Date Night Make Up

(This has an Instagram Filter on it! I'm not naturally this yellow)

Date Night Make Up

29th November '13

Make Up Used:

1. Elemis Softly Softly Moisturiser

2. Pure Essentials Eye Cream

3. Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer

4. Rimmel Match Perfect Foundation 201 Classic Beige

5. Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation 130 Shell 

6. Rimmel Colour Rush Quad Eyeshadow 002 Smokey Brun

7. Coastal Scents Metal Mania Palette

8. Rimmel Waterproof Gel Eyeliner 001 Black

9. Millie Mackintosh Lashes - Shoreditch

10. Revlon Precision Lash Adhesive 

11. L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Extra Black

12. Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer 010 Ivory

13. Maybelline Dream Touch Blush 02

14. Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder 2 Translucent 

15. Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Lipstick 6 Bubble Gum 

The colours used on the palette are highlighted in order of use by using colours of the rainbow.. red is first, orange is second, yellow is third, green is fourth, blue is fifth, pink is sixth and purple is seventh. 

First I apply my daily moisturiser and my under eye cream and let these sink in as I dance around my room to some glee.. glad I don't have pictures of that aren't you?...

Next I apply my maybelline primer to my t-zone and my eyelids. I normally use it only on my eyelids on a day-to-day but this calls for some little extra help! 

On the back of my hand I mix rimmels match perfect and revlons nearly naked foundations to get the perfect colour for my skin, neither slide around either if you have oily skin or sweat. I use the Real Techniques expert face brush (my favourite!!) and blend all over my face and neck so I don't have that dreaded line on my jaw. Finish by running some of the darkest coloured eyeshadow on the rimmel quad through my eyebrows with an angled brush.

Next is eyes, the rest of your facial make up comes after because you don't want any fall out to ruin your powdered face, do you? So I take #77 on the palette which is a dark chocolate and place that out the outer two thirds of my eyelid. I blend out with my finger. Next is #28, a peachy nude and that does onto my inner corner and is blended into the chocolate slightly. #88 is next, the darkest colour this palette has. Place this on the outer outer corner in a '>' shape. (The open end facing your inner eye) I then placed #75, on an angle brush under my lower lashes for a pop of purple. #84 then gets circled into the outer corners to continue this theme of purple, leaving #23 for the highlight and #83 for a finishing out along the water line. 

Then I lined my top lashes with rimmels gel liner with an angled brush and winged this out slightly. Then use your fan brush to get rid of any fall out. 

I used Millie Mackintosh's Shoreditch lashes, (which sadly, came to the end of their life last night, after many a wear) and used the revlon glue to sick them onto my lashline. I then used my L'Oreal mascara for a little extra kick, on my top and bottom lashes. Eyes complete!

Wake me up concealer is great for under eyes, and down my nose because it's illuminating and definitely makes you look awake and alive.

I use a cream blush as it gives a really nice sweep of colour without it being obvious that you are wearing blush - which I LOVE.

Finish off with a dusting of sheer loose powder to combat shine and lock in your foundation and slick on your bright pink bubblegum lipstick for a fun look.

So that's my date night make up, I'm now off to decide what I'm wearing for tomorrows shopping day with some girls.. definitely the Campbell Litas for sure..

xx

Sweet Party Bites | Devon's Kitchen

People who know me, know that I did hospitality for my A-Levels. So I thought maybe, every now and again I'd share a little cooking knowledge with you guys.

So the first is some sweet party bites you could make for friends or family. Maybe you've got some of your closest girls coming over for a coffee, or a movie or even a pre-night out party. These sweet treats are really sophisticated but so cute at the same time.. and a little naughty on the calorie scale. There are five individual recipes and each make 20 canapes. 

Cream Tea Bites

Split six scones in half. Use a 227g tub of clotted creams and half a jar of jam (flavour is your choice) and spread these onto the scones, sandwiching them together. Cut them into quarters and serve them pointy side up like sandwiches. This makes 24. 

Mini Choc Ice Balls

Use a melon baller to scoop 25 small balls of vanilla ice cream. Freeze on a tray for an hour until rock solid. Melt 200g of dark chocolate and spread 100g of chopped pistachios on a tray. Dip the balls into the chocolate using a cocktail stick and then roll them in the chopped nuts. Freeze for 30 minutes or until you are ready to serve!

