REVIEW: L'Oreal Dream Lengths | Is It ACTUALLY Any Good?

Let's rewind back to Autumn last year, every beauty guru, blogger, vlogger in the entire social media universe was raving about these new products that claim to be a miracle in a bottle that could stop you from going to the salon as often. Every girls dream right? Because secretly we dread getting that trim when "a couple of inches" turns into a huge chunk of hair on the floor. Well L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths collection answered our prayers and created a shampoo and conditioner that detangles and nourishes your long locks but also a "no hair-cut" cream that prevents breakage and split ends.

This was way too good to be true I'm sure you'll all agree so I was so hesitant of buying into their products at first because I find nowadays beauty influencers, as much as they claim to be "100% honest" tend to just promote for that extra little cash in their back pocket and most of them have salon perfect hair anyway so was I really supposed to believe them?

After a few stubborn months and allowing the hype to go down (as usual) I decided to bite the bullet and give these bad boys a try. I've been growing my hair since November, and I invested in the products back in June so my hair had grown alot so it was the perfect opportunity to test the products.

Let me tell you now, even after the first wash, I ate my words. I hadn't felt my hair so soft in years due to bleaching and heat damage. It honestly felt like I had a expensive hair treatment or something, I was strutting around swishing my hair like I was in a bloody L'Oreal advert. Because I'm Worth It!

Since using the Shampoo, Conditioner and Cream trio, I've found myself not needing to wash my hair as frequent either, it's long lasting that's for sure and my hair feels so much more healthy. That added few squirts of no hair-cut cream to the ends of my hair are doing wonders and it seems to be making my hair grow faster, I've been getting so many compliments since June so I 100% recommend if you want to grow your hair without the hassle. Other than the obvious different style, the truth is in the pictures; less frizz, less damaged, more sleek.

Drugstores like Superdrug are always having promotional offers on Dream Lengths so there are always a good excuse for you to try if you're sceptical without losing out on money. Boots actually have a bundle of the trio and also the saviour mask for extra nourishment, for just £12! Dream Lengths have just brought out a heat mask too that I am super excited to try.

Here are some links to save you a trip!

Dream Lengths Bundle

Heat Mask

Katie x

Getting Ready For Summer With Hot Miami Shades

Can you believe it's June already? Half a year is just done and dusted and my god hasn't it been eventful (see my last post what i've been up to). I just feel like the days are just slipping away from me, soon enough I'll be old, grey and in a care home.

Anyway, enough waffling, I just thought I'd do a post updating you on my latest collab. A few weeks ago, Hot Miami Shades got in contact with me to see if I was interested in becoming an affiliate for their brand, I mean as a sucker for warm weather and summer, for the 6-7 days England actually gets it, I couldn't say no.

Hot Miami Shades are an American brand that have beem bringing "the hottest shades of Miami" since 2015. Personally, I have never come across them before however I am British, of course it would be difficult to know about it. If you don't already know, I just love brands, online retailers that aren't necessarily as commercial and popular as the likes of Boohoo, Missguided etc. but I think that stems from the fact I love to be a little different with my style.  Yes, I follow trends but if a denim jacket for example, has a slightly different vibe, I'm all for it because I just get really uptight if I see someone else wearing the same items as me just because they are easily accessible. Smaller companies help me out majorly with that whilst at the same time I'm helping promote them, so win win situation really and Hot Miami Shades were no exception.

On their website they have a variety of 72 sunglasses to choose from, ranging from different styles and colours to suit everybody. Initially, hence the brand name, that was where I did a B-Line to and I purchased a gorgeous round pair but it wasn't until after I realised they sell clothing, jewellery and accessories aswell so you can be well and truly prepared for summer in one stop. Of course, their prices are in US Dollars but I always think that's more exciting for me because in UK Pounds it converts cheaper (just me..?) however it's not too expensive, some may say it's pricey for some items but the quality of the product is actually really impressive.

In terms of delivery, it's very realistic. As a British girl it took about 2 weeks to arrive which for FREE shipping I can't complain, although I must have gone through 7 different weather changes in the mean time I didn't know if I needed sunglasses or bloody wellies! It comes in a cute branded box and includes a pouch, a cloth to clean the lenses, and a mini tool which if i'm honest I don't know what is for, maybe tightening them? But I love the fact they have thought about these details.

