Monthly Favourites | April

So.. It's the 4th May? (May the Fourth be with you ..haha) But seriously, how the hell did that happen? It felt like literally a week ago I was writing up my March favourites and this month flew around so fast I barely even had time to catch my breath! It's a bit of a mixed bag for this month's favourites, but I hope you all enjoy it and read on to see what I'd been loving in April...

Barry M 'Gelly Hi Shine' Nail Paint - Lychee

Barry M's newly reformulated nail paints to give a 'gel nail' finish are well worth the hype that they're receiving. Having just released a new line of colours for the summer I'm eager to stock up on some more shades! Lychee made the cut as this month's favourite as it's the perfect classic nude shade that you can't go wrong with and I've been wearing it a lot recently. It gives a polished manicured look with a thick, high shine finish and lasts for close to a week without chipping - All for £3.99 too!

Redken Color Extend 'Radiant-10' Treatment Spray

I wrote a full post all about this product, and it was also part of my 'Happy, Healthy Hair' post too because it's been a little bit of a lifesaver (/hairsaver) recently. It comes at quite a high price, but it's well worth it and I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a good quality lightweight detangling spray and leave in conditioner that comes with a whole multitude of additional benefits such as adding shine and prolonging the vibrancy of hair colour.

 

Origins 'Modern Friction' Exfoliator

My first Origins purchase, and I wasn't disappointed! A persuasive saleswoman talked me into buying this one as she said that good exfoliation is one of the key stages in skincare to reducing blemishes (I don't really want to talk about excess dead skin cells clogging pores and causing a build up.. but yeah..) and after she demonstrated this product on me during a 'mini facial' I knew that it was love! I'm going to do a full review on this in the coming weeks, but basically it's a very fine and gentle exfoliator that is a real indulgent treat to use. It contains 'rice starch cushioned in cream' which makes it feel a little bit like you're rubbing rice pudding or porridge on your face, but it gives such a thorough polish to the surface of the skin and makes everything look that little bit more refined and fresh.

 

Clinique 'Even Better' Foundation

I have a full post written up on this amazing foundation, that I dubbed as my 'holy grail' base for my make up. Having problematic skin leaves me with wanting no less than a full coverage and long lasting foundation that will stand the test of oil-prone skin. 'Even Better' ticks all of those boxes! One of the highest coverages I've ever used, smooths over enlarged pores, covers blemishes, flawless application and lasts all day. It's my favourite foundation to date and if what I've listed above is something you're looking for then this is one to try!

The Body Shop Vitamin E 'Sink In Moisture Mask'

The Body Shop and their crazy bargains in the sales left me paying no more than £5.00 for this tub, when it's full retail price is £13.00 - I love bargains like that! A naughty product (suspicions lying with Effaclair Duo) left me with skin that was dry, flakey and very unsightly. Dry skin is not the norm for me and I needed something to sort it out pronto! I looked to the Origins 'Drink Up' Mask, but couldn't justify the price tag at the time, however worth it it might have been.. and I found this potential dupe in The Body Shop. It's a fast working 10 minute 'Moisture Mask' that you apply in a thick layer all over and it seems like a normal moisturiser, but after the time is up it has only partially sunk in and there's a residue left on the surface of the skin that can be gently removed with a cotton pad. It leaves the skin looking instantly plumper, like it's had a good 'drink', hydrated and reduces flakey patches. A few uses of this and my dry skin had returned to normal - this saved the day!

Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion

When I wrote a full post about this gradual tanning lotion it received lots of comments from other people saying that they were huge fans of this tan too! I'd recommend clicking here to read my full review on it as I gush in depth about my love for it. Literally the most perfect gradual tanner I've ever used; there's no tell-tale tan smell, it smells fresh and fruity, it actually comes up gradually and is easy to build upon day by day so that there's no waking up and being overly fake and orange if that's not what you're looking for, and the colour is a nice touch of brown, lovely and natural like you've spent a day sitting out in the sun.

