Friday 30 April 2010

George ASDA & HQ Hair codes.

Why is it, that the day AFTER I placed orders with both companies I receive discount codes, its just typical!  Still, my loss can be someone elses gain!

A few places are offering free delivery or discount codes over the Bank Holiday, two of those companies are George at ASDA and HQ Hair.

George as ASDA are offering free delivery to your home for orders over £25.  That code is: 'bankhol'
Ends midnight 4.5.2010

HQ Hair are offering 15% off all orders.  That code is: HQHAPPY.
Ends midnight 4.5.2010

Oh, and don't forget your free Nails Inc polish with this months In Style (£3.60 for the magazine)!  I haven't got my hands on one yet, fingers crossed my local shop has one in stock (unlikely!!)


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Thursday 29 April 2010

(Dumdum and the) Remington Spin Curl dryer!

Yesterday I set out with the hopes of reviewing the Remington Spincurl dryer!!  But instead Ive realised a few things.. a) I need more practice with it b) I need to get better with my phone-camera photography skills, and c) I need to remember to leave enough time to actually take pictures of the end result before rushing out on the school run.. and getting wet through in the downpour!  I ran out the door and thought Oh, it'll be fine, I'll just take some photos when I get back.. Then when I did get back it was all damp and floppy looking!   Durrrr!

I bought this dryer from Amazon for £22.99



I think one of the mistakes Im making with this dryer is taking too small a peice of hair when I run it through.  When I watched reviews a few girls said it took 10-15 minutes from start to finish. Not for me it doesn't!!  So I figured when I initially played with it that I must've been choosing too big a chunk of hair as it just seemed to take a while, and even after 20 minutes the inside of the twisted pieces of hair were still damp, so when I unraveled the twist some of the wave was lost because it wasn't fully dry.. So smaller sections should help, right?  Wrong!
Too small a piece ends up looking like dreadlocks rather than waves.. on me anyway!  I unravel the small twists and looks like rats tails towards the ends (If you remember a few posts back I mentioned Id lost a lot of hair with stress etc).. But, where the twists are thicker at the top it looks like nice waves, so bigger pieces (if your hair is fine to medium) are the way to go!!

I wash my hair, leave it in the towel while I apply my make up (say, for 10 minutes).  I then apply my Phytomist on the mid-lengths and ends.  Tresseme 24 hour body spray is applied to the roots and an orange- sized blob of 24 hour body mousse is applied throughout the mid-lengths and ends.  I then dry the roots with my head upside down to add some lift, I also dry the rest a little so its not dripping wet!

Insert pointless picture to illustrate the above:



Excuse the rogue bits I missed.. Once it looks something similar to this ^ you loosen them up/run your fingers though the bits you missed aren't noticeable!  As you can see after 25-30 minutes of drying my hair (on the medium heat, then setting with the cool shot) I end up looking like Bob Marley.. But if you see how it looks towards the top - thats the kind of thickness they should be all over, otherwise..

It looks like this!

Its too rat's tail-y!  So theres virtually nothing to loosen, so at the roots you're left with a nice wave, but at the ends theres hardly any wave at all and it doesn't look much different from the above picture.. no, not nice is it!

I'm not sure how I can cut the time down, maybe 30 minutes isn't a long time, but I'm not used to it!  I normally wash my hair in the evening and allow it to dry naturally overnight, and if I do wash it in the day I tend up rough dry it which takes no time at all.  So maybe what I need to do is dry it more before putting on the spin curl attachment!?  I could also cut down the time but putting it on the high heat, but Im not too keen on that much heat so close to my hair.

So perhaps its a good job I didn't have time to take pictures of the finished result because it was hardly a fair example of what you can actually achieve!

I promise next time I will have beachy waves to show you - Ie a picture, post the Bob Marley dreads!


Do any of you have this dryer, do you like it, did you have to play around with it before you got it right?

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Wednesday 28 April 2010

Calling those of you with oily/spot prone skin!

Its official, I'm fed up of my skin, and even more so with the money Ive spent on products that don't work for me/live it up to expectation!!

