TEXTURE SPRAYS | HIGH END VS HIGH STREET

The longer my hair gets, the more effort it takes if I want to style it.  I'm happy that it's finally started growing again after what feels like a lifetime of waiting, but I have to admit that I miss having short layers which made creating texture a dream!  I'm now always on the lookout for new styling products to try and give my hair a bit of extra oomph or those pesky beachy waves that everyone else seems to do better than me!

At the moment I'm using two texturising products, both at opposite ends of the price scale but both of which I quite like.  

First there is Fudge Urban Crisp Pear & Sweet Vanilla Texture Spray, £6.99, which can be found in Boots and Superdrug.  I picked this up because I have a couple of other products by Fudge and they smell a m a z i n g!  It's so lovely to use hair sprays that smell of something pleasant rather than that cheap, chemical smell that often comes with cheaper brands, and this texture spray is no different.  It smells just like it says on the can, so it gets top marks for that.  It claims to be a 'back comb in a can', which I also agree with.  I spray this in my hair, rough it up a bit and it makes it 100% easier to style.  The spray gives it a rough, mattified feel that has at least 30% more volume and it stays in place for hours (as long as there's no gale force wind outside!).  I think this is a bargain styling product that really gives the higher end versions a run for their money, I use it daily when I want to style my hair and it gives it that lived in, effortless look.  

Bumble and Bumble Cityswept Finish Spray, £22, claims to give a lived in look with 'separation and sheen' - basically a toned down texturiser.  I use this usually if I've straightened/waved my hair and want to add some natural looking movement to it.  The result is not as dramatic as the Fudge spray, but it isn't there to do the same job.  It's a lot more expensive too, however I've had this can since summer last year, and I've still got around half left - so I think I can say that I'm getting my money's worth out of it!  If I'm going to be out a lot when wearing this in my hair, I do find that I need some hairspray to help it out and keep it in place, so this is where the Fudge spray has the advantage.

I really like both of these sprays, however I think that the Fudge Texture Spray has the edge on the Bumble and Bumble one, because it is such a bargain and it has brilliant hold.  The smell is also gorgeous, I'd go as far as to say you should invest in it for this reason alone!

Do you have either of these sprays?  Which is your favourite?xx 

CURRENT HAIRCARE FAVOURITES.

I don't often post about my haircare on here because I'm really conscious of the fact that I'm not the best at picking the good products and do suffer with damaged hair, so I don't feel like I'm in a position to be dishing out advice! 

However, since having a lot (too much) of my hair cut off back in August, I've been making more of an effort when choosing products to keep it looking like it did on the day I walked out of the salon.  

My hairdresser recommended using a hair mask once or twice a week, to help repair the damage and to work on getting some much needed moisture on the ends.  I bought the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer mask and I apply it for a couple of hours before I wash my hair.  It leaves my hair feeling much more hydrated and after washing it looks healthier and the ends especially look better.  

My shampoo of choice lately is Charles Worthington Strength & Repair shampoo from the Salon at Home range.  I bought this along with the conditioner when it was on offer in Boots and it has really suited my hair well.  It claims to reduce the appearance of breakage which I am really surprised to say is true, I was really paranoid about the state of my hair and how it looked, and I've definitely noticed that it is sleeker lately and there are far less damaged ends on show.  I cannot say whether it actually does anything to repair hair, or whether any shampoos can do that, but for now this is good enough for me!

Like everyone else, I couldn't live without dry shampoo, even more so now that I am trying to wash my hair less.  My favourite is Batiste in the brunette spray, which is much easier to blend into my hair whereas the others tend to turn me grey!  I use this to give me an extra day in-between washes and also to give some extra body and texture when I am styling. 

I always repurchase the Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla hairspray because 1) it works really well and has good strong hold, and 2) because it smells pretty damn amazing.  I've got no reason to switch to another because I really love this product, and I like how it manages to have a nice smell rather than the standard hairspray smell that all the others have. 

So there are my current hair heroes; let me know what your ones are!  Do you love any of these? xx

The One Where I Got The Chop.

