SOS Itchy Scalp relief!

My hair has taken a fair bit of abuse lately from permanent colour, heat styling etc and i have been mixing and matching different shampoo's, conditioners and styling products like there's no tomorrow.
Unfortunately my scalp didn't seem to like this and i suddenly had a sever dose of itchy scalp.

Now it doesn't sound much but for anyone who has suffered with dry and itchiness to the scalp you will know how annoying it is. I have never suffered with dandruff before and i looked like i had nits as i was constantly itching my head. It was seriously driving me insane.

Luckily for me a lovely PR lady heard me complaining on twitter and offered to send me a new product from La Roche-Posay. I had no idea that La Roche-Posay produced hair care and as i love a lot of the skincare range i was thrilled to try it out.

Kerium DS Anti-dandruff intensive treatment

The shampoo is Paraben Free and provides intense micro exfoliation to quickly remove even persistent dandruff. It also contains a vitamin PP which helps to deeply sooth and relieve itchiness on the scalp.

The bottle contains only 125ml but you only need to use this twice a week. You basically shampoo your hair as normal with it but leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing off.

This looks like any other shampoo, its clear in colour, lathers up nicely and rinses off as you would expect. The smell is barely there just a clean and fresh type of aroma.

Even from the first use it made a huge difference to my scalp. It really soothed and calmed down the itchiness and after using it for 4 weeks my scalp is back to its normal healthy looking self. No flakes, no itchiness, Yahoooo.

Another benefit is that my hair is looking really shiny and healthy. My only problem at the moment is the ends of my hair look a bit dry but that is down to the fact that i need a trim and nothing to do with this product.
I'm so pleased that this was recommended to me to try and if you suffer with itchiness, dry scalp or dandruff then i seriously would consider trying this. xx

Mid Week Moments!

Morning lovelies, I can't believe it's Wednesday already, this week is flying by for me. 

This week so far i have been:

Burning my Pumpkin Apple Butter Wax tarts which smell amazing. (Not long till Halloween)

Slathering on my hand made body butters so i can test them out and see how well they perform. My new favourite is Hazelnut it smells gorgeous and perfect for Autumn/Winter

 Living in my furry boot slippers. I love comfort and warmth and these are perfect.

Drinking big mugs of coffee in even bigger cups.

Treating my hair to some TLC as the ends are looking a bit dry.

Wondering if i will ever save enough in this little pot for a new pair of Uggs.

What have you been up to this week?

Korres Bronzer (Ideal for you fair skinned beauty's)

Todays post is a request to show you my Korres bronzer after my bronzer collection post.
I picked this bronzer up from ebay about a year ago and its the lightest shade of bronzer that i own.

Korres Bronzer 01 Sunglow Light

The shade 01 has no orange tones at all it is more of a neutral very light brown with slight shimmer

As you can see from the swatch on my fingertip, the colour is light in texture as well as colour so its good for fair/medium skinned ladies and if you are one to shy away from the usual bronzers in fear of looking fake then this is a great choice as it just tends to warm the skin up rather than looking like an obvious bronzer.

I use a really big brush and apply it at the temples cheek bones, jaw line and even a touch on my nose.

The bronzer is not at all noticable on my skin as i am fairly tanned at the moment, i use this more in winter as my skin is lighter then. I usually apply the bronzer last as it just seems to finish my makeup off.

Korres bronzer is a great choice for anyone who has never used a bronzer before and for anyone who is worried about blending etc as its such a fine powder it needs so little blending and it can be built up for a bit more depth if needed. It feels very lightweight and lasts really well too.

I will do another post soon and compare the swatches of all the bronzers. Do you have a winter bronzer?

Lowering the lashes!

A few months ago i purchased some lower false eyelashes from ebay and to be honest i had forgotten all about them but last night as i was getting ready for a girls night out i decided to try them out. I thought I'd show you how they looked.

Upper & Lower lashes

When i first applied them they felt really strange but after about 20 minutes i couldn't even tell i was wearing them and they stayed on with no problems all night. What do you think? They are a lot more natural looking than what i expected, i really like them.

From a distance

Little Black Dress

What do you think of lower lashes? Have you used them before or do you think they are too much?

Link Love!

Hello ladies, i hope you are all having a good weekend so far. I'm going for a much needed girls night out tonight.
Here's this weeks lovely list of Link Love. (Try saying that 10 times)

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed revels in the luxury of lash extensions - come admire her fluttery lashes and find out what they have in common with Gremlins!

