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  Hi Pretty people!


 Just another quick note....


If you would like to follow my ramblings but with less characters, you can now follow me on twitter!

                                                
                                                                                   @mentallybeauti1

                                                                 

                         

                             

20 Things About Me Tag:)

Hi Pretty people!

   This tag needs no introduction, and instead of just having it as a quick post, I decided to extend it a little bit. Not, mind you because I am in anyway more interesting than the next person, but because I was afraid the blog was becoming a bit too much about reviews, and I didn't really want to go down that route too much.

   So without further a due!

      1: I'm studying for a degree modern sociology in university. I did a month of my final year last        year, but had to defer due to hospital. Really looking forward to going back this September, I love college and find some of the stuff I study really interesting:)

       2: I adore animals! I have three cats, blackie, pete and felix; who's the only female, who, ahem, relocated from our neighbour's several years ago, cough! I also foster cats, and at the moment I have the wonderful Molly. At one point there was six cats and three kittens in our garden! I seem to spend my life covered in cat hair and scratches! I also have a dog, she's a Japanese Spitz and her name is Sama (the Japanese for lady), but she also goes by sam, samwise, sandwich, samy, baby, oi you and my favourite, fluffy arse. She's totally the baby of the house, is very much always in the middle of things and loves going for a walk!

         3: I like piercings, but love tattoos! I have my navel, tongue, snakebites, septum, micro dermal in my neck, tragus, cartilage and ears pierced. I have my ears stretched to 6mm or 2 gauge, which I know a lot of people disagree with, but I am sensitive to cheap metal in my ears and hated not wearing earring so I stretched my ears up and don't intend to go any bigger. I have about 12/13 tattoos, and my next session will be finishing off my half sleeve, hopefully this week, it was supposed to be last week but was sick with the flu last week:( I'm planning to do a blog post on tattoos with the help of my tattoo artist Eric, from Freedom Ink, and Gentleman Jay a very good friend of mine who's also a tattoo artist, so if anyone has any questions they'd like me to ask just comment below or on my Instagram! I have to say I think piercings and tattoos on the opposite sex extremely attractive too!:)

                                               

   

         4: I left school just as I was about to turn 16 due to a terrible bout of anxiety and depression. Eventually I started to work and have worked in a pizza place, hairdressers, retail, call centre, clothes boutique and eventually decided to go back and do my final exams before college and happily moved on to college:) The crappy jobs that I did before I went back to education are the drive behind me working at college when I really don't want to be there. Sometimes half the battle behind figuring out what you want to do, is finding what you really don't want to do. Even though everyone I knew from school has moved on, and I'm older than a lot of students I study with, I'm glad I waited to go to college, I know a lot more about myself and what I want out of life than I did when I was 18.

       5: I have a very negative body image. I don't like looking at my face and body and thats why I hardly ever put pictures up here of my full face or body, this is also why I find it hard to post face of the day or outfit of the day pictures. It mostly comes back to a very low self esteem due to incidents from my past, and I'll be working through that now my team have identified it. I'm also trying to loose the stone I put on on hospital and finally get in control of my weight, once and for all. But I'll be doing another post on that exclusively. I also photograph very badly and don't turn to in pictures like I actually look like! So please bare with me if I don't a lot of face of the day makeup! 

     6: I love reading. I have hardly any time during the college year to read books, so I don't read half as much as I should anymore. I love the way you can loose yourself in a good book, figure out how the characters look in your head and become totally absorbed in the story and their lives. Two of the best books I have read over the summer are 'The Adulteress' and 'Unravelling Oliver', they are definitely worth a read, because they're human stories. I suppose what I mean by that is they deal with ordinary people and how what happens to their lives makes them into different people. Also you have a preconceived idea of what you instantly think of the main character, but you find yourself challenging that when you read their stories, or at the least partially understanding their actions. 

