Beauty and the Blogger

Monday, 31 October 2011

Vaseline Lip Therapy Ltd Edition - Creme Brulee (exclusive to Selfridges)

Creme Brulee is one of my favourite desserts, and one I love the smell of so I'm really excited to show you this...

...Creme Brulee flavour Vaseline Lip Therapy, absolutely perfect for winter. It does smell vanilla-y and sweet, but not overpoweringly so, which I'm sure some people will prefer. I'm so obsessed with sugary sweet scents though, if anything I'd like it to be even stronger! The reason I don't really use original Vaseline is the taste/smell (or lack of) so this will definately be a lipbalm of choice for me over winter.

They're also doing a pout competition at Selfridges linked in with the Vaseline Creme Brulee - head down to the photo booth in Selfridges' beauty hall and show off your pout, there are prizes to be won!

Available exclusively from Selfridges for £2.99 now (you can buy it in store from the Oxford Street or Manchester Exchange Square branches)

Sunday, 30 October 2011

Dressing table able...

I'm ashamed to admit that up until the age of 24 I've never owned a dressing table. Living in rented properties and houseshares I've never really had the inclination or the space to have one - plus it's just something else to lug with you when you move, which I've done quite a bit since I moved to Manchester. My make up was stored in those plastic drawer sets you get from Argos etc.

But all that changed, we bought a house in April as of a few months ago I bought this to go in our spare room...

I wanted a white dressing table because we already have a white wardrobe in our spare bedroom (which I'm secretly turning into my own dressing room and where the dressing table is) and I want it to be a light, girly space. I already owned the mirror, it's from Matalan and I bought it a couple of years ago. The desk style is Belgravia and I got it from Ebay, you can get all sorts of furniture in the same range. I bought it from Ebay quite cheaply as the mirror that came with it was cracked (no problem, already have a mirror) and there were apparently a couple of marks on it...I've yet to notice them. Getting it delivered was a bit of a saga as it was collection only from somewhere miles away so I had to commission a courier/man with a van but we got there in the end. It's huge, really heavy and was fully made up - I felt a bit sorry for the courier that delivered it, me and my boyfriend dragging it up the stairs was bad enough.

I've also recently bought a matching bedside table (below) from Ebay too. I've not pictured the stool as I'm currently using a pine effect plain one from Ikea that doesn't go with it - I can't decide whether to get a bit creative and paint and cover it or whether to just buy the matching stool. I'm swaying towards painting it, but I have been saying that for months now and haven't got round to it yet.

These are my super cute Russian dolls that sit on my bookshelf (a floating shelf in the alcove) in the spare room. My boyfriend got me them for my 25th birthday, I love Russian dolls for some bizarre reason.

This is a closer look at my current perfume collection sat on my dressing, the settings on my camera were a bit off for this one but we've got Beyonce Heat, YSL Elle Limited Edition, Dior Addict Shine, Prada Candy, Britney Spears Believe and various Dior minis that my boyfriend got me last Christmas. He's a good 'un!

This is a random little trinket box that used to belong to my Nana, it's lined in velvet and is pretty small so at the moment I've just got spare buttons in it, I feel like it's being a bit wasted though so I might have to find another use for it as it's so pretty!

This is my jewellery box that I bought from a random little shop in Lytham St Annes when I went there for the day. I can't remember what it was called but there are loads of little shops there selling cute quirky little trinkets that I would love for my room.

And here's a little soft focus pic of my dressing table, all romantic because I love it so much!

All in all, I adore having this dressing table, it really makes the room as well as providing somewhere for all my hair, make up and beauty stuff - in one place. Plus my boyfriend works different hours to me so it's somewhere for me to go and get ready without waking him up.

Friday, 28 October 2011

Paul & Joe Manhattan Collection Nail Enamel - Downtown

Paul & Joe packaging is so pretty - I love the way everything looks vintage (especially the foundation). I originally wanted all three colours in this collection but I found the red (Big Apple) and the blue (City Never Sleeps) kind of boring, and not half as nice on the nail as they looked in the bottle.

Downtown is a frosted pink with really subtle silver glitter through it - it's not a new colour, or particularly innovative - but I quite like it for everyday wear as it lasts pretty well on the nail and isn't too much for work.

On another note, the Paul & Joe Ornamental collection looks very interesting indeed....

