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?

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Save or splurge: Salt sprays

Summer has well and truly been and gone but despite the drab weather that's currently spreading across the UK, there's no need to say goodbye to sexy, beachy hair just yet. As a student, sometimes I can be strapped for time and a great way to create effortless volume, body and texture is to use a salt spray.

The Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray* is an absolute classic. It's the original. The best. And it's without a doubt a wonderful product. A few spritzes into wet hair and a quick blast of the hair-dryer will transform your locks from dull to "beach-perfection" in an instant. At £21.50 it's pricey but if you're not willing to splash out and invest just yet, they do offer a 50ml alternative which retails for £9.50.

Since the explosion of the salt spray, many different brands have brought out alternative (and much more affordable) options. Umberto Giannini’s Glam Hair Tousled Salt Spray* requires a bit more work but as it retails for £5.61, the extra effort is worth it. A similar concept to Bumble and Bumble's offering; a couple of spritzes into the hair, a blast of the hair-dryer and a tiny bit of hot iron curling and you're good to go for the day.

The better of the two? Nothing comes close to Bumble and Bumble's version in my opinion - it's so effortless - but when Umberto Giannini's offering saves you £15.89, it's hard to resist a good bargain. You can buy the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray here and the Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Tousled Salt Spray here.

Do you use salt sprays? Which ones are your favourites?
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This post has been edited and adapted from this one by The Linc as I am the Deputy Style Editor of the publication.

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Creating tousled beach perfection with Umberto Giannini Glam Hair

Apologies about the picture - it's a shameless selfie off of my phone and pretty low quality but it's the picture that shows the end result the best. If you didn't already know, I'm addicted to the Bumble & Bumble Surf range but from my review of it, you can tell that the price just isn't in my budget. So I've been looking at more budget friendly options that create the same result and I do believe that I've found "the ones." 

As the summer months roll around, in come the effortless products that help us to create tousled beach perfection. Umberto Giannini's Glam Hair range promises to help us achieve the "backcombed" look without the need for backcombing. I've tried a few products from the range way before I started blogging and I'm a lover of the brand so there's no doubt that these three products are the  ones I've been reaching for daily for the past month. 

I'll put it out there right now - my hair doesn't hold curl. No matter what I do, no matter how tight the curls originally are, I'll step outside and bam, my "curly" hair is now poker straight. Luckily for me, the Glam Hair Princess Purrfect Hot Styler Spray* is a wonder product. It's quickly replaced all of my other heat defences as this isn't just a heat defence - it's so much more. I use this before curling my hair with tongs and it smooths the hair shaft down like a serum and holds the curl like a hairspray. I mentioned this product in my June Favourites post where I said that my curls lasted two days which for my hair is a damn good achievement. I highly doubt I'll move away from this heat protectant as it's blooming good I'll tell you. 

But anyway, back onto achieving beach perfection. I use this to protect my hair before curling it, curl it and then apply the Glam Hair Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray.* I scrunch this into my hair and gently tease the curls out using my fingers to create the tousled look. I love, love, love this salt spray and it works just as well without the curls. It smells delicious and does a wonderful job at creating body, volume and texture in the hair. Finally, I finish the look using the Glam Hair Rock 'N' Roll Extreme Hairspray* which holds the soft beach waves into place. It's a strong hairspray but don't be fooled - it doesn't leave your hair sticky or scrunchy, just voluminous and in place.

All of this (and ruffling the curls up with your fingers) creates the beachy waves in the picture above. I've been doing my hair like this for the past few weeks as it's extremely easy to do. You don't have to curl your hair every day either because the curls are still there from the previous day. So not only does it make styling your hair quick and easy, it means you're using less heat which is good news for your hair and also for yourself - who wants to be using more heat than necessary in this weather?

How do you create beachy waves?

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June Favourites

Don't you just hate it when products don't want to be photographed? However much I love my little apartment at university, I hate the fact that there's only one tiny window so the lighting is awful - I apologise for the photos #bloggerproblems. Anyway, it's been quite a month for products! I've really been enjoying many different products this month and although I had a little bit of a shock when I realised it was the 27th of June the other day, I'm excited to be writing my June Favourites. As I mention every month, I love reading these kind of posts so I'm definitely starting to write them more - two in two months, I deserve a medal.

Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur Primer - £12.99

Although I've always said that this shouldn't be marketed as a "blurring" product, it is a lovely primer and this month, I've really enjoyed using it. In fact, I've enjoyed using it from the moment that I got it. Like I said, it doesn't blur my skin but it does fill in pores and mop up any excess oil throughout the day. It creates a perfectly smooth canvas for make up and foundation glides over the top of it. It's a real pleasure to use and the price isn't too bad either - I just wish they would market it differently.

Vichy Idealia BB Cream* - £21.00

I've never been a BB cream girl - I tend to think that they're a complete waste of time. But this one has definitely changed my mind. I won't go into too much detail about it as I do have a review coming soon (with before/after pictures so you can see the coverage) but it's a real pleasure to use. Not only does it smell amazing but it makes the skin look glowing and healthy, lasts for a good eight hours and has pretty decent coverage. I'm pleasantly surprised as it has quickly become my every day "foundation."

Macadamia Flawless* - £25.75

I've reviewed this product in full here and I still stand by everything I said. It's a very weird consistency and it takes some getting used to but after you've used it once, you will fall in love. It's a lovely weekly treat for me and my hair absolutely loves it. It's basically a shampoo and a conditioner in one that you apply to dry hair, leave on for five minutes and then rinse away. It leaves you hair feeling beautifully soft and nourished with a hell of a lot of movement and volume.

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Princess Purrfect Hot Styler Spray* - £5.61

I've never really had a favourite heat protectant spray until this. I haven't been using it for that long but it's incredibly lovely. It's around the same price as most lower end heat defences but the reason why it's better is because it does more than just protect your hair against heat. It holds your style like a hairspray and smooths your hair down like a serum - it's essentially a three in one product. It sprays like an aerosol and covers the entire hair quickly and easily. When I first used this, I used it when I was curling my hair. Instead of my curls lasting a couple of hours - they lasted two days. Enough said.

FaceB4 Daily Cleansing Foam - £14.95

Over the past two weeks, I've raved about this product in my skin care routine posts. I used to hate foaming cleansers as other than stripping my skin completely of its natural oils, I didn't think they did anything special. But this one is incredible. It feels soft to massage into the skin and afterwards, your skin is left feeling supple and it looks glowing. It also helps to keep spots and shine at bay. I use this day and night to cleanse my skin but I don't use it for removing make up as it isn't the best at doing that - I'm a big believer of the double cleanse.

L'Oreal Go Neon Pop in Banana Pop* - £4.99

The most perfect summer nail polish. Ever. I'm completely and utterly in love with all things yellow at the moment and this is no exception. The formula is beautiful, it doesn't chip as quickly as most nail polishes and it leaves your nails looking shiny. I believe that pictures do the talking so you can see a swatch of this nail polish (along with a full review) here.

Dove Compressed Original Anti-Perspirant* - £2.89

Deodorant isn't the most glamorous product in the world but alas! We all need to use it. When I first heard about the whole compressed malarkey, I wasn't someone that believed it and it's safe to say, I didn't buy into it. But this little bottle of wonder is incredible and it's completely converted me. I won't go into too much detail as I do have a review coming up of this soon but it smells delicious and does the job perfectly. It also hasn't ran out yet and although I'm yet to use it up, I do believe it lasts just as long as the "normal sized" deodorants.

Models Own Lip-Stix in Ravishing Red* - £5.00

I love, love, love this lipstick! I'm someone who loves red lipstick but struggles to pull it off. This shade however, is perfect. It's not too blue or orange toned and it sits slap bang in the middle and suits every skin tone - I do believe. The formula is beautiful and the product glides onto the lips defining them and leaving them with an intense burst of colour and gloss. You can see my full review and swatch of this lipstick here.

What are your favourite products this month?

xxx
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My pamper day

On Sunday, I had a day off work. And to be honest, I was lost. If you don't know where I work then I shall tell you. I work at Boots. A beauty blogger's heaven. I love going to work every Sunday and spending my entire day surrounded by beauty products. It's bad for my spending habits but great for my mind - I guess. So as I mentioned on my day off, I felt a little bit lost. So lost that I decided to spend the entire day pampering myself. I used a lot of products and I'm not going to talk about them in too much detail considering I've mentioned most at least once on my blog. But I shall link to past reviews of the products.

