Top Five Hair Masks For Parched Hair

I can hear you all groan in unison! I know I know, another hair mask post. But what can I say? I stick to what I know, and believe me - I know hair masks! 
Here's my run down of the best bargain hair masks on the highstreet for parched, damaged hair that needs a little tender loving care. 1) Boots Ingredients Coconut & Almond Intensive Hair Mask - £1.99 300ml Ah! My favourite bargain basement hair mask. Ten minutes with this little guy smothered over your head will leave your locks luscious and feeling loved. It provides just the right amount of moisture without weighing the hair down and making it flat, provides a beautiful shine and helps with texture and managibility. For under two pounds this guy gives a whole lot of bang for your buck. Trust me, you need this in your life, and for less than a cup of coffee, what have you got to lose?
 2) TRESemme Thermal Recovery Treatment - £5.00 500ml Having already done a recent post on this one, I'm reluctant to waffle on too much. But, if you're hair is parched and your guilty of using a little too much heat a little too often then this is what you need. You can read my full review here.
3) John Frieda Sheer Blonde Hair Repair Conditioning Treatment - £5.89 150ml Having bleached my hair to within an inch of its life there's nothing quite like using a hair mask specifically designed for your needs. I find this one to give just the right amount of nourishment without making my hair too soft. Is there such a thing? Yep. I hate my hair when its too damn soft that it won't do what I'm asking of it. I don't get that problem with this one. It also helps to make my blonde hair super shiny and look a lot more healthy than it really is.
4) The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter - £8.00 200ml They got the name right when they called this one a butter. Thick and intensively deep conditioning are this little ones top traits and it feels super luxurious and a lot more expensive than its price tag. This hair mask helps to improve managability like a dream, reducing tangles and in turn reduces the dreaded hair snapping that plagues damaged hair. An added bonus is the great fruity smell! If you're unsure, they also make this one in a 50ml version for just £3.00!
5) Herbal Essences Bee Strong Rinse Off Intensive Mask - £3.99 200ml If your hair is in a real dire state and is weak and brittle this mask is the way to go. It provides the help you need and produces silky smooth strong hair in just a few minutes. It has a thick buttery texture and feels very indulgent in the hair while you soak in the bath. It doesn't weigh the hair down or leave that dreaded greasy film behind. Its a winner on all accounts and can be used as frequently as needed!

Have you tried any of these hair masks? Do you have any favourites?  

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Nars Sheer Glow Foundation; REVIEW

If you're a regular reader of this blog you will be thinking "Gem, you're oily. Why oh why did you buy this".  As an oily person, I have spent the last few years being told to stay away from any makeup bases that include the word glow, dewy and luminous, and for a while that's exactly what I did. Until I began reading some reviews on the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation from other oily gals that said they had no problems with the product and actually, loved it. That swung it for me. I had to have it. First of all, this was my first ever Nars purchase, and I was excited. I decided that I would definitely be needing the pump and purchased that along with the foundation, and a bronzer for good measure, obviously.

The first day I decided to use this, I set about applying without a primer to really get a feel for the foundation itself. You can watch my first impressions video here. I was fairly impressed, it lasted well, covered everything and that was that. I liked the coverage, I liked the colour match. All was well. The next day however, I woke up to find my skin had erupted into horrible little pimples that I wasn't expecting nor was I too happy about. I sorted them out, camouflaged and this time applied my Nars Sheer glow with primer. Again, the coverage, colour, and lasting power were all impressive. And the next day? No spots to report. Perhaps if you're oily and get congested pores quite easily such as myself then a primer is crucial - I find that it helped hold the foundation but also created a barrier between my skin and the foundation, eliminating the pimple situation! I generally get around five hours of wear out of this foundation before I feel I need to go on in with some blotting sheets and patch up my nose and oily chin, which on the whole isn't too bad. I really enjoy the second skin feeling that I get with this foundation, and how much I can sheer out the coverage if so required to give the appearance of no makeup. I definitely think that those with combination or dry skin would get along with this foundation better than I, and in hindsight I really should have gone for the Sheer Matte foundation - I really need to learn that foundations work for everyone individually but I just get caught up with all the excitement of buying something new! If you're the type of gal that likes to be able to access her foundation with ease and as little mess as possible, I would certainly advise you to invest in the pump from Nars, as it saves you time and effort, and I have a feeling a little product to boot! Have you tried the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation? What other Nars products should be on my wish list?

