Sabi Hair Removal Cream

I've said many a time that hair removal isn't exactly the daintiest of topics to discuss on a beauty blog but lets face it, the majority of us do it and we want to know the product we're using is going to do it well! There are many methods of hair removal, I turn to creams for areas I don't want a thick regrowth and longer lasting results - mainly I use hair removal creams on my arms, an area I personally hate having visible hair on! After a huge US success since their launch in 2010, natural bodycare brand Sabi have finally brought their wonder products over to the UK. Sabi Hair Removal Cream is suitable for both men and women all over the body, its formula is packed with natural ingredients including Aloe Vera, Liquorice and Pomegranate to help soothe the skin and reduce chances of irritation.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Swatches

When Urban Decay launched their Naked eyeshadow palette it became one of their best selling products. This year saw the launch of the Naked 2 Palette - a fresh set of shadows for nude and smokey eyes. Having only just purchased the original Naked palette at the time of the Naked 2 launch I held fire on jumping on the Naked Palette bandwagon for a second time.

I whole heartedly love my Naked Palette, it's the best set of eyeshadows I own and I've always thought nothing could compare to it. When I finally caved and purchased the Naked 2 Palette I realised I was completely wrong and that the only rival to my beloved Naked Palette was its sister product, which I've swatched and reviewed for you today.

milk_shake Conditioning Whipped Cream

When I think of a hair mousse I instantly think of it adding volume to your hair with no further benefit; popular haircare brand milk_shake are changing my view entirely with their Conditioning 'Whipped Cream' with a mousse texture that conditions, softens and adds shine to your hair.

milk_shake products blend fruit and milk into their formulas for an ultra-nourishing, ultra-softening haircare experience, not only do milk_shake retail haircare products but they have a small line of hand and bodycare products too. Conditioning Whipped Cream has an emollient and milk protein enriched formula, what's really special about it is that it contains 'Integrity 41°' - a special ingredient designed to help strengthen the hair.

Aloe Vera Gel - My New Beauty Best Friend

Until I started having laser hair removal treatments this year I hadn't ever explored Aloe Vera Gel, in my kitchen at home we have an Aloe Vera plant for rubbing on minor burns but thats it! 

Aloe Vera gel has a number of soothing and calming properties; most people tend to see it as of similar use to its plant form but it has so many more uses than just for soothing minor burns! Most Aloe Vera Gels are packaged inside easy-squeeze tubes which allow you to control how much product you dispense and use - typically I use half a pea sized amount.

The gel formula of aloe is really cooling, it doesn't tend to leave any residue on your skin and dries in under thirty seconds. I love keeping a tube of aloe vera gel in my bathroom cupboard for a number of beauty ailments, not only if I get a burn does it soothe my skin but it also soothes and reduces the redness of minor shaving burns and cuts as well. It's also really great for calming your skin if you get any sunburn. 

My favourite time to use my Aloe Vera Gel is when I tend to my eyebrows - I apply a thin layer over my brows before plucking to shape my brows and 'prep' the area, after plucking I apply a thin layer again over the area to reduce redness but also to prevent ingrown hairs. I couldn't imagine plucking my brows without applying aloe vera gel before and after now, it making shaping my brows so much easier because it tames all the hairs and it makes plucking far less painful.

Do you have any uses for aloe vera gel? I would love to hear your uses, I'm always looking for may ways to use this already versatile product!

My tube of Aloe Vera Gel is from Sk:n clinics, available in both Boots and Sk:n clinics. You can purchase a selection of Aloe Vera gels in any health food store for a range of prices.

AVON Naturals Daily Hair Refresher 'Raspberry & Hibiscus'

'Naturals' is AVONs floral and fruity range of bathroom and homeware essentials for those on a budget; the Daily Hair Refreshers from this range come in two scents - Cherry Blossom and Raspberry & Hibiscus.
I don't wash my hair every day because I'm trying to encourage it to grow and I also don't always have the time, on the days where I haven't washed my hair regularly I find myself reaching for my Daily Hair Refresher (alongside dry shampoo).

AVON Daily Hair Refreshers are packaged in a lightweight, easy to travel and easy to hold plastic tube with a push-spritz mechanism. I hold the bottle around 30cm away from my head and deliver two or three well dispersed bursts of product through my hair; the formula doesn't leave your hair looking greasy or damp so long as you don't spritz it too closely or too much onto dry hair.