In the shower I started off with my Charles Worthington Daily Defence Salon Results Shampoo. This shampoo is a great daily shampoo that leaves my hear looking volumised and feeling silky smooth. I then applied my Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Plump Up Volumising Mask for Big Hair* (reviewed here) to the roots of my hair and my Tresemme Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque (reviewed here) to the ends of my hair. Using both of these masques together adds volume at the roots and smooths down my ends - a perfect combination. Whilst waiting for these to work their magic, I went on to use my EOS Vanilla Bliss Shave Cream* (reviewed here). A shaving cream isn't the most glamourous of pampering products however this beautiful shaving cream sure does help. It smells amazing and does a great job. I then went on to use my Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub all over my body to exfoliate. After this - and after washing out the masques in my hair - I used my Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash (reviewed here) all over my skin to cleanse, moisturise and make it smell nice. After getting out of the shower, I used my Superfacialist Rose Miracle Makeover Facial Oil* (reviewed here) to pre-cleanse my skin and get it super clean. I then cleansed my skin with my trusty Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish* (reviewed here). I love this cleanser, it's my favourite but I only use it on special occasions. After this, I applied one of my favourite face masks, the Superfacialist Neroli Lifting Treatment Mask* (reviewed here) and then went on to moisturise my body. I did this using my No7 Cocooning Body Balm* (reviewed here) which smells amazing and leaves the skin incredibly nourished without leaving residue. After removing my face mask, I finished off by moisturising my hands with the beautiful Boux Avenue Pink Taffeta Hand Cream which smells incredible. 

Phew. That's a lot of products. But it definitely was worth it. What products do you use to pamper yourself with?

xxx
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Recent hair care favourites + hair of the day

I'm someone who goes through stages when it comes to hair care. Sometimes, I'm really interested in it and other times, I'm not bothered at all. At the moment, I'm loving treating my hair and making sure it looks in tip top condition. I think it's since ombreing my hair and since I bought myself some new curlers. Here are a few products that I've been loving recently.

Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Thickify Volumising Dry Shampoo for Big Hair* £5.49

I love dry shampoo. As someone who has oily hair at the roots it's something that I'm in need of. I've stopped washing my hair every day and I now wash it every two days so dry shampoo is a must have. I really like this one. I don't just use it as a dry shampoo, I use it as a volumiser. If I'm going out for a night out then I will spray this into the roots of my hair and my hair is instantly refreshed and full of volume. It's wonderful.

Green People Clarifying Vitamin Shampoo* £9.95

As I mentioned above, I've stopped washing my hair every day so I do end up with a lot of product build up. I love this clarifying shampoo because it does the job, doesn't strip my hair and leaves it feeling nice and soft. I use this once or twice every fortnight and it's changed my hair completely. It's more healthy and full of life. I also have ombred hair and I don't find that this is a problem on my coloured ends.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray £5.50 & Tresemme Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque £5.50

These two were an absolutely bargain as they were on offer for two for £5. Since ombre-ing my hair, it's been really dry at the ends and these two products have helped to restore my hairs natural moisture. The hair masque is lovely and it really smooths the hair down and the heat protection is now my new favourite. It works in the same way as my usual TRESemme one but it adds shine and moisture and helps to reduce frizz.

TIGI Hair Reborn Texturizing Souffle* - £17.95

This is the perfect "I can't be bothered to do my hair today" product. If I wash my hair and I know I have a lecture the next day, I will scrunch this into the ends of my hair, roughly blow-dry it and sleep with my hair 80% wet. When I wake up, my hair looks perfectly undone - as if I haven't tried too hard. It's such an amazing product and I doubt I'll be able to be without it.

Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Plump Up Volumising Mask for Big Hair* £5.61

This is pretty much my hair care baby! It's not like your regular, standard hair mask. I've included a picture below which shoes its consistency. It's more like a gel for your hair. I apply it to the roots of my hair for a few minutes, rinse it out and when I leave my hair to dry or blow dry it, there is so much more added volume. I was a little bit worried about using this at first as I thought it'd make my hair extra greasy but it didn't. And it's wonderful. It's seriously so good. My hair is full, thick and beautiful after using this.

So from the picture above, you can see that the TRESemme hair masque is your typical hair masque, the Umberto Giannini hair mask is clear and more of a gel formula and the TIGI Souffle isn't as smooth in consistency as the other two so it creates a more texturised look.

