L'oréal Paris Thicker Hair Collection

Sorry for all the review posts lately, I've got a few non-review post ideas for over the next few weeks, but I'm more than happy to take suggestions on what you'd like to see!

When I was younger I had such long and thick hair. 

I used to love it so so much, despite that it would get tangled in knots constantly, and the fact that it was so long that I could barely do anything with it.

That was, however, until I got to an age where I could dye my hair myself.

When I got to about 17, I had mastered dying my hair pretty well without it being too patchy, and I developed an almost OCD for roots coming through.
This starts to happen only a few weeks after dying your hair, so every 3 weeks I found myself re-dying it. But I wouldn't just touch up the roots, I'd re-dye my whole head.

After a few months of this, when I'd brush my hair I'd find a lot more would be falling out in comparison to normal, and when I'd wash it, I'd find a big clump in the drain.
Now to begin with, I wasn't concerned in the slightest. 

'My hair is thick and long any ways, doesn't matter if a bit falls out'.
But when it was still happening a year after I had stopped dying my hair regularly, I began to panic.

4 years later, and I'm glad to say that I still have long hair (not quite sure how, but I am most definitely not complaining)! I dye my roots every 3 months at the most, and since I have an ombré effect on the lower half, I re-bleach probably about every 5/6 months.
It's not very thick any more though, so I thought it was time to experiment.
I recently stumbled upon an advert for L'oréal Paris Elvive - Fibrology Thickening Shampoo, Thickness Booster, and Thickening Conditioner. Like all adverts, they made the products seem so amazing and fast working.
Normally I don't get scooped in, but I thought I'd take the chance with these as they're a new range so I would have to wait a while before reading any reviews.

Surprising, they're not expensive products. The shampoo and conditioner are both 400ml bottles, both costing £3.99 each. The thickness booster was fairly costly in comparison at £5.99 but only being a 30ml bottle. However, when I bought these they were on a 3 for £10 offer at Boots, so really, I only paid £2 for the booster.

The 'science' behind the increase of hair thickness in these hair products, is that there is a fair amount of Filloxane in them. The filloxane is meant to penetrate the hair fibre and expand it, remaining in the fibre and increasing expansion wash after wash.
These products claim to increase the thickness of hair, giving it more body and bounce, which is exactly what I wanted.

Directions on how to use them are fairly straight forward. You use the shampoo like a normal shampoo, which I must add, smells incredible.
It's fragrance is really sweet and creamy. To be honest, I don't buy things for the way they smell (except obviously perfume etc), but it does help if things don't smell rank. Especially if it has a lingering smell.
Once you've rinsed the shampoo out, you apply the thickness booster to the whole of your head. It comes out really thin and runny so it's hard to determine how much you need (and since I have long hair, I'm running out after only 5 or 6 uses). You only need to use the booster twice a week at the most, so depending on your hair length, you might be able to get a month or two worth of booster. 
Without washing the thickness booster out, you then apply the conditioner on top, and let it do it's magic for a few minutes, then wash it all out.

I couldn't see a difference after the first or second wash, but after the third, I actually started to notice that my hair seemed to have lot more to it.
I've been using the shampoo-conditioner combo for about 2 months now, with the booster once or twice a week, and I can honestly say I'm impressed.
My hair feels and looks so much thicker, and because of this it seems to have more volume. Not sure if this is something it claims to do, or if I'm just drying my hair differently, but it just looks so much better than usual.
SO happy with the results, especially because it was a sort of 'spur of the moment, hope and pray' purchase. Plus, because the bottles are so big, I won't be running out any time soon of the shampoo or conditioner.
I'd rather not have to pay the whole £5.99 for the booster, so I'll see how it goes without it for the next few weeks. If results are still good, I won't be repurchasing it as an assisting product.
You can also get a hair mask in this range, so when I do come to repurchasing the shampoo and conditioner, if there is a similar offer to last time, I'll try that out and see how that fairs in comparison.

Hope you're all well, and are enjoying the start of Summer!

xox

Soap and Glory Archery

After watching a few beauty hauls on Youtube recommending this brow pencil, I decided to delve into Soap and Glory's makeup collection. Usually I don't tend to go for their makeup since it's often quite expensive, but I've heard such great things about this product that I just had to try it out!

