Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot






I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful set from my Brother for Christmas. I had watched them flying off the shelves since November and was starting to get worried that I wouldn't get one. BUT I DID!

Just from the pictures you can see how amazing it is. 6 of Benefit's powders with a highlight and brush thrown in. All for £29.50.

I have been a big fan of Hoola for a long time but I have never really ventured out in to the world of Benefit's other blush. Many beauty bloggers have raved about Rockateur and I have wanted to give it a go. This little palette is just perfect for having different colours all in one place. I tend to wear coral blush in the Summer and pinky tones in Autumn/Winter. It just has everything I need and Benefit have done well to produce such a great gift set. No wonder it has been a best seller. I can't wait to start using it properly and find out which shades I like best. 

The powders range from 4.0 g to 6.0 g. A full size Hoola is 8.0 g (£23.50) which means that this set is very good value for money. I am so so happy to have this in my collection. I think it is my favourite present of 2014. 

What was your favourite gift?

Charley Rose x



Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Winter Lips - Lush Scrub

I am absolutely in love with this lip scrub. I use it every single day to exfoliate my horrible dry lips and it leaves them feeling soft and smooth. The cold weather is no good for the delicate skin on the lips and they become chapped and sore. On a night after cleansing my face I will rub some of the product in to my lips to remove any flakey dry skin then apply some lip balm. 

As with all Lush products it smells amazing and tastes good too! It appears to be basically sugar, with flavour and colour. It works wonders for me and is rescuing me from chapped lips.

Lush Lip Scrub £5.50


Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Root Touch Up - Silver Hair

Here is just a quick post on root touch up. I dye my hair myself and doing my roots is never an easy task. Usually because I leave it too many weeks before I dye it because I know it takes so long.


Yuckkkk


This is what I am usually working with. I think this is 8 weeks of growth or possibly 9. It doesn't show up too well on this picture but my natural colour is dark blonde so I don't need to lift it by too many levels. However, to get silver hair it needs to be bleached to a very pale yellow.



I am in no way a professional hairdresser! This is just what works for me.

My favourite bleach at the moment is the the Blondor Soft Blonde Lightening Cream from Wella. I use this with a 6% 20vol peroxide which is perfect for on scalp application. Other powder bleaches and peroxides I have used in the past have made my scalp so sore and even bleed sometimes so this is working great for me. 

I mix in a 1:1 ratio and apply it to my roots trying my best not to overlap on to previously lightened hair to avoid breakage. I leave it to develop for a maximum of 50 minutes and then head to the shower. It seems to take a long time to wash out the bleach because it is a thick cream but when my hair runs clear I take my Fudge Blonde Toning Shampoo and use it like a hair mask. I have found this to be the best way to start off the toning of my unflattering yellow roots. I put the shampoo on really thick and leave it for 5 minutes. 

Once I have rinsed this out and turned my shower purple I get out and towel dry my hair. In the past I have tried many professional toners but none of them have been significantly better than the Directions Silver Toner which I can get for around £4. I apply this to the roots of my towel dried hair and leave it on for 1 hour. This is a semi permanent conditioning colour so there is no extra damage after bleaching! 

After I wash this out I shampoo my hair again with Fudge but just as a normal shampoo, condition my hair and get out! I always use lots of oils on my hair because bleaching is very damaging but if you try to only get the bleach on your virgin hair you should be fine.

And that is my root touch up guide. Let me know if you have any favourite products for silver hair or bleaching.

Charley Rose x

Top 5 Face Base



Todays top 5 is all about the face. Here are my top products for the perfect base.

After my daily moisturiser I start with elf's mineral infused face primer in clear. This has a similar consistency to the Body Shop Instablur but is under half the price at only £6. It gives a silky smooth finish ready to keep your foundation looking good throughout the day.

Next I have the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in the lightest shade. This is a super high coverage concealer and is perfect for concealing dark under eyes. The only bad thing about this product is that the writing rubs off. 

My foundation pick is Bourjois Healthy Mix. I like this because it gives good coverage without being too heavy. It has a slight dewy finish to it and a nice fruity scent. 

For powder it has to be Rimmel's Stay Matte in Translucent. This is by far the best powder you can buy from the drugstore. I aways go back to this, even after trying out more expensive brands. It does exactly what it says on the tin and keeps shine away after a light dusting across the T-zone. I use translucent so that it doesn't add any extra colour.