In the last 2 months I bought up 3/4 of the Simple skincare range, which failed to work for me in the long run.  I bought 4 items from Neal Yard.. which up until now Im not that happy with, its ok, but not ok enough for the price I paid!  Alas, I will stick with it so I'm not wasting money!  But after that I'm onto something new, and hopefully better!



So Im wondering if any of you have skin like mine; prone to breakouts and very oily, what do you use, what have you found that works??

I was thinking of trying out the Clinque 3 Step system again.  I have tried that before but I can't remember if it made my skin more oily?  I was also going to try out Estee Lauder too, but Ive just received a very unhelpful email from them, so I'm instantly put off..  I don't want a generic email telling me to go to one of their counters just so I can be badgered into buying everything they recommend.. So, if they cant be bothered to help, I cant be bothered to take it any further either!

I just want clear skin, less oil, smaller pores and a more even tone..  Too much to ask?

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50 Q's Tag

Howdy!


I was going to do a FOTD today (well, 'yesterday' now.  This has been sat as a draft since last night!), but.. oddly, I noticed Ive got some weird hyperpigmentation going on.  Ive no idea why its there or whats causing it, but I'm unable to cover it up.  I normally apply my make up in rubbish lighting in the morning and I barely look at myself after that, then come the evening I always end up washing in the dark (I don't like to wake myself up with the light.. weird?  Maybe!).  But today I noticed something odd looking on my mush!  At first I figured Id just rubbed my eye and then my cheek with mucky mascara fingers, but sure enough after I had a wash its there, weird brown patches on my forehead and cheeks.  These nice patches don't cover, even when I go a shade darker in the hopes the rest blends in, its just there looking kinda muddy under my foundation.. And now I know its there I keep looking at it!


So there it is, FOTD out the window!


Thankfully the beautiful Louisa at http://louisamayscotney91.blogspot.com/ has saved the day by tagging me with the 50 Q tag (Thank you!) :)


Where were you 3 hours ago? In my kitchen sulking because I couldnt find anything wheat free for my dinner!

Who are you in love with? For this Id have to say my fiance..  But I love my son more than anyone in the world!

Have you ever eaten a crayon? Not yet, although I might consider it if its found to be wheat-free.. Last resort an all..

Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yep, the pink notebook Im on!

When is the last time you went to the mall? The 'mall' when I was 12 and in Florida!  Is that what we're calling it now, a 'Mall'.. Im probably behind the times, you crazy kids you!  The last time I was in a shopping centre.. errrrr about a month ago!  And it was a cr*p one at that.. And the doorways smelled of wee wee!  

Are you wearing socks right now? No, Im in bed.  I dont do socks in bed


Does your family have a car worth over $2,000? In £'s thats about £1200 right??  If it is then yes! lol

When was the last time you drove out of town? That would be Sunday.

Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? No, and I think the last time was close to 4 years ago!  What can I say, Im tight and Id rather wait for the DVD!

Are you hot? My face feels flushed actually.. And 5 more minutes of that might bring out the hypochondriac in me!

What was the last thing you had to drink? Water. Live the dream.

What are you wearing right now? Red pj bottoms with a v-neck polka dot vest from La Senza.

Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? I dont do it because I cant reach the top.. And again, too tight for the car wash, and truth be told they freak me out a bit..  My fella will do it once a blue moon for me!

Last food that you ate? A tuna pasta.. thing.

Where were you last week at this time? Probably the same place as I am now!  Thats what having kids does for your social life!

Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Yes, a blue and white stripe dress, a floral and stripe vest, and 2 pairs of pumps, and all for less than £25, yay!  Gotta love George!

When is the last time you ran? Errrrr, probably last week, chasing after my son around a park!

What's the last sporting event you watched? I stuck out 5 minutes of the Grand Prix about a fortnight ago, maybe longer!

What is your favorite animal? Dogs.

Your dream vacation? Anything that involves some peace and quiet.. A chillaxing holiday please!

Last person's house you were in? My sons friends Mums house!

