About two months ago now I woke up and decided to home bleach the sh*t out my hair. It kind of came out of nowhere but after two attempts at lighting my hair with a colour remover and still have brown hair dye in the length of my hair, I decided it was time!
Being a beauty blogger you may think I considered leaving it to the professionals or simply researching the best hair bleach to buy. But you would be wrong! I threw caution to the wind and picked up a bleaching kit for around £10 while food shopping. The results were pretty impressive but I still found the ends of my hair didn't match near to the roots so yes, you guessed it, I bleached my hair again!
Much like your skin, hair needs moisturise and while conditioners can add a little hydration and gloss it's hair masks that you need to be looking to when your hair feels in need of some TLC.
I definitely love a premium hair mask, I've mentioned my love for Coco & Eve Hair Masque, many a time, but good results can be found on a budget - as long as you know the right ones to pick up!
Below you will find the best drugstore hair masks for damaged hair. These are all masks I've used on a regular basis one time or another and truly love... and this is coming from a girl with naturally dry and often frizzy hair! If your hair is in need of some nourishment I hope you find a new bargain favourite here.
This post contains affiliate links.
Whether your hair is colour treated, heat damaged or simply doesn't like to play ball, most locks are in need of some TLC in the form of a hair mask - my own go-to for the past month? Coco & Eve Like a Virgin Coconut and Fig Hair Mask, which as the name suggests transforms the hair back to its natural virgin pre-damaged state for ultra healthy and glossy tresses!
Below find out all you need to know about this 10-minute wonder mask, along with my own before & after results.
For the past 6 months I've felt the call of Cult Beauty, mainly due to the fact they stock most of the luxury brands I love, think Charlotte Tilbury, Sunday Riley to name but a few, and now they cater for all budgets with brands such as NYX, The Ordinary and Zoeva. So good!
Basically, Cult Beauty is my beauty haven.
So recently I decided to place a totally impromptu order with my favourite more budget-friendly brands to try out a few products that have been on my wishlist for a while, along with some new finds, obviously!
Hair loss is a strange old subject. It fits in with the subject of beauty but not comfortably, and is often only talked about in relation to men and ageing. But the thing is hair loss is pretty common and can happen at any age and for any number of reasons for either sex. It can also be treated in a number of ways, through various medications, vitamins, topical products, styling/masking type products and even therapy.
Basically, it's a big subject that's still pretty much taboo and isn't often talked about!
It's not often I feel compelled to write about a hair trend. Actually, I don't think I've ever wrote about a hair trend in all my (7) years of writing Makeup Savvy! However, last week I came across the new hair trend that is 'Blorange'. And I simply fell in love with it?!
Now, it's maybe because it's the best made up word to come out of 2017 so far, or the fact I was totally fine with my brunette locks until I saw this dreamy peach/orange hue. Either way I wish I could rock blorange this s/s 2017!
Think of Blorange as the summer solo sister to rose gold hair.
For the last 8+ years I've solely used a hair dryer to dry my hair. This may not be the most ideal thing for it but with long frizzy locks I simply need heat to smooth and tame it. In this time I've gone through quite a few hairdryers - from arm achingly heavy ones to travel size ones and many in-between.
But you see I've always found drying my hair an effort and my arm still hasn't developed any muscle even after all these years so the arm ache is real, especially with higher end bulky hair dryers Also who enjoys drying their hair anyway!
But you see I've always found drying my hair an effort and my arm still hasn't developed any muscle even after all these years so the arm ache is real, especially with higher end bulky hair dryers Also who enjoys drying their hair anyway!
That was until I was made aware of this amazing Hands-Free Hairdryer by Carmen. Before then I'd vaguely heard of Carmen for straighteners and tongs but never used any of their products. But as soon I read the words 'hand-free' I knew I needed to try it!
The benefits of a hand-free hairdryer I've realised so far - No arm ache (whoop whoop!), you can literally just sit in front of it if you so wish (good for extra tired mornings), you can use brushes on your hair as it dries to give yourself a pretty great blowdry, good for people with disabilities, you can be scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, you name it, as your hair dries (maybe not for phone calls mind!). Bonus use - you can use it as a mini hand warmer!
