Bed Head Products - First Impressions♥*

Bed Head, a hair company I hear about and see all the time. With their bright packaged products, they're sure to catch your eye. I hadn't tried their products until recently, when Bed Head were generous enough to send me out some products. Got to say, I was super excited when I received them and couldn't wait to try them out. I decided to put all the products into one post and do a first impression on each product.

The product with the most unique packaging goes to this, the Bed Head Blow Out Golden Illuminating Shine Cream*. When I opened up the package, this product stood out to me, mainly because it was so bright and is unusually shaped. I apply two pumps to my hair when it's towel dried, and it makes it feel smooth. It has hints of glitter throughout it, which makes your hair look shiny when you blow dry it. Also, it smells delicious - all Bed Head products smell fruity, without being overpowering! So far, so good!

This one wins the award for the best name - Bed Head Superstar Queen for a Day Thickening Spray*. I already have thick hair, so I was unsure how this would work with my hair. I was impressed with this - it adds some volume to your hair. I spray it when wearing my hair in a ponytail so it looks big and voluminous. Of course, that's just my preference, but you can also apply it to damp hair and blow dry for volume. I really like this product, although, if you have fine hair, I think this would be ideal for you!

Hairspray, cannot go wrong with it! This is the Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray* (great alliteration there Bed Head!) I'm not usually too fussy with hairspray, as long as it's not sticky and keeps your hair in place, then I'm happy. This keeps your hair in place, smells fabulous, is not sticky AND brushes out easily. Does it tick all your boxes? It certainly is worth investing into if you're in need of a decent hairspray!

I'm up for trying out lots of different shampoos. When I got the Bed Head Urban Antidotes Re-Energize Shampoo*, I was looking forward to trying it out to see what it was like. It's described to be "perfect for normal hair that needs a daily pick-me-up". I have oily/combination hair, so was interested to see how it worked with my hair. It left it feeling quite nourished and soft, not to mention shiny! It lathers up great, which is a plus for me because I look for that in shampoos! Sometimes with shampoos, I feel they don't cleanse your hair properly with the first wash, but this did.

To achieve nice hair, you're obviously going to use conditioner. To go with the shampoo, I got the Bed Head Urban Antidotes Re-Energize Conditioner*. I absolutely hate conditioners which are nothing but runny and like water. This is thick and moisturising. It leaves my hair conditioned and healthy looking. Once I've washed my hair, it's really easy for me to comb through my hair, which does often get tangled.

A product which I see a lot of in shops - Bed Head Small Talk*. I had high hopes for this as I have read some reviews on this, plus, my cousin told me it was great, so I was expecting a lot from this little bottle. It's a thickifier, energizer and stylizer. As I said above, I already have thick hair. I put two pumps of it into my hair when dry, and it gives it an extra "oomph" of volume. If you have short hair and/or want volume, this is guaranteed to give you it.

Lastly is the Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff*. I firstly want to mention the smell. Oh, my goodness! It smells so good you could eat it, no joke! Now onto what this product actually does. It adds moisture into hair, the ends of my hair are a little bit dry so I pop some onto the ends just to make them smooth again. By just looking at the name, it basically just smooths hair where needed. It's dumb blonde as it is originally created for dyed hair.

Have you tried Bed Head? Is there any product here you want to try?

*PR Samples

Flawless Face Make-up Routine♥

Sometimes, I don't bother much with my face make-up and just use powder and/or concealer and move on. But the days where I feel like spending more time on my make-up or my skin is needing the extra coverage, this is the make-up routine I go by, which usually gives a good result.

Whether I'm wearing face make-up or not, I always apply moisturiser to keep my skin soft. The one I use is the Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Moisturising Cream. This leaves my skin soft and prepared for any make-up I will apply. 

To help insure your make-up will stay put all day, it's best to use a primer. Recently, I've been using the No.7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer, and I must admit, I have been loving using this! I only use the tiniest amount on my fingertips then distribute across my face. It actually has helped my foundation stay on, it's like a hero in a tube!