Cheats Lamingtons

Buy two 350g Maderia sponge cakes. Trim, then cut into 20 3cm cubes. Freeze until solid. Heat 200ml double cream, the remove from heat and stir in 200g chopped white chocolate until melted. Cool a little. Spread some desiccated coconut on a tray. Sip each frozen cake into the chocolate and roll into the coconut until completely covered. Firm up on baking parchment before serving.

Apple and Marzipan Tarts

Thinly roll out a pack of 37fg puff pastry. Divide into squares, (roughly 5cm), then prick all over with a fork. Spread onto baking sheets. Peel, core and slice 2 Bramley Apples into 2cm pieces. Place a small slice of marzipan on each square, (you'll need about 200g), top with some apple and bake at 200C/180C fan oven/gas 6 for ten minutes until crisp. Dust with icing sugar.

Lemon Fancies

Use a 4cm pastry cutter to cut out 20 circles from brought lemon tarts. Top each with a raspberry and dust with icing sugar.

As you can see, these are all the quick, easy, cheat ways to create impressive canapes for your friends if you're either not so good at cooking, or don't have the time. So enjoy. And use the oven responsibly 

xx

Conclusion | Stress

When you're stressed, sometimes the best thing you can do is get a little perspective. It can take a while to learn to step back and look at the big picture but when I did I could see it all so differently. Not being able to afford the latest pair of Jeffery Campbell Lita's seems a lot less important when you realise people go without shoes at all and the boss that's giving you a hard time at work, ignore them, some people can't get a job to fund their family. 

Perspective really is everything.

Instead of focusing on the problems that plague your life, try and focus on the good. When I have a hard day, week or month I always count my blessings. Think of the people you love and the things in your life that make you happy and try and give back. It doesn't have to be anything major.

xx

How To Relax | Stress

ME TIME AND RELAXING

As the years have gone by I have become more attracted to the idea of me time. I live with the rest of my family, and in a house of four, it's hard to find any time to be by myself without being locked away in my room. In the summer I always used to sit in my garden, at the far end where no one came.. that was the best place to read and write. Nowadays in the winter though, I find myself boxed in. A good idea I always use is to walk into the local village, grab the bus for half an hour into the shopping town, put in some headphones and browse the shops. I don't have to buy anything, I just spend £5 on a return ticket and wonder around. Perfect me time. Here are some tips I've found to have me time and relax, even if you can't get away from others.

• Keep headphones on you all the time. In the car, on the bus, walking down the road and even sat blogging, in they go, the iPod goes on and it's like I'm in my own little world, and you can decide on the feeling by choosing the artist you want to hear.

• Walking my dog or riding my horse is a brilliant way to get time alone. With Royston, we can cross the road outside my house into the field opposite my front door straight onto a footpath that's a few miles long and very scenic.

• Try and schedule time to yourself on our calendar or diary. 

• Try a solo hobby like blogging, photography, painting, running, writing etc, just to get time alone

• Try make plans for coffees and dinners with friends, then you know you can't find yourself working those nights/days because you already have plans to catch up with some of your friends. 

• If you're wound up, try a bike ride or run, you can quickly take out anger and aggression through exercise. 

• You should laugh. Anything on television or youtube that'll make me laugh till my sides hurt will cheer any day up. 

• Pop on a mud mask and watch a movie such as Sex In The City. 

• Book yourself a massage, you can get them most spas but if you find a beauty school you can get them for a bargain. 

• Paint your nails. I love nail art (maybe a chapter soon) and I do it whilst watching telly. Give yourself a manicure every other day

xx

How To Sleep | Stress

BEAUTY REST TIPS

Winding down for sleep can be a hard thing to do. Our minds are whirring round thoughts of the day, if I'm stressed and anxious it can take ages before I feel tired. My worst problem is feeling tired watching telly downstairs and by the time I get into bed I'm wide awake again. I'll stay awake till about eleven answering tweets, seeing my instagram likes and follows, checking my blog views, sending e-mails, snapchats and texts. After that's all done I find my self procrastinating rather than going to sleep. Playing bubble witch, looking at my news app, funny apps and rubbish like that. Which wakes me up again. So I'm going to give you five tips to finding it easier to fall asleep.

