Addicted to Glitter Nail Polishes!

At the moment, im absoloutely addicted to glitter nail polishes. I've recently bought 3 new ones to add to my collection.

Revlon: 095 Facets of Fuschia

Barry M: 137 Red Glitter

Accessorize: Shade 42 Electric Blue

 

If i'm ever having a bad day, and need a little 'pick me up',  i invest in a new nail varnish. I get all excited about painting my nails a new colour (does anyone else get that 'new nail varnish' excited-ness feeling? Please reassure me im not on my own?:)).

Im currently typing this blog with freshly painted RED GLITTERY nails, thanks to the Barry M Red Glitter colour, and i have to say i LOVES it. Normally glitter polishes tend to disappoint me, they're hardly ever how they look in the bottle but Mr Barry M hasn't skimped on the glittery-bits here, let me tell you! Im definitely going to be bringing this one out again near christmas - it reminds me of the little red glittery baubles that me and my motherbear hang on the branches of the christmas tree :) (OK enough talk of christmas its OCTOBER). 

Muchos apologies for my cruddy short nail. I work in a shoe shop - stockrooms don't agree with my long-ish nails. They often fall victim to a shoebox or delivery-opening-struggle *crys*

I also gave Revlon: 'Facets of Fuschia' a try this week. Im normally terrified of any dark nail varnishes, because they tend to make my nails look shorter than they are, but the BIG pink glittery pieces in this polish just tempted me to give this darker shade a go. And i have fallen in love. I have to say this is my favourite colour at the moment. I haven't seen any other colour similar to this one, and i was quite chuffed with how long it lasted before chipping too! (Well done Revlon).

I've always shyed away from dark colours because i chip my nails extremely easily. I've always put it down to working in a shoe shop. Grabbing boxes, and general stockroom-y work doesn't tend to agree with perfectly polished nails. (Saying that, this polish lasted about 4 days with my trusty Sally Hansen top coat before i noticed any wear & tear). I had a handful of lovely compliments about my glittery nails at work yesterday when i wore it. One little girl grabbed my hands and shouted "Mummy! Mummy! Look! She has REALLY glittery nails!" and then leant into me and whispered "I really like your nails, they're very pretty". The mother also seemed to like my shimmery nails and asked which colour and brand it was, and said she was going to treat herself to it before getting the bus home. What is it with us girls 'treating' ourselves to new nail varnishes?!

Theres no doubt that this polish has something different about it. It has a certain depth to it that other glitter polishes dont have, and it makes a change from 'boring black'. Some of the glitter bits are bigger than others, so it makes for an interesting finish.

I will try to get a photograph of the Revlon colour on my nails shortly, as i forgot to take one before i took it off today :( Im sure if you google it you will find a much better one than my attempts anyway! Good old google..

I haven't yet got round to trying the Accessorize 'Electric Blue', but it is next on my list.

If you're still unsure about all this glittery-ness, then you could always give a glitter top coat a bash!  (Barry M do a lovely silver one called "Hexograms"). I have a Maybelline Express Finish one in "Flash Cosmic". Its basically a clear top coat polish with lots of shimmery iridescent pieces. In certain lights they look blue or purple, and others silvery pink. I normally use this over my plain colours if i feel in a bit of a glittery mood!

(Apologies for shabby packaging - it is extremely well used.. and the writing is beginning to disappear :( *sigh*)

In the meantime i will leave you with my "Glitter Wishlist". Just a few of the glitter nail polishes i will be keeping my eyes open for ready for my next cheeky purchase/rainy day/bad day at work/pick me up.

 Wishlist (Left to Right)

1. Barry M: Pink Iridescent
2. Barry M: Lavender

3. Deborah Lippmann: Happy Birthday

4. Deborah Lippman: Across the Universe

5. OPI: Sparkle-icious

6. Accessorize: Mermaid

7. Barry M: Hexograms

Have you tried any glitter polishes? If so i'd love to know if anyone could recommend a baby pink shimmery one! Im struggling to find any! 

Lots of Bird Love

xx

John Frieda: Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion

 

Yes. This is another VOLUME-Y product review, but i will literally pick up anything that tells me that my hair will be huge after using it. So, on reading the back of this i was so excited to try it, 'volumises hair to new heights', OO yes please!

I actually bought the mini version in Superdrug when they had their amazing "3 for so many pounds" deal. I must have bought a basket load of miniture products that day; 

1) because i was going on holiday and needed suitcase sized goodies (more room to cram in even more clothes i probably wont wear) 

2) because i like to try samples before i invest my well earned dollar in the actual sized product 

3) because they look so flipping CUTE. :) What is it with girls and miniture versions of things? or is that just me?.. 

