Sunday 28 August 2011

FOTD with Sidecar and Angel.

So I have had the Naked pallette a while now and yes, I love it but I tend to stick to the same colours Naked, Buck and Half Baked. When I'm feeling a little more 'daring' then I might throw in Toasted or Hustle.


However when I saw Jess's latest look with the beautiful but messy Sidecar then I had to have a go.


Ta,dah!






Eyes

Mac Jest to highlight (Jess used Brule)

Sidecar on the lid and the outer half of the lower lash line.

Naked blended in the crease and outer corner.

Maybelline gel eye liner

Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara

Face

Revlon ColorStay in Ivory

Benefit Erase Paste under the eyes (and to prime lid) as usual

Benefit Dandelion layered over Posietint

Lips

Mac Angel

Rimmel Shock Gloss in Clearly Clear

I do look a tiny bit shiny. I will probably add a bit of Mac Mineralise Powder later.

I really like this look. It is soft but so pretty and it was quite easy to do. Sidecar was actually not as messy as I feared. I did my eyes first just to be safe but I found that most of the fallout was in the pallette rather then my face. That, I can deal with. I'm certainly not going to shy away from Sidecar anymore.

This look has certainly really ignited my love for the Naked Pallette. Do you have any more looks that I can try?

X

Saturday 27 August 2011

Hair Sucker!

Is there anybody else out there who feels that their hair is indeed getting longer slowly but that it will never be long enough?!
That is how I feel at the moment.

This was my hair in November.


This is my hair now.


There is no doubt that my hair is growing but no matter how much it grows, I'm always yearning for that inch or two more.

I read here  that hair has an individual predestined length. Argh, like many of you I expect, I do worry how short my natural hair is destined to be. However, there may be a little light at the end of the tunnel as your hair may effectively go on a hair lengthening strike because it is suffering damage and does not have what it would need or like to reach it's potential. So it seems we may have a predestined length longer then the shorter one that we fear and there could be some things we can do to make it grow longer. Ooohhhh, oh yes!

So I'm going to do all that I can to grow my hair over the next six months. I love extensions but at the same time, I want to flaunt that dream barnet of my own. So yet again, I'm going to concentrate my efforts into getting my ole hair very long, thick and swingy.

It might be sad but I have wiled away several hours recently working through whatever results from a Google et al search for 'grow hair long'.

Well, forget the prince and the happy ever after in the fairytales that people normally fall for, I'm more of a sucker for the hair myths and the products that promise miracles.

There are so many theories (some contradicting) and products out there. Minimise heat, maximise heat. avoid warm water. Baby shampoo, special hair oils (anybody tried Mira, I am tempted) , scalp massages and through cleansing, special supplements, special hair bands, special pillow cases and a whole lot more.

At the moment, I seem to have a little bit of a routine going.


- I have been taking two Phytophanere tablets every morning. These tablets claim to provide all things good for beautiful and healthy hair and nails.
With my hair, I am trying so many things to make a difference that it is hard to be sure what is working and what is not but I have just ordered a second bottle of these as my hair in general seems healthier and I am absolutely certain they are making a difference to my nails (my nail care habits are otherwise as sloppy as ever), my nails are not just ok but very strong, thery are also looking very white. I'm sure that it is these tablets and am just hoping that they are working similar magic on my hair.

- I have also been taking a multivitamin every day because, I guess, it makes sense that if your body is lacking nutrients then it is going to prioritise which part of your body gets all the good stuff and I'm guessing my body's top priority would not be my barnet. Therefore I'm trying to pack in as much good stuff as I can.

-I'm trying to eat well too. Lots of vegetables, superfoods and water so that there is plenty of the good stuff to go around.
I have been eating green beans most days. Beans are a great source of protein and like yogurt (which I already adore) is supposed to work wonders in hair growth if consumed regularly. Green beans also contains silcia which I know is something I always look for in my supplements for nails and hair. It prevents hair loss. Obviously my hair will grow quicker if it is shredding less.
To be honest, it seems almost all of the foods in my Superfood regime (spinach, kale, salmon, pumpkin seeds) will promote healthier hair. I guess this goes back to the similar reasoning that I gave for multivitamins. One habit I'm sticking to is a sprinkle of seeds and nuts on most of my meals each day. It is amazing the nutritional benefits, these little foods are supposed to have.

- Obviously I'm trying to minimise the heat and pressure on my hair but well, what can I say other then I always use a heat protector. . !

- I have been using a hair treatment every time that I wash my hair. I have tried quite a few. Recently, I have enjoyed the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment (which smells divine and is meant to fertlise the hair follicles to make hair grow faster and reach its maximum potential length), the Lush H'Suan Wen Hua and the VO5 oils. I've also used Aussie in the past.

- For the last year or so, I have tried to choose my shampoos and conditioners carefully. I have found some that are a bit more blah then others and some that I really like but nothing I've really loved enough to keep me loyal.
Until very recently, I was using a Moroccan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner. My hair did take to these more expensive products but it has also took to cheaper products. I found that the Body Shop Banana Shampoo and Conditioner made my hair just as soft, shiny and healthy.

Although I have found products that seem to promote happy, healthy hair. I am not sure if any of them have actually boosted hair growth but I have high hopes for the wash product combination, I am now using. It is the Deep Moisturising Mane n Tail Shampoo and Conditioner products.

