Hair-Care Update!

Being super cheeky today, I am blogging at work!! (Best be sneaky!) So... If you have been following my blog updates on my hair growth and hair care then you would know that I have been using the Lee Stafford Hair Growth treatment products, I had a ritual for while I was growing my hair. I vowed I wouldn't use any heat products on my hair i.e Straighteners, hair dryer, curlers etc, and this already improved the condition of my hair straight away. I used the Lee Stafford products every time I washed my hair, it made my hair feel and look so much better, as it was super brittle and horrible! 

TIMES HAVE CHANGED...

I have now stopped using the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment as I have now reached my desired hair length (just below my shoulders  its not too long and not too short, and still easy to tie up!) and now I am onto retaining and maintaining my natural blonde hair! I often have many urges to experiment my hair with semi-permanent dyes, but this can also really damage your hair condition but as well as the pigment of your hair, especially with blonde hair like mine! I found that once I had dyed my hair electric blue back in December, I was left with a pale pigmented blue tone on the top layer of my hair, and slowly began to get annoyed with the colour of my hair! So I began experimenting...

 I first began to decide to bleach my hair, yes I was going to strip my hair of the horrible tone my hair had gone... BUT, I spoke to my hairdresser and she absolutely refused to put bleach anywhere near my hair as it would take away my natural light blonde hair! So we had a chat about what I could do... We made a shampoo mix for my hair to a) maintain a good healthy condition and b) remove the top layer of blue tone on my hair. What did we use? We used a mixture of ; Johnson's Baby Camomile Shampoo & Conditioner (yes we used the conditioner in the shampoo!), John Frieda Sheer Blonde Shampoo, and Lemon Juice. Lemon Juice and Camomile are natural ingredients used to strip your hair, without the effect and damages of bleach! Yes it has taken a while, and I am no longer use my shampoo 'potion' for my hair, but now using the John Frieda Sheer Blonde 'Go Blonder' range products. The the shampoo and conditioner are a thick yellow substance, and have a beautiful smell! I always use more then the recommended amount I usually use a large

handful of both for my hair, and massage the products thoroughly into my hair and onto my scalp. I wash the products out of my hair with Cold water and this gives your have a nice sheen look once dried. I find with using these lovely products is that your hair, just like the Lee Stafford products give your hair a lovely silky feel! I love my hair feeling good! Again, with the Go Blonder Products there is no bleach contained in the products, so again no risk of damaging your hair! Fantastic!! I have noticed my hair slowly going back to its normal colour, still a long way to go but its getting there slowly!
I originally bought the Go Blonder Products from Boots at £4 each (£8 in total) but I made the magic discovery that Amazon does a monthly scheduled delivery and it turned out cheaper! I now get 2 bottles of Shampoo and Conditioner every month for an amazing £3.60 a bottle, in total adding up to £14.40, and for the same amount (2 shampoo's and 2 conditioners) from Boots was £16 and Waitrose was an astonishing £28 for the 4 bottles! So if you are like me and cannot resist a free bargain, and your products delivered to your door, then Subscribe upto the Amazon deal! 

Much Love and I shall be catching up on my blogging as I have a big haul coming up in the next week or sol!

Emma Victoria

xoxo 

The 'Must Haves' and The 'Never Again's' - January 2013

Hello Again! Its been a while hasn't it?! 

Well I know I'm 8 days late (my bad!) but I am now going to do my monthly products which I have bought this month and either love or hate! (Bare in mind my spelling may be terrible as I have just got home from doing a night shift at work!) Now I hate being a negative nelly but sometimes there is a product we have, and lets face it we all have at least one, that we would never buy or use again! Now as a side note, I would like to add that January for me as a beauty month has mainly been about hair styling so just be warned! 

Must Haves!

1.  BaByliss Pro-Curl Curling Tongs.

Now I have become very bored with my straight hair with the ends deciding they want to flick out making me look like Miss Hoolie from Balamory, so I decided I would finally purchase some curling tongs after I had been using my mum's old curling tongs she had from the 1980's! (Which were just a cheap pair, but have lasted so long until the ceramic finally started to wear!) Now these arrived on the 26th January and I've only just got round to using them as I have been so super busy at work!  And the results made me so happy; I acheived the big bouncy flawless curls I had desired and much more! I bought these from a friend who decided she didn't need them after cutting her hair very short and sold me them for £5.00 but you lovely lot can buy these for £18.49 in Boots. In the images below is my hair after I curled it this morning!

