Friday, 22 April 2011

Everyday Essentials: Part 1 - Haircare

Hey you lovely lot,


Everyday Essentials review here we come. Out of all items mentioned in this blog post, if you do not have one get yourself a tail end comb. They're cheap and can be an absolute saving grace. So, here goes nothing:


Firstly, in my hair bible I have my trusty GHDS.  
I realize that a lot people have them. They are great... they straighten effectively, they curl effectively and most of all quickly. One stupid thing I particularly liked is the plug, if you have a pair of GHDs or have seen them you will know that the plug is quite big and stands out. This is absolutely amazing for me, because in the morning when I'm feeling dazed I tend to clumsily plug anything in and wonder why magically things aren't working.. but because this plug is so noticeable I have no issue. I'd say if you're in need of a new pair of straighteners, you're unsure what to get for your birthday gift or you've had a pair which has broken and you're unsure about re-investing do it, get yourself a pair of GHDs. They can be found in hair salons or if you wish to purchase online you can do so here: http://straighteners.ghdhair.com/ or here: http://www.asos.com/Beauty/A-To-Z-Of-Brands/Ghd/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=1904&WT.oss=GHD&WT.oss_r=1&oss_pv=1&DCSext.oss_url=1 . 


One thing I could not live without is a tail comb (I think that’s the name). 
These are really cheap and are great for teasing, separating and slicking things back. They are great for ensuring that products are combed through the hair effectively and I know friends who find them good when using home hair dye kits. They are pretty easy to track down and you can get them for under £1. I have two one with a plastic end and one with a really thin metal end. I use them both all the time, but love the metal ended one for sectioning hair. The Chanel style buns are in, and I feel that I can do the style more justice with one of these as I’m better able to slick the hair back and get rid of lumps and bumps. One of the best under £1 items I’ve got. This is more expensive than I paid but I'm sure there's cheaper options: http://www.boots.com/en/Trevor-Sorbie-Tail-Comb_868082/ 

A recent edition to my collection is the V05 volumizing spritz.
 This product was a last minute buy. It is reasonably priced and is straight forward to use. I have thin hair and teasing tends to work for a limited period of time. I have found this to help with making my hair a bit fuller. It smells good and you don’t need to use that much. This product doesn’t seem to clog up my hair or dry it out which is essential for me as it's prone to both. This is widely available too and is about £3, so if you’re unsure what to do and are a sufferer of thin lifeless hair like me and you don’t want to spend excessive amounts on a product, I’d recommend this. http://www.superdrug.com/styling/vo5-heat-defence-volume+lift-spritz-150ml/invt/307130/ You can get this in UK supermarkets too for a similar price.

The second part of this will follow soon and will contain a conditioner, heat protector spray and some other little essentials. 

Speak soon lovelies,
Peace, Love, Hugs
Keep smiling
Emily x

I am a bit of a sheep when it comes to E.L.F.

Hi Again... only me,
In the past I've heard of E.L.F. cosmetics (eyes.lips.face) and I've always felt that I've never really had a need to venture down that route. I've always felt covered if I wanted a good cheaper end product.  However, yesterday I heard a fellow Mac junkie rave about a few of the e.l.f. products, so this really got me interested. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least! The website is so easy to use and accessible, there's so much choice, like tons of choice and you get to create a wishlist. The cheap prices and good colour range on the products made me eager to try some and has wound up with me having a rather extensive wish list. I was a bit unsure about what to purchase and mainly ended up ordering a few of the basic brushes. I don't know if my initial reaction is based on the fact that I assumed there would be so little choice and I didn't feel like there'd be anything for me. There's not as much as choice as other make up brands. But, I'm sure there's something for everyone.

 Below there will be a list of what I ordered  and the prices in UK £ and US$ when possible. They do have special offers on in both the US and UK and advertise it willingly, which is even more of a bargain. Delivery too seemed reasonably cheap, and I got plenty of order confirmation, so I'm happy with that.

I have my reservations on the quality of this brand and don't expect miracles because I'm paying a small amount in comparison to what I would expect to pay. I think this could be a really exciting discovery for me and if all goes well I'm sure I'll be testing and incorporating some of these products into my daily routine.