'Raspberry & Hibiscus' has a wonderfully fresh and fruity scent, it's perhaps a fraction artificial but it's delicious all the same. I apply it to my hair in the morning and the scent lasts almost all day. After each use of the Daily Hair Refresher my hair doesn't particularly look refreshed, which is why I use dry shampoo, but it does have a healthy shine and delicious scent!

If you're looking for something to give your hair a fragrant boost alongside your dry shampoo or in-between hair washes I definitely recommend the AVON Daily Hair Refreshers to you - now its to decide between which scent to choose (both are wonderful)!

AVON Naturals Daily Hair Refresher retails for £2.50 in your AVON catalogue or from the AVON online shop.

Batiste 'Graffiti' Dry Shampoo

Top selling dry shampoo brand Batiste have been whipping up new scents thick and fast for the new season; the past few weeks saw the launch of Batiste Red, Batiste Paisley and Batiste Graffiti!

Saying I couldn't live without dry shampoo would perhaps be an overstatement, that said I couldn't leave my house fairly often without a quick session with my dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is that between-wash hair saviour that keeps your tresses looking clean and fresh, covering the secret that you've gone a day without washing your hair.

Batiste Graffiti has a bright and retro-feel easy-hold can with a push-dispense nozzle. I hold the can around 30cm from my hair, shake it vigorously and then disperse bursts of product through my roots, ruffling the roots with my fingers as I go for an even distribution. After leaving the product in my hair for two or three minutes I brush it through with a fine toothed comb or tangle teezer to ease away the formula and reveal beautifully clean hair.

For those unfamiliar with Batiste formulas, across the entire range the formula is a white powdery substance which sprays directly onto your hair and attracts oils and dirt to remove them. Don't be frightened by your hair turning white/grey when you use the product, this is totally normal, simply brush it away. If you find a white haze is being left in your hair after use you may be applying too much product or using a brush with too little or too widely set apart bristles - try using a comb or tangle teezer.

Graffiti has quite a unique scent, it's ideal for those who dislike strong scents as I personally find it very mild. The scent is officially described as having top notes of apple, wild berry, citrus and grape and base notes of coconut, musk, sandalwood and cedar. Batiste really are developing their scents into more levelled scents with various aspects to them, Graffiti is nicely fruity with gentle woody undertones.

Batiste Graffiti retails for £2.99/200ml* exclusively in Boots stores and Boots online.

Flannels vs Muslin Cloths

I love washing my face with a flannel or muslin cloth and warm water, simply using a cotton pad just doesn't give me the same sort of satisfaction (though of course this method is useful in a rush).  Of all the skincare accessories I've used over the years the one accessory that firmly remains in my routine is a flannel for washing my face with. Over the past few years the trusty flannel appears to have come up against a rival - the muslin cloth - which is becoming an increasingly popular choice for complimenting a skincare routine. 

So which is best to use, the muslin cloth or the flannel? 

FLANNEL

Flannels are formed of a thick and usually fluffy flanneling material cut into a large square shape which can be folded neatly. Flannels are easily used by running them under warm water, wringing out the excess and then wiping over your face and neck to simply wash your face or to wipe away any product you may have used. Rinse again after use to remove excess dirt left on the flannel.

The benefits of flannels are that they are readily available, cheap and easy to use. Flannels are not only great for wiping over your face to quickly clean your skin and remove product but they can make for the most wonderful facial when heated under warm water and then laid over your face for a couple of minutes (just make sure it's not scalding hot!). I find flannels really help to deep-cleanse my skin, their heavyweight material thoroughly removes dirt and makeup when teamed with the right cleanser and I find they steam my face a little too. The thick flanneling material means they can remain very wet for a considerable time after use so I recommend changing your flannel as often as possible.

MUSLIN CLOTH

Muslin cloths are made of fine cotton threads woven together and are well known for their exfoliating properties. Muslin cloths come in all shapes and sizes, they're quite delicate to hold and only need a small amount of warm water added to them for use. Muslin cloths are most popularly used alongside Hot Cloth Cleansing, a method where you apply a cleanser to your skin and then gently 'polish' it away in circular motions with the muslin cloth. Muslin cloths are really great for lightly exfoliating your skin, they do a far better job at exfoliation than flannels in my opinion thanks to their flat and slightly rough (yet delightful) surface. A couple of disadvantages to muslin cloths is that they can be expensive and tend to discolour easily - my mum gets around the price-problem by re-using the muslin cloth which wraps christmas puddings - genius! 

My final thoughts on the flannel vs muslin cloth debate is to enjoy a bit of both! I own both flannels and muslin cloths and whip out whichever one I feel is necessary for my needs and the condition of my skin - if I want light exfoliation I reach for my muslin cloth and if I want deep cleansing I reach for my flannel.

