BEAUTY | BD TRADE SECRET PRIMER AND FOUNDATION REVIEW

I've never been one for supermarket make up, except for when I was 16 and a 'punk' and Mary Kate and Ashley released a great range of glitter eye-liners. I've heard good things about Tesco's beauty offering 'BD Secrets' and thought I'd try out their primer and mattifying foundation. I'll be honest I was pleasantly surprised!

Bd Trade Secrets Luminescence Silk Primer, £9.99
I'm used to using either the Smashbox or Bare Mineral primers, both are a gel type texture, which can leave my skin quite oily and takes a while to soak into my skin. The BD Trade Secrets primer is not like this at all, it has a much more fluid texture, which means that it is easier to apply and soaks in a lot faster so I can move on to the foundation stage more quickly.

I have tried the primer with a Rimmel Foundation (to be objective) and found that the foundation applied smoothly and evenly. As well as prolonged the stay power of my foundation compared to when I hadn't used primer.

At first I thought £9.99 was a lot for a primer from Tesco, but considering the size of the bottle and how little you will need to use you actually get a fair bit of bang for your buck.

Bd Trade Secrets Mattifying Base Oil Free Foundation, £8.99
When it comes to foundation I usually shy away from matte, preferring a more luminescent glow, however I wanted a bit of a change for my day to day look. I find as a whole matte foundation can be a bit two dimension and not great on some skin types and applying them can be tricky. Despite that I like the way the matte foundation looked, especially once I'd completed the look.

This foundation is again more fluid than I am used to, but I found that while applying it this meant that I didn't get the brush stroke marks that I sometimes get with others. You  don't need much foundation, literally one pump gave good coverage, any more and I found that I started looking a bit jaundice.

I think £8.99 is a reasonable price for the product,  it definitely is on par with the usual brands like Rimmel and No. 7.

Have you had any beauty product surprises?

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LIFESTYLE | MAIZY KITTY LITTER REVIEW

It's no secret that I love my cats, and I'm a husband away from being a crazy cat lady. As any cat owner knows, as much as you love your feline companions, they can be a bit naughty / annoying/stubborn sometimes.

I was asked to review some Maizy Cat Litter*, as the name suggests it is made of 100% puffed corn kernels making it completely natural. On top of that it is compost-able, flushable and biodegradable. It is also unltra absorbent,omits minimal odour and free from additives or perfumes.


Before I talk about the product I feel I need to add some context. Sega, our first kitty, was bought by me from a colleague at a temp job 5ish years ago. When I got her we were told she was nine weeks old. We heavily suspect that that is not true. She has shown several signs that she was taken away from her mother too early. When we first got her she repeatedly attempted to suckle on Joes nipples, since then she has demonstrated that she was never taught to sharpen her claws and has toilet issues.

When I say she has toilet issues oddly, when she does to the loo outiside she digs a hole like a normal cat, Instead of doing her buisness in said hole, she rest her paws in it goes to the loo and covers the hole. She's kinda missed the point.

She also wees on the floor almost daily and flat out refuses to use the litter tray. Usually it occurs at night when we close the flap, but she also does it if it is raining because she doesn't want to go outside. We have a litter tray, Tobias only uses it if he is ill, otherwise, like most normal cats he goes outside. The tray is emptied regularly despite no one using it, we have tried all types of kitty litter/newspapers, got new trays, moved it about the flat and nothing ever made a difference.

So imagine the epic surprise I had when the Maizy Cat Litter arrived and Sega (who is usually scared of things like opening packets) gets all inquisitive about the bag. She usually only gets like this when I am cooking! Then again she loves popcorn, goes crazy for it so maybe it was the smell that attracted her.

But then when I changed the litter over in the tray she immediately walked over to it got in and went to the loo! Queue the Hallelujah Chorus. She has been using it sporadically in the last month and so far I have noticed no unpleasant urine smells.

Oddly *touches wood* in the three weeks since we got back from the cattery she hasn't had an accident once!

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BEAUTY | Hugo Boss Boss Orange Fragrance Womens Review

I'm not sure if this is weird, or odd, but Hubs and I often end up with ‘His and Her’ fragrances. It all started when my mum bought us the His and Her Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances as a gift, we then went on to the Paco Rabanne Millionaire range and more recently Boss Orange.

While Hubs has been a Hugo Boss wearer for many years, I've always seen the brands fragrances as very masculine. Last year he got me the Boss Orange Sunset perfume, which I love and found to be a great summer fragrance, but I had never worn or tried the standard Boss Orange Womens EDT.