Christina Aguilera was the inspiration for the celebrity makeup challenge over at SocialiteDreams. Check out the recreated makeup looks and participate on the next celeb!

Addicted to Beauty gets fresh and fruity with her Strawberry Nail Art Tutorial.

Madame B Fatale finally continues on with her Decades Past series with a 70's inspired makeup look.

From Benefit to Dior, theNotice has all of your new-product-needs sorted. Check out this week's recent launches, products, and deals!

Amy Antoinette reviews Topshop's new Smoke & Mirrors collection.


Midnight Violets shares some bargain brushes that have become a part of her everyday routine!

Kajal Couture shows you a cheap and easy storage solution for makeup and skincare that you use on a daily basis.

Dollar store beauty - trash or treasure? Check out Confessions of a Glitterholic and you be the judge!

Is there a dupe for the new minty-blue shade from Color Club? Find out in polish insomniac's Color Club New Bohemian comparisons and dupe search!

Still looking for the perfect red lipstick? Anita thinks she's found hers in Guerlain's Garconne Rouge G!

Lydia from Perfectly Imperfect shares her daily beauty plan of attack and favourite products.


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Head over to Adorable On Your Vanity for a chance to win NINE amazing L'Oreal Paris Color Infallibe Eyeshadows.

Phyrra is giving away the entire Madre Labs bath and body product line from iHerb!

Enter to win a chance to win a NEW Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Raspberry from the "Blushes You Can't Have" series on the Pink Sith Blog. Giveaway ends September 30th!

Bronzer Collection!

I didn't think i had a lot of bronzers but when i looked through them the other day i was surprised at the little collection i seem to have acquired.
I have no idea how i ended up with 10 Bronzers?

My Collection

Artdeco, Clinique & Gosh

Clinique, Beauty UK & Jemma Kidd

ELF & Bourjois

W7 & Korres

 

Looking at all the various shades ranging from light tan to dark brown I'm thinking that there is a high chance that i might look like an ompha lompa at some stage :)

If you see any that you want me to swatch or review then just let me know. xx

Where's she going?

Hello everyone! Just a little post to explain why i haven't been around as much as usual this past week or so.
If you follow me on twitter a few of you will have heard me mention that I'm thinking of starting a little online business creating handmade body products.

I'm still in the very early stages but i am really excited about my new venture and it's taking up most of my spare time at the moment.

I will still be blogging as usual but i thought I'd let you all in on the news as I'm too excited to hold it in.

I am finding it very therapeutic mixing ingredients and learning about lots of new products. It's amazing how many times Ive slathered a cream on myself without actually looking to see exactly what I'm putting on my skin.

Anyway here is a sneaky peak of what I've been mixing up today and I'm rather pleased with the results so far.

Strawberry Cheesecake massage bars

Pumpkin Pie body butter & Buttered Pecan & Maple Body Butter

Have any of you dabbled in making your own products?

Good Things Body Butter!

Hello lovely ladies, i don't know about you but i love a good Body Butter.
The Good Things Body Butter is described as an Ultra Rich formula with Superfruit extracts of Papaya & Mango.

Good Things Body Butter Available from Boots, Superdrug & Sainsbury's RRP £6.49

I noticed two things when i first delved into this butter:

1. The smell is amazing, its a really fruity almost lickable fragrance that hits you from the moment it opens and stays lingering on the skin after you have applied it.
2.  The colour and texture is quite different to most butters I've tried. The colour is pure white rather than cream and the texture is thick but very silky too.

Considering this is aimed at very dry skin it absorbs really nicely and i don't get that oily after feel like you do with a lot of butters.

I apply this at night time all over and i always wake up with lovely soft skin. I even slather it on my feet to keep tootsies moisturised.

It contains extracts of Mango, Papaya & Goji Berry to help boost the skin with antioxidants and increase radiance.
If you love fresh fruity scents and have dry or very dry skin then this is perfect for you.

The body butter is part of the new body care range which contains many other yummy sounding products like the Soothing Exfoliating Scrub which contains Passionfruit and Peach.

Have you tried any of the new body care range from Good Things? and do you like fruity smelling products?

Morning Skincare Regime!

