Current Hair Care Favourites

Since recently braving the chop, I've also recently been trying out some new hair care products which have been in my stash for a little while. I love trying out new hair products as I do have my staples however, it is nice to delve into something new. These three products photographed have been staples in my hair care routine recently, some new and some old.

Firstly the Mark Hill Bedazzled Anti-Humidity Shine Spray (what a mouthful). I've had this in my stash for a little while now but had never really tried and tested it out properly. So recently I pulled it out and gave it a good old bashing for a period of time and guess what? Yes, you guessed it, I love it! It's such a simple product to use, I simply spray it all over my hair with literally no care in the world. Once I've covered all my hair, I just run my fingers through it and voila, finished. It smells divine, which is such a bonus, and just keeps all those fly aways in place with added shine. It's great for those "can't be bothered hair days" when it's freshly washed and I can't be bothered to style it - this spray just makes my hair look like I've actually made a little effort. It's also great for those "sleek hairstyles" as it puts all hairs back in their right place.

Next the L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect Conditioning Protect Spray, another great mouthful. This product is a firm staple for me and for any of you who also suffer with knotty hair. This is a God send and just makes my hair so much more manageable. I simply spray this all over my hair, after washing, and my tangle teezer just glides through effortlessly. It also leaves my hair feeling extra soft due to the conditioning elements in this spray. I struggled to find the perfect detangling spray but this one definitely ticks all the boxes.

Finally the Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil which I have used before but that was a long time ago. My mum actually got this free with an order she placed recently however, she passed it along to me and I took it with open arms. I remember loving this product in the past and my love for it remains. I simply use 1-2 pumps of this product, again after washing my hair, and apply it just to my roots. It really does help keep the ends of my hair in tact and not split. Again, this product also helps keep my hair super soft in between washes.

Overall these three products are firmly stapled into my current hair care routine and really seem to be working well for me and my newly, short hair. If you also love any of these products then let me know but I'd also love to hear your hair care favourites which I may not have previously tried :-)

Avon Makeup Setting Spray

Back to a normal beauty review today after what actually seems like a really long time, although I know it's not really. I've got lots of beauty bits to review for you guys but sometimes it is nice to have a little break from them. It means I can talk to you about other topics which I normally wouldn't get the chance when always talking about beauty products. But yes, it is nice to get back on it.

Avon is a great brand for make up and I find they are always bringing out new and exciting products onto the market. I know a make up setting spray isn't anything new but when I purchased it, quite a while back now, it was a relatively new concept to me. My first ever setting spray was the Urban Decay De-Slick make up setting spray (long name and you can find that review here). I really enjoyed using this product and after it was finished I was flicking through the Avon catalogue and came across this one. It was super cheap and sounded great so I went for it.

I don't wear a setting spray every single day and tend to just use this one for a night out or if I know I'm going to be out of the house for a long time without having the time to top up my make up. It's a pretty fool proof beauty item. When I've finished all of my make up I simply spray this product a few times all over my face and allow to dry. I do find this one to be a lot more wet compared to the Urban Decay one. I think the spray on this one simply gives off too much product in one spray and you can sometimes end up with large water drops on your face, which is just rather annoying. But once this product has dried it doesn't feel heavy or as if you've sprayed anything on your face. I have read that some setting sprays can leave your face feeling stiff as such, but luckily you don't get that from this one.

I think this product does help with keeping my make up in place for longer. It definitely keeps my shine at bay for a lot longer than it would normally if I wasn't to use this, so that's a definite thumbs up from me. Yes it does help lengthen my make up but nothing dramatic. I do feel as if the Urban Decay one was better at keeping my make up in place for longer compared to this one from Avon.

Overall this is a great and cheaper alternative to the Urban Decay offering. It does have some great benefits but if you can overcome the flaws then it will definitely work for you. This is also a really decent sized product for the price you pay which is great. Let me know if you've tried a setting spray and what your favourite one is :-)

Bed side table evening essentials

It's a definite must to keep everything that I need, when it comes to night time, close by. I hate it when I'm tucked up in bed and something I need is on the other side of my bedroom, super frustrating. So I like to make sure that my essentials are on my bed side table and ready to use. I use all of these products on a nightly basis and am currently enjoying them so I thought I would share them all with you.

My first essential of course is some Vaseline. I always find if I do not put a lip balm on before I go to sleep then I wake up with really painful and cracked lips. Vaseline simply does the job, nothing spectacular, but it works well for me. I know if I put this on before bed then my lips won't be painful when I awake in the morning so I can't really go wrong. I do also like to apply this when I wake also just to super soften my lips.

Next is a hand cream, this particular one from Cath Kidston. It has super cute packaging and a nice floral scent to it. I much prefer to apply hand cream before bed and then I find I do not need to reapply throughout the day again really. This one is super nourishing and leaves my hands feeling really soft, not sticky.

