L'Oreal & Rowenta Steam Pod

I have been massively excited about the Steam Pod for a long time. I first came across it when my hairdresser used it on me in the salon and I couldn't believe the texture or the finish of my hair afterwards. I contemplated for over a year getting one for myself, and now I finally have one. I found it for a pretty good price on allbeauty.com where I also bought the Steam Pod smoothing protective cream.

I'm not going to lie, the Steam Pod is a bulky enough unit. You have your water tank, power lead, steam cord and then the hair tool itself. There is a removable comb (I personally like the comb although be careful if you have tatty hair like me!) and you can see the little jets where the steam comes out. That is where the magic happens!

I don't know about you but even though everyone raved about GHD's it must be for over a decade now, they didn't really do much for my already straight hair. They got the job done, sure, but they made my hair look really flat, dehydrated and a little lacklustre. The Steam Pod has really changed everything for me. Where I may have washed my hair and styled it with the GHD, my hair would have been so greasy a day later and badly in need of a wash. For some reason, I can style my hair with the Steam Pod, and not have to style it again until my next wash, up to a week later. I don't know how I am getting longer between washes but I am. Also, my hair remained poker straight the entire week, not a single kink in my hair like I would have seen by day 2 of a GHD styling.

Just after a colour, cut and Steam Pod treatment from the salon

If you are used to straightening your hair, the Steam Pod works in the same way, just make sure your hair follows the direction of the arrows so as it passes through the steam. 

The benefits of the steam are that it completely nourishes your hair, adding glossy shine and a smooth finish. If you use it with the Steam Pod protective cream, which has pro-keratin technology it will really help your hair to look more healthy. 

I of course have been using my Steam Pod since I got it to straighten my hair, but I have also experimented with other styles too.

I love the big bouncy curls you can create with the Steam Pod, but just be aware that it does not have a swivel cord so it is a bit tricky to do on your own. It almost creates a curly blow dry effect. I have no layers cut into my hair but I imagine if I did the curls would be even more bouncy.

After using the Steam Pod, it's incredible how "swishy" and light my hair feels. It's like the steam has infused each individual hair and it leaves my entire hair feeling so soft and smooth, and full of bounce and body. I have never had this feeling using any other hair tool. That is why I have fallen in love with the Steam Pod. I feel like I could be in a hair ad!

I am absolutely thrilled I purchased the Steam Pod and only wish I bought it long ago! I can only imagine this would be an absolute godsend if you had frizzy hair. I really like the fact that when you straighten with it, the hair stays straight. I am going to take this with me on holiday, though I have to think about how I will pack it as it isn't exactly that travel friendly, but I don't think I can be without it at this stage!

Crocs Huarache Sandals

I never thought I would ever be wearing a pair of Crocs! That is until I spotted the Huarache sandals online that I knew I wanted to get a pair for summer. They are so cute and colourful! They looked very comfortable and now that I have them, I can say that they are!
They feel really "bouncy" to wear and the soles are extremely flexible. The footbeds are kind of squidgy too. The back of the heels rub a tiny bit so I wear plasters on my heels in order to prevent blisters, but other than that, I cannot get over how comfortable they are! Even the colourful straps are so soft and flexible, and do not hurt me like the jelly shoes of the '90s.
I ordered these Crocs from the Schuh website and I have a very pleasant experience and fast delivery.

What do you think of these sandals? I just love them and I am so happy I got them!

Ultimate Beauty Icon #HoFBeautyAmbassador

Love them or hate them, there is no denying that the Kardashian women are absolutely beautiful. This time last year, I didn't know a thing about them but over the Christmas holidays I slowly began watching their TV show and I kind of took an interest in them. 

A lot of people are frankly obsessed with Kim K's make up but I am absolutely taken by Kourtney's simple, natural and carefree look! I have been doing everything I can to recreate a fresh, glowing look like Kourtney's, and I will show you what products I have been using.

What I like about Kourtney's make up is that it doesn't have to be perfect, just keep it very simple and natural, and add a pop of colour on the lips if need be. It's all very bronzed, glowy, boho chic….and it's perfect for Summer actually!

So, here are the products I have been using for a fresh bronzy look like Kourtney! You can get a lot of them from the House of Fraser Beauty Section here - http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Makeup+Make+Up/100,default,sc.html

Base

Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel

Clarins Instant Concealer

Clarins Mineral Loose Powder

Lancome Blush Subtil Palette

I am really into the Chanel Vitalumiere foundation at the minute. It's perfect if you want a really nice, lightweight foundation. As someone who normally prefers something with a bit more coverage and a bit more matte, I can't believe how well my skin looks when I use this foundation!

I'm also using my favourite Chanel cream bronzer as well, it's just extremely user friendly and it really warms up the complexion. I use this under my foundation as well if I want a really bronzed look. 