Now for the exciting part! I never used to wear foundation, therefore I haven't experimented too much with different ones. I've been using the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation in the shade 10 "Ivory". I thought because it was liquid that it wouldn't be good coverage but oh I was wrong! One layer and it looks perfect! It covers up any redness my skin may have and gives me an even skin tone too. I use the Jessup flat top brush to buff it in and it gives a nice finish. 

For those dark circles I may have or any spots that need covering, I use the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the shade 15. This stuff is seriously good, if you don't own any, I definitely recommend you try it out - it's creamy yet such high coverage! This concealer is ever so slightly lighter than my skin tone, so it's great for correcting dark circles because it lightens them. Once applied, I pat it out then blend it with the Jessup tapered face brush.

To set everything in place, I use a powder, as not only does it keep your make-up from moving, but it helps minimise any shine on your face. I have two favourites which I switch between. The first one I use is the Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 220 "Natural Beige". As you can see, I've used a lot of this, I absolutely love it! It keeps my make-up in place and gives a nice finish. The second one I use is the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 003 "Peach Glow". This powder definitely lives up to it's name and keeps your face looking matte. As good as it is, if you do use too much, it can make your face look cakey, so a little is all that is required. I use a Jessup powder brush to powder my whole face.

What's your must-have face make-up product you recommend I try?

Smooth, Silky, Shiny Hair♥*

One thing I know for sure is that I like my hair to be smooth, silky and shiny looking. I'm always on the lookout for products, especially shampoo, which claim to make your hair shiny. I've recently been trying out the Lee Stafford "Oily Roots Dry Ends" collection*, and using some tricks, I found my hair has been looking a lot more shiny.

Firstly, you got to wash your hair if you want clean hair, never mind shiny! I've found the Lee Stafford "Oily Roots Dry Ends" shampoo* cleanses my hair really well as it lathers up great, even with only a small amount! It leaves my hair feeling extremely fresh and clean. Oh, and not to mention that it smells wonderful!

To make my hair smooth, I use the Lee Stafford "Oily Roots Dry Ends" conditioner*. I only use this on the ends of my hair, so about half way from the roots of my hair, as I feel the ends need conditioned more than the roots. I apply it and leave it on my hair for about two to three minutes, then rinse it all out.

Before I leave the shower, the trick is to turn the water cold, but not freezing cold that you will scream! Personally, I like it quite cold, and I run the water on my head for about thirty seconds. This "closes the pores". It's got the same job as a moisturiser has for skincare.

I then blow dry it with my hairdryer. I dry about 90% of my hair. I use the warm heat to dry my hair, and before turning the hairdryer off, I give it a blast with the cold heat, as I like to cool my hair and I find this gives a little volume (especially if you blast the cold heat on your hair when your head is upside down!)

It's a good idea not to over-wash your hair, so best not to wash it everyday! On my second-day hair, it's sometimes not looking it's total best. I like to use Lee Stafford "Original Dry Shampoo"*, as it gets rid of any visible oils and gives some volume too. By using this on the roots, it keeps my hair looking as good as ever!

What's your tricks for smooth, silky, shiny hair?

*PR Samples

Favourite Spring Nail Polishes♥ || Collab

I love painting my nails in Spring, all the pastel colours are season appropriate and look so cute! I've chosen my favourite Spring nail polishes and decided to share them with you. This post is a collab with Ivy so make sure you go check out her post and her blog (it's brilliant by the way!)

The Barry M Nail Paint in 308 "Berry Ice Cream is such a perfect Spring colour! Lilac is the ideal nail colour for this time of year, therefore I love this one. With just one coat, it is pretty light, but I usually apply two, sometimes even three coats for the true colour. Barry M nail polishes are really good for the price. I believe there's a "gelly" version of this colour available, so if you prefer the Barry M "Gelly Nails" polish and love this colour, you can purchase that instead!

Pink nails are definitely a must for me! Personally, I love Revlon's Nail Polish in 185 "Sweet Tart". It's such a girly colour, and it's my perfect pink. It's looks so good on square shaped nails, almond shaped nails and most shaped nails. It does look pretty once two coats are applied, and even nicer when a top coat seals it in!

