Tuesday 8 May 2012

Beauty Haul: MAC & Superdrug

Hi Everyone, so I've being doing a bit of beauty shopping lately and thought I would share some little treasures I picked up! :)

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Plus in 'Amazing Amethyst' Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Skin Protectant Miss Sporty Polishes (Blue - 43, Green - 37) - Miss Sporty Liquid Liner, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in 'Istanbul' - MAC lipstick in 'Impassioned' MAC Select Cover Up Concealer



The item that centres this picture is the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant and I LOVE it. It can be used as a multi purpose product: for use on the lips, or on other dry areas such as elbows and knees. I find it is lovely on the lips; very moisturising and gives a nice sheen. I got it for a smaller price than the RRP from Cheap Smells - check it out here. It's a really good website for purchasing luxury brands for a fraction of the price and there is also free delivery!
To the left of this picture is a MAC lipstick in 'Impassioned' and is a gorgeous hot pink colour and an amplified formula, meaning to colour is very pigmented. I LOVE IT - perfect going out lipstick!
The lipliner is in 'In Synch' (what a mouthful) and is basically a yellow toned peach pink and looks pretty nude on the lips. It is quite drying so I suggest a lip balm underneath or a moisturising nude lipstick over the top.. and the lipliner will just ensure it is long lasting.
Finally, in this picture, is the soft matte lip cream by NYX in the colour 'Istanbul'. Sammy from 'Beauty Crush' on YouTube speaks highly of this product and I really liked the look of it on her lips, so decided to try it out. It's not drying yet leaves a matte finish and perfect natural pink/coral shade on the lips. I want to purchase some more shades but at £4+ for postage alone, I am waiting a bit (We all hate paying for Postage and packaging!)
Not so interesting, but I purchased MAC's select cover up concealer and I am in the shade NW20. I purchased a few of these a few of years back in my Year 9 and 10 days, but I have now rekindled my love for it due to it's coverage purposes and the fact it isn't cakey.

I purchased the Sally Hansen polish in the pound shop after venturing for polish in there when I heard somewhere that they were doing Revlon polishes. Sadly, in my nearest Poundworld they were not doing Revlon but they did this Sally Hansen one which I was drawn to due to it's nail growth purposes. The colour is also a nice hot pink too.
Next are 2 Miss Sporty Clubbing Polishes in the shades '43' and '39'. Really easy to apply and dry quite quick. I find the chipping is a bit of an issue but my friend says she finds they don't chip at all, so maybe it's just me!


Sorry for the uber long post but I hope someone out there enjoyed it! What have you all being buying?! I'm a bit of a shopaholic at the moment (it doesn't help having a Superdrug opposite your Saturday job workplace!)

Lots of Love,
Alice xox

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Sunday 22 April 2012

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro

I've not really heard about these polishes on many blogs and I am really surprised as to why..
I love the idea of painting your nails whilst strengthening them too. I always feel guilty for constantly painting my nails thinking of how dry and in bad condition they may be getting.
These polishes contain Calcium, Iron and Silica in order to strengthen the nails and cost a wonderful £4.09.
I chose the clear colour and 'Orange Couture' (pictured below). 


Excuse the quite badly painted nails, as I was in a rush, but just to show you the colour...
When purchasing this, I thought it was more coral than it is actually is, but there's still some coral-ness, haha.
It's a red/orange coral but can look orange in some lights. 

The thing I absolutely love about this polish is not only the strengthening properties, but also the fact that one coat = completely opaque! No faffing around with applying coats and coats (cough, Essie, cough) The colour selection is excellent in the Superdrug I went to, there must've being over 20 colours available! Why I didn't get more, I'm not quite sure.

Recently, I have being picking up more nail polish (Don't I have enough?!) There will definitely be a blog post on that so watch out for that... and they're cheap as chips!
What polishes have you being loving?

Love Alice xx
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Sunday 15 April 2012

Week In Photos

Never done this before, so thought it would be nice to instagram some pics and post them on my blog. I went to London this week, so most of the photos are from there.


