My top tips to banish dry skin this winter...

First of all, I just want to apologise for the severe lack of posts recently! I have been such a busy bee, working like there's no tomorrow! My hours have died down a bit now so I am ready to update you all with posts that are long over due...

So, as you all may know, with winter comes dry skin, chapped lips and frizzy, non co-oporating hair but here are my top tips I have been using for a silky smooth body during winter ...

1. Using a good body scrub before anything is very important to get rid of dry flaky skin cells, leaving you with soft silky skin and a good base to apply your body lotion so it can get to work quickly on the new skin cells underneath. I love Avon Senses Hollywood Starlet Body Scrub, it smells wonderful and leaves me with touchably smooth skin. Some body scrubs can be quite harsh on the skin and sometimes a little bit painful but this one is very gentle, however you can still feel it doing it's job.

                                    

2. Using a good pair of exfoliationg gloves along with my body scrub gives a bit of extra help. These ones from Superdrug are very good as they are not to rough and are also very cute! 

3. A good body lotion is key to soft skin, I have recently started using Vaseline Essential Moisture Cocoa Radiant Body Lotion, it smells good enough to eat and it is a lovely consistency which sinks in quickly and feels like it is still working all day. Apply every morning for best results.

4. A hard-working shower gel/cream is also important for dry skin in the winter. A shower cream is often best as it has moisturising ingredients especially for dry skin. I like Dove Triple Moisturising Beauty Care Body Wash as it is very soft and gentle on the skin.

5. If you have time to treat to treat yourself to a body wrap at your local spa or salon, then do! You can see the difference instantly. It is a very indulgent treatment that often involves body brushing, exfoliating and a mask over the whole body, Dermalogica Body Wraps are lovely.

What products are you loving for winter?!

                        

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lip Stain Review

I had been itching to try out this new lip stain from Maybelline for a long time and I finally purchased one last week in 'Tender Rose'. I have always been a fan of lip stains as they give a very natural flush of colour that can be built up and lasts longer than your average lip colour.
Maybelline's Colour Sensational Lip Stain £5.99 comes in range of berry shades, I was drawn to 'Tender Rose' as this was the lightest of the colours and I wanted quite a natural shade for everyday, however from using it I have noticed that the colour is very buildable and can give a more dramatic look by applying a couple more coats.
The packaging is lovely and can easily fit in your handbag or clutch bag, without taking up a lot of space. The lip stain has the appearance of a felt tip pen.

When applying the colour I found there isn't a huge need to be accurate with drawing the colour on as when I am in a bit of a rush I just pop a bit in the middle of my lips are blend out with my finger(quickly!) for a flush of colour. This lip stain, like many, does dry very quickly.

Staying power is an issue for me as I like my lipsticks etc to last so there is no need to touch up lots throughout the day. This one, however, I found only lasts a couple of hours at a time but it means that I just touch up after my lunch.

I am very impressed with the colour of this lip stain, I think it would compliment any skin tone, as I have very pale skin I don't like my lip colours to look to harsh and this one is just perfect.
What I also love about this lip stain is that it smells and tastes delicious! Just like berries! Which is a huge bonus because I hate it when lipsticks have a funny taste to them. Also this stain is very light and feels like you have nothing on your lips which is lovely.

Overall I would definitely buy this product again as I was very pleased with it and it came at a bargain price!

John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Styling Spray

Hello lovelies! :)

First of all I would just like to apologise for my lack of posts recently, I have been a very busy bee!

This post is a review of the John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Semi-Permanent styling spray, a spray that claims to block out frizz as you straighten, with a blend of polymers with keratin protein, wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days...

When I found out about this product I knew I needed to give it a try as I have naturally very frizzy hair with a slight wave to it and it rarely stays straight once I have straightened it. To hear that this product would keep your hair straight for 3 days sounded too good to be true!

I purchased the spray last week from Boots, it cost me £5.99 which I don't think is too bad considering everyone is saving their pennies. The bottle is quite small... it contains 100ml, depending on the thickness of your hair depends on the amount of product you use and how quickly it will run out.

I used this product for the first time last week, at night time, so I wouldn't have to straighten it again in the morning... You apply it to damp/wet hair in sections, the product recommends using about 10-15 pumps of the spray, as I did, then to blow dry your hair and straighten it in sections, which I did. Now I wasn't sure whether to use any of my regular heat protection spray as I wasn't sure if it would effect the chemicals in the product so I gave it a miss. The product does claim to have added heat protection in it.

After using this product I was very pleased at how smooth and sleek my hair looked compared to how it would usually look after straightening.
Unfortunately when I woke up my hair had gone wavy again! I was quite disappointed... So I did need to touch it up. I thought that maybe I should use a few more pumps as my hair is very thick.

So that's what I did yesterday. By doing this my hair did seem straighter and lasted longer but it was still slightly frizzy which I was hoping I could get rid of! It did however stay straighter for the rest of the day.

For me this product doesn't last 3 days, I do wash my hair every other day anyway so I've not given the 3 days a try, however on the second day my hair looks wavy again, after sleeping on it.

I will continue to use this product as it does make straightening my hair that little bit easier and does make it stay straighter for longer during the day which is good enough for me but unfortunately it wouldn't last the 3 days.
I am interested to hear what your experiences are with this product and whether you were impressed? Let me know!

