DAY 8 - 15sophausbeauty Challenge 'Best Drugstore Product'

Hey everyone, so this is day 8 - my favourite drugstore product has to be . . . 

I've tried Smashbox, Mac Cosmetics, Gosh, YSL ... any primer you can think of and yet I always come back to this beauty!

The Garnier 5 sec perfect blur primer glides on so smoothly, leaves my skin looking silky soft and minimising my pores amazingly! If I wake up and don't really want to wear any makeup but don't want my skin looking like a hot mess I'll just moisturise and apply some of this miracle stuff and I'm happy to walk out my front door knowing my skin looks fresh and smooth. 

I'm very happy with this drugstore product and I know it works best for my skin, maybe one day I'll find another holy grail primer but for now this is doing the job perfectly!

My makeup looks so much better and lasts so much longer with this primer, I know that is the job of every primer however not every primer leave a very good finish to my make up, unlike this one that I know will leave my makeup looking flawless.

Definitely worth a try, let me know how you feel about this primer, and if you have any other suggestions that you think work the best for you, so I can give that a try.

Happy Monday everyone 

Love Els x

DAY 6 - 15sophausbeauty Challenge 'Go to Eyeshadow Palette'

Back again, today I'm just going to ramble about my 'go to' eye shadow palettes, which I think is pretty easy for me because they are my only two haha I'm not a big palette collector I do want more but that time will come :D anyways these are my two and only two palettes that I use, both super cheap!

-

The 'black label palette' that I got off of amazon, their customer service was amazing, one had arrived to me broken so they offered to send me a refund or a new palette, because it was so cheap I thought I might as well have the palette so it was sent and within 2 days it was at my door, so overall great customer service and I've had these for hmmm let me think, around a year I'm wanting to say, or at the beginning of 2014 and both palettes are going strong!

With a wide range of colours you can really create some gorgeous looks with these, just get creative and see where that takes you!

88 eyeshadow palette

_

My second palette is the Sun Kissed 'Bronze eyeshadow palette' which I bought off of a great site called Fragrancedirect.com which has some gorgeous shimmer colours, there is a shimmery flex in all of the colours but they are such sultry and sexy neutral colours, I use the whole palette to create an amazing eye look working throughout light shades in the inner corner then through burgundy, reds, trays then to the darkest colour in the palette on the 'outer V.' 

The palette is small so you cane just pop it in your handbag and take it with you on a night out to touch up or if you're travelling a lot, it would come in handy. 

If you are just starting in makeup and don't want to spend loads of money for good products then go check out fragrance direct because its small sized products (not all, most are regular size) for wholesale price, this palette believe it or not is £1.99 hahah what a bloody bargain, so definitely go check that out, I used to get my self tanner off of there St.Moriz for cheap as well in the full size :) enjoy. 

Sunkissed Bronze Eyeshadow Palette ( 12 )

Short and Sweet, Enjoy finding all those gorgeous products for really cheap now, so these are my favourite eyeshadow palettes of all time!

Love Els x

Turmeric Face Mask DIY + Health Benefits

Back again beauties!

Returning with a bit of a messy recipe for brightening dark spots, under eye circles, fading acne scars and unclogging pores. . . The answer to all of this you ask? Turmeric !

This is a really simple and easy + cheap face mask that will do wonders for you skin. It's a very messy process when taking it off but the final result you are left with will have you singing to the heavens'.


What is Turmeric?

''Turmeric is the root stalk of a tropical plant that's part of the ginger family. One of the main components of the spice is a substance called curcumin which has potentially healing properties.''



Turmeric benefits :

• Anti ageing
• Brightens skin
• Fades acne scars
• Whitens teeth.
• Studies in 2009 in Ireland show the curcumin in the turmeric broke down and digested cancer cells within 24hrs.
• Researchers know that turmeric has antioxidant and anti-infamitory elements in it, suggesting (after previous studies) that it could help towards combating liver disease.
• Reducing type 2 diabetes.
• There are lots of studies on the effects of curcumin towards Alzheimers disease and Dementia. Studies in India (2008) state thats curcumin can ''block the formation of the beta-amyloid plaques'' that interfere with the brains function whilst diagnosed with Alzheimers, obviously further research has to be done to take this information and put it into a clinical medicine. 