And to finish off it is the well loved Hoola. I find it the perfect bronzer for contouring because it is matte. It also gives a strong colour without being orange or overpowering. 


Charley Rose x


                                                             

Monday, 17 November 2014

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick Collection with Swatches

From left 110, 22, 101, 16, 107


Rimmel's Kate Moss lipstick collection has been a beauty favourite for a while now. I have recently dug mine out again as my perfect Autumn/Winter shade is number 107.
The lipsticks in the red packaging are matte colours and the black are more light reflecting and nourishing on the lips. These are the only ones I have from the collection but I am definitely going to purchase more now I have remembered how good a quality lipstick they are. And not too expensive either! YAY!

So, in my matte collection I have number 110, a very vibrant pinky red which adds a pop of colour to the face and I like this one when I have a slight summery glow to my complexion.
101 is a baby/dusky pink colour which is working quite well for me at the moment. Its muted tone suits the season if you are going for a more natural look.
And as I already mentioned 107 is my favourite deep berry red and I never stopped wearing it last Winter. Now I have rediscovered it I will be wearing it throughout the festive period. It suits my pale Autumn skin and looks lovely teamed with a flush of berry blush on the cheeks.

For the lasting finish I have colour 22 which is just a very wearable red. Nothing more, nothing less.
And the last one is 16, a pale pink which you could say sways slightly towards the coral end of pink which is probably why I like it.

What Kate Moss Lipstick is your favourite?

Charley Rose x

Monday, 6 October 2014

Top 5 Eye Products




Urban Decay Naked 2 
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil - Perversion
Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen
Benefit They're Real Mascara 
Primark Sultry False Eyelashes



Hi guys!
Today I thought I would start a series of 'Top 5' posts. So here is the first one featuring my favourite eye products. For me, eye make up is one of the best ways to accentuate your features so here are my favourite products at the moment.

Naked 2 never leaves my make up bag! 12 neutral shades of eyeshadow and a double ended brush. What more could a girl want? (Naked 1 and 3 to add to the collection.) I have had this palette for 2 years now and use it on a daily basis. It still looks new because the eyeshadows are so pigmented that a little goes a long way. These are the only eyeshadows I use. They are perfect.

I also use Urban Decay for my pencil eyeliner. I have been using the glide on pencils for years, ever since I was given a pack of all the colours one Christmas. They go on so smooth and they don't budge. 24/7 like it says on the tin.

The Soap and Glory eyeliner pen is so easy to create the perfect cat eye. I find it too difficult to use a normal liquid eyeliner so the felt tip nib is great for me. It is very black and stays that way all day without turning grey or melting on to the eyelid.

I love, love, love Benefit's they're real mascara. I only have the mini size but I have read and heard many times that it is better than the full size version! How it can be true I don't know but I will purchase it one day to see for myself. It's another product that does what it says on the tin. It lengthens and separates lashes and really does give the appearance that you are wearing falsies! The end of the wand is a small ball shape which means you can get right down to the root of the lash. Definitely the best mascara I have come across.

I have mentioned Primark's sultry lashes before but they are so good. The spine of the lash is thin enough to conceal and the lashes fan out beautifully on my eyes. They cost £1 a pair too which is an absolute bargain when you compare them to prices of other brands in the drugstore.


Charley Rose x


Wednesday, 3 September 2014

August Favourites








Okay, So it's SEPTEMBER ALREADY! This year is just flying by. Here are my favourites for the month of August. 

Primark Sultry False Eyelashes
These are my favourite eyelashes ever. They are the perfect length and the band is nice and flexible but not too thin that it breaks after one use. The lashes have a nice fan and are soft which makes them easy to blend in with your natural lashes. I always apply a coat of mascara on my false lashes to give them the same texture as my natural lashes for a better blend. At only £1 from Primark these lashes are an absolute bargain and I stock up every time I go in.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara
This mascara has a narrow plastic wand which helps to get right in to the lashes and separate them. It says that it has fibres which are supposed to attach to your lashes and add more length. I am lucky enough to have long eyelashes naturally but I still think it makes a difference. I had this mascara before in a yellow tube which was black, but the one now in the black tube is extra black. To be honest I can't tell the difference.

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm - Audacious
I have not stopped wearing this through the summer months. Orange has become my favourite lip colour. This is a super pigmented matte colour and stays in place for hours. I think this is a wearable colour for autumn but I might have to ditch it when it gets to winter. 

