Hair Envy - Ombre

I'm currently loving ombre hair! I know this trend has been around for quite a while now and I've always liked it but I'm looking to do something a little bit different with my hair at the moment and I think this is what I'll go for. 

I've seen a lot of people doing ombre themselves with a blonde dye/ bleach. However, I'm going to go to the salon because I need the opposite done. I already have light blonde hair, I just need the darker mousey blonde put in at the top - if that's even possible at all?! I'm sure it is! Has anyone else done it this way?!

I think it's time I booked an appointment!

My current 'go-to' foundation

Foundation is a product that I sometimes don't feel the need for. On good skin days, I can literally pop some powder over my face and feel that I have enough coverage. However, days like these are few and far between. On the more common bad skin days, foundation is my savior (along with some Collection 2000 concealer). This is the reason why choosing the right foundation is so important! Over the past couple of months, I've tried numerous drug store foundations (another post coming on that soon!) - none of which seemed to do the job.

Last year I purchased MAC Studio Sculpt foundation after being roped in by the sales person in a Debenhams store. I loved it so much due to its longevity and coverage that I saved it for special occasions (or those days when nothing else would do!) Unfortunately I ran out of that recently and after being disappointed by so many drugstore foundations that I decided to go have a look at MAC again and maybe purchase something different than before. That exact day I received an email from Debenhams to say there was 10% off beauty AND free delivery! Winner!

I'd never ever bought a foundation online before without testing it for colour match first so I was a little apprehensive despite having had previously owned a MAC foundation. The reason for this is that I could not remember for the life of me whether I was NW15 or NC15. Anyway I bit the bullet and decided to buy MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW15, praying that it was be a match! 

It was delivered within 2 days and I was SO excited to try it. I applied it with my Real Techniques Buffing brush. Application was simple although I did find it dries quite quickly so as long as you move swifly it's fine. Thankfully, the colour is a match!! WOOHOO! I find the coverage to be medium but buildable (a little bit goes a long way!) When used with my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer my big bad bags under my eyes aren't visible! Always a plus :) As for its longevity, I've only really worn it at work so far, so in an office. I'm yet to expose my face to the elements whilst wearing it. But so far, I've found that it lasts throughout the day without needing a touch up. 

Over all, I'm very impressed with this foundation. I'd highly recommend this :) I understand that I'm way behind the times with this foundation and 99% of you have probably already used it, however if you haven't, go try! 

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush

Now, I must admit that when it comes to body skin care, I can be quite lazy. I'm not one to buy scrubs, moisturizers and body washes in abundance - especially not expensive posh stuff! To be quite honest, when it comes to shower gel, I usually just go for what's cheap or on offer at the time - normally ends up being Original Source or something similar. Call me cheap but this is what happens when you live as a student for 3 years! Old habits die hard and all that malarky.

 It's VERY rare for me to exfoliate and moisture either. No matter what time of year it is! The only time I regularly apply moisturizer is when I'm on holidays, after soaking up the sun. 

A couple of years back, just before I went to uni, I was obsessed with Soap & Glory. Everyone in the bloggesphere was raving about this brand, so I just had to check it out. The smell of this brand is what got me hooked. Such a lovely, light girlie fragrance. So for Christmas 2009, I received gift sets upon gift sets which included the well known Righteous Butter and Flake Away exfoliator. Anyway, after I while, the novelty wore off and I got lazy. I still often receive the travel sized products for birthdays, Easter etc.. But they just mostly sit in my baskets collecting dust until it is absolutely necessary that I use them. 