Worst injury you've ever had? Errrr, I think Ive been pretty lucky here.. Ive gotta say something, so it would have to be the graze I got after coming off my scooter when I was little!  What!??  It was massive.. Honest!!.

Have you been in love? Yes, most definitely!

Do you miss anyone right now? Yes.




Last play you saw? Chicago, and I can safely say I hated every waking moment of it!


What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? Being 30 + being a Mum = Being invisible!  (for me anyway!) lol 
 Ive no idea, its been 6 years since I had to lure anyone in!  Perfume maybe?  I can't say boobs since mine are like lil fried quail eggs!


What are your plans for tonight? Soaking my feet in the foot spa and saying hello to my Ped-Egg!


Who is the last person you sent a Facebook message or comment? Am I the only person who rarely uses Facebook and Twitter?  It was probably when I said Thank you  for my birthday messages... A week ago!


Next trip you are going to take? Nothing planned as yet. 


Ever go to camp? No!


Were you an honor roll student in school? I dont think so, I can't remember!



What do you want to know about the future? What my son will be like when hes older, what career he will have etc..  And if I will ever have bigger bangers..


Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Something by Emporio Armani.. 'She' maybe, I dont know!


Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit? No, but Im sure I'll be there moaning about this weird skin thing going on on my face!



Where is your best friend? In bed!



How is your best friend? Probably sleepy!



Do you have a tan? I have a St Moritz one, and its not too bad.. there might be a digestive biscuit scent about it, but it will do!



What are you listening to right now? The goggle-box



Do you collect anything? No, but I really want to start collecting snow globes!  :0p



Who is the biggest gossiper you know? Probably my Nanna!



Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? About 3 years ago.  He pulled me over for flashing my lights at someone driving at me on the wrong side of the road!  I got stopped first and was spoken to like sh*t and told not to be aggressive!??



Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Yes



What does your last text message say? 'Phone fund gives you money off a new handset at Orange'  Gotta love those pointless texts from Orange..Especially the ones that wake you up in the morning (b*stards!!)!!



Do you like hot sauce? No, it gives me ring-sting!   At least Im honest!



Last time you took a shower? lol at Louisa's answer :'Just now, I will wash this dye out of my hair, even if its the last thing I do!'  Mine was about 6 hours ago, for the exact same reason!!



Do you need to do laundry? Yes, thankfully though none of it is mine!



What is your heritage?  Ive no idea, Im English and thats all I know.. I'm clueless about anything else, family trees, ancestors, all that stuff..  Perhaps I should learn about it!



Are you someone's best friend? I hope so! 



Are you rich? I wish!!



What were you doing at 12AM last night? Having mad passionate sex!  
.... In reality I was fast asleep!






I tag Jo at http://www.beautyliciouslove.com/   And anyone else who reads my blog!   :)

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Monday 26 April 2010

Tara Smith shampoo and conditioner, my conclusion

Back in January I purchased a shampoo and conditioner from the Tara Smith range (you can check out that post here )

I realised I didnt update!  So here it is:

When I first washed my hair with these I wasn't bowled over, infact I felt Id made a mistake and I thought myself lucky Id only bought the small sizes!  I used it once or twice and disliked it enough to revert back to Herbal Essences as soon as possible!
For about a week it sat on the side of my shower just looking at me, so I figured I should give it a second chance!

I stuck with it this time and I actually found it to grow on me!

When I first used it I felt it wasn't conditioning enough, my hair felt tangled after and it didn't feel particularly well conditioned..  The next time I used it I tried a different approach and ended up using more of each product, especially the conditioner.  With the shampoo it was nothing like Id been used to, it was a runny liquid as apposed to the gel consistency you normally get, so shampooing with it took a bit more care.. I took my time as it didn't foam as well as my usual shampoo and I also found that I had to be careful with it in my palm so not to let it run away down the plug hole!  I also felt it needed more working due to the lack of foam (which we know really isn't necessary anyway, although it feels pretty nice!).. but with that also comes more massaging, which is a treat for your scalp anyway I guess!

The conditioner wasn't that rich, and in all honesty my dry hair could have used a deep treatment, or just something richer in general.. So I did find myself applying more than usual.

