Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 22 August 2016

Wishlist #4

beauty wishlist ft. urban decay vice all nighter naked, kat von d shade + light huda beauty lip contour

Hi everyone, I have another beauty wish list post today to coincide with a few new launches happening soon! As usual, its palette heavy J

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Face Palette

I have had my eye on this for what seems like forever! It gets raves reviews, seems to be perfect for fair skin, it’s cool toned and it’s all matte! I will not be a happy bunny if this sells out before I get my hands on it! I never wanted to make a Sephora order for it because I was worried the powders would smash in transit so I’m glad the brand has finally made its way over here after months of rumours! I think it’s due for release on Debenhams online on the 13^th September and will make its way into stores in October!

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette

See above! If you have read my blog for any length of time you might know that I like matte formulations especially when it comes to eyeshadows. For me they are just easier to wear on a day to day basis so I am all over this release like a bad rash!

Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation

A full coverage, matte, waterproof foundation from one of my favourite make up brands? Yes please! I will be hot footing it to my local Debenhams as soon as this comes in store to get matched and hope it lives up to the hype I have created in my head for it! It’s release in the UK on September 1^st!

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick

It goes without saying that Urban Decay’s huge lipstick overhaul has been one of the most exciting launches of the year! I can’t believe I haven’t actually bought one yet but there are so many I want I can’t decide! Every time I’m near a counter I swatch the life out of my hand and still can’t decide what I want! Backtalk, Wrong Number and Morning After are top of my list at the minute and I actually went to order Backtalk from Feel Unique a few weeks ago when they had 10% off but it was out of stock!

Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics

Naked Basics 2 is my favourite Urban Decay palette and contains the only shade I have ever hit pan on – Frisk – so it only seems right that I add this to my wishlist! I am loving the shade range and I know it’s another matte palette but man I really want it! Maybe one for the Christmas list! It launches in September in the US so I’m assuming the UK should be around the same time!

Huda Beauty Lip Contour in Bombshell

I am currently loving lip pencils so after seeing a lot of hype around these they are next on my list to try! Bombshell looks like the perfect pinky nude which is a shade I wear very often and if I’m going to pay £16 for it I want it in a shade that will be in constant rotation!

Special mention also has to go to the new Too Faced/Kat Von D magnetic palette, I love the concept of this but a lot of the shades don’t appeal to me and there aren’t enough mattes for me to justify it but I think it’s an amazing idea! I’m very worried for my bank balance over the next few months! Expect to see these in a wish list purchases post soon!

If you liked this post you might like these:

Wishlist #1

Wishlist #2
Wishlist #3

Wishlist Purchases #1

Wishlist Purchases #2

Have you tried any of these products? Tell me what you are lusting after at the minute!

Danielle xx

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Yes OUAI

OUAI haircare review repair shampoo conditioner finishing creme wave spray

Morning everyone! I was recently sent some exciting hair products to try out from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin’s new haircare brand OUAI! Looking after the likes of the Kardashians and Chrissy Teigan’s hair I had high hopes for these products and *spoiler alert* they didn’t disappoint! Called OUAI after the casual slang for yes in French, this brand is all about getting good hair (inside and out) the easy way.

First off let’s talk about the packaging. Chic, simplistic, understated and I love the hexagonal lids of the shampoo and conditioner! All the products have very generous sized packaging so even though they are more expensive than your average drugstore hair product you really are getting value for your money. OUAI products are also not tested on animals.

The OUAI Repair Shampoo* (RRP £22) is a nourishing shampoo, free from parabens and sulphates, designed to fortify breakage prone hair and leave it feeling stronger and shinier. Although I have oily hair (with dry ends) I haven’t found this too much for my roots at all and have been washing my hair as normal every second day! It leaves my hair stronger and looking shinier and works perfectly with the OUAI Repair Conditioner* (RRP £22). This is a moisturising shampoo that nourishes damaged hair without adding weight which is perfect for my fine hair! I got it cut about three weeks ago so it is in pretty good condition at the minute anyway but it grows quickly and I use heat on it every day so the ends do tend to get damaged!