The curls have a good bounce and last for ages without becoming flat. Now I usually add the Tresemmé Professional Firm Hold Hairspray but I decided for once I wouldn't and see how long my curls would last. Right now they are still bouncy and full of curly life! (Shown in the image on the left!). 




2. Peacocks Hair Bun 'Donut'


Now I know I am seriously late with this craze but hey, I like doing things late! But I saw this in the sale section in the clothing shop Peacock's. Now I have a lovely friend who works in Peacocks and actually went into the store room to see if there was any blonde ones left... and to my luck THERE WAS! Now I got this for the super cheap price of 99p but you can buy these from Boots or Superdrug from around £1.99-£3.99 in either Blonde, Black or Brown, depending on your hair colour! I got a small blonde donut because my hair is still only shoulder length (sigh...) but I will purchase a new one once my hair has grown to a sufficient length! 

3. No.7 Day and Night Moisturising Creams (test pots)

I bought these as tester pots as part of my huge Boots Haul from the No.7 Stand. Now when it comes to Moisturisers I am very fussy! My skin is very sensitive so I can easily come up in a rash when using these products! I started using these about 3 weeks ago now and I adore them, I will definitely be purchasing these again in the future! These make your skin feel very silk like and I usually put these on after I have done my spot treatments on, which usually tend to make your skin feel taut and dry, but these make your skin silky and refreshed... No.7 you've done it again! You can purchase these from Boots; The Day Cream costs £9.00 and The Night Cream costs just a tad more at £9.95! Seriously Girls, these are fantastic on your skin, definitely worth it!

4. Mavala Nail Polish

Now I am a huge fan of the Mavala Nail Polishes. You can buy these in Lloyds Pharmacy for about £3-£4... Even though they are dearer then some other nail polishes, the finish and feel of these are just fabulous! I currently have these in 71 La Paz (Hot Pink), 153 Lagoon (a greeny-blue colour) and in Touch of Provence (Lilac). The consistency of the nail polish appears very thick, but once applied onto your nails becomes very thin, I usually apply about 3-4 layers depending if I am putting anything on top of my nails, then I usually only apply 3 coats. I currently use my Lagoon polish with my Barry M Aqua Glitter Polish as they work so perfectly together! I can usually wear these nail polishes for around 2 weeks without even chipping them! You get a high gloss finish to make your nails just perfect! 

5. Victoria Jackson Make-Up Set

I bought this absolutely amazing make-up set when I went up to Westfield in London back in January! They had a small little stand in the train station and I just had to have a little nosey, and I am so glad I did! This make-up is high quality and just feels so light on your skin! In my set which I got for £50.00 was a VJ Mascara, VJ Terra Glow Bronzing Powder, VJ 24/7 Makeover Portfolio Sunrise & Sunset Colour Kit, a VJ Blush Brush and a little Beauty Tips booklet! I use the mascara every single day and I need to purchase some more very very soon! The mascara doesn't cause your eyelashes to clump if you put more mascara on! The eyelashes are equally feathered out and also make your eye lashes actually look longer! The booklet taught me so many tips that I never even knew myself! If you need any tips, even on how to apply your blusher then this booklet has it all; it has 5 little sections which include the eyes, foundation eyebrows blush and lips. The bronzing powder is a warm golden colour, nothing to make me look orange either! Sometimes when I buy bronzing products, they make me look like an oompa loompa, and that's even when I buy the lightest colour! 
In the colour kit pods you get a tri-colour of eyeshadows, 2 blush's (one which is your skintone which is the day perfecting blush - in the day kit; the other is for adding colour to your cheeks) and 2 lip gloss swatches. Happy is an understatement! These are the perfect size to fit in your handbag too! If you want to find out more products then please have a look at the Victoria Jackson website; www.vmakeup.com/ 

6. Simple Cleansing Make-Up Wipes

Every person should own some of these amazing wipes! Now, I am probably over-hyping a very simple and typical product, but, I adore Simple cosmetics! I have never had a bad experience with any of their products! They make your skin feel lovely even after you have had make-up on all day! Your skin feels refreshed and vibrant! You get 25 wipes in a pack, but I always buy these in a bulk! You can buy them at any drug store or even supermarkets in the health and beauty section! I buy mine in Morrisons for £1.99, join me in some Simple lovelyness!!

Not Sure Yet!

