The Weekly Selection

Unusually for me, I haven't been buying much in the way of beauty products lately - actually, make that, at all. I suppose you could say I've been on something of a spending ban, although I haven't officially been calling it that, or telling anybody that I'm doing it. It's been more a case of just keeping my purse closed because there have been so many other expenses to cover, and there are even more just around the corner, and I have to say that I'm really rather impressed with myself for not giving in. In fact, it hasn't even been as difficult as I would have imagined, as there hasn't really been all that much that I've wanted that badly of late.

So, as I haven't been splashing the cash, I've been making the most of my current collection, and these are the products that I've been enjoying over the past week.

Now, I say I haven't bought anything, but there are two exceptions in this post, those being the Tresemme Keratin Smooth shampoo and conditioner. I don't really think these count, as they are a necessity and are very reasonably priced. I've been wanting to try the Keratin Smooth range for a while now, but it has only just arrived where I am, so when I saw these two in the supermarket last week I snapped them up and have been using them ever since. So far, so good - but I have to say, it takes a lot to impress me where haircare is concerned, and with these two I haven't seen anything that makes me want to shout about them from the rooftops. They are a nice day to day duo and do the job for which they were designed, but while my hair does seem to be that bit less frizzy, I can't be sure it's not just down to the little DIY trim I gave myself last week. They do leave my hair soft and manageable though, and for the price I can't complain.

Once again, I've been loving my Topshop Cream Blush in the shade Flush for a bright pop of coral that's perfect for the warmer summer weather. Where lips are concerned, I have resurrected an old favourite, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, which is such an easy every-day product to reach for. While I do love a bright lip in the summer, lately I've been finding that I can't always be bothered with the maintenance they involve, and despite being a lipstick girl at heart I've been favouring lighter products which will let my lips breathe a bit more. Honey is such a flattering shade and I think it would suit pretty much anyone. It's subtle yet pretty, and is so easy to reapply on the go without having to worry about doing so to perfection. It keeps my lips nice and hydrated too, which is always a bonus in the heat.

Skincare-wise, I've been relying on the Elemental Herbology Facial Glow Radiance Peel to exfoliate my skin and keep it looking its best on a weekly basis. The sunshine can leave it feeling that bit more dehydrated than usual, and with extra sebum production being a bit of a risk this helps to get rid of any pore-blocking debris as well as leaving skin smooth and glowing.

I've also been slathering the Nip & Fab Mango Smoothie Dry Skin Fix Body Butter on lately, as whenever it's sunny I like nothing more than to douse myself in fruity fragrances that epitomise the long summer days. It's pretty moisturising, though I wouldn't say it's as amazing in that department as some seem to find it. It does smell exactly like a real mango smoothie though, and it only costs £2.95 -  can't argue with that.

Which products have you been loving the most this week?

xx

Helping Hands for Hair

Everyone's hair needs a little bit of a helping hand at times, and mine is no exception. Although I've got mine through it's terrible 'frazzled' phase of last year, the warm weather and sunshine can still dry out my locks and leave them feeling less than silky soft, so besides my shampoo and conditioner, I have an arsenal of little helpers on hand to get  things back on track.

My trustiest friend when it comes to keeping my hair in tip-top condition is the Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe, a liquid treatment which is applied to clean, wet hair for 3-5 minutes. I have never managed to ascertain whether or not this one is supposed to replace a conditioner, but when I use this once a week I do tend to apply an extra one afterwards, as with this being quite runny in consistency, I sometimes feel that my tresses are asking for a little bit of something extra afterwards. Revitaluxe is a Bio-advanced restorative treatment to revitalise, nourish and repair, and it certainly does just that. With each use, my hair becomes stronger, smoother, silkier and more manageable,and as I'm coming to the end of this tube the full-size version is a must for my shopping basket.

A couple of times a week, I run two pumps of the Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-In Treatment through towel-dried hair after washing and conditioning (excuse the sticky label mark - couldn't get it off for love nor money!). Rich in proteins, this helps to strengthen each strand and minimise split ends - it can't be used daily though, as too much protein can have the same effect as none at all: breakage.

On the subject of split ends, I recently picked up the TreSemme Split End Remedy, a spray-in treatment which aims to reconstruct the ends of the hair. I've been spraying this on liberally after washing, despite my scepticism - I don't personally believe that split-ends can be 'mended', at least not permanently. But anything that helps keep any nasty fly-aways at bay is worth a try in my book.

After a coconut oil disaster some while ago that left me with something of an oil slick on my head, I might well have been put off hair oils for life, but I'm so glad I persevered with them as they are now an integral part of my post-hair-wash routine. I apply a couple of pumps of the L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil (don't mind my foreign version in the picture) to my hair after blotting with a towel (if I'm using the Redken Anti-Snap then I mix the two together in my palms before smoothing through), and it makes a huge difference to the final appearance of my hair after blow-drying, leaving it much softer, smoother and shinier. I rarely to apply this to dry hair, as personally I don't find it hugely beneficial, but I will occasionally add the tiniest amount if my ends are looking overly frizzy. Generally though, I much prefer damp hair as a canvas, as I find that my locks just drink it up, with no hint of greasiness left behind when dry.

