Review: Moroccanoil Oil Treatment

Hi ladies, I'm trying to get past my spout of 'bloggers block' at the moment as I don't know what's come over me recently but I've been finding it impossible to put words into a sentence and have them make some kind of sense! Too much uni work has been baffling my head and it's been 10 days since I last put up a proper post - that feels like forever! I hope you'll excuse my little absence and we'll get back into the swing of things ASAP. 

Soo.... Moroccan oil? Heard of it? Thought you might have! 

To clear up any confusion; 'Moroccanoil' is the name of the brand, and the product is called 'Oil Treatment', which is why it looks a bit odd calling it 'Morccanoil Oil Treatment', but hey - that's it's name. 

This famous little blue bottle has a 'seal of originality' over the cap, which Moroccanoil pride themselves on, and I'm pretty sure they're chuffed to bits with the fact that they've revolutionised hair care, making argan oil (or any kind of oil!) a key ingredient in a lot of people's daily hair routines, whether it's for care and treatment, or with styling. Oil no longer means slick and greasy, oil means nourishment and good quality care for our stressed out tresses. Moroccanoil is an industry sensation, used by professionals around the world and many women (such as myself) swear by it to transform hair that is dry and damaged, into soft, smooth, shiny and beautiful flowing locks. 

Where to buy? The site Feel Unique is the leading retailer for all sorts of products from this brand, from shampoo and conditioner, to hairspray, shine spray and conditioning masks, and you will be able to see everything that they offer by looking here. The bottle of the treatment itself is available in 2 different sizes to suit everybody's needs and budgets. This small 25ml bottle that I have here costs £12.85 and is great if you just want to dip your toe in the waters and see what you think of it, maybe use it for travel as it's a really small bottle that takes up no space at all, or even as a back up bottle for whatever reason. For me, I received this as a gift and it was pretty much perfect for everything that I needed, but now I know that I love it I have my heart set on buying the larger 100ml bottle when this has all run out (100ml bottle costs £30.45) - it's expensive but it's so worth it.

Why is it worth it? Why would you spend £30+ on a bottle of oil?.. Well, not only does the oil weightlessly leave the hair smoother, free from tangles and knots, with minimised frizz, it also improves the actual condition of the hair right down to the core, making it stronger with each use. I've been using this regularly since Christmas and my hair has never looked so good! Also, I can always tell on the days when I haven't used this as my hair is slightly more unruly and feels drier on the ends, although it's nothing compared to how it used to feel! I'm also only about 1/3 of the way through the bottle which gives you a good indication of how long lasting something like this can be; if a 25ml bottle will last me approximately 1 year, you'll be set for a long, long time with a 100ml bottle! That's enough oil to transform anybody's hair from awful to amazing with regular use. 

How to use: I pour quite a generous sized blob into the palm of my hand (about the size of a 50p and I've never experienced any greasiness with that much), rub my hands together and then massage the oil through the mid-lengths (bottom of ear downwards) of towel dried hair. Sometimes I'll go back for a little bit more and add some more onto the very ends as they've had some bleach damage and deserve some extra TLC. This oil doesn't leave your hands feeling sticky, slimey or greasy and it doesn't leave a residue in the hair either. I also love the smell of it too, it's quite a masculine and musky smell which is unique from most other hair products, but that makes it quite a signature scent. One more good point: it also helps to speed up the drying time of the hair as oil repels water particles, making them clear off out of the hair in half the time - always a bonus if you're using heat to dry your hair as it means less heat on the hair, therefore less damage, or if you're drying it naturally then that means less time with damp hair hanging around!

Here is what Moroccanoil® themselves have to say about their oil treatment:

"This treatment for hair completely transforms and repairs as its formula transports lost proteins for strength; fatty acids, omega-3 oils and vitamins for shine; and antioxidants for protection. It absorbs instantly to fill gaps in hair created by heat, styling and environmental damage".

Sounds good? It is good! Really good. You might think that £30, or even £12 is a lot of money to spend on something for your hair, but if looking after your hair is something that you really are interested in doing, either you're on a mission to grow it all the way down to your hips, or you're trying to reverse some damage from years of bleach to bring back a bit of shine then this is something worth trying. 

It hasn't got all of this hype for nothing!

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Review: Nivea Express Hydration Primer

So, which category do we put this one in then?

Is it skin care, i.e. a moisturiser?

Is it make up, i.e. a primer?

Nivea: What is it?!

