Dream Team: Big Hair

Ahh, big hair. The elusive dream for those of us with fine and straight hair. Even with a shorter do I still struggle to get that volume and messy I-woke-up-like-this look. However since my birthday shop (still recovering from that, sorry bank account) I have found a few products that word beautifully together for low maintenance, easy volume.

The first of which I've mentioned before is Big shampoo from Lush. It's got quite a thick consistency, smells heavenly and is filled with sea salt. It's great for removing oil treatments from your hair, adds a lot of shine and, as the name would suggest, helps make your hair look bigger.

Now, the real stars of the hair show are the next two - both are the first Bumble and Bumble products I've ever tried. I'm very impressed so far. While my hair is still damp I spritz the Thickening Spray through my roots and crown of my hair and massage it through. I usually prefer to let my hair dry naturally as I find this gives more of a tousled look but also reduces heat damage to your hair. After that, I apply the Surf Spray to the ends of my hair and scrunch it in, this helps get that wave going on and gives you lots of texture. Both of these products have a more masculine smell to them (in my opinion) but I don't find it lingers so don't let that deter you.

Sometimes if I really want to amp up the wave I'll tie my hair in a bun while it's still slightly damp, once you let it out it has a good strong wave that will really hold.

Best part about these products is you can have freshly washed hair the first day after you apply them, then the second day they give your hair a lot more texture for a messy up-do. The less you wash or heat style your hair the healthier it will be.

Do you have any volumising favourites?

Claire x

Summer Saviours

Now that the warmer months are coming to a close in New Zealand (wahh) I thought I'd do a round-up of my favourite products that have really saved my skin and hair this summer. You can buy just about all of these worldwide/online so if anything really catches your eye you'll be able to get your hands on it no matter where you are.

Hello Hair; Island Escape Edition. This mask is gorgeous - I've tried quite a wide variety and I think this is my favourite. It's quite heavy but very nourishing. I find one treatment makes my hair look outstanding for quite a while, even with more frequent washing in summer heat and exposure to sun and water. I like to pack it on, leave it for a few hours then wash it out with a toning purple shampoo (more info on my full hair-care can be found here). This means my hair is hydrated, bright and brassy-tone free.

Mecca Cosmetica SPF 30 Moisturiser. I've been looking for a good SPF for years - one that's more than 15 (New Zealand sun is pretty brutal) and still feels light on the skin. Mecca is one of my favourite places to shop and it's yet to fail me - this one is light, smoothing and is a great base for makeup.

Ray Bans Aviators. 100% UV protective (can you tell I'm all about the sun protection this summer...) and green being my favourite colour I adore these. They're a bit hefty on the wallet but well worth the investment.

Frank Body Balm. The body scrub is a part of my every day skincare routine anyway but over summer when I was getting eczema from the heat this little tube saved me a lot of scratching. It's a very thick and oily cream but works a dream for dry and sensitive skin. Aside from that of course it smells heavenly too. Only warning is it will stick to your sheets a bit if you apply it before bed like I did...!

After several months of shorts and t-shirt weather I think I'm finally ready for cooler nights and jeans (and autumnal makeup hooray!)

Claire x

Recently Rediscovered

Much like shopping my stash I've recently found a few products I used to use a lot have crept back into my routine. I thought I'd highlight a few that really stood out - you might find something you'd like to add to your own collection!

Fair Trade Foot Lotion. I've been using Lush for over seven years now - and recently I've been having a real "binge" as it were. Seeing as we're heading back into warmer months and my feet are on display in my recently purchased black Havaianas my heels need a little more attention. After I've scrubbed my feet with Frank I like to smother them with this and put some socks on. If it's a cool night I put my super warm woolly ones on, otherwise just some thick cotton socks work wonders. This cream makes your feet feel cool, refreshed and most importantly very soft and jandal-weather worthy.

Mineralise Skinfinish in Lightscapade. This well known MAC product gets mentions all over and for good reason. It's one of those highlighters you can't really go wrong with - it's beautifully pearly, not sparkly at all, gives a beautiful natural glow whilst being nearly impossible to overdo. It's great for summer if you're more oily as it's not adding more cream to your face (my other favourite highlighter is of course Benefit Watts Up). Beautiful cool toned pearly colour with some gold hints in it, it's a great option for fairer ladies as well.

Sea Spray. Another Lush one (sorrynotsorry). Since cutting my hair shorter I've been angling more towards beachy waves and a bit of texture. This one got pulled out because it's great to spritz into damp hair before you plait it to give beautiful long lasting waves (and naturally because it's Lush it smells heavenly too). I often use it to re-fresh day old waves and to give a bit of oomph but also as a setting spray for my hair - think a sock bun with fly-away hair tendencies, a few puffs of this and your hair is held for the day.

Beeswax and Banana Hand Cream. Along with coconut and vanilla, banana is one of my favourite ingredients/scents in beauty products. Beeswax of course is great for dry cracked skin and this is genuinely the best cream I've found to counteract/prevent my dermatitis from flaring up. It's a little on the pricey side - I have to buy it online for about $16NZD but it's worth every cent. A little goes a long way and lasts on your skin a long while. I take this to work with me every day in my hand bag and it sleeps besides me on my table at night (after I've applied it before bed of course!)

Seen anything you fancy?

Claire x

Weekend Post: The Snip

No, I didn't get a hysterectomy but I did get a hair cut. I used to have waist length hair but ever since I was 17 it started thinning and it's about two thirds the volume it used to be. So I am gradually tricking my mind into a long bob - I've done the old "I'm going to cut my hair all off!" a few times in the past and have regretted it. Now that I'm older and my face isn't a child like circle I feel I can pull off shorter styles. This time I decided to go for very blunt ends, shorter in the back and a few minimal layers so it doesn't thin it out further.

My local hair dresser is so casual - he's literally a no appointments hair dresser and is so affordable - he cuts my hair for only $25 which is amazing. He always does exactly what I ask and I always love it, he's so much experience and has owned and run his own business for years. Just goes to show the super expensive salons aren't always the best! I saw Jack after and had a quiet evening in with him - steak, chips and onion rings for dinner. 

 Before

After 

 I decided to get an early start on the weekend on Friday with a cider and some blog planning. I've got the next month and a half of blog posts planned - pretty pleased with myself on that. 

Next week is pay-day so next weekend will mean a trip into the city. In the mean time I'm going to watch the weeks episodes of The Block hair tied chillin' with no makeup on (definitely not when I'm the prettiest). Anyway, until next time. 

Claire x