Hairloss Update - Fast Shampoo & Jamaican Black Castor Oil

It's been a while since I updated you guys last with regards to the whole hair situation. Since my last post my hair took a bit of a turn for the worse, well when I say a turn for the worse what I really mean is there were no changes. Still falling out, still very dry and breaking and some growth but not enough. 

I was using Shea Moisture Shampoo, conditioner and thickening mist along with Sweet Almond oil to begin with. I found that over time the condition of my hair hadn't really improved, which is a little bit of a contradiction since in my last post I was over the moon with the products I was using. I personally think the products were good but just not good enough. I'm impatient and after over 8 weeks of routine weekly washes and oil treatments with not much change I felt as though I needed to up my game in order to restore my hair back to the thick, full, long head of hair I once had. 

The Shea Moisture treatments are good because they contain only natural ingredients I just feel as though they may work better on already natural hair. I on the other hand still have a while to go before the relaxer in my hair has completely grown out. The last time I relaxed was December/January time and I although I do have new and completely natural growth the Shea Moisture in my opinion was great for the natural hair but the relaxed hair needed something a little more to keep it healthy and growing so until my hair is 100% natural I don't think this brand of shampoo is really what I need. With regards to the Almond oil, I found it far too oily to use everyday and the natural hair I do have literally soaked up every last drop of oil and was dry within less than a day. This meant I had to keep topping up more than once a day which really wasn't good for my scalp, as I believe the oil along with the weekly washes really irritated my scalp clogging up the follicles causing more pain. Again if my hair was either fully relaxed or fully natural the system I had going may have worked a little better. I also tried Coconut Oil which a lot of people swear by but for me the only benefit I got from using that was my hair smelling like cake, which really wasn't that great because it somehow induced my craving for cake and whilst I sat stuffing half a Victoria sponge in my face I kind of realised I needed to move on a find an alternative. 

Around two weeks ago I made the decision to go fully natural. Yep! No relaxer, no perm, no nothing. Just my fuzzy, little microphone head. My hair was still coming out and when brushing I could literally hear the hair snapping, even with a wide-tooth comb which is never good. My natural hair (once it grows back) will be stronger, thicker and can withstand pretty much anything which is why this decision for me is best. I had also noticed that although I do have some growth I have a slight patch to the back left hand side of my head. My hair at the front is still pretty long and feels strong enough and minus some loss to the very front of my head this area seems to be doing okay. Towards the middle and back of my head that's where the problem is. This is the area I am experiencing HELLISH pain and this is the area the hair is falling out most.

Two weeks ago I cut my hair in order to get some kind of even length so when my hair grows back it'll grow at a similar length at the time I was still using the Shea Moisture trio this time with the Coconut oil over Almond oil. 

Last week I switched to NISIM Fast Shampoo and conditioner which was sent to me by the company after being contacted by a rep via Twitter. I have had this shampoo for a few months but I hadn't used it as I was worried it wouldn't agree with my hair. I had initially seen this product in Boots when I began the mission to restore and regrow my hair but didn't buy it as I thought it'd be better for me to go with something aimed for the sole use of people with Afro hair. Before receiving the product I had a little chat with the lovely lady from the company who found me on Twitter, who reassured me she had used it herself with relaxed hair and that the product would be fine on my hair type. As reassuring as she was I was still massively worried about using it so both myself and Ben set about finding some reviews from people with the same hair-type as me who had used the product. Our findings were, according to the word of YouTube Vlogs and blogs that this product would be safe for me to use with a lot of women having great success. Fast Shampoo contains no Sulphates, Parabens or DEA it does however have a long list of ingredients which weren't found in the Shea Moisture products but maybe these ingredients are exactly what my hair needed in order to break out of this tiring and emotionally draining issue. 

I kind of felt like I had nothing to lose at this point so went ahead and gave my hair it's first wash using both the shampoo and conditioner. I was pleasantly surprised as after my first lather and rinse my hair and scalp felt like they could breathe, both felt super-clean and when I ran my fingers through I could hear that squeak you get when something is so clean it gives out a little squeak to let you know. If my hair could talk, at that moment it would have been like, 'Ooooh Gurrrrrrrrl!' Not only does the Shampoo smell beautiful it lathers up so well, something I found Shea Moisture struggled with especially with the amount of oil I used. I lathered and rinsed three times before adding the Fast conditioner which absolutely does the trick. There was no need to use more than two squirts of this applied to my wet hair. The conditioner feels great, it doesn't just sit on the surface of the hair like most it really soaks in which is what I need. I applied all over my hair, with extra care and attention being paid to the areas needing the most help. I massaged in for a few minutes before covering with my very attractive shower cap. No honestly, words can't even describe how absolutely ridiculous I look waltzing around the house in a foil cap. If lightning ever strikes during my hair care routine, wearing that foil shower cap I've got no chance. I'm getting struck with no chance of survival. I look like I should be in a lab handling bio-hazards wearing that thing! I left the conditioner in for 30 minutes before rinsing out with lukewarm water.

