Four different hair oils and why I love them...

Hair oils and serums are a definite essential in my hair care routine - a good one can transform dry,frizzy hair into soft, shiny locks. I've tried out a variety over the last few years but only a few have really caught my attention. Here's four of my absolute faves....

Moroccan oil treatment

This product has been highly praised by beauty bloggers and models alike and so I was keen to get my hands on a bottle and test it out for myself - you can imagine my joy when I received a gift set at Christmas including the full sized product, a miniature travel size and a signature scented candle! It lived up to my expectations - my hair was super soft, shiny and, most importantly, very easy to straighten. It may be expensive, but a full sized bottle will last for ages and the results are worth it....

 

 OGX Kukui oil anti-frizz serum

This lightweight oil is perfect for girls with finer hair who would like to add some extra moisture and shine without weighing hair down. Whilst Moroccan oil is a thick oil, this oil is almost like water and even comes in a handy spray bottle. For me, the anti-humidity properties of this product make it a must have - and the price isn't bad either!

Garnier Ultimate blends - the sleek perfector oil

Garnier's ultimate blends range has never failed me - there's a product for every hair type and all of the shampoos, conditioners and oils smell good enough to eat. The sleek perfector oil is no exception! The combination of the coconut and the cocoa butter leave your hair smelling a little like chocolate and the oil instantly fights frizz. It's has quite a thick consistency and so may not be great for fine hair, but for most people, the price and quality of this product make it a haircare essential...

Frizz Ease original 6 effects serum

For me, this is more of a styling product than a nourishing oil. I spotted a John Freida Christmas gift set on sale in sainsbury's which contained the Miracle Recovery shampoo, conditioner and this serum. It is designed for use on wet hair and is great for those who enjoy heat styling. The serum is pretty thick and can cause some serious product build up if too much is used. However, after straightening, my hair was left feeling super soft, looking glossy and as an added bonus, stayed perfectly straight for ages!

As always I hope that you enjoyed this post and I'll speak to you in my next post!
P.s I have realised that on some computers the text on this post is a bit all over the place. Apologies - I am attempting to get it fixed!

Elle xox

 

Mac fix+ review

Hello everyone, I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas! In todays post, I am going to be reviewing a beauty product that I received this year as a Christmas present from my mum and dad - Mac's Fix+ setting spray/face mist. I had heard such good things about this all in one facemist, primer and setting spray so I just had to put it on my Christmas wishlist.

 Mac describes the multitasker as "A lightweight, mineral rich finishing mist that refreshes the skin and finishes makeup" that "Helps create an even surface for a smooth makeup application". Since most primers, both drugstore and highend, wreak havoc on my skin, a finishing mist enriched with skin-loving ingredients seemed like the better option.

The mist has a subtle cucumber scent, but it's not at all overwhelming and fades away after a few minutes. I like to use it to wet my beauty blender before foundation application, and I can definitely see a difference in the way that my makeup looks. It makes for smoother application and an airbrushed finish. My foundation also lasted longer and looked flawless all day long.

Another way which I like to use this is as a skin refresher before makeup application. It adds a shot of moisture to my skin and calms down any redness. What's more, I've never had any problems with break outs after using this which is an obvious bonus!

I had also heard that it could be used with eyeshadow, so I tried spritzing a little onto my brush before applying some of the shades from my Naked palette. It intensified the colours and made the eyshadow last much longer than usual.

Overall, I would give this product a 9/10 as it is quite expensive. Other than that, I would definitely recommend, especially to anyone who is having trouble with conventional gel/cream primers,

Elle xox

Christmas gift guide

If, like me you're attempting the whole last-minute Christmas shopping thing (by the way, how is it only a week until Christmas?!), then this gift guide may come in handy. Here are some of the gifts that I like to give at this time of year - one for every budget and recipient.


UNDER £5

If you're on a budget and can't afford to go on a splurge with the gift-giving this year, then there are still plenty of options.

• For younger friends and relatives, a sweet treat is often warmly received. A well put together pic and mix box, full of packets of their favourite sweets and bars of their favourite chocolate can be both thoughtful and budget friendly. Many card shops sell beautiful boxes that you can use for this.
• Giving an experience can be even better than giving a physical gift. Promising a friend a spa day, a movie night or planning a fun day at the park with your younger siblings shows that you care but can cost next to nothing, 

UNDER £10

• For under £10, you can construct your own spa package which would be appropriate for both friends and female relatives. Magazines, Nail polishes, beautifully scented body washes, scrubs and bath bombs can all be bought for low prices - especially in shops like boots and Superdrug where there are often amazing discounts on such items. 

UNDER £15

• I recently put together a calendar for my friend, with photos of us and places we had been from my phone, This service is available at Boots and costs £14.99. 
• A magazine subscription is the perfect gift for someone who seems to have everything. Many well-known magazines are available for 6-12 months subscriptions for under £15. If you look around, you can find some really great deals.

I hope that these gift ideas inspired you for your last minute shopping trip - I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I'll speak to you in my next blog post...

Elle xox

Beauty on trial : H&M Beauty Department

Another apology is due this week for my absence in the blogging world over these past few days. If you're a regular reader you may have noticed a lack of continuity in my posting and I'm very sorry! Is anyone else finding the dark evenings a killer when it comes to blog photography?!
Anyway, in today's post, I'll be testing out H&M's "Beauty Department" products which I recently discovered (I think it's only available in larger H&M stores?). I was intrigued by the beautiful and innovative packaging and the high-end feel of the products. Here are some of the items which I picked up:

High Impact Eye Colour  (£4.99)

I was immediately drawn to these gorgeous eye shadows and the vivid colours which H&M offered. The white an
d gold casing screams high-end and yet this product only set me back £4.99 (and came in a lovely little box!). I went for this greyish shimmery shade called "gala gown". It's quite a sheer shimmer which I think would be perfect for a christmas party when you just want to add a touch of glamour! It's definitely build-able but I would recommend priming your eyes before application to ensure longevity. But for the teeny-weeny price of under £5, you can't go far wrong and I feel like these would make an excellent stocking-filler!