Then I always have to keep a spot treatment nearby, at the moment I'm currently using one from Elemis. This essential always chops and changes as I like to buy a different one each time, this is just my current one at the moment. I always, always apply a spot treatment every night in aid to help reduce current blemishes or past scarring. You can read my review here.

After applying my spot treatment I then use my Freederm serum which is great when you have lots of blemishes or that one big, nasty spot. It's a really soothing cream which is night to apply in the evenings and works whilst you sleep. It can take a couple of minutes to sink into your face though so I tend to have one last small check on social media whilst it does just that. You can read my review here.

Finally, again whilst I'm flicking through my phone, I spray my Avon pillow mist onto my pillow. The smell of this spray is really calming and genuinely nice. Since buying this product, I have used it every night since. I really do love using this product and I think it does make a difference to my nights sleep. You can read my review here.

And that's the contents of my skin care bed side table essentials! I honestly love using all of these products before I go to sleep and really think they help. I would definitely recommend these products and would love to know if you have tried them. I also love to hear your bed side table essentials :-)

Avon True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Purple Haze

I'm not a huge lover of doing something extravagant on New Years Eve but this year I am heading out. No where too posh so I don't need that LBD or anything fancy but I want to do something a bit different with my make up instead. I purchased this eyeshadow quad a real long time ago now and have barely touched it since. So I thought it was about time I dived into my make up stash and used a few bits that I haven't really in the past, this being one of those. I absolutely love the shades in this quad and think it will be perfect for my NYE make up.

I've also mentioned in previous blog posts that I'm not all that glued up on eyeshadows and don't actually own that many. This one in particular seems pretty fool proof due to the numbering embossed onto each eyeshadow colour. This indicates where you should apply each colour on your eyes. This is a great idea for eyeshadow newbies as you simply can't really go wrong. I have always loved the look of a purple smokey eye on others so I cannot wait to recreate it.

The actual eyeshadows are super soft on application and blend really well. I don't think much of the brush included in this quad, as I'm sure many agree, and I tend to always use my Real Techniques eye brushes which this works really well with. All these shades together work really well and do easily create that purple smokey eye in a matter of minutes. The lasting power of these eyeshadows is pretty standard, when doing a full eye make up look like this I will always use a primer which is a lifesaver really. So the primer really holds the eyeshadows in place, certainly for the whole night so no need to pop this in your clutch bag for the night out. Unless your going from day to night, then a touch up will be needed but this would be a great time to simply use the brush included to save clutch bag space.

The packaging is nothing amazing but again perfect to simply throw in your bag if needed. It comes with a decent sized mirror inside so when/if you need to touch up it is easily done so. Again there is a brush included which could potentially come in handy. The simple black plastic packaging is sleek and actually doesn't look too cheap.

Overall I will definitely be using this eyeshadow palette on NYE for my night out. I think it's a great time to do a full on eye look easily and quickly. You can purchase this palette here from Avon, they also do lots of different shades. I'd love to know your NYE plans if you have any and what sort of make up look your going to be going for :-) 

Avon Clearskin Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask

 

It's only pretty recently that I have actually started using face masks and actually enjoying them. I used to find putting them on and having to wait 15 minutes more of a chore whereas now I understand my skin type more, it's more of a pamper. This one caught my eye in the Avon catalogue a couple of months back and it was on offer for around £3, a bargain I had to have. Avon say:

"Unique formula, with oil-absorbing mineral clay, pulls like a magnet to draw out pore-clogging dirt & oil. Skin feels clean and soft." 

The ingredients of this mask include hydrated silica and salicylic acid which are great for blemish prone skin and also witch hazel. The texture of this mask is super smooth making application a dream. This goes on black and then after 10-15 minutes, when the mask has turned grey on your face, then it's time to wash it off with warm water. Whilst this mask is on my face it certainly gets that tight feeling towards the end and also a very slight cooling sensation but nothing nasty feeling. Also this mask doesn't consist of a strong smell which is nice considering the time you have to keep it on.

This mask is perfect if you have oily/combination skin as it really does help absorb the oil and leave your skin feeling super soft. I do feel like this mask does help fight off and tighten pores but not fully. I did find a few around my nose were still slightly visable after using this mask but I will continue to use it in hope that maybe it just missed them that time around. This isn't a mask that I would use very often a week and I have only been using it once a week so that may mean that my results aren't as great as someone who may use it more times a week so that's definitely something I should try.

I do however love the feel of my skin after using this product and will continue to use it as I do love the results. Suffering from oily skin is a right pain in the bottom and this product really does soak it all up and leave it super smooth. I will definitely keep up with trying to use this mask more than once a week and see if my results change and if they do I shall let you know of course.