I'm now drying my hair on the coolest setting whereas before I was using a medium heat, which was probably contributing to the dryness. Since lowering the temperature even more I find my hair is less dry and retains a lot of the moisture left from conditioning. 

In terms of oils I am now using Jamaican Black Castor oil which I am absolutely in love with. The oil itself is great for nourishing the hair and for helping with hair growth. It's lovely and thick so it really absorbs into my hair keeping it shiny and moist. My hair hasn't been dry since using this product. I received an applicator with the oil which has allowed me to add essential oils in order help treat my hair, ingredients below:

Jamaican Black Castor Oil, 60ml: Promotes hair growth, reduces loss, nourishes and adds shine

Essential Lavender Oil, 6 drops: Conditions, stops itchy/dry scalp, controls loss/improves growth

Essential Tea Tree Oil, 10 drops: Antibacterial, good for hair follicles

Essential Rosemary Oil, 4 drops: Slows down premature hair loss, stimulates follicles 

  

I add just the Castor oil to my hair while it's wet before blow drying and then I section my hair into parts, using the nozzle of the applicator bottle to add the Castor/Essential oil mixture to my scalp. I then massage through to the ends of my hair making sure everything is covered. I am now washing every other day with a weekly deep/hot oil treatment using the Castor/Essential oil mixture. So far, fingers crossed everything seems to be going well which I'm really happy with. 

I've also (finally) had my bloods done after over two months of waiting. Everything appeared to be fine, minus my hormone levels. As I guessed my testosterone levels are pretty high, I knew but needed this to be confirmed. My doctor wants to keep a check on this and wants me to go back for more tests in a month. She checked my hair and said there is definitely new growth at the back which is also good. With regards to the extreme pain in my scalp, this is due to the increased testosterone level. She said there is a possibility my hair follicles are blocked which is caused by the hormone imbalance, in turn causing the hair to fall out, minimising regrowth. She was also really concerned with my stress levels and blood pressure (that's another blog post) and wanted for me to take some time out of work to relax because the stress isn't good for my condition and definitely isn't good when I'm already experiencing hair-loss. Although the loss isn't stress-related she didn't want to take any chances. I've refused to take time off because if I'm being honest I'm happiest when I'm at work and although things outside of work are a little tough at the minute I feel as though 'Onwards and Upwards' is the best option for me right now (I'll talk more about this in my next post.) 

My Doctor did prescribe Nizoral 2% shampoo to help treat the scalp and the scalp pain. I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing for now as this shampoo contains Sulphates and herbal remedies are always my first option. She also asked whether I'd consider a pill to help with the hair-growth, which I knew she would. I'd already done my research on this pill earlier in the year. It's a contraceptive pill with a tonne of other side effects I honestly have no time to deal with, it's also no good for people with a history of high blood pressure/anxiety/depression/stress. Suffering with PCOS means there's a chance I won't be able to conceive naturally so for me right now I don't think taking this pill will help me in any way. That's a no go for me. 

I've decided to continue doing what I'm doing along with regular exercise and making sure I stick to a LOW GI diet there shouldn't be any reason for my hair not to grow back. 

This has already been one heck of a journey and I still have a long way to go but I'm positive I can fight this and hopefully the next time I post about my hair I'll be letting you guys know how well I'm doing. 

I really want to say thank you to the women who suffer from PCOS or hair-loss who have been in contact with me I LOVE talking to you all and again if I can help anyone then I feel as though my my purpose is served. It's a lovely feeling knowing you are able to approach me and I urge you to continue. A problem shared is a problem halved. 

Lots of Love

Beanie xoxo

PCOS - How I'm Dealing with Hair Loss

It's been a while since I began the journey to restore my hair to what it was before, about 8 weeks now. I have really put off writing this post because I feel a really low about losing my hair and I guess writing this is kind of confirmation that it's happening. Since blogging I've had a lot of response from people especially over on Facebook which is lovely! In cases like this it's bitter-sweet because I'm sad for anyone dealing with similar issues and those able to relate to posts like this, but it's nice that I'm able to talk with you and share advice which is the side to blogging I really enjoy. I figured I'd find the courage to write this post in the hope that if it helps at least one person then it's a job well done.

I've not gone into much detail about my personal battle with PCOS (short for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) you can find more information here, I'll dedicate another post which will go into a bit more detail.

I first noticed my hair was thinning about two years ago. This was after a course of Metformin given to me by my Doctor to regulate my insulin levels which in turn would assist in weightloss. I had put the hair-loss back then down to the Metformin and chose to stop taking them. I had a little cry, got over it and assumed my hair would just grow back. For a few months after I continued to weave my hair which was normal for me, I had been weaving for a fair few years and never had any problems. I haven't weaved my hair in over a year as I had made the decision when I started my new job to have my hair as natural as possible. Natural for me is relaxing (opposite to a perm) every 6 or so weeks with a very mild relaxer. Although I've been walking around looking like an Easter egg it has felt really good being able to see and treat my natural hair plus it meant I had extra money to spend on shoes each month! 

