Products I've Used Up #8

I have had these empties forever so I'm finally glad this post is going up! As usual, I'm going to do a run down of all the products I have recently used up and let you know if I'd repurchase or not.

The Best Hair Care Duo...

... For curly hair! You may know I hate fussing over my hair, I don't like trying new hair care products because they're generally don't do much for me. I have long, thick, curly hair and not a lot can maintain this mane. But I have found two products which work so magically together.

June Favourites

I wasn't going to do a June favourites as I thought I didn't really have any but I realised I did and I have a urge to tell the world.

A Mainly Necessary Haul

I always do a lot of shopping in August as it's my birthday month and it's the month before back to school so I always feel it necessary to stock up and get prepared. As I'm off to uni in a couple of weeks (my goodness) I am just getting all the things I need now so I don't have to worry about it when I get there as I simply won't be able to spend my money on beauty products. Most of these products are things I've actually been needing so there is complete justification for them.

Products I've Used Up #3

It actually hasn't been that long since my last products I've used up post, but loads of things just started to finish at around the same time, so here are my thoughts on all the products that I've used up in the past few weeks.

2012 Favourites

I didn't have any particular December favourites, so I decided to gather my favourites of 2012, hope you enjoy :)

Hand/Nail Care

Soap and Glory Hand Food - You've heard me ramble on about this before. Best hand cream ever.
OPI Nail Envy - Amazing base coat - it strengthens your nails (not that mine needed strengthening, but it still made a difference to my nails).
Sally Hansen Problem Cuticle Remover - Manicures made easy. This is a great product to help get rid of those pesky hangnails and such.
Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel - I am a little bit of a germaphobe (touching, OCD...) I travel on the buses a lot, so a hand gel is very important to me. I go through the stuff like crazy (more than any normal person should, I admit). I like the Bath and Body Works ones as they're so cute and small and they smell amazing.
Ever Since Mineral Cuticle Treatment - A lovely cuticle oil, helps moisturise the cuticles and keep them looking purdy.
C.O Bigelow Rose Salve - I use this salve at night times on my cuticles for extra moisturising.

Body/Lip Care

Soap and Glory Heel Genius - A foot cream...it's good, I promise.
Carmex - My trusty tattered carmex tub still going strong, and I am still loving it.
Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm - Best. Lip. Balm. Ever. It is so soft and it smells divine. It glides on the lips like a dream.
Soap and Glory - Righteous Butter - one of the best body moisturisers I have ever used, absolutely love it and oh, the smell...
Korres Lip Butters - I have Wild Rose and Jasmine (which was hiding in one of my bags), these lip butters are wonderful, so moisturising and I love the tint they give to the lips.

Shower Stuff

Soap and Glory Clean On Me - I adore this shower cream, so moisturising, cleansing and smells ah-mazing.
Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean - I really enjoy using this cleansing milk whilst in the shower, it feels really nice on the skin and again just smells so good. As soon as I started using it, I felt my skin felt cleaner and brighter.
Soap and Glory Flake Away - One of the best body scrubs ever. It's not too gritty, and it leaves the skin feeling so moisturised - and guess what? ... It smells so damn good.
Moroccan Oil - This product has changed my life, no it hasn't, but it has made my hair softer and curls bouncier. Review here

Make Up - Face

Dior Skin Nude Foundation - I j'adore Dior this foundation (see what I did there?). The colour is perfect for me, it feels good on the skin, it's a good coverage, leaves the face glowing and blends in very well.
Dior Bronzer - An amazing bronzer, it's matte, which is perfect for contouring. It has been my saviour these past few Winter months - my skin has lacked colour, and this has just brought the colour back in my face.
Sleek Face Form Kit - I love the highlighter in this kit, it's so lovely. I also like the contouring shade for my nose, but I'm not the biggest fan of the blush colour.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - A really lovely foundation, it brings life back into your face and leaves you looking wide awake (even when you're not.) Review here.
Smashbox Blush in Radiance - A really pretty pink blush, it's just a good, plain pink. I love the colour pay off, it's not powdery  and you can definitely build it up...which I'm not sure you'd want to do unless you're going for a Barbie doll look.
Benefit Dallas Blush - A lovely, purpley blush. It's just perfect for those days when you want colour but not an in-your-face colour like the Smashbox one for example.

Make Up - Lips

Yes, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains made it to my yearly favourites and took the crown for longest name in the world. You knew this was coming. I absolutely love these things. I just can't praise them enough, yes, still. The colours are great, they last such a long time and they are a balm so they moisturise too! A win win if you ask me. These are so easy to apply which is great for when I quickly need to add some colour and moisture back into my lips in Law class when the teacher isn't looking...
Cherish - Crush - Sweetheart - Honey

These are the Mac lipsticks I've been loving this year.
Morange - This is such a bright, perfect orange. It's an Amplified lipstick so it's pretty bright and pigmented.
Sunny Seoul is the colour I have been wearing mostly during the days, it's just a nice, wearable everyday pink. It's a creme sheen finish so it's a bit more moisturising than the others but it also means it doesn't last the longest.
Impassioned - Also an amplified finish, this is just such a gorgeous pink/coral.