Going to a party with my friends, Nandos with my sister (chicken wrap=heaven), On the train to London, Meal at Bella Italia in Leicester Square, I love Piccadilly Circus, Me and my sister in Piccadilly, Olympic Countdown Clock, Buckingham Palace, Squirrel in St James Park, Me mimicking the statue, The London Eye (didn't go on, as I've being on it before when I was younger), Downing Street, Guard and his horse (the horse sneezed which was quite funny), Tourists piled in a phonebox for a picture (haha), M&M's world is amazing, Me sat in Wetherspoons.

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Thursday 12 April 2012

Essie Nail Polish 'A Crewed Interest'

After the hype over Essie Nail polishes, I finally decided it was time to purchase one for myself.
I bought 'A crewed interest' from Beauty Bay for around £7.50, which I would say is between high street and high end.
I must admit this colour is a GORGEOUS peachy pink (looks more peach on the nails than it does in the bottle in this picture.) I received a few compliments on it and I gotta say this is my favourite colour nail polish that I own!




Despite the beautiful chic packaging, the actual product is soooo sheer and takes around 3 coats in order to be opaque! The brush is small, so I find it incredibly hard to apply and I find when I do apply it, it becomes thicker on some parts of the nail than others.

I'm not sure if this is the case with all Essie nail polishes and it may just be me and my very unskilled nail painting technique.

Tell me your favourite Essie polishes and if anyone else has this problem?!
Love Alice xx
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Monday 2 April 2012

Wishlist Of The Moment

I love reading these type of posts yet have never done one myself, so I thought now should be the time. I am lusting over everything I see these days and online window shopping is definitely my new hobby!



1 - I have recently being looking for a nice skirt to go with my black bandeau top for a night out or even just for a summer day. I prefer pleated skirts and have seen a couple on Asos and in Zara. However, whilst browsing Topshop, this definitely caught my eye and I am thinking of purchasing this when I go on my trip to London.
I love how it goes longer at the back and shorter at the front and the pleats add a bit of edge.

2 - Leather jackets seem to be everywhere at the moment and just look so nice! The one shown in the picture is £85 from Asos (I did say WISHlist!) Not sure if this purchase will happen, but I may hopefully find a nice cheaper alternative.

3 - I really want to splurge on some Ray Bans this summer due to the fact that I lost my favourite pair of sunglasses in Egypt, and all my other pairs, I'm not too keen on. I would love a really nice pair that I can look after and feel special when wearing. I'm loving the Wayfarer style and I think the tortoise shell print looks really cool. I have also being browsing other styles of Ray Ban but I shall have to see which style suits me more.

4 - I am on the hunt for the perfect pair of heels and today I found them in New Look (not the ones pictured above). They were unfortunately sold out in my size: not only in the shop I was in, but in all the New Look's in my region. I was so disappointed as they were gorgeous! Following an online browse, I came across these from BooHoo.com which are quite gorgeous for nights out.

5 - Finally, following the Real Techniques trend, I have heard the hype about the 'buffing brush'. I really need a brush to apply my foundation and feel as if this brush would be perfect. Unfortunately, in order to get this brush, you need to purchase the 'Core Collection'. This is £21 and I'm just not sure if it is worth it.... PLEASE BRING OUT THIS BRUSH ON IT'S OWN!!

Tell me if there's anything you are particularly lusting over this spring? I'm feeling such a shopoholic at the moment, especially with going out clothes!
Love Alice
xxx
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Tuesday 20 March 2012

The Best Body Butter Ever?!

Looking for a decent body butter or even an amazing one?
If you are, then you are definitely on the right post, as I feel the need to rave about this product: The Body Shop's Body Butter in Coconut. I mainly use it on my feet (obsession with moisturised feet, don't ask) but it is also used on other dry patches when needed.





I am aware some people are put off by the smell of coconut, however The Body Shop offer many different types - 'flavours' if you will - varying from Shea to Mango to Cocoa.

The texture isn't TOO thick, neither is it too runny. It smells incredible and makes my feet  feel so amazing afterwards: not sticky which is a major plus!

This product may be seen as pricey to some, but I go for the small one that is originally £6 however is included in the 3 for 2 deal they have on these and any other miniatures, so not too bad. Not too sure of the full size price but I think it's around the £15 mark.