The only exception to this was when I was in my first year of uni and randomly bought the 'Sugar Crush Body Scrub'. The reason behind this purchase was that there was an offer on in Boots, I had just had my student loan and this smelt like an absolute DREAM... The rest is history. I'd found an exfoliator which I actually enjoyed using, purely due to the smell! I'd often catch my boyfriend using it too... Despite how much he'd deny it. Anyway, after many Sugar Scrub filled showers, the pot was empty *boo* and so was my bank account. By the next time I had money to spare, I'd completely forgotten about this little beauty. However, a while later when I was reminded by my boyfriend about how much I loved it, I just could not find it ANYWHERE. I searched each Boots I went into and couldn't find it on the website either. I gave up hope and thought it had been discontinued!! UNTIL... earlier on this year, I was browsing the Soap & Glory shelves and was smelling the glorious exfoliators and I FOUND IT!! :) ...It had been repackaged!! (How silly did I feel?!! School boy error!!) Previously it had a turquoise lid but it now blends in with the range more. Anyway, on a recent trip to Boots, I repurchased this exfoliator and was VERY excited when I saw that they had released a 'Sugar Scrub' body wash and moisturizer - yayyy! Anyway, I thought I'd give you a little review on these products!

Well, I thought I'd best start with the product that I was originally hooked on - The exfoliator. If you can't already tell, I absolutely LOVE it. It smells like nothing I have ever smelt before. On the packaging it claims to contain 'Smashed brown sugar & sweet lime, almond oil & macadamia grains'. It definitely does smell like lime... Although my 8 year old sister is adamant it smells like cream soda! As for the exfoliating part, it definitely does the job. It is very grainy (the smashed brown sugar and macadamia grains are fab!) and after the first use, I noticed a difference to my scaly legs (eww!). It isn't harsh enough to cause discomfort though, however I would not recommend using straight after shaving your legs as it does sting quite a bit (it does state this on the tub but I obv didn't listen!). The consistency is quite oily and does moisturize a lot - both during and after use :) I would definitely recommend this and at £8 for a 300 ML tub you can't really go wrong as it does last AAAAGES. The only thing I'd say, is that maybe the packaging should be updated again to match the pink and lime of the new products! 

There isn't much to say about the Body Wash except for the smell! It's gorgeous. It's also quite moisturising! It's definitely a lot better than other body washes that I'm used to using - especially when used with a shower puff. (It's £6.50 for 500 ML - bargain!)

The Body Buttercream is absolutely fantastic! After using the body wash and exfoliator I jump out of the shower and slather myself in this moisturiser (while I'm still damp) and if you haven't already guessed - it smells the same!!! :) It's thick and contains 'Shea & coco nut balm, lime & almond oils and kiwi juice water'. It retails at £10 for a 300 ML tub. It will seriously last ages!!!

I definitely recommend these products to anyone! I understand that this smell will not be to everybodys taste but for me it gets a MASSIVE thumbs up! You can buy these products from Boots online here or in-store. These would definitely make a brilliant Christmas present and at the moment, Boots have a 3 for 2 offer on! Hurry hurry!!

Instagram #3

Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately. I've finally finished my undergraduate degree, and the last thing I wanted to do was sit in front of my laptop typing! Since finishing my exams, I've been relaxing and doing a few fun things & I've taken a few photos along the way.

1-Topshop nail varnish 2-Ready for a night out 3-Childish fun in the sun 4-Coldplay! 5-Me and Greg
6-Excited 7-Me and my mum 8-Our wristbands 9-Balls & balloons 10-Confetti
11-Wristbands 12-Tacky phonecase 13-Gregs patriotic nails 14-Gregs nail art 15-On a night out
16-I want a black pug so bad 17-Chilling before Mrs Browns Boys 18-Mrs Browns Boys!! 19-Coldplay wristband randomly lit up 20-It's still going!!!

I'm going to Cyprus on Saturday with the girls, so doubt I'll be posting much but look out for a holiday post soon! :)

Hope all is well.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Well here's a product that you've probably heard everyone and their dogs (and probably their cats too!!) raving about. It claims to provide an "anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow". Being that I prefer glowy, natural finishes I was excited to try this. It comes in a glass bottle with a pump to dispense the product. I much prefer this to others, such as Revlon colorstay which makes it a mission to get just the right amount without any major spillages or wasted product, not to mention the fact that it makes it all the more hygienic. My first impression of the product was definitely good. The consistency of this foundation has definitely impressed me. It's almost gel-like. 