Reading about the fragrance, it has Vanilla and olive tree Base notes. This really surprises me because usually I think that Vanilla is too sweet for a fragrance, but in the case of Boss Orange this is not true. The Vanilla is in no way over powering and it is complimented beautifully by White flowers and Sandalwood. The initial scent that I notice is the apple which is delightfully fresh.

It also says that the fragrance “captures today's urban, natural and modern woman” which explains why I feel just as confident wearing this perfume when I'm out with my friends, as I do in meetings with clients. I find that when I wear Boss Orange I get great compliments throughout the day, making it easy to wear – this may sound odd to say, but scent can be a really individual thing. A great example is Angel by Thierry Mugler – I love it and know loads of people that do, but Hubs isn't too keen and my Dad, who is usually oblivious to smells, hates it.

When it comes to Boss Orange for Men, it is definitely one of my favourite scents on Hubs, along with Chanel Bleu. I love catching a surprise whiff of it when he gives me a hug after work, or while I'm cooking. If you want to see what Hubs thinks of it he’s written his own fragrance review.

What do you look for in a fragrance? Please give me some recommendations!

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TRAVEL | La Alcaría de Ramos Restaurant, Estepona

We have been going to the family villa for about 15 years, ever since my granddad first moved in to his house. Now I'm not sure that La Alcaría de Ramos has been there the whole time, but I know it's been open at least seven/eight years. But, even though the restaurant is just 5 minutes up the road I didn't know it was there and had obviously never eaten there before.

We discovered it while we were staying at Casa Katanga for our wedding. A lot of our friends and family were staying the hotel next door and rather than eat at the hotel, they decided to go to La Alcaría de Ramos, as it is the only restaurant close by, otherwise you have to walk down the road to more bars and restaurants.

Every guest who went there said the food was amazing and that it was reasonably priced. The only downside being that they were often fully booked, so last year Hubs and I missed out. But we didn't forget and were very eager to go there.

The night my sisters were arriving Hubs and I decided to go for a little romantic dinner, while my parents relaxed in the villa. We didn't ring and book in advance, because we thought that as it was late September and the hotel was practically empty as it was end of the season that it wouldn't be busy.

We were wrong, but luckily there were three tables left, and the last two were gone shortly after we sat down. We immediately noticed a lot of the patrons were Spanish, which always a good sign, especially in areas of the Costa Del Sol that are loved by tourists.

When we sat down we were immediately given a complimentary glass of wine and bread rolls (a lot of the restaurants in Marbella will bring over bread but then charge you for it - often only a euro, but that's not the point).

Once we had ordered, they also brought us over a complimentary shot glass of their Gazpacho (a cold and refreshing tomato soup) and a cracker with melted cheese on it. For starter Hubs got the Iberico Ham and Melon, it was wise of him to start light. The melon was fresh and tasted wonderful, like all fruit and veg in Spain, it just tasted so much better than in the UK. The Jamon Iberico was great too, obviously as it is a Spanish cured me, Hubs was in the best place to try it.

I, on the other hand ordered their Homemade Pâté, which was lovely and tasted justly like my grandmas stuffing. It was plated up with a lovely cranberry coulis, which complimented the meaty flavour perfectly. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a few pieces of bread or toast, rather than the basket of assorted bread sticks.

For main Hubs and I both went for the Fillet Steak - I went medium-rare, while he went medium. I love steak, and for me the steak that always sticks out in my mind was one I had in Mexico over ten years ago. I never expect a steak to even come close, but this one was divine. It was cooked perfectly, practically melting in my mouth and it was swell seasoned - nothing too complicated so you could really taste the flavour of the meat. Also the potato served with it was delicious, slightly roasted on the outside, but fluffy and smooth as mash on the inside. 

Now quite full we decided to take the plunge and get dessert. Hubs looks sweet, but does not really have a sweet tooth, also he has a weakness for cheese (or maybe that's me!), so he ordered the cheese board, which actually defeated him. They were very generous with the portion, he had blue cheese, goats cheese, Brie and manchego. I on the other hand went for the sorbet - they had a great selection of cakes, pies and ice creams, but they all felt too heavy. The sorbet came in Lemon, Raspberry and Mango, all were very refreshing and the lemon was particularly tarte which I love.

When we asked for the bill they then gave us a complimentary lemon cake and a chocolate cup with a mint mousse as well as drink on the house.