I've always had the thickest hair and it always grew just past my shoulders. My hairdresser used to say my hair hurt her hands when she braided it, it was that strong. So around 8 weeks back to look in the mirror and notice my hair had completely fallen out was a shock to me. How had I missed the signs? I hadn't even noticed that at least half of my hair has fallen out! I'd gone from looking like the spawn of Afroman to Gollum's ugly sister! I can laugh about it now because I honestly don't see the point in crying plus stressing will only make it worse.


























My hair has is probably a quarter of what I had before. I used to plait my hair into four when conditioning and each plait was probably as thick as one plait would be for some people. Now my entire head is  probably half of that quarter.

My hair was dry, brittle and breaking and I couldn't understand why. At least the first time I knew the loss occurred due to the medication I was taking but this time there was no medication to blame. I decided to make some notes on any changes I could have missed over the past year because if I was going to approach my doctor with this issue I had to make sure I had all the facts. As any woman with PCOS will tell you, the amount of times we are fobbed off by Doctors is unbelievable.

While I sat on my lunch break making notes I had ruled out the possibility of the loss being down to any extensions, because I hadn't had a weave in so long, I thought it could possibly be the relaxing, as unhealthy as this can be for your hair, this is something I've had done for years, so the chances of that were slim, however this went on to my maybe pile. Soon enough it came to me, I'm always in a lot of pain right in the centre of my scalp, handfuls of hair would come out daily and the patches just weren't not normal. I knew it was down to my condition. I googled and looked for other people dealing with the same and it was there in black and white...PCOS! 

Apparently many women living with PCOS suffer with thinning and lost hair due an increase in the Testosterone/DHT hormone, which is completely ironic because here I am taking all the measures possible so I don't end up looking like the bearded lady, (another symptom of PCOS, excessive hair growth) yet the hair on my head is falling out! Sods Law really isn't it? Beautiful beard, bald head! The next step was to get my notes together and set off on my whirlwind (the wind that I no longer feel blowing through my hair) adventure to restore my hair back to full health.

I did visit my GP who tried to pass it off as stress, after she tried to usher me out of the room because apparently she can only deal with one issue per visit. I was so angry with her, and after years of being tossed to one side I stood my ground. I asked her if she'd like to pay for my time away from work for another appointment, and I made it clear that I don't ever visit the surgery more than twice a year, sometimes never. I explained to her that I didn't really want to be there and that I'd sooner utilise every single method of holistic therapy before being pumped full of whatever she was going to prescribe which I had already researched and found out it can cause cancer and long term kidney damage amongst other gruesome side-effects. I wanted to be clear in my expectations and what I wanted her to do as my GP. I told her I'd like a blood test to check my hormone levels which she agreed to. To be honest I think she saw the notes on my medical file regarding my extreme anger issues and that I've been known to turn green, burst out of my shirt and run down streets smashing buildings and cars, otherwise she may have never agreed.

Waiting for results I decided to take measures into my own hands and my boyfriend, bless him is a god-send. Whenever I'm in distress he does everything he can to find a resolution. Do you know he probably knows more about Afro hair than me! To be honest I think he knows more about black women than I do! I should start calling him Tyrone and he can be my fabulous, male hairdresser/lifestyle coach, like the fabulous diva's the ladies from The Real Housewives of Atlanta have hanging around. 

For the past 8 or so weeks I've been using a shampoo, conditioner and thickening mist by a company called Shea Moisture, this is an all natural shampoo containing amazing ingredients such as Biotin, coconut oil and silk protein. I use this combination of treatments around once or twice a week to restore the moisture in my hair and to promote growth. I also use Sweet Almond Oil which I bought from Holland and Barret this I also use daily, once a week I'll heat the oil and leave it in my hair for 30-45 minutes just as a deep treatment and three times a week before bed I'll spend about 15 minutes massaging it into my hair focusing on the roots where my hair is driest. I'm taking Skin, Hair and Nail Vitamins daily which I buy from Boots and I use a lovely, little home-made hair oil from Etsy on occasion. Here's a list of other measures I'm taking to help:

• I've switched to a low-sugar diet
• I've reduced my stress levels by exercising regularly, including meditation
• When it rains I'm not so quick to grab my brolly. My Mum always told me stories of how she used to wash her hair with rain water back when she was in Jamaica, so I kind of just leave my umbrella in my bag unless its absolutely pelting down
• I wear a Durag to bed or sleep on a silk pillow to minimise the harsh friction of my hair rubbing against the material as this can cause hair to fall out, and even though I look like a criminal wearing it it has worked wonders and there's hardly ever a hair on my pillow in the morning
• I use a wide-tooth comb to brush so it's not dragging my hair out from the roots or irritating the scalp
• To bathe and shower I have the temperature cooler as the heat from the water causes hair to dry out which in turn causes the brittle hair to break and fallout

Since switching up my hair regime in combination with the products and treatments I've been using, over the past 8 weeks I have seen a real difference in the condition of my hair. My hair now grows a lot faster and I've found it's becoming thicker, especially at my crown. My hair still gets quite dry but overall the products I use have restored some moisture and my hair is never as dry as it once was. When I brush less hair falls out, sometimes none at all and I've found that my scalp is less tender. 

