Dealing With Fine Hair: Tips, Tricks & Products

I've had fine hair since the day I was born, I still do and I probably always will. Not only is my hair limp and lifeless, it is also overly soft and slippery, making it a real pain to style, and almost impossible for updos. However, over the years I have used lots of different techniques to deal with this, some worked, some didn't, and today I'm going to share with you what I find to be the best ways of making your unstyleable hair styleable.

The first thing I would recommend is doing the reverse wash. If you haven't heard of this before, it's where you use conditioner and then shampoo. I like to focus the conditioner on the ends of my hair, and the shampoo on the roots and the hair just above my neck. Doing this gives my hair a bit more grip, whilst still keeping it in good condition.

My next tip is to always blow dry your hair upside down. This gives it more volume and body, making it easier to style. Try not to go to bed with damp hair, because if you lie on it, it will dry very flat and lifeless.

Don't skimp on the texturising products. Salt spray, volume spray, backcomb powder and dry shampoo are all going to be your best friend. On a day to day basis I usually just go for my L'oreal Volume Spray, with the addition of sea salt spray if I'm going for wavy hair, however if I want to wear my hair up, I will go all out on the hair products in order to keep the style in place.

If you want to wear your hair straight, straighten it. Don't think that straightening your hair will make it even limper. If you straighten your hair, it will make people trick people into thinking that it's meant to be dead straight, rather than that your hair is lifeless. Also, it can make you look more put together.

Don't go overboard on the eyebrows. If your hair's thin, chances are your eyebrows are going to be too. Therefore if you fill them is too bushily, it will look unatural, so try to shape and define your brows, without making them too bold.

My final tip is a bit controversial, but something I like to do is lightly bleach my hair. I use the L'oreal Sun Kiss Jelly, which is a very weak bleach that gradually lightens your hair after 5 or so uses. I use this once every two weeks, just to dry out my hair a tiny bit to make it less soft. I don't use it often enough to actually damage my hair, and it is only a  very weak bleach (as you can see, my hair hasn't exactly gone bleach blonde), but it just helps to make my hair a bit more managable. I also enjoy experimenting with where I apply it. At the moment I've gone for a slight ombre, with more lighter bits at the front to help frame my face. As I said, controversial, but it works for me.

Lastly, I just want to say that whatever your hair type, enjoy and embrace it. I hope you enjoyed this post, and saw something that you want to try out.

emma x

The Tuesday Review: Tresemme Hairspray

I actually came across this hairspray back in the summer when I went on holiday (take me back!), and was looking for a travel size one to take away with me. This was the chosen one and I have since bought a full size version as I loved it so much.

The packaging is very sleek with a black can and silver and purple accents. There were various sizes available and I bought the biggest 500ml one because it was the best value for money, however next time I think I would purchase the next size down. The bottle is just so huge and heavy that it is quite hard to manoeuvre around my head, strange as it sounds.

One of the things I like the most about this hairspray is that it has such a fine mist, meaning it doesn't weigh your hair down because of the size of the droplets. This gives it even better hold. I bought the 4th strength one as against the strongest hold because I wanted my hair to still have a bit of flow and movement to it, and that is exactly what this does. When I curl my hair, using this ensures that the curls stay all stay, but it still allows them to move, making the style look more natural and relaxed.

There's not a lot more to say about this because essentially it is just a hairspray, however I do really like it and the scent isn't too offensive either.

emma x

Hair Styling: Bits and Bobbles

First off, who likes the title of this post? I was very proud of it haha. Today I will be sharing with you my favourite hair styling tools, what I do with them, and why I like them.

The first thing I want to talk about is scrunchies. I like to use these at night or in the bath to get my hair out the way. I prefer these to hair bands as they are less damaging to the hair so are suitable for sleeping as they stop your hair from getting damaged from moving while you sleep.

The next item is hair bands. I always buy these from Primark as you get loads for just £1, and it includes a mixture of thinner and thicker ones. I also like these as they don't have any metal, which again makes them less damaging. I use these for playing sport and when I want to wear my hair up all day as they hold the style well.

