Technic CONTOUR STIX review

So I was looking for something to use that'd enhance my contour more than the basic palette I have, so I got online and started to look for something. I didn't want to spend loads of money especially if I wasn't going to like the product, so I chose these and thought I'd give them a go. I was really surprised at how good they are, they give intense colour, especially the dark stix, which makes it easier to get the effect you want without using loads of product. It also blends seamlessly which makes it so easy and quick to apply so I don't have to spend hours doing my make-up. The lighter stix isn't as good and is abit light for my skin but if you are naturally more tanned you should be ok. The highlighter is more of a gentle shimmer but I use it when travelling as this set is very easy and convenient to transport. It definitely is a game changer in my make-up bag, especially as its only £2.99! Its worth the price even if you were only going to use the dark contour stix. I absolutely love this product and would definitely recommend!

                                               

Maybelline New York BROW drama Pomade Crayon Review (Dark Blond)

I usually use gel and a brush to apply my eyebrows, but i saw this cute crayon in the shops and couldn't help but buy one. I was skeptical at first as i love the well defined, dark eyebrow that have edges and look neat. This certainly doesn't give defined edges, however it fills brows so that they appear even and it gives them a boost of colour which allows them to stand out.

I think this product would work most effectively when used with a shaping brush to create a well filled in, well defined brow. The colour was good for my eyebrows and i enjoy using this product on days when i'm feeling especially lazy. Its very convenient as it is so easy to apply, however it'd be hard to carry round (may just be my one) as the lid is very loose. I definitely think it'd suit someone who likes quick, simple yet effective makeup and isn't too fussed about their brows being the main part of their makeup.

It also twists up, like a lipstick so i think this is good as it saves the faf of sharpening and means it'll last for a fairly long time which is good as this makes it very money efficient.

Overall i don't think i will be using this product everyday, however when i'm going for a natural look or simply don't have time to make my eyebrows a masterpiece this'll definitely be my go to. I like the fact it shows you made an effort however doesn't look like you're trying too hard. But i still remain a bigger fan of the detailed, sharp brow.

                                   

GARNIER Ultimate Blends The Nourishing Repairer Butter Review

I suffer from very dry and damaged hair. I use alot of heat products and also frequently dye my hair. This means it takes alot of TLC to keep it at a good quality. I have tried countless different conditioners, hair masks, oils and hair treatment to fix my damaged hair but none have been overly successful. About 6 months ago i started to use the Garnier Ultimate Blends shampoo and conditioner and found that they worked so well on my hair, probably the best product i've ever used in regards to giving your hair volume and shine whilst nourishing it.

Following on from my purple hair in December, i decided to bleach my hair a few times. This has led to alot of damage and keen to fix my hair i started to try out different deep conditioning methods. I've tried everything from sleeping with conditioner on to massaging egg into my hair, but nothing has been overly successful. I brought an Argan oil deep conditioner as usually Argan oil is quite good with my hair however this time it made my hair thick and slimy feeling.

When i was in boots i came across the Garnier Ultimate Blends nourishing repair butter for only £2.99 (on offer). As i'm reluctant to spend the usual price of £4.49 on it i decided then would be a good time to buy it. So i gave it a go, i used it after applying my normal shampoo and left it on for about 5 minutes. Once i washed it out and followed it with conditioner i dried my hair to see the results. I was amazed, my hair looked so healthy and shiny, i had virtually no frizz and my colour looked great. My split ends had also been solved and i felt like i'd just been to the hairdressers my hair was so fresh!

This product seriously amazed me, as although for an intense treatment it works to lather lots on, a little can also go a long way if your hair isn't that damaged. This product is seriously good quality for the price and after trying it i'm overly willing to spend the money on this amazing treatment. It has honestly made my hair so much better in condition and has helped me restore some of the damage caused by years of heat and dye abuse.

After washing i also apply an argan oil heat defense spray and use my tangle teezer to get rid of my knots whilst not snapping my hair so badly as a brush does. I believe all of this combined helps me to build my hair and make it stronger, softer and more vibrant.