OUAI’s range of shampoos share a signature scent which includes a blend of Italian lemon, Turkish rose, jasmine, iris, lily and white musk while the range of conditioners also share a signature scent – a blend of Italian lemon, bergamot, rose de mai, magnolia, lily, blackberry, cedar wood, amber, patchouli, sandalwood and white musk. I can definitely detect the slight difference in scent but they both work together so well to create a long-lasting, distinctive scent that lasts to my next wash!

The OUAI Finishing Crème* (RRP £20) is a lightweight cream I've been using on the ends of my hair, it smooth’s dry ends and gives hair extra shine! It also protects against UV rays, pollutants and heat but I felt like I was missing out on this quality the first few times I used it as I applied the crème after I was finished styling with my GHD’s. I now pop a little in damp hair before blow drying and then a little more after I've finished styling and it works so well to tame flyways while not weighing my hair down!

When I first saw the OUAI Wave Spray* (RRP £22) I almost mistook it for the hair oil because of its colour! The wave spray is a lightweight texturizing mist perfect for enhancing your natural waves to give it perfectly undone look. I unfortunately don’t have a natural wave to enhance so I rely on a wave wand to make my hair look undone! I spray this liberally through the lengths of my hair when it’s damp and a little bit into the roots then rough dry before taking different sized sections and wrapping round my wave wand. I’m so impressed with the finished result! As my hair is quite straight naturally, anytime I curl it I have to spray so much hairspray or the curl will fall out almost straight away. To properly test the “memory” claims this wave spray has I've been forgoing the hair spray and I can’t get over the results! My waves last all day, they have a gorgeous texture that doesn’t feel sticky or crunchy, it doesn’t make my hair greasy and it smells amazing too! I’ll spray some more in my hair the next day, turn upside down and scrunch upwards to get a bit more volume and texture. It’s also been forcing me out of my comfort zone as a serial hair straightener! Like the shampoo and conditioner, the wave spray contains similar notes contributing to its beautiful musky scent. A perfume with the OUAI scent will also be released next year!

OUAI haircare repair shampoo conditioner wave spray review

A cringey timer shot of me ruffling my hair after washing with the Repair shampoo and conditioner and using the Wave Spray and a waving wand - hope you can see the shine!

All OUAI Haircare products also contain what they call Smart Technology – a cocktail of nourishing ingredients including amino acids, tamarind seed, keratin, ama oil, hibiscus and jasmine to fortify strands, enhance moisture levels, repair and protect from humidity. All these elements work together to make my hair supper soft, shiny and yep I’m going to say it – swishy! Definitely a brand to try!

You can purchase OUAI Haircare from Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic and SpaceNK.

Have you tried anything from OUAI Haircare? What’s your favourite hair care brand?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

Danielle xx

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Pamper Essentials

After getting home from holidays a few weeks ago the only thing I wanted to do was soak in the bath for half an hour and pamper myself. Unfortunately, due to a broken boiler my plans were scuppered and I was treated to a cold shower instead! With everything back in working order now I thought I take you through my usual pamper routine!

bath hair body pamper lush garnier soap and glory

Starting with the bath, the ultimate treat is a great big Lush bath bomb to fill the bathroom with a gorgeous scent and the bath full of bubbles! I savour every Lush bath I take because I don’t take them that often as their products are so expensive. They are the most gorgeous smelling, bubbly, relaxing baths though! I think this is the So White bath bomb that I have had since Christmas, whoopsie! I used it last week and as well as smelling amazing. it made my skin feel so soft and supple! Cheaper alternatives include the magic wand I mentioned in last week’s empties post or the Soap and Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble bath.

While I’m waiting for the bath to fill I’ll usually dampen my hair and pop a leave in treatment on to work its magic. At the minute I’ve been using the Garnier Ultimate Blends Strength Restorer Balm* which smells of honey and leaves my hair feeling super soft and manageable after I wash it out!

As a serial fake tan wearer, a good scrub is a necessity in my pamper routine and Soap and Glory Pulp Friction along with a pair of exfoliating gloves is the best I’ve ever tried! It has the Fruitigo fragrance and the little exfoliating beads are great at removing tan (without hurting) and it gives a good lather so I don’t feel like I am wasting product! Once I get out of the bath I will follow with a good moisturiser like Soap and Glory Righteous Butter which is a thick cream that is easily absorbed and smells amazing while keeping my skin feeling soft and supple!

skincare pamper moa magic organic apothecary green balm origins mask

To make sure I’ve got the days makeup off I’ll use a balm cleanser like the MOA Green Balm which is 100% natural and feels amazing to massage into my skin! As it’s multipurpose it can also be used to soothe bites, eczema, bruises, grazes and is suitable for sensitive skin and it’s so effective as a makeup remover.