This is what Nivea says:

"A light gel cream which absorbs instantly so you can apply make-up right away. Moisturises your skin with effective Hydrators & Vitamins for long-lasting hydration and provides an even and smooth base for effective make-up application. Helps make-up to stay in place"

Okay, so it's basically a two-in-one product and we all love those don't we, kill two birds with one stone and all that, especially if it's something that is going to reduce the time spent on a morning routine. What this 'gel' does is acts as a moisturiser and a primer, which is clever because they are both the stages that I tend to neglect the most. I don't know if I'm the only one, but I get too frustrated in a morning having to apply moisturiser, hang about until it's all sunk in, then dig out a primer, then a foundation, then a powder, blah blah blah just layering more things onto my face, and if I was to skip any step then it would be a toss up between the moisturiser or the primer (I know it's naughty not to moisturise..). 

So this is the perfect moisturiser for any lazy bones out there just like me who like to minimise these steps and it works to hydrate the skin as well as prepping and priming the skin ready for the day's make-up, as well as helping it to last longer (although not dramatically longer, maybe just an hour or two).

The gel consistency helps it to be light on the skin and be really quick at sinking in, which I love because it means I don't have to sit and twiddle my thumbs before I can slap on some foundation! Since using this I have found it to be just 'okay' at performing its combined functions; it's not the best or the worst moisturiser, and it's neither the best or worst primer either. But it performs adequately in both areas and for the price (£4.99, regularly discounted to £3.99) then it's hard to grumble. For someone who isn't too fussed about spending a huge amount on their skincare and likes the lazy girl way out of a product being a 2-in-1 then this will probably be perfect for a lot of people! I like using it when I don't need a moisturiser that's too intense and for just basic every day wear when it's nothing special, it makes a great cheap and cheerful make-up base.

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Review: Aussie '3 Minute Miracle' Reconstructor For Damaged Hair

Okayyyyy.. so a couple of weeks ago I was brimming with energy and couldn't shut up about how I was going to blog every single day of March as a little challenge to myself. How did that work out for me? Well I've just skipped four days ..so not too great! I've had a lot on my plate recently and thought that blogging would be a productive distraction and some time well spent taken out of a busy day, but in reality I was just trying to juggle one too many things and eventually crashed and burned - Ooops.

Intro aside, today's review is of my absolute number one favourite hair mask and it's cheap as chips and a widely available one from Aussie. There is a slight variant of the price of this depending on where you buy it from, but I think it's standard RRP could be £4.99. Around different supermarkets and stores such as Boots and Superdrug, however, you will frequently be able to find offers such as '2 for £7' or '3 for £10' across the Aussie line so you're guaranteed to grab yourself a bargain.

It's not just price of this deep treatment that makes this a winning product for me, it also has very impressive genuine results on hair condition too and can give much more expensive and higher end products a run for their money! The results may not be a permanent reparative solution for damaged and split ends of the hair, but it definitely offers a brilliant short term fix. '3 minute miracle' is quite an apt name for this as it only needs to be left on the hair for a couple of minutes after washing as usual and then it is rinsed away to reveal hair that has had a brand new lease of life breathed into it - just what we all need from time to time!

It gives exactly the results that you would expect; soft, smooth, manageable, 'silky', and just general healthy conditioned hair, but this one had an added bonus of having the most amazing smell thrown in the mix too! Most people will be familiar with the scent of Aussie products, but it's a super sweet and yummy bubblegum fragrance that fills the whole bathroom and lingers on the hair after use too.

Of course, the packaging of this bottles makes it not the most convenient for travel (it doesn't have a real lid at all, just a squeezey hole in the bottom), but I don't think that a deep treatment for my hair is top of my list for things to pack for a trip away, so that doesn't matter too much anyway! And also, be careful if you have butter fingers because it doesn't fare too well if you drop it. 

There's a couple of other variants of Aussie's 3 minute masks, such a 'Take The Heat', 'Frizz Remedy', 'Colour', 'Luscious Long', and their newest release: 'Miracle Shine' too. I've tried the 'frizz remedy' mask before too and found it to have very similar results to this reconstructing mask, although the reconstructing mask seemed slightly more intense. It's personal preference which mask you feel is most suited to your hair but I doubt there's a whole lot of difference between the formulas and this one never, ever lets me down!

Whether you're on a budget or not, if you're looking for something to perk your hair up then this is one to give a try!

