CURRENT MAKEUP STAPLES

The posts have been lacking a little on ALO recently, especially the beauty ones and I feel it’s because I haven’t been trying anything new recently. After years of trying new products over and over again I’ve gotten a little bored of it. I’m quite enjoying using products I know and love on a daily basis, some do change daily but there are six which I have been sticking to religiously.

Sisley So Intense Eyeliner– This eyeliner is stupidly expensive but it’s the best and I really think I am going to be repurchasing it soon, it’s that good. I love the tip and find it really easy to use but what makes it stand out is just how black it has remained. I’ve been using it for a surprisingly long time and it’s still blacker than some liners are a week after buying them.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer– I’m not sure this is the best eyeshadow primer ever but I have been reaching for it over all my other ones. It keeps my eyeshadow in place and really helps with the vibrancy of the shadow, I’ve had it for a while and its lasted really well too.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow– Another stupidly expensive product which I have been using daily. The contour is a perfect natural shade which can be built up whereas the highlight adds a nice glow without going overboard.

Benefit Speed Brow- This is one of those products that people don’t really get why I love it do much. Most people love Benefit Gimme Brow as it does more than Speed Brow but since my brows are already quite dark and defined I just need something that will keep them in place but still look natural.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer– I wasn’t expecting there to be two Benefit products in this post but I have been using Benefit Hoola Bronzer for years and it has a special place in my everyday makeup drawer. It’s a really beautiful, natural looking bronzer which I sometime even use to add shape to my face or to add depth to my crease.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Powder- Not the best powder even but it’s always in my handbag, it’s affordable so I’m not too precious with it, it has a great mirror and get the job done.

What are your go-to makeup staples?

Do Hairfinity Pills Really Work?

I tried them for one month.

There are a lot of claims on how to grow your hair out fast: massaging your head upside down with warmed-up coconut oil, incorporating more fatty acids in your diet, and even taking prenatal vitamins which are rich in folic acid. When it comes down to it though, I’m inclined to agree you are what you eat. With that being said, eating healthy is a known way for better skin, nails, and hair – and well.. an all-around better you! This is where Hairfinity claims to help out.

At first I was curious – with over 3.8 million likes on their Facebook page and a celebrity endorsement from Kim Kardashian it’s clear there’s a ton of buzz over these $25-per-month hair supplements. So, great product or great marketing campaign?

On their website they explain, “[the supplement] fills in the gaps left by your regular diet to provide your body with the nutrition it needs to grow healthy hair. Each ingredient in Hairfinity Healthy Hair Vitamins was specifically chosen for the special role it plays in helping create the ideal environment for healthy hair to thrive.” These ingredients namely being vitamins A, C, and D, Calcium, Riboflavin, and of course Folic Acid and Biotin – the two major supplements which are prescribed in the beauty world.

After chopping my hair at the beginning of 2015 and keeping it styled in a long-bob throughout the year I was ready to get my long strands back. Fast forward one month, I’ve been taking the recommended 2 pills per day. So – do they work?

I figured my hair looked longer but didn’t want to be influenced by a placebo effect. With an exact 38 days between hair appointments (don’t judge, red fades quick) I asked my hairdresser to take a look and be the judge of how much my hair had grown over the month before telling her I had been trying the supplement.

One inch! From the look of my roots she was surprised how rapidly my hair had grown out since my visit 5 weeks earlier.

So, in comparison to the usual growth rate of a quarter to a half inch per month that hair generally grows at, it’s obvious that these supplements had made a difference for me.

In addition, I noticed my nails had grown crazy fast as well. Naturally, I have brittle nails which never seem to grow much further past my tips without splitting or chipping. While I did have gel nails on over the month of December (and embarrassingly didn’t have them filled in) I could see the growth rate was much quicker than usual. Also, once I took the nails off I noticed the strength and condition of them had greatly improved.

So, is Hairfinity the wonder pill that everyone should take? Yes and no. I had success with the supplement with zero side effects. Clear skin, longer hair, and stronger nails – I’ll admit that it seems I have reaped all the benefits promoted by this product. On the other hand, I remain skeptical of the supplement industry for two reasons. First, they’re expensive. And second, I watched a documentary on how you pretty much pee out all of the supplements you take.

I’m not (nor am I at all claiming to be) a medical expert so please take this review from one beauty writer (Guinea pig) to another. Patience is a virtue and eating a well-rounded diet including fish and leafy greens should put you on the right track towards healthier hair. If you’re looking for a boost healthier looking hair they’re worth a go but please remember to consult a professional and always listen to your body if they’re not working for you. And, if all else fails I would point you to getting extensions – the same price as a three month supply and surely what Kim K. is wearing in her photo anyways.

Thoughts, questions, concerns? I’d love to hear them.

FIVE TO TRY

I’ll admit that I think this is a little bit gimmicky, I don’t know if you really need a body scrub designed especially for post gym but I have been using this one for a few weeks and have been loving it. This is the first body warming body scrub I have ever used and the shower-activated Volcanic Ash which warms on contact with water is suppose to help ease muscle tension as well as purify. I’m not too sure if it really does that but it’s a beautifully gentle scrub which I find to be super luxurious and relaxing because of the warming sensation. It’s a little more than I usually spend on a scrub but it’s the perfect pamper product and I really look forward to using it.

