Why I love my heated rollers (and how they work for me).

DISCLAIMER: As you get further into this post, it appears I am getting further toward being naked. This is not the case. In the pictures that look as though they would be on an altogether different website if I'd angled the camera down a little, I am clad in a lovely warm white towel which is just out of shot. I promise. 

My hair is huge. It's "curly".... It's a giant ginger frizzy disaster. This is my hair right now, currently in the process of air drying:

It's blurry, and I'm not wearing any make up, but you can kinda get the gist! She's big. She's still super damp there and as she gets dryer she gets wider.

I love curly hair, and I love my hair being curly, but I have to use some form of curling tool to make it work for me... I need to tame the beast. My weapon of choice at the moment are Babyliss Thermo Ceramic Heated Rollers.

These are mine:

Whenever I curl my hair, along with heat protection I use this spray by Trevor Sorbie. It makes my hair go crispy before I actually add the heat which may not be great for it, but hey, it works!

The beautiful thing about these rollers is there is a layer of what feels like velvet (but probably isn't) on the outside of them, so you aren't putting the heat directly onto your hair, like you would be with curling tongs or a curling wand. Which leads on to another plus.... No nasty burning smell lingering about on your hair! Top banana!

Tangent: Does anyone else notice the smell really strongly the first shower you take after you've heat styled your hair? Is that just me? It makes me gag a bit.

I like the funny shaped metal clips that you slip over the top of them instead of the full on bulldog stylie clips that also come with them. I don't really follow a setting pattern... At all. I just grab a chunk of hair and roll it up in an appropriate size roller (it comes with three different sizes!) and generally end up looking like this

Looks messy, no? That's the glorious thing about these rollers! You have to brush out the curls at the end (I favour a decent brush out) so knock em up any old shape! I leave them on while I do my make up, moisturise my bod, and have a cup of tea and a couple of hundred biscuits. It says you only need to leave them on for 20 mins or until cool but I like to make the most of it. 

Unroll, unroll, unroll, and you have giant 80's drag queen hair. Like this.

And that's where the beauty of brushing the curls out comes in. Post brushing out, I'm usually left with this:

The difference is subtle but it is definitely there.

And just for good measure, here's what they look like when you add clothes to the mix! 

I look a little bit like a balloon headed dead body without lipstick on.

There we go. I love them. They transform my frizz ball from rad 60's hippie dude, to voluminous hair, actual hair!

Do you use anything different with yours? Or do you favour a different heat styler?

Debenham's Beauty Club Card.

This is not a positive post. This is a "what the noise is this" post.

Does anyone else have a Debenham's Beauty Club Card? I got given one about 4 or 5 years ago, by my mother after she acquired it while selecting some Benefit items I'd suggested for Christmas. Now, I'm not going to pretend otherwise, this card has been in my purse probably since I registered it, back on the same day it was given to me. I haven't used it, I have no points. I registered it 4 or 5 years ago, and haven't looked since.

Earlier on today, I was working my way through boring paperwork and things I had to do (which included requesting a new Waterstone's card, and registering a Holland and Barrett card, and a House of Fraser card) which jogged this card in my memory. Excited there may be some money to be saved that I was delightfully unaware of, I took it out of my purse and tried to log in. I only have two email addresses so that shouldn't have been a problem.

But did it want my email address? Did it bugger! It wanted a username! A username I'd created 4 or 5 bleedin' years ago!

When I couldn't provide a username I got given this message:

Call a number? Speak to an adviser? Answer security questions? For a points card? No, thanks.

I dont use this card enough to benefit from doing that... So I'm not going to, I'm going to file my card neatly in the rubbish bin (don't worry, there is literally not a single penny on there to be spent).

I think the message we all take away from this is that the Boots Advantage Card scheme rules, all other points card schemes drool. 

If you have any that you're impressed with, I'd love for you to recommend them.

Space nails.

I just gave nebula nails a go. I'm really pleased with how they turned out! Not the best but not hideously terrible for a first attempt.

I'm going to see how long they last and then maybe do a tutorial.

It took a fare few varnishes but it was completed so so quickly. It may have even been easier than painting a single colour and getting it all even and to stay on my nails and not all over my cuticles and fingertips!

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara - first impressions.

This is a post that has been lurking about, waiting to be posted since snow day (in the third week of January). So, first impressions will be coupled with current opinion.

I got this mascara in the S&G massive christmas gift thing they did at christmas. Someone must have told santa I like them because I got three. THREE. I'm good for bath stuff until christmas 2013.

This is what the mascara looks like.

I prefer a plastic bristled brush (my ultimate favourite mascara currently stands as Maxfactor False Lash Effect, and has done for the past 6 years or so), or at least a small brush. I didn't have very high hopes when I saw it wasn't plastic, and the brush was giant. Like a hairbrush. For your eyes. Oh my word, remember hair mascara? Such dark days.

I digress.

This is how my stubby little eyelashes look post (some jolly terrible) make-up, pre-mascara application.

And this is after:

 

I've noticed recently that it needs a good couple of coats to look like this, but there's very little clumping so it's not too bothersome, unless your time is limited. I'm a fan of anything that makes me look like I have eyelashes so I can honestly say I was impressed by this, especially as I'm not ordinarily a fan of the type of brush.

Finally here's a full face before and after:

It's a good job I like it seeing as I have another two to get through!

GlossyBox - February edition.

It's a hmm month. I don't hate anything I received. I'm not overly excited by anything but It's all very suited to me, and I shall use it.

So, we have a Miners lipstick, Balance Me Rose Otto Body Cream sample, MeMeMe Beat The Blues highlighter in Oyster Gold, Mica Bella mineral eyeshadow, and Figs & Rouge lip, face, and body balm.