I still have such a long way to go with this but I am so happy to be on track. I know what works for me and I know it's not just about what I put in my hair but what goes into my body is a huge factor too, so a balanced diet is a must. I still sometimes cry when I see what my hair has become but when I compare it to a few weeks ago it's not really that bad, it's just another experience to add to my book of 'Story's to tell the Grandchildren'.

Have you experienced anything similar? How did you deal with it? Have you got any tips?

Thanks for reading

Love Beanie xoxo

DIY - Homemade Orange Blossom Sugar Lip Scrub

I've been meaning to make this lip scrub for ages. If you love Lush's version of this then you're already on to a winner! It's perfect! I've come to the decision that many lip balms and chap sticks are not particularly ideal for chapped or dry lips as I find they tend to make the dryness worse over time. I swear by this Sugar Scrub as it works like any other exfoliant combating both dryness and roughness. The oil in this recipe is key as it's helps to keep your lips nice and soft adding moisture, leaving them super kissable. I've used Rice Bran Oil but Olive Oil is fine. I'm sure both contain Vitamin E which is ideal for healthy skin. The quantities below are enough to fill two individual conserve jars. The flavouring and colours are entirely up to you. I've gone for Orange Blossom because it has a lovely summery scent and flavour. As for the colouring, I've chosen a Tangerine paste. As a baker I swear by colour pastes as supermarket brands are water-based and may mess up your quantities leaving you with more of a sloppy mixture. I wouldn't rule out using them, just be sure to use the smallest amount.

What you'll need

• 10 tsps Granulated Sugar
• 2 1/4 tsps Rice Bran Oil
• 1/2 tsp Golden Syrup/Honey
• 1 cap Orange Blossom Water
• 1 drop Colouring(I used the shade Tangerine)
• 2 small Jam Jars
• A little ribbon for decoration
• Mixing bowl 

 Method

1. Mix together oil and sugar.
2. Add in syrup/honey and mix well until combined.
3. Add flavouring and mix again.
4. Add in a drop of colouring and mix well until the sugar is completely coloured - If using a paste the colour may clump together, just grind against the bowl using the back of your spoon then combine with the rest of the sugar and the contents of the bowl will turn your desired colour.
5. Spoon the mixture into your jam jars, et voila ... Homemade Sugar Lip Scrub.

I like to use my scrub when my lips are feeling and looking hard done by. As you al

l know I'm a Matte lipstick junkie and sometimes they aren't so kind to my lips so I find that by using this scrub maybe once or twice a week I'm giving my lips the attention they need. I particularly like to use before a night out it just gives me that lovely smooth, clean canvas I need before putting any lippy on.

Directions for use

1. Add a good amount of scrub onto dry lips and rub gently.

2. Leave for a minute or so before rinsing with warm water.

3. Add a light balm or primer to keep lips moist. I use my MAC Prep and Prime or Maybelline Baby Lips.

4. Repeat once or twice a week and your lips will feel great. 

Do you guys have any DIY/Homemade favourites?

Love Beanie x x

Would you rather? TAG

This is my first ever personal tag and I'm really excited to find out what my 'would you rather?' choices would be. I'm sure some of them will have me breaking into a sweat and some will probably be really easy to answer, let's see! I was tagged by the beauts Ruby (MissRubyRoo) one of my favourite bloggers, go check her out! 

Anyway here goes, hope you enjoy.

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows? 
This one is easy. As creative as I like to be with my eye makeup I would definitely choose to get rid of them. Since starting my new job each morning I'm plan my face based on ‘Less is more', so I’m loving bare eyes, full lashes, and bold lips. It’s a really powerful look. So thinking about it getting rid of my palettes wouldn’t break my heart too much.

2. Would you rather chop all of your hair off or never be able to cut it again? 

This is quite a fitting question actually. Last year my hair started to fall out, it went real thin and just wasn’t the head of hair I was used to having. Surprisingly after not even half an hour of crying I realised it wasn’t the end of the world, I weaved that baby-fro up and got on with life. There isn’t such a negative stigma attached to wig-wearing these days. So many people (celebs included) are wearing them daily so I know if it really came down to it I’d be okay to chop all of my hair off. That said (I know, I’ve been a bit sneaky here) I wouldn't mind chopping it all off however, I’d prefer to never cut it again. 

3. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

PINK, I mean come on *points to last blog post.* I do like coral and it’s definitely a colour that looks great on especially in summer but I love how feminine pinks are and as far as blushers go pinks definitely suit my skin tone more. One of my favourite pink blushers is from the limited edition Archie's girls range by MAC in Veronica's blush. It's super for highlighting cheekbones and just looks really lovely on. I'd say my favourite, favourites are the powder blushers from Illamasqua, very pigmented and gorgeous on. 

4. If you had £1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup? 

I’d definitely go for makeup! I’d stock up on brushes, I'd blow the lot on all of my favourites and then some. I do love clothes but I don’t think £1000 would go far with me. I know it wouldn’t. I also LOVE experiment with different make up looks, so I’d be like a kid in candy shop! 

5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick? 

Funnily enough I’ve recently started experimenting with different coloured liners. Mostly blues, greens and purples. My Mum is always wearing coloured liner and she absolutely rocks it, so I thought I’d steal her style. I’d definitely prefer to wear my liner as lipstick, I reckon it’d look quite good. I do wear a lot of pink and red lippies so wearing them as liner wouldn’t be the greatest idea as I’d either look like I had the lurgy or pink eye. 

 

6. Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
 MAC is one of the first places I started buying makeup from so maybe 90% of my favourite products are from here, products I’ve been using for years. So I’d chose MAC ten times over. 

7. Would you rather only use one eye shadow colour or one lip colour for the rest of your life? 

One eye shadow colour definitely. My lip colours sometimes work in the same way a mood ring would. I like to wear colours that reflect my mood.

 

8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Anyone who knows me will know that autumn and winter are my favourite seasons. I love winter fashion! So I would definitely choose to wear winter clothes in summer, I’m pretty much doing that right now. I’m sat here in a pair of tartan leggings, chunky black boots, a white shirt and a cable-knit over the top.

10. Would you rather give up your favourite lip colour or favourite eye product?

I hate you. I think I’d let you take my favourite lipstick. What good are bright, fabulous lips with no lashes? Take it. Take it and leave. I would have wanted to keep my lipstick, but I’m thinking back to the times I’ve done my makeup and halfway through day realised why I look so different. NO MASACARA! Totally inconvenient.

11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or messy bun?

I usually wear a messy bun for working out or for those slobby days around the house. Those occasions when even one hair on my face is enough to make me want to scream. So it’s all scraped back with my bun on top of my head. Now, I have a forehead that even Rihanna could poke fun at. In fact I have this running joke with my boyfriend we always say when I go to sleep I don’t have dreams, I have movies. So, ya. I chose ponytail.

12. Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?

I couldn’t live without painting my nails. Even if I’m not in the mood for a colour, I’ll use a clear gloss. I also only wear lipgloss with certain lipsticks and I really do love a good matte lip colour. So this one was easy. I choose never to use lipgloss. 

13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday? 

I’d sharpie them in every day. Either way I’d look like an alien so I’d rather look like an alien with the ability to SMIZE, look angry and furthermore look shocked. I also use black powder on my brows when filling them in so I think I’d be able to near-pull it off.

14. Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish? 

Nail polish. I can go days without wearing makeup and I’m not one of those girls that can't leave the house without it. Makeup really does make a difference, not just physically but I think in many more ways. It's an instant confidence and mood-booster.

Well guys, I hoped you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed doing. I thought it would be fun to ask my Mum and Nan the questions too, to see if we answered the same. They are both as indecisive as I am and as I suspected, we all pretty much think the same. Give this a go. Like cutie Ruby, I tag everyone reading and some of my favourite bloggers. 

Life and Lumes 

Rose Posie Pudding and Pie

Effy Talks Life

Lizzy Lozzo 

 

Candy Girl - Pink lipstick review (part one)

I have been really looking forward to writing this post, although it should have been up earlier with work and working out I've really been struggling to find the time recently so I decided to book a few days off work to enjoy some me time and catch up on what I enjoy most.

I've selected a few of my favourite pinks and put them into groups, because I own so many this process makes it easier for me to select when I sort them into groups according to shade and finish. Some of the pinks I own are absolutely gorgeous, however a fair few of them don't sit well or I find I have to keep applying during the day which can then turn them from fab to drab. 

I'm going to write this blog in two parts. The first part covering my favourite pink lipsticks and lip crayons, the second part covering my favourite pencils and glosses.

Hope you enjoy.

The Lippies

Chatterbox and Girl About Town are two of my favourite pinks from Mac and are both Amplified. I do love this finish because I can build up on these colours for nights out, either getting a really classy and not over the top lip and alternatively a really funky, bright Barbie girl colour. What else I like about these is they look even more amazing with a clear or similar coloured gloss over the top.