I felt with more effort they worked better, but not well enough to convince me to stick with the brand.  Im not against more effort, I just felt the results didn't live up to expectations!   If I'm going to work for it I want something in return!

On the whole I felt my hair was in ok condition at the end of my trial, perhaps slightly better than using shampoo with more chemicals for instance.. But I still ended up reverting back to other shampoos, if just to feel that silicone-coated smoothness!
I feel the major downside to both the shampoo and conditioner was that it just wasn't conditioning enough, I felt I always had to follow with the serum and yet even with that I still had tangled hair.  I also found that my hair would tangle easy at the back throughout the day (this occurred mainly near the nape of my neck through to the ends, probably from rubbing on collars etc)..

If you want to give it a go I wouldn't actually advise not to, unless you have hair similar to mine, then you might want to look at a more conditioning range.  I do really like the ingredients inside Tara Smiths range, the fact they're very natural, but they just weren't for me..

..and of course, ever since I started using Phyto Im in love!
[ ... ]

Foundation issues!!

Dear oh dear..


I will hide my shame for a while, long enough to give you a quick overview of the foundations I own and what I think about them!

From left to right:
Rimmel Lasting Finish - 200 Soft beige (Summer shade)
Rimmel Stay Matte - 100 Ivory (Winter shade)
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - Nude (I also have Ivory for Winter)
Maybelline Pure Mineral Foundation - Nude (ditto above!)
Maybelline Pure Mineral Powder foundation - Nude ( ditto above!)
Barbara Daly Oil-free Foundation - Almond
L'Oreal True Match Minerals (Powder) - W3 (I have W1 for Winter, and W5 for Summer, although W4 would be better (I mix it with W3 instead))
L'Oreal True Match Mineral Liquid - W1 (I have W4 for Summer)
Estee Lauder Double-Wear light - Intensity 2
Clinque Anti-blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup - Ivory
Clinique Superfit Foundation - 05 Neutral
Revlon Colorstay (for Oily/comb skin) - 180 Sand Beige
Revlon Colorstay Mineral Foundation - 040 Light Medium

Wow.. Thats a hell of a lot of foundation there in that picture!!  Thats not to mention the other shades for Summer that I have in my drawer.. Then theres the ones I bought that were too pinky and got given away, or the Revlon Beyond Natural that Ive not yet opened (hence it not being in the photo as Ive no idea what its like yet) or the others that I just disliked and gave away!
I was going to put the prices in the list, but Im not brave enough to do that today!  Seeing it all totted up, what Ive spent over the last year or so.. Nah, I don't think so!!

So to give a quick overview..

For me, the Rimmel Lasting Finish is ok, its pretty good.  Rimmel claim it lasts 16 hours and is transfer resistant, it doesn't do either on me, but keep in mind how oily my skin is, on others with a combination skin maybe it would last closer to the 16 hours, but for me, nope.. with a setting powder perhaps it would last longer, as with all of them, but I dislike this look unless its a night out!  The coverage is medium I feel, it doesnt feel heavy or cakey and its quite matte.  Colour wise I feel Rimmel are good, theyre not too neutral and the shades Ive had so far are yellow toned enough to be a good match.

The Rimmel Stay Matte, again, a lovely foundation and I think I prefer this to the Lasting Finish, I find the overall look of it is a prettier one, perhaps a little lighter.  I do want  to give it another go now, but I will have to purchase the right shade, a darker one.  Rimmel claim this lasts 12 hours, I feel it does last a little longer, or at least keep my shine at bay for a little longer than the other.  This is enriched with Chamomile, cucumber and cotton.  Its talc free, oil free, paraben free and fragrance free.

The Maybelline Mineral Powder's, I have 3 of them and all 3 (with the exception of 1 perhaps, but only just) seem to pinky or too neutral for me.  Again, with Mineral Powder foundation they barely last 2 hours without my shine showing through!  I was a fan of this for a long time, but since I discovered the L'Oreal True Match mineral these have hardly been touched!  The L.T.M also made me realise that the Maybelline one could be a better colour match for me.