Review: Clinique 'All About Eyes' Eye Cream

 



Eye cream is something that I'd never expected myself to either worry or care about at least not for another 20 or so years, but recently my views on this have changed. This is mainly because I always look tired (most of the time I am tired), but it's not fun looking like a walking zombie every day of the week, even after a pint of coffee. Plus, eyes are the first part of the body to show signs of aging (along with hands), and everyone wants to maintain that image of youth for as long as possible, which is why a good quality eye cream is important and starting the younger, the better. I'd rather use preventative measures against aging now, than get to 40 and try to reverse the effects that I could have minimised when I was 20!

 

Using this eye cream has made a difference for me and my eyes and I swear I am not just saying this for the sake of it, it's the honest truth. In the past no amount of concealer would be able to disguise the state of these peepers, if the skin was puffed up and 'angry' then that's something that no amount of make-up can help you. We've all tried those Garnier eye roll ons, right? The ones that are supposed to 'wake up' the eye area and reduce the puffiness but all they really do is feel cooling and refreshing on the skin but don't change a great deal. This cream from Clinique actually hydrates the area, soothes it and brightens it. It's a lightweight gel formula that can be applied day and night and works well as a base for eye make up too. I can't comment on fine lines because I don't have any visible ones (I am only 20), and the darkness does fade slightly to create a more even colouring of the skin, but it is more the levels of puffiness that impresses me. Practically no puffiness of the eyes after continued use, even after a rough and sleepless night. All I need now is a dab of concealer to hide the darkness and I'm good to go.

 

My eyes have been opened (no pun intended) to the benefits of using a good quality eye cream on a daily basis and it's something that I'm going to continue using. Skincare is worth investing in; you'd spend money on clothes and shoes or on an expensive hair cut, but what's the point in looking and feeling good with those if your face isn't reflecting the same? It's a shame that it's so expensive (£24 for a 15ml pot) but it's worth investing in. Your face is important, and so are your eyes so look after that delicate skin around them. I'm nearly out of this small 7ml pot (5 months after getting it) and I am definitely on the hunt for something to replace it, either by playing it safe and sticking with the full size version of Clinique 'All About Eyes', or by branching out and trying Origins 'GinZing' - I'm yet to decide!

 

Do you agree that eye cream is important?

Or is it just an extra and unnecessary step in a skincare regime for you?

 

P.S. I set up a Facebook page for blog updates today, so if you're still using Facebook and would like to 'like' my page then here is the link:

Cosmetic Crave

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Review: Soap and Glory 'Hand Food'

 

 

This hand cream was the very first product from Soap and Glory that I ever tried, and since dipping my toe into those pink and girlie waters I have never looked back. 'Hand Food' (love the name) is a staple product in my life and one that I somehow have a sizeable back-up stash of, but it is one that I will repurchase for years to come. Available in a larger pump bottle, a standard 125ml tube and also a miniature travel size tube too this really is a perfect little hand cream that you should have in your life - I need more of the mini ones! I want one for every bag!

 

The price is spot on (£5 for regular 125ml tubes) and there are frequent deals on this (I have so many because I stocked up during a S&G '3 for 2' offer) so it isn't going to break the bank, but all the great qualities of a decent moisturising hand cream are still there. It is thin in consistency so feels light on the skin and doesn't leave hands feeling greasy or sticky afterwards, but it still feels luxurious and the skin feels nourished. It also smells super girlie with hints of shea butter and marshmallow - Mmm! Cheap and cheerful, in pretty packaging, with a lovely scent, silly soft hands without grease or stickiness. Is there much more you could ask for?

 

 Soap & Glory 'Hand Food' £5/125ml via Boots - link



Review: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Treatment

 

Hey girls. I decided to set myself a little challenge to try and blog once a day for every single day of March (procrastination at it's finest - this is a busy time for uni deadlines!), so make sure to check back regularly for new content - I hope that I can do it! I've written a list of 31 topics to blog about, it's just finding the time in a day to pull it off. So anyway, day three: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer.

 

This is quite a famous deep conditioning hair treatment and is discussed quite a lot as being a good quality hair care product. It's one I've had my eye on for a very long time but have never wanted to part with that large amount of money if I wasn't going to see amazing results. This 75ml tube that I have here costs £14.40, and a larger tub of 150ml costs £26.25 (available from Feel Unique: link) - can you see why I was reluctant to splash out and give this a go? Luckily for me I won this tube in a giveaway so have been able to give it a little trial run, but let me tell you this: I am so glad that my hard earned pennies didn't go towards placing an order for this because I am not overly impressed.

