Let's talk Makeup Revolution London's Nail Varnish

 Hey lovelies, welcome back! 

First review of 2021! The first of many, and one that's been on my list for a while now...

I don't often paint my nails. Pre-covid, I lead a very busy lifestyle, and working in hospitality, I didn't have time to paint my nails for just a few days. However, I've been furloughed for the entirety of the pandemic and during lockdown #1 I finally purchased the nail polishes that Makeup Revolution had launched to see if they lived up to the hype. 

Disclaimer: I am not a nail technician, nor am I qualified in beauty therapy, I just paint my nails for myself and do not claim to be amazing at it. For that reason, every time I've gone to write this review I've had to postpone as I'm never happy with the finished result and didn't think they were "Insta-worthy". Finally, it's here -

The selling point of this product is that they're cruelty free - like all of Revolution's products! They're also vegan-friendly and enriched with avocado oil to nourish your nails, unlike most nail varnishes that I find dry out my nails. Another issues I have with other products is that the paint cracks or chips very quickly, however the avocado oil makes the quality last a lot longer.

This is the shade 'Seduce' and is such a beautiful marron colour! 

The pigment and coverage is superb compared to some nail polishes I've used over the years. While Makeup Revolution claim all you need is one coat, I find that two coats are needed to create the perfect finish. And, they dry really quickly too! RESULT!

Available to buy directly from the Makeup Revolution website and Superdrug, they are priced between £3-£4. 

Have you tried this nail varnish? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below. 

Until next time, lovelies! 

Let's talk The Curly Girl Method - My curly hair journey pt.1

 Hey lovelies, welcome back!

If you follow me on Instagram, then you'll have seen that four months ago I embarked on a hair journey and adopted the curly girl method in an attempt to sort out the mess that I called my hair. And so, I thought I would share with you the fruits of my labour so far and bring you along on this journey with me. 

I've always identified as having thick wavy hair, thank you Hides genes, but about a year ago it seemed to lose any definition and just grow in volume. To combat this, I'd always wear it up or straighten it creating more problems.

Desperate for a solution I started trawling the internet and found a lot of people who'd been struggling with the same problem, and the one thing they all had in common was that they didn't realise they had curly hair and therefore weren't following the correct haircare routine. Intrigued, I decided to give it a go myself, I mean what harm could it do? My hair was already a giant puffle...

The Curly Girl Method, originating from Lorraine Massey's book Curly Girl: The Handbook , is a hair care routine that trades in damaging habits, such as over-washing, the use of sulphates and silicones and use of heat styling, in favour of a healthy hair care regime designed to enrich and support the development of natural curls.   

I started by switching to a sulphate and silicone free shampoo and conditioner that was specifically designed for curly hair and cut down the number of washes a week to two, so every 3-4 days. I also only brushed my hair in the shower instead of daily as this brushes out the curls and creates frizz. 

My hair care routine ~ 

• Wash every 3-4 days using Creighton's The Curl Company shampoo and conditioner.
• Brush hair with the conditioner in, leaving and rinsing out at the end. 
• Using a towel to pat the ends soaking up excess water, brush hair out while still wet, apply some hair oil and leave to air dry (DO NOT PUT HAIR UP IN A TOWEL AS THIS CAUES EXCESS FRIZZ!)
• Once hair is almost dry, spritz with the Creighton's The Curl Company Styling Spray and smooth down any frizz forming at the roots. 
• Finish by scrunching to boost curl formation and leave to completely air dry.

Month 1 ~

The first month was interesting. Leaving more days in-between washing took some getting used too but the curls were starting to form which kept me motivated and resist the urge to wash it early. The hardest part was not brushing daily, and I found myself tying it up in an attempt to combat the icky bed-head feeling. However, my hair still looked dry and the issues of frizz remained...

Month 2 ~

The second month started out smoothly but turned into a struggle. When the salons re-opened, I got a much needed haircut and the curls were not happy! It took them a couple of weeks to get used to the shorter length and find themselves again. Wash day brings out the best results and the frizz has started to abate once I figured out the best way to use the styling spray... 

Month 3 ~

Happy hair day = happy Kelly. As you can see from my face, month three was the best yet. The curls blossomed and I'd become used to not brushing daily. Wash day still produces the best results and the frizz had pretty much disappeared leaving my hair looking and feeling so much healthier... 

Month 4 ~

I see a pattern emerging here with having good and bad months as frizz returned in month four. Wash day continues to be the best hair day but the curls seem to be going limp and losing their definition on days 2 and 3. With lockdown restrictions easing I've been washing it every 3 days instead of alternating between 3-4 and I have been using a wide toothed comb which could be to blame... 