The Maybelline Pure Mineral liquid is nice, the colour match ('nude') is much much better, not as pinky and gives me a really nice glow on application.  Its not matte yet its not too dewy either.  Again, the staying power of this on me isn't great at all, I get about 3 hours before Im shiny..  If it lasted longer/kept shine at bay I would love this foundation!

The Barbara Daly.. I cant really comment on this properly, as I remember it Ive only used it 3 or 4 times so I cant give a better opinion.  If I remember rightly I found this a little hard to blend, the staying power was good, but there was something else about it that I wasn't overly keen on.. Time to try it again I think!

Both the L'Oreal True Match liquid and powder I really really like, again, I would love them if they lasted longer!  The colour match on me is one of the best!  I find them both give me a really nice look on my skin, a little glowy, not too matte and yet not really shiny either, having said that, if you get a little heavy handed with the powder one it can go shimmery on the skin.  My biggest problem with these again, is staying power!  I apply it in the morning and by dinnertime, they can slip or look like they're just sitting on top of a layer of oil.. which I know is what theyre actually doing, but I don't want that to be visible to everyone else too!

Estee Lauder Double-wear Light.. Ive come to the conclusion that my skin doesn't like this one!  I wore it for the first time and I noticed that evening I had lots of tiny little yellow spots (Sorry, gross I know)..  I wore it again a few days later and I didn't notice anything terrible, yet the next few times I wore it I noticed more of those little spots again!   The finish on this is really nice, its a natural, almost sheer looking light-medium buildable coverage that blends well and allows your skin to breathe, it would be good for Summertime.. Having said that I don't think it builds that much, so if you want something with a fuller coverage look to the original Double-wear.  I think this one, due to its spot factor, will soon find its way on Ebay.. again, without the spots it would have been a very nice foundation!

The Clinique Anti-blemish.. Well I have a review on that, so you can check out the link to previous posts on the right of this page, or I will probably link it in here somewhere later..

Clinique Superfit.. This was the first foundation I ever truely fell in love with, but Im 99% convinced that somewhere along the lines they started fiddling around with the shades, hence it being rare I ever find one that matches, usually theyre just too pink toned.  So, this is just sitting there, any by rights, should perhaps be in the bin (its probably WAY past its shelf life!)

Revlon Colorstay, Ive never understood the hype around these!  I hate them, yet I know so many swear by them!  The liquid is so hard to blend, the colours are always too neutral/pink based and never look right on me, I also find the coverage too heavy and mask like.. Again, these probably should be on Ebay!

The Revlon Mineral Powder.. again, too pinky, too chalky and just doesn't look nice on the skin.  A big thumbs down from me on this one!  Oh, and dont even get me started on the packaging.. that weeny, tiny brush thats probably only good for a Borrower or some other teeny person!  Urgh!

I also owned the MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC20.   I loved the look of this on my skin, it was really nice, it lasted well on my oil skin and gave me a nice soft dewy appearance, the colour match was great too.  The downside to this, as with many people, is the fact it broke me out, had it not done that I think it would have been my HG foundation, I loved it otherwise!  Another bad point for me was that it could easily verge in Mask-like territory, so applying a little at a time was key!







[ ... ]

My bit on the side..

get your mind out of the gutters   ;0p

I do have a lil thing I like to do on the occasional weekend, and that thing would be card making!

OK, so first off let me say I'm not going to be posting about card making regularly, it's more than likely to be once in a blue moon, if at all!  I just thought it would be nice to show you what I get up to every now and then!
I did consider making a separate blog, maybe giving step-by-step instructions on the cards that I make, but in all honesty Ive only been doing it for about 1 year, and during that time Ive only made about two dozen cards, if that.  I'm also not that good at it, I don't know what the terms are for this and that, I just play around, so giving people instructions, when I don't know what I'm doing myself sometimes, seems a bit laughable!

When I began I was taking pictures of each card I made, I wanted to look back on them for ideas, and I also wanted to chart my progress.. but I cant seem to find my older pictures, so from now on I think I will take more pictures.. but take better care of them!