I love The Body Shop's values and campaigns which are outlined here on their website. They range from protecting the environment to animal free testing, so definitely a good brand to buy from.


Overall, I love love love this body butter and highly recommend to all! 


Let me know your favourite body moisturisers - I may try and see if this product can be topped...


Love Alice xox
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Sunday 11 March 2012

Revlon Charming

I've being looking for a muted spring coloured nail varnishes recently, preferably a lilac or mint shade.
I've had my eye on Revlon Nail Enamel in 'Charming' for a while but didn't fancy spending £6.50 on a product that I already have lots of! (I am aware £6.50 doesn't break the bank but..)

However, when browsing through Boots and wanting to buy something in order to receive a No7 voucher, I decided to pick it up.
It's a gorgeous lilac pastel shade, perfect for the warmer months!



Once I had received my No7 voucher, I browsed the No7 counter debating whether to get  their fabulous Eye Make-Up Remover or one of their Eyelash Curlers.
But in the end, I decided to purchase their £7 Top Coat, which I then had to pay only £2 for and I'm soo glad I did. It finishes this polish off with a smooth texture and shall hopefully protect the enamel from chipping straight away.



Revlon are having an offer of 2 selected products for £10 at the moment (nail enamels included) so why not pick up 2?!
I'm really interested in getting 'Minted' or 'Pink Nude' so sort of annoyed that I didn't pick up another one in the deal...
Overall, a lovely shade and I hope you all try it out if this is your thing!

Have a nice lazy Sunday everyone!
xoxox
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Tuesday 6 March 2012

Urban Outfitters Bargain + OOTD

I don't usually visit Urban Outfitters very often, due to my thoughts on the extortionate prices that they put on their items.
However, as I went in I realised that some prices are much alike Topshop and not half as expensive as places like 'All Saints'. Even though some prices in there can be unjustifiable, the sale is actually pretty good.


I purchased this top that was in the sale at £14. Student Discount = £12.60!
It's a different sort of thing to what I usually own, but I'm seeing this style of tshirt everywhere and the skull pattern makes it that bit more quirker. It seems to glow in the dark or even in darker lighting, just puttin' it out there... ;)


By face wasn't the prettiest thing when taking these pictures, hence why my head isn't included in these photossss.




Cropped but can be slightly tucked into higher waist jeans



Paired with my Topshop Leigh Jeans

Cardigan: Magenta
Slouch Bag: Primark



Anyone else got any nice bargains recently? 
Love Alice xx
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Sunday 4 March 2012

Lipstick Collection & Reviews

Hello Everyone,
So I fancied doing a post today and as I have being recently discovering my favourite lipsticks of all time, I thought it would be a perfect idea to do a post about them.
I have around 16 lipsticks in total which is a lot to some and not a lot to others (however this excludes the numerous lipglosses/stains/butters/care and my One lip pencil that I also own..)
I don't wear all 16 as 5 are random 'no brand' sorta thangssss and I'm just not attracted to wearing them, therefore this post will consist of only 11.

Photo's always look worse when put on here! :(
apologies xox

Swatches



1- Flirtatious is the lighter shade of the two ELF lipsticksthat I own. They are pretty matte and last a decent time and are an incredible £1.50. Need I say more?!


2 - Hue by MAC is a very well known shade indeed and the lightest of these swatches. It is a fairly basic pink nude that gives your lips a bit of sheen. Great for beginners but debatable whether £13.50 is justifiable when it doesn't make much difference to your lip colour (well mine anyway.) It's a glaze finish, so not very pigmented.
However, I do really enjoy wearing this on a day-to-day basis and it requires minimal maintenance which is always a bonus..
3
- This Rimmel lipstick is by far the most used as has basically almost ran out. (Hard to do with a lipstick!) It's called 'Foxy' and is shade 102 from an old lipstick range that was in store years ago.. I got it a year ago from the Factory Shop (sells discontinued lines.) It's a pink nude but more pigmented than the Hue! I honestly think it's amazing and will be very sad when it comes to it's final use.