MAC Pink Nouveau with Chatterbox over the top and a dash of Boy Bait gloss

 I've also added Pink Nouveau to my favourites in a satin finish. I will be honest in saying this isn't particularly my one of my favourites, not because of the colour but because I find I am constantly getting that really unattractive gathering after a few hours wear so I tend not to wear this shade as much unless it's over a darker or matte colour. I find wearing a similar matte colour underneath helps to hold a colour less likely to sit right and in some cases I'd wear over one of my Amplified shades.

MAC, Girl about town (unglossed)

I find with my lighter shades of pink I do mix them a fair bit. For example those with a really white undertone I'll add a little bit of a deeper/rosey pink to, just so I don't look so clownish. I also like to add a dash of Boy Bait which is a nude, Cremesheen Glass for extra oomph, plus it looks a little bit sexy too *wink, wink*. 

My two favourite Illamasqua pinks are shades Atomic and Resist. What can I say, I am a total Matte junkie as you may very well know and for me these colours are perfect finish and all! Again I tend to mix the two or add a gloss every now and again, however for the most part these colours are ab fab all on their own.

Illamasqua Titivate Lip Pencil with Illamasqua Atomic Lipstick

 I then have my Kiko in shade 814, which to begin with I absolutely loathed. Now I wear it most days for work. This is a super-hydrated colour which is very much a dressed down version of my favourite, Up the Amp by Mac. This Kiko lipstick is very sheer allowing you room to build up for a heavier colour but still not too heavy. This is one of those colours that looks quite lilacy and will probably look purple on paler skin-tones, however against darker skin it's a really nice pink/purple shade. 

Last but not least we have my super bright lipstick by Kate Moss for Rimmel. I love, love, love this lipstick from the shade to the finish right down to the price. Everything is right! I tend to go for this shade for a night out and very rarely gloss it down to it being so bright. I have used this shade over my Atomic lipstick from Illamasqua the two go hand in hand and blend really well.

  

The Lip Crayons

What can I say about Barry M products that hasn't already been said? I will admit I had my doubts about these Barry M Gelly, High shine glosses. I thought they'd be really sheer similar to a pigmented balm, basically everything I was not looking for in a lipstick. However these little babies surprised me more than the time I found out the moon and the sun were two completely different things! These beauties are fabulous. The first one I bought was shade 5, I adore it! I then went back to buy shade 3 and will most definitely be going back for more. I get everything I want from them, as I'm able to wear them for work, not so bright and then for meeting friends after work I layer up a little for a more glam look. I would say you have to apply quite a bit throughout the day but I not enough for me to grumble about it.

Barry M, Gelly Hi-Shine pencil in Shade 3

 My second product is my Topshop lip bullet, shade 'Back in the Game'. This is a super vibrant, disco pink and even for the greatest pink lover like me this is way too bright. I don't think it helps that the finish of this product literally feels like you've used a crayola to colour your lips in. I will admit that I haven't given this product a fair chance. However my maiden use of these product indicated I was going to have a bit of a ropey relationship with this colour. I will definitely give this another go that way we can have a fair trial.

Topshop bullet, Back in the game

Clockwise - Topshop Lip Bullet 'Back in the game' and Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Lips Shade 5 & Shade 3

For now that's it for part one of my favourite pink lipstick review and I'll be back with part two...glosses and pencils! I am glad I plucked up the courage and added some pictures of myself, I've been dreading doing it. It's not so bad after all and at least you guys can get a better idea of what the shades look like in case you are wanting to purchase them.

Also ...

Let me know what your favourite pinks are pictures and all! I'd love to see what your favourite pinks are and how they differ for each skintone. I also wouldn't mind doing another follow up featuring your pictures too! 

Any questions about these products (or the cupcakes haha) just ask.

Beanie 

xoxo

Where the magic happens - A tour of my beauty room

I love spending time in this room. I get ready for work in here, I come home I take my makeup off in here. I even prep myself for bed in here. I feel like I’m stepping into a little boutique, sometimes trying on lipsticks, blushers and eyeshadows I didn't even know I had!

What I really love about this room is it’s somewhere me and my Mum spend a lot of time together. Sometimes we’ll both stand in front of the mirror having a chat doing our makeup together. Most weekends I’ll spend time teaching her new techniques or trying different looks on her, its real quality time. We both work so hard and having this room has given us our time back and it makes me so happy because I get the feeling I used to get when I was younger, when I would sit and watch my Mum put her make up on before a night out or for work. So you can see why this space is so important to me. Not only do I spend time with my Mum in here, sometimes when I’m getting ready my fiancé will take a seat, put on some music and we’ll just chat while I get ready. This room is my little creation and it’s somewhere I get to reflect, pamper, bond, relax and beautify. What more could I want? 

I’m a crazy, neat freak so everything has a place. I could close my eyes and find what I need in that room despite the amount of hair and beauty products I have. I’m in love with acrylic storage, they’re perfect for adding space and go beautifully with any colour or style room. They’re a universal must have! I bought my acrylic lipstick holders from TK Maxx for £7.99 and my drawers from Muji online for £24.95. I wanted to keep this room clutter-free and minimal yet feminine and girly at the same time, so a lot of the treasures and trinkets I buy are pastel, polka or have cute detailing like bows and hearts (I’m crazy for hearts!) The jars I keep my brushes in are a sure example, these little cuties were from B&M and were £2.99 each.

