Blondie blondie

Just a very quick post today. I've been very pleased with the results from using the John Frieda Controlled Lightening Spray but my hair needed a little refresh of the highlights and to add a bit of a gloss. I was tempted to get a permanent box colour from Boots but I resisted and picked up the L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss in Light Frosted Blonde number 1013.

The thing that swayed it for me was that it could be used on highlighted hair to refresh dull highlights and wouldn't cover them up. It lasts only 28 washes so was pretty low committment. I'm pleased with how it has turned out, to anyone else my hair doesn't look much different (which is probably a good thing!) but I can see that it's kept the warmth, brought out the highlights, blended my roots and is very shiny. It was under £5.00 from Boots, so I'll definitely be putting this on my list for helping to keep my colour in-between salon visits.

What I will say is that my hair was pretty light before and my roots had been lightened by the John Frieda spray but I think this dye has just helped to refresh my whole hair.

I was also able to pick up some Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Twice a Week Brightening Treatment from Boots for just around £3.00. I am yet to try it but I think I'll do a comparison with this and the other purple / silver shampoos that I have, the John Frieda, Lee Stafford and Aveda Blue Malva and report back.

I'd be interested to hear how you fellow blondies keep your colour looking like new, so do share!

A wee Boots haul

Hi ladies, I hope you're all having nice Bank Holiday weekends, even though the weather leaves little to be desired I know... I just thought I'd share with you a quick haul, as I popped down to Boots this afternoon to get a few bits. If you weren't already aware they have 3 for 2 right across the store at the moment and have a Advantage Card points event going on this weekend, which I'm not sure but may extend until tomorrow, seeing as it's a Bank Holiday.

I got some St Tropez Bronzing Mousse for just over £20.00, as I love the lotion but it can be quite messy to say the least so I thought I'd try the mousse. Then I had been looking for some bubble baths, as generally I take a bath before bed I chose Relaxing and Stress Relief both from Boots own Therapy range and it was two for £1.50. Then I caught sight of some Elle McPherson bits on the end of one of the aisles. I'm unsure as to whether they're phasing her range out because I couldn't see any other items in the main body care aisles. I got the Calming Sugar Scrub and Body Silk Crème, they smell gorgeously of lavender so I thought they'd go well with the bath bubbles. They were about £4.20 each and then in the 3 for 2 with the St Tropez one of them was free!

I'll let you know how I get on with the St Tropez mousse.

May favourites

I've been quite minimal with my make-up this month. Preferring the more natural look and I've been avoiding eye shadow for most of the month, most of my favourites are what I would call "staples" so their pretty boring really but good choices if you're after updating your basics.

Mac Bronzer in Golden. I hit pan on it this month. It's now going down quite dramatically and I'm tempted to buy a backup already to avoid being without it. That's always a good sign that you really love a product!

Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NC20. Long-standing readers will know that I have waxed lyrical about this foundation for some time. I've really fallen back in love with it, and one pump is perfect, the coverage is brilliant without looking cakey and it lasts all day. In case you're wondering it has a Bobbi Brown pump on it because my Mac pump is on my NC15 shade of SFF.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Medium. I used to hate this powder but I started using it again recently and have completely changed my opinion. It doesn't break me out on my forehead like it used to and it doesn't seem to go cakey. I also like to wear this on it's own for those "no makeup" days. Beware it does not photograph well however!

NARS Blusher in Orgasm. I've had this for years, and in fact the container has broken due to brittleness. It's the perfect pink blush, but I'm sure you already know this!

Mac Zoom Lash Mascara. Initially the full size of this was a little bit too wet for my liking (I'd previously tried a sample size) but I really like how it curls, separates and lengthens my lashes and it's a very black mascara so my eyes look nice and defined and I would re-purchase.

Maybelline Pure Cover Mineral Concealer in Nude Beige. I picked this up to tide me over until my next trip to Mac to re-purchase some Select Moisturecover concealer but think I've found a great alternative. Non cakey, great coverage and long-lasting, it dries to a silky satin finish. All you could ask for in a drugstore concealer!