Another Barry M one, and this is the Barry M Nail Paint in 295 "Prure Turquoise". Mine is called "Torquoise" but I think they've renamed it. Usually I wouldn't associate blue to be a Spring colour, I'd say it's more of a Winter colour. However, because this is a light blue, I find it way more appropriate than darker blue! As with the other Barry M nail polish, I apply two or three coats for the true colour.

Surprisingly, George nail polishes are brilliant! Considering they're extremely inexpensive, they've got to be some of the best nail polishes out there, I must admit! I do own quite a few colours, but the one I find most Spring like is the George Quick Dry Nail Varnish in 20 "Lavender Fantasy". Even the name makes it sound Spring like! This does apply a little lighter than the colour in the bottle, but it's gorgeous! For £1.75, I cannot complain!

This last one is completely different to all the other ones I've shown. I can't find it online anywhere, but it's the Astor Fashion Studio Fruity Scent Mikado. Firstly, it's lemon coloured and secondly, it smells like lemons! I think this is definitely a Spring colour!

Make sure you go and check out Ivy's blog!

What's your Spring nail polishes?

Garnier Micellar Water - The Best Make-up Remover Ever?!♥

When this make-up remover was first introduced last year, everyone went crazy for it. I read multiple blog posts on it and it was featured in many YouTube videos. It came to the point that because it was basically everywhere, I just had to get my hands on a bottle for myself!

Many people owned this and were raving about how great this stuff was, saying how easily it removes your makeup, even with the smallest amount of product. But does it really?

The answer is yes. When I finally got a bottle of it, I was looking forward to testing it out. As pictured below, I use large oval cotton pads to remove it, as I find these are probably best because they sweep the make-up off so well.

I was a little unsure about using this to remove mascara or eyeshadow in case it would sting. I was wrong! I doesn't sting one bit and removes the make-up in an instant!

Once I run out, I know I will be restocking on this!

It's available from Asda, Superdrug, Boots and any shop which sells Garnier!

The retail price is £5, but shops often have money off it!

Have you tried this?

My Top 3 Drugstore Mascaras♥

I've forever been a massive lover of mascara - I still am and probably always will be! I own multiple mascaras, simply because I'm not satisfied with just one, I love experimenting with different mascaras. I don't think I could ever settle for one..

I've tried many drugstore mascaras in the past, some I've loved, some I've hated and some which I've had a love-hate relationship with. In my collection today, I've found three which have impressed me, all from the drugstore, which I recommend. You can find all three of these in Boots.

First up is a mascara which was raved about here in the blogging world at it's release. It's the Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara and mine is in the shade black. I'm not the biggest fan of the upper brush, as sometimes it can go clumpy. However, I love the lower brush (pictured above). I often use it on my upper lashes as it adds a lot of length! If you use the lower brush, the mascara is definitely true to it's name!

Next up is the Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara and mine is in the shade glam black. The wand is insane - it's guaranteed to give a lot of volume! Sometimes, too much mascara is on the wand, meaning it can go clumpy, so, I wipe off any excess onto the tube. If you prefer volume over length, I would recommend this! I personally like to brush through my eyelashes after applying this mascara, it gives a feathered out look. 

My final one is No.7 Lash Impact Mascara and mine doesn't have a shade but it's just black. I was a little unsure of this at first, as the wand is quite different to what I was used to. After testing it out for a while, I decided I loved it! Again, I'm always afraid in case it makes my lashes clumpy, so I wipe it, and my lashes look long and more voluminous too! I know some people mightn't class this as drugstore, but it's available in Boots, and is only £10!

What are your favourite mascara(s) that you would recommend?

The Body Shop Haul♥

Being a fan of The Body Shop, I am forever browsing their website. A few weeks ago, I went onto their website, and it came up they had a sale on plus 40% off, so, I took the advantage and ordered some stuff. Least to say, I was super excited for it to come.

