Collective Beauty Haul

The Body Shop
Strawberry Body Butter | £13.00

Mango Body Butter | £13.00

Vitamin E Sink In Moisture Mask | £12.00

All-in-One BB Cream | £12.00

During a big sale at The Body Shop with some crazy deals I ended up getting myself 3 of these products (not the BB Cream) for only £15 instead of £38 - What a saving! I love The Body Shop for their deals and I try to avoid buying anything until they have one of their amazing offers on so that I can stock up on things from my wishlist and take advantage of the savings like I have done here. 

Speaking of sales.. this little bundle right here I bought just yesterday while there was a flash 40% off the whole store! The offer is still on now (online too) so go take advantage! The mango scent is my absolute favourite and I just couldn't resist getting this shower gel and body scrub to wash myself in all of it's zesty fruity-ness. I also plan to do a full post on this whole range sometime soon.

Mango Body Scrub | £7.50
Mango Shower Gel | £4.00
Vitamin E Toner | £8.00

Boots

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Conditioner | £10.99

ArGh. £11 on a drugstore conditioner? Yikes! Someone was feeling flush. Yes it's pricey, but yes it was worth it. This conditioner was part of my 'Happy Healthy Hair' post and I pair it with the Hair Growth shampoo (also from Lee Stafford) - They're the perfect pair for stimulating growth and nourishing dry ends.

Superdrug

MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette | £4.00

MUA Power Pouts Lipstick - 'Runway' and 'Broken Hearted' | £3.00 each

VO5 Plump It Up Dry Backcomb Spray | £2.44

A little Superdrug spree while cosmetics are '3 for 2' led me to the MUA stands to pick up some of their relatively recent releases. I adore their 'Undressed' palette and use it almost daily so I thought I'd add some variety to my eye life and get the 'Undress Me Too' - it's a bargain for only £4 too! These 'Power Pouts' are from the same concept as Clinique Chubby Sticks and Revlon Balm Stains, but on a budget. I've not actually tried them out at all yet but I'll review them in full if they're worth it!

Next

Summer Heat EDT 30ml | £6.00

Summer Dreams EDT 10ml | £3.50

These perfumes were my 'treat to myself' after I'd finished my first exam because I'd been revising my little bum off and deserved something to make me smile! Plus, it was a hot sunny day and I was craving a summer fragrance! I'm no professional in scent descriptions but.. 'Summer Heat' is a warm scent as it's citrus based with a strong hint of cinnamon, and 'Summer Dreams' is a lot more fresh and light. What I love about Summer Dreams is that it's a small 10ml bottle but still with a spritzer spray, rather than a rollerball (it's the simple things).

Other: Feel Unique, Look Fantastic and Tesco

The Original Tangle Teezer | £10.20 (10% off - £9.18)

REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser | £16.20

Garnier Summerbody Gradual Tan | £5.00 (half price - £2.50)

I was sucked into the Tangle Teezer hype and LOVE it; the best hair brush I've ever used for taming my mop of thick hair, especially when it's wet - and just look at the colours of it! The REN Clarifying Clay Cleanser is also a firm favourite and an absolute love that I'm sure you'll hear a lot more about from me in the future, and I've already raved indepth about this Garnier tan (it was in my April Favourites and you can read my review on it here).

So, that's what I've been splashing my cash on recently in the beauty world. I think I'm going to chill out a little bit now on the shopping front until it comes to holiday preparation purchases - less than 5 weeks to go until I'm on that beach!

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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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Hair Oils Collection

|| Instagram: Hannahripley1

 

Hey girls. I'm sure you're all aware that 2012 was the year that using oil as a treatment for dry and damaged hair really took off, with countless variations from high end to high street and even Primark offering up different concoctions for us all to try, and I for one was fully on board with the hair oil hype. After trying out my first one (Babyliss Pro Argan Oil) it was love at first use and I was eager to see what else was out there on the market to give a helping hand to my frazzled ends. Needless to say, my hair's now in the best condition that I've ever had it, it's split end free and growing at a good rate and my only 'secret' would be the incorporation of oils into my hair care routine. Some are put on wet hair, some on damp, some on dry, most on both and are brilliant for using a 'finishing product' to keep any flyaways at bay on styled hair as well as using a healing leave-in treatment.