                                 

       7: I love to write! Ok I don't know if you can count that as a fact, since you probably already know that by the fact I'm writing a blog. When I was younger though I wrote short stories and poems (yes I was that sort of teenager!) and through out most of my life have kept a written journal. I don't write stories or poetry any more, but I love writing my journal as its a great outlet for me and helps me to de stress and get things off my chest. I have to have my diaries in an A5 size, spiral bound, lined and have something cool on the cover, like hello kitty or something!  I think the blog is a great way to connect with people who  are like you and interested in the same things, and I have met some lovely people through it:) I suppose it's my way of putting my life out there too, and I do love writing about beauty, especially about affordable products, as I think some blogs are very high end product focus, and not everyone has the money for it:/ The mental health side of the blog is my way of accepting my own mental health, help other people to understand what the reality of struggling with your mental health is like, especially when you're in your 20's and reminding people whom have their own issues that they're not alone. A big part of it as well is I want to show that people who suffer with their mental health have everyday lives, problems and interests too. 

                                      

     8: I am really short with tiny hands and feet! I am 4'11, with a size UK2 foot or E.U. 34/35.  I hate trying to find trousers that fit or shoes for going out, its impossible! I have a bit of weight on me and a lot of the petite ranges don't seem to have size 10/12 left:( People think it's great because I can buy kids shoes, but when it comes to going out shoes I wind up having to look in specialists shops which means spending a fortune.  My mam and dad are quite short, though both over 5 foot, but my brother is very tall so he clearly got all the height! It has its uses and generally makes people think I'm younger than I am!

   9: From the ages of 12-14 I lived in Budapest in Hungary. My dad works with aircraft so he travels a lot, but this time we all moved with him. We went to an english speaking private school, as there was no way we could of learnt Hungarian! While we were there we visited Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Budapest is beautiful city and the Christmas markets are well worth a visit. 

                                                   

    10: I am terrified, terrified of flying! If there was a word that was 'more frightened' than terrified I'd used that word too. I was always quite scared of flying, which was a pain when we lived abroad, but in the last ten years I haven't flown and I feel sick with fear if I go near the airport! Having previously been in a long distance relationship, it is very restrictive and I am determined to do something about it after college. EasyJet have a programme for people who are terrified of flying which I am hoping to complete, has anyone else every done this programme or any other one? I think its the idea of being in an enclosed space and if someone got air sick around me, but I'm not fully sure what I'm frightened of, but I am determined to beat it!

                                         

    11: I have had my teddy, aptly named Teddy, since Santa brought him when I was seven and he still sleeps in my bed every night. I bring him everywhere I am going to be staying for a while, including college, holidays and hospital! He came from Pennys I discovered later, and is looking a bit worse for wear after several washes and many many years of cuddles! He's the only soft toy I won't let my pets play with and he always sits near my pillows. So sad I know, but it's a comfort thing and he reminds me of home. I love ya teddy!

    

                                                            

      12: Since I've been in hospital I really believe in the saying 'Clean room, clean mind' which basically means that if you're in a neat environment that it will help with how you deal with things when you're having problems. Maybe it's to do with having your room or home in order when you're mind isn't, or being in control of your surroundings when you're not really in control of whats going on in your head. I was never really too pushed before about having things neat, but since I have been home from hospital I find I sleep and think better in a clean tidy room. Or maybe I'm getting old. Actually its probably that! 

      

                                        

     13: I have no interests in brands. I'm much happier to get two items cheaply with no brand name, then get one with a brand name on it. I prefer to judge something on the basis of weather it does the job its supposed to. My Micheal Korres watch was €20 from a stall and the most brand like bag I have ever owned if from River Island. Saying that, I do have a Pandora with only real charms, and I'd love a Chanel quilted handbag! When it comes to makeup though, I can be a bit more of a brand snob, so far the best eye shadows I've found are M.A.C. but I have no objection to buying cheaper stuff if I find it works! The most expensive item in my make up collection is the Benefit Oxygen Wow foundation, which was €35 approx. As a rule I'm not a fan of Benefit, I think it's waaay over priced!

     14: I am surgically attached to my i-phone and I must change! I actually sleep with it charging under my pillow, but I have a good reason for that! I suffer with tinitus, which means I have a ringing or buzzing in my ears all the time, and it's particularly noticeable when there is no other noise around, so I use the rain apps or youtube videos to help me sleep. But I am terrible for always having my head in my phone, I hardly ever use it for calls, but I text a lot and live on instagram. I really have to stop!!

