Avon Argon Oil Review

I don't use many products on my hair, simply because I don't tend to find it needs it (though I am searching for a good spray to calm some of the frizz. If you have any recommendations, please let me know). However, now it's winter it's become a bit dry like everything else and I was searching for something to give it a bit of extra moisture.

Enter Argon Oil. I know, I know, I'm pretty late to the party in regards to this. I wish I'd joined sooner because this stuff is good. This is the 'Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argon Oil Leave in Treatment' (bit of a mouthful) from Avon and is currently only a couple of pounds. It's suitable for wet or dry hair but I use mine after I've combed it through in the shower, distributing it all through my hair but focusing on the ends as these get the driest. Don't expect dramatic results with this-it does what it says on the tin, but it does it pretty well. And for that price, who's complaining?

Helen x

The Season For Sparkle

When the decorations are unpacked and on the tree, the lights strung up and the tinsel on every surface, you know it’s time for some sparkle on your fingers.

A glitter polish is a really quick, easy way to get the festive spirit on your nails. These are my favourites this Christmas.

Barry M has a very good range of glitter nail polish which are easy to apply and last for around 5 days. Their only disadvantage is that they take a lot of effort and polish remover to get off (like most glitter polishes) but I reckon it’s worth it. Both of these work well layered up on their own, or as a top coat. The green is a recent buy in time for Christmas-it reminds me of a Christmas tree and has little silver stars in it-how could I resist?

The Barry M polish with the lovely glittery lid has recently vanished from my room (really need to have a tidy) but it too works very well on a bare nail as the glitter is pretty concentrated. 

I like to wear this OPI silver layered on top of a dark red or purple, or to add an accent nail.

Similarly, this Ciate silver is great for layering. The glitter in this one is more concentrated than the OPI so it could be worn on its own.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas

Helen x

Books Of The Month

My mum recommended this months book to me-The Little stranger by Sarah Waters. It's not something I would normally read because I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to reading and anything scarier than Paddington is likely to give me nightmares (Okay, I'm not that bad, but it's pretty close.) I really enjoyed it however and literally couldn't put it down. Its set post war and is focused on a large country hall in which there's some spooky goings on...

What I found really interesting however is the observations about social class that are scattered throughout this novel and the idea of changing classes, or belonging to more than one. The momentum builds up until the very clever ending which took me completely by surprise

Sarah Waters written quite a few books, which I'm now going to have to borrow (steal) from mum.

Helen x

Beauty Bargain Of The Month

I never tried anything from the Skincare brand Witch before, but recently picked up this Blemish stick.

As the name suggests, it contains Witch hazel which is a natural ingredient that soothes and tones the skin. It also has alcohol, to target and prevent blemishes, as well as Glycerin which calms the skin. It claims to break down excess oil and prevent the recurrence of pesky spots. Although its a slightly alarming colour, it applies clear and isn't sticky at all, so could probably be worn under makeup. 

I've only been using this for a week or so, but can already see an improvement in my skin.

Best Winter Nail Polish Shades

I love to paint my nails and I got a lot of nail polish for Christmas so I've been painting them even more recently as I want to try out all my new shades! I thought I'd do a post on my favourite winter nail polishes, as although I don't exclusively wear them in Winter, they are very good wintery colours. 

First is this lovely O.P.I deep red colour. I got a set of 10 mini O.P.I polishes for Christmas and they're a great size as I tend to find that polish goes gloopy before you run out of it, so I end up throwing out bottles before they're empty which is a waste of money. This red is so lovely and is a great colour as you can see. I'd never tried O.P.I before but I was quite pleased with the results. I really like the brush-it's nice and wide, although I did find it a little tricky to get an even covering.

Next are some paler shades. The one on the left is a Rimmel 60 seconds dry in the shade 510 Euphoria and on the right is another O.P.I miniature though I'm not sure of the name as it doesn't give it on the bottle. I love Rimmel polishes as the brush is really wide and so they're very easy to apply-I need to get some more! This is  lovely pinky shimmery colour and can be quite subtle depending on how many layers you apply. The polish on the right is a pale pink and is really subtle so would be suitable for school. 

On the left is a Barry M polish. It's a limited edition glitter and is shade 343. I apply two layers of this to get a nice solid layer of glitter, but this would also look great on top of another colour. I love a good bit of glitter to make dull rainy days brighter! On the right is a Make Up Academy colour in the shade Koala Bear. I like this but you have to apply two shades, but it looks really good with big baggy jumpers!

Next are some more reds. On the left is a W7 polish which my friend got me. I'd never have even looked at W7 polish,  but I quite like this one. I normally put this on one finger and then paint the rest a brighter red. It is red with red glitter dispersed in it and gives a nice coverage. On the right is an O.P.I slightly shimmery dark red which is a good winter shade and very Christmassy.

Hope you all liked this post and please let me know what your favourite winter shades are!

Helen x