Some New Hair Products...

I recently got a haircut and now that my hair is relatively short I find that I need to style it differently compared to when I had long hair. So I've been picking a few things from here and there, and somehow this has become quite a big collection of new hair products.

I picked up the Pureology Hydrate Shampoo because I've always heard good things about this line. I thought this would be good to use in the winter time since my hair always gets super dry and brittle during the colder months. This is sulphate-free, which is the main thing I look for in shampoos since sulphates can be really harsh and drying for your hair. I'm absolutely in love with this shampoo as I find that it lathers up quite nicely, which is something that a lot sulphate-free shampoos don't do and I would always end up having to use a ton of products to clean to my entire scalp. This makes my hair feel super clean and soft after I use it, and you only need a little bit to cover your whole scalp.

I also got the Bumble & Bumble Semi Sumo, and this is like a do-it-all pomade that adds a bit of texture and volume, controls frizz and adds shine to the hair. This is quite expensive, but I have to say that I like this quite a lot as I find that this helps to define my hair without making my hair crunchy, and it's also great at adding shine to my dull-looking hair.

I got the Alterna CC Cream as a sample from sephora, and I've been keeping it in my handbag to touch up on my hair throughout the day when my hair is looking a little dry or frizzy. It's a leave-in cream that claims to do 10 different things for your hair such as heat production, UV protection, smoothness, shine, anti-breakage, ect.. It really helps to hydrate my hair and keeps it looking shiny throughout the day, and it's great for people who don't want to use a lot of hair products that might weigh their hair down.

I got a small-size of the Ojon Rare Blend Oil as I find that oils like this last forever and I always get tired of using the same product before I even use it up. This has really helped to repair my hair and make it look more healthy and glossy. I also use this as a heat-protectant and leave-in before I blow-dry or straighten my hair to give my hair a little extra protection.

KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray acts as a dry shampoo and volumizing spray in one to give you that voluminous and textured just-got-out-of-bed hair. I've been using it every morning to give my hair a bit of extra oomph, and I find that it works really great to absorb any excess oil from my hair and keeps my hair voluminous throughout the day.

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Lush Goodies

I recently popped into Lush with no intention of getting anything, but somehow I managed to walk out with these two things in my bag. Story of my life.

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you'll probably know that I'm a mask junkie, and I literally have a drawer full of just face masks. I've heard a lot of great things about the Mask of Magnaminty for a while, and it's supposed to be great for people with oily/combination and acne prone skin. It contains china clay which helps to draw out the impurities from your pores as well as pieces of aduki beans to gently exfoliate the skin. It is very deep cleansing yet it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry because it has honey in it as well to calm and soothe the skin. Apparently you can also use this on your back if you have acne there. It has definitely made it into my top face masks and what makes me love it even more is the fact that it literally looks and smells like mint chocolate chips ice cream! I just want to lick it off when I put it on my face!

The Big Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo made with sea salts that is supposed to get rid of any product buildups in your hair and give your hair massive volume. I love the concept of clarifying shampoos and I already loved the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo, so I decided to give this a go. It makes my hair feel so clean and soft, and my hair looks super shiny and voluminous after I use this! You need the tiniest bit and it foams up once you work it into your hair, so I can see this tub lasting me quite a while. It is definitely one of my all-time favorite shampoos and no wonder it's a best seller!

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Supplements for Healthy Skin, Hair & Nails

It took me quite a longtime to put this post together because it is a topic that I'm quite passionate about, so here it is. A disclaimer that I have to make is that I'm in no way an expert in supplements and all the information that I'll be sharing are just what I've found out throughout my own research throughout the years and the products I'll be talking about are what have worked for me.

Although skincare and makeup or any type of beauty products make a difference to the way your skin or hair look, I feel like supplements can make the biggest difference over a long term. As cliche as it sounds, I have to go with the phrase "you are what you eat" because if you eat healthily and you put good stuff into your system it's definitely going to show on your skin and hair. Since I'm not the healthiest eater I have to cheat this by taking supplements. I've definitely noticed that my skin looks clearer with less breakouts and just overall more radiant when I take supplements consistently.Unlike skincare or makeup that works differently for different skin types, supplements generally work for anyone withe any skin types.

The Amazing Grass Green Superfood is a nutritious powder that contains all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your body needs in a day. I often take this first thing in the morning as I find that it really helps to flush out the toxins from my system and make me feel full and energetic throughout the whole day. This is what I swear by to keep my skin clear and radiant, and it's also great for my body because it gives my body the nutrients that it needs since I'm not the healthiest eater.