 I was definitely not disappointed with our experience here, it really has lived up to our expectation and the hype created not only by our wedding guests, but also Tripadvisor. If you are ever in Estepona, Marbella or the surrounding areas I would say that a trip to La Alcaría de Ramos is a must.

Where is the best place you have eaten abroad?

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TRAVEL| Marbella Hard Rock Cafe with Key Banus

Top / C/O New Look  Trousers/ C/OSimplyBe Shoes/ C/O Duo Boots Necklace/Old Charm bracelet/ Jeremy Hoye

I've been going to the Marbella area, ever since I was about 2 or 3. My granddad had a flat in Puerto Banus, and after living in L.A. for many years he finally settled near Marbella about 17 years ago. Ever since then I have been there almost annually, and Hubs and I even got married there, in the family villa last year.

Marbella or more specifically Puerto Banus, is known to be a millionaires playground, with the massive private yachts and designer boutiques. So it's not surprising that it can be very expensive, especially if you are hitting the clubs. Which is where Key Banus comes in very handy, I don't know why I had never heard of it before but it is great. It's only £25 for a membership that lasts for the whole of 2014 (obviously there will be a new on in 2015) and offers loads of great exclusive offers to all the most popular places to go including La Sala Beach, the La Sala Restaurants, Pangea and Agwa Mist.

My latest trip to the area was with my family to celebrate my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary, so while we did go out and had a party, it wasn't a trip where we were out clubbing. We did however, go to the Hard Rock Cafe in Marbella as a family. With Key Banus you get 20% off of your food and drinks bill, which is more than the card cost when there are seven of you dining and cocktails are involved.

Hubs and I started off with cocktails, he got the Long Island Ice Tea and I got a a Berry Margarita (I LOVE Margaritas!). We shared the Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings, as we are wing addicts and went for the hottest sauce which is called "Heavy Metal". While the sauce could have been hotter, Hard Rock wings never fail to please and are served with blue cheese dip and celery - winning combination.

Hubs, true to form got the Texan -  hickory-smoked pulled pork with chipotle barbecue sauce, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, crispy fried jalapeños and onions, piled high on toasted brioche. This came with chips and coleslaw.

Now, usually I would get a burger or one of their sandwiches, but I was feeling a bit bloated and my sister had been raving about the salads, so I got the Grilled Chopped Salad, which consists of mixed greens, topped with thinly sliced grilled chicken, tomatoes, spicy pecans, carrots, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, roasted corn and red peppers, tossed in home-made white balsamic vinaigrette and drizzled with tangy barbecue sauce. I have to admit that I was really surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did and that I didn't get food envy!

Do you have a regular holiday retreat/ place that you go to? Or have you been to Marbella, what do you love about it?

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FOOD | A CHEEKY PIZZA EXPRESS TRIP

As I have probably mentioned before Hubs is a Pizza Maniac, if it was up to him we would eat pizza most days. I on the other hand can take it or leave it, especially as I seem to have some sort of intolerance to anything that's not a really thin crust.

We were invited to have dinner at the Pizza Express on Jubilee Street, Brighton. I know that this will probably sound odd but we haven't actually been to Pizza Express before. We tend to search out independent or small chain restaurants.

Although, we were really grateful for the invite, we were on a pre Marbella diet (not quite no carbs before Marbs) so it didn't seem to be the most ideal of places to dine. However, I was really surprised to see how well they cater for those on a diet and how transparent they are regarding calories in their Leggera range (their low- cal range).

I was also very impressed by the wine list, being my mothers daughter I have grown partial to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, which are often not available at many restaurants, but Pizza Express serve a beautiful one.

When we arrived we were greeted by a lovely gentleman who took us to our table. He offered us some olives to munch on while we looked at the menu. 

I decided to stay on the lower calorie scale and chose the Leggera Panzanella "Pizza Express" salad. While the salad was very simple, it was very refreshing. I love cucumber, red onion and tomato salads - this one was livened up with capers, croutons and dressed with olive oil, basil and balsamic vinegar. It was also  less than 250 calories.

Hubs, being less diet orientated, and less in need of losing weight, ordered the Garlic bread with Mozzarella.

For main I stuck with the Leggera range, choosing the American Hot. I think it is great that they take their most popular pizzas from the main menu and use them in their low-cal range. All the pizzas in the Leggera range are less than 500 calories, They are thin based with a section of the middle taken out and filled with great salad. While Hubs went for the Calabrese, which, though delicious proved to be too big for even the Pizza King himself. Luckily the lovely guy at Pizza Express boxed it up for him.