4 - Shade 7 by MUA is a creamy lipstick yet so pigmented. There are no actual names for these lipsticks which is pretty disappointing (picky? maybe..) but i feel as if there is no personal touch or thought put in here..
However, it's a lovely dark coral pink and at £1 it will hardly break the bank! 

5 - Frozen Rose by Avon is a dark rosey pink colour, however not as deep on the lips due to it's light pigmentation and creamy texture. It is quite sheer but lovely for the days where you want to look au natural.



6 - Snob by MAC. This appears more of a pastel purple pink compared to the others and is definitely not for the faint hearted. (I have already done a blog post on this lipstick if you want to check it out here)
I feel as if some days it can look nice and some it cannot, but I love the pigmentation and how different it is - definitely check it out if you are a lipstick lover like me!



7 - Infrared By Topshop was first introduced by Zoey (Zoella) on Youtube and it looked GORGEOUS on her! I purchased it at a reasonable £6 but find it doesn't really suit me.. Not sure if I wear it on the right days or whatever but I love the orangey red colour and recommend the topshop lipsticks to anyone.


8 - Love That Red (725) Super lustrous Lipstick By Revlon. - This colour doesn't seem to be available at Revlon counters, however I found this in the factory shop for a mere £2.. bargain!
It's a traditional red colour with a bit of sheen - the lipstick says 'creme' so is a perfect moisturising red lip colour. It's gorgeous!


9 - Sociable By ELF is a dark hot pink colour and is the same formula to 'Sociable'. Again, £1.50 and such good value for money! I think hot pinks will be suitable for summer so I'm definitely looking forward to wearing it.


10 - 62 By Barry M is probably one of the first lipsticks I ever bought (you wouldn't think it by looking at the colour would you?!) It'a a BRIGHT neon pink colour, that I must admit looks hard to wear. Patted on lightly though can look lovely and the matte consistency makes it long wearing.



Forgot to swatch 'Berry Sorbet' By Natural Collection for some reason, so here it is..
It is berry coloured (believe it or not!) and is mostly matte but applies quite well. Nice and pigmented: Cheap as chips too!





Sorry for the rather long post, but hope you liked.
What are all your favourite lipsticks?

Love Alice
xx
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Monday 20 February 2012

My Favourite Cheap Perfume!

As my blog is looking less shabby, my motivation to do lots and lots of posts has increased dramatically!
I absolutely love Kate Moss' perfume 'Kate' as it is a gorgeous smell, lovely bottle and an excellent bargain, so all the more reason for it to fall priority in my list of posts to do.

At the satisfying price of £12.99 for 50ml in Bodycare, it's rare that it will hurt my bank account, hehe.
I did get this for christmas, but have purchased it for my momma for mothers day, as she is always borrowing mine because she loves it that much!






"This fragrance for women is both ultrafeminine and a bit rock 'n roll. Created by perfumer nathalie lorsen, notes include top notes of orange blossom absolute, forget-me-not and pink pepper;
heartnotes of lily of the valley, heliotrope, magnolia and peony,and rose petal notes.
Basenotes are dark and sultry;
patchouli, sandalwood, musk, vetiver and ambret seeds"



I am awful at describing scents and don't fully understand the concept of basenotes and what not, however I thought that would be helpful in describing what it's like..

As I said, it will hardly break the bank so if your into florally scents, why not give it a try?! If you do not live near a Bodycare, online have some pretty good deals. I found this website that handles in US dollars here and  on amazon here where they are doing a 100ml bottle for £17.99!


Hope you have a good week.
Love Alice xx
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Sunday 19 February 2012

GOSH Nail Glitter

I have yet to do a blog post about nails, which is crazyyy as my nail polish collection is rather large and still expanding! When someone came into work with sparkly, glittery green nails - I knew I had to have whatever she was wearing and once it was purchased, I knew I had to create a blog post about it!


I got the colour 'Turqouise'

The colour range was pretty decent and I always love the GOSH counter's in Superdrug. The girl at work had 'Jade Green' and that looked a paler shade which was very nice, too. I think I may try the purple one soon, as that looks gorgeous for nights out!





How to apply:

Firstly, you apply any polish of your choice. You may choose to use a clear nail polish, whereas I chose a green colour similar to the glitter because then chipping will be less noticeable.