I used my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply this, and the finish was flawless. It's true what it says on the bottle. This foundation really does leave you with a dewy glow. I'd describe the coverage as medium, but definitely buildable. It doesn't dry too quickly either (again reference to the Revlon colorstay), which means you have time to really work it into your skin. 

This foundation lasted around 6-7 hours before I began to look quite shiny, but I touched it up with some powder and voila! Problem solved. 

I must say though, the colour range is very limited, with only six shades. I don't consider myself to be the palest of people, but I bought shade 100 - Ivory and it is still a little bit too dark. I also found it to dry a little bit darker on the skin as well - being 'Ivory' and the lightest shade they do, this definitely surprised me. Rimmel, why no more colours?

The fact that it doesn’t cater for lighter/ darker skinned people is definitely the biggest down side of this foundation. But that aside, I do like this foundation and will continue to use it (maybe when I've caught a bit of a tan)! It's affordable - around the £8.99 mark - and makes your skin look good. I'd definitely recommend this if you're skin tone matches any shade from their range! :) 

What are your thoughts on this foundation?

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment

Everyone’s probably heard of Moroccan oil, yeah? Me too. Everyone here in the bloggersphere tends to rave about it, and I can’t lie – I really want to try it. BUT, being a student, I cannot afford to fork out around £30 right now… I know you can buy the smaller bottle for less, but I can’t justify paying that much for such a small bottle.

Ever since I heard about Macadamia Oil, I’ve wanted to get my hands on it. From what I’d heard from my hair dresser and others, it seemed to be a cheaper alternative to the expensive Moroccan Oil. I had a look on e-bay and managed to get my hands on some for around £17 (125 ml) which I thought was pretty reasonable (I can’t remember the e-bay seller I bought it from but I’ve checked and there’s loads available right now).

This product is meant to be beneficial for dry/ damaged hair - which is perfect for me because I have more split ends than you can imagine! It claims to provide ‘intense nourishment for tangle and frizz free hair’ for hair that is ‘ultra-smooth, manageable and shiny’. It also promises to reduce drying time by 40-50%. Anything that vows to provide tangle-free hair and a quicker drying time is a definite yes for me. Despite having relatively thin hair, it literally takes around 20-25 minutes to dry which drives me absolutely insane! Also, my hair knots like crazy… If I don’t brush my hair throughout the day, it literally starts to dreadlock - absolute nightmare.

I’ve been using this product now for around 6 weeks, around 2 or 3 times a week depending on how often I wash my hair. After washing my hair, I literally towel dry it and pump the product into my hands (normally two pumps), rub them together and then apply to my hair, focusing on the ends. The consistency of this product is more gel-like rather than an oil, making its application far easier. However, being oil based I tend not to apply too much to the roots as I want to avoid greasy roots. The brilliant thing about this product is that if I do accidentally apply a bit too much, it doesn’t actually make it overly greasy.

I have definitely noticed a difference in my hair. After using this, my hair feels silkier and shinier and my split ends have definitely improved. And the biggest test of all… My hair DOES tend to dry quicker when I use this *celebratory dance*.

I absolutely love the smell of this product… It reminds me of Lee Stafford products – yummy. I still have around 3/4 of the bottle left which is good. The packaging of Macadamia oil is also lovely if you ask me! It comes in a brown glass bottle with a lime-green plastic pump dispenser, and a lovely gold pattern. Lovely.

I absolutely love this product and would definitely repurchase once it runs out. However, I would still like to try Moroccan oil. Have you tried either product?

Graze Box

On Tuesday I ordered my first ever Graze box. You've probable seen a lot of codes floating around entitling you to your first box free. I did. I tried, but as I registered my card to my account, the website crashed and after that it wouldn't let my try it free as my card was already registered to an account *sob*.

Anyway, I still really wanted to try one so I payed the regular £3.79 which includes Royal Mail first class delivery; this ensured my box would be delivered on the next possible delivery day which was today, Thursday the 17th. 

