Friday 18 January 2013

Paul Mitchell Strength Collection and Platinum Blonde Shampoo

First of all I'm so glad I'm writing about these products not talking about them because I say 'Phil Mitchell' every time and haircare by the bald one from Eastenders would be a bit silly.

On a serious note, I love these products, I really do. I've been using the platinum blonde shampoo since september and the strength products since I received them in a set for christmas and I have nothing but good things to say about any of these products. I bought them from my hairdressers but I'm sure you could probably buy them from the internet if you had a good look around just be wary of cheap sellers as you can't always guarantee the quality or authenticity of their products.


Over the past few years there's been a big surge in people using purple toned shampoos (previously only used by old ladies) to keep their blonde hair in check. This is a really good version, obviously there are cheaper ones out there but I'm enjoying using this for now. It helps to keep brassiness at bay, especially when it's getting near to getting my hair re done and doesn't leave my hair feeling dry at all which was an issue that I had when using the touch of silver shampoo. It is a very bright purple which was slightly scary at first but it does it's job well and isn't that expensive for saying I've had this for four months and still have half a bottle left, you don't need to use a lot unless your trying to make your hair silver quickly or something but luckily I don't have any silver haired aspirations at the moment. I would also recommend you check your bath or shower after using this as I once dropped a little on my bath mat and didn't realise until the next day and now there's a teeny tiny purple stain there but to be honest that's the only issue I have.

Strength Collection
These products are specifically for damaged and chemically treated hair but Paul Mitchell do a huge range of products to suit all hair types. See the full range here. They are also Cruelty free so perfect for the animal lovers out there.



I was a little bit sceptical about this product as I didn't think it would do anything to my hair however I've really been enjoying using this shampoo and I have noticed a difference in the condition of my hair since I started using this. To be honest I think the main difference might be due to the conditioning treatments I've been using but I feel like this shampoo gives them a good base to work with. My hair feels extremely clean after I use this and since using this and the strength conditioner combined I've noticed a big change in how many split ends I have and how much of my hair is snapping off (side effect of bleaching.) Since I started using this my hair genuinely has felt stronger and doesn't feel as fragile as it has done recently. I would recommend this shampoo if you have coloured hair that feels quite delicate and needs some tlc. Although it says it's a daily shampoo I only wash my hair every few days and it's still very effective.

Paul Mitchell Super Strong Daily Conditioner - £15.25

Unlike the shampoo I was looking forward to trying this product as for some reason I have it my head that shampoos just clean your hair and it's the conditioner that does all the hard work and damage repair. I do now realise that shampoo is just as important and if you use the wrong one you can stop the conditioner from working it's magic. I really like this conditioner, I only need a small 50p size amount to make my hair feel soft and smooth whilst washing out completely so It doesn't feel as though there's any residue left on my hair. I don't really enjoy it too much if I was my hair in the morning and it's greasy by lunchtime which can happen with a lot of conditioners (pantene I'm looking at you.) I normally use a treatment after this to give my hair a little bit more moisture as my hair needs all the hydration it can get but there have been times when I've used this as my only conditioner and I felt like it was enough on it's own.

I also got the Super strong liquid Treatment spray in this set however I haven't used this enough to be able to review it just yet as I tend to reach for my morracanoil nine times out of ten and forget that I do actually own other products but I will probably review this when I've had more time to use it and form an opinion.

Even though they are quite expensive I honestly do think the Paul Mitchell products are great value for money as you save quite a bit buying them, the bottles last a long time and they give great results everytime.

Have you guys tried any Paul Mitchell products? What did you think of them
xx

Yankee Candle - Cherries on snow

As we've had snow this week, and I am one of those people who tends to fall over constantly when it snows, I've decided I'm staying inside except for when I absolutely have to go out. To help me get through being inside in the warm I decided to break out this little lovely that I got for christmas.

I love Yankee Candles and I've tried a few over the years, I normally only receive them for christmas and birthday's as they are a little pricey for candles but they smell amazing and this one was no exception. It has a a bit of a synthetic cherry scent which I quite like but if you like your scents a bit more natural then this might not be for you.Cherries aren't something I usually associate with christmas so that's why I've saved this one until now but I love the bright pinky red colour of it and it's definitely bringing back some of my christmas cheer.
Small Jar scented candles are £8.39.
Yankee candles can be bought from their website and stockists nationwide.

