Current Hair Care Routine

Although I use (some) products formulated more with blonde hair in mind I honestly think these would suit most hair types. I've been using almost all of these for quite some time - with the exception of the Kevin Murphy shine spray so I can attest to their effectiveness and quality for certain.

Daddy-O Shampoo by Lush. Not only does this smell heavenly (violets and coconut anyone?) but it also does a superb job of maintaining my summer lightened hair and keeping any strong brassy tones away. My hair tends to be ashy blonde on the top where the sun touches it and a more strawberry blonde underneath. This shampoo cleanses without being stripping, tones with its purple colour and gives me a bit of body without making my hair feel "crunchy" like some shampoos can do. As blonde hair is a bit more porous than darker hair colours it can pick up dirt more easily and look grubby - after washing with this my hair looks fresh and bright every time.

Plumping Wash by Kevin Murphy. This company does not test on animals and like Lush isn't owned by a bigger company that does - so I was quite pleased to trip across them. This shampoo is SLS free so if my hair is a little oily but not in major need of a cleanse or I just want something that gives more volume than Daddy-O I use this. I find mixing up your products now and again can really help your skin/hair from getting stuck in a rut and getting to used to the same products.

Absolut Repair by L'Oreal. I'm gradually trying to steer myself away from anything L'Oreal but I must admit, they got it bang on with this one. It's designed to be a hair mask but I use it as a conditioner as my hair has a tendency to be on the dry side. The lactic acid helps maintain the hair follicle (your hair is more acidic than basic which is why too much shampoo can be drying) and has really helped slow down the appearance of split ends in my hair. Not only that but it makes my messy blonde locks a dream to tangle tease away after I've got out of the shower.

L'Oreal Mythic Oil. Again, this one was a gift a few years ago, it in similar in the way the conditioner works - it also helps tame frizz and lock in moisture.

Kevin Murphy Shine Spray. The ultimate in a quick finishing spray for glossy and lightly scented locks. If I want a bit of extra shine on the ends of my hair and I'm in a hurry this is a dream to use - just shake up the bottle and spritz a few pumps and brush through.

L'Oreal Texture Dust. This dust can be a little sticky if you're too heavy handed, but when you get it right you get a great amount of volume in your hair as well as the fact it helps absorb some excess oil. I usually lift the top sections of my hair and just dust a little underneath to fluff up. That way my hair is volumised but not sticky looking on the outside.

Got any different recommendations? Always keen on cruelty free options!

Claire x

Weekend Post: Kale Chips + Gardens

 I've finally got a great crop of kale growing in the garden - from little wee seeds all the way up to big bushy plants. I decided to try making kale chips from some of the leaves. They turned out pretty delicious so I thought I'd share what I did to make them.

Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius on bake.  

Remove stalks from the kale and place on a baking tray. 

Drizzle with olive oil and some garlic salt. Try and keep the leaves as elevated as possible to they can go crispy. 

Bake for 8 - 12 minutes or until they go crunchy and delicious. 

I also fake tanned with Loving Tan - my legs below turned out pretty well (I haven't washed off the colour guide layer yet) - please ignore the feet. My hands turned out hilariously, I thought I'd done pretty well getting between my fingers but by the time the tan had developed overnight I had ombre little brown paws haha.

Finally this afternoon mum and I went to the local garden centre - I'd wanted to get some more plants to replace the ones that got munched up by accident (I was very sad, they were the only seeds aside from my kale that were still living...). So as I drove in my car, mum paid me back for the gas with plants instead - I was more than happy with that!

I bought a little aloe vera - I'm jumping on the blogging bandwagon with cacti. This little guy in the middle will only get about twice the size he is now so will be perfect for my office. I also chose out a few marigolds as they're very pretty flowers to have in the garden as well as attracting insects away from your veggies. If you have snails and butterflies eating your plants, put some marigolds in, the bugs will eat the marigold leaves instead and the flowers add some real colour to the area - let alone the fact that the bees love them!

