1 Minute Wonder Ampoules and Quick Hair Tutorial!

As much as I love a luxurious pamper session, sometimes you need a quick beauty fix to get you looking your best and out of the door in minutes. This is why I love Pantene's new 1 Minute Wonder Ampoules. These little pods contain the highest concentration of conditioning actives from Pantene and are proven to leave coloured hair even stronger against styling damage than virgin hair in just one minute!

The whole Pantene Pro-V Strength and Shine range is designed to make coloured hair up to 70% shinier and stronger as its protein protection formula helps rebuild the protective outer layer that is damaged during colouring. As I have been dying my hair (on and off) since the age of 16 I was excited to try it to see if it would bring some lustre to my parched locks!

As timing is off the essence I thought I would share with you a really quick up-do that can be done in less than one minute! This style is so easy to do and is perfect for days when you want to get your hair up with minimal effort, but you want it to look a little more special. You could easily wear this on 2nd/ 3rd day hair and it would be perfect for festivals too!

To prepare the hair I used the Pantene Strength and Shine shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair, as well as the 1 Minute Wonder Ampoules.

The only accessory you need for this style is a hairband. I have chosen one with a little bit of sparkle to add some interest and texture. Once the hairband is on (with the stretchy side underneath your hair) all you have to do is take large sections of hair and twist them around the elastic portion of the band at the nape of your neck. I used one large section followed by 4 smaller sections, twisting them while weaving them in and out of the band and the hair already tucked in. I then fixed the hair in place with some Style and Protect hairspray. It's as easy as that!

I hope you like this super easy up-do style and please do check back for another 1 minute tutorial in the next few days!

*This is a sponsored post.*

How To Hair: 60's and Faux Bob

My two absolute favourite looks for hair are unashamedly decadent volume and a sophisticated, shapely bob! I was therefore super excited when Babyliss asked me to be in a video showing how to create these looks using just heated rollers!

The first look is big 60's volume and soft curls. I love the minimal use of products to create this style. I can't believe all that volume just came from a bit of back combing. Move over Cheryl Cole!

The second look is a fun, faux bob. I have always wondered what I would look like with short hair and was so excited to try out this style. I have to admit that I absolutely love it! It's so different from my usual look, but with none of the commitment of having to cut my hair. 

I am really happy with the looks created and will definitely be trying them out for a special occassion soon. I hope you guys enjoy the video! Let me know what you think! xxx

How To Get The Posh Pony - BaByliss Get The Look

A few months ago I had the pleasure of filming some Get The Look videos with Babyliss and the wonderful stylists from Percy & Reed. The first in the series - How To Get The Posh Pony is now live!


I absolutely love this look! It's so easy and quick to create and lasts well throughout the day as the crimps make sure that your hair stays full and voluminous in the face of wind and humidity!

I think this look very much channels Posh herself, but also the stunning Kate Beckinsale!

Are you a fan of the posh pony? Let me know what you guys think of this video and I would love it if you left a comment on it! xxx

Naked and Neutral

A fun and wearable smokey eye paired with peachy lips and cheeks that's super easy to create with minimal products!


Products mentioned in this video:
Dr Jart Regenerating BB*
Origins A Perfect World BB*
MAC MSF Natural in Medium
Earthnicity Minerals Coral blusher
Sleek Brow Kit
UDPP
Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colour BR306*
Urban Decay NAKED palette - Smog, Half Baked, Virgin, Sin.
Clarins 3 Dot Liner*
Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara*
The Body Shop Colouglide Shine Lip Colour 01 cheeky coral*
Jo Malone Rosewater and Vanilla perfume

Products marked with * were sent to me for review consideration.

Thanks so much for watching and I hope you enjoyed the video! xxx

How To: Perfect Bun in Seconds!

No heat, no mess and no expense! This is my preferred method of achieving the perfect bun.

However, if you are looking for a more polished style you can also check out:

The doughnut bun ring is great for those with shorter hair.

The Twirl Curl is really versatile and can create both high and low buns as well as a French pleat/ twist or chignon.

I hope you all enjoy the video and thank you for watching :). xxx

TAG: 10 Minute Makeup Challenge

A few of you got in touch to request I take part in some TAG videos including the 10 minute makeup challenge, and never one to back away I thought I would give it my best try!


