All About My Hair

WowPale!

My hair is like my comfort blanket. I feel so much better about myself when I have taken time in the morning to properly do my hair, rather than just throwing it up and running out the door. Its taken me a long time to grow my hair and it is my only physical feature that I can honestly say I like about myself and even though I put it through its paces from time to time, its still in nice condition give or take a few split ends. Without sounding like I'm tooting my own flute, I do stack up a fair few compliments about my ever growing mane. Therefore, I thought I would share with you everything there is to know about my locks. 

Cut

Being honest, I haven't cut my hair in over a year. I hate, hate, hate getting my hair cut! Even getting "just a trim" makes me feel like I have been scalped. Some people fear the dentist, I fear the hairdressers. When I have plucked up the courage to let someone hack at my beloved hair, I just get a simple "trim" with a few layers. Nothing too drastic. Although about five years ago I did cut off my bum length hair off into a "Pob" Vicky Beckham style. - Never again!

Colour

Scott Cornwall Colour Restore Cool Ash  Hair Toner - £12.99 |Jerome Russell B Blonde Hair Lightening Kit - £5.99

I know some people will be horrified but I always to my colour myself, using drugstore bought products. I love my hair far to much to let anyone go near it, If its going to get messed up, I would rather try it myself and live with the consequences, than trust someone else and have them ruin it for me. I have never had any problems doing my own colour, I used box dyes for years dying my hair one colour all over. This did cause my hair to go really dark, with lots of colour build up so I had a year and a half break in dying my hair in order to get to the colour I am now. Right now the top of my hair is my natural colour and my ends are bleached. I done my own blayage ombre using Jerome Russell B Blonde Hair Lightening Kit. I wouldn't really call this a kit though as it only comes with the bleach so I also bought the Jerome Russell 40 vol Maximum Lift Developer too. To tone my hair and banish any brassy tones left from the bleach I use Scott Cornwall Colour Restore Cool Ash  Hair Toner. If you would like a full blog post on how I achieved my balayage ombre, then let me know in the comments. - Please note, I am a qualified hairdresser and I don't recommend dying your hair yourself if you do not feel confident about it. I spent a good 6 months to a year researching the best techniques and products to use before I bleached my own hair.

Shampoo & Conditioner

Alberto Balsam Coconut and Lychee Shampoo - £1.49 | Touch of Silver Shine Weekly Treatment Shampoo - £3.09 | L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oils Nourishing Mask Balm - £3.99

To clean my hair I like to do one shampoo with Alberto Balsam Coconut and Lychee Shampoo. I am not to fussy when it comes to shampoos, as long as the scent is nice and it produces a nice thick lather I'll be happy. Coconut is my favourite smell so I will always opt for that over anything else. As my hair is bleached I like to do a second shampoo with the Touch of Silver Shine Weekly Treatment Shampoo. I lather this up and leave it on my hair whilst I wash and exfoliate my body and do any of the other delightful chores us girls have to do in the shower! This shampoo is bright purple so it acts as a toner, brightening the bleached parts of my hair and helping to keep brassy tones at bay. I am one of the lucky girls who only has to wash their hair once or twice a week, so every time I do I like to use a hair mask as my conditioner. My new fave is the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oils Nourishing Mask Balm. This mask has teeny tiny glitters in that makes your hair look so, so shiny once the mask has been rinsed out and the smell lingers for days. I like to apply this once I am out the shower, I towel dry my hair to remove any excess moisture and slather the mask all over the mid lengths and ends of my hair. I probably use to much but I always get carried away! Once my ends are completely drenched in the stuff I run what ever is left on my hand through the roots of my hair, comb it through, throw my hair in a top knot and leave it to work its magic. The instructions say to leave it for 2-3 minutes but I'm not one to do things by halves so mine stays on for a good few hours. I give it a extra good rinse when it comes to washing it out and voilà super soft, shiny locks that smell incredible!

