Accepting My Gingerness

This is a slightly different post today; I just fancied a change and I've started to realise the kind of direction I'd like to go in regarding my blog. I'd like to post something a little different every now and again, just to add something else into the mix instead of another beauty review.

I thought I'd do a post on my hair colour - a bit weird I know. But ever since I was young, I'd had a problem with being ginger. I don't think I was born having a problem with it, I think you develop it after being teased about it at school. I mean, it's only a hair colour; why should it cause problems? Plus when I was young, that was the worst problem I had! I know now that it's definitely far from a problem. Kids just like to find something, anything, to tease you about when you're young.

After being picked on and being seen as inferior just because of my hair colour, I began to feel like I didn't fit in. To be honest, I don't look back and think "oh that was a horrible time in my life" because now it doesn't bother me one bit; it wasn't exactly a major problem, I just wanted to write about it a little bit and the way other people and their comments can affect the way you feel about yourself.

When I got to the age of ten, I began to wear makeup for school (yes, in year five!) I applied mascara to cover my blonde eyelashes before I went out the door and it started to make me feel more confident. But I got to the stage where I wouldn't leave the house without it, which is a bit extreme for a ten year old in regards to wearing makeup. I also started talking to this boy on MSN who went to another Primary school. My friend told him I was ginger and he never spoke to me again - HAHA how mean!

When I left Primary school, I also got blonde highlights. I don't regret it, but I wouldn't get them again. I also began to use fake tan, which resulted in me getting nicknames such as 'carrot nose' as it went streaky every time! I think everyone looks back on times when they were younger and thinks "why did I wear that?" "Why did I have that haircut?" "What was I thinking doing that?!"

Over the years, my hair got much lighter in colour anyway - there's a lot of natural blonde running through it. Nicknames have stopped, probably due to people growing up and realising that it's just a hair colour! Plus, if you don't let things bother you people tend to stop picking on you if they don't get a form of reaction out of you. I'm now quite proud to be ginger hehe!

As I've got older, I've learned to accept it as it's not exactly a problem - it's different, but that's a good thing! I may not be able to tan, I may be a bit freckly and I may be seen as a bit inferior, but who cares! Nicola Roberts has learned to accept it and so have I!

Thanks for reading!

Heated Rollers: Big Bouncy Curls

I absolutely love using these rollers when I'm going out; I love the volume and the slight curls that I get from them. They're also really easy to use and do most of the work themselves, as they're heated (you don't have to sit there with a hairdryer and an achy arm!) 

You get eight large rollers (which I tend to use on my top layers to give volume at the root), six medium rollers (which create a slight wave with volume) and six small rollers (which give a volumised, tighter 'springy' curl). You also get plenty of metal pins for using on every size roller to help keep them in place and ten black clips (which I use on the large rollers!)

After getting out of the shower, I left my hair in a towel so that it wasn't dripping wet and I ran a handful of Andrew Barton I Love Volume Volumptious Mousse through the full length of my hair, roots and all. I then made sure to spray my Andrew Barton Heat Defence through, as I was going to be using the rollers on the highest heat setting. I then roughly blasted my hair with my hairdryer, until it was about 90% dry (but still quite damp in places). I find that it's best to use these rollers when your hair is only slightly damp, as the heat from the rollers dries the rest of your hair, giving a more volumised look (and it also tends to hold for longer).

I put the rollers on the highest heat setting as my hair's quite long and thick, so make your best judgement on what setting to use depending on your hair type. When they're fully heated, (which only takes a few minutes) the dot on the roller at the front will turn white, which means they're ready to use. It usually takes me around 10-15 minutes to place them all in my hair, using the large rollers first and working my way to the bottom layer of my hair, reducing the size of the roller. 

I place the largest rollers on the top of my head, winding my hair backwards towards the crown. I find that it gives me more volume when I wind my hair back instead of working around my parting, as then when you take them out, your hair has a lift. 

I made sure to use all eight of the large rollers, securing them with the large butterfly clips that are included in the set. I then used the medium rollers and then the smallest ones, placing them around my head using the metal clips (which you place around the roller and then push to the side). I then leave them in for a few hours to allow my hair to dry (just because I like to, feel free to take them out when they're cool!) A few weeks back, I posted a photo of the result on my Instagram here.

After a few hours, I take them out from the bottom first (but I don't 'pull' them out; I gently unwind them!)

As you can see, here is the result of the small roller. After I've taken all of the small rollers out, I gently run my fingers through them to slightly loosen them up. I also back-brush them a little bit and spray with a bit of hairspray.

I've now taken the medium rollers out, leaving me with more volume and waves.

Sorry about the bad quality photo (and my dirty mirror hehe!) But here is the result of the large rollers; I love the volume! I run my fingers through and back-brush after taking each layer of rollers out, before spraying with hairspray.