Products mentioned:
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
MAC Fix+
Real Techniques Buffing Brush*
L'ancome Effacernes concealer
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium
The Bodyshop large brush
NARS Laguna Bronzer
MAC Peachykeen blush
MAC 130 brush
Sleek Makeup Brow Kit in Light*
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Sin eyeshadow*
UD flat eyeshadow brush
MAC Quarry eyeshadow
MAC 139 brush
Stageline Precise liquid liner*
Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara*
Estee Lauder Lavish Pink Lipstick
Jo Malone Rosewater and Vanilla Perfume

Products marked with * were sent to me for review consideration.

Do let me know what you think of this video and if you have any requests for my next one! xxx

How to Cover Blemishes and Undereye Circles

I have wanted to do a video about concealing flaws for quite some time, and given I have been ill with bronchitis for the past week I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity... flaws aplenty!


Products mentioned in this video:
Nars Sheer Glow foundation
Babbi Brown corrector/ creamy concealer
MUFE Full Cover concealer
L'ancome Effacernes
NARS Laguna bronzer
MAC Moonriver blush
MeMeMe ArchAngel
MUA Plumping Lipgloss in Peach Shimmer

What are your favourite products for covering spots and undereye circles? I have just purchased a new Dior concealer so no doubt I will share with you how well it works. xxx

Sketchy Melon Tutorial

This tutorial came about while I was playing around with a few different eyeshadow colours. I decided to mix a shimmering peachy melon with a deeper, matte blackberry accent. What do you guys think of this combination?


Products used:

Avon Ideal Flawless Foundation (Light Pink)*
17 Blush First Kiss*
MAC MSF Pink Porcelain
Avon P401 lipstick*

UDPP
MAC Paint Pot Fresco Rose
MAC Melon Pigment
MAC e/s shale, sketch, shroom
Max Factor Liquid Effect Eye Liner Black*
L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Liquid Liner
Black shadow from UD Naked
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara*
Lashaholic lashes LA03*

This is not a sponsored video. Products marked with * were given to me at events or sent for review consideration.

If you would like to see more of my makeup tutorials please subscribe to my YouTube channel here. Thank you for watching my lovelies! xxx

Drugstore Valentine's Makeup Tutorial

So many of you lovelies have requested a look using only drugstore/ affordable makeup, so I decided to incorporate this into my Valentine's look this year. 

Products Used:
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation
Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush
Sleek Brow Kit*
UDPP

Rimmel eyeshadow 139 Tribute
Rimmel eyeshadow 33 Dusk
BarryM Dazzledust 51
Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad 25 Summer Bloom
The Body Shop Pencil 14 Glowing Amethyst*
Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner Powder Pink*
L'Oreal Carbon Gloss liquid liner
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara*
Eyelure Girls Aloud Nicola Lashes

17 Mirror Shine Beehive Lipstick
MUA Hot Lips Lip Balm*

All products marked with * were sent to me for review consideration. This is not a sponsored video.

Valentine's kisses! xxx

I can do it like a brother, do it like a duuuude

One of my most requested celebrity inspired tutorials is to recreate Jessie J's signature makeup. I absolutely love her music, attitude and her individuality. I love the way she experiments with her makeup, style, hair... and even though a large proportion of it is not to my personal taste, I appreciate the artistic qualities and, of course, the fun factor!

For this Jessie J  look I decided to go super dramatic pairing a Swarovski crystal enhanced black smokey eye with a vibrant orange lip.

My main inspiration came from:

If you want to see how I created this look please check out the video below:


Products used:
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +
Pure Minerals Foundation*
UDPP
Grey shadow eg. MAC scene
Black eyeshadow eg. MAC carbon
Black liner eg. MAC feline
Eye Rock Swarovski Crystals*

Liquid liner eg L'Oreal superliner carbon gloss
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara*
Eyelure Lashes

MAC Longwear lip creme in Good To Go

Love Hair Extensions Going Gaga synthetic wig in jet black*
(Products marked with * were sent to me for review consideration).