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser and Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser

As the weather has definately got more autumnal since September has arrived, I decided to do a pre-emptive strike on the dry skin I usually get (particularly around my nose) in the colder weather. So I've been using Lush's Ultrabland Cleanser. It's a creamy cleanser you massage into your face and then remove with wet cotton wool; I like this as I personally quite like to see the grime and make up being removed effectively.

It definately feels very hydrating and I wouldn't recommend it for use in the morning because it feels like it needs a while to be absorbed by my skin (without feeling greasy like with a facial oil). I would definately recommend it as a make up remover for the end of the day, especially for those with dry, or drier, skin. It doesn't really smell of much so it's relatively inoffensive (except my brain randomly decided it smelled a bit like old noodles but in my defence I was coming down with a cold at the time). Don't do the same thing as I did and remove it with dry cotton wool pads, it made me break out because I obviously wasn't removing the product!

Overall, I do like this but not enough to buy it again...I think I prefer a proper wash off cleanser and a moisturiser rather than what this is.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

I also got this - I suffer from dry cuticles and had been meaning to pick it up for a while. It does feel really nourishing on the nail and I've actually got into the habit of applying it several times a day - which I often don't do with cuticle oils because they're a bit messy and greasy - so I'm pleased about that, a little bit goes a long way. And, it smells great, just the right balance of citrusiness mixed with sweetness without being overpowering.

Now this, I would happily buy again...and I plan to!

Monday, 10 October 2011

River Island Kitch Earring Pack

Just thought I'd show you these cute little earrings I got from ASOS recently - they're vaguely beauty related because of the little lipstick ones which I absolutely love! I even like the plainer earrings (like the pearl and hearts) and wear them for work. My favourites are the lipsticks and the little cupcakes. These were only £10 (-20% student discount) and I've worn them loads already.

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Carmex Moisture Plus (Pink)

So, you can now get Carmex lipbalm in a lipstick tube...excellent. It also has a hint of pink (there are other colours available too) to it...excellent. I really like Carmex when it gets colder as I find it's one of the only things that truly moisturises my lips well when they're chapped and gets them back to normal; however I also really like wearing lipstick and the two don't really go together.

Whilst I wouldn't really say this gives much colour (and definately not like a lipstick would), it's much easier to use, actually looks nicer and fits in your pocket/make up bag more easily than the Carmex pot. It still smells the same, which some people like, some don't. A definite winter staple!

Friday, 30 September 2011

OPI Mini Designer Series (exclusive to ASOS)

As soon as I saw this on ASOS, I knew I'd have to have it - an OPI Designer Series mini set, containing:

Coronation - a silvery platinum crowned with a diamond dazzle

Extravagance - a glittering, glamourous magenta

Classic - an elegant shimmer of gold beige

Reflection - a rich golden ruby

My two favourites are by far Extravagance and Classic, I want them in full size versions now! The other two I can take or leave, I've seen them both done better in other brands. The swatches I've done are three coats of each.

This cost £13 (though I used a 20% discount code) and is available exclusively from ASOS.

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

These look interesting...Nail Rock AW Collection

I've not tried Nail Rock before so can't vouch for them but must admit, I'm finding some of these designs rather tempting (well all of these except the dalmation one really, which I know is a print that's in fashion at the moment but I'm just not that keen!) and the imagery that goes with them is gorgeous!

Sunday, 25 September 2011

Britney Spears Believe Eau De Parfum

I have a confession to make - I quite like Britney Spears' perfumes. And whilst Ms Spears hasn't exactly been setting the charts on fire of late, Fantasy will always have a special place in my heart with its ridiculously sweet aroma and tacky pink bottle. But I don't think this perfume was ever on my radar (which I'm sure is a Britney Spears album track actually) - probably because it doesn't look like its slightly more lurid cousins (Fantasy and Radiance, I'm looking at you) and actually it doesn't smell like them either, it smells much more fresh and light. Overall this is a really nice "everyday" perfume and I think it looks much better than previous Britney perfumes, and much less aimed at teenage people.

This was an unexpected birthday present, and I'm glad I got it!

Thursday, 22 September 2011

Leighton Denny Nail Colour - Supermodel and On The Rocks

I fell in love with a bottle of Supermodel my mam had so she got me one for my birthday - plus she also gave me a bottle of On The Rocks and a Leighton Denny glass nail file which was an amazing bonus.

