These are a few of my favourite things

Oo the end of November brings us closer to Christmas :D And the end of the month brings another favourites post!

♥ 17 Magnetic Polish

When I get it right, this looks really beautiful and I've had so many compliments on it. An NOTD or two (or three) are on their way :)

♥ Queen Cosmetics Eyelash Cream
Well hello thicker, longer lashes!

♥ Urban Decay Super Curling Mascara
Hands down the best mascara I've used in ages! Lengthened, volumised, defined lashes? Check.

♥ Topshop Cream Blush in Neon Rose
I've been reaching for this blush pretty much every day. Love it to give a bright pop of colour!

♥ Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil
A Glossybox hit I have to say! My legs have been a bit dry lately but slathering this on after showering has really pepped them up!

♥ Liz Earle Energising Body Scrub
I received this sample after visiting the Liz Earle store in Leeds back in August and have only just got around to trying it. I LOVE it. The first body scrub I've tried that doesn't leave an odd residue behind. And it smells gorgeous!

~*~

Which products have been your favourites this month?

Review: Ahava Purifying Mud Mask

In my quest for a face mask that I really like and isn't ridiculously messy has brought me to this Purifying Mud Mask from Ahava. I've been using this twice a week for almost a month so I thought it was time to let you in on my thoughts :)

Product

Ahava say: A unique blend of natural Dead Sea mud and minerals, this gentle mask deeply clarifies and purifies your skin. It provides renewed freshness and a smoother complexion. Approved for sensitive skin. Allergy tested. SLS/SLES free. Paraben free. Not tested on animals.

I say: Having really liked the previous Ahava products that I've tried, I wasn't disappointed with this one. It does exactly what it says on the tube quickly and effectively. I'm a bit funny with face products because  sometimes I can find they irritate my skin, but I am pleased to report this mask is lovely and calming and I didn't experience any sensitivity or irritation.

Application

Ahava say: Apply generously avoiding the eye area. Rinse after 2 minutes.

I say: I roughly use the amount of product as shown above and slather it all over my face and neck. I don't think this is strongly scented, it just smells a bit clay like (obviously!) but it's only on your face for two minutes anyway. The mask dries pretty quickly and although you can't really feel your face 'tighten' a lot like with some other masks - you know the ones I mean, smile and your face cracks ;) - if you smile you can feel the tightness but there's no cracking in sight! I think it feels really nice actually haha. Maybe I'm just weird. When it comes to removal, I find warm water and a muslin cloth work well together to leave you with fresh, smooth skin. Overall, a nice product but it was a bit messy to remove. However, I love that this only needs to be on your face for two minutes - perfect if you're in a rush to get ready!

'Scuse the dodgy face shot!

Price: £20.00

Size: 125g

Available from: Ahava

Ratings

Product: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Price: 6/10

Overall: 8/10

Purchase: Nice product, but a bit pricey. One to pop on the Xmas list methinks :)

*PR Sample - read my disclaimer

Saturday Summary

Source

♥ 9 days off work - bliss!

♥ Italian food

♥ Westfield trip with my Leannypops <3

♥ Baking

♥ Birthday cake

♥ Party planning

♥ The work Christmas party!

~*~

Listening to:

One Direction - Up All Night

Watching:

Alan Carr Chatty Man

Buying:

Christmas party outfit

Reading:
Blogs - it's been nice to catch up!

A few to follow:
001. effiesmakeupbox
002. elevatormusik
003. ellie's beauty blog

~*~

How was your week?

Review: John Frieda Precision Foam Colour in Medium Burgundy

Following the incredibly successful launch of the Precision Foam Colour range back in November last year - remember me singing their praises? - John Frieda were inundated with positive responses along with requests for new shades. The colour experts at John Frieda love a challenge, so they subsequently developed six new shades to expand their already fabulous collection.

Recently I had the opportunity to try one of the new shades. I'd been toying with the idea of going red for a while, and as the festive season dawns, I opted to go for 5RV Medium Burgundy. I've used Precision Foam a few times before and have absolutely loved it so I was intrigued to see what Medium Burgundy could do for me. Let's take a look shall we?