Anyway, here is a card Ive made for my parent's anniversary next month.  I feel I could do more to it but I'm not quite sure yet, so for the time being this is the way it is!

You open the ribbon bow and this is the inside:


I couldn't get the pink bird inside the heart pop-out to behave, it kept turning.. The thread is also less visible in  real life, but you get the general idea!

Like I say, it needs something more, but I kinda like it as it is.. for now anyway! :)

[ ... ]

Friday 23 April 2010

Sweet Blogger award

Whoo hoo an award!

I've been nominated for this award by beautiful Louisa at http://louisamayscotney91.blogspot.com/


She's a relatively new blogger (like me!), but I really enjoy her style of blogging.  Theres a mix of personal stuff (I like being nosy at peoples photos!), beauty reviews, FOTD's..  I just think its a really enjoyable blog, so feel free to check her out here.

Here are the rules! Give this award to 10 sweet and friendly bloggers. Make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you. Put the award on your blog. Then let your nominated 10 know you've awarded them by leaving a comment.. its as easy as that!


Here are my nominated 10!:


Abbie at http://abbiebabby.blogspot.com/  


Emily at http://www.beautybroadcast.net/


Rachel at http://queenofturquoise.blogspot.com/


Sinead at http://daintydollymix.blogspot.com/


Toffee at http://moonbeamstarlight.blogspot.com/


Amy at http://www.amyantoinette.com/


Lauren at http://laurensdressingroom.blogspot.com/


Lisa at http://beautybylisasz09.blogspot.com/

Sophie at http://www.sophieismadeup.com/2010/04/ariel-guest-blogger-5.html

Georgie (I think!) at http://georgiexox.blogspot.com/

To be honest I found it quite hard to only pick 10, so feel free to check out all the blogs I follow.  I only follow people whom I'm genuinely interested in reading.. I don't simply 'follow' in the hopes they follow me back, so if you like the style of the 10 Bloggers Ive nominated, chances are you'll like the others in my list too :)
[ ... ]

Thursday 22 April 2010

Spreadin' the lurve!


I just wanted to say a big thank you to Jo for mentioning me in her blog!

When I logged into Blogger yesterday afternoon I saw Id  got 34 followers (46 now, yay! *waves*), when I last logged in I had 25, so I wondered why Id got another 9!  Then I spotted my mugshot and thought 'What have I done.. Whats gone wrong with my pictures, that shouldn't be there..' and so on!
Hastily I clicked on me and it took me to Jo's post.. It did bring a tear to my eye to read it and I don't even have any PMT hormones to blame for that!  I'm perhaps a little too soft, but its safe to say I was, and still am genuinely touched!
Im sure all of my followers are already a follower of Jo's, but if by some small chance you're not (highly unlikely I know!), you can check her out here!  Shes quite hot stuff if I do say so myself!  And she seems to have her fella pretty well trained too.. Just how do you do that Jo, any tips for us!?! lol



And a big thank you to all of my followers for.. errr.. following! ;0)  *Waves again*  It does make me pretty damn happy to have you all around and to know that you want to read my posts.. While its pretty scary stuff having you here (the beauty blogger world is a tough one to compete with) its also quite exciting!

Group hugs all round!!

xxxx

[ ... ]

Wednesday 21 April 2010

My Birthday and Jess


Another non beauty related post.. Feel free to skip if you're not interested :)

So yesterday was my Birthday (Im officially in my 30's now.. Yes, I do feel a little old, but Im sure it will sink in soon!).. It was a pretty quiet day tbh, but thats what I like.  I prefer to chill out than be out doing fancy stuff, or worse still, have a surprise party or something!

My Mr kindly took the day off to be with me and he gave me a break from doing the school run and took our son to school for me.. We lazed away the morning until about 10.30am, then he asked me if I wanted to see Jess.  I wasn't so sure, I wanted her to be a bit of a surprise, but in the end I couldnt resist, so off we went to see Jess in Derbyshire (about an hour away from us).

I can't believe how adorable she is!  There was another Lab there, a 6 month old girl and she was mental, which gives me an idea of where we'll be in 5 months time!!