 

Urban Decay Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color - Theodora

Being a lucky little lady, I managed to win one of The Sunday Girl's giveaways and landed myself with one of Urban Decay's limited edition palettes for the release of the film The Great and Powerful Oz. Out of the two versions of the palette (Glinda and Theodora), I won the Theodora palette, represented in the film by the ever so gorgeous Mila Kunis - deserved winner of FHM's Sexiest Women in the World! Enough about my girl crush.. The Theodora Palette came with one of UD's 'Super Saturated' lip colours and the shade is just named 'Theodora' but it's a beautifully bright and glossy red shade that is so simple to apply with the creamy formula and the crayon applicator. I've not been one for red lips much in the past but this one just seems to work for me and the high gloss lasts for hours and hours too. I might have to look into more of these lip pens from Urban Decay because they're such amazing quality! My eye is on 'Love Child' and you can see it here.

So, that's my April favourites! I hope you enjoyed!

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Happy, Healthy Hair: What I Use

Who doesn't want long, full and flowing beautifully luxurious hair? We all do, right? Long, thick hair seems to be a little bit of an obsession for most girls, myself included, and growing my hair seems to be all that I've ever wanted to do. I've never been fussed with extensions because I change my hair colour pretty frequently and it's often multi-coloured a lot of the time too, so I would struggle to find a shade that matches up perfectly, and in the past all the clip ins I've tried have been uncomfortable and hard to work with.

Instead I want my very own mane of super long hair (preferably belly button length), with soft natural waves, rich brown in colour, and thick and healthy with no frizz to be seen ..but it seems hair like that only exists in films! I'll do all that I can get to get as close to that dream as possible though, so as well as banning hairdryers and straighteners from my life for the past 6 months here is what's been working for me recently in terms of products...

(This concoction of products has strictly been limited to washing and treatments, just to keep things simple).

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo*

As a long time lover of the accompanying Hair Growth treatment mask from Mr.Stafford, it's surprised me that I hadn't yet branched out and bought the full set from this range. My hair obviously hasn't grown 5 inches in a week, but this range makes hair stronger at the root and stimulates follicles to encourage more growth. 

*(c/o North Meet Up Goodie Bag - post)

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Conditioner

As mortified as I am that I walked into Boots and then walked back out again with a bottle of conditioner and a purse £12 lighter, I do really love this conditioner and think that it is the perfect companion to the Hair Growth Shampoo. 

It seemed to make more sense to me to mix and match this pair together and choose a stimulating shampoo to encourage root growth, and then a conditioner from their most nourishing range to be able to heal any damage and restore any well needed moisture to those ends. I love Lee Stafford's honesty in the aims of his products, stating that the shampoo will help hair to 'reach its maximum potential length', and the conditioner will 'restore hair to its optimal condition' - no unrealistic promises there.

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Mask

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Treatment Mask

I have chosen a mask from each of two above ranges to help my hair out and alternate between the two of them; focusing the Hair Growth on the roots around once a fortnight and the Argan Oil mask on the mid-lengths and ends every weekend. Both of these masks work really well at giving the hair a nourishment boost and bring it back to being silky soft, smooth and manageable. You can see my full review of the Hair Growth mask and read more on what I think of it here.

Moroccanoil Oil Treatment

Ooh so one you'll never have heard of then?! Haha the world famous Moroccan Oil. Now a firm favourite in my life and a definite repurchase until then end of time, I am a huge fan of this hair oil and would recommend it to anybody. It is basically my hair's best friend to keeps it calm, soft, nourished and free from frizz. It can be used on wet or dry hair / before and after styling so it can be thrown into any stage of my routine. You can see my full review on if it you click here.

Redken Color Extend Radiant-10 Multi Benefit Treatment Spray

Again, a product that I have talked about before and you'll be able to see my full review on it here; I use this Redken spray as a leave-in conditioner and as a detangler. Straight after washing my hair, before I do anything, I spray this all over to make sure that I can get a wide tooth comb through it without any snagging, pulling or breaking of the hair (a Tangle Teezer has been welcomed to my life in the past few days that will now replace the comb), and it makes my life a heck of a lot easier. It also adds extra condition to the hair in a super light weight formula too.

