Last Minute Stocking Fillers

Christmas is almost amongst us and no judgement here if you still have a bit more shopping to do. The shops are filled with Christmas carols and decorations, so get yourself down to your local, pick up some goodies for loved ones and maybe a little something for yourself too! 

Lush is always a safe bet for any girly girl who loves to take care of her skin. They have a massive selection of gifts all pre-wrapped which is handy. I picked up a couple of their famous bath bombs; Dragon's Egg and Father Christmas. Don't let their light colours deceive you, they will brightly colour your bath like no other! 

I love Benefit's cute girly packaging and any of their products would make a lovely little gift. I've been eyeing the Benetint for a while and found this pack of minis at Sephora - so perfect to try all three products! 

Typo has really stepped up their stationery game recently and they're even selling quirky homeware type gifts now. This glass skull is a perfect ornament for anyone's home and I plan to fill mine with glitter to add a bit of colour. 

Every girl loves a bit of Lorna Jayne! All the colours and styles are great motivation to get outside and moving! Did you know they also sell inspiring candles!? I actually was given this gorgeous lemongrass and ginger candle as a gift from a great friend of mine - I love how fresh it smells! 

I hope this has offered some inspiration for gifts to give to your loved ones! Have a happy and safe Christmas! 

Product Review: Dry Shampoo

        1. Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo.                        

 

      2. Cedel Dry Shampoo

        3. Batiste Dry Shampoo.                          

4. Polished London Blighty Brunette Dry Shampoo

1. Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo

I've got to start this by saying I do really love a lot of Lush products because of their natural properties, cruelty free nature and great scent but this dry shampoo isn't one of my favourites. It does say on their packaging 'easy to use' and I'd have to disagree with this statement. The powder comes out of the bottle in blobs and leaves a white cast on the hair. In terms of soaking up the oil, it does do this well but the fact that it's so hard to distribute, turns me off this product. If you can look past this, it's actually very good value for money and seems to last for a long time. 

2. Cedel Dry Shampoo for Dark Hair

I decided to only purchase the travel size of this whilst testing it out and boy am I glad I did! This was more of a wet spray than a dry shampoo for me. Perhaps I wasn't shaking it enough but it came out wet when sprayed onto my hair and definitely made my hair greasier than it already was. Because of this, I unfortunately won't be able to use the remaining product.

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo

My favourite dry shampoo ever! This product soaks up the oil from my hair like no other and literally makes it feel freshly washed every time. The image shown is the scent Blush, but to be honest I like them all. Batiste have dry shampoo for both blonde and brunette hair, which I've tried. The brunette is probably easier for my dark hair but I like using either. I usually stock up when they're on sale because dry shampoo is an essential hair product for me. I can't say enough good things about Batiste - I love it! 

4. Polished London Blighty Brunette Dry Shampoo

I wanted to try out one more dry shampoo for brunettes in my review. I decided on the brand Polished London which I'd never seen before and was pleasantly surprised. This product left no white cast like some dry shampoos can and made my hair feel fresh and clean. The other bonus was the price - at $4.99 this dry shampoo doesn't break the budget and does what it says. I would happily recommend this dry shampoo to brunettes looking for a new product to try out, that keeps your hair looking and feeling fresh. 

So there is my review of four different dry shampoos from my experience using them. I understand everyone's skin and hair is different - this is just my opinion after using each of these products.

Hope this has helped or given some guidance on choosing the right dry shampoo for you.  

Winter Essentials

It's Winter and both our fashion and skin care regime tends to change in the colder months. Here are my winter essentials which get me through those long winter months. 

1. I like to switch up my nail polish quite frequently and tend to match it to what colours I'm wearing - which in winter, is usually black or darker colours. These two nail polishes from O.P.I are perfect to accompany a darker outfit in winter. The colours are: 'Got the blues for red' and 'OPI ink'

2. My lips get chapped very easily in winter and let's face it - dried, cracked up lips isn't a good look. To keep mine soft and moisturised I use the Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub, followed with Lucas Pawpaw Ointment. I cannot say enough good things about both these products! 

3. As I match my nails to my outfit, I also do with my lips. I love a bold coloured lip and these colours are perfect for a pop of colour.

~ Mac Rebel (Satin)

~ Mac Ruby Woo (Matte)

~ Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense No. 48 

4. A scarf is a great "in between" clothing item; where it either may not be cold enough for a jacket or you simply are not warm enough with your jacket alone. It's practical, yet stylish and can be the stand out pop of colour in your outfit. Since I do wear a lot of black, I always wear bright coloured scarves like these red and blue ones. 

5. My skin is usually very oily, but in winter it does get the odd dry patch which doesn't make applying makeup easy. I like to keep my face hydrated with Mac Strobe Cream and my body with O.P.I Avojuice Ginger Lily hand & body lotion. Even though it is winter, you need to keep your skin protected from the sun by wearing sunscreen everyday. I like to use Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle deep wrinkle daily moisturiser with SPF15. It doesn't leave my skin oily and is a great base for my makeup. 

6. A pair of black boots are a must in winter and are so versatile. I bought this heeled pair from Wittner Shoes last season and they're still going strong. They are so comfy and can be either dressed up or down. I also keep a good pair of black, flat boots on hand in winter for a great Sunday shopping outfit. 

I hope you've picked up a few winter tips from me and do let me know what your winter essentials are!

May Favourites

I can't believe June is amongst us..already! I've finally completed my Diploma in Marketing and am leaving for a trip to China this Sunday. It's all very exciting : ) I haven't done a favourites post before, but thought id let you know what I've been loving for the month of May. Here goes...

I do like to switch up my perfumes quite regularly, but this month I seem to have been going back to these two old faithfuls. 

I generally like wearing Calvin Klein In 2 U during the day because of its light, fruity smell. It also has a slightly masculine smell to it, which I kind of like! 

Chanel Chance is my go to night time scent. It's quite a bold, strong scent which really lasts on the skin. It's my all time favourite. 

I was lucky enough to try out these lovely candles from Valencia Bath Treats this month. They are absolutely divine and smell good enough to eat! My bedroom has been filled with the sweet smell of Green Apple and Salted Caramel! 

During the colder months, we all tend to lose that summer glow. Bobbi Brown's bronzer in No. 1 Golden Light is what I've been using to lightly bronze up my face. I like to apply it with a bronzer brush from bh cosmetics. 

My skin is quite oily normally but I tend to get dry patches in the colder months. I've been using this deluxe sample of Clinique Moisture Surge and my skin is loving it. It's a kind of jelly texture and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy at all. My lips have been feeling a tad dry lately - this Mint Julips sugar scrub from Lush is exactly what they needed. It's a naturally made lip scrub that you can actually eat! 

I bought this Michael Kors watch from Asos a little while ago and am so glad I did! It's been getting a lot if wear because it goes with so much. I like its bold size and can be worn either during the day or night. 

The weather has been getting a little chilly lately, so ive taken the warmer clothes out of hiding. I bought this furry collared vest a couple of years ago from a little store called Think. I love the natural brown colour and how warm the furry collar keeps me. I usually team it with jeans and boots for an all round winter look. 

I hope you've enjoyed my favourites for the month and let me know what you've been loving during the month of May.