Overall this is a great, cheap mask which I am enjoying using. You can find this product here from the Avon website. Let me know if you've tried this product or your favourite Avon products ready for when I next receive my catalogue :-)

Avon Planet Spa Sleep Serenity Pillow Mist

I don't know about you but I'm one of those people who clambers into bed and thinks about absolutely everything under the sun that have pretty much no relevance to anything at that moment in time. Due to this I could get into bed at one time and it won't be until a couple of hours later that I'm finally asleep. This is the most annoying and frustrating thing ever, especially when I start counting down the hours I have until I have to be up at the crack of dawn the following morning.

I'm always on the look out for things to help me get into that right frame of mind before I go to sleep in aim to cut down the time it actually takes me to drift off. I've tried a few things before but nothing seems to really work for me, that I've tried anyway. I saw this product in the Avon catalogue quite a while back now and it was on offer (Avon always do many great offers) so I thought why the heck not! I think I paid around £2 for this, maybe even less, which is a bargain - whether it worked or not.

Now I must say I think so many things can influence how you sleep each and every night, also every person is different. This pillow spray smells so lovely and actually really relaxing. The scent is Lavender and Camomile and honestly just smells incredible. I just spray a couple of sprays onto my pillow and around my pillow where my head would be. It doesn't leave your pillow feeling wet which is a plus.

I absolutely love using this product as I find it really does help me relax before sleep and the smell is amazing. Although I'm unsure as to whether it actually helps me get to sleep faster as unfortunately I still think of many things which I think is something only I can change. But it definitely helps me get more prepared for sleep and leave my bedding/room smelling nice. Also for the price it's a great product to try out; like I said it may work differently on different people!

I'd love to know if you have any tips or different products you've tried that have worked for you :-)

Avon Haul

First things first I'm sorry for the lack of posts/tweets, if you didn't know about my new adventure (you can read that post here) then I started uni last week and literally haven't stopped since. I don't think I have ever been so busy, apart from working in retail around Christmas time. I also haven't had a day off since last Monday and my next day off is Sunday so if I think I'm tired now I need to think what I will be like on Saturday (zombie). So with a short afternoon off I thought it was the perfect time to write a blog post for you.

Onto the haul.. My mum always gets the Avon catalogue and I always have a sneaky peak to see if there's anything I want to order. She's been getting the catalogue for years and I actually really like the make up and other bits and bobs that Avon have to offer. They do some really good deals and I've got one to tell you about today that I just couldn't resist.

The first things I got was this really pretty eye shadow quad. I love purple and green eyeshadows especially as I have brown eyes so when I saw this quad I thought it was perfect. Now I'm not the best at eyeshadow, I don't actually wear it that often and when I do I'm no master at it. So each shade in this quad has a number on it and then on the back of the box is a small diagram showing you which shade to put where, which is something I really love. It makes it super easy for beginners, like me. I have tried this quad and absolutely love the colours, they are really well pigmented and long lasting. I really want to use this quad on a night out so I can make the look slightly more dramatic. I believe this was also only £5 which is an absolute bargain for four eye shadow shades.

Next I got this super duper awesome mascara, I mean just look at it! I'd seen in it in the Avon catalogue before I ordered and couldn't resist the cool shape it had. It looks a bit scary and does take a little bit of getting used to when applying it simply due to the completely different shape to the normal wand mascaras. I've only used this a few times but I am really loving it already, again if you don't know me then I'm very fussy with mascaras, but the formula of this one is lovely. It's easy to use, glides on easily and really lengthens and thickens the lashes. I paid £10 for this mascara which I'd class the slightly higher end of the 'high street' but this is where my good deal comes in. I paid £10 for the mascara but as I purchased this I got the concealer, eye make up remover, eye shadow primer and eye shadow brush FREE! And those freebies were meant to come to just over £20 which I thought was an absolute bargain and therefore couldn't resist. I can't actually comment on any of the freebies as yet as I haven't tried them but I'm very excited too.

Finally I picked up this hair straightening comb, it was new in and instantly caught my eye when looking at the page. I don't have naturally straight hair and if I want it straight it can take me a fair while to actually straighten it all as I have so much hair. So when I saw this I thought it was a pretty good tool to help straighten my hair from when it's wet. I believe it was only around £3 so not breaking the bank and I'm only yet to try it the once so far. I tried using it on wet hair and using this tool alongside with my hairdryer to dry it straight. I'm afraid to say I didn't enjoy it, I found as my hair is rather long it really made my arms ache to use and also the comb wasn't very friendly. It really tended to pull my hair and that's one of my pet hates and all time worst things - me or people pulling my hair so this didn't make me enjoy this product. But don't get me wrong I'm going to give it more than one attempt!

So there it is, that's my Avon haul! I hope you enjoyed it and if you haven't checked out any Avon items before then I definitely recommend you do! Like I said you really can find some great deals :-) Now it's time for me to chill for the rest of the afternoon! Speak soon xo