              

                                       

  15: I have incredibly pale skin,my body is pure white and I don't tan I burn. My skin is so pale that when I wear fake tan, which is seriously rare, I just look weird and dirty! It's very difficult to find a pale foundation pale enough unless you go for something higher end, but I have found recently that brands are getting better, I have two different formulations from Rimmel in Ivory and I have to say they're very good colour wise. I might do a blog post on paler foundations if anyone is interested? I recently purchased a white foundation to mix with mine from Makeup Revolution so I'll let you know how I get on with that. A good white foundation that isn't high end can be difficult to find but this cost me about €4! 

   16: I suffer really badly with home sickness, and miss my family tons! In the first year of college I decided I couldn't cope with the home sickness and was going home! I think in college it's something everyone goes through, even if they don't admit it. But in general I am not great at being away from home, and I have to text or talk to my mom every day, I still miss my dad and brother, but they drive me mad! I used to try get the dog on Skype and the phone, which didn't really work out!

                                    

    17: I hate Christmas. I know, I know, people are going to be like 'You're such a scrooge', but Christmas is a very hard time for me. For the last few years its been fairly crap, people were sick, my dad was away working in Abu Dhabi, family arguments, stupid stuff like that, but it affects how I feel about Christmas. I used to think I was a minority until I was in hospital last year, and a lot of people seem to hate Christmas! I came home Christmas eve from the hospital and had Christmas eve and day with my family and had to go back to hospital St Steven's day, the whole thing was a bit of a blur. I remember my mam making this special tree especially for me (I'll post a picture below), and watching Despicable Me 2. I was still going through withdrawals at that stage so dinner was not a big thing for me. But I dislike Christmas because it starts now before Halloween in the shops and by the time December comes around I just feel meh! I dislike it as well because I don't get that Christmassy feeling anymore, and I wish I could get it back, and it sucks so badly that I can't, and I feel I'm missing out on something wonderful that everyone else gets but me. In my home house my mom loves Christmas and goes to so much trouble, but she's the only person like that in our house. I don't know, maybe Christmas will improve for me and I'll develop happier memories.  In the mean time the wonderful tree my mom made, even though this picture makes me quite emotional..

                                      

  18: Moving on! I'm quite good at interior design. I can't do the drawings or room plans but I know what looks good together, I have a good eye for things like colour and pattern and I can visualise a room quite well before its even put together. I seriously thought about studying it at college but I wouldn't of enjoyed having to draw up room plans and mood boards and work with fussy people with no taste!

   19: I have had four operations in my life time. One to remove a growth from my wrist, one to remove a really large absess from my right jaw, one to sew up fissures and one to cut the nerves that cause period pains! After the one on my jaw they didn't sew the face up properly so the right side of my face looks a little slanted I think, especially around my mouth:( I have scars from all the operations, but luckily none of them are majorly visible.

   20: I'm not afraid of needles, but every time I get my blood taken I get really weak and pass out! The first time it happened to me was outside the doctor's office and a really nice old man told me it was a sign of being a really nice person:)

                                           

  So there is my 20 things about me! I hope it was a bit fun to read and learn more about me as a person. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read it as I know it's a bit long, if anyone has any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below! 

  xxxxx

                                                           

  

MaXfactor 2000 Calorie Mascara Review

Hi Pretty people!


    I return to you with another review! Mascara is fast becoming the new foundation of drugstores, or Boots to you and I, due to its many different formulations, wands and price ranges.  Also much to the delight of people who, like myself, love a bargain many drugstore buys are rivalling their higher end counter parts. 

    A while back I used a Maxfactor mascara that I really loved, and decided to find it and repurchase after falling in love with Maxfactor again, totally due to their new campaign with the beautiful Gwyenth Paltrow. I particularly love the sixties recreation below, so beautiful and feminine and just DEVINE! I have to say when I contacted Maxfactor about the products used in this picture they replied very quickly and were exceptionally nice, and nice staff will always encourage me to come back to a brand. Take note!:) 
      
                                               

    So off I went to buy the mascara, but I just could not remember which one I'd originally bought! So I decided to go with the 2000 Calorie in black, mostly because it was reasonable priced, €10.99. By the way I've since remembered it was the Masterpiece Max mascara I bought. 