Turmeric is soooo good for us however we are not told this, I want all of you beautiful people to digest or use turmeric regularly in your life because the benefits are endless (not endless because theres a list right there) however the benefits are immense!

WARNING

Turmeric will stain anything so be really careful when using it, wipe off any straight away if it gets anywhere.

Tumeric is usually put into curry dishes or teas. You can pick up turmeric cheap from your supermarket or health shop or even online which is where I got mine but thats cause I'm a lazy sod.

What you will need + Recipe:

• 100% Organic Turmeric. Turmeric
• Rice Flour (holds ingredients together)
• Milk/Yogurt (good for your skin + makes the paste)
• Honey (very good for your skin)

-2 tablespoon (tbls) of turmeric

-2 tbls of rice flour

-1 1/2 tbls milk 

-1 tbls honey

[.. add ingredients depending, until make into a paste]

cover your face (can do all over your body) going right up under the eyes as this will brighten under eye circles, do NOT put in your eyes, come on guys use your initiative. Leave for 20 minutes [until its all dry] then wash off with warm water.

If your face is stained then grab a makeup wipe and run that across your face, Turmeric is a natural exfoliant so don't scrub too hard when removing.

You should be left with an amazingly smoother, brighter, more glowing face. I personally then grab a face mask such as Cleo Face Masks leave on for 20 mins then rinse again with warm water, after this my skin looks so different (in a good way) this works soooo well for me.

Have fun trying it out and let me know how well it works for you! 

Lots of love Els xo

Barry M matte nails - Review -

Colours I have:

• Burgandy Crush (343)
• Blue Malibu ( MNP8)

 

First things first, this nail polish is the fastest drying nail polish I have EVER owned, ever.

I think I'm a big fan of the new Barry M matte nail polishes, they glide on a dream and dry within seconds before your eyes, honestly! once I've finished one hand the other is dry.

I love the fact they are matte (can get shiny as well) however matte is becoming big as we transition into autumn and fall trends, matte is a big one this time, from matte foundation to matte polish to matte lips, so this is how you can keep in the loop effortlessly.

Theres some crazy and cool fun colours to choose from so I chose this bright blue and a burgundy shade.

Superdrug are doing a 2 for 1 sort of deal for very cheap so if you're in need of a good, new, up-to-date and in trend nail polish then get down to your drugstore and pick up these Barry M ones. Really happy with them, Im the type of person who hates waiting for my nails so dry so very pleased, they don't chip easily either.

If you can't afford to buy any new polishes but you want the matte look then paint your nails with a regular polish then boil a kettle of water and hold your nails of the steam that comes out and that will give you a matte effect, obviously take caution that you don't burn yourself !

Quick + Simple review but it had to be done.

Lots of love Els x

My Hair Care Routine ...

Hello my beauties, I'm back with a new hair care routine + products, this is how i got my hair out of chemical shock . . .

Products I use :

• Avocado Oil Avocado oil
• Castor Oil Castor oil
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil JB Castor Oil
• Schwarzkopf Leave in Conditioner Leave in
• Mane 'n Tail Leave in Conditioner Mane 'n tail leave in
• Keratin Kits Shampoo Shampoo
• Keratin Kits Conditioner Conditioner

- Monday + Friday are my hair wash days.

- Sunday + Thursday I do my oil treatments & leave them in over night.

Tips on growing your hair faster:

• Use oil treatments .

Oils are the best way ,in my opinion and through research & experience, to grow your hair and make your hair stronger whilst doing this. On my treatment nights I section my hair after combing it through with my macadamia oil infused wide tooth comb, taking a £2 piece size of castor oil, I run this along the roots, massaging in as I go. Then taking the same size with the avocado oil I run this through the lengths and the ends of my hair. Working all the way up my head in 2inch sections of hair each time. After my hair is saturated in the oil I comb it through one more time to make sure that all the strands are covered. I place my hair in 2 french plaits and put a towel on my pillows and go to sleep.

These oils are what I have found work best for me, I would strongly recommend the regular castor oil for hair growth.    The Jamaican black castor oil works very well to even out hair for example after I had got my hair out of chemical shock my top layers were recorded at 1 inch long (after my hair had fallen out.) The JB castor oil helped with not so much the over all length but my top layers are now almost equal length to the rest of my hair whereas the regular castor oil has given me more overall length.      I wouldn't necessarily repurchase the avocado oil however it has made my hair very shiny and soft but I feel I could do with just the regular castor oil.

