NEW IN : Iconemesis Phone Cover

iPhone cases are one of those accessories that really should be as pretty as your handbag, but I seem to only ever buy one every few months when the previous one falls apart. Why should all my other accessories get so much attention, when the one thing I always carry around is my phone? Truthfully, I don't know but when Iconemesis offered to send me a new case over I squealed in excitement at the opportunity to throw away my old and battered Giovanna Battaglia case.

I chose this incredible illustrated skull design on a white background to match my white phone...  

Skull case - Iconemesis

The case itself is a thick sturdy plastic that's thick enough to feel like it offers protection for your phone, but not that thick that you look like you work on a building site. Much unlike some of the other more outrageous cases I've had, I would be very happy to pull this out of my pocket (I had a case with bunny ears and a tail not so long ago). I can't recommend this brand enough for good quality cases, and equally incredible designs.

Now, to go and watch some old episodes of The Vampire Diaries. Started rewatching these as I was sick, now I'm obsessed again. Thank God for DVD boxsets...

Lighten Hair Minus the Dye - John Frieda Lightening Spray Review

You know one of those things that just crops up every now and then and you become completely obsessed with it and talk about it that much that everyone around you notices and gets reasonably fed up with you? THAT. I'm so obsessed with the John Frieda Go Blonder spray that I've been practically screaming it's praises from the rooftops. Here's why... 

You all know by now that I went from being the darkest brown to a blonde in almost one swoop, right? Well, I've been a blonde for over two years now, and I'm still not sure if blondes do have more fun, but I'm sure of one thing; roots are a pain in the arse. Excuse my French, but they are, right? They look dreadful, and with my hair being a really warm toned blonde my roots always look extra mousy, and just all-round horrible. So upkeep can be quite the pain.

I've spent so many hours scouring the internet to find a product or natural way of lightening my hair, and all of them are either ridiculous or don't sound very sanitary. As I was beginning to give up, I came across John Frieda's Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray. It has a small amount of peroxide to help send your hair in the right direction when it comes to lightening. It's activated by heat, so the blow-drying and straightening we usually do to look pretty has its benefits where this spray is concerned. 

I apply this in different ways, depending on what parts of my hair need brightening. To blend my roots in; I wash my hair then section off my hair, spray directly to my roots then use a fine-toothed comb to distribute the product further down the hair to avoid any patchy areas. To apply all over, I wash my hair (this product should only be used on wet hair) and brush it carefully, parting where I usually part my hair, and holding about 30cm away before brushing my hair through again.  

You can use this in numerous ways, for root touch up, highlights or all-over lightening, giving you the versatility that you want when it comes to your hair. This would be ideal for people like me, wanting their roots to blend in, or for people wanting to freshen up (or make) an ombre or balayage effect on their hair.

Since using this my hair has been in a much better condition from not constantly applying dyes to upkeep the colour. I've lost counts of how many times I've been complimented, and my family have asked whether I've lightened my hair. I'd say the proof is in the pudding, but I didn't take any before pictures, because I truly didn't think that it would work. I was completely incorrect and for fellow blondes, this is a game-changer.

Monday Moodboard #2

Currently surviving (not very well, might I add) off about two hours sleep, and frankly, I'm outrageously tired. I've a sore throat and would like to just complain all day and feel sorry for myself. Instead I thought I would scour the pages of Pinterest and Tumblr and make another Monday Moodboard. Except its Tuesday, so this will go live next Monday. It's all so confusing for a simple mind like mine.

(None of these pictures are my own. All are sourced from Pinterest)

An All-Natural Hair Miracle - Lani Hair Oil

Hola! Seems like forever since I posted, but now I have a new camera it's all about getting back into blogging. As of now I've a huge pile of products needing photographing and it's SO overwhelming. I need a little photography elf.

I thought I'd come back with a review of one of my current favourite products. And yes, it's another hair oil. I am completely obsessed but for good reason...

The ingredients used in Lani Tropical Hair Treatment (£10.95) are simply; virgin coconut, kukui nut, macadamia nut and camellia seed oils, so it is completely 100% natural and suitable for vegans. When combined these oils all have antioxidant and vitamin packed benefits for looking after the condition of your hair for both long and short term results. The coconut oil (which I'm pretty sure we're all obsessed with now?) means Lani smells heavenly, and completely reminiscent of beach holidays, meaning you get "Beach babe hair in a bottle."

On their website they suggest that every 100ml bottle will last 6-12 uses, which of course depends on how much product you use on your hair. I'm about half way through, use it relatively sparingly and have done about 8 applications so far.

My preferred method of using Lani is to slather the ends of my hair in product, put my hair up in what I call a "Pineapple bun" on the top of my head and let it do it's thing whilst I sleep. And I can pretty much guarantee when I wake up my room will smell like heaven, and my hair will look well, greasy until it's washed off... But that is when the magic happens. My hair looks shiny, feels deeply conditioned and the frizz is non-existent. Being such a wonder product, styling my hair afterwards is made so much easier and quicker thanks to the need for less tools and styling products.

Honestly, my hair has never looked so good and soon as I reach the bottom of this bottle I'll be repurchasing. I can't get enough of this stuff!

Sephora Haul

Like the rest of the beauty-obsessed world, I got SUPER excited when Sephora started to ship to the UK, and after a small amount of scouring I was left underwhelmed. Most of the brands weren't available for UK shipping, and not to mention the £75 spend to qualify for the £10 flat rate shipping. Then there's the tax... But finding out the delivery rate had been lowered; I caved. Yes, I do have very little willpower.

Being someone that reads a lot of American blogs and beauty sites I feel like I'd heard an absolute ton about this Japanese wonder-brand and the huge cult following in numerous countries. The Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation is something that boasts a lightweight, "aqua" formula, with light-medium coverage and still allows the skin to breathe. Think Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua but in a fancier bottle and much harder to get hold of. This foundation really is a thing of wonder and offers very lightweight coverage whilst staying put all day and not looking like you're caked in makeup. Not that I'd suggest buying foundation online and from America, I spent a good hour looking at colour swatches and definitely got lucky.

Being faithful to my Nars Pro Prime eyeshadow base, I felt like I was cheating a little buying Tarte's eye primer. I haven't actually used this yet, as for once I'm waiting till I've finished one before starting another. There's a first time for everything, right?

The LipSurgence lip pencils by Tarte dragged me in straight away given they have a matte finish, and how much I love applying lipstick in a pencil applicator. I bought the shade flush which is a highly-pigmented, deep berry pink that can be worn heavily or blotted down to a natural flush (no pun intended.) And stays put for a good 5-6 hours before needing reapplication. If you eat a ton of burgers however I'd give it a much shorter lifespan.

How sweet is the packaging on these pencils? Definitely want more! 

Seriously, believe the hype on this one. Anastasia Beverly Hills throws it out the ballpark once again with this stay-put formula. I bought one of the newest shades, Medium Brown, as all the others were too dark, and this is an ideal match for my brows, being not too dark or red. This dinky little pot packs a punch when it comes to pigmentation, and I find it best used with an angled brush once the excess has been wiped off. The best part? It completely stays put, like doesn't budge at all. They should have contemplated calling it Bulletproof pomade. Because it sets so quickly, you do have to work a lot quicker than you usually would with brow products. Something you can overlook for perfectly defined brows.

Hope you guys enjoyed a little nosey at what I bought. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my camera will be back within the next week and I can get busy on new posts. iPhone photography is definitely NOT my thing.