Holiday Bits and Bobs

As I am writing this I am sunning myself beside a pool in Portugal... I know what you're thinking - why is she blogging!? 

Well, today is our last day at the Epic Sana Algarve and in all honesty it's a bit cloudy here today so I thought I would take to opportunity to tell you about some holiday beauty products. 

So firstly, waterproof mascara. 

This is not a product I would normally purchase, I don't tend to favour waterproof mascara's and have been told a number of times they are no good for your lashes and have therefore steered away from them - my lovely friend Bethan (@bethanevans84 - twitter) whom I'm on holiday with had heard good things about the Boots Natural Collection Waterproof Mascara which retails for £1.99 so that's the one we've tried out on our holiday. 

The coverage of the mascara is good, it's nice and even and no clumps - I've only been using it lightly, giving my lashes two coats and for £1.99 it's better than some    expensive ones in this instance. 

So how is it in terms of its waterproofness? Ummm simple answer is not great! On holidays I am the first to admit that I am a bit of a water baby and therefore would put even the best waterproof mascara's under a little strain, however after the first dunk under water this mascara started to give me the classic panda eye look and multiple hand stands in the pool later the mascara was all but gone. Maybe "Water Resistant" is a better branding for this mascara as it seems to be ok when your eyes water after sun exposure. 

This product comes in two shades Black and Brown/Black. 

Next up, is a jumbo eyeliner pencil by Sephora and for those not familiar with the Sephora brand - it's generally amazing, and available in Sephora stores across Europe and basically everywhere except the UK :-( 

I purchased this product while in Verona last year and have never really worn it - it promotes itself as Waterproof and 12 hour wear. I think I paid about €10-€14 for it, but it was last October so I'm not 100% sure. 

The product is very pigmented and is great alone or as a base. 

This product held up much better - it lasted with a strong colour from 9am-6pm with strong sun exposure and even after a few dunks in the pool the product didn't run, just faded slightly. 

Lastly was a sun protector for the scalp from Wilkinson's. The scalp is often a neglected area while on holiday, despite it receiving constant sun exposure. 

I've burnt mine a number of times while driving with the roof down in my car and so this product seems a great idea. 

I was cautious at first as it's consistency inside the bottle looks oily and the last thing I wanted was something that makes my hair looks greasy.  

I was pleasantly surprised as its a dry oil type of spray and hair does not feel greasy at all - it doesn't have the pleasant smell of most sunscreens but its not unpleasant by any means and it offers an SPF of 15 along with 5 star UV protection and Vitamin E. You can pick up this little beauty for £2.50 (50ml) and it is defiantly something I would recommend. 

Available from Wilkinson's Nationwide or www.wilko.com 

Do you have any holiday essentials that you can't live without? 

Rhian Xx

Diva Professional Styling Glamoriser

So many different hair tools it's difficult to decide which ones to buy.

I have a straightener, a curling wand and a waver.... The other product I have is the Glamoriser....

Now generally for ease of use if I want to curl my hair I use my straighteners. And in all honesty I rarely use my Glamoriser and if I'm totally honest, it's not because I don't love it - because I do, but it's because each time I use it I refuse to use the heat protection finger guard that it is supplied with and I end up burning my fingers - Ouch!! 

I find that curls hold longer when I use the Glamoriser as opposed to my straighteners and the curls are fuller. 



Hair styled by the Glamoriser

The styler has a tapered design, so depending on where you insert the hair in to the styler depends on what style of curls you get. 

It can also be used for straightening. 

The heat goes up to 230•c and the heat selection is digital so you can clearly see at what temperature the styler is at. 

As the styler has heat distribution around the entire barrel, curls are quicker to create than with a straightener and I also I prefer the Glamoriser to a traditional curling wand, there is also no reason why you can't use the styler for waving as long as someone else was doing it for you as it would be tricky to do it yourself. I also find that the tool is handy for little flicks in layered hair. 

It may seem expensive at £99.99 but you could replace all your other stylers with just this one and still have all the same styles available. 

Rhian Xx

                                         

Philip Kingsley Maximizer

To quote a well known TV advert ... "Do you suffer from dull lifeless hair!?" 

Well I think I may have found the answer. 

I suffer from fine, limp hair and I am constantly looking for the product to give me full volume in my hair. 

I've tried the majority of the supermarket and pharmacy brands such as Lee Stafford, John Freida, Loreal, Vo5, to name but a few, but none have given me the results I wanted. 

Step up the Philip Kingsley Maximizer.... 

Now first a little background to Philip Kingsley and the brand, Courtesy of philipkingsley.co.uk 

Philip Kingsley coined the phrase 'bad hair day' and is the world's most respected authority on hair and scalp health. With over 55 years of Trichological experience, Philip Kingsley's past and present clientele include politcians, royalty and celebrities. 

Called the 'Hair Doctor' by the Sunday Times and the 'Hair Guru' by the New York Times, Philip has written many publications on both sides of the Atlantic. Philip has recognized the need to bridge the gap between science and hairdressing as well as providing solutions for the most extreme hair and scalp problems, and those who just want the best from their hair. 

The first Trichological Clinic was opened in Mayfair, London in 1960. In response to demand for the service in America, the New York Trichological Centre opened in New York in 1977. Many of the staff who started working with him as juniors are still with him today. 