Raspberry Leaf Peel-off mask (£1.99)

I had seen another blogger do a review on these unusual looking face masks and it's safe to say that I was intrigued. On my next trip to H&M, I picked up this one for combination skin. The product is contained within a cute little pod which I assume will make for easier application than if it was in one of those annoyingly messy sachets! I haven't actually tried it out yet (I had to wait to take the photos) but the beautiful raspberry scent is enough to make me want to buy another one!


Cashmere Haze Hand Wash  (£3.99)

I must admit, I did only buy this because of the pretty packaging, and wasn't too fussed on the scent. I'm used to simple Radox soaps, so I felt very sophisticated when popping this by my sink! The smell of this is ok, but classically soapy with a slight floral scent to it. I won't be repurchasing simply because the scent isn't for me, but there are plenty of others to try, and for £3.99, I'm not at all dissapointed.


Overall, I'm very impressed with the presentation and affordability of the H&M beauty range and I will definitely be venturing into the beauty isles again to try out the variety of other great products available.

Elle xox

My top 3 drugstore makeup brands

I've never been one for high-end makeup. I love to treat myself now and again but I always head to the drugstore brands for the majority of my makeup and so I thought I'd put together my three favourite drugstore makeup brands - one for every budget and taste!

L'oreal

This brand's beautiful packaging always makes me feel like I'm shopping at the high end counters. I especially love the lipsticks and foundations that L'oreal have to offer. The collection exclusive lipsticks are to die for and the black and gold casing is luxurious! This brand is also amazing if you have paler skin like my as they have a great range of shades.

Maybelline

My go-to for essentials. If I need something like a simple nail polish or mascara, I'll head to Maybelline. My all time favourite is definitely the Lash Sensational mascara - super affordable but 

better than any high-end mascara I've ever tried! You can definitely find some gems in the Maybelline aisles.

Bourjois

I've read in so many magazines that french skincare is the best available, and based on my experience, so is the makeup! As with L'oreal, the packaging is really pretty and the formulas behave like high end products. The only downside is that the shade ranges aren't great, so I can't really use my beloved Healthy Mix until the summer! But overall, I always gravitate towards Bourjois when I'm on the hunt for some great makeup..

I hope you enjoyed and I'll speak to you in my next post!
Elle xox

Why I'm a micellar water convert//how I use it

When the micellar water craze burst onto the beauty scene a while back, I could understand the hype - a no rinse cleanser that claimed to remove all traces of makeup and cleanse skin in one go? It sounded like a miracle product! But after buying my first bottle I really couldn't see what the fuss was about. Used alone, it removed my makeup but didn't give the "soothed and cleansed" feel that the product had promised to give,....so I gave up.

A few months ago, I started to break out and even my beloved Liz Earle cleanser wan't clearing my skin up, so I decided to give the micellar water a whirl again, just to see what happened.....

I chose to continue using my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, but remove my makeup with the micellar water beforehand - the results were amazing!
I think that removing my makeup with a separate product allowed the Liz Earle formula to really work into my skin instead of having to battle through the layers of foundation and powder!

The micellar water was the perfect, cheap alternative to double cleansing with my liz earle - it saved me money and made my Cleanse and Polish last much longer. If you're struggling to afford your usual double cleanse, I would definitely recommend this! You can carry on using your much loved high end cleanser and enjoy the benefits, whilst using half as much and needing to re-purchase far less often.

Although the micellar water craze didn't draw me in to begin with, I soon began my own love affair with the product of the moment and now always have to have a bottle lying around!

I hope you enjoyed this super short post and skincare "story"!

Are you a micellar water fan? 

Elle xox

Haircare products you have to try

My mission to find the perfect haircare products has been a long one. Because of my love of heat styling, the condition of my hair isn't great - but luckily I've found a few incredible products which leave my hair feeling soft, silky and manageable. Here are my all time favourite products which I would definitely recommend!

 Tresemme Platinum Strength - This is a recent discovery for me but one that I am so pleased with. The Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo makes my hair feel incredibly soft and cared for but never greasy. I often find that nourishing shampoos make my hair feel weighed down and greasy after a day - but I've never had a problem with this incredible product.

L'oreal Hair Expertise Conditioner - I bought the shampoo and conditioner from this range but never really liked the shampoo as it made my hair greasy - but the conditioner was luxurious! It made my hair feel super nourished and as an added bonus, this smells really great (like apricots and caramel!).

Dove Intensive Repair Express Treatment - I don't need to say too much about this product, as I actually did a full review on it a while back (you can read that here). But I will say that it works just as great now as it did back then and has been keeping my hair in great condition as it's grown longer over these past few months.

Ogx Anti-frizz hydrating oil - Yet another recent discovery but also another absolute essential! I'd heard great things about Ogx but didn't really see any need to add more products to my extensive collection but I saw that Ogx was on offer in Boots recently and thought that it was the perfect excuse to try one of their products out. I chose this anti-frizz spray oil and it was the best decision ever! This defines my curls, makes my hair super soft and gets rid of all frizz. I've also had many opportunities to try out the "anti-humidity" claim due to the rainy UK weather - this certainly lives up to it's claims. In rainy conditions, my hair stays super straight (after styling) and remains frizz free. I can't recommend this enough!

Have you tried any of these products? If so, let me know your thoughts!
See you in my next post
Elle xox