2014 Favourites

Hi everyone,

I don't usually do blogposts about my monthly favourites but I wanted to do one big post about all of my 2014 favourites because there were quite a lot of products that I fell in love with last year. January is almost over but I thought I may as well post it anyway. Better late than never! 

I've already reviewed a few of them on my blog already and I'll leave links in case you want to read a more in depth description about any of those. There will also be a few I haven't blogged about yet so hopefully it will be an interesting read.

Skincare

Bebe More Melt Away Cleanser

This was my go to cleanser throughout 2014. It's cheap and works wonders! I'm pretty sure that it's part of the reason why my skin looked and felt nice throughout the whole year. It's paraben free and is great for cleanising sensitive skin. It has a foamy, mousse like texture and I found it to be moisturing. It's great for moving any excess makeup and leaves my skin  feeling extremely clean and soft. I'm on my second tube already and will probably repurchase it once that one is done. Read more about it here.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat

My skin can get quite oily during the summer and I used this on a daily basis. It worked extremely well at reducing the oil and keeping my complexion looking matte. It felt really nice on and didn't bother my sensitive skin at all. It's quite expensive but a tiny bit goes a long way and it has lasted me a really long time. 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo +

I was a huge fan of the original Effaclar Duo and had been since 2012. Contrary to the original version, the Effaclar Duo + claims to prevent marks on the skin as well as correcting imperfections and unclogging pores (like the original). The consistency and texture has also changed. Where the first was more like a transparent gel, this one is creamier and white in colour. The first few times I used it, I was rather disappointed as it seemed to cause more breakouts but I was determined to stick with it as once again it's fairly expensive. After a while it cleared up my skin and I fell in love with it. I apply it after cleansing and toning, before putting on makeup.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I.

Another long time favourite that I've never blogged about. This one is targeted more specifically at preventing spots and imperfections. I can't fault it. It has always worked wonders whenever my skin decides to play up. I apply it to any spots and redness just before going to sleep after cleansing and toning my skin. That way it has time to work it's magic over night. 

Makeup & Brushes

Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set

2014 was the year I decided to invest in these beauts. I did a blogpost on the original set here and my lovely mum bought me the eye brush set for Christmas. I adore these brushes, they're super soft and do their jobs extremely well. You get a bunch of different brushes, each with their own individual use (although feel free to use them for different things). The quality is incredible and I actually prefer them to my other brushes. 65€ may seem a lot for makeup brushes but when you calculate it, it works out to +/-5€ per brush which is amazing. Also there is the added fact that they are rose gold! So beautiful.

NARS Blush in Dolce Vita

I hadn't been using a lot a face products for a while but I fell back in love with this blush towards the end of last year (summer and autumn in particular). It's the most gorgeous deep red/pink colour and looks amazing on my skin (if I do say so myself). I've had it for over two years now and still haven't hit pan. As it's NARS, it is expensive but if you have money to spend and fancy getting a new blush, I definitely recommend it. I've written about it here.

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in 49 Liasion & NARS Lipstick in Heatwave

Both of these lipsticks were featured in my Top 10 Lipsticks for Spring/Summer which you can read here. They're both beautiful, both expensive, both amazing. i love pairing Liaison with a brown smokey eye and Heatwave with winged liner. They're both creamy but Heatwave has a matte finish and Liaison has more of a pearl finish.

MAC Palette

I almost completed my MAC palette last year and I found myself using it on a day to day basis. When it comes to eyeshadows, MAC is definitely up there with my top favourites. Amazing quality, beautiful colours and reasonably priced. The ones I used the most were Sable, Mulch, Patina, Charcoal Brown and Naked Lunch but I adore all of them. Read more about my palette here.

Hair Products

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme

This has to be one of my all time favourite new discoveries of last year. I first started using it in March or April and have since repurchased it, despite it being fairly expensive. I really think that this has been the main reason why the condition of my hair has improved so drastically. It really is a hair saviour. Read more here.

Nivea Diamond Gloss Shampoo & Conditioner

Hands down my favourite shampoo and conditioner. They smell amazing and leave my hair looking glossy and feeling super soft. I always go back to these no matter how many other products I try. I wrote a more in depth blogpost about them here.

MoroccanOil & Kérastase Ciment Thermique

These two have been long term favourites of mine. I use them both religiously after every wash and they haven't stopped doing their magic. They make my hair feel so soft and manageable as well as keeping it in good condition. They also both smell amazing! Price wise, they are expensive but you don't need to use a lot and I find they last between six months to a year. Read more about the Ciment Thermique here.