• I used to have a television in my room, well I still do, but it does not come on past 9 anymore. Television stimulates your brain which keeps you awake without you knowing. Your brain is then processing what you've seen and heard. For example, have you ever watched a program about the army and had a dream that was remotely related? This is your brain processing ideas. 

• Currently I have white curtains in my bedroom which the absolute opposite of what I'm about to tell you.. get blackout curtains if you can. You can pick them up at furniture shops such as Dunelm Mill or ebay, amazon and the range for not a massive expense. 

• Counting sheep is an old wives tale but it really works. Maybe let you imagine yourself in a job or situation you'd love, this can relax you and put you into a sleepier mode. I'm currently counting down to go skiing in four months so when I can't sleep I picture everything I can remember of the resort we go too. I never normally finish because I'm asleep!

• I've started reading again. I used to read all the time and just went off it, for some reason. I think I just stopped finding books that interested me. Don't pick a boring one though, you'll resort to something else. 

• If you're really really suffering try melatonin tablets. Obviously talk to your doctor or nurse first but they could be of help. 

Hope some of these help you out

xx

Sleep Deprivation | Stress

SLEEP DEPRIVATION 

I think it's ironic that when you're little, parents nag you all the time to go to bed and you fight them and now, at eighteen, I would give anything for a two hour nap in mid afternoon. A lot of countries such as India, Italy and Greece all have siesta's midday. I think the UK should join this idea, everyone's bodies has a little dip midday. I know that I won't get more than nine hours sleep a night since I started my college years. At college I'd have to get up at 6:30am to be on the bus and I wouldn't go to bed till late, due to fitting in course work, my horse and friends. 

   I average around seven hours of sleep per night. 

It's essential that you have these hours and they are scheduled. I'm lucky because I know what work rotas are for a week at a time. This means I can see when I can blog and when I can't, for example. If I know I've got a nice four hour chunk in the morning before work but know it's not enough time to go out or ride I'll write posts and posts on here but not publish them, just one. This means on a day I have a five minute break I can just push publish and I won't miss a single post. Which is positive on my blog, and on me and my future. Which I hope is developing soon! I work better on my blogs in chunks like this when I have time to myself. Now for example, I put 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' on the telly in the background and work away. There's always time for blogging!

xx

New Chapter | Stress

Horse Riding Is My Stress Relief

Back in college, before a big event like the end of year prom or a job interview, I would, like girls everywhere suffer some kind of sudden acne breakout, take over problem. It's not coincidence and it's not a cruel trick of fate. It's stress. It's your body in control, not your mind. I've recently started researching stress and what it can do and I've learnt so much. Stress can affect pretty much every aspect of your life. Those pre-date pimples are actually caused by your unconscious stressing. Stress can affect you hair, skin, nails and even weight. 

   When I started my first 40-hour a week job, I was so overwhelmed; sleep deprived, ill, stressed. I was so worried about my future, (as many young adults are) but I found blogging which helps but I have to find a balance with work, social and blogging which is a lot to handle. 

   If you see a doctor about stress, they will tell you it's not only poisonous for your body, but also can become an addiction. WHAT? I hear you say. While some addicts use drugs to combat stress, there's a whole different group of people who don't know how to live without stress. For type A personalities, stress can be the pulse-quickening factor that drives them, at unhealthy speeds, through life. When you feel stressed it's actually your mind thinking you're in danger and is preparing you in the fight or flight response. This is caused by adrenaline and cortisol being released. This is great i you're actually in danger and need to run, but this is terrible when it happens on a regular basis. The constant uptick in these hormones wreaks havoc all over - your immune system suffers, skin problems can appear and worsen and you can become forgetful or depressed. Stress affects me by making my skin oily and red, making any dry skin flare up badly, my nails suffer and I can't maintain weight. 

   To combat this I try and relax and detox. I don't intake as much caffeine, (coffee, energy drinks and fizzy) alcohol, fast foods and I've started exercising more. I find riding my horse is a major stress relief because animals naturally calm you. With some time and dedication, I finally reduced my stress levels. Soon i felt so much better. 

