Review: John Frieda Miraculous Recovery Masque


I don't know about you but I love a good hair mask. I had my hair cut pretty short last September and I'm in the process of trying to grow it out again so anything that claims to keep it healthy comes off the shop shelf and into my basket.

I haven't used much from John Frieda in the past, apart from a shampoo or two. So I didn't really have any expectations. The only thing I can really say about this product is that it is just okay. I've had hair masks that I've loved in the past (Garnier Ultimate Blends Sleek Restorer Treatment, I'm looking at you) and I'd definitely recommend that over this product any day.

To use, just run it through the ends of your hair after shampooing. Leave for 3-5 minutes and then wash off. 

Usually with a hair mask, I can feel/see the difference straight away. But with this one it left me feeling just a little bit blah. It didn't feel like it did anything more than just a good quality condition.  It did help slightly with frizz but not enough to wow me. Who knows, it might be beneficial in the long-run so I'm going to keep using it for a while longer and see if anything is different. The good thing about it was that it didn't make my hair feel heavy, it still had some bounce and volume to it. So there's that.

If you want to give it a go for youself, it's currently on half price at superdrug.

Have you tried this product before? Did you like it?

Netflix Top 5: TV Shows



We're all prone to a good Netflix binge every now and then (read: all the time). As a student it has provided me with more than enough material for a study break. Or procrastination, whatever you want to call it. So I've compiled a list of the best things I've watched on Netflix over the past year. Honestly, I only wanted the free trial so I could watch Orange is the New Black but I got sucked in. Oh, that happened to you too? Good, at least I'm not on my own.

1. Lie to Me - I loved this one so much that I'm currently re-watching it. It's based around Cal Lightman, a deception expert, who reads people's facial expressions and body language to uncover the truth about police cases, FBI cases, TSA cases etc. 

(For the psychology nerds: it's based on a guy called Paul Ekman. His book Emotions Revealed is a really good read. The whole thing actually made me question my degree choice, fab.)

2. Pretty Little Liars - I've been watching this show since it started so I always had that week-long agonising wait between episodes and then the couple-month long agonising mid-season break and then the half a year long agonising wait between seasons. But the good news is that you can now binge watch all five seasons on Netflix.

Summary: Five friends, one goes missing, others start receiving mysterious messages from 'A', threats start, people die, everyone and their dog is accused of being 'A', you get confused, you get frustrated, you start to think you're 'A', you curse the show, you claim you're not watching the next season, you start to count down the days until the next season start.

3. Orange is the New Black - A women's prison where Piper is sentenced to a year for drug trafficking. She meets loads of weird and wonderful and scary people and we get to look in on their background stories too. It might not sound like your cup of but it's a really good watch. Give it a try, I promise you'll like it. 

4. Utopia - If you like conspiracies, this one is for you. Centred around a graphic novel that reveals government secrets about a lethal flu vaccine. Unfortunately there are only two seasons, six episodes in each. Word of advice: start watching when you've got a couple days spare because you will just want to watch each season in one sitting. 

5. Survivors - This is along similar lines to Utopia. A flu wipes out almost earth's entire population. A group of eventually find each other and struggle to survive in all the mess that remains. It's a BBC programme and it doesn't involve anything sci-fi or unnatural. Again, there are only a couple of seasons so ration it! 

What would be in your top 5? Can you recommend anything to me?

American Beauty: Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara

Who else is enjoying this spell of beautiful weather we're having lately? Yesterday as an end of year treat, my lecturer kindly took me and a few of my course mates to the pub for a drink and a chat. It was such a lovely afternoon and the weather was nice enough to be able to sit outside, soak up the rays and enjoy the final few days of being a student! Anyway, on to the best part of the post...



As you can probably tell from the last two posts in this series, I spent a good deal of time floating around the Tarte counter in Sephora when I was in the US. This is the second of three Tarte items I bought and it might actually be my favourite at all. 

As you might be able to tell from the brush, it actually has two different types of bristles. Ideally you would use the (left) side first, the shorter bristles are supposed to coat all of your lashes, even the small, skinny, fiddly ones. The (right) side, as the bristles are slightly longer, are to lengthen and separate your lashes so there is minimal clumping.