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Seventeen Falsiefeye Mascara: REVIEW

I've always been a mascara fanatic. From my early days discovering makeup, a new mascara was always my weakness and countless amounts of pocket money were spent on the newest releases in that particular field. Nowadays are no exception and when I found almost all of my mascara's had dried up at the same time I was fairly excited to make a trip to boots. Seventeen have become the 'drugstore' brand of the moment for me, and with each new discovery I am more and more impressed. The Falsiefeye Mascara is no exception and wowed me from first use.  For those of you who don't know, Seventeen is one of Boot's own brands - think the little sister of No.7 and therefore of the same great quality and prices. They offer at least one product to cover all bases and really are in touch with their clientele, girls and women alike who are searching for fab products at bargain price points.   Falsiefeye HD Mascara is by no means a new mascara, in fact it is one that has been re-launched, re-packaged and the formula re-tweaked slightly to improve it.  

I picked this up just over a week ago and have been using it daily since, my other favourites and old faithfuls have been shunned in favour of this and instead of using two or three different mascaras to achieve my desired look I have come to depend on this little guy alone which is very, very unusual for me. Basically, this guy does everything I want it to; he holds a curl like no other 'drugstore' mascara, coats my lashes beautifully without clumping, volumises and lengthens to boot. Its smudge proof and the wear time is incredible. I don't find it to flake, or disappear from my lashes after a long day at work.  The brush is made of plastic, and although I much prefer a traditional mascara wand I don't find this one to be 'scratchy' or irritate my eyes when using. All in all its a great mascara, and one that I certainly don't want my collection to ever be without.

You can find the Seventeen Falsiefeye Mascara exclusively at Boots for £6.49

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H&M Lingerie; REVIEW

The first thing that really becomes apparent when I'm losing weight is that my boobs disappear. I imagine most girls would be devastated by that discovery, but to me it means that I'm finally feeling more confident in my body. My weight has always fluctuated, but since cutting out meat completely I've begun to lose a lot of weight, which means that my usual 32DD chest has shrunk down to a much more comfortable 32C. This of course means that I've been left with the dilema of wearing bra's that are much too large for me and aren't doing a great deal in the way of supporting my lady lumps. On a recent shopping trip I thought it was about time that I treated myself to some pretty new pieces that I would feel more comfortable, and dare I say, sexy in.

My one bug bear about underwear is how expensive it can be. Now I'm no idiot, I know when it comes to staples like well fitting bra's that in the majority of cases you really do get what you pay for. After walking round the likes of M and S, for over an hour weighing up the pro's and con's of the variety they had to offer I decided to leave it and just do some autumn staples shopping instead. I headed over to one of my favourite clothing destinations H&M. After perusing the racks for a while I found myself in the underwear department and came across some of the loveliest lingerie I had seen in a long time. Better yet, they were reasonably inexpensive and fit like a dream.  I picked up a few different sets, but obviously have worn the majority of them, so can only include one photo of a set that hasn't made it into the mix just yet.  Both the bra's and knickers are of very good quality and fit nicely, leaving my bust feeling supported and comfortable. I can report back that all of the set's I purchased wash and wear very well indeed and so far I've had no issues.  H&M currently do not cater for all bust sizes which is a shame, but hopefully one day! If you're in the market for some cutsey, sexy, or every day lingerie then I would suggest giving H&M a try, I am most certainly not disappointed! 

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Maybelline Colour Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils: REVIEW

Hands up if you can walk away from a new product release. No, me neither. Which is how these little lovelies ended up coming home with me last week. These beautiful sticks of magic are the newest offering in lip colour from Maybelline, and I am certainly a huge fan. I can honestly say that whenever I'm after a new lip product, I hardly ever stray away from the usual lipsticks and lip liners, but something about these pencils drew me in immediately. I was instantly taken with the glossy black pencils which each have the corresponding colour band on the bottom and the fantastic range of shades available; there's everything you could want from a beautiful nude, classic red and deep autumnal berry, plus everything inbetween! 

Left to right - Fuchsia Desire, Perfectly Nude, Berry Much & In With Coral

I chose the colours above because they are the most 'me'. I would have liked to have got one of each of those available but unfortunately some inconsiderate shoppers had been using the pencils as samples, instead of the samples provided, which meant I didn't bother with them. But after seeing how good these guys really are, I may just have to place an order online! My favourite have got to be Fuchsia Desire; a deep, blue toned pink that I think would look good on any skintone and Berry Much; the perfect deep plum/berry for autumn.