Hair grips are an essential for every one and I like to buy the ones from Primark because they're so cheap. We all know that hair grips disappear to some sort of hair grip heaven, so you may as well buy the cheapest ones. I also love how well these ones match the colour of my hair, and they're the perfect size.

Decorated hair grips were something that I used to use basically every day a couple of years ago, and although I don't use them as frequently now, I still use them on occasion. When I'm wearing my hair up during the day I will sometimes use one to add a bit of interest, but most of the time I use them to pin back my fringe/front section of my hair. This keeps it out of my face, meaning I can work without constantly moving my hair out the way.

Next is my bun ring which I like to use to bulk up my bun a bit. My hair is very thin so putting this around my it gives the illusion that my bun is bigger. It also adds interest, and I really liked it in the summer as it made my hair look more summery.

Lastly, is these mini hair clips that I've mentioned on my blog before. I like to use these to clip back the front section of my hair to keep it out my face, and I personally have to use the small ones because my hair is so fine, but other people will probably need to use normal sized ones.

I hope you enjoyed this post and saw some new hair pieces that you want to try.

emma x

The Tuesday Review: Nivea Night Cream

Hey guys! Today's review is another skincare review. The reason for this is that I previously only had one moisturiser, but when it ran out I decided to replace it with an SPF one for the daytime and a richer one for the nighttime. I reviewed my daytime moisturiser here, and today I will be reviewing my night cream: the regenerating night cream by Nivea, which is targeted at normal/combination skin. For reference, my skin is oily around my t-zone, but normal everywhere else, with no dry patches.

Starting with the packaging, I really like that this comes in a glass pot as it makes it seem more highend and luxurious. However, it does make is unsuitable for travel, and the actual pot doesn't have much information on it, so you may need to keep the outer packaging if you want the ingredient list and other details about the cream.

The formula itself is very thick so it does feel quite heavy on the face, but you leave it on overnight so by the morning it has all sunk in and your skin feels lovely and soft. Although it is thick, it's not at all oily, so my skin didn't get overwhelmed by it. I actually feel that by giving my skin a moisture boost, it doesn't create as much oil. I think that although my skin fits the target audience for this product, it would be suitable for all skin types as it is moisturising enough for dryer skin, but it isn't an oily formula, so oily skinned people would get on well with it too.

Overall I would really recommend this night cream, and I think that for just £4 it is an amazing product, especially considering the price of high end night cream, which can often be more than £40.

emma x

5 Drugstore Favourites

So today I wanted to share with you my favourite products from the drugstore; the ones that I repurchase over and over again, and the ones that I believe are better than more expensive, higher end options.

The first product is the L'oreal Studio Line Volume Texture Spray. This is a product that I use every single day to add some volume and texture into my limp and lifeless hair. It smells amazing and has good hold, meaning I don't have to follow it up with hairspray. Using this means that I don't have to add as much backcomb to my hair, meaning it benefits my hair as backcombing is very damaging.

The next product is the Soap and Glory Righteous Butter which I have raved about on my blog many times before. I love everything about this product; from the smell, to the formula, to the packaging. It looks great in my bathroom cupboard and you get an amazing amount of product for your money. The scent lingers enough that you smell good, but it doesn't overpower your perfume. I love how quickly this sinks into your skin compared to most other products of its type, and it can be applied when your skin is still slightly damp without sitting on the surface of your skin for ages. Oh, and most importantly, it is deeply nourishing and moisturising too!

Onto the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder which is a universally loved product by almost all makeup wearers. People are starting to move on to other options now, but at one point, this was the only powder that anyone used. Nothing compares to it. It is mattifying, without leaving your skin looking dead, it lasts a good 4 hours before you need touch ups, it doesn't break you out, and the shades are perfect colour matches for any skin colour. People of any skin type can use this powder without problems, and the cheap as chips price means that you can use as much as you like without feeling guilty.

My next favourite isn't actually available in the likes of Boots and Superdrug, but at £4 The Body Shop Shower Gel certainly fits into the drugstore category. I normally only pay £2.40 per bottle because I always stock up when I have a 40% off voucher. I love these shower gels because they lather up really well and give my skin a good clean. They don't leave any residue, but a slight fruity scent does remain on the skin. In the winter I like to use the Cranberry one from their Christmas collection, and in the summer I prefer the Raspberry one from their harvest collection. There is a scent for everyone and you would be silly not to try these out.