It's basically a root lift spray...which is applied at the roots..believe it or not.

Unlike mousse, you put this in and you feel as if you haven't really done much; it feels like you're just spraying water in your hair rather than spending time to work in a product. Although, after blowdrying i was quite pleased to see it had actually done something. It is quite similar to the effects of the 'Mark Hill: Va Va Voom Mousse' which i reviewed earlier in the month, but it isn't as heavy, doesn't feel as sticky in your hair and generally just feels like you aren't loading your locks up with product. 

I towel dry my hair as usual, then instead of just spraying onto the hair, i lift up the top layers and spray at the roots underneath. Afterwards i just give it a quick massage and then do my usual 'tip upside down and blast with a hairdryer' routine. Or alternatively, if that makes you feel a bit strange, then just simply lift at the root and blowdry slightly upwards to get a similar result. I also find it helps to use a large barrel brush to lift hair at the root, especially near my fringe. 

To say that the miniture version is quite, well, miniture.. It actually lasted quite some time. Which is quite impressive since i have a lot of hair!! =] I used about 2 sprays 'per section' (about 1-2 inches each around the crown of my head, if you're unsure). I didn't put much in towards the bottom, just concentrating on the top seemed to work fine for me.

 

Overall, i liked it. I liked it muchly. It made a nice change to loading up my hair with mousse. I tend to alternate between this and my trusty mousse now, as i find both give similar results and hold quite well. If im going for a straight hairstyle i tend to use this, so it doesn't weigh it down so much. 

Sadly, my little miniture bottle of this has now been used up, but i will be purchasing the normal sized bottle as soon as i get chance to. (Im waiting for one of the John Frieda deals to pop up, as i need another one of their hair products too - SUCH a thrifty person i am)

What does everyone else think of root sprays? Or will you be sticking to mousse? If anybody knows of any other good ones please suggest them to me, as i must admit ive been loving this one.

Lots of Bird love

xx

Garnier BB Cream

Recently, i've been hearing a lot about BB cream; inparticular this one from Garnier. There has been a lot of mixed reviews about it either in magazines, on YouTube and on other beauty blogs. So i decided i would try it for myself and I have been using it for a good couple of months now. But what i wanted to know was: what makes BB cream different to your average daily tinted moisturiser?

BB Cream (meaning 'blemish balm') is a product which is said to provide a small amount of coverage, whilst moisturising, protecting and improving the texture of skin. Used to even out skin tone, its ingredients are said to help prevent wrinkles, and help mild acne, whilst preventing new blemishes from forming. Most contain SPF. The product is extremely popular throughout Asia and has recently become more widely known in the USA and UK.

 "It is said that the formula comes from Germany where dermatologists prescribe it to heal laser skin surgery because it has soothing and skin-regenerating properties." 

So what did i think to it?

The first thing i noticed was the smell, and believe me, it smells absolutely DELISHH-i-ous. I'm normally a bit uncertain about putting things on my face when they smell of anything, but it hasn't got a 'chemical' smell, nor is it extremely strong; its just lightly scented and smells really fresh. I seem to have a little habit of squeezing the tube and just smelling it before i put it on in the morning :) hmm..strange much?

The coverage is really sheer, and little goes a long way. The first time i used it i went a bit crazy and just carelessly squeezed a big blob onto the back of my hand. You don't need much at all. It is quite heavy as a cream which i know a lot of people will be put off by (i was at first), but it does seem to blend into nothing. It feels really moisturising, which is a big plus point now that the weather is getting colder, as my skin starts to get a little bit dryer. The only downside is sometimes it is a little bit TOO sheer for me (depending on if im having a 'good skin day' or not). If you like a flawless, matt foundation base then this isn't for you. Although i sometimes pop some on and then just blend in my foundation on top wherever i need more coverage. It does seem to smooth my skin out and i sometimes use this instead of my trusty No.7 Tinted Moisturiser which is saying something!

 

 Its reasonably priced (£8.99-ish) and i got mine on offer when it first came out. On first glance it seems like a small tube of product, but there is A LOT in there and you need the teeniest little blob. 

I honestly think it depends on your skin type whether you will like this or not. It is very a much a hit or miss, love it or hate it 'marmite product' :) I personally have quite dry skin on my cheeks, so the consistency of it seems to suit me as it keeps my face moisurised all day. However, if you have quite oily skin it may be a little too heavy for you due to the thickness of the product. I must admit i dont normally use it completely on it's own, but i have quite temperamental skin. If i find i'm having a crap skin day i tend to pop some of this on as a base, and just top up with foundation in certain places if i need it, and it seems to work well.