I also got a heart shaped lollipop. I initially thought it was a GlossyBox condom (also V-Day appropriate one thinks) ...it was the stick poking out of the bottom that finally gave it away. It's a lovely touch, but no e was shattered when I opened the box so I'm sad to say I'll be disposing of it.

What did you get in yours? Am I going to be jealous?

Apocalips... ApocaMISS more like.

Do I need to include a picture? Everyone who's not been living under rock (or meteor would maybe be more fitting?) since the start of 2013 knows what Rimmel Apocalips is. Here's a picture anyway.

Now, here comes the disclaimer. I am not a fan of lipgloss. I hate it, in fact. I find it slimy and annoying and it sometimes makes me gag. I was thrown by the title of this; "Lip Lacquer" it says. I thought it would be a dupe of the YSL Vernis a Lévres (or is it Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Lévres? Effort!) Sadly, that it really was not.

I wore Apocalips to work today. I'd entirely wiped it off by lunchtime. I'm going to relive my first impressions for you.

Hand swatches. First Impressions: WOAH look at that incredible colour and how heavily pigmented it is!

With flash.

Without flash.

 And now what is looks like on. It's really messy in the pictures because I found it really messy to apply. It all makes sense. 

 

The picture on the top illustrates perfectly why I don't like gloss. See on the right side on my mouth, as I'm opening it you can see the lip gloss is sticking to itself and you can see it parting! EW. Eeeew. 

I waited for it to set. And waited. And waited. It dried slightly... and dried my lips out to boot! 

The worst part about it for me is the staying put power. I don't remember the last time I woke up and thought to myself "today is definitely a smudgy lipstick day". I like my lipstick to stay on my lips and go nowhere else. Which meant I was ultimately disappointed when this happened:

Thirsty Moz, taking a sip of tea.

Perhaps even worse than that (I've just remembered) is that it smells like old people. Yeah that's right. It's like someone bottled Nanna. 

So to conclude:

Did anyone else dislike it? 

Is this the ultimate MLBB lipstick? I think it might just be.

OH GLORY. I feel my search has come to an end. Every girl has an obsession that borders on sickness. (One of) mine was hunting down the perfect "My Lips But Better" lip shade.

I wanted a lipSTICK. Not gloss. Not balm. Not butter. Not stain. Not even balmstain would do. I wanted a reliable lipstick that I knew I could always fall back on. My security-stick if you will.

...Take a seat. I don't think you're ready for just how perfect this is.

Now, I hate visiting the Mac counter. And the Mac shop for that matter. But this was so worth it! I love a matte lip colour and as much as I don't rate Mac cosmetics I do think they do Matte Lipsticks better than any other. The shade is Mehr... I don't really know how to pronounce it so I've been referring to it IRL as "MRRRGH". They'll know what you mean.

So how does it look on? Well the lighting isn't great but...

I literally couldn't love it any more. It's not possible. My heart has been replaced by this lipstick.


Do you have a favourite MLBB shade or do you favour a brighter lip?

MWAH! x

January All Gone's (vol II)

I did a mini empties post on snow day... Of stuff I used up that day.

Other than that, January has been a lucrative month for using up products. I don't know why but I get a sense of satisfaction of using something up and then throwing it away. I feel fulfilled by the emptiness (of the product). Is that normal?

These are the victims this month:

 A nice little mixture.

Make Up:

Both manky, both been on the go for a lawng, lawng time.

I don't really know where perfume fits so it's going in with make-up.

Face Stuff:  

I am distraught about finishing Dermalogica microfoliant - My budget isn't allowing me to repurchase just yet. I had a different microfoliant in a Glossy Box to keep me going for a bit... Stay tuned!

I am in no way distraught about finishing the Clarisonic face wash. What noise is a face wash that isn't creamy and/or doesn't foam? Really? What enjoyment am I supposed to get out of that? It didn't even make me feel clean! 

Hair Stuff:

I used the Vitapointe leave in conditioner as an overnight leave in treatment. It was nice. Glad to be done with it though, it smells like old people.

Toni&Guy hairspray on the other hand, smells amazing as you would expect.

With the Studio Hot Straight, I've used it since school whenever I straighten my hair. I can't remember what it's like to straighten my hair without using it so I'm not repurchasing it just yet in order to re-educate myself.

That Tresemmé hairspray? Yeah super crispy results with that. Funny story actually. Me and my brother had to take down a monster wasp (we measured it after, it's face was the size of a 5p) and this was one of the weapons we used. It was my brothers but I laid claim to it post-wasp.

Body Stuff, Wet:

All pretty self explanatory. Body wash, body wash, bath foam, body scrub. If you like the smell of grapefruit get involved with the Anatomicals don't just clean it woman, scrub it. MMMF. Everything pretty much did it's job. Nothing is my new favourite, nothing made me angry. Happy days.

Body Stuff, Dry:

Just a whole load of body lotions. I dislike the Nivea Creme, so my trick for using up moisturisers I don't like is to use them with moisturising socks on my tootsies.

Special mention to the products I haven't finished but I'm throwing away anyway:

The Amplified Manic Panic toner is going because I have no use for it anymore. I used to use it when I had a chunk of blonde at the front of my hair (see below) and it was wonderful for dulling any orangey tones, but I've stopped bleaching it in order to keep it in as good condition as possible. I've bought some blonde extensions to clip in when I fancy it instead. 

Example of "the blonde bit". I miss it.

The L'orial Nude Magique BB Cream is going because quite frankly it's utter tosh. Here's a cheeky peek at the application:

It comes out pale, almost grey. When you rub it in it goes.... Orange. Literally orange. This is the one for fair skin as well! What the what. Am I using it wrong? Does it work for anyone else?

Any recommendations based on this months empties?