Last but by no means least is the Agadir Argan Oil Hair Treatment, which I stumbled across by sheer accident when looking for discounted Moroccan Oil on Ebay. This is my best find in quite a while when it comes to hair products, and is far superior to the Elvive Extraordinary Oil (which is pretty darn good in itself). This is a slightly thicker, more luxurious oil and leaves my hair feeling healthier and shinier than anything else I've tried. Unfortunately I only picked up a handful of samples, so I have now made it my mission to find out where I can get my hands on a full-size bottle - if anyone has heard of this brand before and knows the best place to buy it then do please let me know!

What are your favourite hair saviours? 

Are you a fan of oils?

xx

Top Picks for Big Hair

I don't know about you, but I am forever in pursuit of big hair. I'm not talking enormous beehives, but I can't live without a bit of volume in my hair, whether I'm wearing it curly, wavy or straight. I just find that it suits me a zillion times better, and I will not be embracing the flat-to-the-scalp looks I have been seeing around of late for anyone.

So, without further ado, here are my favourite products for giving my hair that extra bit of oomph.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

Everyone knows about Batiste dry shampoo. Some of you love it, some of you hate it, but there's no denying it gives the hair a boost as well as soaking up excess oil. What's not to love?

Just spray it into the roots of your hair, rub it in and leave it for a couple of minutes before brushing out any white residue. I sometimes spray it beneath the top layer of my hair so that I don't need to brush it out, and that way my hair stays all the more voluminous.

I'm yet to try the XXL version but it's currently at the top of my shopping list, so I'm sure that it will soon be replacing the normal stuff on my shelves.

Tresemme 24 Hour Body Root Boosting Spray

I like to spritz this into my roots before blow drying for some extra lift. This is great for when you want a more subtle look, rather than the enormous hair you might be after for a night out. There is also a mousse version of this, which I haven't got at the moment, but when I do I often scrunch some through my hair before using the spray. The two work together to boost your roots as well as leaving your locks looking well-groomed.

Tresemme 24 Hour Body Sky High Plumping Powder

This stuff really does the job. Sprinkle some into your roots and rub it in and big hair shall be yours. However, the unfortunate thing is that it is really rather sticky, and I do find that after a few hours my hair goes flat again and begins to look a little oily (probably from where I've been touching it and spreading it around). There's no getting away without washing your hair after you've used it, either.

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Backcomb in a Bottle

Simply spray this through your roots and tease your hair into place. Personally, I like to give my hair a quick manual back-comb after use, and I find that that the two work really well together. The spray holds the back-comb in place as well as providing some good volume of its own. Again though, you can't go a second day without washing your hair after you've used this.

So there you have it, my top picks for big hair. If any of you have any holy grail root boosting products then do let me know your favourites in the comments below.

Hope you're having a great week!

xx

Mini Haul: Haircare/Toiletries

A small haul for you, mainly haircare-related.

I really enjoy using Tresemme's 24 Hour Body range, and though I've still got two bottles of mousse (£5.39) in my stash, I had run out of the Body Boosting Spray (£5.39). Usually, what I tend to do is to apply a golf-ball sized amount of mousse to wet hair, work it through, concentrating on the roots (much the same as you would do with any mousse, but I am sure there are some mousse virgins out there somewhere!), and then give my hair a good, generous spray with the Body Boosting Spray before drying. I'd love to say that I spend an hour blow-drying my barnet to perfection, but that would be a lie - I just haven't got the patience! So usually, it's a quick rough dry and then I straighten any frizzy bits or curl a few strands and off I go!

I also bought some of the Sky High Plumping Powder (£5.50) from the same range, which I will be reviewing soon, so don't want to bang on about that one too much. But all in all, if you put them together, these products do give me a nice boost and make my hair feel subtly 'bigger' than usual.

Continuing with the theme of big hair, I was also in need of some new dry shampoo, and this Daring 'Sassy and Daring Wild' (£1.95) one from Batiste is my favourite. It's got a really sweet, toffee-apple/candyfloss type smell to it, which might not be everybody's cup of tea, but I love it! It sort of reminds me of the Britney Spears perfumes, which I do not own but enjoy the smell of. I usually wash my hair every second day, as doing it more often does my locks more harm than good, but I do tend to need a bit of a freshen-up in the fringe area on a daily basis, as it gets a little bit oily. It does also go a bit limp at times, so a good spray of this at my roots gives me a nice boost, too.

Then I picked up some Charles Worthington Front Row Rough and Tousled Sea Salt Spray (£6.29), which I love to spritz through my lengths on those days where I don't really have time to dry my hair, or just feel like going for a more undone look. I really love this for summer as it's such a nice, relaxed way to wear your hair and takes minimal effort.

And lastly, I bought some more of my all-time favourite deodorant, Soft and Gentle Sensual Aromatherapy in Wild Rose and Vanilla (£1.89). Not much to say about that one really - it just does the job, and smells ah-mazing!

What haircare products and toiletries have you bought this month so far?

Hope you're all having a lovely evening!

xx