Hair Care

You may have noticed that I have a lot of hair, it comes below my bust after two years of growing. Its also pretty damn thick and subsequently takes a long time to wash, dry and style. I have used a lot of products over the years, from mouses and serums to sprays and creams and have finally learnt what actually works with my hair. 

I try to use the least amount of hair products as possible, I find that the more products I use the worse my hair gets - it becomes flat and crispy, not desirable. 

Naked Shampoo and Conditioner - this is my favourite shampoo brand, they are 97% natural with no parabens nor are they tested no animals. I use a mild shampoo and a nourishing conditioner as my hair has a tendency to become dry and frizzy. These products smell delicious and natural, the smell stays on your hair after washing but isn't overpowering at all. 

Lee Stafford I Hate My Hair The Day Its Washed - this is great for hair that is limp and frizzy after being washed. It adds texture and shine, preventing those days when your hair just wont sit right. I spray this liberally on wet hair before blow-drying.

 V05 Smooth It - This is a great product for adding shine whilst protecting the hair from heat. If you get a bit carried away with this spray it can look like you have slathered lard on your head, when used with caution this product is great. I often spray this onto my natural bristle brush and then brush the product through my hair to distribute it evenly. 

One Palette, three looks.

The Urban Decay Naked 2 is a staple of my makeup routine, with twelve beautiful shades you can create so many lovely looks, here are three of my favourites.

1. Smokey Silvers - this is a great sultry evening look, very sparkly and dramatic. I pack verve onto the lid, and then taking a fluffy brush I blend pistol through the crease, adding extra definition by using a small amount of blackout on the outer corner and blending this into the crease colour. I then take these  colours under the eye with a small angled brush - the black on the outer third, then pistol then verve. I finish the look with plenty of liquid eyeliner, black liner on the waterline and lashings of mascara.

2. Sultry Purples - this is a more toned down look, still great for evenings and can be worn by the more daring in the daytime. I run tease across the lid before packing YDK onto the outer corner and buffing busted into the crease. I run busted under the bottom lashes but keep the waterline clean. I do my signature cat eyeliner and once again add lashings of mascara.

3. Golden Browns - I wear this look all the time, its a great daytime look and really emphasises the colour of my eyes. I use bootycall as an inner eye hi-light and then place chopper all over the lid, blending it out with foxy. Snakebite adds definition and shading through the crease and in the outer corner. I then take chopper under the eye, keeping away from the inner corner as the hi-light really opens up the eyes. I keep the waterline and bottom lashes bare as this allows the golden shadow to stand out. Once again eyeliner and mascara finish off the eyes.

L to R: verve, pistol, blackout, tease, YDY, busted, bootycall, chopper, snakebite.

Five Favourite Brushes.

In a world where makeup brushes can set you back up to £30 its important to know what you are buying and the quality of the brushes that are on the market. Although a lot of the time the rule 'you get what you pay for' does apply, you can pick up some great quality AND affordable brush sets. That being said, here are my five favourite makeup brushes. 

1. Real Techniques Buffing Brush - this brush is a god send to liquid foundation users. By 
using this is small circular motions you can really work the product into the skin thereby creating a flawless and natural finish. You can also build more coverage where it is needed by in effect pushing the product into the skin. This brush is only available in the core set for roughly £20, however apparently the expert face brush is just as good and can be bought separately if you dont want to fork out of a whole load of brushes. 

2. Real Techniques Blush Brush - once again I dont use this brush for what its designed for, but sometimes in life you just have to break the rules! This is a great big, fluffy brush perfect for dusting powder over the T-zone without disturbing foundation. You can buy this one separately for around £10.

 3.Space NK Blush Brush - I use this brush for contour and bronzer. The flattered shape means its perfect for applying colour under the cheekbones. This is such a good quality brush, the bristles are so soft and dense. Although this brush does come with a hefty price tag, £28 I really do recommend it. 

4. Urban Decay Double Ended Brush - this is a hybrid brush, combining the Urban Decay Shadow Brush and Crease Brush. It comes free with the Naked 2 and I presume with the original Naked palette also. I love double ended brushes as they are all you need for creating a simple daytime look and you can therefore chuck them in your makeup bag when going out and know that one brush will do you just fine. 

5. Real Techniques Eyeliner Brush - the perfect brush for your gel eyeliner this brush is the ideal thickness, allowing you to create a neat, thin line or a thick an dramatic cat eye. I also really like the length of the bristles, they make is so easy to do your eyeliner in one sweep as opposed to lots of little movements. Once again this comes in one of the Real Technique core kits for around £20.