BaByliss Thermo-Ceramic Rollers

Okay, so as you may know I have begun to get very bored of my straight blonde locks and decided I want to add some waves and curls in without permanently damaging my hair by getting is permed! So I went into Boots (again during my haul!) and found these bad boys! I bought these for £29.99 and got a 'Stay Set' lotion free with it! I used these rollers, as advised on damp hair, (not wet!) now bare in mind I have never used rollers before let alone heated rollers, my mum said it was easy as she used them a lot when she was younger, so I thought the hell of it I'll have a go! Now, I have only used this once, and I did exactly what the little booklet said I should do, the results for me, were personally very disappointing. I used all the rollers in my hair, not putting too much into one roller either and throughout my whole hair only got 2 full curls. These just made my hair flick out at the end with a small twists, no 'bouncy and flawless curls' here. I adore BaByliss products, and I definitely wont give up on these until I'm happy or know I will never achieve anything from these (please comment below if you have these and your experiences with any rollers/heated rollers and your tips for little old me!). The battle has not been won yet heated rollers!

Never Agains!

1. Stay Set Setting Lotion

Okay, so I got this product for free when I bought my BaByliss Rollers from Boots, and I'm sad to say this product has caused me absolute hell! I will never ever purchase this again! Okay, I put this in my hair the other week when plating my hair; I followed the directions and putting this on after I had washed my hair, my hair being damp then to wet the hair with this product... When I first put the product on, all I could smell was chemicals dripping out of my hair, and yes I know this is a chemically based product, however most companies try to hide that and give it a nice perfumed smell. After around 5 minutes and I had towel dried my hair, my head began to feel very itchy and my skin on my scalp, around the back of my neck, and on the hair line on my forehead. Now, I have taken photos, however I will not show them to you as they were honestly ghastly! However, I have now returned this product to Boots, and not too much of a loss to myself. Maybe I just had a bad experience, I'm not sure but I will definitely not buy this product again! If you wish to buy this you can buy this from Boots for around £2.29.

2. Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume

I love Batiste's Dry Shampoo range, I think they are fantastic when you have to rush out the house and don't have time to wash your hair. However, I purchased the Batiste 'Big &Bouncy XXL Volume' shampoo and how I was disappointed. Batiste products I have used in the past, (and I hvae used about at least 4 different types of the range) have been amazing, they have made my hair feel refreshed, just like it had been washed and that it was full of life, it made my hair feel smooth and easy to brush through, no knots what-so-ever! But, with the XXL Volume, all my amazing experiences in the past were shadowed by this. I used a quick spray of this dry shampoo before dashing off to work. My hair was knotty, I couldn't easily brush my hair either. 'Big & Bouncy'? No, for me more like  'Knotty as Hell'. I was hugely upset with this product. Batiste is a hair product I use a lot of, especially with my crazy work life, and I have so much faith in their products and they usually make me very happy with the finished outcome. Another thing that annoyed me about this product is that it should give your hair 'volume' if anything my hair felt less volumized once I had used the product. My hair become flat, and as said before knotted. I will definitely be purchasing my blonde Batiste Dry Shampoo again, but the XXL Volume I shall not! Sorry Batiste! 

Product of the Month
Dove Body Wash

I love Dove as a company, and I love their advertising techniques for real beauty and real women (Dove Beauty Evolution Video and Dove Real Beauty) however I sadly regret and hate to say it but I had an allergic reaction to several Dove products I have used... facial creams, body wash, deodorants and many more. I love Dove and think they are outstanding, but for me I can't use their products, HOWEVER, I think you should all use a Dove product (only if you aren't allergic like me!) Dove are a company who think every and any women no matter what you look like is beautiful and honestly Dove have hit it on the nail! They send out the right message to every one across the world. Well Done Dove!!



And now we have come to the end! I am sorry that this is late, I have been super busy, but I will definitely get back on track with my blogging from now on! 

Much Love You Beauties

Emma Victoria
xoxo

Hair Accessories

On Christmas Eve, I was just browsing on a website called Etsy, when I came across a site called Beauxoxo. All the products on the website are handmade by Georgie, who makes these fantastic hair accessories and runs the website. After looking through the website I just had to buy some of her delightful and beautiful accessories! All the products are made to such an outstanding standard! About a week after I ordered my products they arrived within a week! (Bare in mind that this was over the Christmas and New Year period!) As you can see the the Left, the products were wrapped in  a beautiful glittery pink tissue paper, alongside with some love hearts, and an extra little butterfly 

which can also be used as a clip (which is the image on the right!).

