May Favourites

May has been a bit of a horrible month for me as I've been ill for the last 2 weeks. When I'm ill anything even vaguely resembling a beauty or skincare routine goes out the window. Instead, I've been reaching for Lemsip, Strepsils and lots and lots of tea! That said, there are a few products that I was loving before I was ill as well as some really quick and easy to use ones!

First up is the Avon Ideal Flawless CC Cream, I've recently switched from wearing foundation to something a bit lighter on a day to day basis and I'm loving it. It's incredibly lightweight, blends really easily and has SPF50 as an added bonus! Expect a full review coming soon!

I have fallen head over heels for the formula of the Barry M Gelly Shine Nail Paints, particularly the shade Blueberry which I've been wearing on my toes non stop for the last couple of months as well as on my fingers for most of that time too!

I've been wearing my hair au naturel as of late thanks to a combo of 2 products, both from Lee Stafford. The first is the Argan Oil Curl Creme (full review here) which I've been working into just washed hair while its still wet. I then leave it to air dry and it's leaves me with perfectly formed curls. For next day frizz touch ups I've been spraying in some Argan oil Anti-Frizz Serum Spray which revives curls and leaves everything looking a bit smoother and glossier. 

Having a cold meant dry skin and lots of hot baths! I added a small scoop of coconut oil to my baths, not only is the fragrance amazing but it also meant I didn't have to faff around with body lotion afterwards. 

Aside from cleansing, the only thing I've been putting on my skin for the last 2 weeks is the Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil (full review here). I've been using it in the mornings and evenings and it's done my skin a world of good. I actually think my skin looks better now than before I was ill!

The last thing I've been loving is The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Lip Butter, it's been helping to moisturise my dry lips and it tastes smells delicious!

What products have you been loving this month?

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Curl Creme

My hair is naturally very curly but I haven't worn it that way in a really long time. I'm talking years! I always usually blow-dry it straight and then either straighten it or tong the ends. Years of doing this has left my hair in pretty bad condition so recently I've been attempting to use as little heat as possible on it. My only problem is, I've never been able to find a curl friendly hair product that's been quite right. They either leave my hair feeling crispy or don't really do anything at all, meaning in a couple of hours it turns into a frizzy mess. 

Understandably, I had pretty low expectations for the Lee Stafford Argan Oil Curl Creme, purely because nothing has really worked for me before. I was, however, completely blown away by it! The formula is spot on, not so thick that it weights the hair down but not so thin that it's just a runny liquid that goes all over the place. The bottle recommends using a grape sized amount but as my hair is quite thick and long, I've been using nearly a golf ball sized amount! I just run it through all of my hair, section by section, all the way from the roots to the tips. I then twist 2-3cm sections of hair between my fingers to 'form' the curl, this does take me a while but blowdrying my hair usually takes even longer so I don't really mind. I then leave it to dry naturally and I'm left with light, bouncy curls! 

I really can't believe how much this product has revolutionised the way I do my hair, I would definitely recommend it to anyone with natural waves or curls. The only downside is, as I need to use quite a lot, I'll probably be going though this bottle at lighting speed! I don't mind that too much though as it's not a particularly expensive product. 

What do you use to style your hair?

NOTD #25

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know of my love for the Avon Nailwear Pro+ range. The formula, colour range and brush are all fantastic so naturally I thought their ColourTrend range was also worth a go. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. Although I love the shade which I went for, Bikini, both the brush and formula were a let down. The brush is thin, doesn't 'fan out' as you apply the colour and the formula is thick, gloopy and streaky. It took 4 coats to get it looking opaque, by which time it had formed a thick, bumpy layer on my nails. I'll definitely be sticking to the Pro+ range in the future! 

Have you ever come across a nail varnish that you were really disappointed with?

Favourite Met Gala Looks 2014

Emma Stone in Thakoon

By far my favourite look of the night, hardly a surprise as I'm a huge Thakoon and colour blocking fan. I love that the accessories were kept quite minimal and let the crop top/skirt combo do the talking.

Suki Waterhouse in Burberry

I love how this look manages to be so feminine yet cool and contemporary. Not an easy look to pull off, the bold lip and messy updo brought the whole look together really well.