 

I wanted to love it and I wanted it to do amazing things for me and my dry, frizzy ends.. but I just didn't see results that blew me away. I've used it four different times and each time I used a generous amount but just varied the length of time that I left it on my hair for, ranging from 5 minutes to 2 hours. It is supposed to add elasticity, bounce, shine and strength in a seriously intentive form, but the results that I was left with were only that of an ordinary conditioner. I'm not saying it did anything bad at all, or even that it did nothing at all; it did soften and leave my hair managable, it just wasn't wow, and if you're paying that price for something then I'd be expecting strands of liquid gold flowing from my head. It's a nice conditioner, and I haven't regretted using it, but for the price alone it is not something that I would recommend - sorry!!

 

 

Review: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer || RRP: £4.19

 

Less than a fiver for the best concealer ever? Well that's something I can get used to! Since starting using this the only thing I've regretting is not welcoming it to my life sooner! I have nothing but praise for this little £4 tube of wonder that beats any high end brand concealer. Thick and creamy in consistency with incredibly full coverage, but blends out easily to not look obvious and although I'm not sure on the full '16 hour' claim, the wear time is still pretty impressive and withstands both full working days and long nights out.

 

I have just one problem with this product ..one! And that's that it doesn't take very long at all before it looks like the picture show just below. But that's hardly a big deal is it? A little bit of writing rubbed off the tube is nothing to worry about. Every other thing about this gets a big, big thumbs up from me!

 

 



Using the doe-foot applicator this works fantastically well covering both under eye circles and blemishes without going cakey/creasing (okay well it creases under the eye a little bit but what do you expect when it's your eye?). I've this concealer in two shades (1 - fair, and 2 - light) but you can see that there's quite a big difference between them on the bottom picture below. Most of the time I use 1 - fair, but if I've got a bit of fake tan or a darker foundation on then I can just mix in a touch of 2 - light to make the shade more appropriate. It's also available in shades 3 and 4 too.

 

 

 

If somebody told me that I could only have one item of make-up for the rest of my life then this concealer would be a serious contender to be 'the one'. If you've not tried this yet then I urge you to try it and you won't look back! £4.19 well spent!

Review: Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution

Have you heard the news? The fantastic news?! Bioderma is not just coming to the UK.. it's here! Yes, readily available to buy NOW. No more shipping over from eBay or trecking over to France for a bottle (only true dedicates would go that far). John Bell & Croyden are the first pharmacy in the UK to be stocking their shelves with the stuff, but others are sure to follow suit soon enough. This is a London based pharmacy so if that's still a little bit out of your reach then here's an alternative: http://www.escentual.com/bioderma/. Escentual are selling quite a vast range of Bioderma products, but I'm just here to rave to you about their micelle solution - this one: link. On Escentual they are selling sizes 100ml and 250ml for a very reasonable price, currently with 10% discount too - this is roughly the same price you can find it for on eBay (give or take about 50p) and will probably arrive a few days quicker and is more reliable too, so get yourselves onto Escentual and pick up a bottle or two! I'm going to get one of the 100ml bottles, they look so cute -  I love mini things!

If you're thinking 'what the hell even is Bioderma?', I will explain all to you:

If you like to read beauty blogs/watch beauty videos then quite frankly I will be amazed if you've not heard of this stuff! But hey, not everyone knows. Technically, 'Bioderma' is a French based brand that works closely with top dermatologists to create amazing skincare products. They produce all sorts of ranges; for sensitive skin, dry skin, oily skin, damaged skin, etc. etc., but they have got one product in particular that seems to have caught a lot of people's attention and is now incredibly popular: Bioderma Sensibio H20 - Micelle Solution. If you hear somebody say they're loving 'Bioderma', expect it to be this that they're talking about.

Here's your official description:

"a soothing non-rinse cleanser and makeup remover that perfectly cleanses and removes makeup from the face and eyes. Soothes irritated skin and minimises redness and provides an immediate feeling of freshness. The formula is fragrance free, alcohol free and contains no phenoxyethanol. The micelles contained in its formula effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the skin's balance (soap-free, physiological pH)."

So, in basic terms what this cult beauty product does is removes make up. Plain and simple. It's popular because it's very simple, very gentle, has no adverse effects on the skin; it just does it's job. Pour onto a cotton pad, sweep around your face and the make up is gone.