Goldwell Kerasilk Repower Volume Blow Dry Spray
I have been loving salon designed hair products recently and my most recent discovery is the Goldwell Kerasilk Repower range. My favourite product is this Volume Blow Dry spray as it has heat protection but also adds volume to my hair without being sticky and difficult to work in.

SinfulColors X Kylie Jenner
If you’re a Kylie Jenner fan and want to buy something from her beauty empire but don’t fancy paying the custom charges for a lip kit than you’ll be happy hear that her collaboration with SinfulColors is available for just £3 from Superdrug. I went for the colour Miss Chief which is a dusty lavender/pink shade with tiny specs of silver shimmer which is luckily barely noticeable on the nail and is just a typical me colour.

Jo Malone London Carrot Blossom & Fennel
This might be a big statement but I think this might be my favourite Jo Malone scent ever and it’s really really grown on my since the first time I tried it. It’s light and summery with (as you’d imagine) hints of carrot and fennel as well as apricot and white musk. It’s a great travel friendly size which I think might make it my summer holiday scent.

Soft & Gentle 2 in 1 Shower and Shave mousse
Not the most glamorous product but essential and it’s been living in my shower for the last couple of weeks. It’s designed for intimate skin and pH balanced but have been using it even to shave my legs and found it to work really well without irritating my skin. If you ever have issues with irritation shaving the bikini line (although it’s probably worth switching to waxing if you do) then this is a great product to try as it’s the only shaving cream I’ve seen designed with this area in mind.

Life is Rosy – DIY flower hair accessories

Whether you’re looking to add a fun and feminine flare to your hairdo or are gearing up for festival season, adding flowers in your hair is a classic and easy way to pull your look together. Major bonus – just by using a few supplies from the craft store, bobby pins, and a hot glue gun, you can achieve this look for under $5!

What you’ll need

• Fake flowers (I found these at Walmart for $1 per bunch!)
• Craft pearls (again, only a couple of dollars at the craft store)
• Bobby pins
• Hot glue gun and sticks

How to

• Pick off the flowers from their stems. With most artificial flowers they’ll pop off, but if not trim them so that you have about 1cm of stem left to work with.
• Add a small amount of hot glue to the inner crux of the bending end of the bobby pin.
• Open the bobby pin at the other end allowing room to slide the flower through.
• Push the flower stem to the end into the hot glue.
• Hold for a few seconds to assure it stays in place as it cools.
• As you can see in the picture the flowers are angled to the side of the bobby pin. This ensures they stay put (with the help of the glue) and can easily be added as finishing touches to your style!
• The same can be done for pearls – just add a touch of hot glue to the very end instead of inside. And voila! So quick, easy, and affordable!

Be creative

This DIY is definintely not restricted to flowers and pearls only. Jazz up bobby pins using whatever you can think of to make the look your own! You can wear these in a ton of different styles – tucking them into the base of your pony, in some-up-some-down, and of course in a flower crown.

SWITCHING BACK TO AT-HOME MANIS

I have a bit of a gel polish addiction, I love long nails and although I am blessed with strong nails, I find that gel polish offers a little bit extra support and strength, helping me achieve natural, long nails. Not only that but gel nail polish lasts really well and who has time to paint their nails everyday?

However earlier this year I decided that I was going to invest money into my fitness and therefore I had to give something else up that was taking up a little bit of money on a monthly basis, gel polish manicures. Although gel manicure’s aren’t super expensive as a bit of a treat, getting them done every other week can add up and therefore I had to start looking for another alternative.

I recently discovered Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes which have made the switch back to at-home manicures far easier as I am able to get a long lasting, shiny manicure at home.

The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel has a patented and exclusive gel colour system, which offers natural light curing. You don’t need a base coat, which makes the whole process easier, but you do have to use the top coat. The top coat is probably my favourite thing about the Miracle Gel polishes, as once applied the volume of the manicure doubles which I find really helps keep the nail thick and strong (I have been lifting weights in the gym and haven’t even broken a nail!). It also lasts up to 2 weeks, which is ideal, as I love keeping my nails as low maintenance as possible.

There are 45 shades to chose from which is actually probably more than I have in salon which is great, there’s even a variety of finishes from crèmes to chrome. I personally really love the crème finishes and they have some perfect shades for spring and summer (although their autumn/winter colours are fab too!). My two favourites are Smartease and Sugar Fix, both pastels and really pretty. Smartease, which is my number one pick, is the perfect everyday colour for me- it goes with everything, looks polished but isn’t too in your face. When I am looking for a bit of a change and a slightly more fun colour I love Sugar Fix, an almost pastel blue that is great for brightening up both my day and my mood.Although both shades are light they applied opaque in just two coats, which is quite an achievement, especially for the pastel pink!

The other great thing about these polishes is how easy the removal is, which just regular nail polish remover and cotton wool. There is no need to buy acetone and soak them off for 15 minutes, which I love as it makes changing the colour a far easier process, and I also find it to be a little kinder on my nails.

The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel is also a great option for the toes, I actually don’t really like wearing gel polish on my toes as I find it a little unnecessary but as these last and wear so beautifully I do prefer them to regular polish on the toes.

Although a little more expensive than most drugstore polishes at £9.99 I still think they’re really worth a slight investment as they are a much cheaper alternative to in-salon gel manicures, which achieve similar results. I’ve spotted some super summery yellows and oranges in the range that I think I’ll be adding to my summer nail polish wardrobe!