Heat Protection

Shwarzkopf Got2b Guardian Angel 220°C Heat Protection Spray - £4.07 | OGX Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil - £6.99

Before blow drying my hair I like to give it a good few sprays of the Shwarzkopf Got2b Guardian Angel 220°C Heat Protection Spray. This does what it says on the bottle, and protects my precious mane from getting too damaged when I style it using heat. After wards I add a tiny amount of OGX Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil to the ends of my hair, this just provides extra protection and the oils also add strength and shine to the hair shaft. A little bit goes a long way with this though, its so easy to over do it! Then I'll start the mammoth chore of blow drying and then head to bed!

Styling

Vo5 Extra Hold Weather Resistant Hairspray - £3.15 | Vo5 Plump It Up Dry Backcomb Spray - £3.79 | Vo5 Give Me Texture Instant Oomph Powder - £4.19

I usually style my hair the day after washing so I will always start by giving it another quick spray with my heat protector, then curl my hair using my Mark Hill curling wand (I cant find the exact one, as mine is leopard print but this looks like it could be the same shape/size). Once I have finished curling my hair I use a little bit of the Vo5 Extra Hold Weather Resistant Hairspray. This stuff is like cement at first and makes your hair feel a bit crispy, but once I give my curls a good shake that's completely gone and my hair feels like hair again! To finish ill use a little bit of my argan oil again. Usually that is all I will do styling wise and I'm good to go, but if my hair is getting close to needing a wash, I will use either the Plump It Up Dry Backcomb Spray or Vo5 Give Me Texture Instant Oomph Powder to put a bit of life back into my roots. 

If you would like in depth reviews on any of these products then just let me know in the comments or on my social media:

Twitter - @WithLoveABlog

Instagram - @withloveax

Catch up soon,

With Love ... A x

♥

                              

Five Product Face

1 L'oreal True Match | N1 Ivory - £9.99 | 2 Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express | Blackest Black - £7.99 | 3 MAC MSF Natural | Meduim Deep - £23 | 4 MAC Powder Blush | Pink Swoon - £18 | 5 MAC Cremesheen Lipstick | Creme Cup - £15.50

Since writing my recent post, My Everyday Makeup Routine, I have realised I may be a little excessive when it comes to how many products I use. It took eighteen different products to achieve my natural everyday face, EIGHTEEN! And that's just for my day to day look so I dread to think how many I would need if I was going for all out glamour! I have been seeing the 'Five Product Face' posts for a while now and love watching them on YouTube too, so I have decided to give it a go to see if my 'natural' look, looks any different when I have limited products. 

I could never do my make-up without foundation, no matter how many products I am limited, to this would always be in there somewhere! I am so so freckly, that I feel quite self conscious without a medium to full coverage base. I chose L'oreal True Match for this particular look, because even though it offers amazing coverage, it still looks like skin. As concealer wont be included in my five products (cry), I need something that is going to even out my skin tone and hid any imperfections, this foundation fits the bill perfectly.

As you know I am all about sculpting my cheekbones, so to add a bit of dimension back into my face I used MAC's MSF Natural in the shade medium deep around the perimeters of my face. MAC's pink swoon blush has also made the cut into my five products so I used this on the apples of my cheeks. I couldn't not wear blusher, especially as I wont be using a highlight, because I it just perks my skin tone up and adds a bit of life back into my skin. I haven't been feeling to well this week so my skin is looking extra pale and dull. Bronzer and blusher are vital steps for me to make myself look more lively.

Mascara is another product that instantly makes me look more awake and refreshed. So next on my list is Maybelline The Falsies. This mascara really opens my eyes and adds so much length and volume to my lashes - I love it!

Finally, I wouldn't be myself if I didn't have lippy on! And once again MAC's crème cup has wormed its way in! I honestly don't know how I got by without my new best lipstick friend and if you don't already have please do yourself the biggest favour and just go and try it on .. You can thank me later! Its just beautiful. 

Lets pretend my stylish onesie and messy hair is tousled locks and a chic Chanel number OK?

What would your five products be?