For under my eyes, nothing beats the Clarins concealer and I also used the tiniest bit of the Clarins loose powder - I just lightly dusted it through the centre of my face. I don't want to completely lose that "glow". Then to finish I used my Lancome Blush Subtil palette in the shade Nectar Lace. It has a really great contour and highlight powder and the blush is a gorgeous shimmering coral.

Eyes

MAC Paint Pot

Sleek Eyebrow Kit

Maybelline Brow Drama

Clarins the Essentials Eyeshadow Palette

Clarins Waterproof Eye Pencil

YSL Babydoll Mascara

I am obsessed with this Clarins eyeshadow palette right now! I thought it was a limited edition palette for Christmas but it's still available on House of Fraser's website! First though I lay down my base which is the MAC Paint Pot (Painterly) and I use the shade numbers 5, 7 and 8 for this look. I tight line my eyes with the Clarins waterproof pencil, which is great because I have quite watery eyes but this pencil does not budge all day!

I can't wear flash lashes like Kourtney does but I swear by the YSL Baby Doll mascara which gives my lashes some serious length, it's phenomenal! For my brows I use my trusty Sleek brow kit, following my natural brows just filling them in, then set with the Maybelline Brow Drama.

Here's a closer look of the eyeshadow palette! I love all of these shades and think they are very Kourtney!

Lips

Clarins instant Light Lip Balm Perfector

Clarins Jolie Rouge Lipstick

I usually switch between both of these lip products for a Kourtney look! The Lip Balm Perfector is amazing for every day wear! This is my favourite shade Rosewood. It is a perfect nude shade and is so comfortable to wear.

Today though, I am wearing the Jolie Rouge lipstick in the shade Coral Dahlia. It is the most beautiful shimmering coral. This is a very sheer lipstick so it's perfect if you're not confident enough to wear a really bold lip but still want a pop of colour! I have heard Kourtney likes to wear the YSL lipstick in Le Orange! It looks beautiful and I really must get it next time I am at a YSL counter!

Here is the finished look! I'm really happy with it and I think it is a nice fresh make up for Summer. Also you could easily take this look from day time to night time, it's very versatile.

This post was created as my entry for the House of Fraser Beauty Ambassador competition! Check out the details here and don't forget to stop by the House of Fraser make up department! They have a fantastic selection of products and brands, so much stuff I want to buy!

Current obsessions! Featuring Cocoa Brown, Accessorize, Soap & Glory

Here's a few products I have been absolutely obsessed with in the past few weeks!

The first one is Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs Spray! I have only been tanning the top half of my body lately (no point tanning the legs if the weather is not so good!) so when I am wearing pumps I like to tan the tops of my feet using Lovely Legs! It works really well and is dead handy in tan emergencies! If I am fully tanned I also like to layer Lovely Legs over my tan. It's just a fantastic all around product.

I still consider myself a total Soap and Glory newbie. I got the Sugar Crush scrub and body butter a while ago and absolutely loved them. But the best thing about them was the scent! When I found out Soap and Glory actually bottled the scent in the form of this Sugar Crush Body Spray I rushed straight out to buy it. It smells identical to the products! My only criticism is that the scent disappears very rapidly. I guess that means you can spritz away to your heart's content! At £4 it's not exactly going to break the bank. I swear I could eat this scent if I could!

Another Cocoa Brown product I am obsessed with is Chocolate Whip! They are quite hard to find, any time I see a Cocoa Brown stand, Chocolate Whip is always sold out! I order mine from Cloud10Beauty. I would use a tube of this up in a couple of weeks, I use it pretty much every evening and my tan looks all the better for it. I was never that much into body moisturising before! It smells absolutely incredible and sinks really well into the skin. I love the tube packaging, it's so much easier to use and best of all if you think you have finished up the tube, cut the top off and you will see there is still loads of product left!

I had to re-order L'Oreal Wild Stylers Texturising Spray, my hair just wasn't the same without it! I have quite flat and silky hair. This spray just gives my hair a bit of grip and a bit of body. It's a very nice spray and doesn't leave your hair feeling sticky or tacky. I haven't used any other texturising sprays so I can't say how it compares with the likes of the VO5 one that everyone seems to love at the minute! But I do really love this spray!

And lastly are my sunglasses which I got in Accessorize. It's true I haven't been able to wear them much, thanks to our lovely weather! But I am obsessed with them just the same. I wanted a really cool, retro style sunglasses for my holidays and when I saw these I fell in love. I absolutely adore the cat eye shape and the design on the legs. They are just really lovely and stylish, and cost me £12.00.


Let me know what you are obsessed with lately!

New NYC Nail Polishes!

Of course while browsing Superdrug recently I came across the new NYC polishes which I feel like I have been waiting ages for after seeing some blog reviews on them! I couldn't leave without them, I was pretty restrained though and only bought 2. It was hard to choose which ones to pick because all of the colours are amazing! 