Nail Colour Of The Week- Glitzy Party Nails!

Here are the gorgeous glizy nails I created this week, perfect for a party or night on the town ... Or in my case for everyday! :)

You could re-create these nails in whatever colour you wanted, I used my Avon Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel in Pink Radiance, it is a lovely glittery hot pink. I then just sprinkled them with some glitter I had in my make-up bag. You could also use sequins or gems! Then I finished them of with a topcoat to seal in the glitter.

Tah dah...!

LANCOME- All I Want For Christmas Advent Calender

Christmas is fast approaching, with only 57 days to go! This may be terrifying news to some of you or brilliant news for others... Me? I can't wait! Especially after seeing this little beauty, which is top of my xmas list!

LANCOME- All I Want This Christmas advent calendar

£80 only at Selfridges

This wonderful way to countdown the days includes beauty treats from the most popular brands and will get you looking party ready in time for the festive season!
The treats hiding behind these doors include...

Lancôme Teint Miracle 03 5ml, Trésor eau de parfum 7.5ml, Miracle eau de parfum 5ml, Hypnôse Drama Mascara 2ml, Hypnôse Classic Mascara 2ml, Absolu Nu 302 Mini, Mini Juicy Tube 19 – Lychee, Visionnaire 7ml, Génifique 7ml, Génifique Yeux 5ml, Rénergie Lift Volumetry Day 15ml, Eau Micellaire Douceur 50ml, Bi–Facil 30ml
Giorgio Armani⁄Emporio Armani Armani Code Femme eau de parfum 3ml, Emporio Armani Diamonds eau de parfum 5ml
Kiehl's Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream 7ml, Kiehl's Crème De Corps 30ml, Kiehl's Hand Salve 30ml, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate 4ml
Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil 20ml
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb eau de parfum 7ml
YSL Belle D'Opium eau de parfum 7.5ml, Rouge Pur Couture Mini, Khol Pencil Mini

                                                                     

It's all about the bun!

The latest hair trend is the 'Super-sized' bun as seen on celebs such as Kim Kardashian, SJP, Whitney Port and TOWIE's Lauren Goodger, this super-sleek hairstyle style is the one to be seen with!
Perfect for any occasion!

            

This look is best for longer hair, to achieve the 'super-size' effect, if you have shorter locks cheat with a fake ponytail or bun such as, Love Hair Extensions Pop On Ponytails £29.95 to create this look!

If you are prone to frizz like myself try new TRESemmé No Frizz Smoothing Serum £4.99 from Superdrug to smooth those flyaways...

 

and don't forget the hairspray to keep this look in place!

Elnett Hairspray Supreme £5.99 from Superdrug

Get ready to turn heads...

GHD Air hairdryer!

A girl's love of her GHD's is no secret, now prepare to be blown away...to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary, GHD have now released their first and long awaited hairdryer, 'GHD Air' at £99! Guaranteed to create salon hair in the comfort of your own home the 'Air' has two concentrator nozzles, ionic technology to help combat frizz and variable power and temperature controls and a 'cool shoot' to give you enviable locks in no time!



Buy here now, before they sell out!

Nail colour of the week!

This is the lovely colour I am wearing this week...
(I'm sorry the pictures are a bit blurry!)

 It is a Beauty UK Glam Nails nail polish in Pink Explosion- No 32 from Superdrug. I got it a little while ago, I think it cost me under £2! It was a bargain! It is a gorgeous neon, slightly coral pink and it is very eye-catching. Even though it has gone a bit sticky, it still dries so quickly!

Soap & Glory cosmetics

has now launched it's new line of cosmetics, which like a lot of people, I am so excited about!

The retro-style packaging and great quality products have made Soap & Glory the popular brand they are today and the new cosmetics range I'm sure will be a hit!
                             

Here's a few products from the new collection, available from Boots...
£11
£8
£10
£9

I'm off now! Where's my purse?!

Clean and Clear Morning Energy Skin Brightening Facial Wash

I don't tend to stick to one particular facial wash, I do like to try different ones as this is also good for your skin so I doesn't get used to one product. I've not tried Clean and Clear before but I had heard good reviews and feedback that it was great for getting lovely clear skin, hence the name. As I ran out of facial wash, I thought I'd give it a try as it was also on offer in Superdrug at £2.99, as I am saving the pennies!
                                                   

Clean and Clear Morning Energy Skin Brightening Facial  is a gentle foaming foaming facial wash which has lemon and papaya extracts which wakes up tired and dull looking skin. Since I have been using this my skin has been a lot clearer and brighter which is amazing. My pores are a lot less visible and my blackheads have almost disappeared. This face wash has a lovely refreshing citrus fragrance which is great for first thing in the morning as it really wakes me up! It is very gentle on the skin whilst being very refreshing which is very important to me as I do have quite sensitive skin. The product is slightly metallic and shimmery which is one of the reasons I was attracted to this particular face wash and has little bursting beads inside...

The bottle also has a pump which makes it a lot easier to use as it means you don't pour put more than you want and waste it! It is also oil-free which is a huge bonus as I do suffer with slightly oily skin so I don't won't to be putting more oil on my skin if I don't need to.

Over all this product has a huge thumbs up from me, I will definitely be buying this again!