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave In Treatment

Umm, okay so I owe this 'Anti-Snap' a little apology after the very blunt and negative review that I gave to it back in October (here), and said that it had made my hair a lot drier and a lot more brittle, leading to increased breakage.. it seemed to be a pro-snap, not an anti-snap!! That's my own fault for not using the product correctly and I've learnt from videos by Tanya Burr and EleventhGorgeous (if you click their names it will take you to the videos where they talk about this topic) that yes, protein/keratin is the the best thing that you can use on your hair, but there is also such as thing as 'too much of a good thing' when it comes to overloading your hair with keratin.. and using too much too often will dry out your hair and make it more brittle. So that was my problem with the Anti-Snap, that I was too keen and was using it too often. Now that I use it in moderation I've found it to be a wonder product and makes my hair feel so much stronger.

One more point: This is supposed to 'seal' the hair cuticles, so if you are using this product in your routine make sure that you're using it last, because otherwise it will block out all other products and they won't be able to penetrate into the hair shaft, so especially if you're also using an oil - make sure that you apply the oil first and then the Anti-Snap to be able to 'lock it in'!

So, that's what has been keeping my little head of hair happy and healthy recently.

It's currently the longest that it's ever been (finally gone past 'boobie length'! yay!), it's in the best condition that it's ever been and is the most 'tameable' I've ever had it. A while back I'd never be able to wear my hair in it's natural style, but it seems I've got things under control now and heat styling is well and truly a thing of the past for me. If you'd like to see a snap of my hair then you can click here to see a recent Instagram picture and I'm afraid that's the best I've got for you!

Do you have any hair care recommendations for me that I might like to try?

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Review: Redken Radiant-10 Multi Benefit Treatment Spray

Hi guys, happy Friday! I hope that none of you have had your days disrupted by snow too much, but just in case you're snowed in tonight then you can have a read about my favourite leave-in conditioning spray that does just that, but so much more as well. It deserves to be in a league of it's own. If you're looking for a hair product that will do basically everything, then enter Redken Radiant-10.

Available from Feel Unique for £22.10 (worth the price, I promise), this spray in treatment is from Redken's line designed for coloured hair (Color Extend), and although my hair's only form of colour is the bleached ends I still reap all of the benefits that this product offers. Despite the full name being a bit of a mouthful (Redken Color Extend Radiant-10 Multi-benefit Treatment Spray), there's nothing but goodness to be found in this bright red bottle. Redken say that the formula combines the richness of a nourishing lotion with the lightness of a spray and that it has 10 benefits for the hair; hence the name Radiant-10. I would agree with the claim that it is a nourishing lotion in a light spray because if you're spraying onto dry hair then it won't make it feel 'wet', and if you're spraying it onto wet hair then it doesn't feel weighed down and full of product once it's dry but it does feel conditioned.

Some of Redken's 10 claims are a little bit hard to judge, such as 'shields from environmental aggressors' - I don't really know how much of a comment I can make on that one.. but the others I can definitely vouch for, no matter how subtle the effects may be. It works amazing well at detangling my hair and I always use just a couple of sprays of this when my hair is damp before attempting to get a comb through it, which ties in with improved manageability. Of course they're stretching it a bit by saying that 'nourishes dry ends' and 'provides lasting moisture' are two separate benefits; surely they're the same thing, right? But it doesn't matter because it works. My favourite aspect of this spray is how well it works at reducing frizz and fly-aways and makes my hair super silly soft! Then you get everything else that comes with it too: strengthened hair fiber, restored color vibrancy and infused shine. 

As you might be able to tell I am a huge, huge fan of this spray and it's made the life of my hair so much easier, mainly for it's detangling attributes and for minimising frizz. Multi-benefit treatment spray is definitely an appropriate name for this one. 

Regardless if your hair is coloured or not, this is an amazing conditioning and detangling product in a lightweight spray that everybody needs to try!

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Redken Smooth Lock Range

Ladies and gentlemen, let me please introduce to you the greatest hair care range that I have ever used ..ever! (Terrible pictures, I know, but I took them in a mad rush to take advantage of a rare moment of sunlight!) The range that I talking about is a relatively new line from Redken, called 'Smooth Lock'. A nourishing hair care range that contains almond oil for a silky smooth shine, interlock protein network for strength, and thermo-active polymers for heat defence and a frizz free finish. The clue is in the name for the finished result that using these will give to your hair: smooth.

Frizz is one of the main problems that I have with my badly behaved hair and this definitely helps to keep it tamed and well and truly under control. The shampoo doesn't feel all that impressive, it just gives the hair a good clean without stripping too much moisturiser away, whereas the conditioner and the deep treatment are the real stars of the show! Smelling beautifully of almonds the rich and creamy formulas nourish the hair all the way to the very tip, leaving it smooth as silk and perfectly manageable.

