John Frieda 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray

What they say:

Transform curly, frizzy hair into a straight, smooth style that lasts up to 3 days (or until your next shampoo). Introducing Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray. Our revolutionary heat-activated formula with keratin protein wraps each strand to seal in longer-lasting straightness without weighing down. Protects against heat damage and blocks frizz.

It appealed to me as someone who would love to get a permanent blow dry (also known as a Brazilian blow dry) but can't afford it. Though for £6.99? That's more than do-able.

My hair is naturally wavy and very frizzy if left to air dry so I prefer to straighten it. It does end up with little kinks and gets a little fluffy as the days progress, especially if the weather is horrible so anything that helps keep it straight is brilliant in my books.

Directions are simple enough, it has to be applied to damp or wet hair (not dry), blow dried then sealed in with hair straighteners. I once forgot to blow dry and it left me with very glossy defined curls as it air dried. Once I straightened my hair it worked fine.

So this is what's pictured on the back of the box followed by how it worked for me.




My hair on the third day of using 3-day straight.



My hair on the third day straightened as normal without using any other product. Please note that my hair isn't wavy in this photo, the camera just captured movement when the wind blew.



What I think:
I did end up with a few slight kinks on the third day when I used it but nothing I would be outraged about. Personally I don't think there's much difference in terms of how straight it makes my hair as opposed to not using it. However the one thing I did notice is that when I used this product it made my hair shiner/glossier and you can see this in the photos. See how dull my hair looks in the second photo? It was also easier to manage and less knotty. I would buy this again for these reasons alone. The added bonus is I wouldn't have to buy a seperate heat protectant spray.

Have you tried this yet? What do you think? 

EOTD: Coppery Goodness

A boring Friday night in and I got fed up of watching CSI repeats so might as well do a blog post featuring my gormless face and chapped lips (it was either this or the moody cow photo). This is a look I did the other day after watching this Pixiwoo video.






I used the metallic copper and metallic brown shadow in my Sleek Storm palette, MAC blacktrack fluidline on the waterline and tightlined, Revlon Grow Luscious mascara and the much needed MAC select moisturecover concealer in NC42.

Hope your Friday night is faring better than mine xx

The M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange

Just a little heads up if you're currently spring cleaning your wardrobe or planning to make way for new purchases. Take in any unwanted M&S clothing to Oxfam and receive a £5 M&S voucher in exchange. Just one item of donated M&S clothing can raise £5 for Oxfam so by recycling your old clothes, you can also help out a good cause.

This is a sponsored post

NOTD: Barry M in Mint Green

I have to say that Barry M is my favourite nail polish brand for bringing out affordable and quality polishes in a wide range of colours. Absolutely loving this mint green at the moment, something I never thought would happen but I like the contrast against my skintone. I think it would look even better come summer!

New additions to my skincare routine

I am a devoted Neutrogena skin care user but these are the three new skincare products I'm currently using:

1. Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Scrub - I'm usually dismissive of products which claim to get rid of blackheads because they never work for me but this one does. As it's also an exfoliator I only use it twice a week in conjunction with my face brush and there has been a noticeable difference in the reduction of blackheads around my t zone (especially my nose). I feel like it cleans my face thoroughly and I love the zingy fresh feeling - it's like toothpaste for the face! I didn't see a result from day 1 (as promised) but it's become a favourite which I repurchase again and again. Usually £4.19 but I like to buy when it's on promotion for £3.49 :)

2. Good Things Fresh Start Creamy Cleanser - I haven't seen many cleansers on the high street but I bought this a while ago after reading good things (hehe) about the brand. SLS/Paraben free and only £4.99, it's affordable and easily available. Once massaged into your skin, you're supposed to use a hot wrung out flannel to remove the cleanser. It left my skin soft and smells REALLY nice and fruity but wasn't very effective at removing my non waterproof mascara - the flannel had to do most of the work.

3. Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser - Two small pumps of this cream gel cleanser is all I need to clean my face and it removes my eye makeup very well. No flannels or muslin cloths needed, just a quick rinse with warm water. It's got a light fresh scent and my skin feels soft and clean afterwards. Hypoallergenic and designed for normal to combination sensitive skin, this product is rich in Avene thermal spring water which is supposed to have soothing and anti-irritating properties. Available in Boots for £11.50 (200ml) it's slightly pricey and probably more suited to those who like to invest in their skincare. However not much product is needed so it would probably last for a while. They also have two other cleansers which are slightly cheaper at around £8 (see here and here).

NOTD: American Apparel in Rouge

Remember when I said I went on a nail polish spree? Well these are American Apparel polishes I came home with. I know they've been around for a while but I forgot they existed until Becky from Style and the City posted about one colour in particular.




The colour I'm wearing today is Rouge, a dark and dusky rose which is very Autumnal. This is (a messy) two coats but I actually prefer one coat as it looks lighter and prettier in my opinion.

