Beauty Review: Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 2 and Nectar Thermique

Christmas has been kind to me this year. I received some sample sized Kerastase products, and thought I'd write about them! I have very dry hair, and never believed that there would be a product out there that would turn my rebellious tresses into luscious locks. However, I was proven wrong. My hair is naturally thick and straight, but since I've been studying at university, I have experienced an increase of greys (yes, grey hair, at twenty-one years old) and the general texture of my hair has become limp over the course of time. My friend said this was most likely due to stress. After being forced to cut my hair short last year, I choose to not dye my hair because dying it makes it die (apologies for the pun). This Christmas, though, my hair has been restored to its former appearance. I was always told that the shampoo didn't matter, and that it was the conditioner which was vital. My experience has told me otherwise!

Image: Kerastase

Pictured above is 'Bain Satin 2' which is part of the Kerastase Nutritive collection. The shampoo not only forms a luxurious lather, but makes your hair feel amazing afterwards. Its only flaw is the smell, as it resembles the inside of an old lady's unused teapot. Fortunately, the leave-in treatment does smell much nicer. I like that the company have not added lots of useless chemicals to the solution in order to make it smell nice. I always find with shampoos such as Herbal Essences that, even though they smell gorgeous, they don't actually improve the condition of my hair. The sample size of the product has given me just over a week of usage, so I imagine that the full-sized bottle is an economical purchase. It might seem a bit steep to the bank balance as it costs roughly £15.00 in various salons. If you purchase the shampoo from http://www.rush.co.uk you can use the 'new customer' offer, which entitles customers to an extra ten percent off, and they'll still be entitled to the twenty percent off the RRP. I managed to order myself a bottle for ten pounds, with free delivery! Yay.

Image: Kerastase

Nectar Thermique, as pictured above, is a nourishing cream that you massage into your hair after towel drying. The cream protects your hair from heat damage, and also contains royal jelly, which is an ingredient renowned for its conditioning and protecting qualities. After using Alberto Balsam's VO5 Smoothing Creme, which I had free with Cosmopolitan magazine (yes, very studenty, I know) I obviously needed something to condition my hair after washing it, but it was still incredibly dry! With this product, however, my hair has experienced some kind of metamorphosis! In combination with the shampoo, this product has transformed my hair. My hair now not only appears thick and full of vitality, but also very healthy. To me, appearing clean and healthy is my main priority in terms of my personal appearance. I never straighten, curl or dye my hair. I eat vegetables and fruit, drink plenty of water and do not smoke. My hair is just dry. This product just 'helps' the problems I've been experiencing, and I'll definitely be using them in the future.

On a final note, I'd say that it's worth investing in two good quality products, as opposed to having tons of products that are only used for two weeks at the price of £2.50. One of the problems I've experienced as a student is that 'cheap' isn't always better. So yes, I'm very impressed with Kerastase! I'd definitely recommend Rush, too, if you're interested in purchasing just because they send samples in addition to their 30% off introductory offer!

Parisian Chic: Ines de la Fressange

Image: Own

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that you have had a wonderful holiday. I'm currently in the countryside, which means that it has been difficult to post blogs! At last I have found my MacBook charger, and some reliable form of internet connection, so I can! I hope that you all have a lovely beginning to the new year, as well.

Today I am going to discuss 'Parisian Chic', which is a book written by the French model Ines de la Fressange. When I was wandering around Foyles bookshop a few months ago, my boyfriend caught me flicking through it, and as a surprise I received it as a Christmas present. After my visit to Paris in February, I couldn't believe how well-dressed the French were! This book is a compilation of tips regarding fashion, beauty, and both cultural and historical institutions. The writing style is simple and straightforward, which I'm a big fan of. There is nothing worse than a badly written book! Its tone is very tongue and cheek, but it actually has a lot of useful tips that I intend to learn from. I used to be terrible at keeping clothes that didn't fit anymore, silly prints, or sales items. Fressange tells you how to buy the most versatile clothing that will stand the test of time, and also suggests ways in which you can achieve the archetypal Frenchwoman 'effortless' look. I'm planning to revamp my wardrobe in early 2013, as I'll be turning twenty-two in February and I'd love to start building up a collection of 'timeless' clothing. I'd definitely recommend it if you need a fun and engaging introduction to dressing well. It provides the basic 'rules' of fashion, and gives its readers checklists of essential items and products that every woman needs.