Catch up soon,

With Love ... A x

♥

                             

  

Top 5 Lipsticks For Summer





Mac All Fired Up - £15.50 | Rimmel Apocolips Apocoliptic - £6.49 | Mac Pure Decoration (LE) - £15.50 | Collection Lasting Colour (Shade Unknown) £2.99| Mac Impassioned - £15.50



One of the things I love about makeup, is the different looks that can be worn during each season. For the summer I love glowy skin, simple eyes and a pop of colour on the lips (although like I have said before, I am a nudist at heart so I will occasionally stick to my roots!). I thought I would share my top 5 summer lipsticks with you.

Mac All Fired Up

This is a beautiful deep, red-ish pink colour, that looks amazing with a simple cat eye. Its matte formula means it has excellent staying power but can be a tad drying on the lips. Although this can easily be combated by applying a lip balm before putting the lipstick on. 

Rimmel Apocolips - Apocoliptic





I have a slight love/hate relationship with the Rimmel Apocolips lip lacquers. I find the formula to be quite messy and hard to work worth and feel like they never fully dry. If its windy out and my hair goes on my lips when I am wearing this, my face will covered in it within seconds. I do however, think this neon coral colour is such a staple for the summer and a shade that I am yet to find elsewhere, so despite its downfalls, it still has a special place in my summer makeup bag.

Mac Pure Decoration

This is my trusty nude that carries me through the summer. It has an orange undertone, so I find I reach for this more on sunnier days than I do my more brown toned nudes. It is a cremesheen formula meaning it is comfortable to wear and  super moisturizing on the lips. It is very pale though, so I do have to wear a slightly darker lip liner and gloss to prevent the dreaded look of concealer lips!



Collection Lasting Colour - Shade Unknown

An oldy but a goody - hence why the name has rubbed off so I don't know the shade. This is a bright orange colour that looks amazing with a tan although I do still wear it when I'm paler. Its so creamy and moisturizing to wear but does wear off quite quickly.

Mac Impassioned

This is my go to colour if I am in need of bit of a confidence boost! It is a bright pink that once again I love to wear with a simple cat eye and wispy falsies! It doesn't look as bright in the photo but it is so beautiful in person. I feel so much better about myself if I am wearing this lipstick, its such a fun colour.

What is your favourite look to wear during the summer?

Catch up soon.

With Love ... A x

♥

Everday Makeup Routine

 I have been wracking my brains for the last day or two, thinking about what should be my next post. I was thinking a reviewing a new foundation but I don't feel like I have used it enough to know how I honestly feel about it. Then after seeing my lovely friend Nikki's Twenty Minute Makeup post on Precious Wonders, I decided to do something along the same lines - Hope you don't mind Nik! Unfortunately I am yet to master the skill of doing it in twenty minutes - well done girl! So I figured I would just show you my everyday simple look that I rely on when I don't have the time or energy to be more creative.

Preparation

 After washing and moisturizing my face, I like to prime my skin so that my foundation doesn't budge throughout the day. I don't have a particular primer that I will always repurchase but at the minute I am using Benefits' The POREfessional - £24.50. I don't suffer with big pores so I couldn't tell you whether it works wonders at filling them in, but I do find it keeps my foundation is place without much need to touch up throughout the day.

 Face

My holy grail foundation is Revlon Colorstay | Buff - £12.49. I love everything about this foundation! The coverage is medium to full which is perfect for me as I like to cover up my freckle infested skin! Also, I am super pale so finding this foundation has been a lifesaver! Most drugstore brands palest shades are either too pink or two orange for my vampire skin tone, where as this one seems too blend flawlessly and also works well when I have a tinsy bit of a tan, as I can just do a bit of extra bronzing. Its also worth noting that I use the formula for combination to oily skin.

For concealer I chop and change between two. My all time favourite is MAC Pro Longwear concealer |NC15 - £17.00. This is the most full coverage concealer I have found and it works wonders for brightening under the eyes. On a day to day basis (and in the photo above) I use Collection Lasting Perfection concealer Fair - £4.19. This is concealer has a really good coverage and doesn't crease under the eyes. I don't get many spots or blemishes, so I tend to use concealer to highlight under the eyes and down the centre of my face, both of these concealers work perfectly for this.

