Current Favourites

I haven't posted a favourites post in an extremely long time and considering we're pretty much halfway through May, I thought my current favourites would suffice. I've been trying out a few different products recently, investing in quite a few (my last ever student loan, it'd be rude not to) and also rediscovering some gems. Hopefully, monthly favourites is something I'll be able to keep on top of, we'll see...

Schwarzkopf got2b 2 Sexy Volumizing Hairspray - £3.00

I'd say that this is my most repurchased hairspray. It's the one that I always reach for, mainly due to its delicious smell. It does everything that the name suggests; adds volume and keeps it in place for the majority of the day. I don't really 'style' my hair as such, instead I tend to keep it straight so this holds the straight, volumised style nicely. It's also affordable - I just wish they offered a travel sized version.

Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan + BB Perfector Medium Matte - £6.99 (currently £3.49)

I work in the photo/sun shop area at Boots and when I saw that this was half price, I quickly snapped it up. Last year, I was an avid fake tanner however this year, it's taken a backseat. I tried this out for the first time the other night and was amazed. It added a lovely colour and glow, covered all the scars and marks on my legs and was easy to apply; think of it as a foundation for your body.

Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil - £10.00

My favourite eyebrow powders have recently been running low and considering they're in the Naked Basics palette, I wanted to find an alternative to allow the other shadows in the palette to hit pan too. I picked this up after recommendations from bloggers and although I don't like the tint end, the pencil is lovely. It's more of a wax and makes filling in the brows a complete doddle.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent - £47.00 (currently £37.60)

After sniffing this last summer, I knew I couldn't be without it this year. As well as this, my dupe was running low and is becoming increasingly harder to get a hold of. With Bergamot, Amber, Tiare Flower, Vanilla and Coconut, this fragrance is summer in a bottle. It smells like suntan lotion, but a whole lot sexier and warmer. The only issue I have with this fragrance is that it doesn't seem to last long on my skin, at least I can't smell it on myself after an hour or so.

Green People Volumising Mascara* - £14.75

I mentioned this product a few days ago in my what's in my make up bag post and it's still a mascara that I'm loving. I am a massive mascara whore, and I can't remain loyal to one but this one might be my new favourite. It does everything a mascara should do; lengthens, separates and adds a hell of a lot of volume. The brush capturers every single lash and leaves them looking fluttery. 

Nars Cosmetics Blush in Outlaw* - £22.50

Sadly, I don't think you can buy this blush any more as it was released in the Autumn 2012 collection (which I wrote - a very bad post about - here). The blush looks very intimidating in the pan but it transfers to a soft rose toned blush with a golden shimmer on the cheeks. It instantly perks up my collection and leaves me looking glowing. It's a fail safe blush.

3 pack of face razors - £1.69

Following this post from Makeup Savvy, I knew I had to try shaving my face. The razors arrived quickly and I instantly got to work, shaving my face. It sounds strange but my face now feels incredibly soft and smooth and my make up has started applying much better. So far, I haven't had any regrowth and hopefully I won't end up looking like an ogre. I'll keep you updated.

What products are you currently loving?
*PR sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram
Get a FREE personal training session here

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Vote for me at the Cosmo Blog Awards under "established beauty blog"

HAIR CARE | Current styling favourites

More recently, I've been getting into styling my hair. Not styling it any differently than usual - I either leave it natural, straighten it or curl it - but I've been looking after my hair more. And my hair is without a doubt loving the extra attention. It's in extremely good condition at the moment and the majority of the time, it does exactly what I want it to. In case you're wondering, I have fine hair that's flat and prone to oiliness. 

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Cream - £4.79

I've gone through many split end creams in my time but this is the one that I always end up coming back to. Not only does it smell divine - like raspberries - but it does a wonderful job at smoothing split ends down and preventing new ones from forming. I have long hair and I don't get it cut very often so this cream is a godsend for me. It doesn't weigh the hair down either which is a must have for my fine hair.

YUKO Repair Through* - £15.00

This leave-in conditioning spray is perfect for protecting against split ends and heat damage. I spray this onto wet hair before blow drying and after styling, my hair feels beautifully soft and bouncy. It sprays out as a lightweight mist that detangles the hair using moisturising agents and amino acids. These both help to maintain moisture and prevent damage.

Love Boo Natural No More Knots Detangling Spray* - £11.99

This range is aimed at mothers and babies/children however, I've been loving using the Detangling Spray on my fine hair. As I have long hair, it tangles up easily and this spray quickly detangles the hair, adds shine and leaves it feeling soft. It uses papaya and coconut extracts to add shine and hydrate and argan oil and fig to help release knots and de-frizz the hair. I should also add that this smells absolutely gorgeous.