Primark Brow Pencil
Another Primark beauty product I have been loving is the eyebrow pencil. This is only £1 and has the pencil on one end and a spoolie on the other. Perfect. It comes in 3 colours I think. Blonde, Medium Brown and Dark Brown. Mine is the Medium brown. Not much else to say really. It's just a brow pencil.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
Everyone talks about this foundation but I was scared to move away from my Rimmel Wake Me Up. But...I like this one better. It sits so nicely on my skin and doesn't shimmer in the sunlight like the Rimmel. I like that they have a shade light enough for me too as sometimes I find the lightest Rimmel Shade too pale for me. Thumbs up Borjois, this is my new fave!

Lee Stafford Treatment for Hair That Never Grows Past a certain Length.
I have been using this for about 18 months now but I try to only purchase it from Boots when they have it on offer at 3 for £12. Normal RRP is £8 so that is a big difference. I use it once or twice a week and I feel like it gives my hair more strength and nourishment to help it grow. And it smells good! 

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance
This is a leave in conditioning spray.I have come back to this product after trying out others. I spray it in after I have washed my hair, even when I have conditioned it, for extra silkiness. It leaves my hair feeling so soft and Aussie is one of the best smelling hair products. I also sometimes use it in between washes if my hair is looking a bit dry.

That is it for this month. Let me know what your favourites are and they could end up in my September post.

Charley Rose x



Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Mini Review - Soap and Glory Make up

I have been a big fan of Soap and Glory bath and body products for a long time but have only recently started to pick bits up from the make up range. I have a grand total of 3 products, but I think they are great and will be purchasing more. Boots often have a 'buy one get one half price' offer on too which makes it very tempting!

Supercat Eyeliner, Glow All Out Powder, Archery Brow pencil

Eyeliner Pen £6


Glow All Out Powder £11


Brow Pencil £10

Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen
This does what it says on the tin! It is a felt tip style eyeliner which is very black and very easy to use. I find this type of eyeliner the easiest to use at the moment and this one is long lasting and gives a great line. Highly recommended for anyone who struggles with eyeliner because it is easy to control.


Glow All Out Luminizing Radiance Face Powder.
I use this as my highlighter. It has a slight pink sheen to it and gives a gorgeous glow. It isn't too heavy or glittery which is perfect for me. I use it on my cheek bones and brow bones. It has replaced my Benefit High Beam because I find a powder easier to use and it gives a very similar effect due to it having the pinky tone. It also has a mirror making it great for on the go. 

Archery Brow Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil
I bought this because I have seen a few reviews of it. The felt tip end is to tint and fill in any gaps in your eyebrow and then the pencil end is to add shape and definition. I have the light shade 'love is blonde' and it is the perfect colour. Not too harsh as I have silver blonde hair. I do like the idea of the felt tip end but at £10 I don't think I will repurchase as I find it a bit too expensive for an eyebrow pencil. 


What are your favourite Soap and Glory products? I want to try them all! 

Charley Rose x



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Friday, 15 August 2014

Liz Earle Review - Monthly Essentials

I have been using Liz Earle's cleanser, toner and moisturiser for many years and I don't think I will change my routine any time soon. I first started using it when my Mum did and I was probably in my early teens at the time. She bought it from QVC and advised me to give it a go when I began moaning about my spotty teenage skin. At the time I couldn't believe how much she was paying for "face wash" and it wasn't until I got a bit older that I realised it is definately worth it and not really that pricey.

I had a break from it when my Mum stopped buying it for me and looked for a cheaper alternative. But I found myself in the Liz Earle shop in Leeds about 2 years ago and have never looked back!





I always purchase the Monthly Essentials online because it seems to be the best value for money. You get cleanser with 2 cloths, toner and moisturiser and then something extra as a free gift which this month was the face exfoliator and skin tonic spritzer. Top it off with free delivery and for £45 I think it is great value for money.



Here are the 3 items I use twice daily. The hot cloth cleanser, skin tonic toner and skin repair moisturiser.
If i have had heavy eye makeup on I will remove this first with Liz Earle's Eyebright eye make up remover. This often comes as the freebie which is great. I just put a bit on a cotton pad and sweep it over my eyes. I then go in with my 'Cleanse and Polish'. I find that one full pump is enough for me and you just rub it on to DRY skin. This can be a bit strange to get used to. Keep rubbing it into your face until you look like something from halloween. Next take one of the face cloths and run it under hot water. Wipe it over your face to gently remove the cleanser and rinse and repeat if you need.

