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Wednesday 29 October 2014

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Review

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Review
Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Review
So we dye it, straighten it, curl it and blow dry it. Our poor hair has to go through a lot and mine is no exception. I have been highlighting my hair for nearly 10 years and my hair has started to look neglected and frayed at the ends. Think candy floss and not the yummy kind!

I love a serum, but the idea of applying an oil to my hair scared me a little. I have oily roots and the thought of applying more oil to it seemed a bit odd. I picked up this Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil after being really impressed with their shampoo and conditioning products. So after washing and drying my hair,  I add a small pump to the palm of my hand and rubbed them together to warm the oil. I then lightly run the oil to the dry ends of the hair and any left over the flyaways. I can honestly say it didn't make my hair any oilier than normal and it instantly calmed the crazy bush looking ends I have been failing to rock. 


It smells really delicious and even though I don't like the feel of oil in my hands the finish effect made it worth it. I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and a little goes a long way with this product; for the price tag it makes it a little better. If you want a cheaper option, I have written a review for a budget friendly serum (here).



What do you think of this oil? Let me know in the comments

Stay beautiful
xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

Sunday 26 October 2014

When Casper Met Tan | James Read Liquid Tan Review

James Read Liquid Tan Review

Some say that pale is interesting, that my skin is the epitomy of an English rose. So why do I feel the need to smother my body in brown liquid and dust my cheek bones with deep mahogany powders? It baffles me and yet I do. Now some celebrities pull pale of with such exquisite beauty that they resemble a fragile china doll. Again, sadly my skin is mottled with freckles and moles - not the cute kind!  I have tried so many different fake tans over the years and many just do not sit well on my Casper white skin. That was until I was given a sample of James Read Liquid Tan and it was love at first mitt.

The tan is VERY runny, so I would recommend applying it in the bathroom. A month ago I was left with a dubious looking brown stain on my bed from some over eager sloshing. I apply it to a mitt, my one is from Boots and costs a lovely £2.66, and with light circular motions buff the tan into the skin. What ever tan is left on the mitt, work into the face and back of hands for a lighter finish. This is a tan that you put on at night, catch some zzz and in the morning wash it off. For me one coat isn't enough to make a large difference, so if I am tanning for an event I start applying it a couple of nights before.

Tip: once you become the master of streak free application you can get away with using it as an instant tan, it develops while you are out busting your thang on the dance floor. But, note! If it rains or some over eager love suitor spills his beer down your legs the tan WILL run and you WILL look like you have had a fight with an open tea bag. Be warned!


What tan would you recommend for pale skin? Leave ideas in the comments!

Stay beautiful
xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

Thursday 23 October 2014

Must Have Drugstore Concealer | Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer Review

I have to admit, I don't often use drugstore makeup. But that is only because I have been lucky enough to work for some big brands over the years and I have stocked up on all of my favourite premium products. Sometimes I get big old spots that manifest into second heads or third eyes and I can't escape the dark circles that hood my eyes and make it look like I never sleep. 

I was recently sent a sample of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer* to try and it has become my go to product. No looking back now! 



After

What they say: Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer* fruit-therapy correcting concealer smoothes away dark circles and imperfections.

What I say: The oil-free formula means it is perfect for my oily skin and gives it great staying power. The creamy texture glided onto my skin and felt really light. I used a sponge to create a flawless finish and it turned the cream into a powder once patted into the skin, but you could use a brush or your fingers. On another note, the concealer smells amazing! Really fruity and sweet, lovely to put on my face every day. I was also pleased to find that the product didn't sink into the fine lines around and under my eyes. 

There are three different shades to pick from, I have the shade Eclat Medium and it is perfect for my pale skin tone. I will be stocking up on this little beauty, I seem to be getting through it at lightning speed and it is fairly cheap as far as concealers go! 
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, £7.99


Are there any drugstore concealers you would recommend? 

Stay beautiful
xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Post Summer Detox | Juice Cleanse

Post Summer Detox | Juice Cleanse
If you are a friend of mine on Facebook then you may have been aware that I have been burning the candle at both ends. After a break up of a relationship I think that is normal. Saying yes to everything has meant I was drinking and eating out almost every night of the week and going on crazy party holidays. Yes I have had amazing fun over the last 6 months but my body has not thanked me. After last week's four night drink-a-thon with one of my best friends I decided I needed a detox. I needed to give back to the body that had kept me going to all of those events and up until the early hours. 

My house mate suggested a juice detox. I am not one to believe in substituting all food for blended veggies, I can't see how this could be healthy. When I was researching the Juice Diet it was suggested that one should have six juices a day. There was no way I could do that. So we decided to swap two meals a day for a juice and have a light health meal in the evenings. I also knew I wouldn't want to do it for too long, four days was long enough and I really didn't want to be starving.

Post Summer Detox | Juice Cleanse

Post Summer Detox | Juice Cleanse
Post Summer Detox | Juice Cleanse
I finished the diet last week and I have to admit I do feel better. So I thought I would go through my routine and give you the ingredients to my pretty yummy juice. 