Which do you prefer, the trusty flannel or the muslin cloth?

Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe

Self-tanners are the safest way to achieve tanned looking skin, the area I always forget to tan whilst self tanning at home is my face! I tend to shy away from tanning my face for a couple of reasons, I find that self body tanners have a formula too heavy for my skin which causes break outs, that body tanners leave an uneven finish on my skin and cling to dry patches.
Xen Tan have created two Face-Tanners in addition to their huge range of body tanners and tanning accessories - Face Tanner and Face Tanner Luxe. Each Face Tanner compliments products from the Xen Tan range and gives you the option of having a light or deep finish.

Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe is packaged inside a small plastic tube with a squeeze-dispense formula. It has classic Xen-Tan branding and is the perfect size for at-home use and travelling.

Face Tanner Luxe is the deepest colour option the two face tanners on offer, it has a lightweight gel formula which appears slightly green on application but gradually rubs into a golden finish, providing an easy to follow colour guide showing you where you've already applied the formula. I apply it with my fingers or a mitt to my face then wash my hands thoroughly. The tan gradually changes and increases in colour over three to five hours - I tend to apply it at night as although at first it has a delicious vanilla caramel scent this descents into the dreaded DHA tanning scent.
Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe is my choice of face tanner thanks to its speciality formula that makes it safe for use on the face. It feels very smooth on my skin upon application and doesn't cling to dry patches, nor does it increase the oiliness of my skin or cause any breakouts.
The finish is a wonderful olive-toned golden tan which lasts for around four or five days, it doesn't last as long as most of Xen-Tan products because I wash my face at least twice a day every day. Even so, the tan gradually fades and doesn't leave any patchiness or residue on my skin as it fades away. If you want to prolong your sunkissed skin simply apply another thin layer for a couple of hours every four or five days.

Another use I have found for the Xen Tan Face Tanners is to top up the tan on my hands, where I wash my hands at least and more than five times a day I find my hands fade a lot quicker than the rest of the tan on my body. To top them up with a natural looking golden finish to compliment the rest of my tan I apply a small amount of the Face Tanner in a similar fashion as I would to hand cream before I sleep.

Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe retails for £19.99 from Xen Tan online and Xen Tan stockists, get it at a discounted price of £14.50 at gorgeousshop.co.uk.

Sexy Hair 'Darn Straight' Straightening & Polishing Lotion

Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products, each month I'm showcasing one of my favourite products from their website to give you a taste of what's on offer. This month I've been testing the 'Darn Straight' Straightening & Polishing Lotion by haircare brand Sexy Hair, who are possibly most well known for their volumising 'Big Sexy Hair' products.
'Darn Straight' Straightening & Polishing Lotion is a part of the Straight Sexy Hair range, comprised of six products to encourage a straighter and smoother style. 'Darn Straight' contains a vitamin enriched formula (A, C and E, Pro-Vitamin B5) blended with Green Tea, Soy Protein, Wheat Protein to give hair a polished finish with a nourished feel.

Each line of products available from Sexy Hair comes with its own packaging style and theme; the Straight Sexy Hair range has chocolate brown coloured packaging with pink and white branding and lettering. To dispense the formula of Darn Straight push on the push-top cap and squeeze a chickpea sized amount into your palm before rubbing between your hands and smoothing over the lengths of your hair.

'Darn Straight' has a medium thickness lotion formula which doesn't weigh down your hair, I love that the formula is pale pink and smells just like raspberry milkshake (yum!). I apply a chickpea sized amount rubbed between my palms through the lengths of towel-dried hair before blow drying, I'm pleased the formula protects hair from heat damage considering it's designed to be used with heated appliances for best results.
Usually when I blow dry my hair I end up with very frizzy and 'poofy' hair which needs straightening, I can't ever wear my hair naturally because it just looks totally under-done and out of control! By using a paddle brush and blow drying sections of my hair individually I get a much smoother style and 'Darn Straight' really helps my hair on it's way to a straighter finish. Once dry, my hair is at least 60% straighter than it would be without any product and I actually can cope with leaving my hair au naturale. If I do follow up my style with flat iron straighteners I find they glide over my hair really easily and I get a really smooth and straight style. The finished style of my hair is not only straight but feels really lightweight, soft to the touch and wispy, it's gently scented with that delicious raspberry milkshake scent for about a day after use too.

