Schwarzkopf goodies!

I was lucky enough to receive lots of Schwarzkopf goodies to try out recently from their Professional range.  I have highlighted hair that is thick and needs a lot of care, so I really have to choose my hair products carefully.

I tried the Blondme Care & Styling range , which is a 360° hair care programme that not only provides tailored tone management in neutral, cool and warm directions but combines it with the intensive care necessary for maintaining illuminating blonde hair. I love the classy packaging too - looks great in your bathroom!

My favourite products were the Reflective Luminosity Shampoo (£9.95) and the Blonde Enhancing Sun Screen, which I used every day whilst on holiday in Rome last week to protect my hair against the sun and the sea. Containing Melanin-Solar-Screens, it lets enough sun through to naturally illuminate and lighten blonde tones while screening out solar damage - perfect for gorgeous 'beach' hair.  Schwarzkopf Professional has also created OSiS Design Mix, 6 new products that have been designed to fulfil any styling need - Smooth, Rough, Gloss, Matt, Light and Strong. I love using the Gloss after styling my hair for a super-smooth finish that tames frizzy hair.  

Has anyone else tried the Schwarzkopf Professional range and what do you think?

Bright eyed look!

I know lots of you guys are taking exams at the moment, I remember this time last year I was doing the same thing and under loads of stress staring at books and competition screens - yuck! To combat that horrible dry eye feeling, I recommend using Vital Eyes, which are daily moisturising eye drops to soothe and revive tired and uncomfortable eyes, leaving them looking and feeling healthy! It's really soothing for tired and uncomfortable eyes, containing vitamin E!  Good luck with the exams...!!

Diamond Blogger TAG!

Hi guys, I am leading on from Natalia at I would go out tonight BUT... and her Diamond Blogger tags! 

My top six blog reads are:

1) Muhsine at Bubblegarm www.bubblegarm.blogspot.com - this girl is gorgeous and always looks great. I love the looks she creates too.

2) Natalya at Filthy Gorgeous Make-up www.filthygorgeousmakeup.blogspot.com - again another stunner who always looks fab!

3) Helen at Hele Says  www.helesays.blogspot.com -love her style!

4) Jen at Mizzworthy - www.mizzworthy.blogspot.com - great detailed reviews, very thorough!

5) Zoe at Zoella - www.schoee.blogspot.com - lush hair, finds some great things at car boot sales!

6) Jane at British Beauty Blogger - www.britishbeautyblogger.blogspot.com - love her blog with her insider news.

So guys carry on tagging! x

I'm back....!

Hi guys, I'm back after a lovely five day break to Rome! I had a lovely time looking round the lovely sites, eating lots of food and getting a tan! I was a bit sad to miss out on the Barry M event as I had to work but heard it was a great day.

Anyway I thought I'd write about the key products I used throughout my trip. It was extremely hot, so suncream was a must. I used Estee Lauder's Sun Goddess Body Lotion SPF30 to protect my skin, which smells lovely and glides on your skin so easily with a beautiful shimmer.  I have also found two great new bronzers that I used all holiday. I am gutted I couldn't attend the event last week but I love their new Natural Dazzle Bronzer (£9.50) which many bloggers including Hele and Bubblegarm have been comparing to Nars Laguna bronzer. I haven't use Nars Laguna but I can recommend Natural Dazzle for it's sheer coverage that isn't too heavy but covers inperfections. For mineral lovers, the new Prescriptives Mineral Bronzer provides a natural sun-kissed glow., featuring R.E.C. complex (Radiance Emitting Crystals—a unique combination of Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Calcite). It's all also really good for your skin too, so perfect for hot days in the sun, ensuring your pores don't get too clogged with make up. It's also available in two glowing shades of warm or cool.

What do you think - has anyone else used these bronzers?

Gorgeous retro mugs from Truffle Shuffle

I am off to Rome tomorrow morning for a well-earned holiday! So I sadly won't be able to blog while I am away but I will be back on Tuesday! I thought I'd leave you with a non-beauty related post about this gorgeous Barbie Mug (£5.99) from www.truffleshuffle.co.uk, one of the UK's leading online retailers for retro apparel! 