Mac Dazzleglass in Babysparks. The main reason I've been using this this month is to use it up but I have really grown to love it. I like the sparkles especially when it catches the light. Overall I prefer the Cremesheen formula but this is so pretty.

Sorry if the photo is a little off colour, I have no idea what my camera is playing at, I think it could be having a paddy because the weather is pants...!

Have a great bank holiday weekend to all those in the UK!

My current skincare routine

I usually change up my skincare routine quite often, mainly due to boredom and the desperate search for that holy grail skincare product! My skin is normal to combination.  At the moment my routine is as follows:-

Nightime routine:-

Boots Baby Wipes (to remove eye makeup)
Philosophy Purity Cleanser
Clarisonic Mia
Muslin Cloth (to rinse)
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Cotton Pads (used with toner)
Dr Nick Lowe Dark Circles Correcting Cream
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (as a night cream)

Daytime routine:-

Muslin Cloth with warm water
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Cotton Pads (used with toner)
Dr Nick Lowe Dark Circles Correcting Cream
Boots Vitamin E SPF15 Day Cream

Weekly treats:-

Philosophy Microdelivery Peel (just the crystals)
Soap and Glory The Fab Pore
Sudocrem (for any spots or blemishes)

There are a few items that I'm using at the moment that I'm not 100% happy with but I hate hate hate wasting them so I'll be using them up and then will buy something else to try. I rarely repurchase the same skincare item over and over as I do like to try new and exciting things!

What's your current skincare routine?

It's nice to be nice

When I found this picture online I thought it was so cute, and such a good saying to live by. Remember you get what you give when it comes to karma and usually what goes around comes back around. Hope you all have lovely weeks and remember that "it's nice to be nice"!

Garra Rufa fish pedicure...would you?

There's a fish pedicure place just opened up near my work and some of the girls wanted to give it a try this lunchtime. I'm happy using my Ped Egg so I didn't try it...! 

The general consensus was that it tickled like crazy but they were left with baby soft feet. The treatment only lasted 15 minutes, but it seemed like a lot longer. It did make me chuckle when the fish in the other unused tanks kept leaping into the air to try and get into the tanks being used! They were like blood thirsty vampires haha. They don't have teeth though so no need to worry there.

Would you try it?

Recent buys from Boots

I hope that I'm not the only one who manages to spend a horrific amount of money in Boots? Last week I spent £25.00 and then today I spent £40.00! What is wrong with me! On the plus side I'm gaining lots and lots of Advantage Card points, which I'm going to save for Christmas but still...

This isn't everything I've bought lately, I'm sure you don't need to see toothpaste, deodorant or self-tan mitts etc!

Boots have a 3 for 2 offer going on at the moment on their haircare so I picked up Aussie Lusciously Light 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor, Lee Stafford Beach Blondes Shampoo and Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In-Conditioner.

The Nectarine body butter is amazing! I love the smell, it's fruity and long-lasting and it moisturises so well. Plus it's quite a bit cheaper than it's Body Shop counterparts.

Finally, they also have the 3 for 2 offer on makeup so I decided to get some bits from Bourjois. I already own and love the Healthy Mix foundation in shade 51, but since I've been dabbling in fakery (ahem St Tropez!) I was after a slightly darker shade in an affordable foundation so I chose shade 52. I also picked up the Healthy Mix concealer too and this was also in shade 52. I thought their Volumizer mascara looked interesting so I decided to try that as well.

Please tell me I'm not that only one sucked in at Boots?

New Nica bag, thank you very much!

I blame Lydia entirely for this purchase! I picked up this gorgeous Nica bag from TK Maxx today. It was £24.99, which I thought was really good. To top it off I got home and checked online and the Nica website has the exact same bag for the full price of £55.00!

I've always admired Nica bags but this is my first purchase (sorry about the iPhone photo, but I was too excited!) and I can see it will be the first of many.