Herbal Essences Hello Hydrate Conditioning Mask

"I'm a deep hair hydro-treatment for very dry, damaged hair. step this way to hydration heaven and say "Super-shine me!" give me 1 minute to do my stuff, and rinse me away. for best results, let's get together 2-3 times a week."

I think I mentioned on Twitter a few weeks ago that I picked this up from Tesco along side a couple of other Herbal Essences products and now I've used it a few times I feel it is review time. Oh but don't ask why the product is sat in a tree, I was feeling experimental - either that or I'm crazy!

The aim of the Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask for dry/damaged hair is to nourish and rehydrate damaged hair. I wouldn't say it works wonders but it does do its job well. 

The product itself is thick and creamy, it is a light blue and it smells gorgeous, it contains coconut and the scent is strong - it isn't as strong in the hair but it is there. 

When I use this I massage it into the ends of my hair after shampooing as normal and leave it in for about 10 minutes and rinse. It leaves my hair soft and smooth and it feels nourished and truly hydrated. It doesn't claim to de-tangle but for me at least, it does that too, bonus!

Other things I like about this mask are the name and the packaging. The fact that is comes in a decent sized tub means it will last a good amount of time and there will be no waste. The name is quirky and cute, typical of Herbal Essences products.

If my hair is excessively dry (unfortunately I get this a lot) then I like to pair the Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask with my Avon hair oil and this is the perfect combination for me. 

So if you like the sound of this mask and you have dry or damaged ends then you can find this for £4.39 at Tesco. 

Until next time

xx

Blogilates & Being Healthy

Isn't this quote just fab?

Blogilates is something that everyone on the bloggersphere seems to be talking about and I wanted in on the action! I downloaded the app had bought the beginner's workout calendar. 

I've mentioned a couple of times recently that my weight isn't exactly a healthy one and I'm hardly body confident. Although I don't expect miracles because I've tried all sorts of exercise regimes, diets and healthy eating plans and never stuck to a single one for long, I do hope that the motivation and inspiration from the blogging community will make me want to give this one a chance for a longer duration. I'll keep you updated, if you like?

One of the things the app has is a section with a bunch of healthy and delicious recipes that I really want to try out, today is a Saturday so I had plenty of time to do just that. The two things I made were the 'Avocado Frozen Yoghurt' and the 'Detox Water for Craving Control & Beautiful Skin'. I didn't think of blogging about it until it was too late so all I can tell you about the frozen yoghurt is that it is quick and easy to make and my Mum loves it. The detox water however, I can share with you...

All you need is one (or two) litre of water and the following ingredients. (Quick disclaimer: These photos are the best quality but my iPhone camera is on its way out, I think. I must buy myself a camera!)

Five chopped strawberries and a hanfull of fresh mint leaves.

A lemon, sliced - I didn't use a full one though. 

An apple, sliced. 

Add some ice to chill. 

Sprinkle some cinnamon on the top and enjoy.

Download the app here or visit the website. If you try this, tweet me your thoughts or leave a comment below!

Until next time

xx

6 Lipsticks: I Regret

This is the last in my little trio of lipstick posts but I will finish of with a lip gloss one next Saturday. I hope you are enjoying this series, getting a glimpse into my collection!

Lets get the worst of the worst out of the way first. These two lipsticks from Evie Mai, a brand I struggle to find, came in a vanity box I treated myself to one Christmas. I hate them. They are the palest of colours that I really cannot imagine suiting anybody, the first one makes you look like death and the second one doesn't come out anywhere near as pink on the lips as it does in the swatch. Also as you may be able to see in the picture, the stick itself goes sort of dry and patchy, odd. Sigh. It really is a shame because they are very creamy and it is a pretty colour. I was extremely disappointed. :( 

MUA Shade 12 is a nice enough colour if you like the glitz and glam, personally I think it looks way OTT on me and after my cousin 'made me look pretty' it isn't in such a good state. I think the glitter is a little too big as well.

There is anything major that I don't like about the AVON lipstick in Berry Berry, the packaging is classic and the colour is beautiful but I can't handle the smell, it is so drying and the shade, although nice, doesn't suit me in the slightest. 