As you all know I am moving into my new flat next month (photos to follow soon!) so I have been busy looking for the coolest items to fill my flat! This gorgeous mug is decorated with a swirly print of Barbie, along with the slogan 'When You Look This Good, Nobody Cares If You're Plastic,' and also comes packaged in a matching gift box which is bright pink (of course!)  What do you think?

Easy ways for super-smooth legs with BIC Soleil!

I am off to Rome on Thursday for a few days in the sun, which I am so excited about! Obviously, I need to ensure that my legs are suitable for exposure, so I tried out the new BIC Soleil Clic razor. It is perfect for leaving your legs feeling silky smooth and ready for showing off in the sun!

BIC Soleil is a complete range of products that offers something for everyone. The BIC Soleil Clic comes complete with replacement blades so you can be sure of a soft and gentle shave every time you use it, and offers a bit more protection when shaving than the standard disposable razor. Soleil Clic also comes in pink which is sure to get you in the party mood!

I also love the Soleil Lady Gel to use whilst shaving which is available in two yummy fragrances. The gel leaves legs feeling and smelling great all day long and the 75ml size is perfect for travelling, so I will be definitely be taking that with me!

The complete BIC Soleil family is available nationwide from £1.79 and even better you can get a free sample of the best product for you at www.feelthesoleil.co.uk

Scholl Party Feet foot spa review

I am a massive fan of Scholl's Party Feet gel inserts, which have long been one of my favourite foot-saving devices for my poor swollen feet! Scholl has now gone one better with their new foot spa (£29.99) which soothes partied-out pedis with its two spa settings, toe touch control and massage nodes to give you that fresh, pampered feeling of a salon treatment. I love the foot massage setting which feels really nice on your feet and is great preparation for a long night out on your foot! Has anyone else tried the new foot spa?

How to look after your lips this summer... for under a fiver!

I have been searching for the best products to care for lips this summer under a fiver and have decided to share the results with you!

Nivea Lip Care Light Kiss(£2.98) melts on the lips giving them the much needed care and moisture they deserve and tastes really good too for kissing ;-) It contains natural ingredients - almond oil and lotus extract to help achieve super-smooth and silky lips! 

Collection 2000's new Balmglosses are amazing - a real mixture of lip balm and gloss! I love 'Passion' flavour, which is a gorgeous shimmery fushia pink shade. They are the only lip glossses to offer SPF20, which helps to protect and care for lips in the sun containing anti-oxidants, rose hips & mango extract. Avaliable in six delicious fruit flavours for the bargain price of £3.99. 

What are your favourite products to look after your lips this summer?

Beautiful blow dry from Hob Salons

Last Saturday I went to London to see Dirty Dancing for my birthday an as a pre-show treat I visited the lovely hob salon in Camden. Situated right by the canal and convieniently two minutes walk from the tube station, the salon looks really impressive inside and out. hob salons are a Five Star Good Salon Guide salon group and are founder members of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, an organisation dedicated to promoting the very best in British hairdressing.

I had a lovely wash and head message, followed by a really helpful consultation with Andrea who offered me several options for my blow-dry. In the end I opted for a natural blow-dry, with slight waves as my hair is wavy naturally. Andrea blow-dried my hair superbly, with the end result leaving my hair super-smooth and really sleek - which I can never do myself! I'd definately like to go back and have a hair cut and colour consultation, so will keep you posted if I do! Prices start from £25 for a blow-dry and you can find out more information at www.hobsalons.com

PS Sorry I don't have photos I forgot my camera... and I am a little camera shy but I can promise you the end results were good!

Introducing Elave - beautiful products for sensitive skin

I recently was introduced to Elave, who are specialists in products for sensitive skin that contain safe, non-reactive ingredients.They are also formulated with organic and natural ingredients where possible to intensively hydrate and softens even the most sensitive skin. As you know my boyfriend has very sensitive skin, so we were really pleased with the outcome after using the products for a couple of weeks.