I would 100% recommend this product! It has really worked for me and i've been so impressed with the results. I've been using the deep conditioner for about 2 months now and my hair continues to get better and better. Its also helped with my hair growth and its made my hair that bit thicker than it was before as i've always had rather limp hair.
                                             

MUA Anti- Bleed Lip Liner (clear) Review

So, i saw this in superdrug and decided to pick it up mainly out of curiosity. Seen as it was an absolute bargain at only £1 i thought i'd try it out and see if it'd really work.

I used it with one of my nude lipsticks which i usually use a colored liner for. I wanted to see how defined the lines would appear and whether or not it really does what it claims. It worked well, my lipstick was much easier to apply and it kept in the lines i'd drawn. Its hard to see what you're doing as it is a clear liner however it definitely gave my lips a defined outline making them much easier to fill in.

This was also better than ordinary liners as it helped my lipstick stay without leaving darker clumpy lines around my lips. This nifty product also has a sharpener in its lid making it really portable and easy to maintain. I would 100% recommend this as its so so cheap and makes your lipstick look much better than if you just went for it free hand.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude (720)

So i managed to get this lipstick from springfields outlet village in spalding for only £2.99 (usually about £6.49) which was a super bargain and so i couldn't resist trying a few new colours. One of the colours i decided to try was the notting hill nude. This lipstick looked like a subtle but glossy colour that would complement my complexion and brighten my lips up. It smells amazing! Which is odd for a lipstick but it makes it that bit more great to wear. It applies very easily and glides over the lips, it also does moisturize, however as with most lipstick it does wear fairly quickly if you're eating or talk alot. I absolutely loved the colour, it did show up but was a soft colour and so doesn't draw attention directly to my lips. It does feel good to wear but after a while my lips began to feel abit dry and i assume this is because it was drying and coming off my lips, not offering them the protection a normal chap stick would.

Overall i think this lipstick is good for short wear and if you're able to reapply it it's ideal, however its not for the people who want one application to last the day/evening. This colour worked really well for me although skin tone could be highly influential for how it looks on other people.

If you're interested in the outlet village i got it at, look here as i'd definitely recommend it for some awesome bargains!! http://springfieldsshopping.co.uk/


                                 

Tangle Teezer Review

Tangle Teezers have been about for a while now and i was always skeptical about how effective they actually are, as they seem like just an excuse to charge more for essentially a piece of plastic. After looking at reviews and talking to people who already own them, i decided i'd splash out and buy one to try for myself.

At first, i just felt like i was brushing my hair with a barbie brush from my childhood, but it did actually do its job and got the knots out without tugging like normal brushes do.

I've also found after a few weeks that my hair quality had improved and become much softer and shinier. I do however sometimes feel like i don't get a 'proper brush' as its done such a delicate job. However i'd say this is a good thing, it just depends how accustomed you are to yanking at your hair to get the knots out ( i always used to have to). 

Its a great design and the shape makes it slot into your hand so easily, and considering how smooth it is its actually quite easy to get a good grip. The only bad thing about this is that it's virtually impossible to put your hair up with it, i have to brush it with it and then use a regular hair brush if i want a bun or ponytail, obviously this is just my experience and could just be due to what i'm used to or the fact that my hairs now much softer. It also doesn't hold hairbands (unless you buy the flower one with a pot) which is less convenient for travel as other hairbrushes can have hairbands round the handle. That being said, it is fairly small and quite compact so it is much easier to take around with you. 

Overall, i'd probably recommend the tangle teezer to people who want to get softer hair without it being so knotty. It was particularly useful once i'd bleached my hair as it is much more gentle than my normal brush and so didn't pull as much hair out. It's also helped my hair recover from being quite damaged but this again could just be down to a gentler approach. If you wear your hair up alot then i'd say this isn't the brush for you, unless you don't mind using two brushes. It does have many benefits compared to a regular brush however i do still feel its quite expensive for what it is.