 In order to keep my foundation and concealer in place all day I set them both using MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural | Light - £23.00. Some may say its excessive but I use two different powders to contour and bronze my face. As I am so pale, I find if I contour with out bronzing first it looks too harsh and muddy. So in order to achieve a natural glow I use MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural | Medium Deep - £23.00. As it is technically a face powder rather than a bronzer, it creates a natural tan rather than looking orange. For my contour I use Benefit Hoola - £23.50. This is the perfect contour shade as it isn't too red or orange, creating a subtle shadow under the cheekbones. I am all about the contouring life, my makeup wouldn't feel complete without it!

 I have three go to blushes that are all from MAC. Which one I wear depends on what lip colour I am going for that day. For a neutral look I like to wear MAC Powder Blush | Pink Swoon - £18.00. This is the colour I am wearing in the photo. Its a matte blush baby pink colour that gives the cheeks a beautiful naturally flushed look. If I am wearing a bright red or pink lip, I like use MAC Powder Blush | Dolly Mix - £18.00. I find this deeper pink colour co-ordinates well with a brighter lip, tying the whole look together. Finally for a bronzed look I go for MAC Mineralize Blush | Warm Soul - £20.00.

 For my highlight I use MAC MSF | Soft and Gentle - £23.00. I use this on my cheekbones, nose, brow bone, inner corner and cupids bow. It adds the most beautiful glow to the skin perfect for summer.

Oh my word that a hell of a lot of face products! Just writing them has taken me an hour, let alone putting them on!

 Eyes

To prime my eyes I use MAC Pro longwear Paint Pot | Painterly - £15.50, this little gem keeps my shadow in place all day long. I like to keep my eyes fairly neutral on a day to day basis, meaning if I need to take my look from day to night in a hurry (I never do, I literally work and sleep!) I can add winged liner, falsies and jazz it up with a bright lippy! So just in case I get whisked off on a fancy pants date night straight from work (Pah!), I sweep a little bit of Soft and Gentle across my lid and blend Hoola into the crease for a little definition. Simples. To finish the eyes off I curl my lashes and add a coat each of Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - £4.99 and Maybelline The Falsies - £7.99 both in black. A sweep of Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Khol Liner | Nude - £3.99 across the lower water line and the eyes are done.

Lips

Depending on the day and what I am wearing my lip colour varies. At the moment I am loving MAC Cremesheen Lipstick | Crème Cup - £15.50. It is the perfect pink toned nude. I line my lips using Barry M Lip Liner Pencil | 115 Russet - £2.99.

Finishing Touches

To tame my brows I brush them through with Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara | Dark Brown - £4.99. This adds a small amount of colour to my brows, but more importantly it keeps any stray hairs in place. Finally a quick spritz of MAC Fix + - £15.50 to set everything in place and I am good to go! PHEW!

So that right there is my face! And to echo Nikki, its a frikkin expensive face at that! I walk around with a £226 face everyday! - I need a lie down.

Catch up soon.

With Love ...

A x

♥

The Liebster Award

I love the idea behind this nomination! Basically the concept is to tag someone with 200 followers or less, as a way of spreading word of lesser known or newbie bloggers. Every time a new person is tagged, they then think of 11 new questions and tag another 11 people. Not only does this advertise blogs but it allows all us small bloggers to get to know each other - aww! I was lucky enough to be tagged by Gemma Fenlon from Little Gem. So lets get crackin'

How long does it take you to get ready in the mornings?
It pretty much depends on the day. If I'm on an early in work it takes me around an hour, but that's only because I wouldn't sacrifice extra sleep for anything! If I'm on a late or off work then I like to get ready slowly so it can take up to 2 hours - Much to my boyfriends dismay!

What is your dream job?
I would give ANYTHING to be a nurse or midwife! I am trying my best to achieve it, but its so hard to get a place on the uni course so its proving quite difficult :(

What is the last thing you bought?



Well after publishing my last post 'Mad About Monochrome' (which you should most definitely go and read right after this!) I went straight on the new look website and bought a top that featured on my post and a kimono! 

What is the biggest risk that you've taken?
I have been stuck on this question for quite a while now. I honestly don't think I have taken a massive risk before. How sad is that? I have only ever taken silly risks like changing my hair. What a boring life I live, 24 and my biggest risk is chopping my hair off!