It's for sensitive skin, so it's completely alcohol free and is cooling and soothing on the skin. Sometimes I just use it to freshen my face up, especially before applying make-up. It smells and feels not that different from a bottle of water, but there must be something magic in it because water won't take eye make up off as good as this does! No stinging, no tugging, just a little soak and wipe and your eye make up is gone - waterproof mascara and all!

 

I would urge you all to try this out, just once. I wasn't convinced at first but it didn't take long for me to be hooked and now I use this every night!

Have you ever tried Bioderma?

Are you excited about it coming to the UK?

Ciate Caviar Pearls: Step-By-Step & Review

Hi ladies. I thought I would bring something a little different to the table today; my first 'tutorial'. I'm no nail expert, and I won't pretend to be either, but here are what I hope are helpful and informative step-by-step instructions for how you can create your very own 'caviar nails' with a little review included too. Enjoy!

Okay, first things first: what you will need. With caviar nails (whether they are Ciate or an alternative brand) you should receive a funnel included, then you will need your pearls/beads, a base coat, a base colour of your choice and some form of clear nail varnish.

Step One is to apply your 'base coat'. I like to use OPI nail envy because it acts as a nail strengthening treatment at the same as preventing stains to the nail, and it also seems to leave me chip free for longer too.

Step Two is to apply your chosen colour. I have used Ciate 'Cupcake Queen' and this is a beautiful and super bright fuchsia pink - let's all take a moment to admire it's beauty now....

Step Three is to apply some form of clear nail varnish onto the nail (I just just used OPI Top Coat) and it's probably best not to use a super quick drying nail varnish either. This is what your beads are going to use to stick to your nail so make sure that you have used a generous, thick layer of your top coat. (As an alternative to this option you can just apply your chosen colour really thick and apply the beads directly to that instead). Work one nail at a time so that your top coat is freshly applied and 'wet' when you add your beads. Remember: this is the only thing that will be holding your beads to your nails so make sure you've not scrimped out on this stage.

Step Four is the fun part: POUR. That's right, you simply take the bottle of beads and tip them directly onto your freshly applied top coat. You will need some form of tray underneath your fingers to catch all of the excess beads that don't hit your finger nails and ideally this needs to be something that you can pick up (so don't use your bathroom sink!) - I just used an empty face mask pot from Lush, so you could use anything from the lid of your body butter, to an empty Chinese takeaway tub. 

 

At first there'll be a lot of excess beads on your nails that will fall off of their own accord but if you wait a minute or two and then gently tap your finger above your tray then the beads won't be wasted. Brush away the beads around your skin on the outside of your nails and.. Ta Dah! You're caviar nails are done! 

Wait!

..Need a refill?

By the time you've done one hand it's likely that your bottle will need a little top up. Not to worry, it's time for Step Five. Super simple, use the funnel that has been provided (if you don't have one I'm sure you could roll up a little piece of paper and make one), then pick up your tray and gently pour the beads back into the bottle ready to use again. 

Now you really are done! There's no need to apply a top coat to your nails because this will smudge together the colour of the beads, just be gentle until they're fully set into the clear varnish you applied before. I applied Ciate 'Candy Shop' caviar pearls that I received inside my Ciate advent calendar and they'll really fun and pretty colour to use. Below are some more pictures of the finished result: 

Warning:

Heavy hands make a mess! Be careful when pouring, those beads bounce!

Review:

The buzz around caviar nails has been around for a pretty long time now, and I didn't ever think it was something that I would buy into, but when I got four bottles of the peals in my advent calendar it seemed silly not to have a little play, and I ended up absolutely loving the results. Other brands have now hopped onto the bandwagon and you can buy these beads as cheap as £1 in pound shops around the country, or have a go at MUA's £3 offering of them too; there's not much of a need to splash out to Ciate unless of course there is a certain eye catching colour combination that Ciate offers that isn't available from elsewhere. 

They aren't particularly long lasting, but they managed to last for one day quite well but it was taking a shower that ended up being their real downfall. I struggled to wash my hair with these on as they snagged on my hair strands, and all that water ended up turned the colours pretty grubby and smeared together. But, if you're wanting these for a one-off special occasion, maybe a party/night out/wedding etc then I would say that they're definitely worth a go! They're simple to apply, look different and exciting and are very eye catching. The whole 24 hours that mine looked okay for I received a handful of lovely compliments on them!

I also quite liked how this finger ended up looking after I had flicked all of it's beads off!

Have you ever tried caviar nails? From Ciate or another brand?

What do you think of them?