The list I finally decided on:
Brushes:
Elf Concealer Brush: £1.50/ $1
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~38.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/tools/brushes_and_applicators/concealer_brush
Elf Total Face Brush: £1.50/$1
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~39.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/tools/brushes_and_applicators/total_face_brush
Elf Eyeshadow Brush: £1.50/$1
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~41.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/products.asp?dept_id=2105
Blending Eye Brush: £1.50/$1
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~45.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/tools/brushes_and_applicators/blending_eye_brush
Eye Crease Brush: £1.50:
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~223.htm

Make-up set:
Beauty Encyclopedia - Everyday Eyes: £6/$5:
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~184.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/sets/beauty_encyclopedia_basic_eye_edition

Blush:
Tickled Pink: £3.50/$3
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~160.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/studio_blush

Eye Products:
Eye Widener:£1.50/$1
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~53.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/eyeliner/eye_widener
Eye Primer & Liner sealer:£3.50/$3
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~116.htm
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/eyes/eyeliner/eye_primer_and_liner_sealer

This is where you can find E.L.F.:
UK: http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/
USA: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/
Various EU countries: http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/customerservices.htm - Open the delivery tab and scroll to the bottom or alternatively there are country flags at the top of the site.

Hope you're as excited as me,
Peace, Love, Hugs
Emilyx

Everyday Essentials: Part 1

Hey again,

Sorry again, for the poor picture quality.  I'll keep you updated on the camera saga which hopefully should be resolved soon.

Anyway, the point of the post is to share some things I'd simply be lost without. Everyone has these, some you will know, some you won't and some you'll use different brands. I am by no means saying these are the greatest out there and that there is a one size fits all attitude to products, but they are what I like and what I go to religiously.
The first one is a bit of a mixed bag...
You can expect:
GHDS (Investment) -  and a reason you've probably never thought of to justify your purchase
Converse(Investment/Essential) - my claim to fame. I was way ahead of the converse trend and already bagged myself a pair so knew how practical and comfortable they actually wear.
Tail end comb (Essential) - Cheap as chips.
V05 volumizing spritz (Essential for hair lacking volume) - I couldn't live without it.
COCO Chanel Madamoiselle (Try before you buy Investment) - Don't judge a book by its cover
Garnier Skin Naturals summer body (Summer Essential) - because Tango isn't the way to go.
Brogues (Investment/Essential) - simply done.
Dior Show Extase eyeliner/mascara (Investment) - Instant amazement.
Toni & Guy Iron-it Heat Defence Spray(Essential) - Good haircare
Models Own nail polish in black (Essential) - Easy
Clamp (Essential) - Does what it says on the tin
Benefit Valley of the stars (Travel Essential) - Products which are great on their own
Bobby pins/ Hair Grips (Essential) - For bad hair days and general use
AUSSIE Luscious Long Leave-In Conditioner (Essential) - Hit and miss
Anatomicals Help the Paw hand cream (Essential)- When we need a little skin pick me up
MAC waterproof mascara (Good to have) - The other option.

Speak soon always keep smiling,
Peace, love, hugs,
Emily x




Minor Dilemma

Hey all,

This is a spare of the moment post. I accidentally stumbled upon the stats bar whist trying to get to grips with how to use blog spot. I found that people had actually visited the page and felt really guilty that there was nothing of value on the page for them to look at. I was going to delay posting as I had a freak camera accident and cut a long story short mine broke, so  I was going to wait until I stumbled upon a new camera... but, now I'm not. This does mean that temporarily you will have to put up with poor quality pictures courtesy of my Blackberry, so sorry for that. To try and make it up to you I will be posting a fair few things in a short space of time. :) Firstly you can look forward to my first part of Everyday Essentials and secondly a little note on an order I placed today. 

See you soon and remember to keep smiling
Peace, love, hugs
Emily x



Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Little Things

There are things in this life that make it a bit more worth while... Special things, things you take for granted and  things you simply couldn't live without. I realized this very recently and so created a blog in hope that someone somewhere out there in this big wide world may find something that they too could learn to love from me... or, could save money and avoid some products which aren't so great. You can expect to find reviews, recommendations and an honest opinion on all things beauty related. 


Emilyx