Schwarzkopf Osis+ Body Me Fullifying Volume Serum* - £9.75

I'm not the biggest fan of mousses as I find them tricky to use so this volumising serum is a godsend for me. I apply this to my hair before blowdrying and it significantly increases hair body and fullness. It offers medium control so it holds throughout the day but with natural movement. The serum element of this means that it smooths the hair shaft down so you can say goodbye to frizz.

John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer* - £10.99

This on-the-go mascara wand-esque treatment is perfect for carrying around with you on a daily basis. It quickly smooths down flyaways and adds shine. I have a random piece of hair on the left hand side of my head that always sticks up. I could never tame it until I found this product. 

Moroccanoil Light Oil Treatment* - £13.45

This really is a little godsend and regardless of your hair type, it's something I believe that everyone should own. It fixes a multitude of sins including frizz, dry hair, tangled hair and more. I use the light version because I have oily/thin hair and this lightweight formula doesn't weigh the hair down or make my hair appear greasy. It leaves the hair looking shiny and feeling hydrated and soft. It's one hair product that I definitely couldn't be without.

TRESemmé 24 Hour Body Sky High Plump Powder* - £5.50

This is a product that I've owned for years but never used. I'm extremely glad that I "discovered" this as it's wonderful at adding volume to the hair. My hair is really lacklustre and a couple of shakes of this underneath my roots leaves my hair looking crazy - in a good way, of course. It does leave the hair feeling a bit bleugh but it's easily washed out the next day. I use this every time I go out at night to ensure that my hair is volumised and full.

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Hot Styler Spray* - £5.61

Quite simply the best heat defence, ever. It protects your hair against heat damage, smooths the hair down, fights frizz and holds your style like a light-hold hairspray. I use this every time I use heat on my hair and it's wonderful. It's a 3-in-1 product (serum, heat defence and hairspray) and if I'm curling my hair then it holds the style for a lot longer than normal heat defences. I also love the way this sprays - like an aerosol and not a spritz bottle - as it makes it easy to evenly coat the hair.

Bumble and bumble Surf Spray* - £21.50

I've mentioned this beauty many times on my blog before and I stand by everything I've ever said. Yes, it's damn expensive, no I won't be able to afford another when this one runs out but my oh my, I absolutely love it. For effortlessly sexy hair, this is my "go-to" product. It adds texture, body, bounce, waves - everything I could ever want in a hairstyle. And it smells beautiful too. But that little big price tag, oh I hate it so much.

What are your favourite hair styling products? Do you use any of the above?

*PR Sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Click here to be in with a chance of winning a years supply of clothes

My every day routines

Now exams are finished and I pretty much have absolutely nothing to do, I've gotten into a few good routines that I wanted to share with you. I've always been good with skin care and that's something that I will never, ever slack on. However when it comes to looking after my body, it's something that I always used to skip over. I'd apply moisturiser before a night out and that's pretty much your lot for the week. But I've recently discovered a lovely moisturiser that makes moisturising a pleasure. I've also been looking after my feet a lot recently and I'm just putting together a foot care post so that will be up soon. As for hair, I've always enjoyed looking after my hair but recently I've become more religious with it. Probably because I've gotten into a good routine of only washing my hair a few times a week instead of every day. This means that my hair has "repaired" itself so now it doesn't turn greasy when I apply any kind of product - wahoo! 

Body:
Stylfile S-Ped Curved foot file & exfoliator* - £8.99

Ooh this is a little beauty! Invented by the winner of the 2011 Apprentice - already a wonder product in my eyes - this has been shaped to fit the contours of the feet to make filing and smoothing your feet easier than ever. It also catches any "droppings" so you don't end up with a messy floor. Think of it like a better designed Ped-Egg. It comes with a filing side and a smoothing side, both are replaceable and easy to use. This just makes looking after your feet a whole lot easier and it also does a wonderful job too.

Veet Hair Minimising Body Moisturiser - £5.25

I bought this in Boots a few week ago because it was in the Clearance section. I'm really hoping that it wasn't there because it's being discontinued as I've now found my favourite ever body moisturiser. This claims to minimise the appearance of body hair so that you don't have to shave as often. Normally, I have to shave my legs daily which is an absolute nightmare however, applying this daily means that I only have to do so every four days which is a marked improvement. The formula of this is also really lovely. It's light and smells really fresh - it almost reminds me of suncream which reminds me of summer. Definitely a win in my eyes.