Price - Amazon £39.98 here - Very £42.00 here
Price - Amazon £39.98 here - Very £42.00 here
Firstly I feel I should tell you what the hairdryer includes because it can actually be used as a standard hair dryer and a hands-free hair dryer! In the box you will find - the main hairdryer section, a base with silicone grip pads, a large plastic handle attachment to turn it into a standard handheld dryer, a concentrated nozzle and a soft finger diffuser. The hairdryer also features 2 speed settings, 3 temperature controls, a locking cool shot button plus a 3 year warranty - pretty good!
Boring stuff aside, I've now been using the hair dryer for just over a month every time I dry my hair. Though the actual body of the hair dryer is pretty lightweight compared to others I decided to try out the hand-free function of it straight away because the idea of just sitting there and having the dryer dry my hair for me was a pretty good one! On first use I accidentally had the cool button pressed in which meant I sillily sat for 15+ minutes for my hair to dry! However my 2nd attempt after realising I'd had the cool button one, was much more successful and it took all of 7 minutes to fully dry my hair (yes, I timed it). I did find I needed to turn around and tilt my head back to get the back of my hair but other than that it was a breeze to use.
I have yet to give myself an Essex style blow dry due to sheer laziness and much prefer to brush my hair through with a Tangle Teezer and sit in front of the hair dryer moving my head from time to time to evenly dry my hair. As I've been loving how quickly I can now dry my hair I also decided to purchase a travel size Cloud Nine Quick Dry Potion 50ml (ASOS £5.99 here) which you spritz into wet hair to protect it from heat and to cut your hairs drying time by half! This really has been a wonder product for me and means I can sit in front of my hand-free hair dryer and my hair can be fully dry within 3-4 minutes which is pretty damn amazing! And your hair smells of watermelon from the spray! Side note to self - purchase the full size bottle when you run out.
If you find drying your hair a chore or you have a disability that makes it difficult then this hand-free hair dryer will be amazing. Or if you just fancy creating better blow dries at home then this is the hair dryer for you!
A bit of a lengthy post today as I wanted to give this product an in-depth review. But if I've missed anything and you want to ask any questions about it just leave me a comment below.
Fee xo.
Today I wanted to talk about my new favourite hair tool that creates perfect curls on medium to long hair! With a love of bouncy soft curls I own many a curling wand (5 in fact, oops) but this recent addition to my slightly unneeded collection really is perfection.
The ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand (find this along with the full curling tool range here) is unlike other wands as it's a unique oval shape with it's own trademark tri-zone technology that allows heats to be evenly distributed to create even, long lasting curls. For me long lasting curls are certainly what I'm after along with shine and bounce. Below is why I love this curling tool so very much, plus how I like to use it with a few of my favourite hair styling products.
A few features I've been really enjoying
A very quick heat up time - I'm talking literally seconds here... I feel I should have counted but trust me it's seconds! This of course saves times waiting for the appliance to heat up (it heats to 185oC FYI) and you get a nice little tune when you turn the wave wand on and once it's heated up. The power button also illuminates whilst it's on which is a nice touch and handy for remembering to turn it off... though they do automatically turn off after 30 minutes if not used as a safety measure!
Ultra smooth barrel - Ahhh the barrel of the curling tool is just so streamline and with zero areas where the hair can be snagged on. This makes wrapping the hair around the wand and holding at the cool tip so easy and with the least damage to the hair. I also love the built-in stand at the base of the barrel that is pretty unnoticeable but means the heated part never makes contact with the surface it's placed down on or can roll/move around.
How simple and quick it is - I feel with all the features and the design of the wave wand it really has been made for ease. It's as simple as sectioning off your hair and spending 5-8 seconds on each section simply wrapping the hair around the barrel and then moving on to the next section. This takes me around 10 minutes in total and in fact I've been finding it easier than straightening my hair.