   Well, first of all, this mascara has a very strong smell. The brush is quite large, and is roughly the same width the whole way along until it tapers slightly at the tip. The brush comes out saturated with the mascara which even when you wipe off the excess, is still heavily coated. This can lead to clumping of the lashes especially at the roots which is not a good look! Also the large brush makes it difficult to get to the inner corner and bottom lashes.  During the day there was a fair bit of smudging on the bottom lashes, but the top lashes held reasonably well. It doesn't hold curl fantastically well, but it isn't water proof, a formulation which is known for holding curl as best as possible. 

I took some pictures of before and after to let you see the mascara for yourself.

Eyes with no mascara 

                                       

Eyes with mascara just applied

  So, as you see the mascara is quite black and does add some length to the lashes, but can be clumpy. Bottom line I won't be repurchasing this as I'm just not happy with the brush and the strong smell coming from it. It wasn't too difficult to remove with my Nivea remover, but it did crumble a little while i was removing it, making it harder to keep out of the eyes, not good for sensitive eyes!

  Maxfactor's Lash Extension Effect has a much smaller brush so I think I'm going to give that one a try next, has anyone tried this? A beauty guru on YouTube recently made the very valid point that if you like the brush from one mascara just keep it and use it with other mascara, it might be a pain to keep clean though, what do you guys think? At least now I know to look for mascaras with a small wand to try next, can anyone recommend one? 

   Thanks so much for reading and I'd love to read your comments, thoughts and reviews! Be kind to yourself, and others. xx

New Blog Layout

     Hi pretty people!


      I'd love some feed back on the new background and layout of the blog, so please let me know what you think.  Massive thanks to Lotte to helped me with it all:)

    Check out her gorgeous blog at www.ifyoufeedpeanutsyougetmonkeys.blogspot.ie


      Love as always! xx

Real Techniques Review

   Hey Pretty people!


   I hope everyone's having a lovely weekend! Its pouring rain outside, so I decided it was perfect weather to write a review I'd promised on instgram, while having Dispicable Me2 playing in the background. Yes, it's very tragic, I love minions. There I said it! They are they funniest little yellow things on the face of this earth! I may even have a little minion collection, I may not.I'm saying nothing. Hehe bottom!


                                                         

Complimentary minion pic!

   Moving swiftly onwards! The products I'm reviewing today are Real Techniques brushes and their beauty blender. These brushes are made by the YouTube beauty gurus Sam and Nic Chapmen, whom I'm pretty sure need no real introduction due to their insane popularity. The girls also created videos to go with their products in order to help you get the best results. I really like this principal, as for many people, the makeup artist makes it look so simple in the store and then when you get home you're looking at the product with not a freaking clue how to make the best of what you've just bought! Also these brushes are quite reasonably priced and I think the most expensive in the range is €16.99. They're available in larger Boots stores and online. I'll leave both links below.


                                             

Shading Brush: This brush was €10.49 in Boots. Ok, straight off, I don't really use this brush. I wasn't hugely impressed by it as I felt it didn't apply as much colour as I wanted on the lids. It can also be used to apply the crease colour but again I felt it just didn't apply the colour to the level of intensity I wanted. I did use this recently to apply a cream eye shadow base, and it did a really good job, so I think I may start reaching for it again, but only for this purpose. It is a very soft brush and doesn't drag the eye lids, and for some reason I really like the fact the brush is thin and not as long as other makeup brushes. I think it's because it allows you to get up close to the mirror with out smacking the brush off it, and then into your eye. Or maybe thats just me. I would recommend this for someone who simply wants a wash of colour, or for someone who uses cream based eye products.