Illamasqua Magnetism - Of course this lipstick had to make the favourites, it's such a gorgeous colour! I just wish it lasted a bit longer on the lips though especially considering the price I paid.
L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Aphrodite Scarlett - This was something I wore a lot during the Summer, it's a very pretty light, sheer colour which was perfect for the warmer months.
Make Up Forever Matte 5 - This is such a nice matte lipstick, the colour is so lovely, a really soft pink.

Make Up - Eyes and Brush

Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara - A mascara I used a lot this year, it's pretty cheap and it worked really well with my lashes! To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot from this, but I'm glad I picked it up as it really lengthens my lashes and definitely makes them look thicker.
L'Oreal Super Liner - This is such an easy product to use to line your eyes and create a flick. I definitely found it easy to use and I'm useless at eye liner.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Highlighter - I was so excited when I got this but honestly, I hated it at first, turns out, I was using it when it wasn't best for me to use it. I now know to use this when I have minimum under-eye baggage going on, because then it works wonders. A lovely product, and lovely packaging.
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Pencil - You know I love this. Best eye pencil ever. Soft, very pigmented, lasts forever and easy to use.
Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil - I don't have huge problems with my eyebrows (only when I become chewbaca and need a trip to my beauticians ASAP) so this does me well. You get a brush with it too, which is great, especially for carrying around in your bag.
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - A great concealer for only £4.19, it beats my Make Up Forever Full Coverage which cost me around $30 I believe. This concealer covers whatever you need it to cover and lasts a long time.
Real Techniques Buffing Brush - I love this brush, it's so soft and great to blend in whatever foundation I am using.

Accessories

I got my Michael Kors Quilted Hamilton along with a purse and a watch for my 18th birthday from my mum and I absolutely love it. I wanted a Michael Kors bag for so long and when I saw this one, I knew it was the one I wanted. I think it looks classy and gorgeous and pulls any outfit together. I tend to only use it when I take a trip to Central London though as I feel like that's where it deserves to be used!

Topshop studded clutch - I love studs and I love clutches, so why not combine the both? This clutch has done me well since I have bought it, it's real leather, so it's going to last a decent amount of time, and it's just so gorgeous. It's really big too, I used it when I went to a premiere and I stuffed it to the brim and it still looked awesome.

ASOS Skull bracelet, Michael Kors Watch, Topshop Peace Earrings, Peace Bracelet from eBay, Topshop Studded/Spiked Bracelet.

I hope you enjoyed my rather long post! And more importantly, I hope you had a lovely 2012. Personally, I can't wait for 2013, I need a fresh new start, so I am hoping 2013 will offer that. I hope everyone has a beautiful new year filled with lots of happiness and peace.

-Kiran xo

Hair Care 101

I'm not a big fan of change, and I don't like to fix things that aren't broken so some of these hair products are ones I have used basically forever. I don't do a lot to my hair, I am really lazy with it - but I like to think it works for me. I have medium-long thick, curly hair, it's a big ole' lions mane. I do love it though. It's not super hard to look after but it's not super easy either, but the products I use help me keep my lions mane at bay.

Herbal Essences: Beautiful Ends Protection Cream - Beautiful Ends Intensive Mask - Beautiful Ends Shampoo - Hello Hydration Conditioner - Moroccan Oil - TIGI Foxy Curls Spray

I told you I kept it simple. Clearly I love Herbal Essences. Why? Because it does the job. It cleans my hair without stripping it too much. I have used Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner for a very long time, I'm comfortable with them and I know they work for my hair. The combination of Beautiful Ends and Hello Hydration is perfect for my hair as they leave it nourished and silky. 

I wash my hair every other day, if I feel my hair needs a bit more shine, I'll use the Intensive Mask in replacement of the conditioner - it leaves my hair feeling even softer, which is always nice. I apply two pumps of Moroccan Oil (review here) to my hair after I have brushed it after a shower, so when it's damp. The Protection Cream is something I use usually on second day hair if my hair is feeling dry and my curls aren't as bouncy as they usually are. Speaking of curls - I don't usually do anything to keep them under control or stay in place but sometimes they do get a little messy, but a few sprays of the TIGI Foxy Curls Spray defines my curls and leaves my hair soft and smelling yummy. 

If I have a few hours, I like to apply Body Shop's Brazil nut Moisture Mask which essentially softens my hair and leaves it nourished. It smells great, of course, it is from Body Shop. I just apply this to damp hair and wrap it all up in a towel and laze around the house for a few hours before washing it out. The texture is sort of creamy, and it's really easy to apply.