Footner Hard Skin Removal Pen - £10.95

This is another product that I bought from the Boots Clearance section - they really should stop putting me upstairs for work as I just can't resist that little section. The pen idea is a bit of a gimmick. There is no need for it and it makes applying this harder than it should be. But the actual cream is wonderful. It really penetrates deeply into the skin and instantly smooths the feet. I use this on areas of my feet that require a little bit of extra love and attention particularly my toes as the pen makes applying it there easier.

Flexitol Heel Balm - £4.95

I didn't mean to include this one in my every day routine, I was supposed to include the Boots Maintenance Balm as that's the foot cream I use in the day. However, I'm now back at home so can't really re-photograph. I will be reviewing the Maintenance Balm in a foot care routine very soon. The Flexitol Heel Balm is the foot cream I use at night a few times a week as it's really intense. It instantly improves the condition of my feet and if you have badly cracked heels then you need to stop reading this blog post and go out and buy it right now. It's incredible.

Hair:

TIGI Bed Head Totally Baked Hair Meringue* - £13.50

Although my hair is long, I don't have a lot of it. It's incredibly fine and never holds volume or curls. I love using hair mousse as it gives my hair a little bit more "oomph." This one doesn't disappoint - I use it before blowdrying and it gives off the appearance that my hair is fuller. It also smells incredible. Lemon meringue is my all time favourite dessert and it reminds me of my childhood and that is exactly what this smells like - yum. The scent also lingers on your hair all day long and I've often been complimented on the smell. If you see me and you notice me wafting my hair around like I have neck cramp - I think I look like a model personally - you know that I've used this.

TIGI Bed Head Sugar Shock Bodifying Sugar Spray* - £12.50

This is another product that smells incredible and takes me back to my childhood. Do you remember those "Amazing Amy" dolls? For some reason, this reminds me of that smell. It's very sweet and it adds extra volume to your hair. It also adds texture so it makes curling my hair that little bit easier. I use this when I'm having a "I-can't-be-bothered-to-do-my-hair-today" day as it's quick and easy to use.

TRESemme Split Remedy Leave-In Treatment* - £5.69

My hair is really long and I don't get it cut as often as I should do - oops. So it's vital for me to take really good condition of my hair. I've been using the TRESemme Split Remedy range since it first came out but this is the only product that managed to stay in my collection. It helps to repair and keeps split ends at bay and I use this every single day without fail.

OSiS Magic Anti Frizz Shine Serum* - £9.75

Now that it's getting warmer - she said - my hair has started to get a bit fly away so I've been using this serum to smooth the ends of my hair down. I have oily hair so I have to be pretty careful with what products I use on it. This serum doesn't weigh my hair down nor does it make my hair greasy - a win, win in my eyes. I also love the price of this - you really don't need a lot so it's guaranteed to last you a long time.

Skin:

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads - £12.99

I've reviewed these before and I'll continue to sing their praises for as long as I exist. I've really gotten into acid exfoliation recently as I think it's a nicer way to exfoliate the skin. These facial pads instantly make the skin look brighter and slough away any rough patches of the skin. Since using them, I've noticed a reduction in my blemishes and the appearance of a few of my scars which is always a bonus. I use these every single morning as they clear up my congested skin. In fact, I've just repurchased them!

Eucerin Even Brighter Spot Corrector - £14.50

This is a new addition of mine and I will be doing full reviews of the Eucerin Even Brighter range. I use this twice a day on my scarring and although I haven't seen a major reduction in my scars yet, I enjoy using it. It has a bit of a chemical smell which is off putting but it feels very light on the skin - almost like a spot treatment cream. I apply this directly onto my most prominent scars as I'm not too bothered about the ones that are more faded - I'll sort those out another time.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo* - £13.00

This is a blogger favourite. I don't know how it does it but it makes the skin look smoother, clearer and brighter. It also helps to keep spots at bay and provides a great base for make up. I use it as a serum underneath my moisturiser and I have done for a few months now. With a combination of this and the Nip + Fab Facial Pads I've rarely had a breakout and both of them work really well and clearing and exfoliating my skin. Like the Nip + Fab pads, I repurchased this yesterday.

Eucerin Even Brighter Day Cream - £22.50

Like the Spot Corrector, I don't have much of an opinion on this yet as I've only just started using it. However, I love the way it feels on my skin - it's not greasy at all and it provides the right amount of moisturisation for my combination skin. It preps the skin for make up beautifully and my skin feels soft all day long. As of yet, I'm loving this day cream and if I see improvements in my scarring then it'll be perfect.