                                           

                                                                 

Expert Face Brush: This brush was €13.29 in Boots. Its quite firm, as in when you push down on the bristles they don't splay out everywhere, but they are soo soft! This is designed for application of and blending liquid and cream foundation. I wasn't too impressed with this for applying and blending liquid foundation, but recently I purchased Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse to use as a contour product, and it works so well with this! It applies and blends the mousse so easily and effectively. I always get a bit worried about applying contour colour as I'm so pale and dread that 'dirty face streak' but this brush blends it seamlessly into my skin. Use a light hand with this brush as because it's firm, you could end up dragging the skin if you're too heavy handed.You could possible even use this to gently press powder onto the face, though not around the eyes. I would absolutely recommend this brush to anyone who uses mousse, cream or even wax based products. 


                                               

Blush Brush: This was €12.99 in Boots. Ok, this brush in my opinion is way too big for a blush brush. It's about twice the size of a normal blush brush and closer in size M.A.C.s 150 which is a big brush! In it's favour however this brush is soooo soft and the shape of it reminds me of a blender brush as its cut in a dome shape. I personally use this brush to apply colour all over my face as the shape is perfect for going around the eye and nose area and again, it's so soft on the face!This applies powder without causing a lot of fall out or leaving you with the over powdered look. I'd definitely recommend this brush to anyone and everyone:)

                                               

Miracle Complexion Sponge: This is €5.89 in Boots.(There were all bought in Boots in case you've not cottoned on to that yet!-_-) Oh wow...I just love this sponge. I'd marry it and have it's little sponge babies if I could! This is the Real Techniques take on the original Beauty Blender. I have to admit I was late to this whole beauty blender phenomena. I used a sponge when I was much younger to apply makeup, and I just thought sponges were so 90's! But when I saw this for under €6 and I was looking for a new way to apply my foundation I thought why not? I'm delighted I did! I don't know the science of how this sponge works, but when you run this under water it swells to about three times its regular size. You squeeze it out and then use it to apply foundation, cream blush, liquid highlighter, concealer, pretty much anything that isn't powder based really! It can be used for blending as well as application and is flawless at both. I recently bought a second sponge for applying and blending my liquid highlight, and my mother who was so impressed with the results also decided to buy one, and is so far a huge fan!

                               

 
So. Is there anything I don't like about the range over all? Well, just silly things. I keep all my brushes in a jar like container and because the ends of the face brushes are larger they do take up a lot of room. My only complaint about the sponge is it does seem to stain easily and this can make it look like you've not been bothered to wash it. Not major things really and I still would have no problems recommending this range to anyone!:)

    I hope this post was helpful and answered any questions people may have had about these products. Has anyone else had experience, either positive or negative, with Real Techniques?  Also has anyone tried out their new make up pallets? It feels like eeeveryones got a palette on the market these days! Think I'll look into releasing one myself.....

Thanks so much for reading !:)
xx


Boots Link: http://www.boots.ie/en/Real-Techniques/

Real Techniques Site: http://realtechniques.com

All images Google Images

Current Favourite Products For My Mane:)

       Hi Pretty People!!

       As a collective, us beauty enthusiasts love looking at other people's beauty buys. Wether it be hauls or the ever popular 'whats in my makeup bag' post, we love to have a good virtual rummage through other people's beauty items. So I decided to jump on this bandwagon and start off with one that I personally don't see a lot of; hair care.

     I suppose I should really give you a bit of background on my hair so you know just how much abuse it was put through! I have dyed and bleached and re dyed my hair a lot over the years, been most styles and of the colours of the rainbow,  but I'm not really a fan of hot tools or hairdryers so I think I saved myself some breakage that way. I have quite fine, naturally blonde hair, but quite a bit of it. At the moment I'm my natural blonde with dip dyed purple ends, after being fully purple for quite a while. I wasn't able to manage the colour maintenance in hospital as I don't think they'd appreciate splashes of purple all over the bathroom! 

    So back to blonde I went, well bleached back to blonde I went, with mixtures of lowlights. This was all about six months ago but as anyone who has ever had their hair bleached will know, the process does serious damage to your hair and it will take a while for the hair to recover. Afterwards my hair was dry, brittle and tangled with no real lustre to it, which gave me plenty of excuses, I mean reasons, to try out products to bring my hair back to life!