   Since then I've found a happy balance in my life. This is because to do my jobs well I need to be happy and healthy and motivated. I hope this stress chapter helps you too. Look forward to posts about sleep deprivation, beauty rest tips, breathing, you time, destressing and tips. Hope you enjoy.

xx

Possible Give Away?

DID SOMEONE SAY GIVEAWAY?

My first giveaway! I promise you it won't be the last either, if it's successful enough! So let's make it be..

So, why do one now? Well, recently my blog has become more and more popular and rocketed in views. I still only have one follower but I don't mind at all if 650+ people have read my writing :)

If I do, what do I give away? Only a small giveaway to start.. just three things, two from my favourite beauty range.. lush.

 (products subject to change)

First could be the 250g of Alkmaar Soap from LUSH. Why this one? It's an old favourite soaps from lush and it's so hard to get your hands on because they discontinued it everywhere except the Poole branch and online. So I can help you get some of this lovely honeysuckle soap.

Next could be the Ego Retro Massage Bar from LUSH. This is another old favourite, if you find it hard to relax or wind down before bed, this bar will sort all of your problems. It's gorgeous!

Finally something a little different and carrying on with the retro theme.. remember lip smackers lip balm? You can get them in Primark still but that's about the only place I've seen them in years and years. Well, I might get you guys the candy floss flavoured one just for something a little extra. 

How will you win this giveaway? When I get to the desired amount of views on my blog.. (800?) I will set a little something up. I'm thinking a little competition on Twitter. Maybe tweet me the reason you think you should win? Or your favourite old retro discontinued beauty product? We will see...

We will see. 

xx

Bangs | Daily Hair Care

ALL ABOUT BANGS

Whether you've worn bangs or not, you'll probably realise that there's a lot of variety in the fringe family. If you're thinking about really changing up your look but you don't want to sacrifice length in either direction, (hair cut or extensions) bangs can really be a great option. This doesn't mean that you have to adopt dramatic blunt bangs either. You can always trim more, so start long and go from there.

Ashley Tisdale

LONG, SIDESWEPT BANGS

These are good for almost any hair type and can be very versatile. You can straighten them or wear them wavy to blend into curls. They're also easy to grow out, which makes them the perfect solution for easing yourself into a full on bang commitment. These also work well if you have naturally curly hair that you air dry since you can blow dry the bangs and sweep them to the side, blending them with other hair.

Chanel Iman

BLUNT EYEBROW-LENGTH BANGS

These are a good option if you have a long, narrow face, because they make your face appear a bit more oval. They're also great if you have thick, straight hair and want a more mod look. If your eyes are your favourite feature, these will draw a lot of attention to them!

Reese Witherspoon

WISPY-ENDED BANGS

You don't ever want your bangs to be too thin, otherwise they'll be a little too '80s, but you can have your hairdresser cut up into an otherwise blunt bang just to make the ends more jagged and less precise. This is good if you hair has body and you don't want your bangs to look too perfect.

Colouring Your Hair | Daily Hair Care

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR COLOURING YOUR HAIR

When you go darker, you'll find many colour lines load their products with conditioning agents, so the layer of colour can make your hair feel really glossy and luxurious. Going lighter, however, can be fraught with issues. You need to take extra caution when caring for your hair, since you've then shifted it into more fragile territory. Resist the urge to change your colour by more than a couple shades at a time. If you go too far there's a good chance your hair will suffer and will require constant - and expensive - treatment. Then there's the irreversible damage.  

   Like with a haircut, it can be nearly impossible to determine exactly what the colour is going to look like on you, which is why, as tempting as all the pretty colours in the hair dye aisle can look, if you're going lighter, or changing dramatically, please, please go to a professional. Fixing a bad at home job can take months, or, at worst, you will have to wait till your hair fully grows out.. years. Before you sit down in the chair, find pictures of your favourite colours and show your stylist. Again, go to the wig shop and try on different wigs. Listen to your hairdresser's recommendations so you don't end with something to close to your skin colour and end up monochromatic. 