After creating ac account and registering your card, you're offered whether to have a 'nibbles box' which gives you maximum variety OR a 'nutrition box' which claims to only include 'just our healthiest foods rich in micronutrients, designed by our nutrition team'. 

I chose the 'nibbles box' which then directed me to a page where I could browse and rate the foods on offer. The foods were categorized by the types of foods; seeds, crackers, dried fruit etc... You can literally chose to 'bin' some items which really don't tickle your fancy - this way graze will never send you these items or chose the 'send soon' item which means they'll do just that. Basically, the way Graze works is it uses your ratings of the food to know what you like and dislike, they put the box together themselves using this information - so it's a surprise.

Everything looked quite interesting, but I did chose to bin all of the foods containing dates or figs - not the biggest fan I must admit. After completing this process, it was just a case of waiting. I had an e-mail yesterday letting me know my box was in the post and should be with me today... It gave me the option of having a sneak peek of what was in my box - I couldn't resist!

Mr Postman delivered my box to me this afternoon.

In my box, I had: 

The herb garden - 'herb and onion peanuts, baked herb bites and oregano rice crackers' 

Savoury roasted seeds - 'roasted sunflower seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds'

Bounty hunter - 'milk chocolate drops, coconut flakes and cranberries'

Mississippi bbq pistachios - self explanatory really

The box came with a little welcome book and a little book describing how the service works etc... Which I thought was a lovely addition.

In the welcome book, it gives you all the nutritional information you need regarding your foods, with little tips such as "coconut keeps you fuller for longer". 

I was really happy with the contents of my box and will definitely be ordering again. Each thing was lovely and I loved that I had a variety of different things!

My boyfriend and housemates have all signed up for their free boxes now as Graze provided me with 'free Graze box' codes to 'feed my friends'.

I also love the cardboard packaging of the boxes. The material for the boxes themselves are sourced from a sustainable forest and is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. All other materials are also used from bamboo and other recyclable materials - so Graze is 100% environmentally friendly, which is always a plus!

I'd definitely recommend these boxes to anyone, especially seeing as you can have your first one free.

The only bad thing about these boxes is that I know some people won't like the fact that you can't chose exactly what you want in your box, however I think it's nice to have a little surprise!

If anyone would like to try a free box (you may as well - how often do you have free food given to you?!), feel free to use my code:

B769F4JD

(you do have to enter your card details but as soon as your box has been sent out just basically just cancel your account hassle free - although they do try to prevent this by offering you other deals such as your next two boxes half price etc, but you can easily say no)

Lemmie know what you think of them guys! 

Sorry for the long post!

Instagram #2

Eating a chinese in the car & this was our view | Greg drinking tea - shock | Pringoooals (revision time snack food) | Thierry Mugler that my mum didn't like so kindly gave to me | Dissertation completed & bound! | Race for life | Inglot | Cute message from Greg | Balloon panda made for me in a nightclub | Got my hair did | Last ever uni assignment | Lee Stafford shampoo | Take home TGI - heaven | VIP booth for housemates birthday | Rare sight - parking available in uni | More revision snacking

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo

This shampoo claims to 'lightly tone, refresh and restore your blonde hair to salon beautiful colour'. It's ingredients include a Pro-Blonde complex of panthenol, chamomile and morina seed extract; more commonly kniwn as Miracle tree (which claims to keep hair squeaky clean and encourages natural shine to glow). It's also meant to protect your hair from fade caused by styling, sunlight and damage caused by UV rays. 

Last January (2011) whilst in the hair dressers, I made a very impulsive, spontaneous decision to dye my hair ginger - and by ginger I mean orange ginger. I think I posted a picture maybe? Anywho, after that I continuously dyed my hair different shades of ginger/ red... As summer approached, I knew I had to consider going back blonde. I was going to Gran Canaria with my boyfriend, even when there was no sun in sight, my hair faded like crazy so I knew that as soon as sun was involved, it would be disasterous, plus I tan quite easily - meaning I'd be brown with orangey/ yellow hair. Not attractive. 

