Curls Without the Heat

The only way I can get all my hair in the picture is by standing up, and no I am not wearing extensions!

So this month I have not posted as much as I would have liked! And this is not for lack of inspiration, I have so many posts I want to write, however my work is really on top of me at the moment and I'm working so much too :( Along with preparing to go to America for 3 months in 5 weeks! Scary!! So I'm just blogging when I get the chance!

Over a year ago now I purchased some bendy hair rollers from Poundland I think? I know they were super cheap wherever they were from! I never really used them though, until now. I was feeling a bit creative so I popped some in before bed, just by simply winding my hair round them like normal rollers and securing them. The plus side is they are pretty comfy to sleep in! I sleep on my side and they were fine. 

When I woke up I simply unrolled them and combed my hair through with my fingers and gave them a good hair spray and voila! Super easy wavy hair without the heat! I really like this method for me, because I always find it really hard to curl my hair now as it's so long, it just tends to fall out after an hour. This way my hair has a lot of volume and they stay in all day! The only thing I would suggest is this might work better on day old hair, as freshly washed hair might not hold as well if yours is long and slips out like mine!

I really think this look gives great, messy beach-type waves. Perfect for summer! I haven't gone into too much detail in this post, but if anyone would like me to I can do a full tutorial :).

Have any of you ever used bendy rollers?

Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm Review

 This post is more a rave about this product more than a review. I've used this product since I was about 11 years old, in fact it was probably my first beauty product! I've tried many other lip balms over the 10 years since, but I always, always come back to this one. 

The claim:

"Essential Care lip salve that locks in moisture, providing long lasting lip moisturising care and protection. It effectively helps protect your lips from drying out. An all-round lip moisturiser."

I am one of those people that cannot stand dry or tight lips, I always have lip balm on me, and I must apply it at least every couple of hours. So of course it's preferable to have one that lasts a bit longer! 

I really don't know how to explain why I like this lip balm more than others. It's not a case of it being less greasy or sticky (although it is!) It's more that it just feels comfortable. Make any sense?! It makes my lips feel so smooth and soft, and it really does lock in moisture. It makes my lips silky soft and it has a nice fresh smell too.They also don't feel tight or dry for a long time after applying either, whereas others I've tried (Baby lips, Vaseline, Palmers, Body Shop, other Nivea lip balms...) all seem to leave my lips wanting more and seem to disappear pretty fast. Also when I apply it before bed I wake up and my lips are still soft! 

Sometimes I don't like to wear anything on my lips, and this product just leaves my lips with a nice sheen and makes them look plumper. I also like to apply a small amount before applying lipstick because I hate the drying effect that most lipsticks have and this stops that. I also must add I never get chapped or dry lips, and I thank this product! But I am a lip balm addict. 

The tube usually lasts me a couple of months, but I use so much so I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted anyone else even 6 months?! Ingredients wise it contains Jojoba Oil and and natural Shea Butter. Can't really go wrong there can you?

Nivea Essential Care is available at Boots for £1.64 and £1.10 at Superdrug (currently on offer). However you can also get it at Poundland and other cheap shops for £1! How do they get away with these price differences?!  

What's your favourite lip balm?

Barcelona Field Trip

I've been a bit MIA recently (due to nearing the end of my final year at university which unfortunately involves a ton of work!!) But one little highlight of March was that one of our modules involved a field trip to Barcelona. It was a really nice way for our course to end our time together. Of course there were a few drunken moments (I've left those out!) but I managed to capture some amazing scenes whilst exploring what the city had to offer too and of course we created some hilarious memories. The quality of these pictures aren't that good as I took my little compact camera as I couldn't risk losing my Canon. Also I have't included photos of my friends as I didn't want to post without their permission. Let me know if any of you have visited Barcelona and I hope you are all having a lovely week :) x.

Stunning views from Park Quell. I definitely recommend visiting. 

Port Olimpic has amazing bars, clubs and restaurants with stunning views too.

Some of the street singers are worth having a listen too.

Dress: H&M (in Spain)

Nail Varnish: Kelly Brook 

Bling Bling

Nature Park

Yes I own a boat??

Barcelona Aquarium (would have died to have my Canon there).

Hostel life..

Nicole Scherzinger's Range at Misguided

So as many of you have probably heard, Misguided have recently teamed up with Nicole Scherzinger to create a new line *squeals with excitement*! Affordable fashion paired with the sexiest woman on the planet?! Yes please! Although I am pretty skint at the moment, I could not help but make a little wish list of my favourite items!

Panelled Crop Top in Cobalt Blue - I love this crop and the skirt too! It makes a statement but is really classy at the same time. 

Faux Leather Crop Top in White - This top is so nice, I'd probably pair it with a black bodycon skirt though, not sure I could pull off those trousers!

Cut Out Bodycon Midi Dress - This dress would be perfect for a nice meal or a night out. You can't go wrong with an LBD.

Double Layer Mini Dress - I would definitely wear this dress on a night out, I love the double layer effect.

Colour Block Bodycon Mini Dress in Cobalt Blue - I love this dress in both the black and blue. I think these are my favourite from the collection, but I can't decide which I like best!