My Everyday Make Up Routine

 Every blogger needs to do a post about their everyday makeup routine, and I'm about to tick that box. I've done one before but that's long gone because it was only my second post, and wasn't the greatest read. Since then I have updated my routine, found better products, techniques and have definitely toned it down a little. I definitely wear a lot less makeup now! So have fun reading..

I use a staple of nine products with the added extra everyone and again. 

I use a mixture of two different foundations, the Rimmel London Perfect Match Foundation and the Revlon Nearly Naked. I use two because they are both in the wrong shade but I don't want to let them go to waste. Why? Because they are both incredible foundations, that's why! The perfect match is a darker share with some medium coverage which helps match my face to neck as I self tan. The nearly naked is lighter but it's one of those foundations that goes on so lightly and makes it look like you don't have any on at all, whilst still making you look flawless.

I will always love my maybelliene dream mousse blush for giving me a natural, subtle blush to my apples and then I apply my accessorize bronzed as a contour on my cheekbones, nose and forehead just to try and shape my big ol'face a bit better. 

Next, my old reliable concealer. I use a concealer by Collection (2000) which I think was discontinued, it's a stick sort of solid one, like a lipstick. But if I research it now they only have concealers on a wand and follow with the collection sheer loose powder. 

That's my face done! So next I use my new-ish Rimmel Smokey Brun quad and I take the darkest chocolate shade on a brush and run it through my eyebrows as they are quite sparse and light compared to my hair. 

I always prime my eyelids using maybelliene dream primer before I wing out my eyeliner using a NYC felt brush liner. Sometimes I use a selection of Coastal Scents eye shadows and sometimes I dont. It really depends on my mood!

Finally I brush some mascara onto my top and bottom lashes. I go between three ascaris, the Accessorize one, the l'oreal million lashes and my Rimmel day 2 night. 

So that's my look. I should do a picture tutorial or a youtube tutorial so keep your eye on that. Lots of exciting things hopefully coming this way :) 

Xx

How To Style Your Hair | Daily Hair Care

IF YOUR HAIR IS...

TYPE (STRAIGHT/WAVY/CURLY/TIGHT CURLS): The natural state of your hair before any treatments or styling.

TEXTURE (COARSE/FINE): Thickness of the strands of hair. Coarse hair tends to be less shiny and harder to colour. Fine hair can be sensitive to colour. 

DENSITY (THIN/THICK): The amount of actual strands of hair on your head. The longer it takes your hair to naturally dry, the thicker the density.

STRAIGHT+FINE+THIN: Add graduated layers to build up weight and volume. If you're speaking to your hairdresser, these are technically called convex layers.

STRAIGHT+FINE+THICK: Refer back to your face shape, since your hair is usually very manageable and whatever works best for your shape will work for your hair type. Layers are usually great, particularly if you want to add any volumes up top.

STRAIGHT+COARSE+THIN: Graduated layers are best. A round brush can help you get your texture in check, but you will still want to add weight and volume. 

STRAIGHT+COARSE+THICK: This is usually found in women with grey hair. You typically want to remove length from around the face to avoid getting the dreaded frizzy tangle. 

WAVY/CURLY+FINE+THIN: Even though you have curls, you still want to add volume. Ask for graduated layers. 

WAVY/CURLY+FINE+THICK: Your hair may be fine, but you have a lot of it, so you'll want to minimize the volume by adding layers to remove the triangle and cutting out some weight.

WAVY/CURLY+COARSE+THIN: Before you make any moves here, consider how you wear your hair. If you like to blow it out, give it some layers for movement. If you wear it curly, go with long layers around the face to keep it from looking bulky. 

WAVY/CURLY+COARSE+THICK: Layer it up! Taking out weight is key with this hair type. You'll want to remove the volume but keep the length. 

TIGHT CURLS+COARSE: This is a very specific hair type and requires a specialised skill set, so be sure that the person cutting your hair knows what they are doing. Generally a hairdresser should cut your hair down when it is dry, because if it is cut wet it will shrink up afterward and become an entirely different shape. If your hair is short, add layers to build volume. 

TIGHT CURLS+FINE: Follow the same insturctions as above, but go easy! Fine, tight curled hair should be cut with caution because you can see the shape change so quickly.