Reflection time ~

Compare the before and after and you can see a massive improvement! Even on "bad hair days" it has shape that I can work with as opposed to the previous poufy mess that either had to be straightened or tied up. It seems I was just like everyone else, oblivious to the fact that I had curly hair and depriving it of what it needed.

Each month brings about new results and offers new opportunities to learn so let's see what month 5 has in store...

  

  

 

Let's talk 'Slay the Brow' Eyebrow Gel by Make Up Gallery (Poundland)

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

 

Today we're carrying on the Poundland theme, but with a review of their makeup range this time.

 

I've tried a lot of brow gels over the years, from the high-end with Benefit's 'Gimme Brow', to the low end with Maybelline's 'Brow Drama' and even ones in the middle, such as Glossier's 'Boy Brow' (which I did love and would happily buy again.) When it comes to brow gels, I've tried them all... So naturally I was intrigued when I saw that Poundland has released their own brow gel. Granted, I bought this by accident, it was actually the Primark one that I'd seen so many people rave about and meant to buy, but nevertheless I thought I'd give it a go. It was only £1 after all... 

 

This product exceeded my expectation! The cap that removes excess gel is so effective that you get a controllable amount of product on the wand, although you will need to re-dip the wand before you move into the second brow - no more having to worry about smudges while applying though!

 

The gel sticks effortlessly to the hair and is definitely buildable depending on your desired look. I opt for a natural look for my daily makeup and so one coat is more than sufficient. 

 

It has a strong hold and stays in place all day, although then requires some tough love to then remove it, making it durable compared to other gels that rub off very easily.

 

Overall, I am so impressed with the quality of this product and will definitely be re-purchasing. For £1, how can I not!?

What are your favourite brow products? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time lovelies!

 

 

 

        

Let's talk Brow Pomade by Revolution Pro

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

Two reviews in one week, aren't you a lucky lot!

I want to share with you my thoughts on a new make-up product I've been trying, the Brow Pomade by Revolution Pro. It's a pigmented wax-like formula that sculpts and defines your brows, and I've been absolutely love it!

Since I've gone back Brunette, I needed to get a darker colour than I'd been using previously. They have a wide selection to choose from, so I got the shade 'Dark Brown' which seems to be a perfect match for my hair. If you'd prefer to shop online, the Superdrug website has a drop down bar with all the shades and a tester picture so you can see the actual colour and even tells you what hair colour each shade is suited to in the description. Super helpful!

My first impressions of this product is just how pigmented it it! You only need a small amount on your brush to create a subtle yet defined shape on your brows. A little really does go a long way!

It seems to be long-lasting as well. Previous products have started to come off throughout the day but with the Brow Pomade my brows stay in shape and holds the powder in place.

Just like all Makeup Revolution products, the Brow Pomade is super cheap. At only £5 this is sure to become a staple product in my makeup collection!

For this look I've combined it with the 'Maybelline BROWdrama Sculpting Brow Mascara' and the 'Benefit BrowZings' powder. 

Let's talk The Mascara Revolution by Makeup Revolution London

Choosing new mascara has always been a challenge; I never go for the same one twice. And so this time when I needed to replace my mascara I decided to do some research beforehand. Now you guys know how much I swear by the brand ‘Makeup Revolution’, they are affordable, great quality, high end looking and cruelty free! So I decided to try out their mascara after hearing some great reviews.

Let me start off by saying how hard this was to get hold of, every time I went into Superdrug they had sold out! Eventually I got lucky and look how beautiful the packaging is. Unfortunately they didn't have a tester out and the item was wrapped in plastic so I wasn't able to see what the wand was like but since I had heard so many great reviews, and for £6!, I decided to go for it.

When I got home I opened it up and was shocked to find a clumpy, mascara covered wand... I have never had this with any of my previous mascaras, and I've been wearing it since I was 12! Unfortunately I wasn't able to return it as I'd taken it out the packaging and being a student I don't have the luxury of being able to afford to buy a new one. So I thought I'd give it a try and was pleasantly surprised.  

Although I apply it lightly, just in case too much makes my eyelashes clumpy, it is actually a really nice mascara to wear. It's lightweight, doesn't rub off creating smudges under your eyes (a problem I've had with previous mascaras) and is super easy to take off at night without pulling half your eyelashes out.

Overall I'm not sure if I would recommend this mascara. For £6 it's a bargain and the mascara itself is actually great, however 'Makeup Revolution' need to redesign the wand, or at least put in a cap that wipes off excess mascara, before I'd bye it again.