If you're looking for a product to tame frizzy hair during blow drying, compliment your flat irons and give your hair a straighter and smoother finish then Sexy Hair 'Darn Straight' is certainly something to give a go! You won't be able to resist your super straight raspberry milkshake scented hair.

Sexy Hair 'Darn Straight' Straightening & Polishing Lotion retails for £13.63* from Hairtrade.com.

I'm Obsessed With Liz Earle Eye Bright

'Eye Bright' Soothing Eye Lotion is part of the five product Eye Treatment range from botanical expert Liz Earle's skincare line; aiming to help remove light eye makeup whilst waking up and refreshing tired eyes.

Having already posted before about Liz Earle 'Eye Bright' I wondered what to title this second feature of it on my blog...it only appeared fitting to face facts and simply admit the truth - I'm obsessed. I'm onto my fourth bottle of Eye Bright and every time I try a different eye treatment or eye makeup remover I always find myself returning to it. 

Eye Bright is the most soothing and gentle makeup remover I've used, it has a very gentle floral scent and a liquid formula. It's easily dispensed via the twist-top mechanism and poured onto a cotton pad or ball. You needn't use too much, just a few drops, so one bottle should last you at least two months even with regular use.

My reasons for rating Eye Bright so highly and purchasing it repeatedly are endless. When my eyes are feeling tired or achey I soak two cotton pads in the liquid formula and lay them over my eyes; the soothing and cooling formula helps to relieve any tension in my eyes and also reduce any redness or puffiness in under ten minutes. Although Eye Bright only marketed as able to remove 'light makeup' I find one or two cotton pads soaked in the liquid formula are more than enough to remove mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow. It makes removing my makeup relaxing and because it has such a gentle formula I find it doesn't damage or pull away my eyelashes like some makeup removers do.

If you're looking for a treat for tired eyes or want a new eye makeup remover I can more than recommend Liz Earle Eye Bright to you. It's extremely gentle and it actually works.

Liz Earle Eye Bright retails for £10.25 from Liz Earle stores, online and stockists such as John Lewis, which is where I pick up mine.

Next Golden Beauty Palette Swatches

Popular high street fashion store Next not only stock a great range of on trend fashion finds but beauty and fragrance collections for men and women too. Next have launched their very own range of beauty products and this evening I'll be having a sneak preview of what's going to be on offer from Next Beauty for Autumn/Winter 2012. I'll be tweeting and Instagramming direct from the event to keep everyone in the loop but I thought I'd wet your appetite for Next Beauty products with their Golden Beauty Palette today.

Next Beauty Palettes feature four eyeshadows and a lip gloss, packaged inside a slimline cardboard palette with an inclusive double-ended applicator brush. I'm not personally the hugest fan of mini sponge or lip applicator brushes but they're always worth including in palettes so if you really need it on the go without a brush it's there!

Golden Beauty features four eyeshadow pans in 'White Gold', 'Amber', 'Bronze' and 'Aztec' as well as an unnamed deep bronze lip gloss. The formulation of the shadows is similar across the four pans, it feels a little chalky to apply but has very little fallout. The shades last around three or four hours blended together or alone before they need topping up due to fading. The lip gloss formula is very good for a palette, you'll get well over ten uses out of it by simply slicking your finger or the inclusive brush across the pan and applying a thin layer to your lips. The finish of the gloss is glossy and has a well pigmented bronzed candy-apple hue, which is very flattering, it isn't sticky nor tacky but smooth and balmy.

Although I don't personally purchase these mini-palettes for use at home as I prefer my single shadows and glosses they're perfect for on-the-go touch ups, popping in your clutch bag for festive parties or as a stocking filler gift.

Next Golden Beauty Palettes retail for £4* each from Next stores.

'Get Inspired' Wishlist

'Uninspired' sums up how I feel this time of year about beauty, I hate to admit it but it's true. To me this time of year is a transitional phase between summer and winter, meaning my skincare, haircare and cosmetics routines are all over the place as I try to adjust to the irregular weather patterns and new season hues. I love everything about summer beauty - the neon and pastel hues, lightweight formulas and shabby-chic hairstyles - so when summer comes to an end I find myself in a mini beauty 'rut' for a month or so as I adjust to more wintry and autumnal hues, styles and formulation.

To get myself out of this little rut-feeling I like to create 'wishlists' of up and coming or previously released beauty products that I really want to stick my teeth into for the new season, and that's exactly what I'm sharing with you today! Does anyone else ever feel this way sometimes?