A very quick heat up time - I'm talking literally seconds here... I feel I should have counted but trust me it's seconds! This of course saves times waiting for the appliance to heat up (it heats to 185oC FYI) and you get a nice little tune when you turn the wave wand on and once it's heated up. The power button also illuminates whilst it's on which is a nice touch and handy for remembering to turn it off... though they do automatically turn off after 30 minutes if not used as a safety measure!
Ultra smooth barrel - Ahhh the barrel of the curling tool is just so streamline and with zero areas where the hair can be snagged on. This makes wrapping the hair around the wand and holding at the cool tip so easy and with the least damage to the hair. I also love the built-in stand at the base of the barrel that is pretty unnoticeable but means the heated part never makes contact with the surface it's placed down on or can roll/move around.
How simple and quick it is - I feel with all the features and the design of the wave wand it really has been made for ease. It's as simple as sectioning off your hair and spending 5-8 seconds on each section simply wrapping the hair around the barrel and then moving on to the next section. This takes me around 10 minutes in total and in fact I've been finding it easier than straightening my hair.
I also received the wave wand with carry case that has an attached heat proof mat that can detach from the case (you can see how the mat rolls out below). For me this really is a nice extra and one of really great quality. I've actually been using the heat mat for my hair straighteners as well. Compared to other mats I've tried this doesn't attract stray hairs and is super compact as the mat magnetically wraps around the case. You can find the carry case with heat proof mat here for £19.95.
How I like to use the Curve Classic Wave Wand
As you can see above from my hair picture the Wave Wand creates both large bouncy waves as well as more tightly formed curls. This is simply achieved by the size of the section of hair you wrap around the barrel. I personally love to create mainly large bouncy soft waves so I take large sections, wrapping them around the wand for around 8 seconds at the most. This literally takes me 5 minutes to do and then to the front I like to take smaller sections, wrapping them around the wand for 5 seconds to create a little more definition. I find my curls last all day without dropping out or turning to frizz!
For products that I use on my hair whilst using the wand I like to keep it minimal for that effortless bouncy look. First I like to use ghd Style Heat Protect Spray (£9.95 ghd here) all over my hair, this can be used on both wet and dry hair which is great and simply protects the hair from the heat of the hair tool. It also smells pretty nice!
Then once I've finished curling my hair I like to spritz in a little of the OGX Kukui Oil (£7.35 - Boots here) over the length of my hair which is an interesting anti-frizz hydrating oil. This I find adds a wonderful extra shine whilst also ensuring the curls don't become frizzy throughout the day. I love all OGX hair products actually.
Lastly after I've run my fingers through my hair to loosen all the curls I like to add a little of The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil For Body & Hair (£8.00 - The Body Shop here), this not only smells incredible (I love the smell of argan oil) but it's also a god send for the dry tips of my hair to smooth split ends and to hydrate. I also find this doesn't weigh the hair down at all.
All in all the ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand is my best curling wand to date! It's easy and quick to use and the results are long lasting and just perfect!
Currently over the entire curling tool range on the ghd website there's a great saving of £20 plus free delivery!
Fee xo.
*This post was kindly sponsored by ghd
Currently over the entire curling tool range on the ghd website there's a great saving of £20 plus free delivery!
Fee xo.
*This post was kindly sponsored by ghd
Ever drooled over the Kardashian sisters hair? I know I have - often! I mean their preened silky locks are something to be admired. Well long, lushest hair may not be such a daydream after all!
*Sponsored content*
Instead of spending on more hair styling products to beautify what is basically dead and often heat damaged hair, why aren't we thinking about nutrition and growing healthy hair that will look amazing? It's actually bizarre that we don't think about it, because I know when even my nails are looking a bit shabby and are breaking off it's due to being run down and what's going on inside.
So Hairnitiy is basically a dietary supplements that contains lots of great ingredients that create the building blocks of the protein that gives hair it's strength. Making both the hair and scalp in better condition and letting hair grow faster, longer and fuller!