I have a hand-painted (by me) pink shelf from B&Q on which I like to keep my rose and vanilla scented candles, underneath you’ll find my mini tiara/headdress collection. For some strange reason friends gift me tiaras quite a lot, so I thought it would be cute to have somewhere to hang them and they make for really cute decorations. 

There is still a little bit I’d like to do to this room, I am currently in the process of collecting artwork and photographs for the larger wall, just to add more of a grown up feel. I also want a window seat as I keep the last 4 issues of Elle in here so it’d be nice to sit by the window, feet up with a cup of tea and my favourite magazine.

I do believe it’s important to have a space that’s yours, somewhere that brings you real happiness and allows you to explore your creativity. Somewhere simple you can make great memories and even greater transformations. It doesn’t have to be a whole room, just somewhere for you outside of the madness of the real world, where you can retreat, relax and enjoy. 

Do you have a special place you go to relax? Do you think it's important to have somewhere you can retreat to? 

My Nails and I - Gel polishes and quick drying nail product review

Hey ho! Hope you have all had a lovely weekend, the weather has been lovely yet again all the more reason for us girlies to spend less time waiting for our nails to dry and more time wrapping our freshly painted paws around a cool glass of wine. Anybody who knows me knows I am probably the most impatient girl in the world. I mean, I totally have time to pamper myself and I absolutely LOVE painting my nails but I HATE waiting for the to dry and I hate putting so much effort in only for them to chip after 24 measly hours. Since being younger I have always taken the time to paint my nails each night, and I have always loathed that painful wait in between putting the colour on and showing the colour off.

Now that I spend a lot of my time at working I don't have as much time to paint my nails. I most definitely don't have the time to do it every night. I've been on the hunt for a polish that will last a fair few days and also a product that will cut the time I have to wait for my polish to dry right in half. And if I found something that gave me a little extra that'd be even better!

Firstly I'll talk a little bit about the not-so new but AMAAAZING Barry M Gelly, Hi-Shine polishes (£3.99). The first time I tried these colours I was really unsure because I felt like I literally had to pile the product on in order to get my desired colour. However after giving a few more colours from this range a little try that is definitely not the case. I find the colour goes on perfect when applied properly, two even coats should be enough to give your nails the beautiful POP they so deserve. I literally could not love these polishes anymore and for someone who loves a good gel manicure these little babies are most definitely the next best thing at half the price. The varnish is super shiny, the colours are perfect and these babies usually last me around 3-4 days without a single chip. When I use these varnishes I sometimes can't stop looking at how pretty my hands look, okay when I say sometimes, I mean all the time. If you're like me and love shiny, beautiful, bright nails then these Barry M polishes are definitely for you.

Secondly we have the Maybelline, Forever Strong, Super Stay Gel Nail colour £4.99. A mouthful right? This varnish comes in only a few colours and claims to give a shiny, long-lasting (7 days to be exact) gel effect to your nails. Let me start by saying in no way, shape or form did this product last 7 days. In fact I had peeling nails within 2 days. Which for most isn't bad but I do however think that if a product claims to do something in particular and if the company are using this as a major selling point for the product then it should at least have lasted more than two days. I found the colour really nice and really easy to apply and with the lovely wide brush, and you barely need two coats as it's so vibrant and really glides on well. For me that's where the joy ended. I tried everything I could to get the varnish to last, gloves for washing up, top coat, base coat, no top coat no base coat and nothing. I also found that after a few uses my nails became really dry and brittle a few even starting to splinter. This varnish is definitely a no and for the price isn't worth it. I haven't bought any other colours since.

On to the quick drying products. I decided that I'd try three different types in order to see what type of effect they would have during and after the drying process. I chose a quick drying spray, an liquid and a varnish.

First up is Elegant Touch Rapid dry for nails, with vitamin E. This is an aerosol (with quite a lovely scent) and set me back a mere £2.99 from Boots. I find this product easy to use and it does the trick although claiming to take on 60 seconds I did feel I needed a little bit longer before the tackiness of the varnish had gone completely. I do like this product however I find it takes the shine away from the varnish so you end up with a bit more of a dull version of the colour you started with. This product did not dry out my nails which is a massive plus however I don't feel as though I'd buy it again simply because I have found something just that little bit better.

My second choice is Sally Hansen, Insta Dry top coat. This cost me £5.99 again from Boots which I got as part of a fabulous 3 for 2 deal. This is my favourite of all the products I tested because it's simply fabulous. This is a quick drying varnish which sets your colour as well as acting as a high-gloss, anti-chip top coat. After waiting for around 2 minutes for my actual varnish to dry a little I then applied the Sally Hansen top coat and within another minute or so my nails were dry and suuuuuuper shiny. My varnish lasted again around five-ish days after use and not a brittle nail in sight! This is most definitely my go to product and I'll be stocking up even before the one I have runs dry.