Supermodel is a really lovely glossy medium grey, great coverage and excellent performance-wise. Just the kind of colour and formula I like. On The Rocks looks quite similar in the bottle but when you look closely and swatch it, it isn't. OTR has a much more brown base and actually has a really fine shimmer running through it. It's not a colour I have much of in my collection and I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I saw it, but I really like it and will definately wear it.

As I'm sure I've said before, I love Leighton Denny polishes so this was a pretty ace present for me. My mam knows me too well - actually, she's even worse for buying beauty products than I am. She uses Creme de la Mer for gods sake!

Monday, 12 September 2011

Tangle Teezer

As I mentioned in my post the other day, my hairdresser used a Tangle Teezer on my hair and I liked it so much I bought one - I seem to have lost my normal hairbrush and I've been using this awful, horrible one that I found in my drawer that I can literally feel pulling my hair out.

I bought this from Boots for about £10 and I'm so pleased I did - it goes through dry or wet hair really easily without pulling or taking much hair out of my head at all. I also like that it's pink, though it does look a little bit like a horsebrush. It's plastic and the bristles are all different lengths so it gets through all your hair (which is a godsend when your hair is quite thick like mine).

I know I'm a little bit late on this as loads of people have already discovered Tangle Teezer but I'd definately recommend this. On a side note, I didn't realise this was a product that was on Dragons Den (a programme I'm addicted to) and didn't get investment - just goes to show that a setback doesn't mean the end! I'm really pleased with this brush and have already raved about it to a few people, despite having reservations about it just being a gimmick when I first heard about it.

Saturday, 10 September 2011

Entity One Colour Couture Gel Enamel "Not Off The Rack"

Since it was my birthday yesterday (25, eek!), I decided to treat myself a bit to a day of pampering and tried out a new nail place and a different hairdresser to the one I tried last time. I moved house about 6 months ago so I'm kind of trialling various salons in the new area to find one I want to stick with!

I ended up getting gel/polish done on my fingers, a deluxe pedicure with paraffin wax plus I got a half head of highlights at the hair place. Firstly, I really liked the hairdressers, which is unusual for me! The stylist was really nice, not pushy at all (i.e. trying to force me to get my hair cut) but obviously knew her stuff and I was pleased with the colour at the end. She also used Bedhead products (which I always love because they smell so nice, I might have to invest) and a Tangle Teezer on my hair, which I now want - the brush I currently use is awful, I can feel it ripping at my hair!

But onto the nail stuff...I got Entity Colour Couture Gel Enamel on my fingers in "Not Off The Rack", a gorgeous bright coral which is slightly more pink than my camera has picked up below. I'm interested to see how it fares over the 2 weeks it's meant to last and how easy it is to remove, especially compared to Shellac.

I also got a deluxe pedicure and had normal polish on my toes - OPI "Louvre Me Louvre Me Not", a gorgeous deep purple which I now really want. If you haven't had a paraffin wax pedicure before, I'd definately recommend it.

All in all I'm pleased with both new salons and in the words of Arnie - I'll be back!

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

Prada Candy 80ml Eau de Parfum

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I have the perfume tastes of a 13 year old girl - I love anything sweet, fruity or citrusy and tend to dislike anything too floral. So, when I heard about Prada Candy I scoured the internet for it, asked my boyfriend for it for my birthday even though it wasn't even out at that point and furiously googled release dates. All without actually ever smelling it.

I picked it up soon after its release for a pretty good price. Firstly, I don't like the box that it comes in, it just looks a bit childlike and cheap to me and if I saw it in a shop I probably wouldn't bother.

The bottle is something else entirely, it's gorgeous and looks expensive - I love the pink mixed with the silver Prada logo, and even like the part that sprays out the perfume (not sure I've ever said that before!), it looks gorgeous on my dressing table (you can see Beyonce Heat and YSL Elle Limited Edition on there too, amongst other things).

Now, for the smell. I'm no perfume buff but apparently it contains white musk, benzoin and caramel, all of which I can smell in this. It is sweet but not overtly so (like Britney Spears Fantasy etc) and definately has a hint of powderiness to it without it being overpowering or too strong. I've heard people compare it to Aquolino Pink Sugar and I'd definately agree with this but I think Prada Candy is nicer and more subtle, as well as being much nicer visually - which I'd expect for the price really.

Word of warning, it does come out of the bottle with some first so don't start spraying it too liberally or you may find yourself a bit doused!