Olivia Munn in Diane Von Furstenberg

Olivia Munn always wears colour well and this look was no exception. The bright canary yellow looks amazing against her skin tone and the 40s side parting and waves look great paired with her embellished hair slide.

Leighton Meester in Emilio Pucci

This look oozes a casual, boho vibe yet still looks really put together and red carpet appropriate. I love the heavy embellishment and the colour compliments Leighton ombred locks.

Lily Allen in Chanel Couture

The layered grey organza on this dress is just so beautiful, I can't help but think of how long this dress would have taken to make. The makeup is kept simple with winged eyeliner and although I'm not usually a fan of crazy updos, Lily makes it work.

Blake Lively in Gucci Premiere

Blake manages to have mastered that Old Hollywood glamour look when it comes to the red carpet. Her hair, makeup and dress all work together amazingly well and having Ryan Reynolds on her arm doesn't hurt either!

Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli Couture

As you've probably guessed by now, I'm a big fan of embellishment. I love the contrast of the blue on black on this dress as well as the origami folds of the skirt. The matching yet minimal shoes and heavy black eyeliner set off the look perfectly. 

Rachel McAdams in Ralph Lauren Collection

This blush dress is minimalism at it's best. Paired with simple makeup and hair and next to no accessories this look proves that sometimes less definitely is more. 

Marion Cottilard in Christian Dior Couture

I've always admired Marion Cotillard's style, I love how this relatively simple dress is paired with a glossy red lip and a bold pair of shoes. 

Dress Hemingway in Proenza Schouler

I love the silhouette of this dress, it's just so elegant. Only Proenza Schouler can make such a retro dress look so contemporary! I also love the 40s style hair and makeup, al in all a great look.

What was your favourite look from this year's Met Gala? 

Image Credit: Getty Images

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ - One Tube In

I spotted La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ on a 3 for 2 offer a while ago and in spite of never having tried it before I took the plunge and bought 3 tubes. I'm not usually one to bulk buy a product I've never tried before but I'd read so many amazing reviews of the stuff that I knew I couldn't go wrong. 

Rather than doing a traditional style review I thought I'd do a post of how it's worked for me one tube in and then again later on when I'm two/three tubes in. 

First of all, what is it? A non-sticky melt in formula that's designed to tackle clogged pores, blemishes  and the marks they leave behind while also controlling shine and refining the skin's texture. Niacinamide soothes, LHA and Salicylic Acid gently exfoliate and Procerad prevents red and brown pigmentation marks from forming.

Does it work? For me, in a word, yes. Although I don't often get spots, when I do they seem to stay put for a while and leave behind marks that take forever to fade. This manages to speed up the lifecycle of a spot, meaning it disappears a lot quicker. The biggest improvement by far has definitely been to my skin texture, it feels smoother and all the clogged up pores on and around my nose look noticeably better. My skin also looks a lot brighter,  any new blemishes I've had since I've been using it definitely haven't left marks and although the old marks are still there they seem to have faded a lot, thanks to the exfoliating properties I'm sure. I've even managed to switch from wearing foundation everyday to a CC cream, something I've never been able to do before because I've always needed that extra bit of coverage. 

I would definitely recommend this product, to those with oily/congested skin as well as to those with just pigmentation. I'll be sure to do another post 2 tubes in to update you on the progress!

Have you tried La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+? What did you think of it? 

Spring Wish List

Crochet Knitted Jumper - Mango

Calm and Collected Cologne Gift Set - Jo Malone

Daisy Hair Bun Holder - ASOS

Clutch with Shoulder Strap - Cambridge Satchel Company

Patchwork Print Dress - Warehouse

Quilted Makeup Bag - ASOS

Cotton Cushion Cover - H&M

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - The Body Shop

Hair Ribbons - ASOS

Convertible Colour - Stila

Vineyard Peach Body Mist - The Body Shop

Habitual Heeled Sandal - ASOS  

An Avon Necklace?

When I think of Avon, jewellery definitely isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but when I saw this necklace I was instantly drawn to it. I love statement necklaces, they're just so easy to wear. Even if you're just wearing a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt, adding a statement necklace just pulls the whole look together and makes you look like you've actually put in an effort! I love the combination of mint, baby blue and royal blue in this necklace and I find it works really well with lots of different coloured tops. I find myself wearing this necklace way more often than I should! I may need to buy a few more necklaces, any suggestions on where to look?