I had a fair amount of trouble trying to get hold of this colour though. The Boots store near where I work only had the colour 'love is blonde' for weeks, and my hair is naturally a medium brunette colour, so I definitely could not get away with that shade.
This is the Soap and Glory Archery - Brow tint & Precision shaping pencil in shade 'Brownie points'. 
It retails at £10, which for an eyebrow pencil I thought seemed a bit much, since I usually use Rimmel London - Professional Eyebrow Pencil in shade 002 hazel which retails at about half the price. 
But like I said, I had heard such great things about it that I thought I'd give it a try.

On one side of the dual ended product is a fine felt tip like pen, and the other, a pencil that you twist up. 
Although I think I might have gotten a dud felt tip side, as the tint doesn't come out properly (which sucks as that's what I was most looking forward to using), I can still use it, it's just quite faint. Or is that how it's meant to be? I'm not sure, I was expecting it to come out a little heavier so that I wouldn't have to go over the same spot a ton of times.
After reading online however, I think I just need to stand it felt tip side down so that all the tint rushes to the nib. I'll try that tomorrow and hopefully it'll be a-okay!
The pencil side however is just right. It's just your average pencil, maybe slightly more waxy, but the colour is almost exact to my eyebrow colour, which almost never happens to me with makeup. It seems quite flimsy though, and I've heard a lot of people mention that their pencil end has snapped after a few uses. Thankfully it hasn't with mine yet (touch wood!), but I'll be disappointed if it does since you can't exactly sharpen it.

I've also been using the tint and shaping pencil, with the Soap and Glory Arch De Triumph - Brow shaper and Highlighter crayon. I love this highlighter to just pop under the brow arch to make the eyebrow stand out more. It retails at £9 which for this good of a brow highlighter, I think it is more than worth the money. It's a big pencil so you'll get a lot of use out of it, so it's a bargain really.

For the fact that my tint and shaping pencil may be broken, I am a bit unsure of whether it's worth all the hype. I guess I'll just have to see if I can get the felt tip end to work properly before I make a decision on outting the Rimmel brow pencil. If I can, it is most definitely something I will be repurchasing, and I do think it is an excellent product if you're looking for a more natural brow. It's really quick and easy to use, and it makes your brows look amazing without making them stand out in all the wrong ways. And teamed with the highlighter crayon, your brows are good to go.

xox

Summer

 

If you're living in England, you'll know just how terrible the weather can be (major sad face), but how recently the weather has been quite nice. It's had a few ups and downs, but mainly very sunny and very warm.

I even managed to tan a little bit, which is somewhat of an achievement as I usually either burn or stay exactly the same shade of pale that I've always been.

Lucky for me, the nice weather started a few days into my holiday off work, so that made it even more enjoyable.

I don't usually drink, but the lovely warm weather, a pretty Summer dress and a flower filled garden put me in the mood for a fruit cider or two!

Sitting in the garden, reading a good book and relaxing. Sounds wonderful right?

Well Summer nights usually mean lighting a fire in the fire pit outside, and toasting marshmallows. Makes for a beautiful end, to a beautiful day.
Have you been enjoying the start of Summer?

xox

LIEBSTER AWARD!

Okay, so I've been nominated for the Liebster award by the lovely Katie at May Bee Beauty which was very sweet of her, so thank you so much! I was having the worst week until I read your comment, and you've honestly made me feel tons better!

In case you're unsure of what the Liebster Award is, it is a kind of 'chain letter' type award given from blogger to blogger who have less than 200 followers. It might seem pointless, but personally I find it really nice to have been nominated. It feels like someone appreciates all the effort you've put into your little space on the internet, and it's always nice to be reminded that someone is actually reading what you're writing!

So once again, thank you for the nomination Katie!

These are the rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog! Spread the love!
2. Display the award on your blog.

3, Answer the 11 questions provided to you by the person who nominated you.
4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate between 5 and 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award (who have less than 200 followers).

6. Create a new list of questions for your nominees to answer.

7. List these rules in your post!

8. Inform the bloggers that you have nominated them for the Liebster award, and provide a link to your post so that they can learn about it themselves! 

Katie's Questions for me

1. Who is your biggest make up inspiration?

I don't really have a make up inspiration, I just kinda go with it sometimes. I do like to watch make up youtube tutorials from Tanya Burr and Zoe Sugg or 'Zoella' though.

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

As long as I'm writing, I don't really mind. Journalism, blogging, writing reviews, writing books, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to be doing something that I enjoy!