There is just one reason I regret buying the Calvin Klein lipstick in Desire and that is that I really, really do not suit purple lipstick. *Shudder*

Finally, the first MAC lipstick I ever bought and it was a huge let down. I don't, however, think this is down to MAC. I believe this is a fake. I have the shade Shy Girl and it is terrible on application, it doesn't cover the lips and if you go for a second coat it wipes away the first. Full coverage is impossible. It also makes my lips feel horrible and when compared to my other MAC lipsticks, the packaging does differ. Lesson learnt: Always buy direct from the brand and not over Amazon, even if the price is attractive. 

Anndd there we go! Which lipsticks do you regret? Are there any I should avoid?

Until next time

xx

March | A Month In Review

- WARNING - 

Grab yourself a cup of tea and get comfy, it's long and picture heavy one.

Today I had planned to do a review of the Herbal Essences Hello Hydrate Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask but then last night I just felt inspired to write this post. If you follow me for my high quality and oh so informative reviews (hah! I wish!) then je suis sorry... oh and I'm also sorry if you are French and just read that but I just adore the French language and accent and although I can't speak it, I like to pretend. 

Anyywayy - It is the 4th of April and I haven't really done anything in regard to saying good bye to March, no monthly favourites from this beauty blogger and no 'Hello April' kinda post - how I swoon over monthly images such as these:

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So today I want to talk to you about March and why, for me, it was so great. Well it didn't start out so great as I mentioned in my post 'being grateful' because on the 11th I failed my first attempt at a driving test. Wonderful. Well I wouldn't mind so much but as £30 a lesson and £55 for a test, it's really hard to forgive yourself. 
However, as the month progressed it improved greatly, I can't think of a time throughout March when I was deeply unhappy or depressed, there were no times when I locked myself in my room and cried for hours and there weren't even that many times when I looked in the mirror and mentally abused my body image. Instead, there were times when I laughed so hard with my friends that I cried, there were times I stepped outside of my comfort zone to achieve great things, there were family meals out and I even got a distinction in an exam at college. 

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March was also a fantastic month for the blog. I blogged a total of 30 times, that's equivalent to almost once a day. I reached 138 Twitter followers, 80 Glipho followers and 66 Bloglovin followers - I've linked all of those networks so you can follow me because you just have to do some shameless self promotion sometimes!

I have produced my very own header with a little help from the internet using Picmonkey, introduced some pages and played around with my overall layout. It's not perfect yet but it's getting somewhat closer.

I have participated in the #Socialbloggers chats (Saturdays 6pm - 7pm UK time) and met some lovely bloggers and found some amazing blogs, I have been inspired and motivated and I am just extremely happy and proud to be a part of the blogging community at the moment. Blogging is honestly always on my mind and I am always thinking of ways to improve and better my skills and knowledge whether it be on the tech side of blogging or the social side.

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Decide for yourself if that quote is relevant, I just really like it and wanted to include it.

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the whole anonymous blogger thing. I'm not even slightly comfortable with telling my family or those who know me about my blog yet (excluding some friends who I've already told) but I would like to be confident enough to use my own name and my own picture. It's crazy that I am so insecure that I can't even use my name in case somebody finds my blog. I am proud of my space on the net and I am content with the way it is growing. I want to be more personal with you and share more about my life. So, what do you think? Being brave is SO much easier said that done for me but I'm leaning towards thinking I'm ready. 

I think what scares me most is rejection, failure and humiliation. I care too much what other people think and I'm not exactly surrounded by support. A girl in my year started a YouTube channel a couple of years ago and when everybody at school found out they spread the link on Facebook and laughed behind her back and played her videos in class. I could never cope with that. The Isle of Man, for all it's beauty, is full of judgmental, cruel people even more so that those that really care. *Sigh*

I've always been the shy one, it's not done me any good at all. I dream of being outgoing and confident! I'm even doubting publishing this post.

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I love this picture. I should keep it engraved on my mind at all times. Anyway, I think it's time to wrap this post up.

I warned you this would be long and rambly at the beginning but well done and thank you if you made it to the end! I truly am so grateful to every single person who takes some time to read my posts and leave comments. 