Above on the left is a little cactus I plucked from our garden, we have so many of them around at the moment and they sort of just fall out their roots are so small. So, I picked a cute little one with a bit of a root on it and shifted it into its new home. On the right is my aloe which will be coming to work with me tomorrow and the radishes are what I picked from the garden this afternoon - dipped in a little salt and they're delicious.

Lilah is my little "helper" and by this I mean he stares at me while I de-pot and re-plant things. Occasionally he'll follow me around if he's feeling espeicially energetic.

My marigolds planted and some lovely bunches of wild flowers - they were all going a bit mad so I just kept them as they were. This is the pollinator mix, made especially for bees. I love bees and having them in the garden is lovely so hopefully these will grow into some beautiful flowers that help draw more bees to the veggie patch and give the bees something to eat!

For a weekend that seemed like it was going to be pretty quiet it turned out quite nicely - now all I have left to do is bring in my laundry to make my bed and do the vacuuming (sigh).

Claire x

Monthly Favourites: October 2014

It's that time again - the end of another month is here (is it just me or are they going progressively faster...?) Right - let's get straight into it...

OPI Nail Polish - Hot and Spicy. I always used to be a pink nailed girl all the time - now I'm going for something a bit more firey. I think mostly because this looks amazing with a tan and makes me feel like I'm helping bring about summer (because weather in New Zealand is pretty rubbish at the moment...). OPI always do fantastic colours that seems to last really well, this one I can usually get 5 days consistent colour out of with no chips.

Hurraw lip balms - Coconut and Moon Balm. I'm sure I've spoken about these before, but the newly discovered coconut one is amazing. It smells delicious and is probably the most moisturising of the Hurraw lip balms I've tried. I bought mine from an Auckland based online business - Oh Natural. The packages are always wrapped absolutely beautifully, it's like getting a gift in the post.

The Olive Branch Shower Gel. I bought this one for a few reasons, one, it's the only Lush shower gel I've never tried and two, I saw one of my favourute bloggers - Kate from Gh0stparties - rave about it and lastly, it smells very similar to the Dorothy bubble bar that I've always loved the scent of (but can't really use due to my eczema). I took the plunge and bought this beautiful olive oil and mandarin peel gel and my word. It smells tart like marmalade but has a real sweet note under it too. it's very gentle on irritated skin and lingers in the air and on your skin long after you've turned the shower off.

Grease Lightning/Vanishing Act. Again, I saw this on another blog and remembered using it years ago. It hadn't been stellar for me back then but as my skin had changed and I thought I'd give it another go. I'm so pleased I did, my skin is so much clearer and doesn't feel tight after applying. It's a beautiful natural spot treatment and doesn't just reduce redness but helps prevent spots from spreading. My t-zone hasn't looked so clear in ages.

Anything I need to try for next month?

Claire x

Confessions of a Beauty Blogger Tag: Part 2

I saw this tag on Hello Octobers blog (one of my favourite bloggers) whilst looking through her archives (because I'm a massive blogging creep). I actually really love reading these and think you get to know bloggers a lot better behind their usual posts - so here's part two! (If you want to read part on you can find it here). 

When did you start your blog?
I started a beauty blog around a year ago now on Tumblr but I felt I wanted a more professional looking platform and something that was entirely my own creation. I moved to Blogger only a few months ago back at the end of July. 

Have you had any past online presence before (other blog, YouTube)?
Yes - as above I had a Tumblr beauty blog but it never really turned into what I wanted it to be/wasn't what I ultimately wanted to go for in my blogging life. 

Why did you start a blog?
I had done so previously but really I was in need of a hobby - I've just started working full time this year after graduating last year. I now have far more free time (third year uni was killer - weekends were a distant memory...) a new camera as of last year and a growing love for all things beauty. That, along with more disposable income than I'd ever had previously made me re-consider blogging. What made me actually start I was (again...) on Suzie's blog and read this post, it really inspired me to bite the bullet and get onto it.