Despite going for the "diet" option I felt full after the starter and main, so Hubs and I skipped dessert.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by our experience. The service was great and the location is prime, and it is surrounded by great bars.

What's your Pizza Express favourite?

*Pizza Express provided Hubs and I with the meal free of charge in return for an honest review*

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FOOD | nākd. raw food bars Review

selection of nākd bars c/o natural balance foods.

Part of my goals for 2014 is to be more healthy. Overall this is not a problem since I discovered the Hairy Dieters recipe books last year which helps me make healthy, lower calorie foods without feeling deprived.

I've also got back on the gym waggon with early morning work outs on the way back from dropping Hubs to work. This is followed by a protein shake to help my body recover from my workout and porridge to keep me full until lunch.

The problem comes mid afternoon at work when I all of a sudden decide I am starving, possibly to death, right in my office in the middle of Brighton - who ever said I was melodramatic? We have fruit in the office on Monday and Wednesday, while I do try to snack on these, they just never seem to fill the hole. This then leads me to gorge on really unhealthy things that can be found in any office, like biscuits, crisps, cakes - you get my gist.

I've tried cereal bars etc, but they aren't that tasty and don't fulfil my sugar needs despite their deceptively high sugar content! Then I found the perfect natural balance foods snacks - the nākd. raw food bar range.

The range is gluten, wheat and dairy free, so suitable for people with various dietary restrictions,they count as one of your five a day and are 100% natural.They are also raw - meaning the contents are not cooked, instead cold pressed.

The bars are mainly made from dates and a variety of nuts so are naturally sweet and have a lovely moist texture. They come in the following flavours:

• Rhubarb and custard
• Pecan Pie
• Caffe Mocha
• Berry Delight
• Cocoa Orange
• Cashew Cookie
• Cocoa Delight
• Cocoa Mint
• Ginger Bread

After trialing each flavour (poor me!) my favourite bars are Ginger Bread and Cocoa Orange, which taste like Terrys Chocolate Orange. The mint tastes like After Eights too!

What is your favorite snack?

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FOOD | Tea time! Bluebird Tea Co. Review

Pick'n'Mix 5 Experience pack of Tea and in cup infuser c/o Bluebird Tea Co

I love tea, I mean really very few people don't, but I'm literally always making it in the office! I feel like I can't focus in an afternoon without a cup sitting there. I generally like all types of tea, although my favourites are generally Rooibos (or Red bush).

Bluebird Tea Co. are award winning tea specialist, their loose tea range includes black, green and fruit teas, to name a few as well as teas designed to de-stress you, aid digestion, slimming and promote well-being.

As they are opening up a shop in Brighton soon, they invited me to trial some of their products, looking at the site, I was slightly overwhelmed with the choice so I asked them to surprise me with their favourites. After the asked a bit about my preferences I was sent Rhubarb and Custard, Mint Choc Rooibos (pictured with the heart), Earls Paradise, MojiTEA and Skinny Minny. They also sent me an in cup infuser as I didn't have one.

Each packet gives you instructions on the optimal water temperature, brewing time and whether it can be served with milk.

I actually liked all the teas - I was a bit worried that the Mint Choc one would be too minty or too chocolaty but the flavours are beautifully balances, even hubs, who is not a mint fan was pleasantly surprised by it.

The Earls Paradise, is a lovely sweet twist on the classic earl grey, and I personally prefer it sans milk.

The MojiTea is a lovely peppermint and lime green tea, which I actually prefer to peppermint tea. As for the Skinny Minny, it's pretty self explanatory, it's a tea designed to help boost the metabolism, calm the stomach and is made from Pu'erh and Oolong teas.

My favourite tea though is Rhubarb and Custard, which I was a bit surprised about - I've shared it with my BFF and he also was loving the unusual flavor. The flavour is not too overwhelming (I was initially thinking of the sweets) but has lovely hints of each.

As I previously mentioned, they have loads of different teas, so it is definitely worth a browse. They also do collection/gift sets that would make fabulous gifts for any tea fan.

Are you a tea fan? Do you like herbal and fruit teas or are you more of a PG tips person?

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BEAUTY | Lilla Loves Empties #1 - My first ever video blog!

That's right this is my first ever video blog! I've been meaning to make it for ages but have been putting it of as I am a but dubious of the whole thing. Anyway please watch it and let me know what you think and if there is anything I could improve!