The packaging is pretty nifty as it tells you how easy it is to use the product, which shade you are so you can keep a reminder in your purse for that next repurchase, and also tells you which products to use to help maintain your colour.

Product

Kit contents clockwise from top left: Developer, Colourant, Conditioner, Gloves, Instructions, Foamer

John Frieda say: This revolutionary, non-drip foam covers every strand perfectly, so you are assured of shiny, natural-looking results. 

I say: Precision Foam Dye can be used for all over colour or root application. I was using it for the former but the instructions give directions for both types of application which is useful. It does exactly what it says on the box. Application was easy, development was quick, leaving me with a gorgeous, flawless all over colour.

Application

John Frieda say: No need for complicated application tools or help from friends. This unique foam spreads quickly and easily, flawlessly covering the hard-to-reach hair on the back of your head, roots and hairline. Precision Foam Colour allows you to achieve the same salon-precise coverage that you would receive from a professional colourist. Our nourishing, after-colour conditioner seals in colour fot long-lasting tonal richness, while keeping hair soft and silky.

I say: Follow the instructions in the booklet and you really cannot go wrong. If there was a comedic manual about hair dying for dummies, this product would be featured, it's so simple to use! Foolproof I promise! For me, Precision Foam Dye has revolutionised the way I dye my hair. The only thing that took a while was rinsing my hair. My bath looked like a crime scene from an episode of CSI! Other than that, I found this ridiculously easy to use and the fact that this foams means that it really reaches every strand so you don't end up with patchy colour. The ammonia smell that is part and parcel of most hair dyes isn't so bad with this, although more noticeable with this colour than my previous one. Maybe that's the formula. You may have seen me mention on Twitter that I loved the conditioner that comes with Precision Foam Colour. My hair was left silky soft and smooth. And it smells amazing to boot!

Adding the colourant to the developer

This is what the dye looks like when the colourant has been added to the developer. Before you get started with the dying process, a handy tip is to put a water resistant gel like Vaseline around your hairline - don't forget your ears! - so that any dye you get on your skin (trust me, this WILL happen to you) comes off easily :)

After tilting the bottle 5 times your dye should look like this

Add the foamer and you're ready to begin!

A single squeeze of the bottle will produce this amount of foam which is perfect to start with. I know it doesn't look red, but it does go darker the longer it's in the bottle :) Time to apply!

Follow the directions until you end up in this attractive state below. You can just about see the amount of dye I got all over my face. But thanks to Vaseline, it came off with a simple wipe :D I left my dye on for 20-30 minutes which was a bit longer than the instructions say for all-over colour but I wanted to ensure it really covered my dark hair.

The results

My hair was dark brown to start with, the last dye I used was John Frieda Precision Foam in 3N Deep Brown-Black. Medium Burgundy turned my hair this gorgeous shade:

For other shots of my hair, check out my birthday FOTD

And if you still don't believe that it's this easy to achieve gorgeous red hair, check out the John Frieda video below which as you can see is slightly more glamourous than my photos ;)

Price: £9.99 but can usually be found on offer in Boots/Superdrug/Tesco - it's buy one get one free in Superdrug right now!

Available from: Boots, Superdrug, Sainsbury's & Tesco

Ratings

Product: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Price: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

Purchase: Absolutely!


♥

Fancy winning one of the new shades? Pop on over to the John Frieda Facebook page to like them and then enter the Selected By You prize draw where you could win one of 100 boxes of each colour. It ends on Monday, so what are you waiting for?

*PR Sample - read my disclaimer

Birthday FOTD

I'm spoiling you folks this week with an FOTD. A lot of you said a while back that you'd like to see more, so here you go. Don't say I don't listen to you :p

Face

Liz Earle Skin Tint in #1

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in #1 Light

MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC15

Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Promise

NYX Powder Blush in Taupe

Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Kiko Long Lasting Shadow Stick in #18
Illamsqua Medium Pencil in Vow

Urban Decay Super Curling Mascara

Lips

Topshop Pillow Talk Lipstick

Alva Organic Liquid Lipgloss in Pale Violet

♥

I'm really loving the Liz Earle Skin Tint - adding it to my Christmas wish list ;) Have you tried it? Which products are you using on your face at the moment?