Are you a Jessie J fan? What do you think of her style? Would you be brave enough to wear some of her more dramatic looks? xxx

Babyliss Wave Envy - Giveaway

Whether you are after big party hair, a retro up-do or loose, tousled beachy waves this party season the Babyliss Wave Envy styler makes gorgeous waves so easy and quick to create!



I was surprised by how light this tool is, given it is much larger than your average hair curler. It was also very simple to use and quick to move down the hair. I managed to create this look in just over 10minutes, which is pretty speedy for a first attempt! I chose to create very 'crimped' waves, by using the styler on the highest of its three settings. For a more relaxed, beachy wave I would recommend using a lower heat setting and only holding the hair in place for a few seconds.

For your chance to win a Babyliss Wave Envy please leave a comment below! Good luck my lovelies!! xxx

 *This is a sponsored post*

Sexy Victoria's Secret Waves w/ the InStyler

I am a huge fan of Victoria's Secret! The underwear, the girls, the show, the hair, the makeup and those amazing wings. As ever this year's show was spectacular and my favourite angel Adriana Lima looked as beautiful as ever. Though I would not often want to put my picture next to hers needs must

for the greater good... good hair!

This week I have been experimenting with a new hair tool - the InStyler. I first spotted this styling tool in a commercial and was intrigued by it's innovative design, which features a rotating curling iron and a brush.

The InStyler is a multi functional tool that can both curl and straighten the hair, as well as adding volume and shine. The bristles separate individual strands while the rotating cylinder straightens and polishes. As the heat is spread evenly along the hair with the rotating motion the InStyler uses less heat than traditional tools, which is encouraging as I always worry about using too much heat on my hair! The three heat settings available are 196 °C (for thick, coarse hair),  157 °C (for thin to medium-textured hair) and 140 °C (for fine, thin hair).

To see how I used the InStyler to create sexy, soft curls and sleek, straight hair just watch the video below!


I really like the idea of the InStyler as it creates beautiful, soft curls/waves in an innovative way. However, I did find it a little tricky to use at first, especially as you have to be quite careful with the hot cylinder not to burn your fingers. This tool does come with a heat guard for this purpose, but I found it easier to remove it when curling the hair.

Being accustomed to my Babyliss Big Hair I did find it a little annoying that I could not control the direction of the spin, meaning that you always have to hold it in a certain direction to get the best results, which can be a little awkward if you are not ambidextrous. Though this is a tool that takes a little practice for me it is worth the effort as I absolutely love the shape of the curls created by the InStyler - the perfect big, bouncy, shiny Victoria's Secret waves!

The InStyler retails at £99 on their website here and is also available from Boots here... with 396 clubcard points too ;). For more information, as well as tips and tricks for creating a range of styles you can also visit InStyler's Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channel, which also has a great range of tutorial videos!

Have you seen the InStyler? Are you a fan of multipurpose hair styling tools? Are you tempted to try it? What hair style would you create with it? xxx

**This is a sponsored post.**

All about eyebrows!

This is one of my most requested tutorials. I get so many questions from you guys about eyebrows, so I thought I would make a little video showing you my routine and some little tips and tricks for getting perfectly groomed brows.

Recently I have also enjoyed using Sleek's Brow Kit (£7.99 here). This comes complete with all the tools you need to groom those bushy brows ;) - it contains a wax to set, a powder to fill in (I use the shade light), two synthetic brushes and mini tweezers. It's a great set to throw in your bag for your travels too!

What are your tips and tricks for getting the perfect eyebrow? Do you maintain your shape or leave it to the professionals? What products would you recommend? xxx

Blake Lively Hair feat. Neal & Wolf products with Glossybox

A few weeks ago I filmed a Blake Lively inspired hair tutorial for Glossybox using Neal and Wolf products. We decided to go for one of Blake's signature styles - a deconstructed wave look with a few boho braids thrown in.

I am really pleased with the way the video has turned out and I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful! Let me know what you guys think!


The bf accompanied me on the day and managed to capture some behind the scenes shots.

The before...

The final look:

This hairstyle is so easy to create and can be done using a curling iron or hair straighteners. I really loved using Neal and Wolf products for the first time. They smell absolutely amazing and leave your hair feeling weightless. I especially recommend the Harmony Intensive Care Treatment (£12.95) and the Elevate Volumising Lotion £11.95). After the video I went straight to a colleague's leaving party and can testify that the curls stayed in for quite a few hours of dancing!

