manage to pull off amazingly good EVERYTHING for such a cheap price!

I'd love to know how you've all got on with this kit or other Soap and Glory cosmetics.  I feel sad that I don't love the kit because I really wanted it to be my new favourite thing. 

Grace x

Teeny Tiny B&M Haul

 Today I decided to drag my very reluctant boyfriend to B&M.  I'm trying to be ahead of the game and have nearly finished my Christmas shopping but I wanted to see if they had any good stocking fillers to offer.  I couldn't resist a cheeky few things for myself though, naturally! I just love the homeware bits and pieces B&M stock.

These little plaques are so sweet. My boyfriend and I are hoping to move out next year in to a little place of our own and I think these will give a nice homely feel to our house/flat when we eventually get one! I love everything shabby chic and I don't know if I'll be able to keep these in the packet until then.  Definitely going to have to find a little temporary home for them in my bedroom.

How beaut is this jar?! Possibly my favourite purchase of the month. I just love it's cuteness and I love it even more now it holds all my favourite lipbalms.  I bought it with the intention to fill with cotton pads but the lipbalms look much easier on the eye.  I want to buy more of these for other things!

I've been looking everywhere for a toast rack for my palettes so I'm over the moon with this! It holds them perfectly! I wish I bought another rack for my other palettes but I didn't want to buy two at the time as I wasn't sure the slots would be big enough. I want to go back and get another one but I'm not sure whether my B&M hating boyfriend will take me! :(

Everything was an absolute bargain as you can see.  I just want to buy everything in the shop but I'll have to wait until I get my own house so I have enough place to store it all!

Grace x

MAC Lipstick - Pink Plaid

Pink Plaid is a lipstick that's been in my posession since my Birthday in September but as I've been a horrific blogger, I haven't yet got round to posting about it!

I used to absolutely love MAC lipsticks but since the price of them seems to increase more every time I purchase them, I've been going off them a bit lately.  Pink Plaid seems to be a perfect dupe for Revlon's Pink Pout which I used to wear religiously every day until I lost it. Sob sob! If you're not willing to part with 15 of your hard earned pounds then I'd definitely suggest giving Pink Pout a try!

Pink Plaid is more of a soft pink making it ideal for daytime wear.  I'm instantly drawn to brighter pinks but I'm not sure they're suitable for the office so this has quickly became my new hero.  It's a matte based lipstick which means that I find myself caking on the Carmex before I apply it.  Matte lipstick and dry lips = NO NO NO.

Like all MAC lipsticks, the staying power is pretty impressive.  I'd say that for a tea-a-holic like me, Pink Plaid tends to stay put for around 4-5 hours making it better than most high street lipsticks!

What are your opinions on Pink Plaid? Any suggestions for other MAC lipsticks that I should add to my ever-growing wishlist?

Grace x