I start the day with a hot water and lemon, this apparently starts the cleanse. If you like lemon flavoured things then you may like it. For me it reminds me of Lemisp and I instantly feel like I am sick. At about 9:30 I have my first 400ml green juice, I can make this last me a good hour so I am not really hungry until 12:30. During this period I can have as much peppermint tea and cups of water as I like. But by 1pm I can feel myself feeling a bit tired and my stomach starts to protest. So I go for a little 10min walk and come back to drink my lunchtime 400ml green juice. This is the same as the breakfast one. 

I have admit that after that the afternoons were difficult. I was really hungry by about 3:30 so I caved in and had a banana, which I don't really think is cheating! Again, I drink lost of water and peppermint tea and that gets me right round to home time. This has become my favourite part, I actually look forward to making my dinner. I wanted to be as healthy as possible so I stuck to steamed or baked fish with lots of green veggies on the side. Then before bed another cup of hot water and lemon. 

All in all this hasn't been as hard as I was expecting, but then I did only do two juices a day. I would not recommend this for a long period of time, your body needs fat, fibre and protein. But the short burst I did made me feel less bloated and I saw a difference in the definition of my stomach. It wasn't really about weight loss but I did lose 4pounds over the week. 

Here are my ingredients to make 800ml of juice. It cost me roughly £6.50 a day (2 juices) to make but this is cheaper than buying them from a shop where they cost £4.00 each! You will need.

1 large handful of spinach
1/2 avocado
1/2 small lemon
1/2 pineapple
1 inch of ginger
1/2 cucumber
1/2 or whole large orange
3 Gala apples

Make sure you remove the skin of the orange, pineapple, avocado and lemon. Stick it all in a juicer or blender and then decant into your bottles.  

I am also starting a diet and exercise plan in a couple of weeks which has been personally created for me as a 6 week programme. So I will let you know how that goes with before and after photos. 

Has anyone else done a juice cleanse and can recommend any to me? Leave a comment!

Stay beautiful 

xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Review

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Review
I seem to be on this never ending hunt for the perfect mascara. I just cant find one that doesn't smudge onto my brow bone or leave dark rings beneath my eyes. I had a sample of the Eyeko Black Magic Mascara and after my much loved Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara dried up I thought I would give it a whirl. 

What they say: Designed for after hours seduction, the ultimate mascara combines three key elements to create drama, volume and curl. Conditioning formula blends key ingredients Keratin and Shea Butter for instantly transformed lashes and superior staying power that's easy to remove. 


Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Review
Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Review





What I say: Now I love love the packaging, it is different and I like different.  The Eyeko Black Magic Mascara wand has a curved brush to help shape and curl the lashes. I was happy to find out that the brush evenly distribute the mascara onto each lash and there was no clumping at all. My lashes looked very natural, but not very long. Another plus was that the colour is a deep black, so there is more of an impact for blue or green eyes. 

On the first day I tried it I really didn't like it. It was wet and really hard to build up, even with a few coats I couldn't get them to curl very well. Through out the day I had been wearing it and it was all fine, I couldn't see too much smudging which I was quite pleased about. Then I went and met friends. The first thing one of them said "Charley you have black marks under your eye brows", I was not a happy bunny! I rubbed them off and carried on my evening but I was really paranoid.

On the second day the formula seemed to have dried out a little bit and I found that I was getting a lot more coverage than the previous day. I started to come round to it and thought it was worth seeing through and I am so pleased that I did because I am hooked on the stuff. It is like black gold that adds flutter and definition to my otherwise invisible lashes! All hail Eyeko!  




Have you tried this mascara? What did you think? 

Let me know in the comments


Stay beautiful 
xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

Thursday 2 October 2014

#5LondonLoves | Five Guys in Covent Garden Review

God I love a good burger! Any excuse to stuff a beef patty in my mouth, I ill take it. So in true Pixi Picks spirit and the never ending quest for the perfect burger I headed down to Five Guys in Covent Garden, London. 

Now I don't like to go to places just because of the hype. I often waked past, seeing a long queue to get in and scoffed at those silly enough to wait. Yesterday luck was on our side and there wasn't much of a line, so we took our place at the front and waited to be let in by the miserable looking girl on the door. 

The principle is very similar to a fast food joint. Cashiers take your orders and you can watch the manic chefs whipping burgers in the background. The atmosphere was pretty electric and the sounds of the kitchens were almost deafening but it got me quite hyped up. I went for a Little Cheese Burger, Fries and a fountain drink. The drink fountain has so many flavour options that it took me a while to choose; Peach Sprite if you were wondering. 




Don't let the look of the meal fool you! It was pretty god damn yummy! I have to say the chips were the best part. Fried in peanut oil and left in their skins they are a sumptuous, salty mouthful that I couldn't stop munching on. My burger was a little cold, but I loved that I could choose as many extras as I liked, I may have gone a bit OTT. Also, the actual burger part was meaty and very tasty. 

My big question was, is it better then Shake Shack? And I am honestly not sure. Can I have the Five Guys fries with a Shake Shack burger? Hmmm! If you want to read what I thought of Shake Shack it's (here)

Have you been to either or both? Which was your favourite? Let me know in the comments.

Stay beautiful
xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

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