Anyway, I went back blonde, and have since gone blonder each time I visit the hair dressers. However, because my hair was abused so often with ginger/ auburn/ red dyes, it tends to get quite brassy, quite quickly. 

This is where this product comes in. The first time I used it, I was quite scared after I'd dispensed the product into my hand. It is a very dark purple. I was wary about it dying my hair, rather than just toning it. However, I was so happy with the results. The brassiness of my hair was gone after just one wash. It made my hair a lot lighter, more white even.

After the second time of using it, I noticed a purple tint to my hair. Quite a few people said that my hair looked pink/ purple. I instantly changed my mind on the product (despite quite liking the lilac-y shade it left in my hair - it cannot be good for your hair, can it?). However, once I got home, I read the bottle and it actually tells you not to use it every time you wash your hair because of the toning agent. *Schoolboy error, Hayley. Always read the label*. Now, I use it every two to three times I wash my hair, and I must admit I absolutely love this product.

You can probably still see a bit of purple but hey-ho, It matches my dress!

Being only £6.49, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who suffers with brassy blonde hair. You can buy it here at Boots and it’s often on offer 3 for 2 or 2 for £10.

P.s. I know there’s cheaper alternatives out there but my housemate has tried quite a few and don’t find they work very well. Plus, quick little tip, apparently the darker the purple, the better the results ;)

Haul | Superdrug 3 for 2

Just to let you all know, Superdrug is doing a 3 for 2 offer across all cosmetics! I popped up just to grab some deodorant and came home with some makeup (and no deodorant! I was so engrossed in the makeup that I forgot, *facepalm* - Before you judge, I have since been back up to buy some so I'm still smelling fresh) 

When I noticed the offer was on, I went straight to the Rimmel stand. I’ve wanted to try the ‘Wake me up’ foundation ever since all the hype started on here! I currently use the Bourjois healthy mix serum and I absolutely love it, so couldn’t really justify buying a new one that I may not like as much. Buying the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation made me realise that what some people love, I may not… So yeah, I was a bit cautious. However, today I bit the bullet and it is now mine. I shall let you all know how I get on! I have high hopes for this foundation.

I must admit, this was a bit of a random purchase. This wasn’t part of my 3 for 2 purchase – I spotted it as I was walking out of the store. I wanted to try a really pink blush and this looks nice enough. There was no tester, but being only £3.99 I thought ‘why not?’. I’m sure my sister would appreciate this if I’m not too keen. To be honestly I’m not expecting miracles from this product, I’m just hoping it’ll be nice enough.

I saw the Max Factor Flipsticks on Fleur’s blog originally and thought “Wow”. She made them look so funky and different I just had to try them. I chose the shade ‘Gypsy red’ as that one was the most impressed by once Fleur had created her ‘lip art’. Can’t wait to use this double ended lipstick!

I already own one of these Revlon ColorBurst lip butters in the colour ‘Cupcake’ – a gorgeous pink with blue undertones, but as much as I love the colour when I swatch it on my hand, and as pretty as it looks in the packaging, that colour is just not for me. I wish it was, but it just does not suit me *sob*. Aside from the colour not suiting me, the texture and formula of the lip butter was lovely… Creamy, moisturising and had good colour pay off. This was why I decided to buy ‘Sweet Tart’ – another lovely pink colour. Again, this colour looks nice swatched on my hand and lovely in its packaging, I’m just praying that this one looks remotely good on me! Please, ‘Sweet Tart’, please?! I’ve heard comparisons made to the L’Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks… & those are my absolute favourite at the moment. I wonder if the Lip butters can compete?! We’ll see!

Shabby chic: Inspiration

I'm currently redecorating my room & have been looking at these for inspiration:

*all images were sourced from google

Aren't they gorgeous?


HN x

Instagram #1

1. Treats c/o the girlies 2. Joes ice cream 3. Bananas spooning 4. Gorgeous flowers 5. Choice of fabrics for the room 6. New Pandora charm 7. Unbelievable ice cream 8. Costa - cuppa tea 9. Heart shaped potato


HN x