Finding The Right Haircut For Your Face Shape | Daily Hair Care

FINDING THE RIGHT HAIRCUT

At some point we all have made that spontaneous decision to drastically alter our hairstyle. (This is known as a 'breakover' because it happens just after a break up or a major lifestyle change.) Unfortunately, more often than not, this leaves us with regret followed by a lot of bad-hair days and ponytails. Now, when I'm considering making a drastic change to my hair, I start by trying on wigs in the similar cut or colour or using an online version of what I am contemplating. More than a few times this has steered me away from a poor hair decision. Whilst these methods can be helpful in the decision-making process, no computer or hairpiece will ever be able to perfectly predict what you're going to actually end up with and how you're going to maintain it. 

   We've all be drawn to a hair style or cut that we're convinced will be perfect but that our hair doesn't actually have the texture to support. When that happens you have to have a fall back technique and time to get your hair into salon shape every morning, which can be a huge commitment. It's always great to bring pictures of styles we like to our hairdressers, but be sure to be honest and open with your hairdresser about your ability to execute the upkeep on your own, and be flexible when your hairdresser guides you to a solution that might fit better into your schedule and skill set!

   To help find your best look, here are some simple guidelines for different face shapes and hair textures. Keep in mind that these come from a general consensus and basic principles. Everyone is different, so listen to what our hairdresser is telling you will work for your face shape.

IF YOUR FACE IS...

Square

Renee has a square face shape

Your forehead and angular jawline are roughly the same width.

   Play down with your strong jawline with a longer length and soft waves. Don't cut bangs, the will draw the eye to your jaw. While you might feel compelled to use your hair as a curtain, it's better to open up your face. Wear your hair parted to one side, which will soften up your face's angles. If you want shorter hair, try a wavy bob so that it breaks up the lines of your face.

Oval

Selena and Rihanna have oval face shapes

Your forehead and jawline are of similar width and your face is long.

   Count yourself lucky because, if you have an oval face shape, you're pretty much safe no matter what style you chose. Almost anything will flatter. The key is finding the best cut is to look at your forehead. If it's shorter you want to steer clear of bangs. If you have a longer forehead though, bangs are key, since they prevent your face from appearing too long.

Emma has a round face shape

Round
Your cheeks are full and wider than your jaw and forehead.
   Your face already has plenty of width, you will want your hair as long as possible to narrow it out. You can also add a little volume at the top of your head since it will draw the eye upwards.

Nicole has a heart shape face

Heart Shaped
You have a wider forehead and cheekbones and a narrow jawline.
   You definitely want to have some sort of soft, side-parted Reese Witherspoon-style bang. Don't cut them too blunt and straight, otherwise they'll make your chin look pointy. Go for a medium long length with nice, choppy bangs.







Long and Narrow
Your face is narrow from temple to chin and long.
   To counteract the length, you a long bob, or you can go longer if you have curly hair, in which case you should add some layers for nice shape and volume. Bangs can work here too, since they will help break up the length of your face.

Reader Question Answered | Daily Hair Care

READER Q: HOW DO I GET MY HAIR TO GROW FASTER?

A vital part of getting your hair to grow faster is to protect the hair you already have. If your ends become damaged, you'll have to chop off a considerable number of inches to prevent the damage going further up the shaft. If you're trying to grow your hair out, it's more important than ever to pop into your hairdressers for trims, as weird as it sounds. You can also do small things to speed up the growth manually, but keep in mind that there are no miracles, never shell out for products claiming to grow your hair!

TO PROTECT THE HAIR YOU HAVE

• Work conditioner through your hair in the shower with a wide toothed comb so that you're not trying to brush through tangles after you get out. 

• Minimize the amount of heat you use on your hair. Before you use a hair-dryer or a straightener, apply a serum to protect the strands. Never try to straighten or curl wet hair, the heat will steam out the water. In the long run it can be very damaging. 

• Don't pull your hair into a overly tight ponytail. Not only can you pull your hair out, it can also damage your roots. There's a reason too tight pony tails give you a headache!

• Avoid sleeping in your ponytail secured with an elastic hair band. Instead try a loose braid or bun secured with a scrunchie.. yes, they still have uses. 