These lip pencils follow the 'jumbo pencil' craze that has become apparent over the last few years, and fit comfortbaly in the hand. They are easy to control and the 'lipstick' itself is both soft enough to glide upon the lips without tugging at the gentle skin but tough enough not to crumble too. You will need to invest in a pencil sharpener that fits these, as after a couple of uses I found that application became a little tricky as the pencil got a little blunt. I found that the dual size sharpener from Bourjois works perfectly.

The formula of these pencils is really on point. For a girl with dry lips I can confirm that these were in fact extremely comfortable and last all day long - even throughout eating and drinking and didn't leave my lips in a bit of a state like some lip products can do. 

The finish is somewhere around the satin mark, and although aren't 'glossy' as such, they do have a sheen on the lip which I actually quite enjoy, although I'm usually a matte lip kind of girl.

All in all, Maybelline have hit the nail on the head with this newest release and I can see them being a hit to rival the likes of Nars. At only £4.99 a pop they are both affordable and makeup bag worthy. I can see these little beauties getting a lot of use from me this coming autumn!

Have you used these Maybelline Colour Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils? What colour is your favourite?

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TRESemme Thermal Recovery Treatment; REVIEW

Its no secret that I'm a big fan of hair masks and treatments. After putting my hair through some tough times over the past few years I look to hair masks to help re-hydrate and make my hair softer and more manageable. To say I've tried my fair share of hair masks is a bit of an understatement, but although I've often come close to my 'holy grail' product I'm still on my quest to find the best for my needs. I stumbled across the TRESemme Thermal Recovery Treatment during my weekly shop in good old Tesco. I must admit, it was the fact that this hair mask was on offer that drew me in - being a girl on a budget means I appreciate being able to save a few pennies! If I remember correctly the offer was two 500ml tubs for only five pounds, so in the trolley they went.  As a teenager I'd tried a lot of different products from TRESemme, but had sort of out grown them and left the brand back with my adolescence whilst moving on to more expensive products as most do when they begin bringing in their own money. As far as I remembered, I didn't dislike the brand but they'd just become out of favour on my quest to try a sample of the billion different products that are out there. First of all; the packaging. The product is housed in a screw top tub, which most hair masks tend to be. The packaging isn't bad, but nor does it draw the attention. However, being a more affordable product I can understand that TRESemme wouldn't want to have to boost the price point by spending more on fancy packaging. If it ain't broke, don't fix it - right? It works well, keeps the product safe, doesn't leak and although can be a little inconvenient in the shower on the whole its pretty decent. The colours of the packaging are synonymous with the other products in this particular line and are distinguishable from other lines by TRESemme.

Inside the tub you will find a hefty 500ml of product which although fragranced, isn't too strong or overbearing. The mask is not unlike any other generic hair mask that you may have in your bathroom cabinet in texture or colour, just an average white, gloopy looking paste which reminds me of something from 'get your own back'.  Ingredients include aloe vera and almond oil extracts, both of which are a bit of a big deal in the hair care world. Both have substantial claims of being replenishing behind them, and any product that I have used containing either one or the other, or indeed both have left my hair feeling pretty darn happy. I tend to apply this mask to dry hair before getting in the bath, and I try to leave it on for as long as possible, depending what time frame I have. I find that leaving it for 30-45 minutes works best, but I still get great results if I only leave it for 10 minutes. I smooth a handful of product through my hair, avoiding the roots but concentrating on my very dehydrated ends and clip on top of my head. You can also use a shower cap to help keep your bathtub mess free, but a clip works just fine. I then get on with what ever I'm doing in the bathroom, the usual, obvious things that I wont go into, or something a little more unusual like reading a book (its the only place I'm guaranteed some peace!) I tend to find that putting this on when in the bath works best, because of the heat that is created by sitting in a hot bath allows the product to absorb into the hair shaft better, similarly if you have things to be getting on with, putting a shower cap over your hair and using a blow dryer for a few seconds works well too. Whenever I'm ready, I simply rinse the mask out using the shower head and shampoo and condition as usual.  When I've blow dried and styled my hair I am left with beautifully shiny, bouncy, cashmere soft hair that looks like it's never been miss treated a day in its life. Pretty spectacular for hair that's actually been bleached to within an inch of its life.  Is it the best hair mask around? Probably not - but it's pretty phenomenal for a fiver! I'm loving the long lasting results that it gives my hair. Only yesterday my hairdresser commented on how much healthier my hair feels nowadays, and I can't help but think that this little tub of tlc for your hair may be partly responsible! Have you tried any of the TRESemme intensive masks?

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Haulin' Again..

So I've been at it again.. Its an illness, I swear. Fancy seeing what I got? Look no further.. 

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