But back to the Kardashians for a minute as both Kim and Khloe are actual users of Hairfinity and as you can see above with their goddess-like hair they attended the Hairfinity launch party last year which was documented on Keep Up With The Kardashians just last week. Of course I'd still love to know how their hair is styled so amazingly *hunts on YouTube* but it does give hope to the rest of us!
More on Hairfinity - A bottle of the Hairfinity supplements costs £24.00 and contains 60 capsules which are to be taken twice a day, making a bottle last one month. Available to buy on the Hairfinity UK website. FYI - A bottle sells every 20 seconds in the US?!?!?
Of course I can't give you my own impressions just yet but I will be taking a full month course of the hair supplements and will get back to you with my results and thoughts next month!
Fee xo.
With a bizillion different conditioners and hair masks in my shower (I'm literally talking 8+ here) I thought I would create a little series of review posts, reviewing three at a time.
Here are a few budget conditioners for under £5...
Osmo Intensive Deep Repair Mask
£4.99/250ml - eBay here
£3.24/100ml - eBay here
This is my current favourite conditioner/hair mask. I bought this on a whim from Fragrance Direct as I liked the look of the iridescent tube... such a good reason to buy I know, and because it was cheap. But this is seriously some good stuff! Firstly the consistency and the scent are just amazing, like a creamy butter that just glides over the hair that is slightly scented with a sugary vanilla. Making it feel like a treat to use... other than the Macadamia Hair Masque I've never felt like that with any other conditioner!
As for the effects I actually squeeze all the excess water from my hair and apply the mask to the length and ends of my hair, leaving it for 5 minutes. But for a real treat I grab a towel and towel dry my hair then apply the mask for at least 10 minutes (I use a body scrub, use my Clarisonic and shave my legs in that time) this really is worth it and once I've dried and styled my hair I can really see and feel how much softer and hydrated it is. If you can't afford a pricey hair mask/don't want to, then this is the best cheaper alternative I have found so far!
This is my current favourite conditioner/hair mask. I bought this on a whim from Fragrance Direct as I liked the look of the iridescent tube... such a good reason to buy I know, and because it was cheap. But this is seriously some good stuff! Firstly the consistency and the scent are just amazing, like a creamy butter that just glides over the hair that is slightly scented with a sugary vanilla. Making it feel like a treat to use... other than the Macadamia Hair Masque I've never felt like that with any other conditioner!
As for the effects I actually squeeze all the excess water from my hair and apply the mask to the length and ends of my hair, leaving it for 5 minutes. But for a real treat I grab a towel and towel dry my hair then apply the mask for at least 10 minutes (I use a body scrub, use my Clarisonic and shave my legs in that time) this really is worth it and once I've dried and styled my hair I can really see and feel how much softer and hydrated it is. If you can't afford a pricey hair mask/don't want to, then this is the best cheaper alternative I have found so far!
Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner
£3.99/180ml - Boots here
In the past few years I've been really impressed with Dove haircare products, they really seem to have upped their game and now offer some great products. This specific conditioner is one I like to use when I need to conditioner my hair well but haven't got enough time to be keeping it on as this only need to be on the hair for a single minute!
I can't say I love the scent of this... a lot of Dove hair products have this scent and to me it's just a bit too synthetic smelling but it is far from awful. But I do like the smooth consistency and how quickly it gets to work detangling my hair and leaving it quite frizz free.
In the past few years I've been really impressed with Dove haircare products, they really seem to have upped their game and now offer some great products. This specific conditioner is one I like to use when I need to conditioner my hair well but haven't got enough time to be keeping it on as this only need to be on the hair for a single minute!
I can't say I love the scent of this... a lot of Dove hair products have this scent and to me it's just a bit too synthetic smelling but it is far from awful. But I do like the smooth consistency and how quickly it gets to work detangling my hair and leaving it quite frizz free.
Timotei Brilliant Repair Conditioner for Dry/Damaged Hair
£1.99/200ml or £2.99/400ml - Asda, Tesco etc
This is the newest addition to my shower and also the cheapest! I've always used Timotei conditioners as the scents always appeal to me (I'm sure there use to be a strawberry yogurt one) and because they are so darn cheap.