So, I took advantage of my mum being around and asked her nicely if she would mind taking a photo of my haircut for my blog.  Which is all fine and dandy until I realise that she doesn't understand 1. my resting bitchface problem, and 2. cheesy grins are just not acceptable in blog photos!  So after much 'why aren't you smiling?  SMILE!' we ended up with a selection of photos, including the one above, of me half smiling-half looking constipated.  You're welcome!  

This is my new shorter hair, the shortest I have ever had since around 2005.  I was fed up of seeing damaged ends every day, so thought the best thing to do would be to have it all cut off and try again.  After a little telling off from my hairdresser (@ Gatsby & Miller in Harpenden - totally recommend it if you live anywhere near!)  about using straighteners with heat protecter spray that doesn't protect from that much heat, I learned that I need to treat my hair better and always read the back of products before buying them.  For example, I use GHDs to straighten my hair, which have 230 degree heat; so when buying heat protecter spray/cream I need to check the labels to see if it actually protects against that level of heat - if it doesn't specify a temperature at all then step away! 

I'm still getting used to having much shorter hair, but I love that I can try out a whole load of different styles now - beachy waves are holding much better, when my hair is long they just drop out after an hour or so!  

What is your current favourite hair style?  If you have any styles for me to try out on my new shoulder length hair then please let me know! xx

BLOG SALE | ft. NARS, BENEFIT, MAC, ST TROPEZ & MORE

Hey!  Soo, this is my first blog sale!  I was trying to decide whether to try and sell some make up/hair bits on here or on Depop, but I chose to do it this way as personally I check blog sales out more than  I go browse on Depop.  I'm selling a mixture of beauty and hair care bits, so I hope you find something you like!  If you do se something(s) you would like to buy, then please check out how to do this at the bottom of the post :) 

Benefit Moon Beam Highlighter, usage shown (3/4 left) - £8

MaxFactor Xperience Weightless Foundation spf 10 in Raw Silk, used once - £3

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Classic Beige, used once - £4

Rimmel Match Perfection Fountation in Ivory, used 3 or 4 times - £4

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville (light beige), 90% left - £18

Benefit LemonAid, usage shown, 1/2 left - £4

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranite, used 2 or 3 times - £3

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe, used twice - £3

Maybelline Dream Terra Sun Bronzing Powder, used once - £3

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie, used twice - £7

Bourjois Mega Liner, black, used 2/3 times - £4

Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 107, never used - £3

Nip & Fab Mattifying Gel, used 2/3 times - £4

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer, used twice - £3

Balance Me Tinted Lip Balm, never used - £4

MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection Lipstick in Angel, with box, used twice - £8

Vintage Cosmetics Company Gracie Lashes, never used - £4

Nails Inc Polish in Basil Street, 4/5ths left - £5

Rimmel 60 Second Polish in Sky High, used twice - £2

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Guava, used 3/4 times - £3

Super Facialist Intense Moisture Mask, used twice - £5

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Medium Matte, used once - £3

Garnier Ambre Solaire Dry Body Mist Bronzer, fair skin, 3/4 left - £4

St Tropez Gradual Tan in Light/medium, used once - £6

Soap & Glory Heel Genius 50ml, never used - £2

L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, usage shown - £3

Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo 50ml, 1/2 left - £2

Charles Worthington Salt Spray, used once - £5

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, 1/2 left - £3

L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil, usage shown - £4

Tresemme Frizz Control Finishing Cream, used twice - £3

Tresemme Waterless Foam Shampoo, 3/4 left - £3

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Protection Cream, used once - £3

Rules Schmools:

• If you would like to buy an item(s) then please leave me a comment below or email me at sarahlf89@yahoo.co.uk
• Items will be sold on a first come first serve basis, I will hold items until the end of the day and then put them for sale again if no contact/payment is made
• payment to be made within 1 day, unless otherwise agreed 
• postage is Royal Mail Second Class £2.60, I can combine postage for multiple items
• payment is accepted via Paypal, with payments to be made through the family and friends option, so as to avoid charges, I will give you my Paypal email beforehand
• I work fairly close to a Post Office so I will post items no later than 3 days after payment.