Overall, i liked it. I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled to see if any other BB creams pop up on the market, as at the moment it seems quite limited. If anybody knows of any others to try, let me know! :)

Lots of Bird love

xx

Mark Hill: Va Va Voom Blow Dry Mousse

If you know me, you know i fall for any product that claims to give any form of 'volume'. I love anything that promises big, bouncy pin-up styled hair, however i always feel a bit let down when most of these volumising products do the exact opposite and weigh my little lion's mane down :( I often turn to backcombing, which, as we all know, is a bit naughty for your hair. *slap wrist*)

So, on my stroll through boots before work (i should really stop walking through here in the morning, it tempts me to spend my pennies), i saw this Mark Hill mousse, and thought i'd give it a go.

Before blowdrying, i roughly towel dried the top layers and whacked a big dollop (great choice of wording there?:)) of this in my hair and scrunched it in. Its quite a thick, weighty mousse, which i was a bit unsure about at first, however it really does feel like nothing once its in, albeit a little sticky.  So, after throwing my hair upside down and blowdrying the hell out of it, i was pleasantly suprised when it was completely dry. You know that "oomph" feeling you get when you take heated rollers out?....well, this mousse definately gave that feeling. Most mousses ive tried seem to just temporarily lift it, before i convert back to my trusty comb :| but this one has some staying power. Hooray :)

I wouldn't suggest you go overboard with it.. I know its tempting with mousse to just shake it up and GO MAD..but a little goes a long way. Also, if you have quite fine hair i would probably stay away from this, as it is quite heavy and gets sticky very quickly..

Also, it comes in a little travel size which is handy if you're away for a couple of days since the bottle is quite heavy. I took a mini one on holiday to Greece for a fortnight and i still had a bit leftover when i got home. It seemed to hold my hair better in such humid conditions too, which i was quite chuffed about :) Normally, i step outside my hotel room and i turn into a maHOOsive ball of frizz. But it just wasn't the case with this.

"Mark Hill Style Secret Va Va Voom Mousse is a natural multivitamin complex to boost strendth, moisture and shine."

 

So, if like me, you're constantly on a mission to find that magical product thats going to give your trusty backcombing brush a break, give this a whirl.  Im on my second bottle now, which (trust me) doesn't happen often with mousse. I do like to swap and change what i use simply because either it doesnt work or i just get bored, but ive yet to tire of this little pretty bottle of lovely mousse-y fluffiness :)

Lots of Bird love 

xx 

 

"There is nothing wrong with change, if it's in the right direction"

 

Hey beautifuls!

I am extremely apologetic about my lack of second post since my first one - oops :)  (what a great way to start off my blog)! :) I've recently been quite busy sorting out all sorts of stuff for my new venture in life - university. AHH. To many people this doesn't seem like such a big deal, but for me it's been quite an important decision..

I never wanted to go to uni. I've always said that right from school & through college, so when i first had that little voice in my head about a year ago that said otherwise,i was a little bit unsure as to whether to go or not.

For the past 3 years, i've worked in retail, and it has been my trusty 'safety blanket' ever since. I think it is very easy to get stuck in a rut with a job. Especially with me.. i HATE hate hate change. It scares me. I like to stick to what i know, be comfortable in what im doing, and just knowing whats going to happen every day is kind of comforting.  I've always felt content working in retail, but i have always had this feeling right from the beginning that it wasn't for me - certainly not long term. So, after 2 years of full-time retail working, i finally SNAPPED.. and believe me..i snapped alrighty! And decided i needed to do something else and completely change it all, but i put this off for about a year - simply because

I. do not. like change.

BUT.. i dont like being bored either. And believe me i was so completely bored.

I woke up one day and thought, "im going to make a step towards something new". EEK. So i ordered a tonne of university and college prospectuses, grabbed a handful (or two) of brochures and researched ALL my options. And applied.

I didn't think anything of it. Until a few months before my course starting date, and thats when i began to panic and think 'oh crap :| What have i done?'

HOWEVER, to cut a long story short, its been the best thing ive done in a very long time. I dont feel as if im plodding along in something that doesn't really interest me anymore, i feel as if im actually going somewhere. Yes, i have absoloutely no money (oo..talking about change, my shopping habits have had to be cut down immensely *sad face*), i have to cut down on my pub visits (*sad face*) BUT, i finally took that chance and changed something that wasnt right, (and hadnt been right for quite some time).. and its made a BIG difference to me.