This post is in conjunction with my evening skin care post which you can check out here . I use some of the same things in the morning so although i will mention them I'm not going to review them again as you don't want to read the same things over :)

Aromatherapy Associates Deep Cleanse Face Wash £22

I have been using this cleanser in the mornings and it feels really refreshing and leaves a beautiful fragrance. It seems to gently cleanse my skin and does not leave it tight at all. This contains Tee tree, Marine Algae and Aloe Vera.
A little of this stuff goes a long way, i have been using it for months and its still got loads left.

La Roshe-Posay Effaclar £10.21 from Boots

If i wake up and my skin is looking particularly oily or i can see or feel blemishes then i reach for this. I find this a bit too harsh for everyday use but it really does seem to do a great job of targeting blemishes.
This product contains Salicylic Acid, zinc and thermal spring water.

La Roshe-Posay Thermal Spring Water

I  reviewed this in my night time post here 

FAB 5 in 1 Face Cream Reviewed Here

I'm still loving this moisturiser for everyday use. I love the fact that it has a factor 30 SPF and it gives me a lovely soft face with a little bit of a glow but it isn't at all heavy either. Makeup goes on so easily after applying this as well.

Elemis Absolute Eye Serum

Again i already reviewed this on my evening skincare routine. I often use a separate eyecream for day and night but presently i am using just the one. I really like this serum as it seems to keep my skin around my eyes nice and hydrated without being too heavy although I'm thinking of switching to a slightly heavier eyecream at night.


so i use 4 different skincare products in the morning. How many do you use and have you tried any of these?

Me, Myself & Eye of the day!

As you will have probably seen by now Sleek cosmetics have recently launched the ltd edition palette Me Myself & Eye.

Me, Myself & Eye Palette!

The colours are a good mix of shimmer and matte shades and rather than a certain group of colours this palette is quite an unusual mix of shades. Including grey, green, purple and red.

Three particular colours that stood out to me are the Golden Silvers, Barry White and the Blue Monday. I love how shimmery these are.

Today i used the palette to create this EOTD which i really like. Colours used were Salt & peppermint, Golden silvers and primal green.

I thought id use some of my other Sleek Cosmetics so used a combination of the Suede & Rose Gold blusher on my cheeks and the Coral Reef Lipstick.

I'm pleased to find a really versatile palette which at first didn't look particularly special but on using it i have found the colours to be nicely pigmented and easy to blend.
Sometimes its good to get a palette that you are not immediately drawn to as it makes you try shades that you wouldn't usually try.

What do you think of this palette?

Glow get em!

I thought id write a little post on ways to get bright glowy skin. For me personally i find glowy skin a lot more flattering than matte. I always wore matte foundations up to a few years ago but as i am getting older i find matte products seem to sit in any tiny lines or dry patches.

Me sporting the glowy bright look!

These products are my fail safe brightening range that i am constantly using when i want to look healthy, natural and bright.

Fail Safe Products

Alpha H Liquid Gold & Liz Earle Eyebright

Alpha H Liquid Gold: This product is amazing. I only use it about 3 times a week but it has made a huge difference in my skin tone. I apply this at night and wake up with a lovely glow to my skin and pores look tighter and any spots are significantly reduced. If i could suggest one skincare product to try it has to be this.

Liz Earle Eyebright: It's great to have smooth glowy skin but if your eyes look tired and puffy then no matter how good your skin looks you will not look refreshed and healthy. That's where this product comes in.
Soak a cotton pad in the solution and place over the eyes just for a minute or two and it really takes down puffiness and helps to Brighten and sooth the whole eye area, brilliant for those early starts or for those with sensitive eyes.

Liz Earle Skin Base & Nars Orgasm Highlighter

Liz Earle skin base: This tinted moisturiser gives a beautiful natural finish to the skin. It slightly evens things out but more importantly for me it adds a nice luminosity to the skin making it look fresh and bright.

Nars Orgasm Highlighter: I love this to emphasise above the cheekbones with a pretty sheen, i blend this well and it always catches the light and gives a bit of shape to my naturally round cheeks.

Estee Lauder Idealist cooling Illuminator & Benefit EyeBright

Estee Lauder Idealist Cooling Illuminator is amazing for brightening under the eyes. Its light reflective formula hides shadows and the ceramic tip cools and depuffs the delicate under eye area. The cream needs virtually no blending and is a quick and easy way to transform eyes in the mornings.

