Current Haircare Routine

Quite a few weeks back now I mentioned on twitter that my hairdresser has commented on how healthy my hair was and a few asked for a post about my haircare routine. So here we have it!

Firstly I want to mention that I like to keep any heated styling appliances to a minimum. Yes, even the hair dryer. I've learnt to live with my natural hair and what looks best with my natural wavy/curly locks. I'll often leave my hair to dry over night and sport the messy beach waves the next day because it does wonders for my hair. To avoid using straighteners as well as a hair dryer use a paddle hair brush while you blow dry your hair to create straight locks.

| THE PRODUCTS |

• Aussie Colour Mate Shampoo 300ml (£4.69) - Whenever I go to the salon I opt for foils which means I like the colour to last as long as possible, plus this adds a great shine to my hair.
• Tresemme Colour Thrive Blonde Conditioner 500ml (£4.50) - There's nothing a big bottle of Tresemme can't fix in my opinion. Sticking with the colour treats theme here this product does the job of conditioning while showing off my blonde tones.
• Tommy Guns Fig, Plum and Marshmallow Conditioner 250ml (£5.50) - I am hooked on this stuff. Smells great and controls any frizz my hair might have - perfect for embracing my natural hair.
• The Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter 50ml (£3) - I posted about this a while back HERE. Still loving it though and adds softness to my hair in an instant. I often work it into the ends of my hair for a few minutes and then rinse.
• Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Lightweight Conditioning Spray 250ml (£4.49) - This is quite a newer purchase to the haircare collection. I tend to spray evenly to de-tangle before blow drying.
• L'Oreal Studio Line Matt & Messy Salt Spray 150ml (£3.75) - My most favourite styling product I own and a bargain at that. This product adds texture, waves and a defined finish. You can create tousled waves as well by twisting hair strands around your fingers.

What are some of your favourite haircare products? Any recommendations? 

2013 Favourites Part 2/2 - Skincare/Haircare

Continuing with my 2013 favourites three part series, today I have the skincare and haircare bits and bobs I've been loving. I do have a hair care post coming out soon as it has been requested so I haven't included too much as more in depth reviews will be coming very soon. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post I'm not a high end type of person but in 2014 I definitely want to splurge a little and use some higher end skincare and haircare products. I did experiment more towards the end of 2013 mind you.

| SKINCARE |

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner & Facial Cleanser (£3-£8) - I really enjoyed using these two products together though I do wish I'd brought the bigger sizes. That's the great thing about The Body Shop, a lot of their products you can buy in mini size which is great for trialling new products. These two together left me feeling really fresh though, perfect for mornings. 

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Solution (£4.99) - With this offering from L'Oreal you can easily remove your make-up before having a good cleanse. With a quick few swipes over your eyes you can remove any tough eye-liners or mascaras with so much ease, no more sore eyes.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (£8) - By far my most favourite exfoliator choice. Leaves the skin very soft and the perfect kick start to a killer fake tan. I'm a massive fan of citrus smells in body care products so I love the lime scent that goes with this glorious little pot. 

| HAIRCARE |

Aussie Take The Heat Shampoo (£4.69) - Now this might just be me being a little crazy but I find with blonde hair it's really hard to get a nice shine to it. Like many Aussie products it just gives me the best shine out of many hair products I've used. And anything that protects from heat damage is always a bonus.

L'Oreal Studio Line Matt and Messy: Salt Spray (£3.75) - Having natural/wavy hair is sometimes a good thing for myself. The amount of times I'll leave it in it's natural state and add a little bit of this salt spray from L'Oreal. It adds a bit of texture to it and I'm a fan of the whole 'beach hair' look. This small bottle lasts ages as well (I think they've changed the packaging since I last repurchased anyway). 

The Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter (£3-£8) - Another product from The Body Shop that I brought in a mini size but is lasting me ages. I add this hair butter to the ends of my hair after conditioning to keep them soft, you don't need a lot of the butter. The trick with this one is 'less is more'. 

Part two of my 2013 favourites over with, if you missed yesterday's 2013 make-up favourites you can catch up HERE. What have been your favourites products in the past year?

October Favourites

So my first monthly favourites post on my blog! I've finally hunted down my camera after the house move, only my standard digital camera for now as I'm having problems with my DSLR, grr! None the less I've just got the five things this month as I haven't really tried a lot of new things out.

| Rimmel's Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick (£5.49) - Shade 19 |

Swatched! A real subtle shade.