In 1997, Philip was asked to create a retail range for salon distribribution, the result of which is one of the first in-salon, Trichologically driven hair and scalp ranges. It is based on working with the hair texture rather than the prevailing standard of normal, oily and dry. His concept is now widely accepted as the standard, by which many in our industry approach hair care formulations. Philip Kingsley products can now also be found in premium retailers such as Harrods, Liberty, Fenwicks, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

As you can see, the credentials stack up! 

The product comes in three different sizes 60ml,125ml and 250ml. 

The 60ml size is great as it retails for £6.95 so you aren't investing too much money if you don't find the product suits you. 

It is applied to the roots and through the lengths. Blow dry and voila! It delivers full volume, better than any product I've tried before. 

I use this product every time I wash my hair (generally every other day) and will definitely be repurchasing. 

It is safe to use on colour treated hair and  leaves no sticky residue. It also doesn't make your hair seem greasy at all - always a plus! 

There are a wide range of products suitable for all hair types and the website is great for explaining what suits your needs. 

I purchased my product from John Lewis but had consulted the website prior to visiting the store. 

www.philipkingsley.co.uk

Have you tried any Philip Kingsley products? What are your favourites? 

Rhian Xx

Nars Sheer Matte Foundation

I have never before purchased a Nars foundation, and the decision to purchase one shouldn't be taken lightly as they are pretty pricey compared with the majority of foundations in the market.

The foundation which was recommended to me on my local Nars counter was Sheer Matte - a foundation that offers buildable coverage, while controlling shine and evening skin tone.

I was matched as Sante Fe, which is Medium with a peachy undertone.

Sante Fe as per the Nars website

In all honesty, when I first applied the foundation, I was not at all impressed with the initial coverage, but then again it is branded as "Sheer"
I am used to a foundation which has a pretty full coverage, because I am prone to breakouts and open pores.
With this, I did apply an additional concealer to a couple of problem areas which is not something that I would normally do when using my Mac Studio Fix Fluid or Illamasqua Skinbase, and as I said the initial coverage wasn't what I would generally require so I did need to continue to build up the product to get my desired level of coverage.


Now, the building up of foundation with my combination skin is something I would normally be weary of, however this product does not cake at all with the additional application and it does not budge all day! Once the foundation has chance to settle on the skin the finish is great and my skin looks brighter than it normally does when I use my Studio Fix and it does even skin tone as it promises.

The decision of spending £30.50 on this foundation is not one to be taken lightly, but it does offer additional benefits that you wouldn't generally expect from a foundation, such as;  powerful anti-oxidants to protect against damaging free radicals and turmeric extract to improve skin's radiance and tone.

The other great thing, is that if you aren't entirely sure you want to invest, the lovely people on the Nars counter will give you a 4ml sample of your desired shade for you to take away and try - this sample should give you enough product for at least 5 applications, depending of course on how much product you use in each application.

4ml sample on right

So to summarise, if you have oily/combination skin and desire a matte foundation that will last you all day this may be the foundation for you - but try a sample before investing so that you are sure.
The product comes in 20 different shades and for your hard earned £30.50 you get 30ml worth of product.

Rhian Xx

Nars Satin Lip Pencil

My collection of Nars products is slowly put surely getting larger and larger.

My most recent purchases include; Night Clubbing Eyeshadow and Sheer Matte Foundation along with these little beauties.

I saw a quick flash of a shade on twitter one day and promptly went in to John Lewis the following day to pick them up.

The range is available in 13 shades and retails for £17.50.

I picked up two shades: HYDE PARK which Nars describe as "Cardinal Red" and ISOLA BELLA described as "Peach Beige"


Hyde Park



Isola Bella

The packaging as you'd suspect is sleek and smart as with all Nars products.

I love both shades that I purchased equally as much as each other. It's a quick and easy way of applying a bold colour to the lips with a subtle sheen.
The product has good staying power too, leaving a slight stain on the lip as it wears away.

I generally wear the Isola Bella shade for the daytime and leave the Hyde Park for the evening but I have worn the red a few times to work with either a simple matte smokey eye or a slick of black gel liner.

The only annoying thing with this product is that it is a pencil, and you do have to sharpen it quite often (if you reapply to ensure the colour stays as it was when first applied) that said it wouldn't deter me from investing in other shades.


I am wearing Hyde Park below, what are your thoughts on the shade and finish?

Rhian Xx

Essie Nail Polish - Strawberry Daiquiri

A girl can never have too many nail polishes right?
Well that's one of my philosophies and I am sticking to it.

The sun has finally started to shine her in South Wales, and I have banished my dark sultry polishes to the back of my storage unit of polishes and have brought forward beautiful sun worthy shades....

I was in a bit of a grump one day (can't even remember why now) so I headed to Boots to pick up something I knew would instantly put a smile on my face - and it was pay day! So since I had just been paid I invested in two new Essie polishes.

Now having recently invested in a three week manicure, I don't technically need to paint my nails as they are chip free - yet this glorious weather enticed me to try out one of the shades...

Strawberry Daiquiri.

Now how could a cocktail lover like myself pass up a colour with such an amazing name? (This is me justifying to myself another polish)

The shade is a perfect pinky coral perfect for when the sun is out and will look amazing with a tan!

The finish is great, as you would expect from any Essie polish, so far I am 5 days in and not a single chip.

I currently have this shade on my fingers and toes and I am totally in love.

What's your perfect summer shade?

Rhian Xx