The next step is toner. This helps to hydrate the skin and give it an instant boost as it says on the tin. Again take a cotton pad and sweep over the entire face to remove any last traces of makeup and leave your face feeling ultimately refreshed.

I always give my skin a few seconds to dry and then dispense a generous pump of moisturiser in to my fingertips and massage on to my face to finish off. By now your skin should feel amazing! Mine definitely does. Ahhhh...

Liz Earle recommend you to do these 3 steps morning and night for best results. I think these products are great. I don't suffer with breakouts and the pure muslin cloths help to keep away blackheads with gentle exfoliation. It would take something incredible to take me away from my Liz Earle routine. It has such a nice calming, fresh scent and you have a choice of moisturiser for your skin type. I use the light one which is for combination/oily skin and there is another for normal/combination skin.

The products will last you one month with twice daily use but I do find mine last just that bit longer. I seem to run out of toner first so often purchase an extra as back up when i receive a free delivery email :)

This months free gift was an exfoliator and it is the first time I have used it. It makes my skin feel really soft and smooth and i have been using it up to 3 times a week because my skin tends to get too dry if i use an exfoliator every day. I will be repurchasing another when this one runs out as I am really enjoying it.

The skin tonic spritzer is just the same as the toner in a small handy bottle which will be great to refresh my skin on my summer holiday (in January) and keep it hydrated.

Have you used Liz Earle before? If not I would definitely recommend you try it because it has a very appealing price tag and it may become your favourite too!

You can buy it from Liz Earle shops, QVC and larger Boots stores. But as I said the Monthly Essentials online always comes with a free gift and free delivery. Who doesn't love a freebie?

Thanks for reading, bye for now

Charley Rose x

Thursday, 22 May 2014

How to get Silver Hair

So, the main question I get asked in daily life is 'How do you get your hair that colour?' and the answer is far from simple. There is no quick way to achieve this colour, but I can tell you from experience everything I did and learned along the way to get 'silver' hair.

This is me and my hair now....





















And the red in the front of this photograph is the colour I started with. I had been dying it red at least a year before attempting the blonde, and under that was also plenty of brown dyes. I knew when I started that I may not get the colour I was hoping for and always had a red dye in the cupboard as back up in case of any major drama.

One of the main things I learnt on this hair journey was that when you bleach hair you are stripping off all the colour (obviously). BUT, hair can never be bleached to white! The keratin in the hair is naturally yellow in colour and it is impossible to achieve a white blonde from bleach alone. The only way is toner, and that must be applied when the hair is at its palest yellow for the desired effect. Also, there is no way of doing this without some level of damage. Even if you wait in between bleaching sessions.

Okay, so step one is to go out and buy lots of bleach. I suggest buying from a hairdressing supplies online and getting a big tub of bleach and a large bottle of peroxide (30vol) as it will work out much cheaper than buying from the drug store. Also a tint bowl and brushes to mix and apply the bleach, and gloves to protect your hands as the bleach will burn the skin. Mix the bleach and peroxide following the instructions on the bleach and then its time for application. 

Bleach is very thick and it can be difficult to do the whole head without getting a patchy result. You might want to ask someone to give you a hand. You should start from the ends of the hair as the hair closest to scalp will lighten quicker from the heat of your head. Apply to all of your hair and leave for the recommended time. If the bleach starts to dry on your hair and go crusty wash it off, dried bleach will no longer have a lightening effect and will just be damaging the hair. Jump in the shower and wash out all the bleach and use a good conditioner. 

ORANGE HAIR! Obviously, what did you expect? You will have to go through the ginger stage no matter what. Now wait as long as you can stand the ginger to give the hair chance to recover and use plenty of hair masks and oil treatments.

When you're ready it is time for another bleaching. keep repeating this process over time until you finally reach yellow blonde like this...


What a horribly unflattering colour! 

Once my hair was at this stage I bought packet blonde dyes from Boots which were 'ice blonde' or 'frozen blonde'. Something along those lines which tone down the yellow slightly but still had high levels of peroxide to lighten my hair further. I was still waiting along time in between dying as my hair was quite unhappy.