So after a lot of testing these are the products I found the best:)


Shampoo: 

Garnier Ultimate Blends The Marvellous Transformer: 
This is a relatively new range on the market, and initially I wasn't attracted to its cheapy looking packaging but after getting a sample I must admit I fell completely in love with it. Theres no parabens, and it contains argan and camellia oils and is designed for dry, dull hair. Its very good value, comes in two sizes and be purchased in the supermarket with matching conditioners, which I've yet to try out. You don't need a lot of product to create a lather, which leaves the hair clean and smelling beautiful. It does require a conditioner though afterwards if you have very dry hair. I'd definitely recommend to try out this range as it really works and is very affordable. Available in supermarkets.


                               

   

La Roche-Posay Physiological Gel Shampoo: 

Every now and then, usually when I'm stressed, I get a sort of acne on my scalp which can be quite painful. This shampoo was recommended to me as it's suitable for very sensitive scalp and is gentle enough to use even on children. Its paraben and silicon free and like all La Roche-Posay products is made with thermal spring water. It does take quite a bit of product to work up a lather, but its great for removing build up on the scalp and makes my hair very bright and clean looking. However, this product seems to strip quite a bit of colour out of the hair, and I wouldn't recommend it for every day use for coloured hair. Its a bit pricey but well worth it and I'll always keep a bottle of this in my bathroom. La Roche-Posay is available in selected chemists and online.

                                     

Mask:


Wella System Professional Hair Mask:
It was only when I was putting this list together that I realised I don't have a conditioner I really like. Generally as well as using it as a mask, this product doubles up as a conditioner for me. The consistency of this is quite thick and you only need a small amount of product, which is just as well as it on on the higher end of the price spectrum. It has a nice gentle smell that reminds me of the hairdressers, which makes sense as this can only be purchased in salons! It recommends to leave this in towel dried hair for five minutes, but I've often left it in for longer. Just a quick side note, I tried the shampoo from the same range and felt it left my hair very tangled and dry, so just give the mask a go. Available in selected salons, but I purchased mine on E-bay.

                         

Oils:

Penny/Primark Hask Argan Oil: 

This product is so cheap and cheerful. It has a very thick consistency almost viscous, is orange in colour, and smells lovely. I have used the Moroccan Hair Oil, but it's so expensive and I find this stuff does the trick just as well for a fraction of a fraction of the price tag of Moroccan Oil! Less is generally more, unless you have very thick hair and only put this at the ends. Available from Pennys/Primark. (Even the small ones, yippee!)

                         

L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil: 

I reckon this is L 'Oreal's dupe of Moroccan oil, and again it's a brilliant product. This is available in most supermarkets, and there is sometimes a offer on this line. There is also a formula for coloured and fine hair, but this one is just the original. This oil smells divine and is not too heavy for my thin hair. I simply apply this on towel dry hair and just leave it for a few minutes to work its magic! My only complaints about this is its a pump, glass bottle. I hate pump bottles as I never feel you can get all the product out and,I don't really see why it is has to be a glass bottle. Maybe to keep the Moroccan Oil dupe theme going? Either way it makes it heavy to carry on holidays or weekends away but still it won't stop me from repurchasing! Available in supermarkets and chemists.

                                  

Hair Brush:

Tangle Teezer: 

I honestly don't know how this brush works, but it does! I bought this out of sheer desperation as I couldn't get any brush through my hair in the first few weeks after bleaching, and heard this got great reviews. I don't think I could ever not have one of these, and I can't see why or how it would break. Its ergonomically designed (that means its comfy in your hand) and made completely of plastic. There's several different variations and colours available, sadly I just have boring black:( Its very easy to clean, and simply does what it says on the tin! Available in Boots and some chemists.

                                    

Denman Grooming Brush:

This brush is great for smoothing hair and I often use this after back combing. Its also good for removing tangles with out pulling on the hair too much.I love this brush so much because thanks to it's natural bristles it manages to take a fluffy mop of hair and make it smooth and controlled looking! It is expensive but I think especially, when you have problems with your hair its worth spending some money on brushes, and Denman is a time-tested successful brand.  Available in Boots and most chemists.