When did you become serious about starting a blog?
I guess when I started this blog - it's still definitely a work in progress and probably always will be but I really wanted it to be something to be proud of. I set my mind to posting three times a week and being as "myself" as I could. 

What was your first post?
My first post aside from my introductory one was a first impressions of Frank body scrub - if you're a regular here you know that Frank is now a regular visitor in my shower haha.

What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?
Trying to fit it in can be a challenge - but then I love writing and taking photos etc. so it's not really a bad thing. The hardest bit for me is probably photos - I think I've improved a lot since I started but I still have a long way to improve.

Where do you see your blog in one year?
Hopefully a lot bigger and better than it is now - I expect a new theme, hopefully more readers, I'll be using social media more. In terms of the posts themselves I can never tell - I plan things a few months in advance as I always have new or different ideas, but I can't see myself getting bored of writing them any time soon! 

What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?
I think just having a creative outlet in my life and knowing there are a few people that seem to be regulars and come back now and again to check in. I absolutely love when someone comments that something I've posted has helped them in some way or that they enjoyed reading it.

What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?
I don't really find anything discouraging (yet). I suppose new readership is hard to find at times but I know I could probably change that if I utilised twitter and instagram etc. a lot more. I'm really just doing this because I enjoy it.

What's your lasting inspiration or motivation?
Reading other blogs, trying new products, reading magazines, finding new things or tricks that work. A whole lot of things really. Reading the tips sections in big blogs like Nouvelle Daily Blog, Gh0stparties and The Lovecats Inc. really help remind me I have only been at this a few months and give me new ideas for posts, how to better my photos etc. Really though, I've said it so many times already, I just love writing about things I'm enthusiastic about, it never feels like a chore and I don't really need any other motivation than that it's a lovely way for me to discuss and share something not a lot of people I know are interested in.

(I feel like I said "blog" too many times in this post...)

Claire x

Top 5: MAC Must Haves

One: Eyeshadows. The range of shades alone at MAC is pretty mind boggling. While it can be a little overwhelming I think there's definitely going to be a few shades that suit every skin tone and taste in colour. In terms of the quality I've not found anything better - they apply beautifully, last all day and are highly pigmented. In the palette above I have (from top left, clockwise to bottom left) Patina, Wedge, Embark and Woodwinked. Although they look similar they have a very different effect - two matte shades and two shimmery ones are perfect for a variety of everyday looks. I have a list as long as my arm for other shades I'd love to try.

Two: Lipsticks. Can't go past lipstick really can you? From the packaging to the variety of finishes (satin, matte, frost, amplified, cremesheen etc...) and of course the colour range there is something for everyone. They're long lasting, have rich pigmentation, a beautiful finish and even smell beautiful. My favourite finishes are satin and amplified - similar consistency but the amplified, as the name suggests, are super bright.

Three: Fluidline. This is my soul-mate eyeliner. Yes, it's gel and yes, that makes it a little harder to use. However, it's very dark, dries quickly and won't easily rub off. So if you're a contact wearer like me or tend to rub your eyes then scream internally because you forgot you were wearing eye-makeup this might be good for you too. I like to use it with an Eco-Tools angled brush.

Four: Mineralise Blushes. I'm a big fan of dewy skin, even though mine can look a little oily. These blushes are a great way to get that glow without weighing down oily skin with cream products. They're not sparkly (which is good because I hate "sparkles" as such) but more pearly. I have several more of these lovelies on my to-buy list for this year. The finish is very natural and I think it's harder to over apply these than conventional blush too.