3. Your most used make up brush?

My real techniques blush brush, but I use it to contour. Don't judge me, I'm sure not everyone uses their brushes for the exact purpose they were made for.

4. Your most played song?
Probably at the minute, 'Do you want to build a snowman' from Frozen.

5. Favourite foundation of all time?

Current one that I'm using. Maybelline 'Super Stay Better Skin, Flawless Finish Foundation'. Fairly good coverage, and kinda matches my ghost white skin.

6. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

Hogwarts, or Disney World in America. A girl can dream, right?

7. Most used word?

I really couldn't say. Probably monkey at the minute, as that's the new nickname I've given my cat.

8. Favourite animal?

I loooove cats. Big cats, little cats, I am definitely a crazy cat lady at heart.

9. Biggest beauty mistake?

When I was younger, I thought plucking my eyebrows was the most painful thing ever, so I'd try and shave some shape into them with a razor (what the hell, I know). One day however, I managed to take a chunk out of my eyebrow, and I had a random bald spot for weeks. Thank god for eyebrow pencils.

10. Biggest fashion mistake?

Cringe moment here, but when I was about 14 I really liked Doc Martens, and to be fair, the black normal style ones are still quite nice. The red leather plated, knee high ones I owned however, were most definitely not.

11. What advice would you give yourself when you were younger?

Everything gets better. It might not seem like it, but it will.

11 Random Chloe Facts

1. Vegetarian pizza is my fav, despite the fact that I'm not a vegetarian.
2. Harry Potter is my favourite thing ever ever ever. I've seen all the films and read the books about a gazillion times. I can quote them pretty much off by heart. 
3. I love superhero movies, and I used to watch all the cartoons when I was little. I not-so-secretly would love to be a superhero.
4. I am cat crazy.
5. I'd rather be too cold, than too hot. Its easier to add layers than to take them off.
6. I've suffered with anxiety since I was about 15, and panic attacks since I was about 17. I don't talk about it a lot and not a lot of people know I have it. I just deal, which is stupid because people should be more accepting and understanding. Unfortunately they are not.
7. I hate coffee, very much a tea person.
8. I have quite an addictive personality sometimes, when it comes to tv programmes. I can watch a couple series in a few days.
9. I have an oval birthmark on my shin that I despise. I'm really conscious about it because its just there, in the middle of my shin. Puts me off wearing shorts, skirts and dresses without tights.
10. I eat garlic sauce with almost everything. 
11. I have never broken a bone, but I did have to stay in hospital for a few days because of a nasty kidney infection.

My nominations are

Rachel at Eat - Explore - Enjoy
Breffní at Le Petit Chat
Madelaine at HAZY SILVER
Jess at dear wildflower
Jodie at An Abundance of Ramblings
Regina at Lovetostylexo
Catherine at caffrinc
Lily at you had me at vintage

Questions for you to answer
1. What made you want to start blogging?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. If you were stranded on an island, what are the five things you would want with you?
5. Other than blogging, what are your other interests?
6. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
7. Favourite tv programme?
8. What is something you wanted to be when you were younger, that you aren't?
9. Something you're proud of?
10. Do you have a favourite Disney film?
11. If you had unlimited amounts of money, what would be the first thing you would buy?

Thanks for reading! Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Divergent Trilogy Review - CONTAINS SPOILERS

Okay, so if you don't want to know what happens in the Divergent trilogy, STOP READING NOW. This is going to contain a LOT of spoilers, so be wary as you read. 

(You have been warned).

What can I say about this trilogy, other than I thought it was amazing!

I bought the first two books in the series, Divergent and Insurgent ages ago, and only got round to reading them recently, once I had purchased the third and final Allegiant. In fact, I read all three in the series in the space of about a fortnight! (Nerd, I know).
I'm still yet to see the film adaptation of Divergent. I'm a little nervous that it's going to have gone completely off track from the book, and I thought the book was just great the way it was.