I know I ramble on a bit, but please forgive me, I filmed it like 6 times before I gave up and thought just post it. These are some of my empties from the past few months! I hope to make empties and tutorials a more regular content format on my blog as I think it's nice to mix it up a bit!

Hope you enjoy it!

Love Lilla xx

HAIR | Macadamia Natural Oil Travel Set

I realise that my blog has been heavily dominated with posts about Macadamia Natural Oil post recently, so sorry but I am obsessed. This Travel Kit was a birthday present from a friends. 
The kit contains:

• 60ml Rejuvenating Shampoo
• 60ml Moisturising Rinse
• 60ml Leave-In Cream
• 30ml Healing Oil
• 30ml Deep Repair Masque
• Oil Infused comb
• Stylish Travel case

I have to admit I haven't used the Rejuvenating Shampoo yet as I am really happy with the Flawless shampoo. 

The first thing I used was the Moisturising Rinse. I think the name, or more so accurately the word 'Rinse' is misleading. I thought that the consistency would be more of a liquid but it is more like a regular shampoo. You only need to use a little bit of the product and leave it in your hair for 30-60s, which is great as it really does condition your hair in that time.

I have also started using the Leave-In Cream and as a result will be buying the full size version. I found that the Leave-In Cream really suits my hair and works great combined with a curling product to allow me to leave my hair to dry naturally. My hair usually looks really frizzy and shapeless if I don't blow dry it, but with this product I find my waves more defined and glossy.

As for the healing oil; this is by far my favorite oil. I have previously tested various Argon and Moroccan oils and personally found that the Macadamia Healing Oil is the best. It smells nice than the other oils, and I found that it soaks into my hair better, without leaving it feeling greasy.

Obviously I have previously used the Deep Repair Masque and loved it! The comb is a fantastic wide tooth comb, which makes easy work of brushing wet hair and is great to keep my natural waves looking smooth without frizzing them up.

I can definitely say that this travel pack will be joining me on my holiday in October.

Love Lilla xx

HAIR | TRESemmé Instant Refresh Waterless Foam Shampoo Review

TRESemmé Instant Refresh 

Recently my friend was clearing out her cupboard and gave me a few products she wasn't using. This was one of them.

The TRESemmé Instant Refresh Shampoo is similar to Batiste in the sense that it is aimes at reviving hair between washes. My hair personally does not agree with Batiste, I find that it doesn't fully remove the grease so a couple of hours later my hair will look awful again. Additionally it makes my hair all clumpy and matted at the roots.

What I like about the TRESemmé Instant Refresh is that it is just like a mini wash in a pump. The waterless foam removes oil from the roots without drying out the ends. I used two pumps, rubbed the product between my palms and then applied by combing my fingers through my hair. The hair then becomes damp, which means I can quickly restyle with my blow dryer; making it a lifesaver in the morning because I often wake up with crazy hair stuck to my head!

This is going to become a firm staple of my hair care routine!

Love Lillaxx

HAIR | Macadamia Flawless Shampoo Review

Macadamia Hair Flawless Shampoo*

After reviewing the Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque, Macadamia Hair sent me out a bottle of their new Flawless Shampoo. It is a sulphate and paraben free shampoo, which is perfect for me as my scalp can be very sensitive and then the condition of my hair condition quickly deteriorates.

When the shampoo arrived, I thought the packaging was lovely, the directions are simple; Just lightly emulsify 1 to 2 pumps in between hands, apply to wet hair and gently massage spreading Flawless over hair and scalp area. Continuously massage throughout the hair for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on hair type. Add a splash of water to assist in the spreading if needed and rinse thoroughly.

The application process focuses mainly on the scalp and roots, I personally stopped spreading shampoo to my ends to stop them drying out a while ago.

So there I was casually about to wash my hair, I squeeze my first pump out of the bottle to discover the shampoo has a shaving gel consistency. I then applied it as directed and was a bit unsure about how I felt about the product.

Once I had rinsed it out of my hair though, it left my hair feeling really clean and conditioned. I find a lot of shampoo leaves my hair feeling rough and dry.

In the press release, Macadamia Oil claims that the shampoo has the following benefits; and I would definitely agree.

• Refines hair texture
• Optimises styling process
• Drastically cuts down blow drying time
• Perfect for all hair types
• Surfactant-free and Paraben-free
• No stripping suds
• No-frizz detangler
• Incredible finish
• UV protection reduces colour fade
• Creates volume
• Adds shine and lustre

My hair blow dries a lot more quickly and was a lot easier to style, I also noticed the improvement in the volume of my hair. As I continued to use the shampoo I also notices that my scalp was less itchy and flakey, my ends were less dry and my hair was lasting longer between washes.