All in all, Hot Miami Shades have really impressed me. I absolutely adore my sunglasses, they're oversized, stylish and comfortable to wear which is a must for me, as a regular glasses wearer, I can't stand when they rub your nose or feel like they suffocate your face. (although as usual they do rip your hair out if you put them on top of your head!) Obviously, I stayed a little safe and true to my style but as I said, there will be a style that suits you whether you're more daring or like to keep it subtle.

If you're interested in purchasing any product from Hot Miami Shades, here's a little cheeky discount from me to you to save you some pennies: POOK20 

MY SHADES: https://hotmiamishades.com/collections/sunglasses/products/nolita

REVIEW | Lasting Finish 25 Hour Breathable Foundation

I have waited so long to do a review of this but honestly, I've not been near a drugstore to pick it up until I completely ran out of it's sister product Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation. Anyway since this has been my Holy Grail product since about 18 years old (as I've noted a thousand times before) It was time to test this out, finally!

Now, let's get down to what the foundation states:

"Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Breathable Foundation is a lightweight skin perfecting foundation with medium coverage. Breathable skin technology that moisturises for up to 25hr. With SPF 20"

Sounds promising, however as I am such a advocate for full coverage foundation, I was a little apprehensive as to how well I was going to get on with it and whether it will cover to my desire.

I always get Rimmel foundations in 100 Ivory as I am Casper the Ghost's sister and even that is still dark for me! I must admit when I opened the lid I was pleasantly surprised (and a little excited) about the applicator. It's a stick with a sponge end which is the complete contrast to original which is just a pump with no applicator. 

I suppose you can apply this directly to the skin however I decided to dab a few swabs onto my blending sponge and applied it that way and honestly as I first I wasn't convinced. It felt so lightweight like I wasn't covering any blemishes it literally just felt like a moisturiser however when I actually looked at my complexion I was proven wrong. Admittedly it's buildable so I did need to apply more product until I was comfortable but I couldn't fault it and like I said, how it felt against my skin, it didn't feel caked on yet looked almost flawless.

It also worked well with the rest of my make-up routine (you can read about what products I use here) blending together lovely. So, honestly if you're looking for a light-medium coverage more moisturising foundation that doesn't feel caked on your skin, this is an amazing alternative to the original product by Rimmel.

However, I am a sucker for full coverage so it's not a complete replacement just yet!     

Love, Pook x

DRESSES FOR £1?! | ISawItFirst

Do you ever wake up in the morning after a nice little sleep and a miracle has happened? Well that's exactly what happened on Tuesday. Well, okay I know I'm being super extra but seeing an email saying I could get clothes for £1 was a blessing when I'm struggling to maintain money this side of Christmas.

Now, normally when I get emails or notifications of crazy sales like this, I just think, oh it's just the last of their summer crap, or something that is a serious fashion faux pas but I always look, because y'know, just incase and I'm nosey. 

I Saw It First is genuinely my go-to online store now. I first discovered it back in July when literally every social influencer was raving about it and usually when that happens I click their link and that's as far as it goes but something was different about this site, I had a good feeling and that day I did spend about £70 on a few outfits just to test it and it's been my favourite since. It's affordable, efficient and friendly and the quality is decent!

Now, back to this £1 malarkey. After scrolling through the first few pieces, I realised this was the real deal man, like it wasn't just summer sale, there were £30 price tags reduced to £1 which is very rare, I know it's Black Friday week but this was crazy. They smartly however, put a 2 items per transaction limit to prevent greedy buggers like myself nabbing the whole lot so in the end I settled for these 2 gorgeous dresses, retailing originally at £20 and £25.

  

I was a little bit excited as party season is very soon approaching (not that I have any to go to) so used this as an acceptable excuse to buy metallic pieces. C'mon it's CHRISTMAS!! And besides if for whatever reason I hated them, it cost me less than a bottle of Coke!

First up I tried on this Rose Gold Metallic Dress and it's not actually from the I Saw It First brand which I kind of knew straight away, it wasn't the usual quality I expected and the metallic material reminded me of a turkey wrapped in foil but when I put it on it actually looked nice. The material doesn't really give much wriggle room and you have to tie up the straps yourself to avoid any malfunction which is super risky but I styled it with my oversized denim jacket from Boohoo to make it a little bit more me to dress it down and I do really like it. It's definitely a Christmas dress when you're feeling a bit extra (which is me all the time) or can be used for fancy dress but I do see myself wearing this to a few parties.