Monday, 5 September 2011

Batiste XXL

is officially now my favourite Batiste/dry shampoo. I like that it's a bigger size than previous cans of Batiste and I love the volumising effect that it gives, I prefer the white Batistes so it ticks a box from me there too. I also don't mind the smell - compared to some of the other Batistes it doesn't actually smell of anything. It's really helped me with updo's as well, as I tend to suit hairstyles with a lot of volume at the crown/roots and this has meant my arm hasn't got quite as stiff as backcombing for ages!

I've also found it really good for disguising my gingery roots after my misdemeanors with John Frieda's lightening spray!

Friday, 2 September 2011

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray

Following on from my Blonde Ambition post last month, I promised a better review on this product after I'd used it a bit more. I've now used it on 5 occassions (you should see results in 3-5 according) so here goes.

The formula contains citrus and chamomile to lighten hair and also includes thermo-protectant. The packaging explains how to use it and recommends that you'll see a difference in 3-5 uses...but then uses picture examples that show the changes in 10 uses. Good one, John Frieda. I bought mine from Boots on a 3 for 2.

My 5 applications were mainly focused on my parting as I had recently had highlights but because I'd left it so long between appointments, you could still see a bit of my original colour so I wanted to lighten it up. My natural colour is dark blonde according to hairdressers (I prefer the term "mousy brown") and I tend to get it lightened up quite a bit to a light blonde.

First application
No real change to the colour at my roots - maybe a slight difference but I couldn't decide if it had changed really.

Second application
This was where I started to worry a smidge. The parts of my natural colour at my roots were looking decidedly warm...as in orangey, which is not the desired result. Never mind, I thought it might still lighten up (pray, pray, pray, hope, hope, hope).

Third application
No change from the second application, even after the fourth and fifth application, my roots where my original colour was were ginger. Argh! And the blonde was no lighter whatsoever. And having my boyfriend say he never knew I was ginger, based on my roots was not the plan.

The Good

Clear instructions for how to do highlights, roots or all over lightening

Fairly cheap and easy to find in Boots

Citrusy scent when applying

Contains thermo-protectant which I feel is a must for the amount of heat this product wants you to add to your hair

The Bad

I didn't like using all this heat on my hair - particularly at the roots. It actually recommends the more heat you use, the better.

My hair felt kind of...crispy after using this which was a bit gross

Apparently my hair smelled weird after using this

Quite a small bottle...

So all in all, this isn't a miracle product. It isn't recommended for any hair that's medium brown or darker (in rememberance of my ill-fated dabbles with Sun-In as a teenager, I wouldn't recommend trying it) and it won't give you platinum locks overnight. But as an emergency touch up for people who already have light/blonde hair or for a very subtle lightening it's probably ok. I don't think I'll be buying this again though, I just didn't like the colour it made my hair at all. I am interested in trying the John Frieda precision foam though.

On a side note, does anyone remember a really similar John Frieda product that was out about10 years ago as part of their Beach Blonde range (they also did a gold shimmer creme and a salt spray)? It was a lightening gel that did the same thing as this product does and even smelled the same? It was a godsend for me in the final years of secondary school but no-one else seems to remember it! I actually would prefer the gel version to the spray I think as I preferred the application.

Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

I've used Ojon products before and been impressed, especially with their restorative treatment so I decided to take the mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner I had on my holidays with me. Sadly, I really didn't like either product.

The packaging is typical Ojon, quite minimalist and natural looking. The shampoo lathered well but I didn't feel it smelled particularly nice (it wasn't awful either, it just smelled a bit boring), the conditioner was bright green which I found a bit offputting and felt really thick so I ended up using loads of it to cover my hair. After use, I found my hair was really really tangled and hard to get a brush through - then when I had dried my hair it felt really quite dry and fuzzy. Any "thickening" effect was due to the fact my hair was frizzy and like a bush! There was definately no "hydrating" effect which I found surprising, my hair really needs a good moisturising shampoo/conditioner and this definately wasn't it.

All in all, I'm glad I didn't splash out on the full size versions of these as I think they'd just be languishing unused in a drawer somewhere. They served a purpose on holiday though and I had no qualms about chucking the remainder at the end of the holiday, which is a nice change!

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

OPI Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Sorry I seem to be having a bit of a nail moment here at the minute, particularly with OPI stuff! I was a bit disappointed with this at the first coat because I thought "oh boring, another layering polish" but a few more coats and the base came through (a little pinker than in these pics) and I love it! I'd describe it as a baby pink glitter polish with larger pieces of holo glitter suspended in it. Gorgeous!

