Goodbye sleepless nights, hello great hair!

You have probably seen the TOWIE girls with huge pink rollers in their hair and most of these are the sleep-in rollers. Sleep-in rollers have a pretty good Twitter presence and it’s from there that I first noticed them and coveted the pretty drawstring bag. The bag says the slogan ‘Goodbye sleepless nights, hello great hair!

So, do they work? Are they comfy? Yes and no. I love big hair, the bigger the better – so I was pretty excited to try these out. I first tried them while having an afternoon nap and they were ridiculously uncomfortable. Although, they did give a slight root lift.

The second time round they worked wonders. Before going to sleep I put a full head of rollers in (on just washed and dried hair). I put them in so when my head is on the pillow, the rollers lie flat rather than sticking out, and this made them far less uncomfortable. I think you really need to play around with them so that they work for you as lets be serious, huge rollers in your hair while sleeping is never going to give the best night sleep you’ve ever had.

The next day they were quite hard to take out but when they were out, I had big hair! A spritz of hairspray and voila, big, beautiful hair.

You can buy sleep-in rollers for £16.50 - Link.

Natural Cheap & Cheerful Collection

When it comes to cheap make up I am always skeptical on the quality, durability and finish, however, I love Natural Collection.  While I mix up my daily make up routine with items from Mac, Dior, Bobbi Brown and Rimmel, I often use the following items for the normal working day:
Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks blusher in Pink Cloud -0nly £1.99!!!
Natural Collection Solo Eye shadow in Soft Pink – bargain £1.79!!
Natural Collection Juicy Lip Gloss in Raspberry Ripple – £1.99!!

I have been using the above items on and off for a few years and are the only items from the range I’ve used so I can only vouch for those specific colours.  The eye shadow is perfect for work as it’s noticeable but quite simple and nude.  I don’t use this too often as it doesn’t last into the evening so if you’re going for drinks after work it would need re-applying.  The blusher does actually last all day and I often wear this for nights out too – particularly when my Benefit Dandelion runs out!  Lastly, the lip gloss – the only lip gloss I wear for work.  It’s a pretty nude/pink colour with a slight shine but again, doesn’t last too long.  I know it’s always good to look nice at work but quite frankly, I am at work to work not to look pretty – so I am less concerned about what I put on my face than for socialising. These products are great for days when you want to look less ‘made up’ and don’t want to break the bank. Quite literally as they are bargain basement prices!!

You can buy Natural Collection from Boots – Link.

In the book corner – Daughters of Fortune

I started reading this book after a recommendation from Lou (@cocktailpr) and I loved it!  If you like fashion, glitz and glamour then this is the book for you.  It’s a really easy read, you can just get lost in the characters and delve into the life behind a fashion house.  I loved the insight into how a fashion line is put together from inspiration to the importance of promotion. I guess the relationships between the family members are most important but the fact that its based on a fashion business made me love it even more! Instead of wasting my time describing this book, who better to do it than the author herself? So I’ve copied below what the book is about from Tara Hylands website.

William Melville’s daughters are heiresses to the world’s most exclusive fashion dynasty. Beautiful and rich, they are envied by all. But behind the glittering facade of their lives, each girl hides a dark secret that threatens to tear their family apart. Smart, ambitious Elizabeth knows how to manipulate every man she meets, except the one who counts: her father. Gentle, naive Caitlin, the illegitimate child, struggling to fit into a world of privilege while staying true to herself. Stunning, spoilt Amber, the party girl with a weakness for bad boys; more fragile than anyone realises. As each of them seeks to carve out her own destiny, Elizabeth, Caitlin and Amber face difficult choices, which will take them in wildly different directions. But as old wounds resurface and threaten to destroy the foundations of the Melville empire, their paths will cross again. Because the simple truth is that, no matter how far you go, you cannot escape the claims of family. 

Tara Hyland – Link.
Daughters of Fortune on Amazon for £4.72 – Link.

Lucky Lucky Lavender

So, I have already blogged about my new love of candy, pastel nail colours but this one is just confusing me; Lucky Lucky Lavender by OPI.  The name hints towards a purple based shade, the bottle looks lavender and my nails in the photo look lavender. However, in the natural light my nails are actually more of a pink.  Nonetheless, this is a pretty colour and perfect for Summer.

You can buy this for £8.50 on Amazon with free delivery - link.

Little bit in love with lace

I have always had a little obsession with lace and so I’m very excited that it’s a big trend for Spring Summer 2012.  Lace is so feminine and demure (if you’ve read my blog before, you know I’m a true girls girl) and always makes me feel very ladylike.  I LOVED the lace Zara blouse that literally sold out everywhere a few months ago and I have a few lace dresses in my wardrobe that I’ve worn far too many times.  I’ve put my current fave lace items from the high street below- you will notice they are all white/ivory and this is because I don’t actually wear lace in anything but black and white.

The below Mango pencil skirt shows how lace can be worn in a sexy but sophisticated way and the FCUK dress and Oasis t-shirt are just super cute.  Perfect for Spring/Summer.

Lace pencil skirt, Mango, £59.99 Link

Lisella lace shift dress from French Connection, £150 Link

Lace t-shirt, Oasis, £40 Link

Prim & Proper – The Midi Skirt

At only 5ft ,4″ I always thought midi skirts – not mini and not maxi so either to the knee or slightly above/below – would make me look short and stumpy.  I hadn’t tried any on but seeing the above ASOS skirt for only £12, I quickly purchased the blue one ready for Spring.  And the result? Worn carefully it actually looks really cute!  I will wear mine with a cropped top and high wedges (day) or heels (evening).  I love crop tops but always seem to wear them with palazzo pants as to not show too much flesh, so the midi skirt is ideal- pretty and perfect for Spring/Summer.  I will, however, only wear the midi skirt with heels as with flats it will definitely shorten me by a few inches!

(Above) ASOS midi skirt in cream or blue, £12. Link!

I also love the metallic pleat calf skirt in a yellowy/gold from Topshop, £36 (link) and the mint green chiffon pleated midi skirt from New Look for £19.99 (link).

The Perfect Brow – Eylure

Eyebrows can really frame a face – if they’re kept neat, tidy and in proportion.  My brows are quite dark and shaped in a soft arch but as they are so dark, finding a shade to match is quite difficult.  I’ve recently been using Eylure’s Shape and Shade Brow Palette that you can buy from Boots for £10.99. The compact palette contains two brown shades (a lighter and darker colour), a highlighter and wax along with 4 brow stencils.  I use the brush that comes with it to apply the darker shade; it’s not too heavy and lasts all day.  I’m not quite sure why there is eyebrow wax in there (maybe someone can enlighten me) and although the stencil shapes are fab, they are on plastic.  You try holding plastic on your face while filling in the brow- just doesn’t work – or maybe that’s me! Anyway I am digressing… the colour is a good match for me and I’m pretty pleased with the end result; shaped brows for my tiny pea head.