I adore all of the Rimmel lipsticks by Kate Moss. I'm not going to lie the reason I tried them out was not because they are brilliant but just because I love Kate Moss, how naughty of me! Anyway, I really love this shade, I'm not very experimental with colours in my make-up as I am so so so pale. This colour though is a few shades give and take of my actual lip colour without any products on them. It just adds a little something and I've just enjoyed wearing this for a darker lip in autumn. 

| Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner  (£10) - Shade Black |

This actually came free in a magazine recently (I can't remember which one now, sorry!). I already can't wait to repurchase it, how bad is that?! I have never been an eyeliner fan until now. Usually opting for a shadow liner out of an eyeshadow palette or something like that. I find this amazingly easy to use and the nib just glides easily. I've needed a long lasting make-up look this month quite a lot as I've had a few parties and gigs and I needed my make up to last the whole night (maybe even into the morning) and this is what I turned to. I was even more pleased to know Alexa Chung is a fan and she's bringing out her own range for Eyeko this month. I must get my hands on that!

| Barry M Matte Nail Paint (£3.99) - Vanilla |

I'm surprised Barry M hadn't brought this out sooner. I adore the look of matte nail polishes and this is no exception. The only downside is they usually chip after a day and top coat just ruins the effect.  I've been loving this colour though so I can deal with a applying another quick coat. I find it has a slight lilac hint to it. As I mentioned being pale comes with its difficulties and finding a nice nude shade that doesn't ridiculous on me is hard so congrats to Barry M!

| Clinique Facial Soap (£14.50) - Mild |

Now I can't remember the last time I used anything in a bar of soap form until I was recommended this at the Clinque counter. As it gets colder my skin gets drier. I wouldn't say I suffered with terrible dry skin but it does get a little flaky around the t-zone area. The saleswoman said 'mild' would be the one for me and she was right. You are told to use it twice a day, so for me in the morning and evening shower. My skin has been left feeling super soft and keeping any dry areas at bay. I noticed a difference after the first time of use. It also comes with a cute little soap dish as well.

| The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner (£3-£8) |

I had a little haul of The Body Shop last month and picked up a few bits and bobs. One being this toner. Now I've got the cleanser as well but with toner I find it's what leaves me feeling fresh and awake so it's perfect for in the morning. Now what I love about The Body Shop is that you can pick up smaller sizes of products which is perfect for exploring new items. I've nearly used up this toner so I will most definitely be repurchasing the larger bottle. It's left any blemishes at bay as well!

What have been your favourites in the past month?

Also, has anyone got any products they can recommend for reducing redness?

Body Shop's Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter

Last week I had a bit of a hairdressing nightmare. Usually I'd ask my hairdresser for a roots touch up, half head of highlights and a trim. However, after pondering it for a while I decided I wanted to go to a darker blonde as such a whitey-blonde wasn't for me any more, especially with my naturally quite dark eyebrows. So I've been having a mobile hairdresser for quite a while as a busy schedule at work doesn't allow me to visit a salon recently. She turned my white blonde highlighted head into a very very light yellow-ish blonde that faded into the darker blonde I actually wished for. Picture this: ombre hair gone terribly wrong. 

Getting to the point of this post anyway.. I decided to just go to a salon the next day as I had an early finish at work. Luckily the problem was solved and she matched my natural mousey dark colour underneath and but fine highlights through the ridiculous yellow blonde roots. But while at this salon, the lovely lady who saved my hair disaster commented on how good of condition my hair was. This has encouraged me a lot to carry on keeping up my hair care routine but I have added something different to it recently that I am loving A LOT. This hair butter from The Body Shop is an amazing treatment for those straggly ends of your hair.

While browsing The Body Shop website I thought I'd try out some hair butter. After reading reviews a lot of people said it left your hair feeling dry and greasy if you put too much on your hair. I chose a smaller version of the product and will definitely be choosing the bigger pot when repurchasing. So when it arrived I decided to try it out and haven't stopped using it for a week now. Firstly, the smell is amazing - something I always look for in hair products. When applying I take a small amount (depending on how much hair you have got remember) and massage it through the ends of my hair. I then tend to leave it on for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Since introducing it into my hair care routine I have felt such a difference, my hair feels really soft and silky, a whole lot lighter feel to it as well. I've even had a few compliments on how shiny it's looking.

What's your favourite body shop product?

Want to see a full hair care routine post as well?