Models Own Wonderland Collection - rarely do I yearn for an entire collection of polishes but this set from Models Own takes my fancy entirely. A beautiful combination of snowflake inspired topcoat, glitters and shimmers makes for the most wonderful wintry collection of nail polishes. Each polish retails for around £5 each from Models Own stockists, or get all 5 online in a set for £20.

MAC Japanese Maple Lipstick - I tried this lipstick on recently and loved its spicy caramel hue, it's a Cremesheen formula which I find can be a little sticky at times and doesn't last too long but the colour is beautiful! Get it for £14 in MAC stores and stockists, or online.

MUA 'The Artiste' Collection Palette - I never get the chance to purchase MUA palettes because I never seem to locate a store that stocks them, The Artiste Collection palette has really caught my eye - I'm on the hunt for it in every store! The palette has a mixture of cheek and eye products to experiment and play with, the marble effect shadows look really attractive and blend to beautiful hues too.

Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo - 'Sunday Shampoo' by prestigious haircare experts Bumble and Bumble is created as a once-weekly detox shampoo. This is something I really need in my beauty routine right now to help cleanse away residues and build up from my hair, usually caused by dry shampoo and hairspray. The only thing which makes me hesitant to purchase is the price, at £15.50/250ml this shampoo isn't cheap but if it's a once-weekly product then perhaps it will last me a good while!

Bumble & Bumble Deeep Hair Masque - To compliment The Sunday Shampoo I really want to try out Deeep by Bumble and Bumble. Deeep is a once-weekly protein enriched hair masque to repair, soften and revitalise chemically treated, undernourished or heat-damaged hair. Once again it doesn't come cheap at £9.50/50ml tube but I've heard wonderful things about this masque.

Essie Nail Polish in 'Lights' - Every time I go into John Lewis I pick up this shade and every time I resist purchasing it, mainly because it costs £9.50! This shade is the perfect fluorescent pink shade, it doesn't need a white undercoat to appear almost neon, and of course, it's by my favourite nail polish brand - Essie!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Collection Sugar Scrub, Body Buttercream and Body Wash - Sugar Crush is my favourite scentt from Soap & Glory, it's a wonderful cocktail of brown sugar and sharp citrus bursts of lime and lemon - utterly delicious and awakening. I originally fell in love with the Sugar Crush Body Scrub, I'm totally stoked to hear that Soap & Glory have now launched a Body Wash and are due to launch a Buttercream with the same scent.

What products would you recommend for getting me inspired by beauty?

How To Organise Your Hair Accessories

Recently I realised, having had a good rummage through friends makeup and haircare products, that I am incredibly organised when it comes to beauty. It seems unconsciously I've gotten all my skincare, haircare and cosmetics into organised areas comprised of organisational storage for keeping them in...I'm a self confessed Monica. I like to have my products and accessories organised because, to me, I like to keep them in pristine condition and have them at hand quickly and easily - usually I'm accessing my products in quite a rush!
When talking to other girl friends I find that they tend to adopt a 'bung it all into one bag and rummage through until I find what I need' approach - something which would stress me out greatly! One thing I've noticed a lot of haircare lovers have storage issues with are accessories, which tend to be small, come in large quantities, and easily misplaced.

It may seem a little odd but my favourite method for storing hair accessories is storing them in various culinary storage options; Crisp and Dip dividers and miniature tumblers have proved ideal for storing my hair accessories and keeping them all in one place. These seemingly odd choices of storage help me to keep everything tidily organised and at hand immediately - once I've used something I just replace it where it 'belongs'.

I purchased my Crisp and Dip Butterfly Shaped divider in the BHS Summer Sale for £1 from their plastic picnic range. It's large enough for me to fit even large accessories such as donut buns and crocodile clips and also has enough space for me to safely store my hair bands and other smaller accessories. I choose to keep my bobby pins in a separate miniature glass because these are the one thing I lose the most, having them in one place that's easy to reach for means they are taken and returned from the same place. My glass is from IKEA and came in a six pack for £2.50.

Of course, you can have a shop about and find a plastic divider that suits your needs - I've seen plenty of 'tray' style dividers with four small compartments which quite take my fancy. You'd never tell my Butterfly storage was a simple picnic dip and chip tray...but it does the job marvellously whilst looking very pretty!

What's your method for organising hair accessories? Bung it all in and rummage, organised or perhaps something else?

Liz Earle Botanical Essence No.15 'Heaven Scent'

Liz Earle is probably best known as a skincare and now cosmetics brand but did you know Liz has formulated some special blends of essences too to formulate a capsule perfume collection?
The newest addition to the original Botanical Essence No.1 is 'Heaven Scent', inspired by a myriad of scents and aromas from around the round, with 90% natural and sustainable ingredients.