Plastic brushes are my favourite anyway but this mascara is by far the best one I've ever used. It's easy to use, you can do multiple coats without clumping, it sticks around all day long (even in this nice weather) and the formula is also really dark (can you get blacker than blacker?) so your lashes really pop too.

I can't tell you enough how much I love this mascara. The good thing is you can buy this mascara for $23 from sephora.com, who do ship to the UK, fear not fellow Brits. So don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself. 

Have you tried this mascara? What did you think!?

Review: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush


I hope you're all having a wonderful week, the weather has been so lovely lately! I hit my dissertation deadline this week and it proved to be a week full of problems. It's pretty embarrassing when you have to hide your tears from the population of the university library to try make it look like you've got your self together. But I'm glad to have it all off my mind for the moment at least.

Anyway, on to the product! I've never really been one to apply foundation with a brush, I tend to believe that your fingers are as good a tool as any when it comes to applying any makeup. But I'd heard good things about the Real Techniques Buffing Brush so I decided to give it a go.

How to use: move in circular motions to buff in your foundation to achieve a full coverage and flawless finish.

It's a synthetic brush and cruelty free so it may be a worthy investment if you're looking for vegan options. I noticed immediately that using this made my foundation last longer because it pushes it to go a little bit further. It also helps to create a more even base so it'll stop your foundation caking up too. Win, win. It's soft and it really is a pleasure to use. It makes the application process a bit quicker too.

They are quite pricey at £8.99 but if you'd like to buy it you get it with the three for two offer on at superdrug at the moment.

There's not much to say about this one other than give it a go yourself!

American Beauty: Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

     

While this foundation doesn't quite meet the holy grail status of other products in the blogosphere, it has certainly created some whispers of intrigue. I bought the Amazonian Clay foundation from Tarte in when I went to New York in February (you can read about that here). It was one of products I had in mind to buy before I went. So did it live up to my expectations? 

Short answer: yes. 

It is an oil free foundation and it claims to give you 12 hours coverage. It also has UVA/UVB filters (SPF 15) so you get some protection when then sun decides to show his face too (not such an issue for us Brits, eh?) it's also cruelty free! 

The first thing I noticed about this was how thick it was. I was slightly worried about slapping it on my face. But it proved really easy to blend and it feels really light weight on the skin. It has full  coverage too, I only needed a little extra concealer under my eyes. Wear time was good. I'm not sure I'd trust it to last 12 hours (I'm not yet a primer-convert either but that may increase wear time for some of you). 

Overall I was really impressed with this foundation. I'd definitely repurchase. 

Also, just between me and you, I love the packaging. It feels really luxurious to hold and makes a nice addition to any makeup collection. 

Have you tried this foundation?

Review: Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palette


Makeup Revolution took the beauty world by storm when it was first released. Being an affordable dupe for the likes or urban decay, you're likely to get some attention right? I've only really dabbled in what they have to offer (which is a lot to say they haven't been around long) and this blush palette is only the second addition of theirs to my makeup bag.

There are three things I love about this palette. Number one: the colour selection. This particular palette is in Sugar and Spice and it has eight shades of mixed matte and shimmers as well as two baked blushers for highlighting. The colours are perfect now that spring is here so if you're looking to update your makeup bag for the new season, look no further.

Number two: the pigmentation. For a brand that's so cheap, the colour pay off with these blushers is intense. You have to be careful when applying these because a little goes a long way.

Number three: the price. You can buy this beauty for only £6. Yep, you read it right. The price and the quality of these products make Makeup Revolution one of the most affordable high street brands at the moment. Great for the beauty lovers on a budget.

You can buy this palette from selected superdrug stores or from the website.

Have you tried this palette? What did you think?

Review: L'oreal Eva's Red



Eva's nude from this collection has been a favourite of mine for a while now. And when the individual red range came out, I was instantly drawn to Eva's shade again.