Since I don't own many of their products, as I ran out of them, I thought this would be ideal, and it's a good variety of products. It's a Christmas gift set, which is their "Coconut Festive Picks". It included a body wash, body scrub, body butter, bar of soap and a body puff. One word to describe this scent? Delicious! I'd never tried a body scrub from The Body Shop, but I was extremely happy with this little one. This set is originally £17, but with the sale and discount, it only came to £7.20.

I'm a big fan of the lip butters, and when I saw this little gift set, I just had to get it! Whenever I go shopping, and there's a Body Shop, I go in and just smell all the scents, because I love them, so I knew what to expect, scent wise. I love the lip balm - it's not greasy at all, in fact, it's quite moisturising. The body butter is wonderful, it makes your skin feel so smooth. Originally, this set was £7, but I got it for only £3.

As if I don't already own enough body washes, I got another. I got the "Brazil Nut Shower Cream". Oh my god, can we just talk about the smell of this?! It literally smells like caramel in a bottle, it smells phenomenal! It's 250ml, and I only paid £1.20 for it instead of £4, which is an absolute bargain! I can't find any of the "Brazil Nut" collection on their website, can anyone tell me in the comments if it's discontinued?

Every time, without fail, when I went into the Body Shop, I was always curious by this little bottle. It's the "Brazil Nut Beautifying Oil". It's suitable for hair and skin, so I thought I'd give it a go. I've used it on my skin, and it left it feels silky smooth, not oily at all! Originally, this costs £9.00 for 100ml, yet I only paid £2.70.

Like I've said, I had never tried a body scrub. I got one, as I'd wanted to get one for ages, and I also love the smell of their raspberry products. I picked out the "Raspberry Body Scrub". This actually looks like a tub of jam, but it works wonders on your skin! My skin was left feeling super afterwards. The smell is fabulous, so fruity yet I adore it. Usually these are £13, but I got mine for a total steal of £3.90!

Because I'd spent over a certain price, I got a free product. I got the "Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream". The packaging is a little unappealing, it looks a bit like acrylic paint. However, I love the smell of it! It's different, but nice. It works really well for dry hands, or just for hydrating hands in general. Like I said, I got it for free, but to buy it, it costs £5 (30 ml) or £11 (100ml).

What's your favourite product from The Body Shop that you recommend I try?

OOTD : Snowy Days♥

Jacket - New Look

Shoes - New Look

Top - Forever 21

Jeans - H&M

Worth The Hype? - Lush Bath Bombs♥

In the blogging world, Lush is a company which is raved about non-stop! It's particularly popular around Halloween/Christmas time and Valentines as they bring out a limited edition collection. I decided to treat myself to a gift set from Lush after Christmas, as I was browsing in Lush and happened to have found some gift sets, which, were all half price! I just had to get a set!

My set I bought was called Best Wishes, which included two bath bombs and a body wash. The bath bombs always have such good ratings, yet I'd never tried them!

I happened to have used the "So White" bath bomb the other day, and it's sadly limited edition! I wasn't expecting much to happen, as it was basically just a plain, white bath bomb. Once it hit the water and started to explode, I was so intrigued! 

As the photo above shows, there's pink in the water, perfect! Inside the bath bomb was hints of pink, so I was totally up for a pink bath, obviously!

I managed to get the bath bomb on camera, only ten seconds or so. As you'll see, it fizzes in the bath for ages, mainly because it was such a large bath bomb!

I apologise for the noise of the running water, as I recorded this whilst the water was still running and couldn't find any way to mute the water!

Rate : 10/10!

After I came out the bath, my skin was extremely smooth! As it's not a bubble bar, it doesn't create any bubbles, but I did add some bubble bath in before the bath bomb.

I did also try "Cinders" which did smell amazing, however, I think I slightly prefer this bath bomb over it!

Do I recommend Lush bath bombs?

YES! I definitely wish to try more in the future, as well as their bubble bars.

Are they worth the hype?

Absolutely! 

What do you think of Lush bath bombs? Do you have any favourites that you'd recommend?