'Heaven Scent' is packaged inside totally luxurious packaging which has a certain element of finesse. Pull open the packaging to reveal a square shaped bottle with a pull off lid, then push the push-top spritzer two or three times on your wrists and neck to release the beautiful fragrance.
Botanical Essence No.15 has an Oriental scent, it's certainly one for lovers of spicy and warm scents, most ideal for the winter months. The special blend contains a fantastic 15 essences, including: Bergamot, Virginian Cedarwood, Patchouli, Guaiacwood, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Cypriol, Siam Benzoin, Damask Rose, Elemi, Cinammon Leaf, Clove Bud, Pink Pepper, Bourbon Vanilla and Vetiver.

Liz Earle Botanical Essence No.15 'Heaven Scent' retails for £45/50ml* from Liz Earle Stores, Stockists and Liz Earle online.

Dr Ceuticals 'Tummy Tone' Challenge

Dr Ceuticals is a new range of carefully formulated bodycare products to tone, firm and sculpt your body without surgery. 'Tummy Tone' launched in August as a revolutionary new waist-slimming and side-saddle busting bodycare product with a special formulation of Brown Seaweed Extract which is proven to have slimming properties. Clinical trials run with Dr Ceuticals Tummy Tone showed users enjoying an 18% slimmer waistline in just 28 days. This isn't a product to aid weight loss as of course the only method to achieve this other than surgery is healthy diet and exercise, but it can complement your routine to help achieve a slender figure.
I've been challenged to apply Dr Ceuticals Tummy Tone twice a day for 28 days and then once a day there after for three months to put both the product and myself to the challenge of getting a slimmer waistline and more toned physique, without surgery, by Christmas.

'Tummy Tone' is packaged inside a cardboard box with a plastic tube inside, to dispense the product squeeze the easy-squeeze tube into your hands and massage into the tummy, hips and sides of your body in circular motions.

'Tummy Tone' has a clear gel formulation with barely any scent. The gel is a dream to apply, albeit being a little cold to the touch, and I apply it in the morning after showering and then in the evening before going to bed. I notice that it sinks into the skin easily but does leave a very slightly sticky residue which takes another two or three minutes to sink in. Nothing terrible or long lasting, but something to note.

I've taken down my starting hip and waist measurements on the morning of beginning the challenge and will be measuring myself again after 28 days and then after 3 months to see if any difference has been made. I will not be making any changes to my diet or lifestyle (which is fairly active and healthy anyway) as I want to purely test the product and its results; I admit, I'm sceptical, but I'm ready to give something a go in the hope that it works. I'll be updating you all on my progress with the product at 28 days and 3 months, let's hope next time I report about this product it's with a slimmer waist line!

Dr Ceuticals Tummy Tone retails for £19.99* / 150ml from Boots stores and online.

Batiste 'Paisley' Dry Shampoo

Batiste are growing their family of best selling dry shampoos at rapid rates, this past week saw the launch of Batiste Red, Batiste Graffiti and Batiste Paisley. 'Paisley' comes inspired by the Hippy Chic Catwalk trends we've seen lately - described as having a 'light and punchy' fragrance.

Batiste have a classic packaging style, each can is tall in length and features a push-dispense mechanism. Shake the can rapidly and hold about 20cm away from the hair before spritzing quickly. The formula will appear white on your hair, I rub this in and then leave it for about three minutes before brushing it through with a fine toothed comb or Tangle Teezer. If you find the formula leaves a white haze in your hair after use, you may need to use a finer toothed brush or apply less product.

'Paisley' has a deliciously bright and fruity scent, at first you get a burst of apple, raspberry, patchouli and jasmine which has a gentle undertone of musk, vanilla and caramel. Paisley has a scent suitable for almost all, it covers the fruity, floral and spicy tastes - I personally describe it as a fruity fragrance with an edge.
As always, the dry shampoo leaves your hair feeling totally refreshed between washes, it gently removes greasy residues from the hair allowing it to last a little longer before your next wash. I also find it adds a little texture and volume to my hair, which is always welcomed!

Batiste Paisley retails for £2.99* exclusively at Superdrug.

Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Gel

Original Source is a shower gel brand I've used for as long as I can remember, their products come in a range of seriously fruity fragrances created with a blend of real fruit oils and extracts. If you want a shower gel that packs a serious punch in terms of scent then Original Source is right up your street!
Vanilla Milk and Raspberry comes as a soothing alternative to the usually overpowering scents of Original Source shower gels - if you've used the Mint and Tea Tree scented option you will know exactly what I mean!