To achieve a white blonde to then turn silver I needed to get rid of all the yellow tones in my hair. TONE, TONE, TONE!! I can't stress that enough. La Riche dirctions toners in Silver or White are the best you can use at this stage because they are a conditioning hair colour with no peroxide in them. It is a temporary colour but will really help to banish the yellow and you can get them for £3.50 on ebay. 

This is the silver toner on my hair before washing it off. As you can see it is blue which works against the yellow to make the hair white.

If you feel your hair isn't taking very well to the toner you probably need to bleach again. Maybe just spot bleach patches which are darker than others to even out the colour.




The best product I can recommend to you is 'Fudge clean blonde violet toning shampoo'. It is the most pigmented silver shampoo I have come across, it stains your hands when you wash your hair because it is that strong. This helps to maintain the silver colour in your hair. I only need to use it once a week now to keep my hair how I like it and this is the only product I use in between bleaching my roots as it is strong enough to not need a toner. 

I hope this helps some of you out because I used to search all over the internet when I was doing this and found it very difficult to find information. Remember not to bleach the hair too often and use plenty of restorative masks and oils to keep your hair at its best. I am not a hairdresser, this is just what I did and I am sharing my experience with you. 


The orange hair will budge eventually, stick with it and be patient. It will be worth it in the end!

Thanks for reading. If any one has any tips please leave them in the comments.

Charley Rose x

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Crest 3D white whitestrips

I have been giving these teeth whitening strips a go for the past 10 days and I can say that I am very impressed. My teeth were not brown or yellow by any means but they deffinately had years of staining from the amount of tea I drink! Yes, I am from Yorkshire and we love our tea. I had been wanting to try them out for some time but didn't want to be left dissapointed. But, I decided to purchase some after seeing a 10 day supply on ebay for only £15. There are a few different types but these are the ones I have been using...




They are the 'professional effects' and you use them once a day for half an hour. Inside the pouch you will find the strips. The longer one is for your top teeth and the shorter for the bottom. All you do is peel them from the backing and stick them on your teeth, folding any excess to the back of the teeth. Wait for 30 minutes and then taken them off and brush your teeth. Simple as that.

It is recommended that you use the strips for 20 days for best results. I have used them for 10 days and can see a huge improvement. I am thinking about buying another 5 day supply as I don't think i need to do 10 more. I didn't experience any sensitivity with my teeth or gums which I thought I might do. It suggests that if you do to just take a break from the strips for a day or two. 

I think the best place to purchase the strips from is ebay. There are many sellers on there and I would check the sellers feedback before buying to make sure they are not fake. Most of the sellers send the strips without a box or instructions to save on postage costs, but instructions can be found online should you require them. 

Thats all I have to say for now. I wish I had taken a photo of my teeth before I started so I could show you the results but unfortunately I didn't. Let me know if you have had a good or bad experience with crest whitestrips.

Charley Rose x

Monday, 6 January 2014

Make up Brush Cleaner and Sanitiser


I ordered myself a daily make up brush cleaner and antibacterial sanitiser from feelunique.com and it arrived today.
You can buy it here http://www.feelunique.com/p/The-Pro-Hygiene-Collection-Makeup-Brush-Cleaner-240ml


It is a 240ml bottle and it was on sale at £8.10 when I bought it however full price is only £9.00
I was surprised when I removed the lid to find the pump
spray was like this. It is much better than a normal spray which can sometimes be difficult to press. 


I tried it on my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush first which I use for my liquid foundation. You have to spray the cleaner on the brush and then wipe it against a tissue until your brush comes clean. I had to repeat the process 4 times because foundations are very heavy and oily and here is the result.

I also used it on my other brushes which I only use with powder products and I just needed to spray and wipe them once and they were clean.

Bearing in mind this is a daily brush cleaner I think it works very well. It claims to kill 99.99% of bacteria which definitely sounds good to me. I don't fancy smearing all that bacteria around my delicate face every day. 

Remember that you should still wash your brushes properly with brush shampoo and warm water every so often for a deep clean. I use the 'ELF Brush Shampoo' which is inexpensive and does the job.

Charley Rose x

Hello 2014

Welcome to my blog! I spend a lot of time reading peoples blogs and decided it is time for me to start and write one myself. I will probably focus most on hair and beauty product reviews but will also throw in other things that I think you might be interested in. Wishing everyone the best of luck for 2014,

Charley Rose x