Jess, falling asleep on me!

Jess, having a nap!
Jess is the little chunk at the very top (at '11 O'clock'!)...sorry about the poop on the carpet!
Morris, the golden one, likes to sleep on his brothers and sisters!
'Faith' the Great Dane!  She was HUGE!  On her back legs she's taller than my 6 foot Mr!
We got to meet her for half an hour.  On first impressions some people probably wouldn't trust her around other puppies, but she was just adorable, so gentle and she kept going around checking on each one!  At some points she was having her ears and cheeks nibbled on and she didn't bat an eyelid! :)
Faith (who like me struggles to gain weight!), getting nibbled on by Ribbon, another chocolate Labrador!

I can honestly see why people take dogs around hospitals and why they say they lower your blood pressure etc! A few hours spent with Jess chilled me out no end.. within 20 mins of leaving her I felt all stressed out again!  She made my day!  Only 3 weeks and 3 days to go!!
We can go back whenever we want to see her, the more contact the better.. While Id love to be there every day its just a little bit expensive with the cost of diesel.. (Thanks Mr Gordon Brown, its now £1.22 here!), but we will try as often as possible.
In a couple of weeks we will need to go back with a worn T shirt because the breeder will start spending some time with her each day introducing my scent to her.. I cant wait!

By the time we got back it was around 2.15pm, so just enough time to eat before picking our son up from school.. When they both got back my lil man was feeling under the weather so we just chilled out together!  I got looked after though, I barely had to lift a finger all day and in the evening I got a nice massage - yay for Birthdays! lol

I hope you all had a lovely day too :)



[ ... ]

Phyto range, a review


A few months ago I saw a review on a Phyto shampoo and conditioner.  In the review there were so many positive points about the products.  A few were that they produced better looking hair, hair thats shinier, has more volume, and another was less fallout..

Thats probably one of the main issues I have!  The amount of hair that I lose is shocking.. to me anyway!  I wont go as dramatic to say 'hand fulls' of hair come out at a time, but I can get definately a good pinch of hair out after Ive washed it, after I take my hair out of the towel theres lots and lots of little hairs hanging out from the lengths, plus there'll be a good pinch of hair coming out whilst shampooing.. and thats not saying what else falls out on its own and disappears, or should I say blocks the plughole (usually after the 2nd or 3 shampoo the plug will be blocked with my hair)!

I would certainly say that my hair has suffered through me being under some stress over the last few years aswell, not to mention the damage Ive done to it through colouring (and probably internally through not drinking enough water!).  I've lost a lot of hair these last few years and my hair looks see-through towards the ends, I've basically lost alot of density and it would be nice to get that back thank you!

So I thought, less fallout?  SOLD!

The first time I browsed these products I pretty much forgot about them once I saw the prices!  £10 for a shampoo, which I guess isn't that bad on its own, but as I like to use a conditioner from the same range I figured £20 for a shampoo and conditioner was just silly.   So I stuck to my Herbal Essences and Tresemme, and anything else I needed to use up (AKA project bathroom!).

For a while I'd chop and change brands due to what I felt my hair needed.  Herbal Essences I found was a great for clarifying.  Tresemme 24hr body was good for Volume.  The Aussie ones I had were good for conditioning and making my hair feel a bit softer.  But, I just felt unhappy with a number of things, one being the amount of hair I was losing, but I also felt that if I wanted  body from the Tresemme ones I had to miss out on softness.. If I used the Aussie for a conditioning I felt I had to miss out on volume, and if I used the Herbal Essences I had to lose out on conditioning!

Like most girls, I want it all, not an either or situation!


So I looked over the Phyto review again and decided to have a better look into things.

I took myself off to the Phyto website again and to be honest, I had no idea where to start!  I looked over the products and just had no idea as my hair falls into a few categories; dry, lacking in volume, coloured/damaged and also fine and easily broken/prone to shedding.  So I decided to email them as ask them which products would be suitable, I wrote a little bit about my hair type/s, what I felt I wanted and what was the most problematic for me, clicked send and then expected a reply within a few days.  20 minutes later a reply came through!  I was surprised at this as I dont think Ive ever had a company reply within such a short space of time, so immediately I felt this was a huge positive for the brand!