Each Original Source Shower Gel is packaged inside easy-squeeze plastic packaging with a flip-bottom and squeeze mechanism lid. The packaging is reflective of the product inside, here being reflective of the wonderful raspberries and milky vanilla combination.

Vanilla Milk and Raspberry is my favourite scent offered up by Original Source, it smells exactly like Raspberry Milkshake which is oh so delicious and brings back memories of my childhood favourite milkshake - Crusha!
The formula is silky smooth and creates a wonderful lather, it leaves your skin feeling soft for at least two days after one use. The scent is far gentler than any other Original Source product I've used, of course it is still noticeable and lingers on the skin for around a day after use.

Original Source Shower Gels retail for around £2.20 from a number of supermarket stockists such as Tesco and high street stores such as Boots and Superdrug.

Revolution Organics Freedom Lip Gloss in 'Innocent' Swatches

If you're looking for a product that's natural, organic, cruelty-free, vegan or vegetarian then CuteCosmetics is your number one online stop. CuteCosmetics are proud to introduce Revolution Organics, launching exclusively in the UK with the CuteCosmetics online store!
Revolution Organics create their formulas with a blend of certified organic plant-based ingredients, including herbs, oils, butters and perfume blends. The lip glosses from the huge cosmetics range are free from synthetic or artificial ingredients, chemicals, parabens, mineral oils, petrochemicals and of course are cruelty free. In the Freedom Lip Gloss range are five shades for complimenting your skin tone and personality - Truth, Integrity, Freedom, Vibe and Innocent which is my ultimate favourite of the five.

Each gloss is individually packaged inside a cardboard tube, the packaging of the gloss itself takes on a classic lip gloss tube with a twist off lid to reveal a doe-foot brush applicator. The packaging of these products is simple and actually quite interesting, the cylindrical boxes remind me a little of fireworks and I think it makes them a great stocking filler or gift!

The formula of Revolution Organics Lip Glosses is something I'd say to be one of the nicest lip gloss formulas I've ever used - it's almost like applying a balm rather than a gloss to your lips thanks to a super smooth and non sticky formula. The gloss nourishes my lips throughout wear and lasts a good three or four hours before need for application. What is particularly notable about the formula is that it has no scent, I personally can not stand glosses that have a really strong artificial or minty scent so the neutral formula ticks a huge box for me.
'Innocent' is officially described as a Baby Pink Hue and my gosh, it is so beautiful! As a baby pink shade it does have a very light pigmentation meaning worn alone it is detectable only depending on your natural lip colour; worn over a nude lipstick it is absolutely stunning, it compliments nude hues really well and leaves your lips looking silky smooth.

Revolution Organics Freedom Lipglosses retail for £16* each exclusively at CuteCosmetics.co.uk.

Schwarzkopf Silhouette Color Brilliance Hairspray

Schwarzkopf recently introduced a new range range designed for styling coloured hair without weighing it down or damaging it - consisting of a Hair Spray, Gloss Spray and a Mousse. 'Silhouette' Color Brilliance is suitable for use on coloured hair but also all hair types.
Something I'm regularly searching for is an ideal hairspray, I find it difficult to strike a balance between hold and a natural looking finish, as well as finding something which remains long lasting. Although it may not be the strongest hold of the hairsprays in the industry, Color Brilliance by Schwarzkopf is the hairspray I've been reaching for the most lately.

The Color Brilliance range is packaged inside bright magenta packaging, the hair spray features inside a tall can which is easy to hold and spray from a good distance around the hair by pushing down on the push-dispense mechanism.

Colour Brilliance Hairspray will offer you a moderately strong hold that lasts all day after a quick couple of sprays to a finished style. The hold isn't so strong that your style will hold up against all odds (unless you apply a good few layers) but it's more than enough for everyday, quick or light styling. What really captures me about this hairspray is that it has barely any scent, I find some hairsprays have such a strong scent that for at least an hour after using them I'm coughing and feeling a little ill!

Hairspray is very much, I feel, a personal choice depending upon your needs and wants. My hair, for example, is very flat and dull so I like a hairspray that can hold volume in place but also help to 'seal' the shape of buns and up-dos. I don't particularly require the strongest hold of hair spray, which is why  Schwarzkopf Color Brilliance works so well for me, if you need something extra strong I can't entirely guarantee it will offer enough hold.

Schwarzkopf Color Brilliance Hairspray retails for £4.45* from Feel Unique and other Color Brilliance stockists.