I know I've gone a bit overboard and don't need all these (there's 11), but hey - what can you do? There's a huge variety in my 'collection', ranging from the apparent 'best of the best' hair oil in the form of The Original Moroccan Oil, to the super pricey Ojon Rare Blend Hair Oil, the 'up and comer' in the popularity stakes: Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment, all the way down to the cheap and cheerful high street offerings of L'Oreal and Tresemme, plus a £2.50 tube picked up from Primark (Hask Argan Oil). There's obviously a range in prices and value, but also a range in quality and intensity, sizes that range from 10ml to 30ml to 100ml, and some bottles with pump dispensers and some with pourers. We all need variety in our lives.

L-R:
L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil, Tresmme Liquid Gold Restorative Complex, The Body Shop Mango Beautifying Oil, Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Miracle Oil, Avon Adance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil, Babyliss Pro Argan Oil, Ojon Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy, Hask Argan Oil from Moroccan, The Original Moroccan Oil, Osmo Berber Argan Oil, Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment.

Longest photo caption I've ever written right there! This post isn't really intended to review any of these oils in full because that would take me far too long and you'd be here all day reading it too, plus I've already reviewed most of these individually anyway. If you're interested in reading more about any of the oils pictured then here is a list of the ones that I have reviewed with a clickable link to their post:

- L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil

- Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Miracle Oil Treatment

- Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil

- Babyliss Pro Argan Oil

- Ojon Rare Blend Total Hair Therapy

It's quite hard to make much of a dent in any of these because with all of them only a tiny amount is needed with each use and a little goes a long way, plus with the way that I chop and change between which one I'm using I'm struggling to foresee even one of these running out any time soon - looks like I'm set for life on the oil front! There's none that I dislike at all, just some that are better suited to different circumstances or 'hair days', and some are more intense than others or better value for money, but all are good and I like using them all. I tend to stick to one that I use all the time for a week or two, and then I rotate things around and start using another for a while, but at the moment my three favourite ones are the Lee Stafford one, Babyliss and 'The Original', but ask me again in a month and I'm sure I'll reel off a different list.

Leave me a comment and tell me your current favourite!

*Just realised that I should have included some sort of non-bragging disclaimer to this: these have been accumulated over the course of about 10 months and weren't very expensive, and if they were then it was most likely a Christmas present! I also solemnly swear I will not buy any more!!

Argan Oil Hair Trio | Lee Stafford Gift Set

Hi guys! This set is one that I received for Christmas from my mum which was very lovely of her as she knows how much I love my hair care, and Lee Stafford is a winning brand in my eyes. This set contains three full sized products from the Argan Oil from Morocco line by Lee Stafford, including the Nourishing Miracle Oil, the Miracle Heat Defence Spray, and the Deep Nourishing Treatment. I had seen this set before and it actually featured on one of my wishlists back in November so I know that it did cost £25.00 but in the post-Christmas sales it was reduced to £12.50!! £12.50 is more than just a bargain for this set because if each of the items were purchased individually they would be worth £40! Amazing! Unfortunately, this set no longer appears to be on Boots website so I imagine that it has sold out because of the amazing value.

Nourishing Miracle Oil

50ml £11.99 - link

I know it must seem like I say that I adore every single oil that I review and that all of them seem to be my favourite, but I really do mean it about this one! It's not my number one favourite, because that spot is still being held by the Babyliss Pro Argan Oil (my review - link), but this little one has snuggled its way into second place ahead of the L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil (my review - link). This is one of the few oils that I find I can use on dry hair without it overloading my hair and making it greasy. It's more along the lines of a serum really and I use it as a 'finishing product' to run through the ends to make them smooth, soft and shiny. It's lightweight but still deeply nourishing and doesn't leave any stickiness on the hair strands. I love it!

Miracle Heat Defence Spray

200ml £12.99 - link

I'll admit that I'm not really one for using much heat on my hair, but if I do then I always make sure that it's well protected to prevent any further damage to my already distressed locks. This product hasn't had a huge amount of use, and I don't find that heat defence products are ones that you can really tell whether they are working or not.. because how can I tell whether my hair has been protected from the heat by it? I don't know if it's just me that feels that, but anyway this smells really nice and it doesn't leave the hair sticky or weighed down with any product, and I love the sense of security when using this that my hair isn't going to be totally traumatised from having a pair of hot irons run all over it!