Now onto the second dress, which on the model I didn't think much of I mean I liked it but the way it was styled with metallic silver thigh high boots didn't leave the best first impression. When I took it out the parcel I was instantly inlove; the material was such good quality and wasn't rough like some glitter style dresses and it was stretchy and fit like a glove. This is how I know it was the I Saw It First brand. Because of the low-back you can't wear a bra with it and as someone with alot of boobage I usually feel so conscious about this but I felt so secure and you can't see any nips which is an added bonus. This dress is definitely more my style out of the two and so comfortable, I cannot wait to wear this to a birthday party I'm going to next week and completely blag around the fact it cost me a freakin' £1!

If I'm 100% honest, I don't think I would pay full price for either dress as they both aren't usually something that would catch my eye or I would go for amongst other styles, but I am definitely very satisfied with my purchases and I definitely recommend you all to check out I Saw It First if you haven't already, especially with Black Friday around the corner, get yourself some bargains! 

Website: http://www.isawitfirst.com
Twitter:@isawitfirst
Instagram: isawitfirst
Snapchat: isawitfirst_com


(Please note: the £1 sale was over before I uploaded this post. This is not an Ad, just myself and my honest opinions on a brand I love)

Love, Pook x

OPINION: Grease The Musical (2017)

Before I get into this post, I sincerely hope anyone who reads this has watched Grease, and if not, W H Y? Grease is one of THE best musicals ever, long before Zac Efron had even graced this world with his presence, it is basically the 70's version of High School Musical, with an incredible cast of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John where we follow the journey of The Pink Ladies and T-Birds through high school who face tough decisions in their final year and summer lovers Danny and Sandy and whether they will rekindle their romance now Sandy has joined Rydell High. Now, anyone who knows me realise how much I love everything about this musical; the story, the fashion, the songs and even to this day when a DJ goes into his cheesy playlist, I am there on the dancefloor doing my best Sandy impression. 

Just going to casually insert of picture of me and my family as Pink Ladies and T-Birds for my Dad's 60th ...

Even if you haven't watched the film, there is no doubt you know Greased Lightning, You're The One That I Want (ooh ooh ooh honey) or Summer Nights. 

Okay, so I rambled on enough about my love, we can establish my excitement when I found out they were revamping the theatre show and touring this year and coming to Plymouth! Not only that, the teenage love of my life, Tom Parker (from The Wanted if you didn't know) was cast as Danny Zuko so, no brainer right? I HAD to go!

When we got into the theatre I was a little apprehensive, understandably I had very high expectations of the show as I'm sure did the whole audience, there's an enormous amount of pressure to pull off such an iconic musical and ensure it's relevant for this century but I assure you, it didn't disappoint once I got over some of their American accents. 

Alongside Tom, Danielle Hope (who previously played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz) portrayed Sandy amazingly and with an effortless vocal performance to match. Eastenders' Louisa Lytton also joined them as Pink Lady leader Rizzo, bringing to the stage the right amount of sassiness that we all know and love from the character.

From the get-go, the whole theatre was filled with laughter, applause and singing, even when there was an unfortunate technical hitch that brought the show to a halt in the first half, but true to the saying, The Show Must Go On, and it did and the cast were greeted back on stage with a massive reaction from the audience. 

Overall it was a spectacular performance, Tom and Danielle retelling the far-from-perfect love story of Danny and Sandy with ease and powerful chemistry throughout, the whole production of light and sound were outstanding which really brought the show to life, and the whole cast just go together seamlessly with good comedic timing and really engaging with the audience. It really has done the original justice. 

Now I'm off to watch the film for the 1000th time.

Veleza; The Go-To Beauty App!

Do you often seek advice on what beauty products to buy, have beauty products you just love to rant and rave about or just love all things beauty? Then Veleza is the perfect app for you!

A few months ago I was contacted by the community manager of Veleza telling me about a new app that is completely based on all things beauty and were looking for more bloggers to feature on it. Of course, me being a sucker for hints and tips I just had to sign up! Instantly I was obsessed. Once you sign up you answer a few questions on your skin type which is added to your profile which looks like this.

