The products that brought my healthy hair back

Although I have always had hip length hair, It's always been pretty healthy.
I get bored quite easily with my hair but then I also get bored and impatient in the process of a change.

Little back story: I've bleached my hair about three times (this being the third) and its been completely fine, might I add, either my hair couldn't take another go, or I put waay too much on, way too quick.

Lets get to the point.. my ends were dead after the ombre, they were shedding away as they had lost their elasticity.. so I cut it.
I cut it from my belly up to my boobs (ohh what a mistake, my tubby face can't handle a short cut).

If you've had both brunette and blonde hair you'll know you're hair looks much healthier, brunette.
Knowing this I went back brunette, to hide the hay until I could restore it.

Obviously what you're here for is to find out what products I've been using to give it a kiss of life.

Before I put anything on it after I cut it, I covered it in coconut oil to revive it a bit after it took a killing from chemicals!

I make sure I only wash it every other day, at most, just to get some of the natural oils back into my hair. Half of those washes I use a hair mask instead of a conditioner, my favourite is L'oreal Elvive restore mask.

I have been trying to do a few little things to help along the way but the main reason i'm writing this is because of the Tresemme Keratin Smooth shampoo and conditioner. I have always had a love hate relationship with Tresemme as I feel like they make your hair feel great but on the other side of things, they can make my hair quite greasy and heavy.. as someone with long, fine hair that was a bit of a issue because I never liked the flat look.

BUT (and a very big but) after wondering around Superdrug desperate to find something to make my hair look and feel some what normal again, I picked the Tresemme up.. mainly because I knew the brand made my hair feel soft, plus it was on offer too, so I thought it couldn't hurt to pick these up. I hadn't seen them around before, however I think that's due to them being repackaged? I'm not totally sure tho? ...

...Anyway, the first time I used this (bare in mind my hair was brittle and got really knotty) I was actually shocked and actually very happy that my hair felt great again! I could literally run my fingers through my hair with no interruption, which I've not actually been able to do properly since the bleaching. My hair was so soft, and had that newly dyed hair shine!

So as you can imagine i am very pleased to have found a product that has tamed my hair again, i've never really had much trouble with my hair until now, but i can finally straighten it with out it going bushy at the ends and finally brush it without it snapping!! I always finish my hair off after getting out the shower with Umberto Giannini Mend My Hair serum- it has been a life saver for a few years now, however i know they have changed their packaging too and can't seem to find the exact one.

Just a few products that have helped my hair and can maybe help you too!

what are your hair miracles?

Thanks for reading!

Meg x

2017 trends

When a new year comes it comes with a whole load of trends and styles however I think everyone has ran out of ideas and history is repeating its self, what we were forced to wear when we were kids are now part of peoples wardrobes, 90's is very in at the moment but im not sure how long it will last.
Its hard to predict trends and I definitely don't think I could do it as a job but recently over social media and especially runways there's been alot of similar trends that I just know are going to make it to the big brands!

Block colours. I first noticed as soon as the transition to spring started Newlooks spring/summer collection came out and its very hard to ignore. Most of their stock this season is very bright and bold and most pieces are block colour instead of various prints. I found Topshop have also caught on to the late 80's as they have a variety of skirts and cropped jumpers in bold colours. Also rocking the catwalk which will always be okay to wear is floral.

Gloss. Well we had a few good years of a matte lip but we're going back to basics with a simple lip gloss but it looks like lips wont be the only thing wearing it, expect lots of new beauty releases for a glossy eye shadow product.

Natural ombre lips. Some of the bigger brands like Benefit and YSL have already brought out a lipstick with a built in ombre effect and im sure the drugstore/high street brands will follow on. This has been a big thing on Instagram, very natural ombre lips, to enhance the beauty of a natural plump lip some times with a gloss, forget the Kylie Jenner over drawn lip, a subtle shaded lip is being recreated everywhere.