Last up is the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks, which I am absolutley in love with! The colour range is lovely, there isn't loads to choose from, but all the colours available are ones that I would wear. The formula of these is amazing; they glide onto the lips really easily but they are quite solid, meaning they stay on the lips for longer. The colour pay off is really good, you only need a couple of coats for full opacity. There is a shade for everyone available and I can't wait to pick up more.

What are your drugstore favourites? Or do you prefer high end products?

emma x

The Tuesday Review: MAC Paint Pot

I know I have mentioned this product a fair few times in my most recent posts, but I thought that it needed a dedicated post being as I love it so much. On the MAC website these cost £15.50 but I actually got this in an outlet for £10.50. Originally I wanted to get the shade 'Barely Branded' but when I saw that I could save £5 by getting this shade ('Let's Skate') instead, I decided that it was definitely worth it as the colours are so similar.

I have only tried one other cream eyeshadow, and that was a Maybelline Colour Tattoo, which I really wasn't very impressed with if I'm honest. Therefore I was a bit worried that I wasn't going to like this either, but boy was I wrong, so I really want to stress that if you tried a cream eyeshadow and didn't enjoy it, you shouldn't be put off trying other brands. The formula of this is really smooth and blendable. It is very soft, making it easy to apply and blend over your eye. It sets quickly meaning it won't smudge when you move on to the next stage of your makeup, but you still have plenty of time to work with it.

I love that the shade is so wearable and perfect for days when you don't have much time to spend doing your makeup. A quick swipe of this and you're good to go, but it can also be used in smokier looks as a base or highlight. The icy colour and shimmer makes it perfect for wintery looks, in fact, for some reason the shade really reminds me of the film Frozen, so I would love to use it for an Elsa inspired look!

Overall I would definitely recommend giving these a try as I have fallen head over heels in love with the one I have and am desperate to buy another shade, I just can't choose which one!

emma x

Everyday College Makeup

Today I thought I'd share with you my everyday makeup that I wear to college. I think that makeup routines are proof of what products bloggers and YouTubers really like as they love them enough to use them on a daily basis. Therefore rather than tell you what I think of each product, I'll just let you know now that I love all these products and think that all of them are worth purchasing. So, without further ado, on with the routine...

I begin with my base, and the first step for me is foundation. I will sometimes wear primer but as it's getting colder now, my skin isn't as oily so I don't feel that I need it. For foundation I use a full pump of L'oreal True Match and half a pump of Rimmel Match Perfection. I really like this combination because it gives lovely blendable medium coverage, and the shades I have give the perfect colour match for my skin. I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to blend it in. I then use the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes. I then set with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder using the Real Techniques Blusher Brush. I will then use the same brush to add a bit of contour and colour to my face using a 17 Bronzer. I don't use blush that often because I have quite naturally flushed cheeks so the colour shows through my foundation.

Next I move onto my eyes and begin by blending MAC's Paint Pot in 'Let's Skate' over my lids to add a subtle shimmer and hint of colour. Then I use my Eyeko Liquid Eyeliner Pen to add a thin line and small flick to my eyelids. At the moment I'm really loving pen liners and the control that they give you, and I find them the best type of eyeliner to use for neat flicks. Whilst my eyeliner is drying I do my brows, starting by filling them in lightly using the Topshop Brow Pencil in Blonde. I use this to fill in any gaps, enhance my arch, and extend the tail of my brows. I then set them in place using the Rimmel Brow This Way Gel in Medium Brown.

Now that my eyeliner has dried I can curl my lashes without smudging it. For this I just use my Primark Eyelash Curlers which were only £1! Next I apply my Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara to add lots of volume, length and drama to my lashes. The only thing left now is lips; first I use my trusty Nivea Repair and Protect Lip Balm, and then I add my lip colour of choice, Generally, I will use the Revlon Colourburst Laquer Balm in Demure for a nude lip or the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 05 if I want a brighter pink colour.