                                       

Styling Products:

Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray: I love the beachy waves tossed look and this spray is the best I've come across. I've not tried the cult Bumble and Bumble one yet though. I do have a love hate relationship with this spray I must admit. It creates the really wonderful tossed look I love so much and it smells gorgeous, and the smell does linger in your hair. However, it leaves me with horrible tangles the next day which have to be washed out, the product makes the hair itself dryer and fades hair colour.  This seems to be the price you pay for using these types of sprays. It's only something I would use on occasions but I still love this. Available in most Boots.

                           

Fructis Hairspray: This hair spray has a few different variations and I love the Crystal Resist version. Its very affordable and holds. It can't be brushed out like the Elnett, and can make the hair a little crunchy, but once you put this on your style it does.not.move. End of. This is great for backcombing and up dos or sleek pony tails, but may not be as good for curls as it is slightly crunchy. It also doesn't dull the colour of the hair. Available from supermarkets and chemists.

                                                                

Redken Rootful 06: This spray is great for giving hair a bit of life and movement without weighing it down. It has a 'precision application' nozzle, which means you can apply it direct to the roots of the hair. Great for layered hair. After towel drying, I flip my hair upside down and try to separate the layers in my hair and apply the spray to the roots. I found even when I don't blow dry the hair this spray still gives volume. Available in salons.

                                        

The Hair Product I Can Not Live Without!

Revlon 2phase Detangling Spray: Saving the best for last! This is my all time favourite hair care product. This spray detangles when nothing else can work and leaves no residue on the hair. It acts as a leave in conditioner and makes a huge difference in the condition and strength of the hair. This comes in several sizes, formulations and there is also shampoo and conditioner which I have yet to try. Just shake the bottle to mix the two 'phases' together and spray onto towel dried hair. When my hair was in very poor condition or slightly tangled I used this on dried hair also. I.love.this.product.  Definitely on my desert island list. Available in certain salons and salon supply stores. Go buy it. Like Now.

                                       

However! There is a new product Revlon are marketing as the new and improved 2phase, Uniq1. This spray is supposed to do everything the 2phase does and more. Believe me, it doesn't. It has a horrible heavy, cream texture which doesn't spray well and the nozzle often clogs. It doesn't detangle or improve the condition of the hair nor is it easy to apply,  and I'm afraid its just been left sitting on my shelf.  Revlon, stick to the original, it is the best.

                                   

       My hair dresser, in the wonderful Lunatic Fringe on Grafton Street in Dublin, gave me some tips which I'm kindly going to share with you; 

Use products on your hair when it is mostly wet, not towel dried, and only on the ends. 

Don't brush your hair until its 80% dry, its very prone to breakage when its wet.

Even when rough drying use a nozzle on the hair dryer or other wise the hair just gets blown around in all directions and will be harder to style after.

Massage the scalp gently while shampooing rather than scrubbing. This will encourage blood flow and growth and also cause less damage to the hair.

So that's my recommendations and tips! These products would suit almost any hair type and while some are a bit expensive, they're mostly budget friendly. Has anyone else tried these products? Or even better, does anyone else have any other recommendations? Hope you guys try some of them and let me know how you get on:)

Much love! xx

                                             

 

     

 

Mini Haul - Yaaay for hauls!

 

                               Hi pretty people:) Everyone loves a good haul, myself included. I was going to do a video of what I bought as I love videos on this type of stuff and I think sometimes you can see the products better; what do other people think of videos on blogs as well?

    Without further a due let me show you my mini haul!

Outer Wear: I have wanted a tailored blazer for aaages! They're so wearable with every outfit and I think they instantly add a touch of class to any outfit. Most of the jackets I've tried on though, had big shoulder pads,or fit properly in one place but not another, and I seemed doomed to never have one. Then I spotted this one at the back of the rail(I'm not fully sure its this seasons stock). Its jersey material, so it doesn't remind me of an office jacket and has only soft removable shoulder pads. It's a size UK6 so fits perfectly around the waist and shoulders, which is normally a big problem for me. It does have pink pin stripes on the inner cuffs but these can be turned down, meaning you're not tied colour wise. It was €13 which made it a bargain too!