Last but not least we have a quick dry spray from H and M, £2.99. I do like this spray because it's quite oily and is brilliant for any dry skin around the cuticle area. However, I don't think this spray is anything special but the fact it doesn't claim to work miracles is great because it doesn't exactly what it says on the bottle, it's a quick drying spray that will set your nails in around 60 seconds and that's it. I probably wouldn't buy this product again but that is because again I have found something that works best for me.

Orange Lipstick Review

I've been quite excited about wearing my 'Oranges' for a while now, I've really been set in my ways sticking with the purples and reds I had been wearing over the winter season last year. I never really stick to trends but I thought as the weather is getting brighter it'd be nice to crack out the brights from my ever-growing lipstick collection. 

The two orange colours I have and hardly ever wear are both from Mac, I have Morange and Vegas Volt. Morange is the brighter of the two and Vegas Volt is more of a corally-peach. It's really nice for if you want a pop of orange colour but nothing too bright. Both colours are super-summery and work really well with all skin tones. 

Although I haven't worn either colour for a really long time, the issue for me isn't the colour at all, the shades are perfect! It's the finish. Neither of these colours (both Amplified) give me the finish I want from a lipstick. I find they sit well for an hour or so but after that they just look really tacky and slide around. In complete honesty to achieve the look I wanted I used a lip brush to apply Morange to my lips and then I went over it slightly with the Vegas Volt, I then added a lick of  Cremesheen gloss in Boy Bait so this is possibly the reason the lipstick didn't sit right for me. 

For the rest of my look I'd chosen to keep my eyes fresh leaving my Kiko primer on the lids to brighten and then added a medium-sized flick using my black, Sleek gel liner. I didn't add black eyeliner as I wanted my eyes to appear as bright and as open as possible so I added a touch of gold from my Mac Brownluxe Pallet, (sorry I don't know what the shade is called). A swipe of YSL mascara and then used my Extra Dimension Highlighter in Supberb from Mac over the higher part of my cheek bones. I then went over that colour with my pink Illamasqua blusher and brought the pink down to my chubby cheeks, shade Tweak. 

All in all it was a pretty simple look which isn't the norm for me, but I loved it and would wear it again. 

You got the job buddy! - Random Mini Spree

Hey guys thought I'd start my blog with an update on my current situation. Whenever I start to write about myself I tend to go backwards and then I feel like there's this huge backlog of information I need to compile and structure, therefore I'm only going back one week.

I was so excited! I know a lot of you might think it's a boring job but I have such a passion for it I can't even explain in words. Anyway before travelling down to Swindon for two days training I took it upon myself to go shopping for office attire. I quite obviously came back with items that would only be deemed office attire if I was in some kind of reality TV programme being filmed from all possible angles whilst pretending to work, bitching about friends to a work colleague, taking long pauses every 6 words. I don't know what came over me. Thinking back now there was a million outfits I could have chosen and from that million I came back with beach-ware, underwear, sunglasses and expensive diary (one of which I already have in another colour) the list goes on. Well at least it feels like it goes on, because quite frankly I lost my mind! I went into panic mode and shoveled not one item of office clothing into my basket. 

My shoes, I absolutely love and I'll be wearing them after work this week for drinks with friends. I really wanted a white and gold pair of barely's forever AND I've had two pairs before now. One pair from River Island and the other Carvela. I've ended up taking both back because of the fit. Nearly everything looks good or is a good idea when you're in the store and then once you get them home it's like you were out of your mind, all of a sudden they hurt, they don't go with anything or you just fall out of love. I think that's why I enjoy shopping online. It's like a surprise every time the post man comes a knockin'. 

The accessories are from H&M. These sunnies! They're perfect. I struggle to find the perfect sunglasses and most of the time go for giant ones that hide my face. For the price of these I couldn't grumble and they really do look cute on. The fact they are pink is a biggie for me too as I tend to go for black/brown frames. My ear cuffs I have worn to work, they look lovely with my black shift dress and blazer. I usually have my hair in a medium pony or to one side so they are visible. A bit of a pain when answering the phone so wearing one might be an option and looks just as cool. I also find that the cuffs pinch a little where they clip on to the bonier part of my ear at the top. Easily fixed by pulling out the clasp a little, but I'd be careful doing it so much as they look like they have the potential to snap if fiddled with too much.

Do you know what? Looking back it's not too bad. I can wear them all to work, I think I was more miffed I didn't pick up any cute suits or tailored pants and just came home with a bunch of accessories. For the most part I've been able to spruce up some of the stuff I already own with these accessories.

Shoes, Primark £18
Accessories H&M £3.99-£7.99
Diary, Ryman
Nautical Make up Bag, Primark £4