If you've seen the film or read the books, you'll know that the trilogy follows a 16 year old girl named Tris, and a number of obstacles she must overcome due to her being 'Divergent' and the danger that presents in her society, beginning with the decision to leave her family and faction behind to start fresh in a new one.
There are five factions in the city with each containing their own dispositions that they must live by. Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave) and Erudite (the intelligent).
Throughout this book, the underlying theme seems to be Tris trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. At 16, I'm fairly certain everyone has gone through a phase similar to this, and it's an easy connection that we can make with Tris.
The book is filled with danger and anticipation as you get to understand the world Tris lives in, watch her adapt to her new life as a fearless Dauntless, fall in love with her initiation instructor, and risk her life to save others, while along the way losing people that she cares for dearly.
Out of the three, this was my favourite by far. I liked the idea that because Tris was starting a new life and learning a new way of living, that the reader was going through the journey with her and learning as she did.
It was also interesting to watch her relationship with Four develop. For a while it seemed to be a 'will it-wont it' kind of relationship which I was rooting for (and I'm sure everyone else reading was too).
The three books flow seamlessly into one another, which is something I feel makes the trilogy so unique. It all happens in a very short space of time.

Insurgent, the second book starts immediately after the first book ends, after a 'war' breaks out and most of Abnegation is wiped out by Dauntless soldiers under a mind control simulation, controlled by Erudite. 
Tris, accompanied by her boyfriend Tobias/Four and a few others try and find safety with other factions, whilst constantly trying to escape Dauntless traitors.
After turning herself in to save her friends, Tris discovers the betrayal of someone she never could have imagined would hurt her so badly.
And then there's the cliffhanger ending that rips their whole world apart.
Like Divergent, the book is filled with anticipation and danger, but in a completely different way.
Tris isn't the same girl we new, after the events of Divergent, she's too scared to pick up a gun, and she's even lost the desire to live. She's reckless and puts herself frequently in danger, which puts a strain on her relationship with Tobias. Lets be real, if the one person you loved more than anything in the world was unnecessarily risking their lives, you wouldn't be thrilled either!
There is a different level of emotion to connect with, and the relationships of characters make you really involved (like when Christina finally forgives Tris for shooting Will, and their friendship becomes rock solid again. Yay!)

With Allegiant, I found that I couldn't put it down. I'd stay up until late at night trying to get to the end of the chapter, only to have to read the next one because of the cliffhanger ending.
To me, the change in direction with the book was quite surprising, but still really well written.
This book sees Tris and friends venture outside the gates of their little world, and meet a group of scientists who explain that their entire lives have been an experiment, to produce 'perfect' and 'pure' genes.
But their society is just as broken as the one Tris left behind, and their is yet more death and pain.
It's a little less easy reading that the first two, as some of the language used is too complicated and I just didn't understand what they were even going on about sometimes, and the fact that the chapters are from two different peoples perspectives (Tris and her boyfriend Tobias) confused me. I'd read a page thinking it was from one characters perspective and have to go back after realising it was the other.

The ending however, I was not expecting and took me completely by surprise. I'll admit it, I had a little cry! I disliked how it ended, because of the reasons I was meant to. But I also liked it because it was different and unexpected.
Out of the three, this was my least favourite, but I still really enjoyed it! It was just a bit too confusing for me.

Author Veronica Ross has written an incredible series, and I'm excited for what she has in store next.
She also has some shorter stories focussing around Tobias coming out July 2014 (next month), if your Divergent needs haven't been completely satisfied.

xox

Child Of Light

If you haven't heard about 'Child Of Light' yet, then you're missing out!
At £15.99 I couldn't resist, especially with all the little extras you get in the deluxe edition. The game is usually £11.99, but for an extra £4 to get some DLC (downloadable content), an adorable 24 page art book, a stunning A2 poster and a light up keyring of a character in the game, how could I refuse?!

'Travel with Aurora in the World of Lemuria, where amazing adventures await!
Discover fairytale landscapes in a magical world.
Follow Aurora in her quest to save the kingdom of Lemuria by bringing back the three sources of Light.'

This game is everything I wanted it to be and more. 
In contrast to big titles such as 'Assassins Creed' or up-and-coming 'Watch Dogs', this is just a simple and refreshing game, developed by Ubisoft. 
The 2D side scroller is packed full of monsters to fight, and allies to help along the way. 
The battle system reminds me of games like Final Fantasy, where you stumble across enemies and you take turns at attacking/defending/casting spells based on how fast you are moving on a fight bar.
The art style is just beautiful like a drawing in a children's book, and the soundtrack fits perfectly with everything that you do. 

You journey through Lemuria with a young girl called Aurora, who has fallen into a deep sleep and ended up in another realm.
Your main companion is a little firefly, Igniculus, who you can control with the right anolog stick, as well as Aurora with the left. A second person can also sign in and play, taking control of Igniculus both in the story, and in battles.
Together, with the aid of others you must battle your way through each 'chapter', to return Aurora to her heartbroken father, and to bring back the light to Lemuria.