Have you watched any of Glossybox's tutorials? Did you like the look I created in this video? Have you tried Neal and Wolf products before? xxx

Dior Catwalk Inspired Tutorial

I have always been incredibly inspired by the extravagant, artistic and bold makeup looks sashaying down the Dior catwalks, and though I love experimenting with striking looks I wanted to create something that would be completely wearable, even if you're not a supermodel! ;)

I decided to keep the bright statement lip and the sexy cat eyeliner, but tone down the eyeshadow with a little  pop of forest green under the eye.



Products used:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
UDPP
MAC Eye Shadow One Off
Yves Saint Laurent Tresor d'Afrique Collector Sun Powder
Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara
MAC Lipliner #Redd
Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour #Gabrielle

Guerlain Blush 4 Eclats Sculpting Blush #Rosee Du Printemps 

 I do hope you enjoy this tutorial! Thank you so much for watching! xx

Volume in minutes feat. Babyliss Root Boost

My most requested hair tutorial is for big, voluminous hair and Kim Kardashian is always top of the list!

Her hair is always super glossy and bouncy and retains its volume despite the long length. Of course she does have some help from extensions, but (perhaps from watching too many episodes of Keeping Up) I have noticed that her hair is also very smooth and not at all tangled.

If you don't have an army of hairdressers to pump up the volume in your hair, even after the perfect blow dry you may find that your hair falls flat quickly. Normally I would recommend a little teasing to keep the height, but if you hate not being able to run your fingers through your hair then this may just be the product for you!

The Babyliss Root Boost is a fun little crimper that creates texture at the root to help your sky high volume last without the tangles of backcombing. All you have to do is crimp the roots a few inches below your parting, which takes just minutes, then shake the crimps out a little for instant va-va-voom hair...

You can see the results in the tutorial below! :)

If you have fine hair that falls flat quickly, I would recommend using a little hairspray on the roots before crimping for added hold. I normally skip this step and find that the volume still lasts for 2/3 days. All I need to do is shake the crimps a little to pump it up!

Have you tried the Root Boost or any similar mini crimping tools? What are your secrets to volume that lasts? xxx

Pivoine Flora Tutorial

Pinks are notoriously difficult to wear on the eye as choosing the wrong shade can instantly make you look far from bright eyed and bushy tailed. If I do decided to brave a pink eyeshadow I like it to have some frost, and to accent the pink with another cooler or more neutral colour. The new L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Petals Eye Quartet makes this super easy by putting together four eyeshadows that work in perfect harmony to create a range of looks incorporating feminine pinks and purples.

I hope that this tutorial helps you to work some girlie pinks into your eyeshadow collection and wear them with confidence!


Products Used:

UDPP

Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect in Pink Plume

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Petals Eye Quartet

Max Factor Liquid Effect pencil in Violet Voltage

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara 

L'Occitane Rose Reverence Facecolour Cream Duo

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Incredible Lip Shine

Nails: China Glaze Pink-Rox-E

Blurb: This is not a sponsored video. Products used in this video were provided for review consideration, but as always I only use those I like and would recommend :).

I hope you get a chance to try out this fun, girlie and most of all wearable pink look this summer! xxx

Lauren Conrad Waves with BaByliss Waving Wand

A few weeks ago I was invited to film a hair tutorial video with Babyliss to recreate Lauren Conrad's beautiful signature waves with the expert help of hairdresser to the stars Beverly C. As you all know I am a huge fan of the original conical wand, so I was excited to see how the waving wand would compare. I was happy to learn that it is just as easy to use, and creates beautiful, deep crested waves in minutes that are absolutely ideal for the summer.


Lauren Conrad is famous for her trademark style, always looking effortlessly, but perfectly polished. We had so many inspirational looks to chose from, but decided on an easy loose braid and relaxed waves that could work on any hair type or length. The side braid is especially great for those who are growing out a fringe!

I was really happy with the finished look as it's so quick to do and holds really well throughout the day. If you want to see more videos in the 'Get The Look' series please do check out the BaByliss facebook page here, and if you could 'like' my video it would mean a lot to me too :).

I really hope you enjoy the tutorial and get the chance to try it out! xxx