And here's a picture of my hair after using all of the products above. I apologise for the cat over my face but my skin was a mess and I didn't have any make up on but I still wanted to include the picture. And I love cats and I'd love to be a cat so why not! But anyway, you can see the amount of volume that's in my hair - I normally have really fine, flat hair so for me to have this much volume is amazing. There's a lot of texture in my hair and it really helps to hold the curls in place. What are your favourite hair care products?

xxx

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REVIEW: Umberto Giannini Frizzi Range

Recently, I was invited to the Umberto Giannini Frizzi event but unfortunately, I couldn't attend. But they were kind enough though to send me two of the products from their exciting new range! First of all, I'm not someone who suffers with a lot of frizz mainly because in the past I have looked after my hair an awful lot when it comes to heat damage and also because my hair is very fine. But that doesn't mean that my hair is completely frizz free and when it comes to the weather, my hair frizzes up like a frizz ball!

Make My Day Smoothing Conditioner* (£5.29) - The idea behind the Frizzi shampoo and conditioner is to visibly reduce frizz before styling so that you don't get stuck in the vicious circle of heat styling which causes more damage which leads to more frizz. This conditioner has actually replaced my John Frieda Full Repair conditioner recently. I feel like this conditioner is more of a treat than my Full Repair one and my hair feels lovely afterwards. It doesn't weigh the hair down but it adds enough moisture to ensure that your hair looks shiny and feels soft. I don't think it will replace my Full Repair entirely but I do love having them both in my shower.

3 Day Frizz Free Hair Extreme Taming Spray with Weather Proof Formula* (£5.99) - This has quickly become my miracle product. You spray this evenly throughout damp hair from root to tip and blow dry your hair as usual. If you straighten your hair then you add another layer before doing so. This works with heat and the heat activates the tamer after each application. This also acts as your heat defence. I love this so much! It controls frizz and it holds my straight hairstyle so well. It saves a hell of a lot of time when I'm rushing to get ready in the morning for lectures. In fact the next day after using this, I don't even feel the need to re-straighten my hair as it's already pretty much perfectly straight from the day before. I also love that this acts as a sort of hairspray and holds your style really well. There is a tiny crispy feel to it but nothing that normal hairspray doesn't do. This has and will replace my current heat defence.

The other products in this range are - Bad Hair Day Smoothing Shampoo (£5.29), Rebel Without The Coarse Dramatic Results Styling Spray (£5.99), Frizz Off Blow Dry Cream (£5.49), Transformation Fluid Silicone Serum (£5.49), Miracle Worker With Argan Oil (£6.99) and the When Nothing Else Will Do Intense Recovery Mask With Argan Oil (£5.99).

All Umberto Giannini products are currently on offer in Boots for 2 for £7.50.

Have you tried anything from this range? Will you be doing so?

xxx

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Hair Care Routine

I don't think I've done a hair care routine in a really long time and recently, I've been loving the products mentioned below and I've stuck to them for a good few months now. I must also add that my hair type is long, fine and is very prone to oilyness. So I look for volumising products that don't grease up my hair.

I always use the John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo* (£5.89) and conditioner* (£5.89). I really don't think this will ever change. I've mentioned both of these products a lot before and I really love them. They're great at cleansing the hair without stripping it of its natural oils. I also love that they don't weigh the hair down and on their own provide natural volume. For inbetween washes I use the Batiste Cool & Crisp Fresh Dry Shampoo (£2.50). I really like this scent but I do tend to just pick up a random scent when I'm in need of a new one. Batiste do so many and I want to try them all out! I've tried a lot of dry shampoos before (including more recently Superdrug's own which fyi, I hated) but I always come back to these ones. Probably because of the low price! My hair mask of choice is the TRESemme Split Remedy Split Mend Intense Recovery Masque* (£5.69). I've actually had this tub for around a year now and it's still going strong (although I don't have that much left). It's really nourishing and moisturising but it doesn't weigh the hair down or make my hair look more oily. I only need a tiny bit of this and I use it 2-3 times a week. Another product from the Split Remedy range that I love is the TRESemme Split Remedy Sealing Serum* (£5.69). I use this after every wash on the ends of my hair to make sure that my hair doesn't split. I have very long hair which means that my hair is prone to breakages but with this serum, my hair still ends up looking and feeling healthy. A classic product that I love is the Avon Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield (£7.50). My sister actually bought this for herself and seeing as I'm the person who typically blowdries/straightens her hair, she gave it to me. I absolutely love it! It makes sure that your hair withstands the nasty, humid weather and it's great for taming frizz. I also love how smooth and soft this leaves me hair looking and feeling. I use this before I blow-dry my hair.