As it's a pricey handful of products I only tend to use these on an occasion where I know I'll be blasting my hair with some form of heat after I've washed it, especially as it does contain heat activated formulas that will nourish and protect the hair, so the extra added step of heat defence can be skipped. Even without blow drying, after using this my can will happily dry to a smooth, sleek and frizz free style of its own accord which quite literally amazes me. My hair could pass as if a professional had spent a decent amount of time with a brush and a diffuser smoothing down my flyaways and giving my hair some discipline that can last for days!

I bought the shampoo and conditioner as part of a gift set duo around Christmas time and it cost me £17.00 for the pair, but individually these will cost you £10.65 and £11.70 for a 300ml and 250ml bottle. The 'butter silk', or deep treatment, I purchased at a later date after realising how much I loved the shampoo and conditioner and how much good they were doing for my hair. The 250ml tub will set you back a very hefty  £17.65 but I think that it's worth every penny (all available from Feel Unique). Also available from the range is 'Stay Sleek' leave-in cream, and 'Heat Glide' heat defence spray.

Have you ever tried this range from Redken before? Or do you prefer one of their other ranges?

Do you agree that you get what you pay for with professional hair care?

Leave me a comment and let me know!

SheSaid Beauty Box | November

When I received the October SheSaid Beauty Box a month ago I stropped, sulked, huffed and puffed about how downright shit it was. I'm not going to link you to the post I wrote on it because it's negative and Mondays are bad enough without you hearing me moan about something in the past. On Thursday last week that big old pink box landed up on my doorstep again and I opened it up completely not knowing what to expect as I purposely hadn't read any reviews already done on this box as I wanted to have my own open minded opinion on the contents.

 

I've been really unhappy with previous boxes and I can't just unsubscribe as I'm tied into a pre-paid 6 month subscription package so if I'm not satisfied all I can really do is have a little moan on Twitter then get on with life and hope for the best in the next month's box. So, with only slightly improved contents from October's box.. here is what was inside the November She Said Beauty Box:

Redken Smooth Lock Shampoo and Conditioner Full size 300ml and 200ml - £11.85 and £13.40

It was probably the Redken product that saved this box and made above average instead of awful. I've tried two Redken products before; one I loved and was really impressed by, the other massively fell short of expectations and I was disappointed, so this was the perfect opportunity to give the brand another chance and let me make my mind up on it because right now I'm on the fence whether or not their products are worth the money.

There's 10ml of product in each sachet and for me personally, that's just a little bit too much for one use and not quite enough for two so I just gave myself a very generous application and used it once. This duo claims to cleanse, refresh and nourish dry and unruly hair, which is pretty much what a lot of hair care sets say they will do. The shampoo didn't really do a lot for me but I was impressed with the conditioner and I'd say it left my hair in an above average state living up to it's promises of leaving my locks manageable, smooth and frizz free. It's definitely a higher price that what I would normally pay for a bottle of conditioner so although I enjoyed using it I will probably stick my high street brands for now!

 

So...? Brit Body Spray Full size 50ml - £1.99

 

I was sceptical at first, feeling cheated by SheSaid including such a cheap brand and cheap product into their box that brought memories flooding back of school days and all of the girls soaking themselves in So..? and Charlie body sprays at lunch times and after Sports class, but despite my hesitations with this body spray I do actually think that the scent is really nice. It is described as 'an edgy scent that has been created for the fashion forward and independent girls in mind' which isn't much of an accurate description in terms of what it actually smells like and of course scents are subject to individual preferences but I think this is alright. It's perfect handbag and travel size, and although being an aerosol can it's not as subtle as a little spritz of perfume of body mist to freshen up during the day it still does the job nicely and I've got nothing against this product.

 

Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Night Cream Full size 30ml - £14.95

 

Sorry but I literally cannot stop moaning in this post so I'll say my first good point now! Last months box contained two sachets of Biao rose night cream and I lapped it up, getting 3 applications from each of the sachets gave me enough of feel of it to decide that I really liked the product, and then this little 5ml tube of another rose night cream came along and again, I've been lapping it up and loving it. This Weleda one is aimed at anti-aging but it also an all round rejuvenating and smoothing night cream. It's right on my bedside table and I've applied it only four nights in a row so far but each morning my skin has been waking up looking better and better so I'm impressed! I'm not sure if it's this brand in particular I love, or just the general idea of rose night creams so I'm intruiged and I'm going to branch out and try a few more different ones to see.