My blog is linked to my profile which only the owners can do currently if you have one you want to share. Here you have your own posts where you share your tips or a product you're loving for everyone else to see then people can "like" and "comment" very Facebook-esque. Then your Reviews, which when you add a new post {+ button} instead of clicking create a post click add product to shelf where you take a picture and then the system registers it for you to write your opinion on it. Perfect if you're someone like me who loves everyone knowing what you think!

A new feature was introduced the past few days which is earning gems for being active on Veleza so the more you post the more gems you get and the higher you rank! Just a cute added extra to motivate you to post.

What's really cute about the notifications section is you can see when people write a new post and review aswell as who liked yours and followed you. It's so much easier to catch up on as the Discover section doesn't have everyone's posts on there.

Here is where you can see other members posts! I've been inspired by so many of these and bought a ton of products others have tried and tested. The best thing about this is it's real people testing real products, no fake advertising, just pure love!

This section is where you can find products yourself based on what you want and are looking for. Most products on here are drugstore and affordable, even telling you the prices which is super handy!

Finally, my favourite bit of the app, the Discuss section! Here you can seek advice from your fellow app users for whatever you're after. It's like a beauty forum just ask a question then others comment suggesting the best products in their opinion. This is what makes Veleza a community app as a whole.

I hope you liked my little tour of the app and hopefully persuaded you to download this FREE app. Remember, blogger or not this is for everyone and I highly recommend it as everyone is so friendly and supportive on there and it's definitely something that is underrated and needs more exposure. Trust me it can be a lifesaver for your last minute beauty worries!

Here is the website link you can download the app straight from https://veleza.com/

Welcome to the community darlings!

Katie x

The £5 Bag

If you read my post The £1 Shoes, you already know what an eye for a bargain I have so I just have to tell you about this bag I recently purchased for £5. It's from the website http://everything5pounds.com which I would see advertised all over Facebook but obviously the fact every item on the website is £5 {hence the title} i was a bit skeptical. 

It wasn't until my sister purchased some clothing that I was pleasantly surprised. The material was good quality, the items were true to size and looked the same as the pictures so it encouraged me to buy a dress which is my favourite to date, so flattering and lovely. 

Then I saw this bag, I wanted a cross over body bag that could fit everything in but wasn't as big as my "suitcase" of a handbag and this seemed perfect. It was advertised in red but when I clicked on it the white took my eye. It's faux leather with a buckle fastening and a zip inside to keep everything in aswell as a zip on the back to fit even more in. I thought, eh why not it's only a fiver but it did seem too good to be true so there must be a catch right?

Wrong. This was exactly what I wanted and more, the structure is simple but so pretty and elegant, perfect for Spring and I don't know about you but it looks far more expensive than what I paid for it and I've already got so many compliments on it. 

The most important thing is everything I had in my massive handbag I can fit into this one but it's not making my arm go numb.

Once again, another successful bargain buy for a very satisfied Katie.

Keeeeep Shopping!

Katie x

REVIEW: Outdoor Hands: The Intense Skin Therapy Cream

My hands have always been one of my least favourite parts of my body because nothing I did ever worked for them to look feminine. Like everywhere else, I do suffer from dry skin on my hands and they are sensitive to breakage as I've found out from getting my nails done which is frustrating for not only me but my friend who is a qualified nail technician. It doesn't help that the shop I work in is beyond freezing and I'm always handling rough metal cages during my shifts so my hands were in definite need of Tender Loving Care.

So, as you can imagine I was thrilled when I was sent Outdoor Hands; a new skin therapy cream launched by experts to relieve dry, cracked and tired hands without any added naughty bits.

"Developed using a unique blend of natural ingredients, Outdoor Hands is free from chemical preservatives, silicones and colourants; to help leave skin feeling soft, smooth and rejuvenated. The cream’s specialist formula is easily absorbed, resulting in a non-greasy finish for use on hands, feet, elbows and other dry skin areas."

And that was the main attraction for me, my skin is very reactant to highly perfumed and preservative ridden products so this seemed perfect for me without worrying about inflammation and redness, which instead claims it reduces that. It even smells quite nice, a kind of subtle citrus scent.