EmergenC is another drink powder that is packed with vitamin C and electrolytes to keep you hydrated and your immune system strong when you're sick. Every time I get a cold or I feel like I might get sick I start drinking this, and it seriously makes me feel ten times better the very next day. When you get sick your skin often looks dry and dull, but when I drink this it keeps my skin looking hydrated and radiant.

Hydraluronic Acid and Collagen are two ingredients that are naturally found in your body and are the building blocks of your hair, skin and nails. I find that these are very helpful to take in the colder months because they really help to keep my skin moisturized and plump, as well as keep my skin from getting any dry patches. I also notice that my hair and nails look shinier and grow faster when I take these two.

Evening Primrose Oil is also said to be very good for the skin because it contains fatty acids which help to keep the skin hydrated and prevents any dry patches from forming. It's also supposed to help with acne as well as increasing the blood circulation to the skin to keep it toned and bright.

Acai Juice is not only super yummy to drink but is also pack full of antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation in the body as well as riding the body of any toxins, which essentially leads to clearer, more radiant skin. You can obviously substitute this with eating more fruits and vegetables, especially blueberries and cherries. Tart cherry juice is another delicious and healthy option that gives you a great amount of antioxidants.


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Disappointing Products #1

In my past posts, I've only talked about products that I liked; I thought it's about time that I mention some products that I didn't like so much. It's rare for me to find products that I don't like because I usually do pretty thorough research before I purchase anything, and a lot of these products that I'll mention are actually cult favorites of many but they just didn't work for me. A disclaimer that I want to make is that what works for you may not work for me and vice versa, so hopefully you guys won't be offended if I'm bashing on products that you actually enjoy using; these are just my personal opinion. I will also be mentioning some alternatives that I think work much better.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray is a salt spray that's meant to give you tousled beachy waves, however I found that it made my hair look dry and crunchy, and actually weighed my hair down instead of giving it volume. It was hella expensive too. A cheaper and better alternative would be the Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray, which acts as a leave-in conditioner and a salt spray in one to help to hydrate the hair while also giving it texture and volume.

I decided to try the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner because it's supposed to be the longest wearing gel liner on the market. Unfortunately, it did smudge on me, even with the help of a primer. Keep in mind that I have super oily eyelids, so if you have normal or dry eyelids it might work for you. I have yet to find a gel liner that lasts on me so if you have any great suggestions please leave them in the comment area below!

Benefit They're Real Mascara claims to give the false-lash effect in a tube, however I found that it did nothing for my lashes. It did not lengthen nor volumize, and it also weighed down my curled lashes. The only good thing about it was that it lasted pretty long without smudging. For a better alternative, try the Kiss Me Long & Curl Mascara, which will definitely give you the false-lash effect and I always get compliments from people when I use this.

YSL Touche Eclat is meant to act as a concealer and a highlight in one to brighten up your undereye area and erase any signs of fatigue to make you look more awake and rested. However, I find that it is far overpriced and over-hyped. It just didn't cover anything and the formula was way too dry for my undereye area; I would prefer a drugstore concealer over this. If you want a concealer that's going to cover and brighten your undereye area, try the Clinique Airbrush Concealer. It is super creamy and hydrating, and is one of few concealers that doesn't emphasize the fine lines in my undereye area. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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Current Favorites #4

Sexy Hair Healthy Soy Renewal Beach Spray is beach hair in a bottle. It acts as a leave-in conditioner and a texture spray in one to give my hair volume and tousled waves as well as nourishing it at the same time.
I find that a lot of texture or salt sprays make my hair crunchy and dry, this doesn't do that at all. I love the fact that it does two things at once because who wants to put on a bunch of hair products in this hot and humid weather?

I can't believe that it took me so long to try out Hydraluron as this has been the most raved-about product by bloggers and youtubers recently. It is basically a serum that contains purely hyaluronic acid which penetrates into the deep layers of the skin to restore moisture and elasticity of the skin. Consistent use of this will help to increase cell turnover, reduce skin roughness and boost the action of other skin care products that you put on top. Again, as I've mentioned countless times in my previous posts, moisturization is the key to solving any skin problems, so I highly recommend this to any skin types.

I got the Innisfree Vivid Tint Rouge on Ebay recently because I heard that it's apparently a dupe for the YSL glossy stains. I have it in the shade #4 Refreshing sweet orange, which is an orangey red color. It is surprisingly pigmented, and lasts really long on my lips without being drying. I've the tried the YSL glossy stains before, and I have to say that I like the Innisfree one better.