To put it simply, Child of Light is like a fairytale story. It's so easy going, yet the battles can be challenging. Everyone talks in a rhyme and I just find it so easy to play.
Everytime you level up in battle, your characters gain experience points which you go around unlocking new skills. It is that simple.

The only downfall for me, is that although I haven't finished it yet, I'm pretty sure that I'm close to the end. If I am, I just wish the game was longer.

Child of Light, is available as a digital download on PS4, PS3, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and is soon to be coming to Playstation Vita.

xox

Buying, When I Should Be Saving!

Sorry for the lack of posting lately! I've been poorly, which means I've been lazy and done nothing except go to work and sleep!

I'm meant to be saving up my money, but I work in a shopping centre right next to Primark (bye bye money). Naturally, I've bought a few items over the last few weeks to cheer myself up for being sick.

Primark socks have been a BIG hit with me this month. I'm a total fan of cute, patterned socks. 

If you haven't been to check them out lately, GO!

These are just a few of the many that they're selling at the minute, and at £2.50 each, I just couldn't resist.
Other than these, I've also picked up a pair of 'Where's Wally' socks made of the same material, but I've opened them and worn them quite a few times already, so they're not quite as pretty any more. 

That's their downfall really. The pattern isn't exactly long lasting, and the colour fades after a few washes.
But for £2.50, I personally can't complain. Just look at how cute they are!

I also bought a cute little navy top from Primark recently. The picture doesn't do it justice, so I'll do an outfit post wearing this soon!
It's kind of see through, with little flower detailing all over the material, so I'll wear a black vest top underneath. (I'm not brave enough/comfortable enough to go without a vest top to cover up)!

The little collar is super sweet, and the material is really thin and floaty, I just think it's really pretty and will go lovely with a pair of disco pants. 

I bought a size 6, and it's more of a loose fitting around the waist, but tighter around the chest, but because it's kinda see through, you can still see your figure.
For £8 I thought this was a bargain, and I know I'll get a ton of wear out of it!

Branching away from my Primark cheapies, I also had a little browse on Topshop website.
They recently had a free delivery offer on, so I thought I'd be silly if I didn't at least have a look to see if I could find anything I liked.
So when I found this cute white crop top, I just HAD to have it! Once again the picture doesn't do this gorgeous top justice, so I'll do an outfit post when I get the chance to wear it (when the sun decide to come out).
I love the flower detailing going along the sleeves and bottom of the crop, it seems ideal for summer!
It's available in petite and tall as well as the normal range, and usually I'd go for the petite option, since I'm only a miniature person. Having read some of the reviews on the normal range crop, I worked out that the sizing was a bit baggy so you could downsize if you wanted it to be tighter. Since I ideally wanted it baggy, I knew a 6 in the normal range would be perfect.
It's a lovely thin floaty material, and although it looks possibly a little see through, I'm sure a white bra will sort that problem out! 
£20 for a good quality Topshop top was too good to pass up. And with the free delivery offer, I just couldn't refuse!

My final shop stop was Boots. Like probably most girls, I can't resist a cheeky browse, and often find myself spending almost £50 a go in there (oops!).
This time I promised myself I wouldn't, and only had a little peek in at the lipsticks.
Pretty much all my lipsticks are Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks. I just love that they're so pigmented and have such a nice range of colours. Paired with the Rimmel Lipstick Lock to help keep the colour in place, they can last hours!
My only real downfall with lipsticks, is that I don't wear them enough.
That's one of the reasons I always choose Rimmel lipsticks. They're cheap, so if I don't wear them all the time, then it hasn't been a total waste of money.
When I bought these Rimmel lipsticks, there was an offer of 3 for 2 on, so naturally I snapped up this deal quickly. I tend to stick to similar shades (dark/deep reddy purple), so I thought I'd try and branch out a little.
And I'm so pleased that I did, because surprisingly, my new favourite is the lighter pink, which I wasn't quite expecting to like as much!
The three colours I purchased above were (from left to right) 016 'Heart Breaker', 006 'Pink Blush', and 128 'Starry-Eyed'.
Yes, Starry-Eyed is the similar dark reddy colour that I usually go for, but shhh I can't help loving that colour so much!

I am yet to delve into MAC lipsticks, but does anyone have any suggestions? It's pay day in a few days and I'm thinking of treating myself!

xox