Deep Nourishing Treatment

200ml £14.99 - link

My favourite product from the set is this absolutely amazing, super softening hair mask! I've been a top fan and loyal repurchaser of Lee Stafford's hair growth treatment mask for it's conditioning properties (my review - link), but this mask just blows it out of the water in terms of intensity. After using this it felt like I had new hair all over again! I have a feeling that this could take a place as being one of my 'holy grail' hair saviour, despite it being steeply priced for a drugstore conditioning mask. I've been using this once a week since Christmas (so not a lot), but I've fallen in love and always look forward to using this because of the strands of silk that end up on top of my head after use (haha!). If you enjoy deep conditioning masks and have a bit of cash to splash then go out and get this! Definite stand out product from the set.

Overall, I am overjoyed that I received this set as a present and have loved using all of the products within it. They are all ones that I will be able to get regular use from (the heat defence the least, only because I don't use much heat), and the mask is one that I know I will repurchase on it's own!

Have you ever tried any of these from Lee Stafford's Argan Oil Range?

♥

Christmas 2012 & Gifts

 

Hello!

I hope you've all had a really wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the overload of festivity over the past couple of days - I know I have! I have definitely consumed enough alcohol, chocolate, turkey and pigs in blankets to be able to last me until Christmas 2013. I've been carrying a little food baby around with me all day today and had a total of 4 outfit changes last night in order to find something that hid my super bloated tummy! Damn all those Christmas puddings and fruit ciders.

 

I've been totally in two minds about the 'What I Got For Christmas' posts and was originally really keen to write one up myself . I have read every single one that I've seen so far and had a huge nosy on Instagram on Christmas afternoon of all the uploaded opened present pictures; I just find them really interesting to look at! But when I heard people saying it's bragging and nothing more than showing off how spoilt you are and that put me right off doing one! I don't want to be a braggy show off :( I doubt anybody intends it that way at all, and that's not the way I see it either, it's just any other haul post really isn't it? But little old me worries about judgement from others (even though I shouldn't) and thought that maybe instead I should just not mention anything at all and individually review each of the beauty items over time. In the end I settled on a compromise and I've just combined a quick Christmas recap and a really brief mention of the presents because most are beauty related and girly but I'll still be doing full reviews of all of them so keep your eyes peeled because there'll be exciting stuff coming up in future posts!

 

Christmas was a little different for our family this year and I was apprehensive in the run up to it all, fearing that as we weren't sticking to our usual traditions that it wouldn't feel like Christmas at all - but all my worrying was for nothing and Christmas Day and all of the surrounding days were just as lovely as usual! Christmas Eve was spent cosy infront of the fire watching The Grinch and Prince Caspian and eating chinese takeaway after I had pampered myself to the absolute extreme, before lying in bed for hours and hours being too excited to sleep (seriously, how old?!) and it felt like I'd only had my eyes closed for a second before my sister came bounding in dragging me up to open our presents at quarter past 7! After all presents had been opened and 'thank you's had been exchanged then the preparation for Christmas dinner began and this year we were hosting the family dinner at our house - it is usually at my grandparent's house and they have 14 of us round for dinner but they just didn't feel up to the stress of it this year!

 

It's rubbish quality but here's a picture of my mum's idea of funny.. dressing the four of us in matching Christmas jumpers from Primark! I kept mine on all day but nobody else did :(

 

..And my mum clearly gets her sense of humour from her own mother because here is the family Christmas present from our Gran.. make of it what you will!

 

I don't want to ramble on too much about my Christmas Day but after our yummy three course meal we wound down with cups of tea and plenty of family laughs and a couple more present exchanges and a dip in the hot tub! My boyfriend and my sister's boyfriend both came around in the evening and we had a buffet style tea and then even more present exchanges! Followed by more stuffing our faces with sweets and cider before lying in bed watching The Dark Knight Rises feeling 3 stone heavier!! Boxing Day.. same again! Huuge family meal but this time followed by a girls night out in town and I really enjoyed myself - today is recovery day though.

 

My 'main present' from my parents was a laptop that I got early because my old one died a slow and painful death back in October, and mostly from my relatives I received money and cheques which I've used for just one treat in the sales and that's a new YSL Touche Eclat, and all of the rest of the money will be put towards a 2013 summer holiday! The pictures below are my 'stocking fillers' and the presents I received from my sister, boyfriend and boyfriend's mum - Of course I'm a very lucky girl to have received all of these really lovely things and I'm very grateful and appreciate them all!