First up is this baby pink shade called "Astoria Allure". This one is from the Gel Gloss range and I absolutely think this one truly has a gel like finish. It is super glossy and lasted me four days which is just insane! I love this colour so much. It's such a girly pink and is just a really versatile colour to wear.

Next is "Statue of Liberty" which honestly is the most fabulous colour I have seen. My photos do not do it justice because it has a shimmer to it as well, it was so difficult to capture on camera! (Also sorry for the low quality phone pictures!)  But anyway, as much as I adore this colour I didn't really get on with this polish. That is because I am a total disaster at applying pastel colours. They end up looking really streaky and gloopy on me! I definitely feel like I need 2 coats of this polish to make it more opaque but that is where I am going wrong. When I apply the 2nd coat it completely ruins it and I end up having to remove it! Can anyone please tell me how best to apply colours like these? I am so dying to wear this polish but just haven't perfected how to apply it!

Both these polishes cost me just over £3.00 in total in Superdrug, and as always I think NYC nail polishes are the best out there, they out perform some of the high end and most expensive brands out there! They are incredibly cheap, have a wonderful texture and finish to them and are just amazing nail polishes!

Urban Decay new eyeshadows for Summer 2015!

I do love Summer make up releases. Urban Decay have some fantastic new bits for Summer 2015. I was very lucky to have been sent one of their new eyeshadows to try out. There are 8 new shades available, and I have here "Sideline" which is described as gold with a green shift. 

First of all, let me say that the packaging is absolutely stunning! The eyeshadow itself is very unusual, it is a very yellow gold into an almost olive green. It's definitely up my street. I much prefer duo tone shadows like these compared to any other shadow. They are just something a bit more interesting!

I found it really easy to apply, it is just bursting with pigmentation and it's quite soft and easy to blend out. It's such a unique colour, that I really didn't know what to do with it or what to pair it with! In the photos below I am just wearing it alone with minimal eyeliner and I just went for a neutral lip. I think it speaks for itself but I would like to pair it up with more eyeshadows for a more intense look.

Because it is such a soft eyeshadow, I found that it had creased on me after abut 8 or so hours (I always use an eyeshadow base, currently using a Mac Paint Pot) which is a fairly decent wear time in my opinion.

I am kind of an Urban Decay newbie and have just discovered that these eyeshadows pop out and you can create your own palettes with these! That sounds very handy if you have a few of these single pots. The new shades all seem to be absolutely stunning and that little something different. I would love to try "Fireball" next! But I am very happy with how Sideline looks and performs.

The new Urban Decay eyeshadows are available now from select Debenhams www.debenhams.ie and House of Fraser at Dundrum Town Centre and cost €18 each.

What do you think of the new eyeshadows?

Clarins Mineral Loose Powder

Powder is something that is often overlooked in my makeup routine. It's not that I don't need to use it, it's more that I am too lazy to use it or I do not know what to look for in a powder!

I got the Clarins Mineral Loose powder for Christmas and it has been scarcely used since. It's only when I began to use the Chanel Vitalumiere foundation, when I was experiencing some crazy shine in the centre of my face that I decided to do something about it. 

I carry a compact powder with me in my handbag all the time in case of make up emergencies (I never use it) but when I am sitting down at my dressing table and properly doing my make up, I think there is nothing more elegant looking than a loose powder! And this Clarins one certainly looks very glamorous in the tub. It is a whopping 30g of product, I am sure this will last me years!

When I was experiencing dry skin problems it was best to press some of the loose powder on using the Clarins powder puff provided (which is very nice and very soft). However now my preferred method of application is using the Real Techniques setting brush or the duo-fibre powder brush for a light dusting. 

The powder itself is literally like ground silk! It is the softest powder I have ever used, I don't think I've ever experienced anything like it. And it makes an incredible difference to my makeup, something that I never thought was possible. It doesn't look "powdery" in the slightest and it works so well with a drier skin type. I just dust a little on my t-zone and I am pretty much set for the day. 

I have the shade 01 light and it works perfectly well for me. It costs £30 which is a considerable amount of money, actually the thought of how much it costs horrifies me and I don't think I would pay it myself unless I was really a powder fanatic. However after dabbling around with cheaper powders (like Rimmel Stay Matte) in my time, the Clarins Loose Powder completely blows them all out of the water in terms of quality and finish. 

It doesn't completely mattify my skin. It does take down the shine on the centre of my face but it doesn't take away any luminosity. It gives my skin the most beautiful velvety sheen too. What I like about it is it just gives a very natural look, like my skin really looks this good! 

Anyway, I just thought I would share my thoughts on this powder because I looked online and there weren't too many reviews about it. Maybe it is a lesser known product, or overlooked due to it's bulky size and inconvenience for on the go application. But it is a really fantastic product and I am so glad I started using it properly in my make up routine.