I brought mine from boots for £10.99, though you can find them slightly cheaper elsewhere. They have a range of brushes which is good and they also have smaller ones if you wanted something really compact for travel. 

                                       

Maybelline Matte Maker Mattifying Powder Review

After my last powder ran out, i started to look for a new powder that would help tame my oily skin whilst giving me a natural finish with reasonable coverage. I saw this powder and decided to give it a try as I've used Maybelline powders in the past and they've been pretty good. I use a base of liquid foundation mixed with equal parts face cream. This gives me a protective and moisturizing layer for my skin whilst offering a small amount of coverage. I then proceeded to apply my powder foundation using a large powder brush ( Barbara Daly- from Tesco, and it's pretty good). I was surprised by the coverage offered as it was more than i'd expected. The colour pigment was good and the powder felt light on my skin and not cakey. It also was consistent across my face and didn't cling to dry or oily patches. I would definitely recommend this powder as a top foundation layer for a dainty and natural look, offering  reasonable coverage and good quality colour. I would also recommend applying with a powder brush to achieve an even finish but this powder can also be used to touch up around eyes or lips after make up has been applied. This makes it versatile and it's also very affordable at only £3.99 at superdrug or boots. Definitely recommend and i will be buying this product again.

                                 

Schwarzkopf LIVE COLOR XXL Purple Punk review

So over Christmas i decided to colour my hair an unnatural colour. After plenty of deliberation in the shops i decided to try out the live color xxl. I have dyed my hair purple, pink and blue before and decided this time to try a different brand of dye. I was skeptical about this product as the vibrant colour on the box looks as though its faked and i expected to end up with dull, uneven hair colour.

I was pleasantly surprised, after using only one box (i have mid length hair- usually recommends 2

boxes) my hair had been transformed and i had deep purple hair. I think you would be able to wear this colour in a variety of tones from lavender to deep purple however, depending on your starting colour and how diluted you make the dye. I had some bleach in my hair but it was mostly faded and i used 1/4 conditioner to 3/4 hair dye whilst applying. This worked well but if you like pastel colours you'd definitely have to pre-bleach your hair and dilute the dye. 

It says it lasts 14 washes however after 20 washes my hair was still just as vibrant and i ended up having to bleach over it in order to fully remove the colour. To do this i used the live color xxl bleach in max blonde. This took all of the purple from my hair and left me with a good base to start again. I decided to keep my hair natural and coloured it a dark blonde. 

I am pleased with how well having the colour in worked and how easy it was to get my hair back to normal. My hair didn't get very dry either, as i did two deep conditions on my hair whilst bleaching/ dying my hair brown. 

I would definitely recommend this brand over others such as bleach London, which I've used before and they've barely lasted 5 days. It is also better than most dyes that you can buy online and if you can get it on offer it's inexpensive too. I look forward to using this dye again and trying out a range of colours on my hair :)

AVON mega effects mascara review

After toying with the idea to trial this product, i finally took the plunge and decided to test it out. I brought it whilst on sale and it arrived just in time for Christmas. I was skeptical at first, but it was packaged nicely and was alot smaller than i expected. Surprisingly the small size didn't make it hard to hold and i found this size quite easy to maneuver.

You open it by rocking the brush side to side in order to ease it out, this was unusual compared to normal mascaras but mean that the brush wasn't overflowing with product and that the brush had the perfect amount of mascara on it for use. I applied it to my lashes without altering the angle of the brush and found that it instantly uplifted my lashes.

If you apply to much and repeatedly brush over the lashes this product does start to become clumpy and gives the lashes a very false look, however with minimal strokes you can achieve a natural, lengthened lash. This mascara is great to finish off party looks and makes your eyes bold and bright without the need for eyeliner. It can also be used as an everyday mascara to give your eyes a boost.

This is a good value for money product, its quirky design makes it an enjoyable product to use and its unique brush is effective at its job. Over all i'd say that this product is a good one and i would recommend it for beauty lovers who are on a budget but like to try new make up with a little twist.