Spring 2013 Favourites

Hair:

Since having had a dip dye at the hair dressers the lengths and ends of my hair have been left dry with the use of bleach.  Since then i've been trying a variety of intense moisture treatments.  The two which seem to have had the best results are the TreSemme Thermal Recovery and Herbal Essences Smooth and Soft.  Beneath is the highly recommended Tangle Teezer, which once I got over the irritating spelling mistakes on the packaging have found to be great at detangling long locks without breakages. A best seller with 880 reviews on Amazon for £8.77.  

Makeup:

I recently visited the MAC store at West-field, Stratford for session with one of the make up artists.  Overall it was a great experience and I found the staff very helpful and knowledgeable about all of the products available.  The outcome was to walk away with some well matched foundation.  I chose to settle with the Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15, which retails at a fairly expensive £20.50 and the Studio Fix Powder and also retails at £20.50.  Up until this point I would never have dreamed about spending quite so much on make up, but after years of using Max Factor Lasting Performance I was finding that the foundation was just no longer making the cut.  I began to notice the product looking shiny within a few hours of applying it and whether this was to do with skin becoming overly accustomed to the product or my hours at work increasing I wasn't happy with the look.  So far I have really enjoyed using these new MAC products, the foundation is much lighter than Max Factors and the coverage is excellent. Fortunately, both the fluid and powder seem to be lasting a suitable amount of time so overall I am pleased with the investment in some higher end lines.  I managed to repurchase these from Debenhams online during a time which they were offering a discount code on Voucher Codes.  These codes are often available and worth looking out for.

Another item new to my daily routine, is the Skin Primer, Matte It from the Body Shop.  The primer is for normal and oily skin and creates a smooth base for foundation.  It's designed to deter shine and help make up stay in place.  It retails at £12 for 25ml from The Body Shop.  This item lives up to the hype!

This month I also switched concealers and have settled with Maybelline Super Stay 24hr.  It retails at £6.19 from Boots but is often available on a selection of deals.  I purchased 2 for 3 so each wand worked out at just over £4.00.  It is currently in sale in Boots as buy 1 get the second half price.

The last of the items listed below are the Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara which I purchased from Target in the States over Easter.  I love the flexible brush and the lengthening effect it has on lashes.  I haven't seen it in the UK yet, but i'm guessing it may be similar to the Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama here.

Skin:

Having switched out my regular facial cleansers, toners and moisterisers for the all in one oil cleansing method i've been really happy with the results.  So much so that all of the ladies in my immediate family have now received their very own sloe gin bottles full of a concoction of cold pressed oils. (See castor and olive oil here)

When in a fix, or whilst traveling I will still choose Johnsons baby wipes over any regular make up removing wipe. The product is sensitive on your skin and doesn't leave it feeling stripped or irritated. They are currently on sale at Boots online for 89p, 1 x 56 pack.

I've also really enjoyed using the newly packaged Mudd face masks.  It's a 100% pure clay deep pore cleansing mask that leaves your face feeling fresh, smooth, soft and tightened.  The 10 application resealable package is a dream.  I've found it contains far more that the specified number of applications. A once or twice a week treat for anyone looking for some "me" time.

Lastly for skin products, i've become hooked on the Body Shop Satsuma body butter.  Voucher codes often has deals for The Body Shop so i'll only ever purchase at these times as it can seem quite expensive at £13.00.  The smell is amazing and it lasts throughout the day.  The consistency is good and it's an all round nice body moisteriser.

Nails:

I love having painted nails but it never seems to last a day on my hands.  Chipped polish looks awful so  I decided to try Essie on recommendation. The colour of choice is, "Not Just a Pretty Face", which retails at £7.99 in Boots. I am relatively pleased with the polish and colour but in all honesty it doesn't stick around quite as long as I would have hoped. Essie, when paired with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat - (RRP £6.04 Amazon) does much better. I think the saving grace may be Seche Vite and will definitely recommend this to others.