 



 

Yardley Royal English Daisy EDT Full size 50ml and 125ml - £9.99 and £14.95

 

There's been a Yardley perfume sample in a previous box and I just thought it was 'okay' so didn't feel too pleased with seeing another one, but this one is a lot better and I think it's quite nice! I don't ever tend to really use perfume samples that I get though, they all just build up in a little collection and I'm thinking that I might start putting them to use so I'm wearing this one today.

 



 

'SSB Treat': Murrays Manicure Matchbook Nail Files Full size - £1.99

 

It's a little set of mini nail files.. I don't really know what I can say about these and I know I never would have bought them for myself. I might use them, but I probably won't. (Very messiliy painted nails alert in the picture though - haha!)

 

 

Makebelieve enhance Shimmer Lip Gloss Full size 15ml - £10.00

Since opening my box I've since seen other variations of November box and noticed that there was a highlighter available from the brand 'Makebelieve' which I definitely would have preferred, but oh well you can't win them all can you! This is reaaally pretty, I mean really pretty! It's just such a shame that I'm not a lip gloss person at all unfortunately I know that I would never wear this. I've not touched it yet and I intend to sell it because it's a beautiful looking product by a luxurious looking brand (albeit one I have never heard of) and I think that this Shimmer Lip Gloss would be better off with somebody who would use it than just sitting in my drawer untouched until I have a clear out and throw it away! I normally wouldn't bother but it's a full sized product that retails for £10.00 so I think it's worth selling. If anybody is interested in purchasing this from me for around £5 to include postage costs then please just leave me a comment below with a contact e-mail! If no ones interested I'll save it for a blog sale.
'Indulgent moisturising lip gloss for a luscious pout with a hint of shimmer. Apply to the lips for a natural looking enhanced pout or over your preferred lip colour'.


Just to be typical of my current attitude toward SheSaid Beauty I'm sorry to say that I'm going to end this post on a negative note (not sorry really, I'm entitled to an opinion). There's been a pretty weird couple of things appearing in boxes from SheSaid recently, for example, tooth paste, vitamin supplements and bag of crisps(?!) and although this month was all beauty related and all good stuff I do feel that it is getting repetative. I've only been subscribed for a couple of months (5, I think) and in that time I have already been sent a nail file before, so I wasn't interested in that again, I've been sent a Yardley perfume sample before, so again, not interested, I've sampled the brand Redken before, and last month's box include rose scented night cream which was received again this month (Biao last month, Weleda this month). Some of it isn't a big deal because I'm looking forward to giving Redken another shot, I like the Yardley perfume and the rose night cream.. but it's more the principle of it. I'm paying a fair lump of money per month to receive a box full of 'luxury beauty samples' to introduce me to new brands and new products but when I keep getting nail files and the same brands again and again, and similar products repeated then it kinda defeats the purpose. Another point is that a few boxes ago there was a Collection 2000 primer sent out which was also included in a variation of this month's box - thankfully I didn't receive that product in my box which was lucky because I hated it and haven't touched it, but how could any subscriber be interested in receiving the exact same product again?

 

So, c'mon She Said! Impress me again like you used to!

Throw some new brands in there; no more Yardley and Redken!

Throw in something original and a bit different too; no more rose night cream!

..and no vitamins or crisps either!

 

What did you think of November's box?

♥

Review: Redken Anti-Snap Treatment

Redken Extreme Anti Snap Treatment - £13.95 for 250ml @ Feel Unique

Is it only me who thinks that this product has one of the best names ever? It's exactly what somebody with long hair and damaged ends is going to want from a conditioning treatment - there's no point in making the effort to grow your hair if it's just going to snap off at the ends all the time. But does this pricey product live up to it's anti snapping claims?