When I do put in a little effort into my hair (that basically means when I don't roll out the bed, fix my fringe then leave the house) I like to spray it into place (well hey, I did spend more than five minutes on it!). So I use L'Oreal's Elnett Satin Diamond Hair Spray which I believe is a favourite amongst many. It's quite light weight for a hairspray, it doesn't leave my hair sticky or hard and it's easy to remove from the hair.

So that's it for my current hair care routine. I will eventually change it up, but for now these products are the ones to keep my curly locks curly and decent and not a big, frizzy mess. 

Hope you're doing well, thank you so much for reading (and for putting up with me saying 'hair' a lot)!

-Kiran xo

November Favourites

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Scrub and Cream Wash - Basins Lip Scrub - Nuxe Reve de Miel - Korres Jasmine Lip Butter - Real Techniques Buffing Brush - Moroccan Oil

I haven't got a lot of favourites this month as I've just been sticking to what I know and love. Plus, Christmas is coming up so I have to spend my money on presents and not on myself...just wait until the new year ;). But these products have been my favourites this month, I've been reaching for these more than anything else.

First up is Moroccan Oil (review here), I love this product. It's just made my hair look and feel so soft and shiny. My curls are bouncy and it just looks really nourished and lovely.

Next up is the Buffing Brush from the Real Techniques Core Collection. I love the Real Techniques brushes, they're so soft as they're made from synthetic hairs. I use this brush to buff in my foundation and the one I've been reaching for a lot lately is my Mica Bella mineral foundation, but I've also been trying out Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation. This brush is really easy to use and blends my foundation in so well.

Now, I've tried a few skin care products in the past couple of months, but none of them seemed to help my spots and blemishes, and the toners I tried out just dried out my skin and a couple even left a burning sensation tingling on the tops of my cheeks which was not pleasant. So when I went into Boots, I was after a face wash which I knew was good to my skin and that is Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit cream wash. I've used this before but after I had finished it I tried out a Garnier face scrub which did nothing for me. But when I went into Boots they had a 2 for £5 offer going on across the Neutrogena Visibly clear range so I bought the pink grapefruit scrub as well. I absolutely love these products. I use the scrub in the morning and the cream wash at night. My skin is looking brighter, my spots are almost all gone and my blemishes are gone. I love the scent of the pink grapefruit, it's not too overpowering. I can go and on but for low budget skin care, this range is the one I definitely recommend. (Note, I have sensitive skin and these cause no irritation at all.)

Finally my favourites, lip care! I have been reaching for my Basins lip scrub every other night as my lips have been drier than usual. After I give my lips a good scrub, I use Nuxe's Reve de Miel - I absolutely love this lip balm so much. The texture is different to anything I have ever seen before, it almost glides on like ... velvet? It's so smooth and I wake up with the softest lips. The scent is lovely too, I feel like it smells like a lemon cake with honey. Yum. My Korres lip butter is something that I have been reaching for during the day when my lips need a bit of moisturising. The lip butter stays on my lips for ages and leaves them feeling so soft and moisturised.

So that's it for my November favourites, I can't believe it's December! Eek! This year has gone pretty fast, but don't they all? Thanks for reading! Have a lovely December!

-Kiran xo

Review: Moroccan Oil

I finally got my hands on the famous Moroccan Oil and was eager to test it out the minute I got it. Moroccan Oil is essentially a blend of Argan oil - which is often referred to as 'liquid gold' as it's hair's best friend. It hydrates hair in a natural way as its rich in vitamins and natural antioxidants that strengthen the hair (I wish Argan oil was something we learnt in GCSE Science, but moving on.) Moroccan Oil essentially helps to revive your hair, it strengthens, nourishes, conditions and it also reduces the time it takes for your hair to dry (really, it does).

I have medium-long thick, curly hair so naturally my hair tends to be more dry as it is curly. Since I can remember my mum always used to apply baby oil into my hair after a shower, and I kept doing this until I got Moroccan Oil. I used to apply a small amount of baby oil into my hair when I had brushed it after a shower, so when it was damp. But, Moroccan Oil has now taken its place - I apply two pumps into the palm of my hand, then run it through my hair, focusing mainly on the ends then I quickly massage it into the roots of my hair.

Moroccan Oil is not greasy at all - given that you're using the right amount.

After the first use, I noticed a huge difference in my hair. It looked shinier, healthier, it was softer and more conditioned. Suffice to say, I was and am impressed. I've read some other reviews on this product, where people state they are unhappy about the silicones in this product, however, I don't actually have a problem with this. Moroccan Oil has made my hair softer and more nourished - but I will do a follow up review on this in a month or two months time to see if it's still doing the job. But for now, me gusta.

If you're interested but still unsure, you can always grab a small bottle to test it out.

Thanks for reading, hope you're doing well!

-Kiran xo