Our favourite product is the Intense Moisture Surge (£30). It plumps up and softens dehydrated skin with elave dermo-cosmetic hydrating treatments. Shea butter and coconut oil cleanse, rehydrate and surge moisture back. Its unique blend of emollients help defend the skin against aging and improves cell regeneration, whilst coconut oil rehydrates and surges moisture back to calm and rebalance inflamed, dry or sensitised skin.

I really recommend trying Elave if you have sensitive skin but still want to use nice products. Here is a video below of founder Joanne Gardiner.... enjoy and let me know what you think!

Radox Shower Goodies!

For a tasty shower I totally recommend the new Radox Shower Smoothies, which smell lovely and feel great on your skin. The packaging cutely reads 'Please do not drink' in case you get confused with a smoothie drink   ;-) My favourite is the Natural Balance one, which is a luxurious Yoghurt and Honey flavour with Hyssop and Soft Almond bits. It also thoroughly moisturises your skin which is an added bonus and are great value at£2.50 each.

Also Radox have released a brand new Tea Infusions Range - shower and bath products infused with tea, which contains powerful antioxidants perfect for helping to revive and replenish the body and mind. The bubble bath is a real treat after a stressful day and soothing for tired skin.

Has anyone else tried the new range or a fan of the Shower Smoothies?

Happy Birthday to me... 100 followers!

It's my birthday too (23 years old wow!) and today I reached 100 followers so thanks guys!! To celebrate I will have a little giveaway - leave a comment on what you like best about my blog and what you think I could improve and I will pick a winner at random to receive a suprise gift from my beauty collection! So let me know what you think...! Thanks! xx

My review of the best of suncream for all budgets!

Hi guys hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying the sun! I've had a great day with my friends and family celebrating my birthday (which is tomorrow!) I spent the afternoon sunbathing in the garden and topping up my post-Turkey tan, so thought I would write about my favourite suncare products for this year that I recommend.

Best value suncare - Nivea have a great value product range and I am a big fan of their sun sprays as they as soon easy to use on the beach. Their latest range is caled Invisible Protection and is completely invisible funnily enough, so no more white streaks when you come out of the water!

Best natural suncare - a great brand called Aloe Pura have a lovely SP15 suncream and aftersun that smell delightful and contain Aloe Vera, Avocado, Jojoba, Chamomile, Lemongrass and Sweet Almond! They are available at Think Natural here for under £10 and leave you skin really smooth whilst protecting it.

Best luxury suncare - Clinique has created a whole new range of suncream which is out in June. Formulated with Clinique’s NEW Proprietary SolarSmart™ Technology, it contains a unique blend of photostable sun screens designed to help skin defend itself from UV assault. I recommend the new SPF 15 Face and Body Cream  (£14.68) for comprehensive cover this summer.

Most innovative suncare - The new Skinny Beach SPF 15 suncream works to immediately firm, lift and tone the body and also adds a natural sheen to skin - and protectsyou from the sun - what a combination! So you don't need to worry about missing the gym, as this cream helps combat cellulite!! It's a little more pricey than the others and is available from SpaceNK here.

Best post suncare product - Estee Lauder have a fantastic new range out for summer called Bronze Goddess which has a great variety of gorgeous products for the summer. My essential item is the Post-Sun Hydrator (£19.57) Prolonger that hydrates skin, soothes and replenishes with Aloe Butter and contains self-tan to maintain your sun-kissed glow day after day. Great for ensuring your tan doesn't fade as soon as you step off the plane! Let me know what you think of the products and what you have tried out!

Seductive lashes... from Lash Stiletto and Eylure!

I have been trying out party looks this week and am loving dramatic, smoky-eyes with long lashes. I love the new Lash Stiletto mascara from Maybelline, which really helps to lengthen lashes thanks to a new Stretch & Set brush, with unique criss-cross bristles. It doesn’t give as ‘thick’ lashes as the Colossus mascara, but is great for a sexy, seductive look. Panda Does Make Up also loves it as well – click here for her brill review!  