These Mane n Tail products have a quirky back story (hence the strange packaging) in that the products were orginally formulated for horse hair and have now been reformulated to work with human hair. There are claims (there are lots of reviews here and here. Here is a video review on You Tube.) that this stuff makes your hair grow and grow quickly. There are various rumours about it being the choice of some hairtastic celebrities. It is actually quite reasonably priced (I brought mine here) and as you can see, the bottles are huge. So I'm giving them a shot.
I have been using these products for about two weeks. I usually shampoo my hair two or three times with the shampoo and on the last shampoo, I really work it in and give it about five minutes before rinsing out. I also do a hair treatment of choice and condition with the MT. Again, I leave the conditioner for about 1-2 minutes before rinsing.
My initial thoughts are that actually using the MT products feels horrible.  As I wash, my hair feels very dry and heavy (Note: I would be reluctant to use the MT combo without adding in a hair conditioning treatment). It always feels no matter how much I rinse that there is product and tangles still there.
However, once my hair is dry (which seems to happen quicker with this product), I'm relieved to find that my hair is very managable, soft and healthy looking. There is certainly no sign of product residue.
I actually really like the final result and am happy to keep using the products. I have squinted at my hair now and again and yes, indeed, have thought my hair is already growing visibly longer but in reality, I think the ends are just looking a little healthier but I will try to take some photos when I wash my hair and lets see what happens.

So again fingers crossed that I finally get there. Hmm, going back to my last frownies post, it seems I want less lines and more hair. That seems like a fair deal to me! Not too much to ask, is it?!

Have you any more hair growth tips or recommendations for me? I would love to hear them.

X

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Frownies!

Sometimes I think, some things are meant to be.


Take Saturday a couple of weeks ago, I woke up on weekend mode (ie.happy, carefree, almost singing). However, as soon as I looked in the mirror, all my spark quickly ebbed away for there was a great indent on my face. A line (like the Grand Canyon) across the diagonal of my eye area on the left side. It wasn't going anywhere and then when I finally dragged my eyes, from that evil turn, I could also see the faint beginnings of one on the right.

Great. Suddenly there was a need for an anti-aging plan. Ouch! I didn't have a clue where to start but at least three times that day, I came across mentions of a cult product that I'm not sure I've ever heard of before. Certainly one that I've never noticed.

So here they are, the Frownies. I brought mine for £16.35 at Feel Unique.com but I see they are now reduced to £14.75.


This is what the brand have to say (taken from their website here)
'Frownies Patches eliminate signs of unsightly lines deep in the muscles on the face. Plus, they are the only products available dermatologist approved that retrain the muscles below the skin to release the unattractive creases that have developed and to relax into a smooth, natural position.
Frownies do this without any harsh chemicals and since they are changing the shape of the muscle they provide lasting results that continue to improve with continued use.'

So the little patches are supposed to reduce wrinkles while you sleep. They are made up of unbleached natural kraft paper with water activated gum which you moisten and stick on top of your lines before you go to sleep each night. Apparently the patches have been around for over 100 years and are a 'Hollywood Beauty Secret'.



Some people on Make Up Alley (where these patches currently score 4.3 out of 5 with a 86% rebuy stat) claim that their lines disappeared quickly, even over night.

I have to admit I was kind of hoping mine would disappear like that. Yes really, I don't mind if I never ever see them again but alas, it seems I'm going to have to play the game a bit longer to get any results. For I have been wearing them for about four nights now and as of yet, I can not see any obvious improvement but I'll keep at it. Frownies guarantee results in 30 days.



There are 144 patches in my box - I seem to be using about four a night- and they seem to be almost fool proof to use. You cleanse as normal, let your moisturiser sink in and then massage around the badie line(s) for a few seconds before preparing and moistening your patch. You are then supposed to smooth out your line and stick the patch on top to begin its miracle work.

Well, I will finish the box with my fingers crossed. I so hope that I can post a future rave about the work of this product.

Have you used Frownies? What anti-aging tips do you have for me?

X

Wednesday 17 August 2011

The Masterpiece Max mascara.


Ok, so I gave in and brought the Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara.



I like.

Max Factor say that it is a high volume & definition mascara. What is more, is that the high volume is supposedly sleek and smooth.

Here are some pics and my thoughts.



As you can see, Masterpiece Max certainly adds length and is a little remniscent of Lash Extension. Like the Lash Ext, Masterpiece Max is so simple to apply neatly.

Yes, Masterpiece Max does clump very occasionally (I don't think I've ever seen a clump, Lash Ext style) but we'll skim this little blip as these brush out very easily maybe because the Max product is not at all gloopy or inky.

For me, Masterpiece Max adds some volume but I was more amazed by the amazing length and definition that it gave the lashes giving me a very groomed and defined (or in Max Factor terms, sleek and smooth) look.



Max Factor claim that the high tech iFX brush beautifully frames your eyes.

Given!

I love the fact that the light brush (as old fashioned and simple as it looks) coats each lash easily. I've recently reinvested in a lash curler but to be honest with this mascara, I don't need it. This mascara magically opens my eyes, all on its own.





I'd say Masterpiece Max is a safe mascara that sits at a great price point for us neutral lovers out there. It is currently £9.99 in Boots and Superdrug  This mascara has reminded me of the good work that a Max Factor mascara can do. I'm not sure why I look so shocked!


I will certainly finish the tube and consider purchasing again.

For those a little braver with colour and a yearning for drama (Little Sis, I'm looking at you), I would love to know if Masterpiece Max works for you.

Oh, I do like to play with mascara . You know I've done a few mascara reviews now. I think I might have pull together a post sort of ranking them and my thoughts. Hmm, any excuse to rebuy Volume Million, I hear you say. You might be right. So not sensible for me but I miss that gem. Volume Million and all its drama seemed to equal days off and nights out for me.

I hope you are all doing ok.

X

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