Benefit EyeBright is a pinky nude shade pencil which works wonders when applied at the inner corners of the eyes, under the brow bone and even in the inner rims. I use this pencil a lot if I'm looking tired.

Hard Candy Living Doll Blusher & Mac Chatterbox Lipstick

Hard Candy Living Doll Blusher is a candy pink mineralised blusher. I love pink on the cheeks to add a pop of colour which instantly brightens the whole face.

Mac Chatterbox lippy is the perfect doll pink which is a fresh glossy colour that is bright but not too in your face.

Glowy Cheeks!

Do you like the glowy look or are you more of a matte girl. Also have you or will you change formulas as you get older?
What are your must have products to achieve bright and glowy makeup?

The ultimate Vanilla Scrub by 100% Pure

Morning ladies and gents. I am not usually inclined to rave about body products but this one is seriously amazing.
I have always loved Vanilla, i love everything Vanilla to be honest from candles, shampoo, body creams and of course in cakes :)
But the more you use vanilla the fussier you get as there is a huge difference in the cheap overly sweet vanilla smells to the real creamy which i call proper Vanilla scents.

 

Now i was contacted by the company 100% Pure who make not only body and skincare products but also cosmetics which are all 100% pure ingredients. No synthetic chemicals, preservatives artificial fragrances etc. Even the makeup is made with fruit pigments.

They kindly sent me 2 makeup products and this Vanilla Bean Body Scrub.

Vanilla Bean Body Scrub £24

This body scrub has THE most unbelievable smell to it, a really creamy sweet but very nautural scent. As soon as i opened this pot i knew i would love this product. I can honestly say it's the best vanilla scrub that i have ever used in terms of both fragrance, scrubability and after effects.

The scrub is packed full of all sorts of amazing skin friendly ingredients including:
Cocoa Seed Butter, Pomegranate Seed Oil, Acai Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Apricot Oil, Vanilla Extract, Hazelnut Seed Oil plus loads more.

The scrub itself has decent sized granuals so you can really exfoliate well but it has no scratchyness either so works perfectly. It rinses off leaving a very thin layer of the natural oils which after patting dry seemed to absorb into my skin.

The next day my skin feels amazingly soft and no need for moisturisers. I can't praise this scrub enough and would love to try other scrubs by this company as they have loads of other yummy sounding ones too including honey almond, blood orange and white peach.

The scrub is not cheap at £24 but now i have tried it i can say its worth every penny and i'm adding it up there on my list of perfect products.

You can take a look at the website here although dont blame me if you end up maxing out your credit card :)

Have you tried anything from this range and are you a Vanilla fan?

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless

Illamasqua Theatre of the nameless collection has a bold and powerful feel to it. Shades are perfect for creating a bit of drama with deep shades and glossy finishes.
Illamasqua always take things to the next level with the creative looks that they conjure up and always push the boundaries with unusual distinctive looks.

It’s time to cross the threshold and embrace a world of

Unadulterated decadence …

 I was sent three products from the Theatre of the nameless collection.

 Raven Mascara, Beguile pure pigment, Belladonna intense lipgloss

The mascara brush is nice and large with a fat base that slims down towards the end

Priced at £15 available from Illamasqua

Lashes before!

Lashes with 1 coat!

I love this mascara, its totally jet black as the name raven suggests. It is also really pliable so you can maneuver the lashes for quite a while before it dries giving you complete control.
I didn't find it clumpy at all and it works really well even in just 1 coat for added length and thickness. This is the first Illamasqua mascara that Ive tried and I'm impressed.

Intense lipgloss Belladona £13

The Illamasqua lipglosses are so pigmented and this one is a beautiful deep pink colour with a really comfortable texture that's bold and glossy. This looks a bit deeper in real life and the 2 times Ive worn it i have had people comment on it as its quite vivid.

Pure pigment Beguile £15.50

The website states:
Made to be played with. A metallic, high-shine, pure-colour powder that highlights eyes, cheeks and brows. Mix with eye shadow, blusher or use it on its own to intense effect. Bring out your bold side.

This is such a stunning pigment and the photos just don't do it justice. The sheen is a silver/grey/multi colour that is radiant. I cant wait to play with this as i know it is going to be amazing.
For now i just applied a little to my lids for a subtle shimmery look.

Have you tried anything from this collection and what do you think of the products I've tried?