Emma's Book Club: Christmassy Victorian Reads

Ah books. Lovely books.

As an English Literature undergraduate, my enjoyment from books is endless. I have a slight obsession with Victorian literature, in particular. It's not just the stories themselves, but the history and the context that goes behind it. These are the two books I will be reading before leaving London for Christmas.

The Beetle by Richard Marsh

Richard Marsh's novel, according to the blurb, outsold Bram Stoker's Dracula! Unbelievable, and yet, no one knows of him? I will be analysing this text for my Dissertation, which I will begin writing next month. The fear of degeneration in the Victorian era absolutely fascinates me, and these fears are evident in the literature of the period. I'm very excited to read this! The edition I have is by Wordsworth, and it cost just £2.99 including postage. Apparently the novel is otherwise out of print, and has long been. If you would prefer to read an ebook version, the novel is free to download for the Kindle.

Christmas Books by Charles Dickens

Yes, another 'Victorian' book. I'm taking a Charles Dickens module next semester at Uni, but I'm reading this one for pleasure. I'm half-way through reading A Christmas Carol which is just as humorous and brilliant as my preconceptions led me to believe. Unlike Marsh's novel, however, Dickens's text makes much more light and festive reading! The story, by itself, is also free to download on Kindle. If you would prefer a paperback edition, Wordsworth have published a paperback for just £1.99 including postage. I'd recommend buying a more expensive edition if you like big fonts (like me). 

Fashion: Zara Office City Bag

Image: Own

For Christmas, I have received the Zara Office City Bag from my generous parents. I was looking for the perfect 'Uni bag' and this had proven to be impossible during the past two years of study. I needed a bag that could not only carry my 15" Macbook Pro, but also fit in notebooks/textbooks and essays! I also wanted a little compartment to hold my personal items i.e. purse, phone and keys.

The bag itself is beautiful. It was much bigger than I thought it would be. As I'm now studying in my third year, I wanted a bag that was not only stylish but just more 'grown up' than my typical brown satchel or Cath Kidston box bag. What I love most about this bag is the shoulder protector on the strap. There's nothing worse than carrying lots on my pleasant half an hour walk to Uni and then having a sore shoulder, too! The little handles on the side mean that you can just carry it, as well, if that's more to your taste.

Image: Own

Inside the compartments (there's five altogether) there's plenty of space to neatly organise your belongings. The burgundy coloured lining inside the bag also conforms to the 'berry' colour trend this season. In the middle one, I managed to fit my Macbook in quite easily, which was a wonderful surprise! Two of the compartments do not have zips, however, so I'd advise that these are used for books, magazines or diaries. I'm definitely looking forward to using this next month when I return to lectures!

Eyeko Mascara Update!

Hello everyone!

This will be a short (but nice) post to provide you with an honest review of my experience wearing the Eyeko mascara, which I've been wearing for the past few days.

Image: own

I apologise for not using my DSLR to capture how it appears on my eyes in greater detail. On my eyes I'm wearing the MUA 'Heaven and Earth' eyeshadow palette (which are £4.00 each I believe, for tons and tons of eyeshadows - it's quite amazing!). Apart from that, I am only wearing the Eyeko mascara on my eyes. Although it doesn't look too great in the image, I had been wearing the mascara for over ten hours beforehand, so I'm impressed. The lashes appear to be 'lifted' still, despite the decrease in length.

I think I will continue using the Eyeko mascara. It is definitely worth paying a little extra for a good quality mascara. I've not experienced any problems with it whatsoever, aside from the slight smudging problem I had after wearing it at work. I'm putting this down to the fact that I have naturally oily skin, so unless I am wearing a waterproof mascara, I can't really complain.

I've also noticed that many reviews online state that there is a problem with the removal of the product. In my previous Eyeko post, I mentioned that I waited until my morning shower to remove the L'oreal mascara. I found that I had to do the same with the Eyeko mascara as it just wouldn't budge with normal make-up remover. In its defence, the Eyeko mascara didn't greet me with giant splodges!

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in 'Candy Apple'

This is me wearing Revlon's Colourburst Lip Butter in 'Candy Apple'. I received the lipstick as a freebie from Cosmopolitan on Campus, as they were looking for students to test some lipsticks. I thought I would give a detailed description of my experience with this lipstick on here, as I only mentioned it in my article.