Monochrome Colour Block Bodycon Mini Dress

I love how there are so many classy bodycons in this new line, I adore bodycons but they are often too pricey for me so it's great to see a more affordable range. These outfits really do scream sexy but classy and that's what I love about them. Apparently a lot of the collection has already sold out, and more will be launching soon, so I'm going to keep my eye out!

What are your favourite pieces from Nicole's collection?

Yacon Syrup Review*

I am the first to admit that I have a major sweet tooth, and I often crave sugary cereal in the morning (not good!) But to try and tackle this problem I often invest in natural syrups and sweeteners to add to my muesli, to give it that sweet tasting kick without actually consuming sugar!

I was recently sent Pure Yacon Syrup to try out. Syrup probably doesn't sound very exciting, but I was actually really looking forward to trying it!
The claim:

• Pure yacon syrup assists in weight loss and slimming waist sizes, regulating blood sugar, and increasing daily fiber intake

• The syrup, distilled from the Peruvian tuber yacon -- contains up to 50 percent fructooligosacharides, or FOS. FOS, classified as a prebiotic, is a non-caloric sweetener and also a fiber source.

• According to a 2009 Scientific study, daily intake of yacon syrup produced a significant decrease in body weight, waist circumference and body mass index.

• Yacon syrup Speeds up the metabolism to combat excess fat and regulates the hunger hormone, making you feel full longer.

• Low-Glycemic Sweetener

I didn't realise at first that this product is meant to aid weight loss too! I haven't kept track of my weight during the last couple of months so I can't comment on this, but even using this product instead of sugar should help you lose weight as it is a healthy alternative. It will also stop you getting the dreaded sugar crash and should help maintain blood sugar levels. I always tend to lean towards products that speed up your metabolism too, which this product claims to do! But after reading through the reviews it does seem that it helps aid weight loss. (Remember there is no miracle cure! Use this product alongside healthy eating for best results). 

In terms of how I use it, I like to pour some over my cereal in the morning, or it's nice with greek yoghurt too. It looks like chocolate sauce which is a bonus! I would also use this product when baking instead of syrup or honey. Here is a recipe for super easy healthy brownies that Yacon syrup would work well in. I've also seen that people like to add it to their coffee instead of sugar!

Taste wise, it's really yummy! It just tastes like ordinary syrup to be honest, in fact I'm so surprised that it's all natural because it tastes so good. The only think I dislike about this product is the bottle, it just tends to get a bit messy when pouring it out! I'd prefer a squeezy bottle but this may not be possible because of the consistency. Also this product is a bit pricey at $26.99, as much as I love it I don't think I could justify spending that much (but I am a poor student)!

I don't think this product is available to buy in the UK yet, however for you American readers, it's available here on Amazon.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub Review

Happy Monday Everyone! Monday is a strange day for me, I usually have uni Tuesday - Friday and then I work Friday - Sunday so Monday actually is my weekend! However don't get jealous too fast, today I'm spending it finalising my dissertation, and I got up at 7.30 so didn't even get a lay in! But I decided I'm way behind on posting so thought I'd give myself a quick break to post this review :).

This is probably a way over reviewed product, however I had to jump on the bandwagon and try it for myself! 

The claim:
"Let your lips do the talking with a fresh start: the sugar crystals and moisturising jojoba oil in Bubblegum are a sweet treat for the lips.
A gentle exfoliator to prime and refine your lips and leave them tasting divine."

Now I don't use this product that often, who has time to exfoliate their lips daily?! However when my lips are feeling a bit dry, or I'm wanting to wear a bold lip, this product is perfect. Nothing ruins a bold lip like chapped and flakey lips! Just rub a bit of the lip scrub onto them, I then like to run warm water over my muslin cloth and then use this to wipe it off, it adds a bit of extra exfoliating power! Or if your not doing your makeup, just add a bit of lip balm for super soft lips! 

I won't lie, I could live without this product. You could get just as good results by running a flannel under warm water and gently rubbing your lips with it. However, it does feel like a nice little luxury touch to my usually lip routine, plus the fact it smells divine! However if you are tight for pennies I think you could whip up your own with a little olive oil and sugar, but you would have to live without the amazing smell! 

You can buy Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub here for £5.50.

Hope you all have a nice week! 

Have any of you tried Lush's lip scrubs? 

FOTD: Brunette in Blue

Today I fancied making an effort with my hair for once. I feel I've been so lazy with it lately! Although my hair is thanking me for the break it's had from styling tools.. I curled it using GHDS and sprayed it with Pantene Volume and Body Mark 5 (although next time I'm going down a mark as this makes my hair a bit crispy!) I then tried the plaits that Zoella featured in her video for something a little different.

For my makeup I used:
Collection 2000 Concealer in shade 2 (light)
MAC Pressed Blot Powder in medium
AVON Deep Glow Bronzing Powder
Rimmel London Powder Blush in Winter Glow
Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar
Urban Decay Naked 3 palette
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sellout
Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Black
Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara
Nivea Essential Care Lip Salve
Maybelline Colorsensational Lip Liner in Sweet Pink
Bourjois lipstick in 10 Beige (think this was discontinued, I stock piled it years ago!)

Face:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for combination/oily skin

Eyes:

Lips:

Outfit:

Jumper - New Look

Necklace - Tiffany 

This is only my second post so far in March (oops!) But my dissertation is due in March so I'm working my butt off at the moment on that! Hope you're all okay!