So there you have it. My most used and loved daily products. If you've done a post similar to this then please leave a link to it in the comments as I love reading what your number one loves are. Have you tried anything in my favourites? Are any of these your staples? Let me know!

xxx
*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Check out my Blog Sale here

Want to advertise on Bamboozle Beauty? Find out how to here

RECREATE: Dancing on Ice's, Beth Tweddle's Look with Schwarzkopf OSiS+

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked whether or not I wanted to re-create Beth Tweddle's look from Dancing on Ice and as soon as I saw the glossy up-do pictures for myself, I jumped at the chance. I'm not someone who's very good with hair - I can simply straighten it, or curl it. But for work I do have to put my hair up which can sometimes be a nightmare on Sunday mornings. So here is my attempt at re-creating Beth's look...

As you can see from the images above, I'm definitely not a professional. But I really enjoyed creating this look. I could've sprayed the hair down more but I quite liked the strands flying around as it ended up looking less "done" and more messy which is a style that I like. I also like the effect that the ombre in my hair created. To create this look, I used the Schwarzkopf OSiS+ range which you can read more about here.

To create this look you need to start by blowdrying the hair smooth using a large round brush. I used my Kent large barrelled brush as I find that it's really good at smoothing down frizz and giving some lift to my hair. I applied the OSiS Body Me* first of all to give my hair more volume and also smooth frizz and add shine. I've used this product a lot since receiving it - not just for recreating this look - and I really do love it. I find it lightweight and non-greasy/sticky. It's a different consistency than what I'm used to - I tend to use mousse - but I like the change and find it smooths the hair down more than my usual mousse. Also, look at the packaging. Beautiful. After this, you need to brush your hair up into a high ponytail and secure it with a band. Make sure that you leave enough of your hair out at the front to create a fringe - a must have for me as I hate having my hair fully slicked back off of my face unless I'm alone! To secure the ponytail and keep it in place all day, spritz with OSiS Freeze*. I've been loving using this hairspray on my curls. I've been curling my hair a lot more recently and this hairspray is a key product that I use. It really does hold the hair in place whilst added shine - yet it doesn't weigh the hair down or make it nasty and scrunchy like a lot of other hairsprays. Once you've done this, add a tiny amount of OSiS Magic* to the ponytail to smooth down frizz and add shine. I've been reaching for this serum a lot recently; I may have to do a post on serums. After this, plait the ponytail into 7 fishtail plaits - I tried and failed at the fishtail plaits so in the end, I went for normal plaits. But if you can do them, do them because I love them. After this you want to wrap around 3 of your fishtail plaits and secure them using grips onto the crown. With the remaining 4 plaits, create a shape with them to give height on the crown of the head. Once again, make sure they're pinned in well using grips. You can see my grips as I wasn't very good at placing them. But I think it adds texture - I'll go with that excuse anyway. Finally, you want to use more OSiS Freeze* to keep the hair in place and finish by spraying OSiS Sparkler* all over the hair to leave a super glossy finish. And there you have it. It's pretty simple right?
What are your favourite up-do's? Have you used any products from the Schwarzkopf OSiS+ range?
If you want to find your nearest Schwarzkopf stockist then you can do so here or simply call 01296 314000.
xxx
*PR Sample
Want to advertise on Bamboozle Beauty? Find out how to here.
Don't forget to enter my giveaway to be in with the chance of winning some imPRESS nails!

REVIEW: Schwarzkopf Got2B Range

Winter is well and truly here. I've seen no end of grey skies, rainy days and miserable faces clouded by the sad, colourless weather. However, it's not all doom and gloom. This season's hairstyle trends are beautiful. Whether you're a messy, cascading curls kinda girl or a sleek, highly polished ponies and buns kinda girl, there's something for you. And Schwarzkopf's Got2B range is the perfect place to get started.

The range is huge. It includes the Play It Straight Straightening Blow Dry Kit, iStylers Define Hyper Wax, iStylers Texture Clay, iStylers Restyler Fibre paste, Powder'ful volumizing Styling Powder, Powder'ful Mattifying Texture Powder, Glued Spiking Glue, Glued Blasting Freeze Spray, 2 Sexy Big Volume Hairspray, 2 Sexy Big Volume Mousse, Guardian Angel Heat Protection, Beach Matt Paste, Sparkling Shine Hairspray and the Rockin' It Dry Shampoo.