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?
I might not have lived a very risky life but I have met my fair share of 'celebrities'. The most famous would be either Jimmy Carr my all time fave Keith Duffy.

Best day of my life!

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This is definitely the hardest question of the bunch for me?! I could eat for England (and probably a hefty chunk of wales too) so narrowing it down to one thing is quite a task. I'm going to go with pasta. Plain, in a sauce, with cheese on, any. Pasta is just. Too. Good!

What is the last book that you read?
The Fault In Our Stars. Im sure everyone has already heard of it, but if you live under a rock you need to read it! Its such an amazing story and I cannot wait to see the film. I have to read the book before I go and watch the film of anything. The book is always better!

If you can could be a celebrity, who would you be?
I don't actually think I would like to be a celebrity but if I had to be one I would be Candice Swanepoel. Who wouldn't want to be a VS Angel?! 

If you could choose an era to live in, what would it be?

 I love watching anything that is set in the 1940s. I think the women are stunning and so glamorous. I adore the retro pin up style of pin curls, victory rolls, winged liner, porcelain skin and a red lip. But obviously I wouldn't want to be around during WWII.

Cats, dogs or fish?

Dogs! In particular my dog. My beautiful Chow Floyd.

What is the best movie you have ever watched?

I have a lot of favourite films but the best film I have ever watched plot wise, has to be Shutter Island. Its such a good film that makes you think a lot and its got Leonardo DiCaprio in so any parts you cant follow there is something beautiful to stare at - Bonus Jonas

I tag:

1.  Chyna Denton - That Chyna Girl
2. Sophia Dowling
3. Victoria - Victoria Explains It All
4. Vikki - Planet Vikki
5. Sarah - Life With Sarah
6. Monica - Freimonica
7. Maddie - ItsMaddiehbu
8. Kinia - Kinia In Pink 
9. Genevieve - Genevieves Life Blog
10. Blonde Vision
11. Stephanie - Little Vintage Rose

So girls, the questions I tag you to answer are:

1. Who is your biggest inspiration?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
3. If your could only listen to one singer/band for the rest of your life who would it be?
4. What is your happiest memory?
5. What is your biggest fear?
6. If you could change any thing in your life, what would it be?
7. Reason behind the last time you cried?
8. What song would be the theme tune of a movie of your life?
9. What is your favourite thing about yourself?
10. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
11. What makes you feel confident?

Once you have answered them all tag 11 more people with less that 200 followers and spread the love! And remember to tweet me so I can read your answers!! @WithLoveABlog

With Love ... A x



♥

Mad About Monochrome





1 F+F - £22 | 2 Newlook - £5.99 | 3 ASOS - £20 | 4 Topshop - £42 | 5 My Theresa - £270 |     6 H&M - £34.99

I know that seeing as its summer I should be embracing the bright tropical prints that are everywhere right now, but recently I have been obsessing over simple monochrome outfits. Don't get me wrong I love neon and floral as much as the next girl, but there is just something I love about the effortless yet put together pieces I have been seeing around lately. So, in a bid to try and limit the size of the hole that could be made in my purse, (who am I trying to kid?) I thought I would put together a little wish list of some of the monochrome items I have been eyeing up of late.

First up is this absolutely stunning kimono from F+F at Tesco. TESCO!  This is such a staple piece that can be worn casual but can easily be dressed up too. I love the length of this kimono and the fact that it is sheer, I think this is the perfect style that can be carried straight through to autumn and winter. Love it.

Crop tops are a summer essential and I particularly love this one from Newlook. I think the cut of the racer back style is so flattering, and even though I am not to keen on showing my arms, they can easily be covered by the kimono I mentioned previously.

I struggle with accessorizing in the summer, I love statement necklaces and bracelets, but when I'm hot I find them irritating. This fedora from ASOS is the perfect way too add some personal style to an outfit without whacking on tons of jewellery Mr T style. Unfortunately this one is mens and I have the worlds smallest head so it would probably be huge, but luckily I found a very similar one in Primark for a bargain £7. Score.