Heat defence for me is so important and I always use the TRESemme Heat Defence Styling Spray (£4.69) when I blow-dry/straighten/curl my hair, without fail. I've tried a few other heat defences but nothing compares to this one. I love the way it sprays out like a fine mist which means that it evenly coats your hair without weighing it down or making it greasy. Before blow-drying my hair I use the TIGI Bed Head Candy Fixation Totally Baked Hair Meringue* (£12.50) which is a mousse that adds volume. I love the smell of this! If you know me or you read my blog often enough then you'll know that lemon meringue is not only one of my favourite smells but also my favourite dessert so this takes me right back to that! Like all of the products in my hair care routine, this doesn't weigh the hair down or make it oily - I feel like a parrot as I'm repeating that a lot! But it's a must have for me. When I'm finishing off my hair I'll use either (or both) the TIGI Bed Head Candy Fixation Sugar Shock Bodifying Sugar Spray* (£11.75) or my Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Full Volume Hairspray* (£5.49). The Sugar Spray is great for adding volume and texture to the hair and I pair this with back combing and mainly use it throughout the day when I want a not so 'done' and polished look. The smell of this is also incredible. It reminds me of childhood and I love it so much! The hairspray is mainly what I use at night as it does a wonderful job of adding volume to the hair and keeping it in place all night long. It's also easy to brush out and doesn't crisp the hair up at all. Finally, I'll use the Percy and Reed Flawless Finishing Polish (£4.00) when I want a smoothed down look as it's great at taming frizz and flyaways.
What are your favourite hair care products? Have you tried any of my favourites?
xxx
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Umberto Giannini Up-Do Hair Styling Kit Review

I'm not a genius when it comes to my hair. I usually either straighten it, put it up in a pony tail or if I have time, curl it. I'd seen these kits by Umberto Giannini in Boots and I'd been interested in them every since I'd noticed them so when I was offered one, I couldn't resist.

I was sent the Up-Do Hair Styling Kit* and I was very excited to try it out. When I go to work I have to tie my hair up and normally, I just quickly shove it up and it ends up looking a mess. So I couldn't wait to recreate this look and wear it to work.

 The back of the kit comes with everything you need to know about recreating the look. The instructions are very detailed and easy to follow. But if you're like me and you prefer to watch things there is a tutorial available on YouTube as well (which I've embedded down below).

 If you purchase this kit you will receive some pins, grips, a pintail comb, some snag-free hair bands (only one is pictured here because stupidly, I couldn't see that there was anything inside the bag so I threw them away, so annoying), a black diamante-encrusted hair band and 3 hair donuts (one big, two small). I have nothing bad to say about everything included in this kit. From what I've seen, they're all very high quality products and work very well together to create a beautiful look. The headband in stunning - the pictures really don't do it justice and even if I don't recreate this look I use this very often as it's lovely on its own. The hair grips are better than my original ones and have now replaced those. The pintail comb is wonderful and is another item that I use on a daily basis. The hair donuts and the pins are very sturdy and keep the style in place all day long and the snag-free bands are stretchy and once again, sturdy.

These photos are from the first time that I tried the look out so it is a little messy. But if you're like me and you don't like your hair to look perfect then you can leave it this way. I really love this kit and now that I've had it a while I can create this up-do in around 5 minutes which is incredible. It's really beautiful, simple and chic and I now feel as though I'm better when it comes to hair.

This kit (and a few others) are available from Boots for £12.00. 

xxx

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Creating Curls & Volume with Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Range & Twisted Sista

Millie Mackintoch from Made in Chelsea has become the first star from the reality show to sign up to an amazing contract with the hair care brand Umberto Giannini. The range is called 'Incredible Body' and it aims to bring sexy glamourous hair to the high street. Prices range from £5.29 to £5.49 and the products will give your hair serious volume. I was lucky enough to be sent the hairspray* and mousse* from the range to try out.

 I really like these products. I think that the packaging is lovely; so nice that it sits on top of my dressing table and not inside a drawer. The scent is also very pleasant and fresh and it doesn't overpower the hair. And finally, the formula is wonderful. I use the mousse on my wet hair before blowdrying and use the hairspray to finish the style off and my hair is BIG. I find it hard to create volume but these two work wonderfully together to give me sexy hair that lasts throughout the day.