TO PROMOTE GROWTH

• Eat well. Your follicles need a good mix of proteins and vitamins (A, C, E, B3, B6 and B2 are all key) to promote healthy growth. You also want to be sure you're eating enough iron, which is found in tofu, lentils, beans, spinach and lean beef. 

• When you are shampooing or rinsing your hair with water, massage your scalp with your fingertips. This can increase blood circulation in the area and could help promote growth.

• Avoid stress, which can cause hair to fall out.

• Sometimes I take prenatal vitamins. They're not scientifically proven to help hair grow longer but I've always noticed a difference. (They've also scared my boyfriend too!)

 

Natural Hair Masks | Daily Hair Care

NATURAL HAIR MASKS

I don't apply hair masks as often as I apply face masks, but every month or so I like to mix up something in the kitchen, comb it through my hair, then wrap my head in a warm towel or shower cap, which allows the natural heat of your head to emit, and watch a movie. Here are the recipes I use most:

COCONUT OIL

Coat the ends of your hair with a tablespoon of coconut oil and then twist it into a low bun and seal it with clingfilm. At a minimum, leave it for thirty minutes, it's best if you can sleep with it in. Then shampoo and condition your hair as normal in the morning. 

AVOCADO 

From caringwhispers.com

Mash up an entire avocado and mix it with four tablespoons of yogurt and one egg white. You don't want this on your scalp either, just on the bottom two thirds of your hair. Leave it on for at least thirty minutes. The egg and yogurt are a major injection of protein for weakened hair whilst avocado softens the strands. Make sure the water isn't too hot when you rinse it out or else the egg will become cooked and stick in your hair!

OLIVE OIL AND MAYONNAISE

This one is a bit tougher to stomach. Mix together a concoction of equal parts mayo and olive oil to give dry, brittle hair a shot of moisture and antioxidants. Start at the ends of your hair and work your way up, stopping short of your scalp. After thirty minutes, wash out with lukewarm water. 

Shampoo and Conditioner | Daily Hair Care

WHAT'S IN A SHAMPOO?

Shampoo is a relativity new concept. Historically people used body soap to wash their hair, which due to the residue, left their hair dull and their scalps itchy meant that they didn't wash their hair often. Around the early 1900's, chemists started experimenting with products, and soon after, shampoo's hit the market. It wasn't until the 70's that people started to lather up their heads with any real frequency. 

   These days, shopping the shampoo aisle can be quite perplexing  there are products for every complaint, from dandruff to frizz. They span over a huge range of prices. While I believe shampoos with more natural ingredients are worth the extra money, a lot of bloggers have tested and have proved there is little difference from the lowest prize range and the very tip top. So next time you're browsing this aisle, remember, you don't need to spend a small fortune on a bottle of shampoo. 

   Keep in mind that shampoo is for cleaning your scalp, not your strands of hair, so focus the product on your roots. If you have oily hair, chose a shampoo that is clear - those that are creamy or pearlescent generally contain more conditioners, which you do not need to apply to your scalp. Many grease-fighting varieties contain astringent ingredients that are helpful, like tea-tree or citrus oil or herbs like rosemary and sage. 

   If your scalp is flaky, you should look for products that fights dandruff. The active ingredient in these is usually 'zinc pyrithione', which has anti fungal properties. Other products actually slow the rate at which your cells die and need to be sloughed off. 

   If your scalp feels tight and itchy, look for a moisturising shampoo that's packed with hydrating ingredients like shea butter and nut oils. This can help combat flakiness. 

WHAT'S IN A CONDITIONER?

Unlike a shampoo, conditioners can change the quality of your hair, since they coat and adhere to the cuticle of the strand and lend it all sorts of properties. Again, conditioners are not changing your hair's inherent properties - just modifying the outer layer. Conditioners with lots of humectants deliver moisture; those with lots of panthenol  attach to overly fine hair and create an illusion of volume; those with polymers make hair look sleek and glossy and untangled; and those with heat-adsorbing polymers protect your hair from curling irons, blow-dryers and straighteners. 

   Because conditioners are packed with ingredients that are intended to attach to the strand, you don't want to apply conditioner to your scalp - instead, deposit a majority of it on the bottom two thirds of your hair, specifically the back of your head, where the hair is most directly exposed to the elements. 