If you have any questions about the items or if I have missed out something above then please email me at the address I gave earlier.  Thank you for looking and I hope you see something you like :) xx

  

WHAT I BOUGHT THIS WEEK #15

Hey!  I feel like I'm buying more haircare than make up lately, which is a little strange for me but there just seems to be a load of nice products out there at the moment!  I picked these up in Boots a couple of days ago when picking up some Rescue Remedy spray - that's what various people have recommended to me for my flying nerves so hopefully it will help.  

The first thing I picked up was the got2b Oil-licious Styling Oil by Schwarzkopf; this was a repurchase as I've used it before and it works wonders on my frizz-prone hair, especially during warmer days.  I use it on dry hair before styling it, so it stays sleek and shiny and it really does work!  

Another Schwarzkopf product I decided to try was the got2b Volumizing Spray Mousse, which apparently is the first of its kind.  I was intrigued by this as I do often using volumizing mousse but it can be a bit of a pain to apply - too much comes out and it can end up making my hair sticky and weighing it down.  This spray claims to add big volume so I can't wait to give it a go, I'm hoping that the spray part will mean that I can control how much I use, so a full review of it will be up soon when I've had a go.  It also smells like raspberries, which is gorgeous so that is a massive plus for it straight away!

Then I needed some new hairspray so I opted for the VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray.  I am currently using their heat protection spray and I love the smell of it, so that was what made me pick this one up, but also because of the claim that it has excellent hold, which is what I always look for.  It also says that it brushes straight out - another good thing because no one likes that feeling of having product left behind in your hair that won't go away, urgh! 

So that's what I've picked up this week, have you tried any of these hair products?  What do you think of them? xx

MY CURRENT FAVOURITE HAIRCARE

Hey!  It feels like it has been a long time since my last post about anything hair-related, so I thought I would share a few of my current favourites.  My hair recently had a trim (nothing dramatic, it was quite literally a couple of centimetres off of the ends!) and I have to say that it really was the best thing for it, even though the bare minimum was taken off it still looks a lot healthier and even thicker.  Since then I have tried to make more effort with keeping it looking neat, and these are the products that I have found myself using regularly. 
 

Lee Stafford Miracle Shine Spray:  This is hands down my best purchase of recent times!  I use it after I have finished styling my hair as a finishing touch and it leaves it looking extra shiny and sleek – a massive achievement in my eyes!  The best thing about this is that it does not leave any build up in my hair; it doesn’t leave it sticky and my hair doesn’t feel limp or like there is too much on it.  I think that this was around £9.99 from Boots, and it was worth every penny.  If you want something that leaves a natural but significant shine in your hair then this is the product for you, and the argon oil in it is another positive and contributes to how smooth it leaves your hair feeling.
 

L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil:  This was £9.99 too, I have had it for 4/5 months now and as you can kind of see from the photos, I have used up less than a third of it – so definitely getting my money’s worth!  I have used Moroccan Oil too which I also liked, but this L’Oreal oil is a lot easier on the bank.  It doesn’t claim to be an argon oil or anything, but it does help to smooth hair; I apply one pump to damp hair before drying and it really helps to keep it from becoming frizzy, and just makes it look and feel smoother.  I used a Lee Stafford Argon Oil before this which cost the same, and the ingredients in that were actually pretty much exactly the same as Moroccan Oil but for a fraction of the price, so it pays to look into things like this to see whether you’re actually paying for something better or not!
 

Trevor Sorbie Thickening Spray:  This is a new addition to my routine so I can’t really give a full review of it yet, but so far I am enjoying using it and it does help to give my hair some very much needed volume, so I have high hopes for it! 
 

Tony & Guy Glamour Hairspray:  I received this in the Glamour beauty box by Latest in Beauty, and although I have had better smelling hairsprays than this, it is good at what it does and gives really good hold for many hours. 
 