And that's all there is to it! Be sure to leave links in the comments to your blog if you've done an everyday makeup routine as I would love to take a look!

emma x

The Tuesday Review: Nivea Lip Balms

Today I wanted to share with you my love affair with Nivea Lip Balms. They were the first real brand of lip balms that I was introduced to as a child, by my mum, and even after trying literally hundreds of balms, they still remain a firm favourite.

My favourite everyday lip balm is the Nivea Repair and Protect. I really like the formula of this because it is quite hard and waxy, and has a matte finish, meaning it doesn't affect the lip colour that you apply over the top. It is really nourishing and although I like to top up throughout the day, you need only use it once a day. I also like that it is a twist up balm as I hate lip balms in a pot, and find them so messy and unhygienic.

The Nivea Sun Protect is an essential for me in the summer as it contains SPF30. It is a very similar formula to the previous lip balm but the addition of the SPF means that it also protects your lips from the sun. You have to be careful not to go overboard otherwise your lips do go a bit white, but if you're applying lipstick or gloss over the top it really doesn't matter.

Lastly, I have the Nivea SOS lip balm which is in a squeezy tube. I apply a generous layer of this before bed and wake up with my lips completely rejuvenated. Any chapping is gone and my lips are super soft. This is a real life saver in the winter when the bitter air results in my lips getting easily chapped.

Next on my list to try is the Nivea Milk and Honey lip balm as I have heard lots of YouTubers raving about it recently! What do you think of the nivea lip balms? Are you a fan?

emma x

September Favourites

I thought that as my schedule of posting on a Friday coincided with the start of a new month, it was only right for me to do a monthly favourites, especially since I haven't done one in a while.

The first favourite is a bit of a random one but I have really been loving this shoe spray. The brand is Kiwi but I just picked this up in Tescos. I mainly bought this for my badminton shoes as I play for my county and recently got a new pair. I really want to try and keep this pair nice so after each training session I leave my shoes to dry overnight (ew I know), and then spray them with this in the morning before putting them away. What I love about this is that you twist the bottom, pop it in your shoes and push down to release the spray. I don't know why but something about this really excites me haha. Oh, and it has a lovely, fresh scent too!

Onto something a bit more normal, the L'oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo. It's safe to say that I've tried a thickening shampoo from basically every drugstore brand so I was really excited when a new one was released. What really intrigued me about this is that it claimed to scientifically widen each hair strand, whereas most other shampoos of it's type just give your hair a bit of a boost and texture. I have definitely already noticed a difference after only using this a few times, so with continual use I am confident that I will see a vast improvement in the thickness of my hair.

Now for a makeup item, and something a bit different for me as it's actually high end. For my birthday back in August I was kindly given a MAC Paint Pot in the shade 'Let's Skate', and I have used it nearly everyday since. On a normal day I will just use this and a swipe of liquid liner, but on a more adventurous day I will use it as a base under a more developed eyeshadow look. The shade is a lovely pale pink with gold shimmer. It looks lovely and simple on the lids and adds a lot of brightness to your eyes.

Next up is a bit more a bit more of a general thing and it's statement necklaces. Since being given a ridiculous amount of necklaces for my birthday I have been trying to get into the habit of wearing one everyday, and so far I have really been loving statement necklaces. I wear quite plain clothes for college as I don't want to look too dressy, so these necklaces really help to add a bit of interest to my outfit. The one in the photo is from New Look and is one of my favourites because the cream and gold colouring mean that it goes with everything.

My final favourite is my Amazon Kindle. Having always thought I would be a book person, I was reluctant to try a kindle but I have fallen in love. I love how light it is, making it easy to hold, and I love that it tells you how far through the chapter, or entire book, you are. I also really like that you can look up the definitions of words whilst reading, because it helps to extend your vocabulary, whereas with a normal book I would just move on without finding out what a word meant as it was too much effort to get a dictionary and look it up. Overall, I feel that there are so many positives to using an e-reader, and the cheaper prices of e-books is yet another.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know your favourite products from September in the comments.

emma x