I will then put on a facemask depending on what way my skin is looking/feeling like. The Origins Clear Improvement mask is still one of my favourites and one I use regularly when my skin just needs a refresh ready for the week ahead. I also talked about it in this post about my Skincare Saviours! I’ll also apply Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask about once a week to give my skin a real boost of hydration and I always wake up with plumper, softer skin after using this! It smells amazing!

hand feet manicure pedicure pamper essentials cream nails

My feet were so dry after coming back from holiday, I couldn’t wait to get my Burt’s Bees Coconut foot cream slathered all over them and I also put bed socks on for a few hours to make it more of a treatment for them! This cream smells amazing and is so thick it almost feels waxy and it makes my feet super soft within hours!

I’m also loving the Grown Alchemist Vanilla and Orange Peel hand cream at the minute, it absorbs so quickly (a must have for hand cream), makes my hands feel so smooth and soft and if you get a chance you need to smell this – it’s so uplifting and fresh! Oh and it has one of those metal tubes for packaging meaning I get to use my wringer when it starts running out J

Having a fresh mani/pedi also makes me feel pampered so although maybe not straight after I’ve covered my hands and feet in cream I will file my nails and, pop the toe separators in and pick a nail colour. I’m loving Essie Virgin Snow at the minute and it’s perfect for summer so that’s what’s been gracing my nails recently along with OPI Nail Envy (best nail polish ever) and Seche Vite over the top to make it last longer!

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

What are your pamper essentials? Have you tried anything I’ve mentioned?

Danielle xx

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Summer Lovin’ Tag

Hi everyone, I was tagged by the lovely Leanne to do the Summer Lovin’ Tag so here it is J

Favourite Perfume

I have the tiniest perfume collection because I am so picky with scents but a firm favourite of mine is DKNY Be Delicious. I wear this all year round but it’s perfect in summer because it’s so fresh and light! It lasts all day on me and I love pairing it with the matching body lotion which I’ve just ran out of! This isn’t in the photo because it’s impossible to photograph!

Favourite Lip Colour

This is a tough one for me because I love lip products! Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Lovers Coral is an old favourite and fail safe for me because it’s sheer enough to apply without a mirror but just makes me look done and I love the coral colour and shine for summer! A close second is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk which I have become obsessed with since I got it, I love the shade and it’s so long lasting!

Favourite Drink

If I’m out it’s a gin and tonic but I drink water constantly throughout the day at work and I’m also partial to a Coke!

Favourite Blush

This is too hard, blush is probably my favourite makeup item and I own so many! I do love Hourglass Luminous Flush though, it’s so brightening and makes me look really healthy! Well I think so anyway!

hourglass luminous flush charlotte tilbury pillow talk revlon lovers coral swatches

Swatches l-r: Hourglass Luminous Flush, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Revlon Lovers Coral

Favourite Clothing Item

I’m a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl but on holidays I lived in my Topshop denim skirt and my ASOS denim pinafore in the evenings!

Favourite Movie

I do have films I like to watch at certain times of the year (Prince of Egypt at Easter and Hocus Pocus at Halloween to name a few) but none that I can think of in summer! I did use to set aside a day during the summer holidays to watch all three Mighty Ducks movies though and D2 will forever be my favourite! Can’t wait to see Suicide Squad this summer!

Favourite TV Show

All my TV shows seem to have come to an end now it’s the summer but I love Blindspot, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones and The Vampire Diaries!

Favourite Food

Pizza for life but also anything with chicken involved! I feel like I eat bigger portions in winter but the heat in summer seems to make me fuller quicker ha! Oh and ice lolly’s are a must in summer!

Thanks to Leanne for tagging me! I find it hard to keep on top of who has done these tags but if you haven’t already done it I tag Velvet Blush, Aisha and Ela!

Tell me some of your favourites in the comments below!

Danielle xx

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Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 22 August 2016

Wishlist #4

Monday, 15 August 2016

Yes OUAI

Monday, 8 August 2016

Pamper Essentials

Thursday, 4 August 2016

Summer Lovin’ Tag