Here is the overall result; a mixture of volume and curls. I really recommend buying these rollers - they're great, especially if you have layers! They're also very versatile; you can create a totally different look every time depending on how you put them in and which rollers you use. After running my fingers through, I sprayed some hairspray to make sure they would last throughout the night and GUESS WHAT?! They did!

I hope you enjoyed this post; picture overload!!
What do you think of heated rollers?

Thanks for reading!

Dry Shampoo Battle: Batiste Vs. TRESemmé

For today's post, I thought I would do a comparison between Batiste and TRESemmé regarding one of my favourite must-have hair products: dry shampoo. For me, this is an essential that I always have to keep restocking on my hair product shelf. One of the most common pieces of hair advice is not to wash your hair everyday, as you're stripping the naturals oils from your hair, resulting in it becoming even more oily. However, on the second day of not washing my hair it's in serious need of a good wash; that's where my trusty dry shampoo comes in. A quick spray of this throughout my roots and a good brush and there you have it - it looks much more refreshed and volumised in seconds.

I don't know about you, but Batiste has to be my favourite range for dry shampoo. I love the different scents they come in and the variety to choose from depending on your hair colour. The packaging is also very pretty and you can instantly spot it when you're shopping in Boots. You can also buy travel-sized bottles of it, which are perfect for fitting in your bag to reboost your hair throughout the day (but if you're spraying it in the mirror in a public bathroom, try not to get the person next to you - it sprays white mist!) I find that the TRESemmé one isn't as good; I found that it made my hair even more oily rather than reduce it, which is the complete opposite of what you want! TRESemmé products also seem to be jam-packed with chemicals (and smell like it too!)

The Batiste dry shampoo not only smells lovely, but actually works! Obviously you can't just use this everyday and never wash your hair (but it'd be amazing if you could - and it'd save a lot of time!)

What's your favourite range for dry shampoo?

Thanks for reading!

Argan Dew Miraculous Moroccan Argan Oil*

I recently received these free samples from Argan Dew and I couldn't wait to try them. I received three 10ml samples of the Replenishing Hair Mask and three 3.5ml samples of the Miraculous Argan Oil.  I was really interested to see how each treatment would leave my hair, as I had only tried one hair oil before (the L'oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil) therefore I'm quite new to this kind of formula. Plus, the idea of putting oil on my hair when I suffer from oily hair anyway didn't really appeal to me - however, it's not as toe-curling as you may think!

What I like about Argan Dew (apart from the fact that they don't test on animals) is that they use natural products; they use one of the world's richest and rarest natural oils that can be found in the Argan nut, which grows in Morocco. It claims to prevent skin and hair damage, as well as keeping it moisturised and healthy. Described as being "nature's conditioner" these products help restore the natural elasticity of the hair and leave it looking shiny and feeling hydrated.

Replenishing Hair Mask
I was excited to use this as I love a good hair mask (especially as this one uses natural products). As soon as I opened the sachet, I noticed it had a similar consistency to a conditioner; thick and creamy. I used the full 10ml that was provided, as it seemed like a generous amount and it was enough to provide my hair with (as my hair is quite thick and long). The smell of the mask was very natural; it didn't have any chemical smells like some masks do - it had an almost 'nutty' smell (which makes sense as the main ingredient is extracted from the argan nut!) 

After shampooing, I massaged the mask into my hair, starting from the ends and working my way up to my roots. I was nervous about putting it in my roots, but it turned out to not be a problem. I left it on for five minutes before rinsing off and I could feel the benefit already, similar to how your hair feels after using a conditioner. After getting out the shower, my hair was easier to comb through and it was smelling nice and fresh.

After blowdrying my hair, I immediately noticed the shine and the soft feel it had. The next day, my hair was easy to brush through and it still appeared shiny and felt soft. My roots also felt surprisingly soft and 'clean' - they didn't feel oily, which I was expecting as I had massaged the mask into my roots after all.

My sister has long, thick hair and half of it is dip-dyed, so she was keen to try the mask to repair her dry ends. She told me that she loved the overall result; her hair felt much softer and didn't look as damaged, which she was pleased about.

Miraculous Hair Oil
I actually preferred the smell of the hair oil compared to the mask and this equally left my hair feeling soft. I only used half of the 3.5ml sachet, so it shows that you don't need a lot of the oil for it to benefit your hair. I used it when I got out of the shower before blowdrying my hair, as it isn't necessary to have to rinse it off. The oil is a thick, sticky consistency (a bit like syrup) but as soon as you start working it through your hair, it blends in nicely and provides your hair with plenty of nourishment. My hair felt soft and looked shiny and I also found that I didn't have as many fly-aways as I normally do, so the oil must have flattened them down and prevented any frizz.