                                                   

Underwear: I haven't seen underwear in many hauls but I was so happy with these I had to post. I have serious trouble finding my size in most places, I'm a 32F but can sometimes wear a 32E, depending on the fit of the bra. Up to now this had meant that bras for me started at €30 and only went up in price! By pure chance when I was shopping in Dunnes I spotted these bras in my size and had to try them on. They had about six styles in total, three of which I picked up, as the others just were not a good fit. I don't understand why Dunnes does not advertise this range more as I can't be the only one who struggles to find cheaply priced underwear in bigger sizes? I have worn all the bras since I bought them and they're very comfortable with good support.

                                       

Bra: €15 Briefs: €6

Bra €15

Basics: I have been buying quite a lot of patterned harem style bottoms as I had virtually no summer clothes, and this seems to be this season's most popular print and fit.  So after bringing them home, I realised I had no plain tops to pair with them, so off I went back to Pennys/Primark to pick up some basic tops and t-shirts. Generally I think Forever 21 is better for basics, but there is none near by :( First world problems!!

                                          

Top Row: All tops €7
Bottom Row: All t shirts €3.50

Shoes: This is always a hit and miss area for me because I have tiny feet; I am a UK2/E.U.35. This is fine for boots when I can wear a UK3 without too much discomfort, but it is a problem when it comes to sandals or shoes with a higher heel!Thankfully, kids sandals have come a long way and generally they are a miniature version of adult summer foot wear. The turquoise sandals in the picture are actually a size UK3 from Pennys/Primark but they're a very small fitting so are comfortable. Both other pairs of shoes are a size UK2. 

                              

Back Row L-R: Both Pennys
Sandals €8
Red Ballet Flats €5
Front: Dunnes Gladiators € 14 

Accessories: One of my favourite things to buy, but I am terrible at adding them to my outfit! All the items in the picture are from Pennys/Primark, and I honestly don't think the picture does them justice. Pennys has some amazing accessories this season and I wish my local store would get more stock in so I could take advantage of this! The cuff is stunning on, and on a mental health-y type note, its also great for covering self harm scars while they're healing. But don't do them in the first place!! Tattooed Alice in Wonderland cushion was a gift from a wonderful person, if anyones interested I will try find the name of the online shop it came from.

      
                          

Three layered necklace Approx. €5
Head Band €2
Cuff €5

Bags: This is another area where I really feel Pennys has really upped its game. The choice of styles and colours has improved while the prices have stayed reasonable. I completely fell in love with this brightly coloured Indian inspired clutch! With it's variation of colours it would be the perfect accessory to a summer outfit, or just enough to add a pop of colour to a neutral or white based one. Pennys also has some amazing statement necklaces to compliment this clutch which will complete your outfit.This bag has a zip closure and a small pocket inside. I also picked up this oh-so-cute makeup bag, as my other one had gone too small for my makeup:( Its all very emotional as my best friend Zoe bought me my last makeup bag! This bag has a canvas feel, zip closure, wipeable inner lining and will fit most full size make brushes. 


                         

Clutch €11
Makeup Bag €4

I also wanted to post a picture of a recent purchase from Pennys I didn't get in that haul. Its this sleeveless ivory top and amazing statement necklace. This top is great if like me, you don't like wearing tight leggings with something over them. The necklace adds such a pop of colour and its gold detailing makes it perfect for summer!I'll be paring it with navy capri leggings and white and wooden wedges. 
                 

View up close of necklace.

                  

Ivory Top €11
Necklace €10
Nail Polish in mint €1.50
Capri Leggings €4

Have to mention quickly Pennys nail polishes. I have mint, cornflower blue and a browny colour. They look lovely on the nails, come in really pretty boxes and are €1.50! The only thing I don't like about them is they smell pretty strong. 

Anyways!:) Thats all I have for you today. Everything I bought was with my own money, I am in now way sponsored (sadly!!) and all the opinions I've given in all of my reviews is my own. I'd love to see what other people are buying for summer! Thanks for reading and as always feel free to leave a comment or contact me on Instagram(where I live!)xx