I'm looking to try some new yankee candle scents so let me know if there's any that you love.
xx

Thursday 10 January 2013

January's Luxury Wishlist

I last did one of these in November and I completely forgot to make one last month with all of the Christmas Madness. But It's back and I have to say trawling through pages and pages of things I can't have has surprisingly made me feel happier. It was slightly sad that I had to limit my post to just one pair of shoes as it very nearly became a 'ten pairs of shoes and a lipstick' wishlist but I'm proud of myself for holding back. (I'm aware I like shoes too much, it's okay.)
So here we go:

Even though Christmas is over and it's getting towards spring I'm not ready to give up sparkles or knitwear just yet so this little number would be great for january. I'm not normally a fan of large beads when it comes to embellishment (it reminds me of the big fake gems that used to get put on loads of childrens clothes back in the 90's) but I like the pattern on this one and the way they've used larger and smaller gems to create it. I'd love to wear this with grey jeans and ankle boots.

I think I've probably posted a phone case in every wishlist but I still haven't found the right one but as it costs almost as much as my phone it sadly will never be part of my life. It's still very pretty though.

This is a gorgeous evening fragrance, It would be too overpowering to wear in the day time but I would love this for evenings out. I love Tom fords beauty and fragrance lines, I think the products are extremely good quality and the packaging is just beautiful and luxurious.

I've been coveting these lipsticks for a while, I've heard some great things about them and even though this is the one thing I could possibly afford from this list I can't bring myself to buy one. The main reason being that I can't choose just one colour, there's a few that I really love but I'd want them all, not just one but I think this colour would be a perfect everyday pink, a bit of a 'my lips but better' colour.

I love the sleek simplicity of this dress, although it's a design that you could get from somewhere on the high street, I think that this one would make you feel like a million dollars the way a high street copy never could. It's one of those dresses that can be worn with different accessories and would look lovely on a night out. I might have to get myself a high street copy and pretend it's the real thing.

These are probably my favourite item from this list and I'm thinking about saving up for them (let's hope they don't sell out in the next few months.) I think they could be worn with quite a lot of different things and even though I wasn't sure about the whole 'not having a heel' part, I love them enough that I could make it work for me.

7.  Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ring - £180
I know these rings have been here, there and everywhere in the blogging world these days and to be honest until I saw this one, I didn't really understand the hype. I love how this one has more of a fantastical look to it, it wouldn't look out of place as part of a costume in something like Harry Potter or Lord of the rings and I always think if your going to spend that much on a piece of costume jewellery, you might as well buy something a bit special and so big that people notice it.

8. Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation - £28.00
This is another product I've been hearing rave reviews about and as I love the original touche eclat concealer I'd love to try this. It's a bit more pricey than my beloved bourjois healthy mix so it might be a while before I purchase this but I might try a sample first to see if it lives up to all the hype.

9.  Temperley London Deco Embellished Silk Blouse - £795
If only money grew on trees, I would definitely buy this blouse. It's just beautiful and I absolutely love the collar embellishment, there weren't that many trends that I've loved over this past year (seriously, what has been going on this year?) but I've been loving all of the collar detailing. I think the colour is a great transition colour from winter to spring and it would be great for layering under jumpers or worn on it's own.

10. See by ChloĆ© Snake Glitter Acrylic Key Fob - £50
I have far too many keyrings and I just love little unusual ones and that's why I couldn't resist adding this little guy to my list. It's definitely something different and if it was a little (well a lot) cheaper I would be needing this to add to my slightly insane bunch of keys which is about 10% keys and 90% keyrings at the moment.

Hope you guys loved this, Are there any luxury items your wishing for?
xx

Friday 4 January 2013

The Perfect Shoes.

Well for me at least. I got these lovelies for Christmas, I did pick them out myself but I was still excited when I finally got to wear them.

They are red, slipper type shoes with a leopard print filled heart on the front which is just combining four of the things that I love. I'm normally a ballet flats or trainers kind of girl but I've really started getting in to the slipper type shoes that are in style at the moment, they're stylish and comfy. (I do wish they'd start having a bigger selection of ballet flats as well as stop putting the trainer prices up as they're getting a bit extortionate, It seems silly to spend £80 on a pair of trainers that I'll be wearing to classes no matter how much I want them.) I normally don't get this excited about flat shoes, I tend to only get squealy and annoying (thanks mum) about very high heels but these are an exception to my own rules.
These shoes are perfect for me in every way and look out for them in future outfit posts because they may not be leaving my feet for a little while yet.

Have you guys found any shoes that are your perfect pair?
xx