Overall, there must be something special in Argan oil that helps protect and restore your hair, improving its appearance and texture. The company is based in Israel so their products take maybe a week or more to arrive, but they make sure to ship them quickly and get them overseas as soon as possible. You can request free samples on their website, which I recommend doing as the products are quite expensive, so it's best to try them out first like I did. I really like these products though; I love the way my hair felt and also the smell is lovely!

Have you tried these products? If so, what do you think?

Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

January Favourites: What I've Been Loving

I know that favourites are popular amongst bloggers and YouTubers, so I thought I would join in and display my choice of beauty favourites that I've been loving since around Christmas time and give my opinion on each of them!

Real Techniques Core Collection
I received these brushes for Christmas and I've been using them everyday. I particularly love the buffing brush to do my foundation, as it's great for blending in and providing a good coverage. The contour brush is also brilliant for doing my bronzer as it's easy to blend and doesn't look streaky. These brushes are well worth the dosh!

Lush 'Bubblegum' Lip Scrub
This scrub works amazingly well! Not only does it help remove the dead skin cells from your lips, but it tastes so sweet! I love using this at night and then applying Vaseline; it prepares your lips for the next day when you may want to use lipstick. This has been great to use throughout these Winter months, as my lips have been quite dry due to the wind.

Andrew Barton 'Hot Iron Protection Spray'
You may have seen this in my review last month. As my hair is long (and I don't have regular trims, which I know is badddd) this spray helps protect my hair before I use my hair dryer or curling iron. It also smells really nice, which is always a positive! I don't mind which heat defence spray I use, but I'm loving this one at the moment.

Next 'Gold Vanilla' Lip Balm
I also received this for Christmas and it works wonders! I had been wanting a colourless lip balm for a while to use before applying lipstick and this does a good job of moisturising your lips! It also smells lovely as it's vanilla - two in one!

Sally Hansen 'Nail Growth Miracle'
I've recently started biting my nails again (urgh I'm very annoyed with myself!) I was doing sooo well at growing them and then BAM! Now they're back to their scruffy short ways. However, this little miracle (as it's clearly stated) is a miracle indeed! I paint my nails with this everyday and it helps restore them to a healthy, strong state and I have actually noticed a growth spurt! HOW DO THEY DO IT?!

Clinique 'Colour Surge Beige Shimmer'
Even though I got this eyeshadow a while ago, I've been using it a lot more regularly these past few weeks. I love the shimmery, neutral shade and it looks lovely on its own with a bold lip, or blended with a darker shadow.

Elf Lipstick 'Seductive'
I love the coral colour to this lipstick and I know it's a bit bright for this time of year, but I love the shade! It's a mixture of pink, peach and red - the outcome looks really pretty! Anyway, you probably know how much I love Elf hehe!

I've enjoyed reading these type of posts recently, so I thought I would do my own! Hope you liked it:-)

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what do you think?

Andrew Barton Gloss Boss Collection

I received this gift set for Christmas and I don't know about you, but whenever I get a new shampoo or conditioner, I can't wait to try it out! So, I decided to wash my hair with the Serious Shine Protection Shampoo and Conditioner.

First of all, the shampoo bottle is one that you pour and I usually don't like these due to spilling them. However, the conditioner is one that you squeeze. They feel very light on your hair when using them, which I like!

After leaving my hair in a towel for about half an hour, I used the Hot Iron Protection Spray and blow-dried my hair. I then used the Style Cremé and worked it through the ends of my hair.

I love this set; it made my hair smell sooo nice and left it feeling soft and sleek. I recommend buying a gift set like this for someone for their birthday; Andrew Barton products are affordable and great to use!

Thanks for reading!

What's your favourite shampoo & conditioner?

Let me know in the comments below!

L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil

As soon as I first used this product, I noticed a difference with the texture and overall look of my hair.

I'm guilty of never protecting my hair when using heat; I blow dry it about three times a week and use straighteners and curling irons now and again, however despite this, my hair is generally in a good condition. But, this oil makes it look much more shiny and soft.

I love that this oil is versatile; you can apply it on damp or dry hair, by running it through the lengths and ends. You can apply it before shampooing, before styling or as a finishing touch to create a shiny and smooth look.

For the past few weeks, I have been applying it in the shower before washing and I have noticed a real difference in the way my hair feels and looks. It is more shiny, smooth and has less tangles and knots when I brush it. All you need is two drops, as a little goes a long way!

The oil consists of a blend of six flower extracts, which helps with the nourishment for your hair! Another great thing about it is it's suitable for all hair types, however if you have coloured hair, there is one specifically for that too!

This product is a great investment if you want to brighten up your hair or if you feel like it needs to be repaired.

I use this regularly and absolutely love it!

Thanks for reading!