This was actually pretty hardwearing on the nail and lasted about a week without looking too shabby (unless you looked close), and as you would expect it was an absolute nightmare to remove!

Tuesday, 16 August 2011

OPI Nail Apps - Hearts

I'm a massive fan of Minx and overall have preferred it to any other nail coverings I've tried but when I spotted these on ASOS I was really interested! The design reminds me of a set of nails WAH do, and I always fancied getting/trying myself, only this way the design is perfect and much easier.

The plastic backing and instructions that these come with are very Minx inspired. The instructions are that you apply them just with heat from your finger (as Minx have patented the lamp application method and I suppose as these aren't sold as a pro product, not everyone will have a nail lamp knocking around) after trimming to the correct size then file away the excess. This was fairly straightforward, though they felt a bit more plastic than the Minx I've used and it was harder to twist the excess away from the nail.

I didn't want to go too OTT with the design so I just used the nail app on my ring finger and put China Glaze Ruby Pumps on my others. What do you think? I didn't find application as easy as Minx but then again they're not a pro product.

I used a discount code with these so they weren't £13.80 which I feel is quite expensive for something so temporary. Some of the other designs are in the ASOS sale now and are more like £6 which I think is a lot more reasonable. OPI say that these last 1-2 days and it did but I think this would have been less if it had been on my right hand or my thumb.

I quite like the Star, Peacock and Skull design too. Interestingly, Minx have also brought out a heart and a star design, which I personally don't think are as nice. I also noticed that even Primark has jumped on the nail coverings bandwagon now too, I was tempted to pick some up but the queue was so huge I just couldn't be bothered for the sake of spending so little.

Saturday, 13 August 2011

OPI Nice Stems Collection - Mini Pack

After seeing pictures of these minis I decided I would probably like all the colours so I went for it. As you can see, the packaging the minis came in was so cute, I actually felt guilty throwing it away!

L-R: Play the Peonies, I Lily Love You, Come to Poppy, Be a Dahlia Won't You

My favourite in the packaging was I Lily Love You, a light pink sheer polish with a variety of glitter in it. On the nail it would probably be better as a layering glitter polish really due to how sheer it actually was, I think over another pink this would be really nice. Come to Poppy has come up a little more orange in the swatches than it appears in real life, it's definately more of a coral than a true pink though and I think this is what my camera is picking up. I liked Be A Dahlia Won't You but I this is the kind of bright pink colour that I've had a million of in my collection over the years, nothing new - it does have a hint of shimmer to it, which I find OPI do so well. I was surprised that I quite liked Play The Peonies - OPI describe it as a soft pink, I'd say it was a pearlised white with maybe the tiniest hint of pink or lavendar. It actually applied really well for its finish as well with no streaking or dragging.

I think the OPI mini sets are a great way to try different polishes or a whole collection, especially if you like to wear different polishes a lot, it's an affordable way of doing it.

Wednesday, 10 August 2011

No 7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour - Candy Pink

I've not tried that many No 7 cosmetics before (I always spend my £5 vouchers on their eye make up remover) but when I think about it, the stuff I've tried has always impressed me. And this blusher is no exception - it's really soft, lasts well and is a lovely wearable baby pink colour. Just the kind of blush colour I like, not too bright or too natural and nice and matte with no shimmer.

I'd definately recommend this and would buy another No 7 blusher in future. I preferred this to Benefit Bella Bamba which was more than twice the price!

Thursday, 4 August 2011

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - 01 Intense Black

I've not really tried gel eyeliner before so thought I'd pick this up - it comes with the gel and the brush applicator so I thought it would be a good starting point. I'm an eyeliner fiend but I tend to either use a liner brush and black shadow or a liquid liner pen. Sorry for the stock photo by the way, I managed to clag everything up before I remembered to take a photo.

Overall, I didn't really like this. The pros were: it's a really intense black and lasted well throughout the day (though there were a few little "crumbs" that flaked off during the day), plus doing flicks at the end of my lids was quite easy. The cons: the brush really (or maybe my technique), it felt a bit hard/stiff and I found it a bit difficult to do thin lines on my eyelid. My eyelashes are short so I like daytime eyeliner to be quite thin so you can actually see my eyelashes - trying to apply this thinly looked a bit odd and patchy like I'd applied it with a toothpick or something.