Then, before your polish dries, dip your finger into the pot (I have toilet paper at the ready in a bid to prevent making a mess everywhere!)

Lift out and the glitter will stick to only the part of your finger/nail where you painted. Gently wipe off the glitter from the rest of your finger - using a cotton bud made it so much easier..

This was the result...
(My first try so not the best!!!)


With flash


Overall, I am happy with this nail glitter, but will only be in use for special occasions/nights out. I wouldn't say the staying power is very long so I wouldn't wear it for a week at sixth form etc..
In terms of getting it off, I assume it will be harder to get off than regular nail polish. Try soaking your nails in a polish remover that has acetone in. This may make your nails/hands dry, but you can always use a nice moisturizer (Soap and Glory Hand Food, mmm.)




Without flash


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Wednesday 15 February 2012

My New Candle

Despite the hype for 'Yankee Candles', I feel as if £15+ is an absolutely ridiculous price, due to the fact that other candles (such as this one) do the same job well enough. This is from Ikea and was sooo cheap! It is a lovely vanilla scent and I also picked up a berry one: not photographed, sorry. There were many more scents too if you prefer musky or fresh smells, but my preference lies with sweet scents at the moment.

Burning on my window sill.. mm homely

I recommend anyone who likes scents to go check out the range of candles at ikea.. the store I went to, they were right near the end of your journey round. There were different sizes, different scents, different designs and even scented beads (which I purchased alongside glass jars to store my make-up brushes in with - blogpost coming later). 


Doesn't look that interesting, sorry. I just love photos of candles (weird, I know..)


Tell me some of your favourite candles... I'd love to know and try them out.
If you disagree with my comment on Yankee Candles and their overrated-ness, then also feel free to express your opinions! 

Love Alice xox

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Sunday 29 January 2012

MUA Mosiac Blush


MUA blush in 'English Rose'
I heard about this blush from 'Voussontbeauetbelle' (Becca) on YouTube and so quickly made an online Superdrug order, also ordering 3 MUA eyeshadow palettes which will be the content of my next blog post and are ah-mazing!

I got the shade 'English Rose', as the silver/purple colours give a great highlight, making this a lovely multi-purpose product!
At a mere £2.50, you cannot go wrong and I believe it is MUCH better than my Sleek blush which cost me almost double (still not a lot but very un-pigmented.)
Pigmentation is pretty good, especially for the price and the packaging is nice and simple but also see-through so the pretty colours can be seen when sitting on my desk.

The top swatch is the dark and light pink blush colours and the bottom is
the silver and lilac highlight colour

Overall, I think the blush is great value for money and lies on the same rank in my mind as my MAC 'Harmony' blush! I recommend buying and you can get it from here .. 
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Wednesday 25 January 2012

My New and Favourite Lipstick



Hello Everyone, 
So I went on a little shopping trip the other Sunday (the only day I get off due to school, schoolwork AND work!)
.. and I purchased a few things including a couple of things from MAC! As well as a blush in 'Harmony' (May be reviewed later), I also got a Satin Lipstick in 'Snob'.



I have toooo many lipsticks and lip products, however I could not resist this purchase as it is my FIRST MAC LIPSTICK. Can you believe it?!
MAC lipstick in 'Snob'
Swatch






The lipstick is actually very cool toned on the lips, unlike the image I have swatched. It is a pastel pink with some hints of purple, so not for the faint hearted. I love the satin finish however, and I like wearing bright lipsticks so this is perrrrfect.

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Sunday 22 January 2012

ELF Haul

This post is a long time coming, as I purchased these ELF beauties before christmas. I guess the advantage to this is the fact that I have had time to try the products out, in order to give a full review on them.


The brushes I purchased were: A stippling brush, a total face brush, and 3 eye brushes (1 for applying (flat), 2 for either blending/the crease). These brushes give nice application and my favourite has to be the stippling brush because it evens out my foundation so well when using a liquid one. The crease brushes also fits lovely into your eye crease - the perfect size and applies nicely.