Please excuse my shiny skin! You can find out more about the range here on the Incredible Body website and also buy it here from Boots.

If you read my blog often then you'll know that I struggle with holding the curl. To create these curls I used a brand called Twisted Sista. The range is re-launching its new and improved styling range at Tesco this month. The range aims to de-frizz both straight and curly hair no matter what your hair type. These products leave my hair smooth, glossy and also it holds the style. The range is also enriched with argon oil and lychee and is free from sulphates, parabens, phalates and mineral oil to maintain a healthy condition. I was sent the 30 Second Curl Spray (£4.99)* which revitalises curls and adds a lovely glossy sheen to them. I was also sent the Hot Curls Perfector (£4.99)* which when used with curling irons enhance curls without the crunchiness. It also protects hair from heat styling tools which is wonderful as you're not overloading your hair with products. I really can't get enough of these two curling products - they're great for holding the curl and making them look beautiful and glossy. The products also smell lovely and fruity and look very professional in their bottles.

What do you think about these products? Will you/have you tried any of these?

xxx
*PR Samples

SUMMER SERIES: Pt 2 - Haircare

Hello & welcome to part 2 of my summer series (how formal)!

So, this part of the series is dedicated to hair care. I suppose I should mention that all of these products work for me. I have oily, fine hair and although these products work for me, they might not particularly work for you. However, I have included products that I believe will suit all hair types. Now that's out the way, let's get on with it!

 L-R Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Tousled Salt Spray, Fudge Urban Texturising Spray, Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Cream, L'Oreal Kids Tangle Tamer, Fudge Urban Instant Smoothie.

I chose to include 2 salt sprays in this post just because I cannot choose between them! The two I chose are Umberto Giannini's Tousled Salt Spray and Fudge Urban's Sea Salt Spray.. Both of these create beautiful beachy waves that are perfect for the summer when your hair is getting enough heat damage from the sun! They're both incredible quick and easy to use however, the Fudge Urban one definitely works better than Umberto Giannini's on dry hair - so if you're looking for a salt spray to use on dry hair, definitely go for Fudge Urban one. They both don't make my hair greasy, don't dry it out, hold the style all day and brush out easily. Also, the Urban Fudge smells like summer, coconuts etc so it's more fitting with the theme!

I also included my favourite Herbal Essences Split End Protection Cream. When you're taking holiday snaps, you want to make sure that your hair looks beautiful and those nasty split ends will make your hair look yucky and unhealthy so this is a must! I also added L'Oreal Kids Tangle Tamer because if your hair is like mine then as soon as your hair touches water, it becomes knotty. This helps to ease the knots and also leaves hair smelling gorgeous!

You must know that horrible feeling when you leave the house with beautifully straight, frizz free hair  and as soon as you hit the sunshine, your hair turns into a huge frizz ball thanks to the humidity? Well that's no more with Fudge Urban's Instant Smoothie. Like the salt spray, this also smells gorgeous and like summer so it's guaranteed to get you in the mood! But of course, the smell isn't everything. This product actually performs. The idea of this is to lightly spray your hair after straightening, brush through and wella, beautiful frizz free hair. I honestly thought that it was too good to be true. But it really isn't! A few light sprays of this and you're good to go for the rest of the day. It really is becoming my daily staple and I wouldn't be without it. My hair is kept looking sleek and straight throughout the day - and it doesn't make my hair greasy or flat!

L-R TommyGuns Climate Control Styling Spray, TommyGuns Clever Curls & Waves Texture Spray

My two final products are by TommyGuns and this includes the Climate Control Spray which I mentioned here. This is perfect for the English weather when you cannot guarantee what the weather will bring you. Also, I've been trying out TommyGuns Clever Curls & Waves Texture Spray. This is like a salt spray but you can create two looks from this. Waves or curls.. and also a lot of texture. I love using this when my hair is up in a ponytail - it makes my ponytail look huge! Anyway, this product is wonderful; it isn't drying, it doesn't make hair greasy and it smells beautiful. You can use this on wet or dry hair.. if you leave your hair to dry naturally, you'll get gorgeous beachy waves however, if you blowdry your hair with this on, you'll get beautiful curls!

These are the products I'd recommend for summer time. What are you favourite summer hair products?

xxx