The design of the packaging is eye-catching, and the smell of the lipstick itself is gorgeous. It has a slight vanilla scent to it, much like Mac lipsticks do. The colour of the lipstick in the tube looked promising, however, when I tried it on I wasn't so sure! It seemed very bright on me.

When I applied it, the warmth of my lips must have melted the 'butter' to the extent that it became a bit too runny for my liking. Also, the colour was quite bold for my skin tone. I was worried that I'd end up resembling The Joker, when all I wanted was a simple and sophisticated red lipstick. Saying that, I imagine if the lipstick was applied with a brush instead, it would actually look very nice. Maybe if I had used it more sparingly, as opposed to building it up straight away, it would have been more of a light sheen like I was looking for.

Overall, I am glad that I tested this product before buying other lip butters from the Revlon range. I think I would go for a lighter colour if I were to buy this product in the future. My lips were very moisturised, and it was perfect for the cold weather conditions. I would definitely like to buy one that has more pink-ish tones, so that I can just quickly apply it when I'm out and about. They're very handbag friendly! Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters are priced at £7.99 nationwide.

Eyeko Skinny Mascara

 

Image: Own

Finding the perfect mascara is a dilemma for most women, but it is especially difficult for an Emma! I'm not sure if it because both words rhyme, but I find most mascaras to be either flakey, prone to smudging or they simply do not make my eyelashes look any different!

I recently received an e-mail from Asos.com, stating that they were giving their newsletter subscribers a code that entitles them to a 10% discount, and free next day delivery too! I needed a new mascara, and I didn't want to just buy a Maybelline's classic Great Lash Mascara. While more cost-effective mascaras are great value, I find that (as much as I like them) I end up resembling a panda by the time I finish my seminars at Uni, or shifts at work.

The mascara I have been using for the past two months, L'oreal Double Extend Mascara, has its pros and cons. It refuses to smudge without being waterproof (I find that waterproof mascara dry my eyelashes out, I think I may actually have combination lashes!), but it is incredibly hard to remove from your eyes! I've had to wait until my morning showers, where the mascara skids off my eyes in massive clumps (it's quite terrifying, actually), just to see my natural eyes again!

But yes, I'm going to try this new Eyeko mascara. It costs £15.00 usually - so it's a bit above my budget. With free delivery and 10% discount, however, it cost me just £13.50. Bearing in mind that L'oreal mascaras range from £9.00-£12.00, I thought that it wouldn't be too much of a jump up into the luxury world of cosmetics. With its squeezy tube, it means that you can make sure that the whole mascara is used before purchasing another one. So in actual fact, this product should be more economical than the majority of other mascaras. I've experienced this many times, where I've convinced myself that there's "more inside the tube!".

Image: Own

My first impressions of the mascara are good. The packaging itself is really pretty, in my opinion. I'm slightly worried about the wand clumping, but I won't be able to tell until I've used it. The 'blue thing' is actually an eye shield, so that when you apply the mascara, it doesn't accidentally catch your eyelid too! I am tempted to use it as a plectrum for my acoustic guitar, though ... oops.

I'm going to begin wearing this tomorrow and see how it goes. I will hopefully be able to get some photographs up of how it looks on my eyes too. I'm sooooo fussy with mascara, but I've got high hopes for Eyeko!

Fashion: Ankle boots

I'm slightly obsessed with one of the most popular fashion trends of this season. Ankle boots are not only practical in the winter, but they can make any outfit look tres chic! Black ones look stunning with black tights, and gives us girls an excuse to wear dresses! A brown, more tan-like colour, would be more likely to go with jeans. Here are some ankle boots that I've discovered online, all of which are at student-friendly prices!

TopShop 'Mighty' Black Leather Zip Ankle Boot: £41.50 (with student discount).

Dorothy Perkins 'Chelsea Block Heel Boots': £28.00 (sale price)

Asos tan ankle boots: £12.50 (sale price)

The obligatory first post.

Hello everyone!

I'm very excited to begin a new blog. I've been a fan of blogging from a young age. However, I would like to start writing content that is interesting for people to read, as opposed to writing for myself ... if that makes any sense?

I have a personal Tumblr account, but it appears to be more of a diary. Since becoming an Editor for the university magazine, I seem to have caught 'the writing bug'. After writing some fun and very girly articles for HerUni.com I have wanted to set up a blog where I could build up on these ideas I keep having. So, I thought I would give it a go. I am aware that I am no Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott-Fitzgerald but, maybe if things went really well, some people may enjoy reading this blog!