Another super quick one that doesn't actually require to be left on the hair at all! So I now use this before I am using a hair mask to de-tangle my hair quickly as I feel hair masks work so much better on smooth hair for some reason. I've also been using this when I literally want a 5 minute shower as I just can't skip conditioner and this leaves my hair tangle-free and shiny. As for consistency and scent, it is quick a thin conditioner however this makes it apply over the hair well and quickly, the scent is fruity and creamy but I can't put my finger on the exact smell. Also the 400ml bottle of this is huge and so low cost!
For my next conditioner reviews I will be picking a few high end ones and then on to some organic/natural ones.
Fee xo.
Pantone have announced the colour of the year - Emerald Green and you guessed it.... I'm thinking I need mermaid hair in my life!
There are many ways I can go about this.... (I should point out I don't want full-on green hair, just a bit of ombre in the length... I do not want to resemble Oscar from Sesame Street).
1. Firstly I could try a green pastel stick/hair chalk in my hair to see how it looked... or a colour bug thingy.
2. I could use a veggie dye such as one from Directions, Special Effects, Maniac Panic (I know eBay if the best place to get these) directly on my brown hair and see how it turned out.
3. I could go the whole way and bleach random parts of my hair and then use a veggie dye for a more intense green colour.
4. For a full on ombre effect I could buy a L'Oreal Ombre Kit and dye a lot of the length blonde (well it will turn out more orange.. but it just need to be a light base) and then dye it again with a green veggie dye.
So it seems like I have a lot of options to think about! My only worry is I will look more deep sea creature than elegant sexy mermaid?!
Your suggestions are 100% appreciated here.
Fee xo.
A quick morning post today on a great offer that is ideal to get now in time for Christmas!
The Enrapture Totem Styler is currently the Deal of the Week product on Boots.com which means it is£37.49 instead of the normal £74.99!
In my honest opinion the Enrapture Encode Totem Styler is the best curling styling tool on the market, I literally know so many people that own this and love it. With the unique three zone barrel (basically three different heat zones that you can change) you can create so many different types of curls and looks.
The quality of the product and the packaging is right up there with the likes of GHD's. This is a superior hair tool that heats up fast, comes with a heat-proof carry case, doesn't tug on the hair and will be a staple if you love having waves or curls.
The quality of the product and the packaging is right up there with the likes of GHD's. This is a superior hair tool that heats up fast, comes with a heat-proof carry case, doesn't tug on the hair and will be a staple if you love having waves or curls.
Heat 1 creates loose curls and heat 3 creates tight curls. For daytime when I'm in a rush I use 1-1-1 for loose curls/waves, I just grab random sections and curl them quickly. For going out and wanting more perfect/styled hair I go for 2-3-1 and curl away from my face which creates loose curls to the middle section of my hair and then tighter ones to the ends. For more glamorous hair I go for 2-2-2 and curl inwards which gives a more vintage style that I know I couldn't do with any other hair tongs that I own.
If you have been looking to buy this or know someone that this would be perfect for, now would be the time to get it.
If you have been looking to buy this or know someone that this would be perfect for, now would be the time to get it.
I will be doing a full review of the Totum styler in November as part of my Christmas gift reviews with some hair pics to show how versatile it actually is.
Fee xo.
Now I don't like to give bad reviews and this isn't as such but it is more on the negative side than most of my reviews as I fail to see the purpose of this scented product.
You see I really wanted a Denman Scented Hair Brush (Amazon £7.25 - here) after sniffing them all in Boots and they all smelt lovely. So when I finally got my favourite scent - strawberry, months and months ago now, I was really pleased. But then after the first use I was a bit miffed... a scented hair brush that doesn't make your hair smell! Psh.
Okay, I can get over that it didn't make my hair smell... even though I would have loved if it could have done. But even when you are brushing your hair there is no scent.