ELF lipsticks in 'Flirtatious' and 'Sociable'

Swatches ('Flirtatious' on the top, 'sociable' on the bottom.)
'Flirtatious' is a nice light pink with a hint of coral and is just a nice natural shade on the lips.
'Sociable' is a bit more dramatic - a hot pink that can look red in some lights, which annoys me. (Maybe it's just my eyes.)
They are nice and creamy so nice and easy to apply.. Not amazed at the length of time they last, but I do think that is the case with creamy formulas from any brand.



Top to bottom: Plumping lip glaze in 'Fuschia Fantastic' and the Luscious liquid lipstick in 'Strawberry'.

Swatches (not brilliant, sorry) in the same order as above

The plumping lip glaze gives a nice colour as well as shine. The consistency isn't TOO sticky and I am rather pleased with it.
The liquid lipstick is a rather unique idea but I'm not too fussed about it, to be honest. It gives a nice subtle sheen to the lips however, which is always a plus.


Other products from this haul to mention: Tweezers in purple and tone correcting concealer in 'Apricot beige'. The tweezers look pretty with the purple gems and were a nice £2.50. They do a good job (better than before) and I don't feel the need to be paying ridiculous amounts for a pair of tweezers, in my opinion..
May I mention that I do not remember choosing this concealer colour as it is a fair colour, hahaha, but it seems decent. I don't really use it as the coverage is very light, but for £1.50, you're basically getting it for free.. ;)


Overall, I am happy with my ELF order and I think the quality is great for the price you pay - brill value for money! X
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Thursday 12 January 2012

War Of The Hair Products!

Firstly, must I apologize for the quality of my pictures if you think it is bad..
But they are certainly an improvement from before (Surprisingly I am using my phone instead of my camera.)

Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm 
                      V 
I know these products aren't applied at the same time and whatever, however they both do the same job - to moisturise and repair your hair.
The Umberto Giannini balm came in a set that I got for christmas, but you can buy it individually also, at the price of about £5. You put it on your hair at nighttime and at first I felt weird and like it stuck my hair together - essentially you are putting cream straight onto your hair. However, in the morning my ends felt really nice (for once!) and I really do believe it helps with the health of the ends of your hair. I have a constant battle with my split ends and I'm really hoping this product will help me out in the long run. P.s The smell is quite nice.
The Herbal essences intensive mask is priced at a mere £2 (bargain!) and makes your hair feel really smooth when you have washed it out. However, I feel as time has passed, the product has almost dissolved within the container. It is a really watery texture and I believe I have used much less than what it looks like I have used, if that makes sense? Maybe I didn't store it right, I don't know, it's quite strange.
It gives a nice texture to the hair and smells really nice, but I am still debating whether it is doing anything to my hair in the long run..



Next up we have heat protection products...
Avon's Advance Techiques V TRESemme
To be fair, it is quite difficult to monitor whether a heat protectant is really working..
I love the Avon one and have no complaints for the moment! It is around £3 which is not bad at all and I also have the heat protectant mat which is such a good idea when laying the electrical hair products down!
The TRESemme heat defence spray is about £5 in boots, however I must mention you can get it cheaper at Bodycare. Bodycare offers so many products that boots offer for about a 1/3 of the price.. it needs more publicity!

Anyhooooo, the tresemme spray I guess does the job. I find it quite sticky sometimes when in wet hair and just look forward to my hair being dry.
But I have no complaints with these products, as I guess I don't use them enough to judge as much as I'd like. (My hair is naturally straight and I occasionally curl it.)



Next up is dry shampoos which I find come in handy with me on times where I have no time to wash my hair.
Batiste V TRESemme
I'm sure everyone has heard of batiste and some critise it for the white marks it leaves in your hair. Some also say that the TRESemme one is much better as I have seen explained on many youtube videos.
The batiste one is half the price and if you visit 'Home Bargains' is even cheaper.. I believe it does the job well and if you rub your hair - the white marks should disappear. Their range for brown hair is also a fantastic idea.

The TRESemme product has received quite a bit of praise, however I find that it doesn't really do the job? It doesn't leave white marks which is great, but I feel like my hair doesn't look significantly different. This may be because I'm not using enough, but do I really want to be using half a can at the price of £5 a can? I think not..
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