 

• Wash correctly.

Once I've woken up I then rinse and wash my hair out ( shampoo twice ) this is so that you have cleaned your hair, and the second shampooing is to clean your scalp. Condition using a keratin treatment conditioner (keratin is extremely good for your hair) and leave for 3/4 minutes, then rinse in cool water to prevent breakage.

When you wash your hair in very hot water your hair becomes weak and brittle, essentially you are boiling your hair, its just as bad as frying it with heat tools.

Do NOT wash your hair everyday, this is not good for your hair as you don't leave enough time for your hairs' natural oils to run through. This will cause your hair to be 'greasy' very quickly, so you assume you need to wash it again, this is wrong. Your hair will go into overdrive to try and hydrate your hair, in easiest terms, you need to 'train' your hair, this is possible! cut down your hair washing to 2/3x a week (this doesn't mean don't wash your body, just not your hair) you're hair will become less greasy through out the week and will only get oily the day before your hair needs a wash, this gives your hair time to breathe and get any hydration back that it would have lost during shampooing further more the night before you wash you add more oil anyway so essentially you are in control of when your hair gets oily and when its not.

Please don't use shampoos with sulphate in them (chemical that cause shampoos to lather up) don't worry shampoos without sulphate lather up nicely but without any harsh chemicals to damage your hair. I recommend using shampoo bars instead of conventional shampoos.

• Brush correctly.

Only use a wide tooth comb, it does just the same trick as using a hair brush would however its so much better for your hair, it will detangle your hair better then a brush as it can reach through and comb out all of the strands, unlike normal hairbrushes that just soften the top layer of your hair, making appear soft and all combed out. 

Wide tooth combs do not cause lots of breakage because of the set of teeth being further apart. Come on guys this is an easy one but you'll see such a difference in the quality of your hair!

Also comb your hair in sections ( no matter how long it is) each section start at the ends and comb your way up, this will detangle and knots you have easier and cause less breakage, if you come across   a knot, comb underneath it and it should release.

• Exfoliate your scalp.

Using home recipes you can create scalp exfoliants easily nowadays, you could rub the juice of an onion on your scalp, leave for 20 mins then wash out (the acidity in the onion is a natural exfoliant.)

Exfoliating your scalp is just as important as exfoliating your skin, if you feel like your hair is just not growing at all but you've tried so hard, try out an exfoliant. 

Your scalp can get clogged up with hair sprays, everyday dirt, mousse, gel etc.. just how your pores get clogged on your face after wearing makeup, but just washing your face doesn't get out all those impurities does it? Try it out and see if your hair starts to grow a lot quicker. 

• Protective styling.

Protective styling is a great way to let your hair just get on with growing, putting your hair in plaits, buns, ponytails or just having it up and out of the way, especially if your hair is longer or sits at shoulder length as your ends will rub a lot on your collar causing ends to trail up the hair shaft and cause damage.

In the winter I love to use protective styles to make sure my hair isn't getting too dry from the cold or wind. However don't use protective styling everyday for months and months you need to let your hair down sometimes because you don't want to do the same pony tail everyday otherwise the hair that sits under the hair band will become fragile and most likely split. Just alternate between up one week, down the next.

What not to do with your hair:

• Don't brush your hair when its wet (its at its most fragile/ venerable to breakage)
•  Don't use too much heat
• Don't wash everyday
• Try not to dye your hair too much
• Don't play with your split ends! 

Okay lovelies well thats all I believe, have fun growing out that gorgeous hair of yours and let me know how these tips get on for you! 

Lots of love Els x

How to Thin Your Hair at Home !

Okay my sweetiepies I'm going to try as hard as I can to explain this in the easiest way possible, don't worry it's not hard to do but it is hard to explain without showing you, but i'll have a go!


Things You'll Need:

• A pair of thinning scissors or a razor.       Scissors
• Wide tooth comb.                                     Macadamia Oil infused wide tooth comb
• A couple of clips for sectioning.              Sectioning Clips

Step One:

Section your hair in two halves (section from ear to ear) comb through starting at the ends and working your way up the hair shaft to eliminate any chance of knotting.
Repeat with top section, then re-section the hair the same way after it's all been combed out.