COLAB Dry Shampoo London

I bought this a few months ago and it has since become a firm favourite. I have always had a love/hate (more hate) relationship with dry shampoos. Whether it was the smell or the fact that they didn't really help, I could never find the perfect one. Until now that is! The London scent is lovely and it actually helps make my hair look presentable on the days in between washes. It was also incredibly cheap for such a big can.

Charles Worthington Salon at Home Strength & Repair Range

I wanted to try out some new hair products, since I always like change up my routine a bit and had asked my mum to get some Charles Worthington products as she was going over to England anyway.  I picked out the Salon at Home Strength & Repair range and she brought back a whole bunch of products for the both of us.

Shampoo & Conditioner

Out of all of these products, these are my least favourite which is a shame because I really wanted to like them. There's nothing wrong with my usual Nivea shampoo & conditioner but I do like mixing things up a bit when my hair starts to get used to them. I can't pinpoint what is wrong with them exactly, but using both the shampoo and conditioner together just did not work for my hair. I didn't notice my hair's condition get any better and after every use my hair would feel greasy which is obviously not the desired effect. It's a shame because they smell amazing. Whenever I use them with different products, for example this shampoo with a different conditioner, my hair wouldn't be as greasy but it still wouldn't be great. 

Heat Defence Spray

This is my favourite product of the whole range. I love it so much that it has become my go to heat defence spray. It smells amazing, just like the shampoo and conditioner, and doesn't have that weird chemical scent that some sprays have. It protects my hair really well and I've noticed less breakage. Contrary to all of the other heat defence sprays I've used, this one actually doesn't make my hair feel weird when I use it on dry hair. 

Longer & Stronger Hair Masque

This is my second favourite product. The only mask I usually use is my Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme which is a pre shampoo mask, and I wanted to try one that I could use after shampooing my hair. This mask made my hair feel softer and more manageable. I'll definitely repurchase it when it has run out which by the way will take some time as it is quite big.

Split Ends Binder

This is another one of those products that didn't really work for me. It was quite sticky and the minute I put it on, I regretted it. It made my hair feel really greasy and weighed it down quite a lot. I think it's a sample size, so hopefully it didn't cost too much (I can't remember if my mum got it for free or not) but it just didn't work for me which is a shame because if anything can magically get rid of my split ends then it's basically a miracle product.

New Hair & Hair Salon Tips

Before

accidental "L'Oreal swish" photo

After

I was feeling a bit fed up with my hair, as it looked really red and my roots were growing out, so I decided to get it redone. Learning from my past mistake of trying a different hairdressers, I stuck to my all time favourite one, Lisa Emmerich Coiffure in Bereldange. I knew I wanted to go dark for the colder months, and I figured it would be easier to maintain because my roots would grow out and there wouldn't be a line where one colour starts and the other ends. But I also wanted to have parts that were a lighter colour, to have a slight, subtle contrast instead of just one colour all over. What I didn't want was a full on ombre look. And I didn't want blonde or red streaks. So I spent some time looking for a good inspiration photo, which I found eventually. Since my hairdresser, Marina, had to dye all of my hair dark, she suggested that I only have a few dark brown highlights put in on top, rather than all over, to maintain the condition of my hair. I was just thrilled to no longer have two toned red brown hair.

After getting an amazing head massage (I almost fell asleep!), we moved on to the cut. I wanted all of the dead ends chopped off, but to keep it as long as possible, and a few long layers put in, so my hair wouldn't look like one big block. Marina also fixed my fringe, after it had been cut far too short back in April and looked dodgy. 

I'm really happy with how it turned out, although I feel like my hair is so much shorter now! My hair care routine managed to help it grow quickly after I got it cut last time, so I'm definitely sticking to that. 

I thought I would add some of my tips to going to the hairdressers and avoiding disappointment, as some people find it difficult and even avoid it sometimes. If, like me, you are useless at taking matters into your own hands and cutting/dyeing your own hair, then you might find these helpful.

1. Always know exactly what you want before you go.

There's no point in going to get your hair done if you aren't 100% sure about what you want to have done. It's basically a one way ticket to disappointment. Spend some time looking through magazines, blogs or Pintrest to get a clear idea of what you want to have done. Cut, colour, style, everything. If you want a trim and you are scared that they will chop too much off, say you want them to just get rid of the very ends and to maintain the length as much as possible, because you are trying to grow your hair out.

2. Always take photos!

Explaining what you want to your hairdresser can be hard because the image in your head might not be the same as their one. I think it's safe to say that the majority of people have a smartphone or a tablet or even a printer, so there's no excuse for not being able to bring a photo. I would suggest bringing a minimum of three photos: one of the colour, one of the cut (and fringe/bangs!) and finally one of the style. 