I was sent three of the products and try out. These were the 2 Sexy Big Volume Hairspray*, Rockin' It Dry Shampoo* and the Play It Straight Straightening Blow Dry Kit*. I will start by saying that I'm yet to use the Blow Dry Kit. This is because I have absolutely nothing to do and I'm sure that by sitting in my flat all day, bored and lonely, my hair will remain straight anyway. So I'm going to use it over Christmas when I'm here, there and everywhere and give it a proper, full review in the New Year.

First of all, the Rockin' It Dry Shampoo*. I've tried a lot of dry shampoos from many different brands, ranges etc. And I personally think that they're a godsend. I used to have to wash my hair every single day but now, I can go 2-3 days without washing it, which is perfect. This dry shampoo has a beautiful smell for starters. I love using hair products that smell amazing and this is very fruity and just gorgeous. It absorbs the grease in the hair without leaving a nasty, grey residue and it also increases softness and boosts volume. I really love this dry shampoo. It's a great all-rounder and it's one of my favourites that I've tried. Price wise, I don't think it's too bad. £4.07 and it's on offer a lot so I can see myself repurchasing this. Especially because dry shampoo is something that I just can't live without! 

Now, I've been saving the best until the last. The 2 Sexy Big Volume Hairspray*. I don't use hairspray a lot mainly because I don't think it does anything. I don't have my hair up a lot; I only have it up at work on Sunday's and even then, I don't need hairspray because my hair manages to stay up without it. What I do need hairspray for is for volume and generally just to keep my hair in place when it's straight. This does that. It's a volumising hairspray and I'm not going to lie, I thought it was just a gimmick. I've tried many "volumising" hairspray's before that just haven't done a thing. But this one is special. I spray this underneath my root from about 6 inches away and it immediately adds volume to the hair and keeps it in place all day long. Just like the dry shampoo, it smells amazing too. Very fruity and fresh. I've gone from never using hairspray to not being able to live without this. It's truly, truly wonderful and I think that this will forever be a part of my hair routine.

These are all currently on save £1.50 at Boots. I'm not sure how long for but if you're heading shopping, Boots is definitely worth checking out as they're all pretty cheap at the minute! You can see which products qualify for the offer here. You can also find out more about the range here. All products from the range are priced from £4.07 and are available from Boots, Superdrug, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Savers, Amazon, Bodycare and Wilkinsons so they're very easy to get a hold of.

What do you think about the range? Have you tried anything from it before? Will you be doing so?

xxx

*PR Sample

HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS: Haircare

Wow, long time no post, I hope you're all well! I have been so busy lately with university and holiday stuff and for the first time in a while, I can sit down and write blog posts! I'm going to be doing another holiday series but this time, instead of camping I'll be doing what I'm taking abroad with me on Tuesday to Salou. So I hope you enjoy these posts :)

Shampoo wise I have two Herbal Essences shampoos as these were both £1 on offer at Boots. I have the Beautiful Ends shampoo which I love so much and have the full size version of and also the new Tousle Me Softly shampoo which I've never tried. For a weeks holiday, two shampoos should hopefully be enough however, normally every week I use around 4 different shampoos as my hair type changes so much.. that's why I need two shampoos haha! I'm also taking a travel sized version of TRESemme's 24 Hour Body conditioner as it really nourishes hair yet doesn't weigh it down.

I'm also taking a detangling spray as my long hair gets tangled up enough just with water - never mind with sea water and chlorine! This one is the Kids Supersoft Detangling Spray and it smells beautiful! I haven't tried it yet but hopefully it'll be as good as my L'Oreal spray.

I'm taking a travel sizedTRESemmes Heat Defence spray and 24 Hour Body Blow Dry Spray as I could not live without these products. The Heat Defence spray obviously protects my hair against the appliance abuse and it also calms down frizz and the Blow Dry Lotion makes my hair BIG!

In the little pot I have some of Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Cream. If you read my blog often then you'll know that I don't get my hair cut which means the ends of my hair can sometimes be nightmares. But if I get my hair cut, it doesn't grow. This product is a lifesaver but the bottle is way to big. So I've decanted some product into a small Clinique sample pot - genius!

And finally I have Charles Worthington's Takeaway Sun-Shine UV Protection Styling Spray. I have never tried this but I've had my eye on it for a long time. However, I couldn't bring myself to spend £1.99 on such a small bottle! I did go into Home Bargains though and saw this. As soon as I saw the price, I had to buy it as it was only 49p!

Obviously I'm taking my GHDs aswell.

All of these products are brand new and have never been used.. I've tried a few before however, I will be reporting back on them when I return from my holidays!

What hair essentials do you take on holiday with you?

xxx