The other attraction was the fact they claimed it was "non-greasy" which I was a bit dubious about.  I've owned creams in the past that no matter how much you rub in, your hands remain sticky and slippery until your hands go dry again so you'd have to re-apply, it was a vicious circle so in the end I stopped applying anything making my hands dry and unfeminine. But I was surprised that when I used Outdoor Hands the cream did actually absorb without leaving any evidence, it looked like nothing was applied but my hands felt smoother immediately. Just a pea-sized amount left my hands feeling as smooth as a baby's bottom!

An extra plus is this is 100% British, so if you're all about being patriotic this is the product for you. It's skincare that can be trusted!

I'm brutally honest and choosy when it comes to products so believe me when I say that if you suffer from dry, cracked skin or even if you don't and just love touchably smooth hands, I highly recommend this. 

At only £6.95 Outdoor Hands is available through a variety of stockists including their website http://www.outdoorhands.co.uk where you will also find out more information.

Have a lovely, skin-loving day loves!

Katie x

How Natural Is Your Natural Look?

I was sat at home the other morning contemplating what make-up look to wear, it was a day I was working so I didn't want heavy coverage and a full face so decided to go with Natural/wearable/easy to do. Perfect. 

However, when it came to doing my makeup it actually dawned on me when I was pulling out different products I was going to use that there is actually more effort to my natural look than I originally thought. So how natural really is my natural look? 

Here's the evidence of products I use on a daily basis: 

                         

So much for the I just woke up and glided out of bed effect. There are so many products nowadays encouraging this toned down look that we don't realise the amount of makeup we are applying just to get that impression of "we've haven't even tried" because the majority of us are too scared to go out bare-faced the real way. 

It's definitely a confidence issue, there was a period of time I did really look after my skin that I felt brave enough to ditch the makeup and go out without the slightest hint of foundation but with my redness, dark under eyes and blemishes there was no way in hell I would now.

The make-up remover test was also a revelation when I had to almost use two wipes just to get this understated look off my mug. 

Is it really worth it? 
Wouldn't it be more worthwhile to do a full face instead?

Oops. 

Well to be honest I love dolling up and toning down so for me it's not that much of an issue but I wanted to share with everyone what an eye opener this was for me. 

Yeah, I'd probably save a hell of a lot of make-up if I just braved it but what's the point if you're insecure and uncomfortable? The power of makeup is certainly too hard to resist nowadays. 

So, how natural is your natural look then girls?

Katie x

First Impression: Revlon ColourStay 24 Hours Foundation

This review has been a very long time coming. Y'know when you have really wanted something but you never have the courage to buy it incase you're disappointed, well this is what happened here. For as long as I can remember I have watched Liz's YouTube videos at iheartmakeup92 and along with MAC Prolong Concealer, Revlon ColourStay is the one product she has raved about for years and it always looked amazing on her acne-prone skin, so I thought I wonder how it would take to my own dry skin? 

So after sadly pumping the last remainder of squirts from my current foundation Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid, I finally decided it was time to try something new. And luck was on my side because it was half price in Boots!

I was looking for a long time for the shade that would suit me and the paler tones were a bit too pale for me and knew would wash me out so I went for 180 Sand Beige, which is actually the same shade Liz uses. So here goes nothing.

Already one negative that I was already aware of is that fact there is no pump or anything to limit the amount you apply so carefully I poured a tiny amount onto the back of my hand. {Although I have just been informed the new version has a pump, damn!} The consistency is much creamier and liquidy than what I'm used to, normally the formula is thicker and doesn't run down my hand. 

I took my egg sponge blender and started to apply. Recently, I've been trying to change my routine up for Spring and not to have as heavy coverage on my skin but this was a dream to apply. Immediately I saw a difference and it didn't feel cakey at all, the more I put on. I did at some point think, is this actually working? because it feels so natural. A major pro for me is how it covers my dark circles under my eyes, normally I need a heavy mix of foundation, concealer and a filter to feel confident but I found myself using less concealer and I took selfies afterwards without a filter! 

I may have only applied a little today, but the coverage still was high and I know I could have applied more with ease without the worry of an orange cakey mess (we've all been there) 

So apart from the lack of pump/applicator {on mine anyway}, I have no complaints and I wasn't disappointed, thankfully. I will probably post a heavier coverage soon to show how effortless it really is. I'm really impressed and would recommend this!

Katie x