If you want an even-more dramatic look, then go for false eyelashes as well and apply Lash Stiletto over the top (which is what the model in the photo has done!)  Eylure do a fab ‘Naturalites’ collection that are all reasonably priced and don’t look too fake! I love how gorgeous these lashes look and ensure your lashes don’t clump together. They have also collaborated with Girls Aloud to produce a collection for them that looks fab too. Has anyone tried the Girls Aloud lashes yet? 

It's my birthday on Monday....!

and I will be 23 - scary! To prepare for my big night out on Saturday (I am going to see Dirty Dancing in London) I have been using the new E45 Endless Moisture range to rehydrate my skin and ensure it is moisturised all day. If you have normal or dry skin, day to day environmental stresses can dehydrate skin, leaving it feeling dry and dull. My favourite product is the E45 Endless Moisture Light Caring Body Milk which provides long-lasting moisture and protection from water loss, meaning your skin is as moisturised in the evening as when you applied the product in the morning. My skin feels so much smoother since using the range so I definately recommened if you are a dry skin sufferer and find that your skin is always dry. Has anyone else used this range and what do they think?

I will keep posting throughout the week about all the products I will be using for my birthday weekend!

Sarakan toothpaste... for pearly white teeth!

If you are looking for an alternative to high-street toothpaste, then you must try out the lovely natural Sarakan toothpaste. It contains the valuable extract of Salvadora and is flavoured with oil of peppermint, clove and geranium. Importantly it contains no alcohol, sugars, artificial colours or preservatives and is suitable for adults, children and vegans. It also does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) which is widely used in many oral health products as an artificial foaming agent.

It does taste slightly odd, as it’s not as ‘minty’ as normal toothpastes but that does show how many chemicals are added to simple products like toothpaste. You can buy Sarakan here at Holland and Barratt for £2.09. 

Introducing St Ives Elements Collection

I love St Ives Scrubs and their face scrubs - they make my skin feel so smooth and really clean! Their latest range is called Elements and is a range of premium facial exfoliators with naturally active ingredients. Combining the very best elements of nature, the three latest scrubs, Microdermabrasion, Olive and Warming, gently cleanse, exfoliate and nourish to reveal healthy younger looking skin. 

My favourite is the green Olive scrub which gently exfoliates away dead skin leaving it re-energised, moisturised and smooth.  It contains olive oil, olive leaf extract and natural jojoba bead exfoliants that allow it be used daily, giving skin a healthy glow every morning.  The Warming scrub leaves skin with a natural glow as it quickly warms on contact with water to relax pores for a luxurious deep, exfoliating clean. The gentle extracts of sunflower and chamomile smooth and calm skin as the all natural exfoliants - sugar crystals and jojoba beads - remove impurities and dull skin cells. Mild cleansers then lather into a creamy foam to wash away pore-clogging dirt and oil, leaving skin clean, fresh and radiant. I do like the warming scrubs as they really feel like your skin is getting a good clean!

The Elements range is available now with prices around £4.99 which is great value for a natural, paraben-free face scrub.

Good Skin Labs skincare range

There's been quite a lot of press about the Good Skin Labs products so I have been really keen to try them out for myself. Instantly filling fine lines and plumping skin, Good Skin Labs Tri-Aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler (£24.99) contains three special ingredients: Gatuline Expression, extracted from a South American plant to relax the face; Kombuchka PH Extract from sweet black tea to plump wrinkles; and Argireline to rebuild skin and boost natural collagen. It also contains silky optical diffusers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. My mum has been using it for a week or so now and has reported that her skin feels much smoother. I will let you know how her skin looks in eight weeks! I have been using the lovely Smooth-365 serum before applying moisturiser, which I love. It’s a unique, potent and effective state-of-the-art complex that perfects the overall quality of skin’s appearance and leaves skin super smooth. All Good Skin Labs products are available exclusively at www.boots.com