Five: Pro-Longwear Paint Pots. These are the holy grail of oily eye-lids. I find some of the darker matte shades of MAC eye-shadows were inclined to crease on me, not so with these babies. The three shades I have are Painterly (a pink toned matte finish), Groundwork which is very similar to Wedge eye-shadow but a little darker, and again a matte finish. Finally I have Constructivist which is a brown with a reddy purple undertone to it. I've created a smokey eye with this one alone. The idea behind these is they can be used on their own as a cream eye-shadow or as a primer for other powder based products over the top. I love these as they last all day at work and have never irritated my angry and irritable skin.

I've also done a NARS must haves post which you can find here.

Claire x

5 Ways: Dealing With Stress

I consider myself quite the expert on this topic after years of exams, assignments and now a full year of work with no leave taken. Sometimes things can pile up and wear you down to the extent that it's hard to even enjoy the things that used to make you happy. I've found a few things really help me and I love reading posts like this myself so here are my top five ways to calm my shit.

One: Exercise. Yes, it's that boring one everyone suggests which is why it's my number one so we can get it out of the way. Even though it's sometimes really tough to make yourself get up and go to the gym or even out for a walk it really does help. Often at the end of the day you may be mentally tired, but your body is still perfectly able to use some physical energy. As you probably know, exercise does release endorphins which help perk you up.

Two: Getting outside. Similarly to exercise, I think there's something about being outdoors that helps refresh your brain a wee bit. Sometimes being in the same environment can feel a bit stifling, getting some fresh air and going to a local park or reserve if you live near one can be a great way to let your mind process what's going on and in the very least, forget about what's bothering you for a bit.

Three: Shopping. Now, by this I don't mean max out your debit card or whatever. However I do know that if I've had a particularly horrid week or am feeling really worn out buying myself a few "treats" can really help my state of mind and gives me something to look forward to. Whether that's buying something online (who doesn't like getting "presents" in the post?!) or going to your favourite local strip of shops can be great. Me personally, I love going to Lush. Buying a few bath bombs or something new for my skin or to use in the shower always makes me feel lovely. Then, aside from the shopping you have an excuse to have a night in, which brings me to my next tip.

Four: A night in. I've made a post about a night-in treatment here and have another one on the cards soon - so keep an eye out for that. Having a night in with a face mask, bath or lovely shower if you prefer can make you feel like a new person. Using products that make you feel happy is a sure way to relax both your stressy brain and your body as well. Even if it's just painting your nails, putting effort into yourself is fantastic for boosting your mood overall.

Five: Spending time with other people. This one is a bit of a no-brainer really. Calling or seeing my boyfriend, best friend or mum when I'm feeling a bit shit always makes me feel good. Going out for coffee or whatever you prefer is a perfect excuse to get away from home for a bit, have a chat about what's going on and often helps put things into perspective.

Claire x

Weekend Post: Labour Weekend

This week has been absolutely killer, I'm so exhausted at the moment. Yesterday I had some problems that needed to be sorted before I went out so my Saturday plans got a little bit ruined. So to make myself feel better I've just played with my makeup all day and thought I'd share the result with you guys. I used the Naked 3 palette - if you want to see a review I did on this palette you can find it here.

Chronic resting bitch-face (no one chooses to sit next to me on public transport I'll tell ya that for nothing) but I love this makeup look - it's very much a "going out" look for me but I like to practice these first because the stress of trying a new look the night I go out freaks me the hell out. I haven't got any lip colour here but I think I'd just pair it with a nude like my MAC Myth lipstick.

I'm wearing the xobeauty lashes in The Flirt - they're demi lashes and are just the cutest little things - I'm not amazing with application but because these are only half lashes they're super easy to apply and look really natural. Wavy beach hair from yesterday is still sort of there as well.

Now I'm just sitting here blogging, drafting posts for the next few weeks - I have a plan from now until Christmas so I have my work cut out for me...! In the mean time - have my weekly nail - OPI Hot and Spicy with a glitter one I bought last weekend and can't remember the name of right now.

Hope your weekends have/are more eventful than mine...!

Claire x