I've always been a bit afraid of red lipstick. I mean, when Taylor Swift is setting the bar it's a tougie to beat. But I braved the Christmas season last year with a splash of red lipstick every now and then and I'm glad this was the lipstick that saw me through the season.

Wear time is good - I sported mine throughout the whole New Years evening and after some nibbles and many (probably too many) drinks this little love hadn't budged at all. The formula is great too. I have such a problem with dry lips but this wore really nicely with a bit of lip balm over the top.

It's just a lovely lovely product. With it's deep tone it will suit most skin tones and at £4.99 (bargain!!) from Superdrug, why wouldn't you give it a whirl?

New Kid on the Block: Lottie London


Lottie London caught my eye as soon as word hit. Not so much the nail polish, although there are an impressive 60 shades in the range, but the beauty accessories. The products are aimed at girls aged 14-24 and I think that is reflected in the bright and colourful design that screams Instagram and Pinterest. But that's what I love about these products! It makes such a change from the usual simple designs of most beauty accessories. These products will spice up any makeup bag and just in time for a spring clean too. 


The range is pretty solid for a new collection boasting makeup brushes, nail files, hair ties as well as all of the above. Next on my hit list are the make up brushes which, rumour has it, are vegan friendly too. At the moment you can only shop the range at Superdrug and Asos but I'd give it a look if I were you, it's one not to miss. 

Have you tried Lottie London yet? What did you think of the range?



New York Photo Diary

Those of you who know me will know that New York has always been on the top of my Places to Visit list. It's the one place I would have traded my left arm to visit. Luckily, I still have both arms and a holiday to New York under my belt (woo!). For my 21st birthday I spent a week in the NYLO Hotel on Central Park West With my boyfriend and we had the most incredible time. Somehow we managed to squeeze in everything that we wanted to do and by Friday we were moaning 'I don't want to go home tomorrow' to the sound of the Knicks losing in the background (bummer!). Anyway, here are some of my favourite pictures of the week - enjoy! 



















All photos courtesy of Callum, except for the ones with him in, obviously. He's not quite that clever...

Review: Bourjois Shine Edition Lipstick




A couple of weeks ago I grabbed two of the Bourjois Shine Edition Lipsticks - shade 24 and 20. Okay, I'll admit it... It was the packaging that got me. I love it. It is quite bulky and I know a lot bloggers have a bugbear with this but I love that the colour is so easy to spot amongst my other lipsticks and they just look so modern compared to your usual black lipstick bullet.

The colour is quite sheen, I'd compare them to the Revlon lip butters if I was to give you a point of reference. It's almost deceiving that they're advertised as a lipstick. You can swipe them across the lips for just a touch of colour of build them up for a bolder look. Shade 20 is much more pigmented that 24  and it'll make a lovely colour for the spring/summer time! They apply really nicely too, not sticky at all. They don't last particularly long, like most lip butters/lip balms, but they do what they say on the tin - add lots of shine! 

I wear these on their own, I haven't dabbled into lipstick combos yet but if you have then please leave a comment as I'd love to hear you recommendations! 

You can buy the Shine Edition lipsticks for £7.99 from Boots. It's the same price as the Revlon Lip Butters  (but with a much more vibrant range of shades) so if you're a fan of those, give these a try too!

Have you tried the Shine Edition lipsticks? What did you think?

Review: Rimmel 'Brow This Way'


Brow products have been all the rage recently. Eyebrows are a pretty big deal now. I don't colour pencil mine or anything but I shape them myself and I just wanted something that would help them keep their shape throughout the day.

Which is where this product comes in. You have to be quite careful not to use too much because it can make your brows quite hard and crispy. I usually scrape some of the product off the brush before I put it on, just so I don't overdo it.

The brush is a bristle-like mascara wand/spooly which makes it super easy to just brush through your brows.. Minimal effort!

I'd recommend this product and the good thing about it is that it comes in four variations: Clear, Blonde, Mid Brown and Dark Brown so if you want a bit of colour as well as definition then this will be perfect. You can get this for £3.99 from Superdrug as part of the Rimmel Buy One Get Second 1/2 Price offer.

Have you tried this product? What did you think?