Until next time

xx

Wishlist #5

- Sorry for bad photo quality, there isn't much I can do as they're direct from the website - 

I'm not much of a shoe person, I'll take what is in my wardrobe and make it work. Practical, comfy and not too shabby and I'll take them. I do love a gorgeous heel or sandal but you don't get many to accommodate a size 9, EEE flat footed gal unfortunately :( 

I don't mind doing window shopping for the sake of my blog though and my bank account can rest knowing it wont be touched. 

Everything in the picture is from Next or New Look - are you noticing from this series that I only ever shop from the same few places?

Any shoes on your wishlist? Maybe a designer pair that I couldn't even dream of? I'd love to hear. 

Until next time

xx

Battle of the Brands #3

This week in Battle of the Brands I am comparing eye shadow primers from Smashbox and Urban Decay.

The Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer (full size) retails for £15.00 here. I have the mini version which I got in a set of the photo finish range for wear at my prom last year. I really love all of the products though I must admit of the three, this is my least favourite. 

Don't get me wrong this is a good primer it just dries out so easily and there isn't much product inside the bottle.

It has a doe foot applicator that applies a good amount to the lid which I then blend out. It is much more light weight that the UD primer potion which is a bonus and is also more matches to my skin tone so doesn't make my eye lid look orange before I put on my makeup. 

I swear by the Urban Decay primer potion. I've used it for a coupe of years now and love it but it does have its cons.

Pros include the beautiful packaging, how long one bottle lasts (and I only have the mini) and of course that it keeps eye shadow in place all day.

Cons are that it feels heavy on the lids, you can apply too much and it makes the skin slightly orange which I don't like. 

You can buy the full size Urban Decay primer potion here for £16.00 or travel size for just £8.00 - bargain!

Right: UD primer potion, Left: Smashbox Photo Finish lid primer

My winner is Urban Decay primer potion, despite its cons I love it too much for it to lose and the Smashbox primer just dries out too quick. Have you tried these? Did I make the right choice?

Until next time

xx

Tag Tuesday | Life In Letters

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I've seen a lot of tags floating around the bloggersphere and following last week's Makeup Mishaps Tag, I have decided to make this a thing. Welcome to Tag Tuesday! Today I'm doing my life in letters...

A is for administration, the course I do at college. 

B is for brother, I have one of those unfortunately.

C is or cadet, I'm a member of St.John Ambulance.

D is for dogs, I have 9 and love 'em all!

E is for eggs, I used to love them and have them for breakfast literally every single day and now the smell of them alone makes me feel so sick.

F is for friends because I couldn't live without them.

G is for gallop, last year I had my first proper gallop on my horse and it was exhilarating and so great.

H is for home, where I love to be. 

I is for independence because I crave it; I want to live alone, be able to drive, do my own planning and budgeting and have that freedom.

J is for Jacqueline Wilson, my all time favourite childhood author! I would probably still read her books now if I wouldn't look silly. I'm also a Tracy Beaker fan!

K is for Kalel Cullen AKA Queenbeeuty, the first beauty guru I ever started watching. Ahh I think that was 4 years ago in 2010!

L is for living, because that's what I have to do, everyday, 'just keep swimming'.

M is for makeup artist, because that is what I'd like to be.

N is for Nars, a makeup brand I've never tried (shock horror!) but would very much like to.

O is for opportunities - I am trying to take up on more opportunities instead of turning them down due to anxiousness. 

P is for Pink, the colour on my blog (yeah I struggled with this one)

Q is for the Queen, because I've been inside her home (Buckingham Palace).

R is for Ruby, my beloved horse!

S is for shy, because I am super shy in person. It drives my friends crazy.

T is for Twitter, because I spend far too much time on there.

U is for understanding because that is what I try to be with everyone. 

V is for Virgo, my star sign. 

W is for weight because I have super self esteem issues regarding my weight and it has to change.

X is for 'x' - the kisses at the end of a text. I love those. 

Y is for YouTube, with which I am obsessed.

Z is for Zebras. No, I'm not getting out of this one easily I just really want to see a zebra up close.

This turned out to be a whole lot harder than I thought so most of the answers are pretty bogus. If you'd like to have a go at this tag then I TAG YOU! Leave your links below.

Until next time

xx