Bushy eyebrows. Again going from one extreme to another of having huge overdrawn lips to a natural lip and perfectly sculpted brow to a bushy brow. So the Cara brow is back but this time its not just big its bushy too. Many videos on social media of people trying to create a huge brow by splitting the hairs, kinda owl-esque, but now it has been seen on various Ad campaigns recreated in their own way.

Wire nails. I am not sure what I think of this one and I don't think it will last very long just like the pierced nails I think it will be a trial and error or a one off.

2016 was a very trend fulfilled year with a lot of glitter, colour and pastel 90's nostalgia, however 2017 is bringing out the colour and going back to basics with some of the classics.

Which is your favourite trend?

Meg x

Empties // Beauty products

So i thought i would do my first Empties post, so you can see whether i've been loving these products or not. I thought this time i would do it as a video instead of a blog post, so here is my very first You Tube video. Be patient. Here.

Thanks for stopping by.
Meg x

A pamper before the party

Going out, whether that be with the boyfriend, friends or family is great but what i find is the best part of going on a night out is getting ready before hand, if anything it gets me more excited and i love feeling relaxed and refreshed. A few steps i find a must before i go out:

I tend to do my body first before my hair and face so.. First things first (im a realist) i have to jump in the shower, make sure my body is fully exfoliated with Soap and Glory's Flake away and my legs are hairless, after washing my hair i let most of it naturally dry before blow-drying.

I use Garnier ultimate blends body lotion all over my body before tanning or if i want something thicker i use Soap and Glory's righteous butter especially on my elbows, knees, hands and feet where tan tends to stick a bit more. I tend to use Bondi sands Foam Tan but i sometimes substitute it for St Moritz medium foam rubbing in circular motions with a tanning mitt excluding my face.
 After the majority of my body is dry and the tan has set in, i make sure my toenails are painted, even if im not wearing sandals or peep toes it still makes me feel a bit more put together when my tootsies are painted and it saves me doing it another day.

 If needed i'll wax my eyebrows and upper lip before cleansing my face with my Liz Earle cleanse and polish and then finish my cleansing routine which you can see here. I then apply a gradual tan to my face like the dove face and body Dermaspa summer revived mainly because its a tinted lotion so it works alot better on the face.

  My go to hair style when i go out is big curls, i do love big curl and i create this look really simply with my Nicky Clarke heated rollers and i just leave them in until the rest of me is completely ready and they have fully cooled down.
Lastly i'll do my makeup and after I've done everything i'll do my nails, sometimes i'll just paint them or have acrylics depends what i'm feeling.

I love the feeling of getting all made up it really puts me in the mood to go out and just lifts my spirits, a spritz of perfume and im ready to go.

What extra bits do you do before you go out?
Meg x

Pamper night

We all get to that point where we need a night of luxury to pamper are selves, with just the right products they can make you feel like a new woman.

A few products i like to use to revive myself and refresh.

Cup o' Coffee- A great face and body scrub/mask for those coffee addicts that like a good cleanse, i have wrote a full post on what i think abut this product here.

Dove Derma Spa Summer Revived Body lotion- A very good alternative to fake tan or in England.. sun. I really like this product because it doesn't feel as fake tan sometimes can when it starts to wear off, being a tinted body lotion it gives you all the moisture you need instead of dancing around trying to dry your body buttered body. i would recommend to go for the medium/dark.

Umberto Giannini Beauty Secrets Moisture Mask- A bit of a mouthful, saving the best till last-  one of my new favourite products. Having very long mermaid hair it can always get me in a tangle also having quite fine hair it tends to look quite limp not luscious. Before i laid my hands on this i had never found a product that quite does the job well enough, This hair mask instantly makes my hair feel smoother after applying it to the lengths of my hair (not the roots) and leaves it looking super shiny- basically a salon finish! It is also a great miracle worker fr those tedious knots in my locks, as it will for anyone with quite thick or long hair, or just tangle prone. Definitely a product i recommend!

