LeE StaFfOrd

I got these Lee Stafford products when I subscribed to Company Magazine, and I can't praise them enough. I've had them for over a month now (the shampoo's long gone unfortunately) but I've gone out and bought more because I love it so much!

It smells so nice and refreshing, and I was surprised to discover that my hair grew quite a lot while using the shampoo, despite it being for volume purposes rather than length. I've now bought the actual hair growth shampoo (2 for £9 in Boots) and I can feel my hair getting longer. 

The dry shampoo (Matt Fat Powder) I wouldn't recommend as much as the shampoo. It's to be used on them 'inbetween days' when your hair just needs something to make it a bit less greasy. However, it was probably the same as using talc powder on your hair, and it left mine feeling really dry, and it wouldn't all rub in. I'd definitely recommend the Bastiste dry shampoo over this one, as it's a hell of a lot cheaper and works 10 x better!

Finally, the Blow Dry Jelly really did add huge amounts of volume to my hair, which I was really pleased with, however, it doesn't actually state whether it's a heat protector on it, and so I was a bit wary about using it.

Overall though, nothing but praise for Lee Stafford! Their products are golden.

Have you used any before? What did you think?

Christmas Nails!

I've been looking for some nice christmassy nail varnish this month, that wasn't too 'in your face' christmas, and so this varnish from Topshop was perfick!

Topshop - Eyes Of Steel

Sorry about the picture of it on my nails - but I just couldn't resist! Looks like I've just collapsed on the carpet. Anyway, about the varnish. I love the slightly lilacly tinge to it, as I think silver can look a bit harsh, but this one looks nice to my skin tone (for any of those wondering I'm paler than the lightest foundation you can get :( I think the technical term is 'sun defficient'). And I like the slightly space agey feel to it. If you've not heard already, researchers have found a planet similar to ours called Kepler 22B (catchy eh?) which has a similar climate to us, meaning there's a chance of life form. I wonder if they pop over to Earth for a cuppa they'll have a similar nail varnish to me? HELLO KEPLER.

Lancome

I happened to stumble into Boots the other day whilst Christmas shopping (their 3 for 2 is a god send!) so naturally I had to treat myself to some goodies. I managed to find plenty of presents for my loved ones that weren't in the 3 for 2 offer (typical!) and so after debating what to keep and what to put back, I stumbled across this beauty whilst shopping for make-up to cheer me up.

I've been looking at mid market make-up recently (try saying that without your false teeth) as opposed to my usual bouts of buying Rimmel and the like. So when I stumbled across this set of 3 (Doll Eyes mascara, kohl eyeliner and eye make-up remover) by Lancome, I was pleasantly surprised. It was £20.50 for the set, and considering the mascara by itself costs the same, I thought I'd take the opportunity to try it. This is well out of my usual price range of around £6/£7 for a mascara, so I was expecting good things.

001. The mascara was brilliant. It seperated my lashes perfectly, and volumised at the same time, without it clumping. My lashes looked endless (as you'll be able to see in the before and after pictures below) and that's without any falsies, and I didn't even curl them before application, to see how truly good it was. However, the price of £20.50 is a bit steep for me, and as part of the set I think it's a reasonable price, but I don't know if I'd be willing to pay it just for the mascara. Although it smells really truly good. , I have been tempted to rub it on my neck as perfume, but I don't think the black from the mascara being smudged all over my neck is worth it.

002. I've been using eye make-up remover for a while, as make-up wipes or other forms of removing it are so harsh on my eyes, it leaves them irritated rather than feeling clean. What I loved about this eye make-up remover to my usual one, however, was how moisturising it was. I only needed a tiny bit on a cotton bud to remove all of my eye make-up, so hopefully it will last a while.

003. The kohl eyeliner was as I expected. I wouldn't set it apart from any other eyeliner really, it didn't stand out, but it wasn't bad either. It was easy to apply, and didn't smudge when I put it on (which really annoys me!) After wearing it throughout the day, however, it did venture on to the crease on my eyelid, which is something I dislike about eyeliner, so often opt for liquid, however it was average.

My before and after pics. No mascara on the first (left), and Lancome Doll Eyes Effect Mascara (right).

I think the results are easy to see, my lashes look so much longer and really defined (in my opinion) in the second picture. I wouldn't say the mascara was worth £20.50 by itself, but as part of the 3 item set, I think it's a reasonable amount to pay for the quality of the products inside. 

I did end up finding three products in the 3 for 2 offer eventually, who knew finding the perfect free item was so hard!

Butterful

Now this is something I've had for a while, but I thought I'd tell you a bit about it, because if you don't have it - you should! I use it as a moisturiser but it smells so lovely and it's really creamy that it could easily make a gift for someone.

What I usually find with moisturiser is that it can be quite sticky, but this one just leaves you smelling so good and feeling so soft I thought it deserved it's own post. And because it's made by the BodyShop, it means it's animal friendly too. Lush.

Have any of you tried it? What do you think about it?

In other news, I got an e-mail saying that I have a uni interview on Thursday (finger's crossed) and I have today off work. Please try not to be intimidated by my rock 'n roll lifestyle