I wouldn't repurchase this mainly because I didn't like the brush, I'll continue to use it for nights out but probably with a different brush - I think I do prefer the look of powder or pen liner though. If I did purchase a gel liner in future, I'd purchase that and the brush seperately so I could do a little bit of quality control brush-wise.

Tuesday, 2 August 2011

Models Own 50% off sale...

If Models Own get 50,000 likes on Facebook by 31st August 2011, they're going to have a 50% off sale as well as the chance to win £5,000 worth of prizes along the way!

I love Models Own (especially the nail polishes) at their usual price so 50% off is amazing! If you're not already a Facebook fan of Models Own, make sure you like their page before the end of August. It's for the greater good!

Friday, 29 July 2011

Little bit of a product rave...Revlon Photoready Foundation (and some Revlon polish swatches)

For the time being, I've decided I need a foundation with a bit more coverage than Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (which I love but it just isn't doing enough for me at the minute) and as I'm a little unwilling to spend £20+ when I already have two Chanel foundations and a Clinique foundation just hanging around, I decided to go for Revlon Photoready...I think I actually meant to get Colorstay but ho hum, yet again I've made a foundation error.

I bought Nude which seems to be a good match for my skin and it seems like my foundation error has paid off. It covers enough without looking like I have too much make up on, and I actually feel like I look much more awake with this on which pleases me. I quite like the way it doesn't look too caked on as it's summer. I've read somewhere that this is too shimmery for some people but to be honest I'm not getting that it's shimmery when I wear it. Sometimes after application (I apply it with my fingers), I notice a bit of a shimmer on my hand if I've not washed it off yet. My boyfriend has actually also commented with how much "better my skin looks" - I didn't mention that I'm just wearing different make up!

I get a full days wear out of this which is great, I've not had to do any touchups other than a bit of powder. I have noticed that it can go a bit cakey on any dry skin after wearing it for a few hours but this just means I'm prepping my skin better to stop this. I also quite like the packaging, it's fairly inoffensive and the pump applicator is good, the bottle also isn't ridiculously heavy which is something that sometimes worries me about foundation bottles as I think I might smash them in my bag!

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with this foundation for the price - especially since Boots were doing 3 for 2 and I got two nail polishes too (Passion Fruit and All Fired Up, swatched below) - and I would buy again, it's actually tempted me to try out some other Revlon foundations etc which I've never really bothered with before!

Passion Fruit is meant to be scented but I don't get that from it at all, not like the Revlon Cotton Candy polish I reviewed last year! I actually bought it without realising it was scented, I just liked the colour.

Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Blonde Ambition

As a faux blonde, I'm constantly trying new ways to stop my hair from going brassy or the colour darkening. I've just had my full head of highlights (I'm quite bad at getting this done quite as regularly as I should) so I'm trying to start as I mean to go on - I thought I'd show you what I'm using on my hair at the moment to try and keep it in optimum bombshell condition. I'm also planning on just getting a whole head of blonde rather than highlights next time, so trying to keep it all as light as possible.

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo and Conditioner

For me, the jury's out on whether this does anything much to my already-highlighted hair but it's not making it darker so I'm happy for now. I'll probably try something different once this runs out though, as I don't like the fact that the conditioner is yellow - I spend half my hair life trying to stop brassiness so it seems a bit mad to put something yellow on it as blonde hair can be pretty porous/dry and therefore absorbs other colours quite easily.

Provoke Touch of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo

This was a random Boots find, I was looking for a cheap purple shampoo as I figured it was probably a bit more cost effective than the Wella Toners & Shaders sachets I'd been using. It does its job, is a reasonable price and I might actually look into this range a bit more once I take the plunge and go even more blonde. I've seen good reviews of this and it's so much better than the Lee Stafford one I used which gave my hair a distinct tinge of blue rinse!

John Frieda Beautiful Blonde Ice Cool Platinum UV Shine Protector Spray

Blonde hair doesn't reflect light as well as darker hair so doesn't tend to look as shiny, plus my own hair is quite dry at the ends, so I use this to add a bit of shine and moisture to my hair without weighing it down or making it look darker. It works well, keeps my hair straighter for longer and adds shine - it smells nice and fresh too.

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray

I've only used this once but it's definately made a colour difference to the parts of my hair that aren't highlighted. Expect a more thorough review on this one soon!

In addition I also use an intensive conditioner (usually an Aussie 3 Minute Miracle) at least once a week and either the spray or cream from the Aussie Take The Heat range before blowdrying. If anyone has any blonde-friendly tips I'd love to hear them!

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