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray:  I had to include this because I have loved it ever since I got it as a freebie in a magazine, and I go back to it over and over again.  I tend to spray this on to damp hair and watch it work its magic – blow drying my hair has never been such a success!  My hair looks so thick and volumised afterwards and it holds well too so I am dreading the day when this little bottle runs out!
 

What hair products are you currently loving?  Do you like any of these products? xx

Review | Schwarzkopf Oil-licious Styling Oil

Boots, £4.20

Hey :)  I hope you are having a lovely weekend, after the drama of the Royal Baby last week!  I had to mention it, it’s a hard subject to avoid right now, especially since the future king has been named as George Alexander Louis.  I am a fan of the name, though I must admit that 1)I was convinced the baby would be a girl and 2)when he was born a boy I was convinced he would be called James.  So from this I would say that I have no sixth sense whatsoever, and that it is clearly a good thing that I didn’t place any bets this week. 

Moving swiftly on, I am very excited to talk about this new addition to my hair care routine.  This was a random purchase from Boots, I wasn’t really looking for it but I saw it on the shelf and my curiosity got the better of me.  I am really glad that it did though, because this little bottle has been a little miracle worker for me and I especially relied on it during this hot and humid weather. 

The heat doesn’t affect me at all, but sadly my hair suffers by becoming more frizzy than usual.  I have to admit that my little bottle of Moroccan Oil has helped a lot but I style find that I need help when styling my hair, like putting it into a fishtail plait for work etc.  I put a little of this oil on my dry hair and then brush it through (with my new Tangle Teaser  FYI), and then style it as normal.  The difference using this makes is dramatic; it makes my styles sleek and much neater, any stray hairs are gone and my hair looks glossy and not like it has masses of damage to the ends! 

Another great thing about this product is that it doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy, as you may expect when putting oil on dry hair.  You only need very little of this for it to work, which is great as means that it will last me a long time and at only £4.20 it makes for a good value for money product. 

This product has been a life saver for me lately, I have been getting up at 6am to get ready for work, and frizzy hair is the sort of thing that can reduce me to tears of stress at that time of the morning, so using this has meant a lot less upset for me and I now get to arrive at work without out my hair at least not looking like I have been electrocuted. 

Have you tried this product?  Have you got anything similar that you love? xx

Review | Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

Hey!  A few weeks ago when I was shopping in one of the larger Boots stores in my area, I noticed that they had a selection of Bumble and Bumble products on display.  Until then I thought that they could only be bought either online or in Space NK, so I was naturally tempted to have a little browse of what I could get my hands on in the comfort of Boots!  Well, all I can say is that I now understand why the prices aren’t clearly displayed in Space NK..!  I cannot believe that some of their shampoo is over £18?!  Surely nothing works that well?  I was intrigued by the brand because I’ve seen a fair few positive reviews on them lately, so I was pretty determined that I was going to try something from the range.  Luckily there were travel sized products available which were far more in my price range and just the right size to try out.  I decided on their Surf Spray, which is supposed to help give your hair the always-popular beachy waves look. 

 

I have been trying this out for a couple of weeks now; I apply the spray to my hair when damp and after I have applied some hair oil etc. and then let it dry naturally.  The result is what you can see in the above photo, and in my opinion it is nice……but not well-that-was-definitely-worth-spending-over-£5 nice!  I like the body and gentle waves that have appeared, but to be honest I am certain that a budget salt spray could have achieved this too, or even some well placed mousse or styling spray. 

 

I do like the result, it’s really effortless and takes minimal time to achieve by doing it this way.  It took a little getting used to because it does have a bit of a drying effect on the hair, so I won’t be using this after every wash for fear of causing more damage to my already beyond help mane. 

 

If you want to give this a go then I definitely recommend getting the travel size, because if you don’t like it then at least you haven’t spent much on it!  If you want a product that will give this wavey look in minimal time then this is your product, I will be using it until it is empty but not too sure if I will be repurchasing.