3. Don't be afraid to speak up!

I am painfully shy and have anxiety about talking to people (among other things of course). I was so nervous before going to the hairdressers, but I told myself it's your hair and if you don't like something then say so or suffer the consequences after. So if you aren't completely happy with the way your hairdresser is cutting your hair, then say so. If the water is too hot, speak up! If you want your fringe differently, say so. If you don't want layers, say so!  Even if they suggest it, if you don't want it done, let them know. I always make sure to have a chat with my hairdresser first and go over exactly what I want done. If I'm not sure about something, I will ask for their advice. But at the end of the day, it's up to you. 

4. Ask questions.

If you aren't sure what they are doing or if you are curious about something, ask them. It's always good to learn new things and understand their techniques.

5. Don't try to use professional terms.

Unless you are a professional, of course! But if you aren't, it's probably best to just describe what you want rather than use words that may not mean what you think they do. 

6. Don't feel pressured!

Don't feel pressured to buy the products they use. Don't feel pressured to agree with what they suggest. Don't feel pressured to be a chatty person, some people are just shy. It's ok to sit and read a magazine instead of trying to make conversation. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't say a word throughout the whole thing though.

7. Don't drink too much!

If you are going to get your hair cut and coloured, it's bound to take a long time, so it's probably best to avoid drinks that will probably make you desperate for a wee half way through the colouring process. And yes I speak from experience! Ask for a drink when they start to cut your hair, that way you will probably be safe.

8. Finding the right hairdresser is like finding your one true love.

It may sound overly dramatic but takes time to find the one that works for you. You have to go to a bunch of different ones, and you might not always be happy and you will feel disappointed at times but eventually you will find that one hairdresser where you come away feeling amazing every time. Remember, hair grows! 

I hope these tips help you!

What do you prefer to do with your hair during the colder months, go lighter or go darker?

Current Hair Care Routine

Hi everyone,

It has taken a few years of trying and testing hair products to find the ones that actually work well for me, and what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't share them with you.

I have tried all kinds of products, from high end to ones that are cheap as chips (from Poundland!) and have come to the conclusion that when it comes to shampoos and conditioners, price doesn't really change much. A really expensive shampoo will clean your hair just as well as a cheap one. It's the before and after shower products that I personally like to splurge on. 

I don't use the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme before every hair wash (I wash my hair every 2 or 3 days, which doesn't mean I shower every 2-3 days just in case you were worried!) just because it's so expensive and I want to be able to spread it out over a couple of months. I usually use it every Sunday because Sunday equals pamper day. I only started using it this year and am already on my second tub, that's how much I love the stuff. I have really noticed a huge difference, my hair is less damaged despite having had it dyed and bleached back in April. My hair has never been in better condition and I feel like this product plays a huge factor in that. If you want to read my full review, I will link it here.

I tend to change up my shampoo and conditioner a lot, but these are the two I always come back to. Nothing fancy or expensive, just good old Nivea. There are several different Nivea shampoos and conditioners that I like, one of which being the Long Repair range, but the ones I am currently using are the Diamond Gloss shampoo and conditioner. I adore the smell of them more than anything and it's the kind of scent that clings to the hair for a long time, and they do add a lovely shine to my hair. I shampoo twice and then use the conditioner on my lengths and ends and leave it on for a while before rinsing.

Now for after care. I have tried many different oils and my number one is MoroccanOil. It works best for my hair out of all of the ones I have previously tried. I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of it so I won't go into too much detail. I apply it on towel dried hair, just on the lengths and ends and then comb it through with my tangle teezer. 

Then I use Kérastase Ciment Thermique, also on the lengths and ends, and comb my hair again. I have a review of this as well, so I will leave a link here. I feel like these two products combined tame the frizz and keep my hair nice and shiny looking. 

And finally, I use a heat defense spray and the one I am currently using is the Lee Stafford Straight Heat Protection. It smells amazing, I love the smell of all of the Lee Stafford products. I spray it all over my hair, brush it through and then tie it all up in a towel.

When my hair is mostly dry, I use my hair dryer to finish it. I usually section my hair into three parts to make sure it's properly dried. 

And that's all I do in terms of hair care. I usually avoid using anything on my hair when it's dry, because it just makes my hair greasy. On day 3, I do tend to use dry shampoo on the roots if I choose to wear my hair down, but it usually lasts nicely and doesn't get horribly greasy on day 3.

Hope this has been helpful to some of you. Have a great weekend!