Which are your go to pamper products?

Meg x

My go to brand

I think we all have a brand that we always go back to, no matter how many products we try it just doesn't match up to that product that we just cant get out of our heads. i find that regardless of how many things i try there is one brand that works for me best in a lot of ways. Garnier was one of the first brands i tried, hair, beauty, everything. I find that it they are quite gentle products with not too harsh and in a nutshell they do what they say on the the tin.

These are a few products from Garnier's ranges that i always repurchase:

Garnier Micellar Water- 

How can this not be in this blog post, I mean i have two back up bottles in my drawer for when i run out so its an understatement to say i like this product. A very gentle product with a few variations for everyone, although it is very popular, i love this product because quite frankly it does everything you need in a cleansing water - No more panda eyes!

Ultimate Blends-

Here i have a few different products from the Ultimate Blends hair range, The Marvelous Transformer shampoo, the Weightless Nourisher conditioner and the mask (which still doesn't quite beat Umberto Giannini Beauty Secrets hair mask) i also have the Strength Restorer serum which i find works really well at putting moisture back in to my hair and beating the dry ends.

 Another one from the Ultimate Blends range is The Marvelous Oils Hydrating body lotion, i will be quite honest i am very bad at remembering to look after my skin on my body, rubbing body lotions in just seem so time consuming, but after buying this one as it was on offer.. it is nearly gone, i have used this nearly every time i have got out of the shower to keep my skin hydrated, its not very thick so its very easy to apply and quick drying, plus it also comes in a pump to make it that little bit easier.

Moisture Match-

Garnier Moisture Match + Goodbye Dry Is one of the first moisturisers i bought as a teenager and still continue take it into my adult hood as i feel it is a very simple product and sometimes that's what your skin needs... simple, Its mainly for sensitive skin and contains rose so it isn't harsh on your skin but it is also very creamy to hydrate your skin so a definite to those who have de-hydrated or dry skin, it brings back all your moisture and makes your skin feel super soft.

Such a coincidence that i happened to use all of these products just before writing this up haha. 

What is your go to brand? Let me know.

Meg x

Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence

Who managed to say that title with out getting tongue twisted?, not me.

Hey guys,

Right, i thought i would do a review type thing on this product as it is a staple in my hair routine.

www.philipkingsley.co.uk

I was lucky enough to meet one of the ladies who works for Philip Kingsley who goes to companies and events to talk about their products. She was ever so lovely and she definitely taught me alot. She (i say she because i cant quite recall her name, memory like a sieve) thoroughly explained each product, what they did and what hair type they are for, i was informed i had medium hair, although for a very long time i thought it was thin but she explained that's because i have really long hair so it gets weighed down. She taught me alot of things i didn't know and corrected us on lots of things we thought we knew or had been told (e.g it doesn't damage your hair if you wash it every day) and lots of other old wives tales.

At the end we were given the chance to pick a few full size products to take home with us to give a try, obviously i pick the elasticizer set and was really recommended by the lovely lady to try the Daily Damage Defence as i have hip length hair which very easily becomes a mess.

When i first tried the product, honestly i didn't see a difference at all and the same with the next couple of times. This is definitely one of them products you don't know you love until you stop using it. I absolutely love this product, i spritz it in wet hair after slightly towel drying it and it makes it so much softer, it can be applied to dry hair as well; its the biggest life saver when it comes to brushing your hair because once this has sunk in, gliding a brush through your hair becomes so much easier and i am one for getting knotty hair!! Plus it has heat protector in so its a all round winner for me.

Whether you have super long hair, a head full of hair full of knots or you just want a frizz free life, then i highly recommend this product to everyone and while doing all of that it still leaves your hair shiny.
www.philipkingsley.co.uk

This post is not sponsored i just love this product haha.

Leave any blog post ideas in the comments and i will more then happily do them.

Lots of love
 Meg x