Step Two:

Working with the bottom half of your hair (below the ears) take small sections of hair about 1-2 inches ( imagine you were curling your hair) hold the thinning scissors downwards with the tip of the blade facing at around about 45' angle to the floor.

Step Three:

Open and close the blade quickly as you run it down your hair shaft. It may not look like theres much coming off but don't cut harshly or straight on to the hair. WARNING : do NOT cut any hair in front of your ears or around your hair line including underneath, as your hair doesn't grow as thick in these areas, you could also cause little hairs to stick out, making it hard to manage.
Repeat this with small sections at a time, until you have your desired thickness.


*Thinning scissors have little teeth that cut the hair in small sections creating a layered effect thats hidden behind your longer hair giving the appearance of thinner hair ( phewww that was confusing to explain!) This means you can't just use a normal pair of hairdressing scissors as they do not have these ridges. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT use everyday kitchen scissors, these will be blunt, you may not think it, but they will, this could cause more damage to your hair as the blade won't give a crisp cut, causing your split ends to run higher up the hair shaft, meaning later down the line you'll need to cut more hair then necessary when you get a trim.*

Using a wide tooth comb is healthier for your hair as its not so rough when detangling but still gets the job done. I only use a wide tooth comb. 

Hints: 

• The higher up your hair shaft you thin, the thinner your ends will be. 
• Don't get carried away and cut too much.
• Comb out the section of hair after you cut as this will get rid of any hair trapped and show you a better result of how your hair will look and feel.
• Only thin your hair if you understand what I'm blabbering on about, I really don't want anyone ruining their hair because of me. However, if you follow these steps then it should work, as it worked for me.
• Using a razor just run it down the hair shaft in the same direction as you would the scissors, however you won't need to cut as much off (not sure why but a razor takes more off so be careful) 
• If you are a young age, ask your mum, sister or friend to help you.

Final Result!

If you still don't understand, I'll wait until my hair needs a trim and show you in a video.

Burgundy Hair, Don't Care!

Hello lovelies, sorry it's been so long since I posted but here you go!

Just to start off with I thought I filmed all of the dying process and thinning my hair out for you guys but obviously not haha, so I didn't have the footage that I wanted so I'm going to try and run you through as easy as possible through my blog :)
A little disclaimer too : dye at your own risk! I've dyed my hair at home for years and I know my hair well enough to know it can with stand some bad treatment, also the colour will depend on your hair texture, colour and condition.


Dyes I used : 

Olia (3.6 Deep Cherry)

Slaon Radiance (66.46 Mahogany Brown)

First of all I thinned out any bulkiness and trimmed my split ends to give for an easy application of the Olia dye, this was my 'fill' colour (how to thin your hair at home post will be up soon as possible).  A fill colour is what you need when you are going from a light hair colour such as blonde to a red tone or purple tone hair colour so that the colour will last longer and won't be so bright when you put your desired colour on top. I used the Olia 3.6 deep cherry first which as you can see in the images below turned out very patchy and uneven ( thank goodness this was just the fill colour!) I sectioned my hair straight down the middle and then 3 further division on either sides creating 6 sections, starting at the mid lengths and working down (leaving your roots as the hair is virgin so the colour will be very vibrant.) Working with the bottom layers and moving up my head. Only rinse your hair with cold water as the red pigment will be stripped more by warm/hot water, only condition as shampoo will do the same.

I then waited to let my hair air dye , can't be too damaging haha! 

After this time I saturated my hair with the Salon Radiance 66.46 mahogany brown, starting at the roots, I know you shouldn't start at the roots but this was where I had to focus the colour. Starting with the top sections of my head first and working down the the underneath layers of my hair, opposite to how I dyed my hair the first time, but using the same sectioning technique.

Once my hair was completely soaked in the dye I let it sit for the time given in the instructions, (check instructions before application) Once the process was finished I rinsed my hair with cold water as before and only condition, adding a leave in conditioner and let your hair air dry as before.

Final Result

Bow is from New Look (was in the Christmas sales.)

I hope that this was easy for you to understand and I didn't complicate it  any further, obviously if you have any questions just send me an email or contact me through any of my social media.

Also Im not sure whether to go a little bit darker, let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for being patient guys and I'll have that 'How to thin your hair at home' post up really soon! 

Lots of love xo