   Every month or so, I like to wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo to help strip some of the residue left by conditioners. Excessive build up can eventually start to make my hair look and feel limp. I also always ask for a gloss or deep conditioning if I have just had my colour done  It makes a difference in keeping my hair looking healthy longer. 

Which shampoo and conditioner do you use? 

Do you find one works better than another? 

xx

  

Drugstore and High End Face Products (Linked to YouTube Video!)

You're here, either reading this straight from my blog or from the link under my newest YouTube video. If you haven't seen my video, check it out, and if you are from the video, definitely check out the rest of my blog. I guarantee if you love one you'll love the other. 

Let's get right into this. I'll be showing you one alternative of each product I showed you in my video. These are my favourite choices of both. 

High Street       .......       High End

Face Wash

Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash at £2.99

KOH GEN DO Oriental Plants Clean Foam at £45.00

Cleanser

Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser With Muslin Cloth at 5.99

Eve Lom Morning Time Cleanser at £60.00

Toner

Simply Pure Refreshing Toner at £2.59

Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 10 Percent Toning Complex Clarifying Toner at £40.00

Moisturiser

Simply Pure Light Moisturiser at £2.59

Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturiser at £58.00

Eye Cream

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream at £5.99

L'Occitane Immortelle Eye Balm at £38.00

Face Masks

Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Wash & Mask at £4.99

Fresh Rose Face Mask at £55.00

Update: New Bedroom!

So, I have yet to do a room tour on YouTube as my room is.. how can I say? Not the nicest looking! haha!

Don't get me wrong, I love my room because it's mine and it's my space but it isn't all colour coordinated like many YouTubers, and it's quite clutter-y. My walls are a pastel orange with a feature wall of orange and I have an orange carpet. If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen.. it's a mess most of the time. 

I'm not going to redecorate, this time next year I hope to have moved so I will definitely do a room tour then! My room at the moment is kind of a storage room for everyone else, a big bookcase from when my brother and I were kids so it's full of kids books, a desk full of old school work etc etc.. 

I'm getting a new addition to my room next week though.. a king size bed with a memory foam mattress. I have already purchased a pug duvet set for it. Yay!

I'll show you that when it arrives. But for now I am off, I thought I'd give you a little post whilst I wait for my Youtube video to upload. Only 117 minutes left.. sigh. 

Check me out on Instagram.com/devonh1995

On twitter - @devonh195

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC_SFLV2ViBKFKsGTNnpAA

Have you got a cluttered room?

Are you proud of your room? Let me know

xx

What did I think of Elemis?

If you read my blog then you'd be aware of the fact that I was sent two lovely gifts from Jennie at Elemis - the softly softly daily moisturiser and the peachy perfect gentle face wash. 

I've been using them for nearly a month now, (21 days to be precise) and I am loving the results. I was very skeptical about the moisturiser because I suffer from unbelievably dry skin so I thought, after using a heavy duty moisturiser that this little one wouldn't come close. I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously it wasn't going to match up to the heavy duty moisturiser but how well it did was very pleasing. 

I used the moisturiser every morning in my everyday make up routine and also when I got out of my bedtime shower as I don't have a nightly moisturiser at the moment. (I know, I know. Bad Devon) It made my face really smooth and it didn't feel dry or tight. It tried to combat my extremely dry areas and I'm impressed by that. It made them a little softer and manageable. The only con I found was that, for someone who never ever gets acne, five or six spots appeared on my forehead and cheeks after using this product regularly. It could be a coincidence or it could be that my face just wasn't accepting this product. They've since cleared up!

The face wash was used every single time I had a shower. I loved using this. It's definitely a product I will repurchase. It made my skin feel fresh and alive and awakened. It didn't interfere with my sensitive patches or dry skin and I believe it is the product that helped clear these sudden acne. It foams gently and I don;t know how to sing it's praises more. 

I am definitely repurchasing the face wash! I think the moisturiser is another one I would try again but I am forever on the hunt for something that will finally cure my bad skin. 

Until next time.. 

Do you have a skin condition that makes it really dry? 

What product do you recommend? 

xx