If you want the science-y bit this is what the Feel Unique site says about how and why this product is supposed to work:

18-MEA helps restore the lipid layer of protection and resurfaces the cuticle to help restore shine while amino acids and protein enter the cuticle for targeted structural repair. Together, IPN and the Fortifying Complex deliver Redken Extreme's advanced strengthening benefits for healthier, shinier hair.

I don't know about you but that sounds a little bit too fancy for my understanding but basically it's something to do with proteins strengthening the hair and aiding against breakage from brushing and general daily wear to your locks. I bought into this treatment thinking that it sounded like a wonder product and could be my holy grail assistant in the mission for Rapunzel-esque hair, and I did my research on it too by reading lots and lots of reviews - 99% of them being positive. This must make me in the 1% who isn't going to rave about it! Sorry Redken.

I've been using this after washing my hair for about two months on and off but only properly put it into my regular routine religiously in the past two-three weeks and since then have noticed that the state of my ends has actually gotten worse. What?. The parts of my hair I've been focussing on is the underneath, i.e. when hair is tied into some kind of up do and there's sometimes the straggly bits of hair underneath that won't quite fit in? I can't be the only person who has this.. am I? Well anyway I've been putting 2 pumps all the way through my mid-lengths and ends while wet and then when putting in a top knot I've been running an extra pump through the underneaths to try and strength those stragglers. What I've been finding is that the broken off strands are becoming larger in number and there is now infact whole clumps of broken off hair that were not there before using this product. There is no other factor involved - I have introduced no other product into my routine and I have cut out all heat tools from my life too! In addition, my hair used to be relatively soft on the ends despite the bleach because I work hard to keep it in good condition but now it feels more straw-like than ever before - this product is drying my hair out like mad!

Hate to give a negative review but this isn't one for me, I thought it would be amazing but after using it religiously and allowing it's effects to really work I've found it has negative results for me. I would love to know if this is the case for anybody else at all who has used this product?

If you've used this Redken treatment did you have good or bad experiences with it?

Let me know!

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♥

Hair Care Haul | ft. FeelUnique & Boots

I have had two mini splurges this week and treated myself to some new products, not many, just a few. One lot was an order from www.FeelUnique.com and the other from a trip Boots. I've split this weeks haul into two parts; 'skin care and make-up' (posted yesterday, you can see it here: link) and 'hair care' (this one that you're reading right now).

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Hair Mask
£5.22 for 300ml, from Boots.
I have never used this mask before but have heard good things about it and I am looking forward to giving it a try and seeing if it lives up to its promises of restoring my hair. 

Lee Stafford 'For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length' Treatment

£7.99 for 200ml, from Boots. CURRENT OFFER: 3 LEE STAFFORD PRODUCTS FOR £12.

I went out and bought myself three new tubs of this treatment because I had finished off my second tub the day before and I am absolutely in love with this product. It was also a bargain being 3 for £12 and I saved myself a massive £11.97 because of the offer they had on. I am going to do a full review of this product in coming week singing its praises and explaining why I love it so much and the changes that it has made to my hair. In a nutshell this mask contains a protein complex that nourishes your hair follicles and scalp, helping hair to anchor to the scalp reducing loss and address the hair at a cellular level. This is quite a unique mask as it is one that focuses on improving hair condition from the very beginning by helping the roots, instead of trying to treat the already dead ends. 

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave In Treatment

£12.55 for 250ml, from Feel Unique.

I absolutely fell in love with a sample Redken product that I received inside my August SheSaid Beauty Box and was browsing to buy the full sized version of it when I came across a whole array of different Redken products that looked absolutely amazing. I opted for the anti-snap treatment because the ends of my hair have been bleached to create the ombre effect and I often worry about their condition, despite smothering them in argon oil after every wash. I'm trying my best to grow my hair and it's obviously growing because I have visible roots, but the length doesn't appear to be increasing at the same rate and this is likely because the ends are snapping off. :(. So if this treatment does as it promises and protects the ends of my hair, whilst the Lee Stafford treatment nourishes my roots, then it should be no time at all before I have hair that would make even Rapunzel jealous.

♥

SheSaid Beauty Box | August 2012

The August SheSaid Beauty is my 3rd beauty box and I've been enjoying them so much that I recently signed up for a 6 month subscription while they were running a special 50% off offer.