Also with other sulphate free shampoos I found that sometimes they could leave my roots feeling greasy, but the Flawless shampoo made my hair feel brilliant. This is a brilliant shampoo, and is now my regular shampoo.

HAIR | Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque Review

I recently came across a sample of the Macadamia Natural Oil deep repair masque, so I thought I would review it. My hair was feeling a bit dry and yucky after the Dove Colour Radiance challenge, I don't think the range really agreed with my hair, so I went and got a trim off my mum to minimise damage. 

On the morning of my friends wedding I decided to give the masque a try - in the stress of getting ready I forgot to take any photos! I left the masque on for seven minutes and combed it through my hair, before I washed it out as instructed on the packet - the masque smells amazing.

When I dried my hair I was really surprised at how much of an affect it had had, my hair went from looking dull, dry and straw like to soft, smooth and shiny. I know that there are loads of amazing oils out there but I would really recommend this masque. 

I've washed my hair a couple of times since using the masque and it is feeling so much better as a result of using the masque. They recommend that you don't use the product more the two times a week, which I think would be sufficient, especially as it is £23.95 per 250ml, despite this I will be purchasing it.

Love Lilla xx

BEAUTY | A.K.A Eye Pencil

*A.K.A Black Eye Pencil

A.K.A is a new British brand of make up that was launched this year. The collection claims to be sleek and modern, consisting of eye lip and nail products.

I've been sent this eye liner along with some nail varnishes which I will review later. I only received them this morning but wanted to try this eyeliner immediately! I usually use the MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack with the MAC 263 brush. I love it for making a cats eye but find it a bit unpractical if I am in a hurry. I recently also got sent
the bareMinerals Round The Clock Waterproof eyeliner in Midnight which I like but find it is too soft so blunts easily which can make it difficult to use.
The reason I liked the look of the A.K.A pencil is that it is one of those twisty ones so you don't need a sharpener and it is do easy to apply ( hence the name precision pencil). I like the blackness of the black if you know what I mean too! At £5.50 it is a bargain! This is definitely going into my make up bag! I also love the pencil being white as it makes it easier to find in my make up bag against all my black brushes and mascara etc.

Love Lilla xx

HAIR | Dove Challenge Week 1 Overview

So I survived my first week of the Dove Colour Radiance Challenge. Above are the five pictures I submitted to them. In an earlier post I said that I wasn't impressed by the Colour Radiance Express Treatment Conditioner because my hair still felt very dry after using it, I take this back! My hair is already back to feeling nice and soft. It was obviously just very dried out from the colour treatment.  

I'm actually very impressed with all the products that Dove have given me to use. I usually worry about shampoos, as if they contain sulphates my roots get greasy in a day and my ends dry out. But I'm pleased to say that the low sulphate shampoo has done the trick. Both conditioners have worked wonders on hair and I think I am obsessed with the Leave In Conditioner, it's so light and great for refreshing dry hair between washes.

Also my colour has lasted very well which obviously is the whole point of the range.

Love Lilla x

HAIR | The Dove Colour Radiance Live Challenge Picture #1

OK, I know, I really need to start applying make up before I take these photos! Here is my first photo for the Dove Colour Radiance Challenge. Last night was my first time using the Colour Radiance Range*. Not only is the whole range made as colour revitalisers but they also have a UV filter, to help protect your hair from the sun.

 I was a bit skeptical about using the shampoo as I usually use a sulphate free shampoo.So I was very pleased to see that the Colour Radiance Shampoo was low sulphate. The shampoo not only smells great but felt really good to use on my hair, and instantly de-tangled any knots.

My hair was feeling a bit dry after my colour so I decided to use the Colour Radiance Express Treatment Conditioner instead of the regular conditioner in the range. The instructions said to leave it on for 1-3 minutes which I did. Once that was washed out, I applied the Colour Radiance Live Leave In & Care spray - which again smells amazing and is incredibly light to use. As I knew I was going to need to wash my hair this afternoon because I'm working out, I decided not to use heat on my hair ( I learnt a lot from 30DaysNoHeat) so whacked them in Curlformers overnight!

To be honest I'm a bit disappointed because my hair still feels quite dry and straw like despite using both the Colour Radiance Express Treatment Conditioner and the Colour Radiance Leave- in Conditioner. It is more than likely that my hair just needs a bit longer to recover from the colour.

Love Lilla xx