They're £7 each or three for £17 and I could have easily bought 10 bottles. There are so many nice colours and it was really hard to choose just three. Temptalia has swatches of pretty much the whole collection here and here. I defy anyone to have a look and not want at least two or three!

Do you hate the smell of cocoa butter?

Because I do and I can't be the only one? I can't stand it, especially the Palmer's version which everyone seems to love. I know that it's a good moisturising lotion but I hate the greasy feeling and the overbearing scent.

BUT whilst browsing the aisles of Superdrug this week I saw this new Garnier body lotion on offer (£2.99 for 400ml)and out of the variety of scents (like mango!), I chose the cocoa butter one. It's not like any other cocoa butter product I've used before. It smells like milk chocolate but it's light and not sickly sweet. Only been using it for a few days but I love it so far!

[CLOSED]Giveaway - Win £30 worth of Avene skincare products

(Promo photo, not actual prize)

French brand, Eau Thermale Avene are dedicated to sensitive skincare and I have recently been trying out two of their products. I'll be posting my thoughts on the Skin Recovery cream and Gentle Gel Cleanser later this week.

However today you have the chance of winning £30 worth of Avene goodies!

All you have to do is go to Avene's Facebook page and "Like" it. Don't forget to leave me a comment below so I know you have entered.

Closing date is next Sunday the 20th February at 23.59 when I will pick someone at random. Good luck xxx

Recent Primark purchases

Just a quick post on what I bought from Primark yesterday. The peacock feather print top with a frilled hem is my favourite, closely followed by the loose sheer black shirt, which I wish came in different colours. Both were £10 each :D

Have you bought anything nice from Primark recently?

NOTD: H&M Hello Kitty in Turquoise

The other day I went on a nail polish spree and came home with 5 new bottles. I only went in for one but I just couldn't help myself, which always seems to be the case. This what I am wearing on my nails today.

This bottle caught my eye whilst browsing H&M and I wasn't too sure if their Hello Kitty branded polishes were any good but I loved the bright colour.

It's definitely a two coater and really does need a top coat to make it glossy. The consistency of the polish isn't brilliant and I wasn't expecting much for £1.99, but the brush? Frigging awful! Worst brush ever - it's thin and the bristles are stuck together making the polish drag and the application VERY frustrating. Arghh!

Steer clear if you're ever tempted. The colour is lovely but turquoise polishes can be found in any brand.

Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil

...aka the best pigmented black pencil eyeliner out at the moment (well I think so anyway!).

I wear lenses so my eyes are very watery and anything I wear on my waterline just gets washed away. For years Urban Decay's 24/7 pencil liner in Zero was my go to waterproof eyeliner of choice but even that ended up smudging into nothing by the end of the day. At £11.50 it wasn't brilliant or pocket friendly, so I tried Gosh's waterproof velvet touch eyeliner which was £5. It had good staying power but the colour was dull and faded.

However this Avon one is AMAZINGand fulfils all my eyeliner needs

Look how black it is! I have not edited this photo in any way whatsoever.

It's very soft and creamy, similar to a kohl but it does not fade or smudge. The second photo is after I rubbed hard with wet fingers but I stupidly took this photo first so I had to reapply liner over the top which is why the first lines are thicker.

If you love very pigmented black eyeliner pencils then you should definitely get this. It's only £6 and you will not be dissatisfied! I couldn't find the exact one on the Avon website but they have a silver and a black shimmer colour. I don't know if they're rebranding or if it's just out of stock? It's also worth signing up to their newsletter if you do decide to make an order because they sometimes have discount codes for first time buyers.

To be honest, I always thought that Avon makeup was a bit "mumsy" (for lack of a better word) but this eyeliner has totally changed my view and I'm now wondering if they have any other makeup gems out there?

Celebrity style: Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan was recently voted the best dressed woman by Harper's Bazaar. This comes as no surprise considering the dresses she has been wearing to recent events.

These are two of my favourites.

Her off duty style isn't much to rave about as she normally sticks to Breton tops and peg leg black trousers with bow flats.

Shia ♥

But her dresses? I think they're beautiful. I like her penchant for elegant, structured and feminine dresses which aren't too revealing.  Plus she isn't afraid to wear prints!

Her makeup is usually simple and neutral with the emphasis on her eyes - base and a flick of eyeliner. She rarely wears bright lips. Her hair is even more low maintenance. I wasn't a fan of her gamine crop, but now that it's grown out I do like it.

I think what makes Carey so likeable is that she comes across as a normal everyday girl. She doesn't conform to the high maintenance Hollywood standard (size zero, tanned, busty etc) and I love her for it. I can't wait to see her as Daisy Buchanan in the remake of "The Great Gatsby", but she'll always be Sally Sparrow to me! :)

All images from Google Image Search

Shoe Lust

Image: my-wardrobe.com

I saw these Vivienne Westwood Melissa shoes in the shoe section of Topshop on Oxford St last week and I WANT. I love the multicoloured bow and the teeny peep toe - plus they smell like sweeties!

Now what are the chances I can rustle up £85 down the back of my sofa?