Xen Tan Mousse Intense Medium/Dark

Now that summer is officially over I'm saying goodbye to my natural tan and stocking up on good old self tanners to tan safely over the winter months. One of my favourite tanning brands has always been Xen Tan, and although I find still that their formulas produce that classic DHA tanning scent, they're always the formula that creates the most natural and long lasting tan.
One of my new absolute favourite tanners from the Xen Tan range is the 'Mousse Intense'. The Dark Lotion and Absolute Deluxe Lotion - two of Xen Tan's top sellers - have received a lot of attention and press so I feel Mousse Intense tends to get a little overlooked, it's completely fantastic and in my eyes one of the best tans I've used from Xen Tan, and even over all!

Xen Tan Mousse Intense is packaged inside easy to use and easy to handle packaging. The white tube with brown and gold Xen Tan branding comes inside a luxurious bronze box, making it ideal for personal use but also as a special gift or treat. To dispense the mousse formula simply remove the lid and push down on the pump, I prefer to apply my tan with a mitt as it gives even coverage, so I dispense one or two pumps straight onto my mitt and work from my feet upwards.

I am going to warn you immediately, as I wish I had been, that this tanner will turn your skin green upon immediate application. I'm not particularly talking The Hulk style green but green all the same. Do not fear (I did, at first), this is simply how the tan appears as a guide for the first hour or so to help develop into the most wonderful olive tone.
Mousse Intense has a mousse formula that applies easily over the skin and dries almost immediately, giving you a clear guide for colour. The formula smells really pleasing, quite similar to caramel, I tend to find at around the three or four hour mark it begins to take on a classic DHA scent, but when I shower the formula off the next day I find it barely lingers at all.

If you're looking for an olive toned, natural looking tanner Xen Tan Mousse Intense is most definitely a tan I can recommend. It produces the most beautiful colour, not too dark and not too light - something which can easily be built according to how deep you want the colour - that lasts between eight and ten days depending if you apply moisturiser and exfoliate regularly.

Xen Tan Mousse Intense retails for £23.99* / 118ml from Xen Tan online and Xen Tan stockists.

Storing My Cosmetics - Muji Acrylic Storage

A while ago an episode of The Kardashian's featured their makeup stored inside tall acrylic boxes and the world went crazy for this (already popular) method of storage. Acrylic storage is a strong and durable method for storing your beauty products (and other things, whatever takes your fancy, I use mine for cosmetics) - the clear acrylic allows you to see your products clearly and stores them neatly and safely away from air, bacteria and dust.
MUJI is my favourite store to purchase Acrylic storage from, there's plenty of options for storing your products in a range of sizes and shapes, the acrylic is good quality and super strong.

To store away my regularly used cosmetics neatly while having them at hand I purchased two stackable acrylic drawers from MUJI - one being the Narrow 2 Drawer Box and one being the Narrow 2 Drawer Box with a flip top lid. I stack these on top of one another with the flip-top lid on top for easy access to my key cosmetics.
Each drawer has a general 'theme', foundations and powders, cheeks, lips and eyes, which helps me quickly access whatever I may need without having to search or rummage through a makeup bag or box. I can't fit everything I own into these boxes, so I picked the essentials to pop into them which also encourages me to use up products! The boxes themselves are quite narrow and not as tall as perhaps I'd like, so I place a couple of my larger products on top of the boxes.

Acrylic storage is an easy, compact, relatively cheap and long lasting method for storing your cosmetics. It makes finding my products really accessible and quick whilst displaying and organising them quite nicely.

To see the full selection of MUJI Acrylic storage options, click here.

Carex Strawberry Laces Hand Wash

Popular hygiene and hand wash brand Carex have introduced two limited edition 'family favourite' fragrances to their collection - Chocolate Orange and Strawberry Laces. Hand wash seems a strange thing to post about on a beauty blog, it's something we use everyday without a bother but I simply couldn't not post about this deliciously fun twist on such an everyday product!

Carex 'Strawberry Laces' Hand Wash smells exactly like strawberry lace sweets - if you like strawberry laces you simply have to give it a sniff! It lingers on your hands for a couple of hours, leaving them delicately scented of sweet strawberries.
With added moisturisers and a tough gel to foam formula that kills 99.9% of bacteria you can count on Carex hand washes to take care of your hands whilst cleansing them thoroughly.

Carex Strawberry Laces Hand Wash retails for £1.60/250ml from Tesco online and in stores, where you can get it half price for just 80p right now!