My favourite products of 2009 - part I

NAILS

L-R - chester place, jermyn street, victoria

HAIR

L-R: hairspray by tresemme, ojon hair serum, lee stafford day after spray

FACE

L-R: pure facial wash by Garnier, johnson's moisturiser, triple action lotion by Neutrogena... just an additional, when i put pure lemon juice on my face it did me wonders! it really cleared up my skin and evened out my skin tone

there were loads more products that i wanted to include, but the list would have gone on and on, so i stuck to three (four for face) for each category. I'll do a separate post for my make up favourite soon.

what have you loved using this year?

REVIEW: Lee Stafford hair products

i recently purchased two Lee Stafford hair products, and was really excited to try them out as I've heard alot of good things.
the first products i got was the day after spray which is basically supposed to make your hair feel like the way it does the day after you've washed it. to me that means less frizzy and more shiny. I've been using this spray for the past week and even though i think the difference is subtle i really like it. it does de-frizz my hair which is great but not necessarily to the point where it looks like the way it does the day after washing. overall though i do like it and will continue using it.... hell i might even repurchase!

RRP: £4.99 in Boots, but if you buy before the 29th December you can get it for £2.99 with a haircare voucher. i think its definitely worth it for £4.99 and would be happy to pay that much for it.

Rating: ***1/2

the next product i opted for was the shine head spray. it says on the can that it's shiny sexy hair in a can. i disagree... i can't see the difference after I've applied it! however i may not be the best person to pass judgement on this product because i naturally have shiny hair. i have read rave reviews on it so maybe it's more suited for somebody who would like to add shine rather then enhance it. overall, for me it doesn't work to well, but that doesn't mean it won't for you, give it a go.

RRP: £5.49 in boots, but again you can get £2.00 off if you buy before the 29th December with a hair care voucher

Rating: **

a lot of people seem to love the smell of Lee Stafford products, but they remind of the smell of when your on a plane which i don't really like... but it's not at all over powering and i can't smell it much once iv put the product on my hair.

other products that i want to try by Lee Stafford are the sea salt spray, which is supposed to give you beach like waves, and i also want to try the hair detoxing shampoo... has anyone tried either of them?

before i go i just want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone, i hope you get everything you've wished for :)!

Recent Purchases: Laura Geller

i recently purchased a makeup set by Laura Geller, and so i thought i would share it with you. Laura Geller isn't a brand that's well recognised in the UK, so people haven't really heard of it, but personally i love Laura Geller products and have raved about her baked line numerous times in the past. i bought this kit mainly for the Balance and Brighten and the Bronze and Brighten. i used to own the split compact, but i ran out ages ago now. I'm not one to repurchase many products, because I'm always looking to try new things, so by repurchasing these two items it show me how much i actually like them.

both compacts always draw so much attention when I'm out with friends, i must admit they are really pretty to look at.

from L-R: Balance and Bronze, Eye Rimz Shadow Liner, Balance and Brighten

to read a more in depth review, check out one of my previous post here (i like the balance and brighten alot more then i used to, it's grown on me :)

another product received in the kit was a shadow/liner. i haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but i love the blue and can't wait to wear it as a liner. when i do, I'll make sure to post swatches

if your thinking about trying Laura Geller products, i would really recommend her foundation and bronzer from her baked line.

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Nicky Clarke DESIRED Hair Straighteners...GHD Dupe?

I'd been wanting a new pair of hair straighteners and had been telling myself that i'm going to get one for ages, but the only problem was that i just didn't know which ones to go for!

the obvious choice would have been a pair of GHD's and yes i will admit to really wanting a pair, but i just didn't have the £100 odd that they would have cost. so whilst in boots the other day i came across the Nicky Clarke DESIRED hair straighteners which immediately stuck me for three reason, 1. because they had a big yellow sticker one them that said 'proven to perform better than GHDs' or something along those lines. 2. i had seen a couple of YouTube videos reviewing them, all saying that they were just as good if not better than GHD's and finally 3. they were half price, £43.99 down from £87.99.

so after staring at them for a while and wandering around other shops, i decided to go back and pick one up for myself... I'm so glad that i did! i love them. i've tried GHD's before and i do honestly think that these work just as well at a fraction of the price. i also love the fact that the shape of the straightener is rounded, allowing me to create curls as well as straight hair. the gloss finish (which the original GHD lack's) also allows the hair to glide over it easily, which again help when curling hair.

so if your looking to buy a new pair of straighteners i would definitely recommend getting these. i think they would make a great present for someone as well :)

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REVIEW: Clean&Clear Deep Cleansing Warming Scrub

for the past two weeks, i have been using the Clean&Clear deep cleansing warming scrub and would like to share my thoughts.

What the website says:

CLEAN & CLEAR^® Deep Cleansing Warming Scrub instantly warms the skin on contact with water and exfoliates to remove pore-clogging residue. The warming effect opens pores to help the scrub give a really deep down clean. Your skin is left deeply cleansed, feeling soft and smooth all day long

Why should I exfoliate?>>

Exfoliating your skin not only removes dead cells that can clog pores but it also stimulates new cell growth. Exfoliating scrubs can help skin look and feel refreshed and are recommended when treating most skin conditions to achieve a deep-down clean.

What do i think?
when i first started using this product, i was really impressed and really felt that the warming effect helped to clear out my pores. i also noticed that after washing my face with this scrub, my face was left feeling soft and smooth. i was initially surprised by how much the product heats up and it really intrigued my because it's the first warming scrub I've ever used.
the product itself is very very thick making it quiet an effort to squeeze out the tube, okay that may sound like a bit of an over exaggeration but i do notice the pressure i need to put on the tube to get the product out each time.it's very grainy making it an excellent scrub, but it's not so harsh that it hurts like some scrubs can, but rather dissolve a little after being rubbed on the face.

like mentioned above, I've been using the product for over a week now and having initially experienced positive results with it, i have suffered from a recent breakout. i don't usually get many spots, so i was a bit confused when i got a couple appearing around my face in area that I'm not prone to getting spots. now i can't be completely sure that my recent spot out break is due to the warming scrub, but it's the only new product I've used on my face. so i think i might stop using it for a while and see what happens.

just because it hasn't worked perfectly for me, it doesn't mean that you will experience the same results. like i mentioned above, the initial results were great, so on that basic, i would still recommend this product if you wanted to give it a go.

Rating
***

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