The representative recommended:
Pre-Shampoo: *PhytoPolliene – used once a week only (6 drops), can be applied at night, and then rinsed out next morning with chosen shampoo
Shampoo: PhytoDensium Shampoo (2-3 times a week)
PhytoLactum (if you wash your hair more frequently)
Conditioner/Mask: *PhytoJoba Mask (2-3 times a week from mid length to the end of the hair, conditioners should not go near the scalp)
PhytoDensium Mask (once a week as a deep conditioning treatment)
Detangling: *PhytoMist Leave in detangler – this will help to restore shine to colour treated hair, but will also help with detangling and hydrating
Treatment for thinning hair: PhytoCyane Treatment (3 times a week for the first month, use on towel dried hair, applied directly to the scalp and then style as usual)
Other products you can use on a daily basis: Phyto 7 – daily hydrating cream, apply a pea size amount from midlength to the ends of the hair, this can be re-applied during the day.
Styling: If you blow-dry your hair, I would recommend using Volume Actif, this is perfect for giving lift at the roots.
The ones with a * by them, are the ones I purchased.






(Please excuse my washed out photo!)
Now I did misread the email a little (numpty!) and I purchased the Phytocyane shampoo instead of the treatments.  I emailed her re this shampoo and she replied immediately saying that she felt the shampoo may be a little too drying for my hair, hence her recommending the treatment instead, however as Id already placed my order (with Boots) I felt Id give it a go anyway.  To be honest  my hair has been fine with it and its not dried out my hair at all.
What I do is use the Phytopolleine once a week.  This stuff smells AMAZING!  I apply the 6 drops, massage it in and leave it in for 30mins and then it wash out.  I really should leave it in overnight to get the full benefit, but I am impatient!  What I noticed with this is that it fills the room with a wonderful scent, that in itself is relaxing.. Add in a willing partner who can massage it in and youre on to a winner!!  
I can't say what the results are with this as yet, I supect it will take much longer than 3 weeks to see the full benefit of it.

I use the shampoo every 2 or 3 days too.  I pour out a capful of shampoo and distribute it evenly over my scalp avoiding the ends, I give a quick massage then rinse off.  I then take another 3/4 capful and distribute it evenly again.. What I do notice though, is that by the time Ive distributed the shampoo its already began foaming by itself witout the need of massaging (I dont know why, but Im impressed by that)!  I then massage my scalp for a few minutes thenleave it there for approx 5 mins. 




What I've noticed is that my hair is shedding less and Im hoping that with prolonged use that I will shed even less - a massive plus in my books!

I use the mask as my normal conditioner due to my hair being on the dry and damaged side.  I apply a 50p sized blob (I like the word 'blob'.. Simple minds, simple pleasures..!) and apply that to the lengths and ends avoiding my roots.  This is left on for 2-5 minutes, depending how impatient I am!
What I find with this is that the scent alone is to die for, its super lush!  Its sort of citrusy, fresh, mildly fruity and really awakens your senses.. Its probably my favourite part when taking a shower!
The main thing to say about this is that I don't find it weighs down your hair like some deep conditioners, its just intensely hydrating yet light at the same time.

Overall Im really really happy I purchased them, and while it is quite an expensive brand (although not as expensive as some) I feel its worth it as I can honestly say my hair hasn't been in this good a condition for an extremely long time.  I find myself touching my hair all the time too as Im amazed at how soft it feels, its soft in a 'my hair' way, not a silcone coated one!  And while Im not going to be modelling my hair on some shampoo advert, for me the Phyto range is doing wonders, especially considering the damage thats been done over the years!  


(My fiance has also noticed how much softer my hair is too, so if even he's noticed it must be good!)

Im afraid the hair care side of project bathroom is out the window!  From now on Im sticking with Phyto because they actually work for me!

If you want to know more about what Phyto say about each product, some ingredients, the sizes and how much I paid, check the post below.. I felt it was too long to put all in one humongous post!



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