I have been lusting over ripped, skinny jeans for some time now and this style by Moto at Topshop are my current favourites. I really like the simplicity of the rips and that they are not frayed or too distressed. They are also high waisted making them the perfect jeans to team with the crop top.

Okay, lets put it out there, these pony hair sandals from My Theresa.com are never going to grace my feet as they are a little out of my price range (damn you part time wages!) but I. Am. Obsessed. They are not going to be everybody's cup of tea but they are my Starbucks! I adore the black and white speckled pony hair, and the huge embellished flower can add a touch of glamour to a simple outfit.

Last of my list is this structured shirt dress from H&M. I spotted this whilst scrolling through the website and I was unsure on it at first. However once i saw the model wearing it I loved it. Its so understated and something that once again can be worn both dressed up or casual. I can definitely see myself wearing this out to dinner with black heels and a black clutch. The collar and long sleeves also mean it wont need to be heavily accessorised, but I would add a black necklace to poke out underneath the collar. 

What is on your wishlist at the moment?

Catch up soon

With Love ... A x

♥

Mini MAC Haul

 

I started this blog to put my unruly spending habits to good use so its only fair that my first official beauty post should be a haul. And a MAC one at that. After publishing my first post, I tottered off to the MAC website to see what little treasures I could treat myself to and this is what I ended up getting..

 Mineralize Skinfinish | Soft and Gentle - £23.00

What's that I hear you say? How can someone who claims to be a beauty addict not own the ever so popular Soft and Gentle? Well that is exactly the same question I ask myself every single time I step into the holy land that is MAC. I don't know why but I have always just told myself that its just another highlighter that I don't really need and walked away, but there is always something niggling in the back of my mind that I need it. After much deliberation, I bit the bullet and ordered it anyway. I must admit I was a teeny bit sceptical about it, I mean how good can a highlighter really be? -  Erm freaking amazing! This is literally the most stunning highlighter I have ever used. Its a beautiful peachy bronze that gives you a natural radiant glow. I have only had a quick little play around with it but sense that this little lovely will be gracing my cheekbones quite a lot from now on.

Pro Longwear Paint Pot | Painterly - £15.50

This is another cult favourite that I was yet to try. If I'm honest spending £15 on a lipstick is so much more appealing than spending it on a little pot of cream eye shadow that will pretty much match my skin tone. Having said that I did want to know what the hype was about and now I am really happy I bought it. Using this as a primer makes my eye shadow's go on so smooth and blend out beautifully. Better still it makes the colours much more pigmented and last all day. Perfect.

I was too eager and used it before taking a photo :( - sorry!

Lipstick | Crème Cup - £15.50

I physically cannot make an order from MAC with out buying a lipstick. I don't know what it is, but in my opinion they are without a doubt the best on the market. I do love playing around with colourful lipsticks but I am definitely a nude kinda gal so this time I opted for crème cup. Most of the nudes I already have are on the brown side so its nice having one with a pinky tone to mix things up a bit. I am so in love with the colour and as it is a cremesheen formula it is so comfortable to wear and very moisturising.

Lipstick | Flamingo - £15.50

It pains me to say it but this is the very first MAC purchase I am disappointed with. I was really looking forward to trying it when I bought it as it looked like a really beautiful, bright coral colour (something I don't currently have in my collection) and when I switched it on my hand it looked stunning. Sadly, once I tried it on my lips it was just like a lip balm with a slight tint and just didn't live up to expectations. It is a lustre finish so I suppose I shouldn't have expected it to be very pigmented, but I'm still a little disappointed - £15 for what is effectively a tinted lip balm is pretty steep in my opinion. I do still think it is a lovely shade if you are just looking for a slight wash of colour, but if I'm wearing a lipstick I want it to be pretty opaque. But worry not, Flamingo will be shipped off to someone who can appreciate him much more than I can!

So there we have it. My first beauty haul done and I am already fighting the urge to do another. If you have any suggestions of what a can replace flamingo with, then be sure to let me know in the comments. Catch up soon.

With Love ... A x

♥