If you read my previous post on cream shadows, then you'll know that I'm obsessed with them and I pretty much wear them everyday because they're great for everyday natural makeup and stay on my eyelids without creasing in the hot humid weather. Daiso Cream Eyecolor in Rose has been my recent favorite. It is a rosegold color that is super pigmented, easy to blend and lasts forever on my eyelids, and it is super affordable too. You can find it on Ebay for around $6.

Here are the swatches:

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Products I Can't Live Without - Hair

Products I can't live without are products that I use on a daily basis and are the best of the best that I've tried. These are the products that I have to have on hand at all times and just can't imagine living without them. I've decided to break it down into hair, makeup, and skincare.

Tangle Teezer is a lifesaver for tangly and unruly hair that's hard to brush, which is the type of hair that I have. It's such a painful experience for me every time I brush my hair because I always have so many knots in my hair and all the other brushes I've tried just end up breaking my hair. Tangle Teezer, on the other hand,  brushes through my hair so easily without causing any pain or breakage.

Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo is what I use once a week as a clarifying shampoo to get rid of all the product buildups in my hair. It basically lets my hair start over fresh and gives tons of volume to my hair. You definitely need to follow up with a deep conditioning mask after because it can be a bit drying.

Alterna Cavier Hairspray is the hairspray that I swear by. It keeps my hairstyle in place without making it crispy or hard, and when I use it on curled hair I can still see curls in my hair on the third day. It works to tame flyaways and baby hairs, and keeps my hair free from frizz even in humid or rainy weathers.

Batiste Dry Shampoo is a must-have if you're lazy like me and don't want to wash your hair everyday, which is something you shouldn't do anyways because it can dry out your hair. You just spray it to the roots of your hair, and it instantly absorbs all the oil and freshens up your hair and gives it tons of volume. If you're worried about getting a white cast they also have one for dark hair which sprays out a dark powder when you use it.


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Current Favorites #3

  

 

So it should come as no surprise to you that I've been super loving this Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow in Tansoleil for the past few weeks, as I've just dedicated a whole post on cream blushes not too long ago. After loving every single product that I've tried from Kevyn Aucoin, I decided to give their cream blushes a go, and I've fallen head over heels for this. It is a beautiful coral color that dries to a dewy finish so it helps to give your face a natural glow. This just makes my face look so healthy and fresh even when I have a bad skin day. I never thought that a blush could make my skin look better, but for some reason it just does.

Here is a closer look at the product:

             

To brighten up my undereye area, I've been using the Clinique Airbrush Concealer. It is super light and moisturising, and it is one of the few undereye concealers I find that don't emphasize my fine lines. It gives me a subtle highlighted effect and makes me look more awake and fresh.

I've been trying out more face oils lately as I find that they make such a big difference to my skin, and I will do a post on them in a few days. Balance Me Radiance Oil is the one I've been really liking lately. It contains loads of good ingredients such as sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil and rosehip oil, just to name a few. This is suitable for all skin types, especially oily and acne-prone skin as the oils really help to decongest the skin and prevent any future breakouts.

To get rid of any product buildups in my hair, I've been using the Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo every other week. I find that sometimes my hair can look really dull and flat just because I use a lot of hair products in my hair, and this just helps to get rid of those nasty residues that normal shampoos can't get rid of. It is a clarifying shampoo so it is meant to be used every week at the most because it can be a bit drying on the hair. I find that this gives so much volume and shine to my hair after I use it, and I can't believe that I didn't discover this product sooner. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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Current Favorites #2

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I've been getting into lighter makeup. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is a water-based fluid foundation that is oil free and non-comedogenic. It has a light and buildable coverage, and helps to create a fresh and natural complexion. It evens out my skin tone and covers up any redness, while still letting my true skin show through. This is great if you want to look like you are not wearing any makeup, and I've been getting a ton of compliments lately when I wear this.

To set my foundation, I've been using the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder, which is one of my holy grail face products. Like the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, it provides buildable coverage yet still looks natural on the face. No matter how many layers I put on my face, it still looks natural and not powdery at all. Unlike most powders, this one doesn't make my face look so matte to the point where it looks cakey and lifeless, but it still controls oil and sets to a very natural finish. Mineral powders in general are very good for people with oily and acne-prone skin because they are anti-bacterial.

To help me to achieve that summer beachy tousled hair look, I've been using the Bumble and Bumble Hair Un Dressing Cream. I work it between my hands, and scrunch my hair with it while my hair is damp. It just helps to give tons of volume and texture to my hair.

To get my legs ready for the summer, I've been using the L'occitane Almond Shower Oil to help with the moisturization department of my legs. It has an oily consistency and you just work it over your whole body when you're in the shower. It makes my legs look super moisturized, smooth and glowing, and you don't even need to use a body moisturizer when you get out of the shower if you're lazy like me.

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