 

Zip Hoodie (Topshop) from John, Christmas Jumper (Primark) from my mum, Embellished Jumper (Dorothy Perkins) from John's family, Studded lace body (Primark) from my mum, Dress (Republic) from my sister.

Nail Varnishes - High Voltage and Razmatazz (Topshop) and Studded Phone Clutch (Urban Outfitters) from John, Lock and Key Charm (Pandora) from John, Desperate Housewives Season 8 from John, Lady Million EDP from John, Perfume Set from Grandma, Pandora Mirror from my mum, Next Jewellery from a friend of the family. 

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Gift Set from my mum, Ojon Rare Blend Oil from my mum, Moroccanoil from John, Philip Kingsley Conditioner and Elasticizer from my Nanna.
How exciting!! Beauty lovers dream!!

More stocking fillers; some from my mum and some from my sister. Chocolate and sweets, beauty bits; deodrant, moisturiser, eyelashes, candles, socks and PJs!

 Every year it seems the build up to Christmas is so huge and the day can sometimes not live up to it's enormous hype, but this year I didn't feel too excited in the countdown to the big day but I enjoyed myself 10x more - or atleast that's what it felt like but I'm sure I say that it was my 'best Christmas ever' every single year!

 

I've well and truly indulged myself in an excessive amount of food and drink, spent quality time with all of my family and had lots of fun nights out with my friends, and been spoilt with beautiful gifts!

I hope that Christmas was as good for all of you as it was for me!

♥ ♥ ♥

Monthly Empties | November

Hello my little pickles! No need for too much of an introduction today but here is one of my personal favourite types of post ..'empties'. I've expressed before why I understand some people can think these posts are weird, because, well, they are. 'Just throw the empty shampoo bottles in the bin, you loon' is what I want to tell myself sometimes! But I still like to write these posts, I still like to read these posts and they're always well received too so I can't be the only person who likes to see these. So here are products that I've loved so much that I used up every last scrap of them instead of neglecting them or throwing them out:

 

 

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner

Mmmm! This jumbo sized duo for dry and damaged hair was an absolute treat to use and I can't wait to get back to using Aussie on my hair again! I recently switched things up when I finished these and starting using the Avon Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner on my hair instead and they just do not even compare! These are very affordable, smell gorgeeeous - be aware the smell is very sweet and bubblegum-like, and leave hair feels soft, smooth and really managable with minimal frizz! Love! 

 

N-Spa Lemon Souffle Body Scrub

It looks like there's a little bit left in here but I asure you that there isn't. This was a gift for Christmas last year but N-Spa has a brilliant bargain range of products and there's so many more that I want to try! This scrub is citrus scented which is great because it smells really fresh and clean and the exfoliating beads inside are quite rough and gritty so I'd recommend this for the times when you need a reaaally good clean - it's great for getting rid of patchy fake tan left overs.

 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Mask

If you saw my verrry lengthy post on this product earlier in the month then fear not as I'm not about to ramble on for another 1,000+ words about my opinions on this, instead I'll just direct you all to the post that I wrote so you can have a read for yourself if you like: LINK. I really do love this Lee Stafford product and I'm sure I'll continue to repurchase and use this for a very long time as I feel it does wonders for my hair and can often be found for a bargain when '3 for £12' offers are on.

 

Special FX Nail Varnish

I found this little 3ml bottle rolling around in the bottom a drawer when having a sort out the other day and there was just enough left in the bottle to get one coat of colour on each of my nails, but by the time I reached my last pinky finger I really was scraping the barrel to get any more product out of here. It's a shame really because I don't know where this came from or how long I've had it for but it's a really beautiful shade and appropriate for the season; it's a lovely deep metallic navy blue and unfortunately the bottle doesn't have a shade name on it because I suspect it came as part of a set, being a miniature and all.

 

Lush Mask of Magnaminty Face & Back Pack

This mask is amaaazing! If you haven't tried it yet then I highly, highly recommend you hop on down to Lush and pick one up. In fact, try any of their face masks and I'm sure you'll be impressed - I love lots of their fresh ones. Unfortunately, as these contain fresh and natural ingredients they have a use by date of around three months and because there's so much product inside the tub I didn't get a chance to use it all up before it went off which is a shame really. As the name suggests it's a mint scented mask, it is very thick, clay-based and leaves the skin refreshingly tingly and awakened!

 

 

♥