When I received my products I absolutely adored them and they take pride of place in my make-up and accessories basket in my room! The colours are vibrant and very beautiful and just give your hair that little sparkle to glow with the rest of your make-up!

The first product I opened is the "Knitted Bow Headband, Oversized Cute Kawaii Lolita Ear Warmer" in Glitter Baby Pink. This product is so comfy and easy to wear! I have worn mine a lot lately as its been very cold! You could wear this with a knitted jumper or cardigan or when you are lounging in the house. The actual headband is knitted in a pearl stitch, and is used with a baby pink wool which has glitter woven in the wool to give that extra little sparkle and glamour to your hair! I love wearing this with a oversized boyfriend cardigan, black leggings, grey ugg boots and a short sleeved cartoon top! Some products which use wool can be very uncomfortable and itchy if you wear them, this product however, is the complete opposite, its a soft wool which causes no irritation on your skin! I would definitely give this product a 10/10. I bought this from the Beauxoxo website for about £12.00 but the product is of a high quality and finish and definitely worth them extra penny's!

The next product I bought was a "Cute Lolita Kawaii Gingham Fabric Retro 
Pin Up Rockabilly Bow Headband" which I bought in Pink. This product is also made to a very high standard. In a picture the bow doesn't look as big as you'd expect is however, in the image on the right which is taken of myself wearing the bow, you can see the actual size of what the bow looks like when its being worn. When I wear this bow I usually wear it with one of my long 1950's style wiggle dress or swing dress, which are generally knee length. I usually have my hair up in either a pony tail or bun when wearing this bow, because I usually find that the elasticated back of the headband will ride up and cause the bottom of your hair to bunch, mainly if you have short hair.This headband again is very easy and comfortable to wear, but due to the back of the product riding up when I wear my hair down I would give this product a 9.5/10! I bought this pink gingham headband for £12.00, a very reasonable price for a robust and good quality product!

The final product I bought was 2 "Glitter Hair Bows" in Baby Pink (top bow) and in Lavender (bottom bow). This clips are very robust and have a crocodile clip on the back of them so they grip into your hair very easily! When you are wearing them, they don't feel heavy or tug on your hair. I generally find with a lot of products which has or contains glitter on them that they seem to shed a lot of glitter when they are handled, but with this product I don't have that problem. I adore this bows as they go with quite a few of my outfits which I enjoy to wear, and sometimes give that added sparkle which is required just to give that perfect edge on an outfit! I bought both of these bows for £5.00 each, and would definitely give these 2 bows a 10/10! Easy to wear, easy to put on, and very easy to put with a casual or smart outfit!

Emma
xoxo

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Product Review

Today's product review is going to be about the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Products; what I think about them, how they work, what they are for, and my ranking out of 10.

I have been using this product for about a month now, I am on my second tub of the "Treatment for Hair that Never Grows Past a Certain Length' , they company recommend that you use the Shampoo and Conditioner from this collection to get the desired results you want. The Lee Stafford Collection all together is about giving the all the nutrients and protein to your hair which it needs to be healthy and well cared for. When I began using this product I felt an immediate effect on how well nourished my hair was straight away. My hair felt a lot smoother and didn't feel so brittle as it did before using the product. You use the tub treatment in between washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner; the directions on the back of the tub recommend you leave the product on for 5 minutes, however I leave mine on for 10 minutes to make sure my hair is well nourished; You then just rinse the product out and then apply your conditioner.

The only real negatives I have about this product is that I believe that it has been mislabelled and maybe giving a false claim that it will make you have hair like Rapunzel in a short space of time. This product is generally about giving your hair the protein and nutrients it needs to help your hair become healthy, only if your hair is healthy will your hair grow a far bit. The other negative of this product is that it does make your hair greasy after about 2 days or so, (if you wash your hair every other day like me this doesn't become too much of an issue, however it can be irritating!).

The price of each is on the dearer end of the market, I wouldn't say that it is the most expensive hair product I have seen, but for 1 tub of the treatment (in Boots) it is currently at £7.99 and with the Shampoo and Conditioner both costing £6.99 each. Sometimes Boots have an offer on these products such as 3 for 2 or 3 for £12, which usually works out a lot more cost effective (and when I usually buy in bulk to make sure I don't miss out on saving my money!)

I do find this product to help my hair and honestly since cutting my hair very short back in the summer, I have noticed a nice healthy growth in my hair but also in the general appearance of my hair.

I would mark this product 8/10 and would definitely recommend it and I will keep using this product until I become unhappy or find another product I have more interest in!


Emma
xoxo