The only scent is when you actually sniff the hair brush. Now I don't know about you, but I would find that an odd thing to do... and pointless just so that you can smell a synthetic smell of strawberries or whatever the hairbrush scent is. I guess it's kind of the same with scented nail polish... though at least you can actually smell the scent as the nail polish dries a bit, instead of a rank nail polish smell. Whereas a hairbrush is scent less to begin with, if you see what I'm trying to say.
So really I just don't see the point - yes, as a gift it is nice and something a bit different especially for a child/teenager. Not to mention it being quite a good quality brush. But I am a bit gutted that you can't even smell the scent as you brush your hair.
Nice hair brush but just a pointless selling point (or USP I should say) that has let down many people I'm sure.
Off to go sit and sniff my hair brush now... *tumbleweed*
Fee xo.
So really I just don't see the point - yes, as a gift it is nice and something a bit different especially for a child/teenager. Not to mention it being quite a good quality brush. But I am a bit gutted that you can't even smell the scent as you brush your hair.
Nice hair brush but just a pointless selling point (or USP I should say) that has let down many people I'm sure.
Off to go sit and sniff my hair brush now... *tumbleweed*
Fee xo.
I'm not sure where to start with this review because this product even though it is so simple with only ONE ingredient (cocos nucifera) it has a multitude of uses!
The product is a 250g pot of unrefined cold pressed oil that is of a thick/hard white consistency in the jar which melts into an oil on touch/heat.... and smells a bit like a Bounty!
So how can this be used -Moisturiser, body oil, hair treatment before washing, over night hair treatment, cuticle oil, facial cleanser (removes eye makeup), anti-dandruff remedy (if rubbed into scalp), weight loss aid (if ingested), used in cooking in place of oil/butter. I'm sure there are more uses that I haven't thought of!
Price wise I feel it is pretty good as Fushi products are on the pricey/high end side and it is also a product that will last you. I found it on quite a few sites so thought I'd list them.
Fushi website - £5.30 (plus p&p)
Feel Unique - £8.05 (free delivery)
Look Fantastic - £8.95 (free delivery)
Can also be found at The Nutri Centre (in Tesco Extra stores) and Waitrose. But you can check your nearest stockist on the Fushi website. 
How I have been using it...
Body Oil - The main use I have been using it for is as a body oil after showering. I rub a 50p sized blob between my hands to melt it and it does most of my body. It's quite a thin non-sticky oil but it isn't a dry oil... so it does leave the skin feeling greasy, but the next morning your skin will feel so soft that it will amaze you. Can also be used on stretch marks/scaring to help them areas look better I have found.
Removing Makeup - I have also been using it as a cleanser, just a 5p sized amount rubbed into dry skin then wiped off with a muslin cloth that has been soaked in hot water - it even removes waterproof eye makeup without stinging the eyes at all, just dissolves the makeup off the eyes.
Hair - For my hair I have been using this about 30 minutes before having a shower. I just rub this on the ends of the hair and through the length then put it up in a bun to soak in. Then I wash my hair as normal - shampoo & condition, and find my hair feels a bit smoother (no frizz) and softer.
Cuticle Oil - For this I literally have been just dipping my (clean) fingers into the jar (you hardly use any) and then I massage the oil into the cuticles. It does the job and smells lovely!
I am going to also be brave and try using this in cooking as I am dieting at the moment so if I could use this instead of Olive oil that would be great. I just need to look online for how to use it properly first.
My only dislike about the product is the lack of instruction on the jar, it literally just mentions that if used internally use 2 to 3 teaspoons a day at meal times. Nothing about how to use it best on the skin or hair.. which seems odd as it's such a multi-purpose product (very much like the packaging for Dr Bronners Magic Soap). Also I would like to take this on holiday with me as I know it would work wonders on my hair after being in the sea but it does liquefy very easily so could easily leak everywhere (which is what happened a bit in the post!).
But overall this is an amazing product that you only need a little of per use. It also smells amazing (ideal for coconut lovers) and as pure as you can get from a product - so it is perfect if you love your organic products.
Fee xo.
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