If you're interested in signing up yourself then you can follow the referral link below and it can help me on my way towards getting a free box!

https://www.shesaidbeauty.com/invite/JKWWS

In each box you receive 5 sample products, and one 'bonus' product (so technically you receive 6 products). Often 1, or sometimes 2, of the products are full size and are worth quite a lot more than the box itself costs (£9 a month +p&p). There is a little bit of variation between the boxes that people get so read on to find out what I got in my August box and a brief rundown of what I thought of each item.

My first thoughts on the box were that it was quite messily packaged for a change and looked as though there hadn't been much care into packing the box. I understand there must be some poor soul who has stand around and hand-pack each of these boxes and mine could well have been last in the pile at the end of a hard day, but still it could've been better than opening the box in excitement and just seeing the products messily thrown inside and a lump of straw chucked on top of them. 

White Glo - Professional Choice

A tooth paste? In a beauty box? Well that one surprised me. I've not tried this yet because I think its the perfect travel size and I'm saving it for a little holiday in October that is currently being planned. However, I have read other people's reviews on this box and every single one have said they were impressed with this toothpaste and saw a noticeable difference in the whiteness of their teeth even with just this sample size which makes me excited to try it out.

150g Full size product costs £4.07.

Balance Me - Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve

This cute little lip balm has taken its place right on my bedside table now; I love every single thing about it ..except for the scent. It's not actually an unpleasant scent and I can put up with it, it's just that 'rose' is not something to my personal preference. The packaging is adorable and it keeps all of its promises to 'plump hydrate and smooth'. This was the only full sized product in the box and 10ml tube retails at £12.00 (See what I mean about some of the products being worth more than the box?).

Redken - Color Extend Radiant-10

This product really caught my eye when I opened the box as I've been wanting to try out some Redken products for quite a while now and I have recently purchased myself a couple of full sized bottles. It's in an adorable little 30ml bottle and I've nearly used it all up already. This claims to have '10 essential benefits for coloured hair' and I don't know about a full 10 benefits but it definitely has made some improvement to the condition of my hair and I will be buying the full size bottle. 170ml costs £19.99 as a limited time introductory offer.

Papier Poudre - Rachel Powdered Paper

These are something that I first of all thought that I would never get any use out of. Despite actually having really oily skin I just thought that these sort of blotting and absorption papers wouldn't be very effective and would just rub away make up. I tested these out once on a really hot and humid day last week while I'd been wandering around in the sun all day, I got home and looked in the mirror to be greeted with a super shiny oily forehead/nose/general T-zone, and I spotted this little booklet on the side so picked it up to give it its premier trial. This instantly absorbed the visible oil on my face and it even leaves a slight trace of powder behind to leave an extra matte finish. I do like these but I'm not sure if I would repurchase this particular brand; I may try the Kleenex version now though. A pack of 6x 20 leaf booklets costs £7.95.

Absolutely Flawless - Nail Foils

Eugh. These are cheap and you can really, really tell. Plus, £1.90 for 32 foils and we received 16 foils in our box? - Oh thanks SheSaid that's so generous of you. In general I never really liked the whole nail foils craze; I tried them out once about 2 years ago and sure they looked great, but they were just far too fiddly for my liking and I didn't like trying to blast a hairdryer onto my hands and nearly burning myself just to melt the glue! I'd much rather just paint my nails and wait for them to dry than spend the time cutting out the foils to match the shape and size of my nails. The foils that I received were an imitation of the 'crackle' effect that everybody loved a couple of months ago but I feel that's had its day a bit now. The box included a card with all the other designs available from the Absolutely Flawless brand and I wouldn't wear a single one of them. Sorry, definitely not a winner from me!

*Bonus 4711 - Eau De Cologne

Of the 3 SheSaid boxes I have received and the 3 perfume samples that came with them, I have not liked a single one. I would rather not receive perfume samples full stop to be honest. To start with how UGLY is the packaging of this bottle? And the smell.. eugh! I don't know anybody that would like this. Again, not a winner. A full sized 100ml bottle costs £17.00.

Overall, the Redken and the Balance Me products are a love, the powdered papers are okay, the tooth paste is still yet to be trialed, but the nail foils and the perfume sample are a no-no!

Again, if you're interested in signing up for your own box for £9 a month (+p&p) then follow the link below to sign up:

https://www.shesaidbeauty.com/invite/JKWWS

♥