 

Have you tried this spray or do you have a cheaper alternative that you use? xx

Current Favourites: Hair Care

 

Hey!  Today I thought that I would share the most recent things that I have been loving for my hair, as I’ve been a bit obsessed with trying to make it healthy again.  There’s nothing particularly high end or expensive here apart from the Morroccan Oil. 

 

The Morroccan Oil is going to get it’s own review in a few days because I think it deserves it, so all I will say here is this:  I bought it in sample size because that alone is £12.95 or something from my local salon, and I didn’t want to buy the full size straight away in case I didn’t like it.  I think that it is really expensive for such a small bottle, I have started spending a little more on skincare lately because I think it is worth it and I have heard so so much hype surrounding this oil that I thought I should take the plunge.  I have not been disappointed at all, although I will say that I stupidly expected an instant miracle when using this stuff which obviously did not happen…but so far so good!  

 

The Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends serum is used on damp hair to help repair damage and split ends.  Again, this is no instant cure at all (what is?) but I do love how it leaves my hair looking smooth and keeps my ends looking neat and orderly!  It smells lovely, like all of the Herbal Essences products, and it is a cheap addition that I think gives good short term results to my poor damaged hair!

 

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical…what can I say!  A staple in most people’s hair routines at some point and a gorgeous smell to go with it.  I love to use this to give my hair some much needed body before styling it up or down, and also to keep me going between washes.  I also love how it mattifies my hair too, because when it goes extra shiny between washes (I wash my hair every other day) I hate how that looks so this is a very welcome relief!

 

Lee Stafford Original Dry Shampoo is the travel size spray that I keep in my handbag.  This also has a really lovely smell, very different to Batiste, and it does and equally good job. 

 

L’Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray is also travel size, and I use it to keep even a simple ponytail in place.  My hair has an annoying habit of going flat not matter how I style it, but this joyous little spray keeps it in place a little while longer without making it all sticky and hard. 

 

Mark Hill Turn Up The Heat defence spray.  I love this mainly because of the smell (do you see a pattern emerging?!) to be honest, although I do also love the job it does too.  I blow dry my hair and straighten it a couple of times a week (hence the disgraceful amount of damage) so heat defence spray is a must for me, and I am a big fan of this one right now. 

 

I haven’t included my shampoo etc because they kind of should get their own post, and to be honest what I’m using right now isn’t quite hitting the spot so I think some hasty evaluating is needed in that area. 

 

What are your current favourite hair products? xx

My Make Up Storage

Hey!  So I thought that I would share my make up storage with you today, I have seen a fair few blog posts like this but everyone else seems to keep their make up on dressing tables etc so I thought I would show mine which is all kept in the bottom of one of my wardrobes!  Until recently, all my make up was in a right mess, it was spread out all over the place and there was no order, just my every day make up shoved into a make up bag so I decided to get organised and this is the result.  I have got a dressing table but I have decided to display all my jewellery on there, which is a post for another day! 

The basket is something that I picked up in Wilkinsons.  It was cheap and it was a lovely bright blue colour so I thought it would be ideal for putting all my bottles in, e.g fake tan, hair care and body lotions.  The good thing about putting these things in there was that I found a lot of stuff that I either never used or had pretty much run out, so a lot got thrown out and suddenly I had a lot more space! 

The same goes for my make up.  I picked up this set of plastic drawers in a sale at Sainsburys, they were a bargain at £9.99 and ideal for organising all my different bits of make up.  I separated everything into drawers so there is a space for face, eyes, nails etc and again I found a LOT of stuff that I’ve had for such a long time that needed to go so I’ve found that my make up collection has shrunk a hell of a lot.  Maybe this is an ideal excuse to go out and buy some more?  Perhaps not, I’m actually really happy with the products I have right now and need to stop spending so much, so no more nice new things for me just yet! 

These two storage containers are both kept in one of my wardrobes, which is probably usually used for shoes, but my shoes are kept in another one so I made use of the spare space and I’m really rather pleased with myself..!

How do you store all of your make up? xx