If theres anything i have learnt, if you're not happy with something, change it. It is a little bit scary, but youll feel heaps better for making a start :) *smiley face* :)

And, just incase i ever do get a little bit scared about all these new things happening, i still kept my retail job, just one day a week. I still like to have my little 'safety blanket' there, even if it is just an 8 hour Saturday shift...

Lots of bird hugs 

xx

Farewell to brassy blonde: Purple Toned Shampoos

WELL, I've been on a flipping mission the past month or so. I have been desperately searching for a purple toned shampoo that will get rid of those pesky yellow, brassy tones that tend to creep into my hair a month or so after i have dyed it. If you are blonde, and you tend to have natural warm tones to your hair (like me) you will know how difficult it is to keep that 'salon fresh' look. So, i took a trip to Boots before work one morning, and as i was a little bit early, i took it as my chance to search the shelves for that magical product which would solve the brassy problemo. And i came across these two lovely looking purple bottles..

So, me being the indecisive person i am, after a number of minutes debating which one to toss into my basket, i just threw them both in :) And i have to say ive been incredibly impressed by both of these little brassy blonde fighers.

Lee Stafford "Bleach Blondes" Shampoo

I have to admit, out of the two, i think this one is my favourite, purely because i think it made more of a difference from the first time i used it. If i ever have a "brassy blonde emergency" again, i reckon this will be the one i will reach for. It does have that typical "Lee Stafford-y" smell to it, which i personally like, but i know it's not to everyones tastes. Smell aside, this product knocked every single reddy tone out of my hair from the moment i began blow-drying it. RESULT :D I could tell even when my hair was still wet that it had taken on an overall more ashy tone.  Hooray :)


The instructions on the back of the bottle suggest using this a couple of times a week, to avoid any purple mishaps :) (and i didnt want any form of purple mishap, thankyou very much!) but i must have used this almost 4 times in the week and never noticed any purple tones in my hair. I wouldnt suggest you go overboard with this one though, as it is quite strong in colour. I used it religously for a week to get rid of all of the yellow/reddy tones, and now just use it maybe once a week to keep it at bay.


 It didnt dry my hair out, and left my colour looking fresh and i achieved that 'icy' tone of blonde that i was after for so long :) If youre looking for a 'quick fix' then id highly suggest giving this a go.


I also believe Lee Stafford does a smaller version of this in his "shots" range. Ive not spotted it yet, but if youre a bit unsure about the price of this one, then maybe give the mini version a go first just to trail it (if youre lucky enough to find it).

John Frieda "Colour Renew - Tone Correcting" shampoo

NOW then, this lovely little bottle of purple-y blue-ness...

I really like this shampoo and a little tends to go quite a long way. The consistency is quite thick but once its on your hair it lathers up really nicely.This has more of a blue tone to it compared with the slightly scary, deep purple colour of the Lee Stafford which i think is why the effects of this shampoo were more subtle. I still noticed a difference on the first use, but had to use it a few more times to get to the tone i wanted in my hair. Having said that, if you are a little bit afraid of getting that violet tinge to your hair, this may be the safer option. 


John Frieda often do little offers on their products, which makes me an extremely happy girl :) So, if they ever have an offer on i suggest putting this in your basket!

...I then noticed this little gem out of the corner of my eye, and whilst they had the offer on i thought, err..why not?! Ive been experimenting with mousse just recently, and whilst i usually go for ANYTHING that says the word "VOLUME" on it (if you know me at all, you will know i like my hair as big as me), i was intrigued by this one; as ive been afraid that using too much product in my hair has been counter-acting the good work that the shampoos have been doing! So i thought this might be the solution.

John Frieda "Sheer Blonde - Boost Mousse"

 As you can see, i have used this a few times and although the purple-ness of this product does seem a little scary, its not at all. The mousse only has a slight tinge of violet to it. Ive noticed the only downside to this is that if you do use a little bit too much, it very quickly gets quite sticky, so id say start off with a small amount if you want to avoid straw hair :) eek. 

I love love LOVEE a bit of volume at the roots, so i pop this in, chuck my hair upside-down and blast with the diffuser for some much needed lift, whilst not having to worry about brassiness caused by hair product! Its not as volumising as other products i have used, however if like me, your hair colour needs a little love and attention, swapping your usual mousse for this blonde loving one a few times a week may just do it some good!