Out & About: Westfield Stratford City

On Monday I went down to London town to see my favourite blogger ever, Leanne of Do Not Refreeze fame. We went to Westfield Stratford City to have a pre-birthday lunch and a spot of good old shopping. I thought I'd share with you some snaps I took during the day, and all of the products that I bought.

I was greeted by the Police Box from Doctor Who at the entrance to Westfield. Turns out there was a bit of a Doctor Who meet and greet with three stars of the show and an interview with Jo Whiley. Apparently they're kind of a big deal ;)

Strawberry Dacquiri before lunch at TGI Fridays. That Leanne bird made me ;)

I was pretty excited to pop into Kiko and I picked up some beautiful products!

Long Lasting Shadow Stick in #18 - these are the Kiko equivalent of MAC shadesticks. This colour is BEAUTIFUL. This photo really doesn't do it justice. I couldn't stop looking at my hand after I swatched it in store! If you're ever near Kiko, pick it up! It was a steal at £7.90 :)

Copper Shadow in #132 - a lovely dirty brown copper shade

Blue Shadow in #165 - I picked this up because it looked like a dupe of MAC Deep Truth which I've wanted for ages but couldn't justify buying when I don't wear heavy eye make up very often. At this price I couldn't resist!

Grey Shadow in #176 - Again, this photo really doesn't do this shadow justice. It's not a plain old dark grey. It's so much more. And looks amazing over the shadow stick I picked up!

L-R: 176, 132 and 165

These shadows are incredibly pigmented and are just £5.90!

I also bought a glass nail file (£3.50) and the lovely cashier popped in a couple of samples of their 3D lifting foundation :)

The bag they gave me implied you can shop online but there doesn't seem to be a UK option at the moment. Keep your eyes peeled though because you never know!

Christmas lights :D

A quick trip to Primark resulted in some much needed gloves and hair essentials

Pretty lights :) I felt to festive with the Christmas lights, decorations and Christmas music!

Beauty Base is a discount store that mainly sells fragrance but they do have a fab colour co-ordinated section of nail polish and make up. I picked up a few polishes - rude to say no at just 99p each right?

L-R: Cactus, Tropical Storm, Twilight, Magnetic Force

L-R: Base Coat and Lilac Frost

L-R: A Travalo and Alkaline Blue

As you can see, I didn't go crazy. The one impulse purchase I made was a Travalo perfume thingymajig (official terminology don't you know!) which I found at the till.

According to the bag Beauty Base gave me, you can also shop online with them. Although the website seems to not work. Useful!

I stopped by Boots. I only really intended to pick up an Illusion D'Ombre from Chanel but it was out of stock. Counter staff were rude and unhelpful. Shame as I've never experienced that before in Boots.

I picked up a couple more of the 17 Magnetic nail polishes and as it was 3 for 2, picked up a blush and I also grabbed a new Hand Maid from Soap & Glory

It took me ages to figure out how to get this product to work. It's supposed to come out of the middle of the brush. I didn't realise that until I unscrewed it and got blush everywhere *sigh*

I popped into Superdrug and nothing took my fancy, but when I saw the huge Batiste cans on offer for £2.45 I snapped one up. And I've finally remembered to pick up Lipcote. Have you tried it?

Whilst Leanne was watching the Doctor Who cast interview, I went for a wander and ended up in H&M...

... where I bought this. Because I am a magpie and am attracted to anything sparkly.

I also popped into Topshop and picked up Pillow Talk lipstick after seeing it on the lovely Kaushal's FOTD post

Christmas :) And I spy Leanne! (centre left in the white top)

I had a lovely day and absolutely love the new Westfield. I'm hopefully planning on popping back the Monday after the IMATS weekend in February if anyone fancies a bit of retail therapy :)

Check out this fab melting clock that I got in Menkind! Sitting proudly on the mantelpiece in the lounge :)

♥

Today I turn the grand old age of 23. At some point, I'll be putting my feet up, having a cuppa and a slice of something I made earlier ;)

Congratulations if you got to the end of this epic post! Have a virtual slice of cake and have a fab day :)