BOOHOO Curve LBD | OOTN

I love a good girls night, but like a lot of ladies hate trying to find that perfect outfit. I'm typically between a size 14/16 and petite, which usually makes finding dresses or jumpsuits a long slog through the high street. 

Dress £22| Shoes £22.99 | Necklace £22

This time round I decided to give BOOHOOs curve range a whirl. The curve and plus size section of the website has some fabulous dresses to choose from, taking my problem from not enough to too much choice! But eventually I went for the Plus Off The Shoulder Wrap Midi Dress loving the look of the tie waist and dropped shoulders. 

I'm pleased to say that the dress fit me like a glove and I felt absolutely fab all night! This is the first time I've worn a body con style dress in over 2 years and although at first I was worried the dress would be unflattering, it was surprisingly well made thick crepe material and didn't show off any lumps and bumps.  

I also had my hair curly blow dryed by the lovely Hair by Chantelle at Chloe Danielle Studios in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. This was an absolute god send, because I'm awful at styling my own hair and she made my hair bigger and bouncier than I ever could have! She specializes in gorgeous hairups and curly blow drys. 

Check her out on;

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Etail PR | £250 worth of goodies competition win!

 

 

 

 

Can you believe it? The fabulous people over at EtailPR hosted a competition on Facebook to win a goody bag filled with £250 worth of beauty goodies & vouchers. And it was Bo Blabs name who was plucked out the virtual hat.

 

I can't express enough thanks to EtailPR, in particular Kim, who was a great help through all my postage & courier traumas. - Some how my concierge service signed for the package but never told me they were here for 2 days! Picture me having a fit because I thought the package was lost in the mail! - Traumin'el

 

So anyway, what I Won:

 

- Yogi 3 in 1 Hair wand

- Macadamia Oil hair care maintenance kit

- Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine cream

- Dr Organic Argan Oil shampoo & Conditioner

- Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil hair treatment serum

- Dr Organic virgin coconut oil hand cream

- Dr Organic virgin coconut oil moisture melt body oil

- £50 e-voucher for Linzi shoes

 

I've also put the Linzi shoes voucher to good use, but being the savvy blogger I'm going to drag that into another post. But I have managed to stretch the £50 surprisingly far!

I can't express enough thanks to Etail PR for being so helpful throughout the postage problems & all of the amazing brands for giving away such amazing products. You can bet I'll be doing some kick ass reviews of all the products very soon. In particular the Macadamia Oil will be used pretty sharpish as soon as I get a pamper night to myself!

Have you ever tried any of the products I've been sent before?
& Etail PR are currently hosting more generous giveaways over on their facebook page

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Phil Smith Argan Oil review

I was first introduced to Phil Smith Argan Oil thanks to Cosmo a few month ago but due to still having a tonne of samples to play with from last years amazing Clothes Show Live, I've actually only just got round to trying this out!

 

Ok, so I have tried argan oils before, but most have been surprise surprise very much oil based, so I was very pleased to find Phil Smith's is a cream. I followed what was advised on the back of the bottle, a small pea sized blob is more than enough for mid length hair. Careful not to get too much near my roots to avoid grease, I've been applying the cream for a month whilst my hair is damp through the bottom 2/3 of the hair after every wash (2-3 days) & to be honest I'm quite pleased with the results.  

My hair is noticeably smoother and silky to touch compared to how it was before I started using the cream. I have also noticed that my hair has begun to grow a little faster in comparison to previous months (always a bonus!) & to top it off, it's now able to go a day longer without washing! - Which is great for those days I wake up with half an hour before work!

 

The smell is quite floral which for me is great as most of my shampoo's are floral scented & I absolutely love the texture. I think I'd without a doubt purchase a bottle when my little sample is done, but with the pea sized potions needed for each use, I think my little bottle may be lasting a while yet! 

 

Have you tried anything from the Phil Smith range?

 

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Winter blues | Essential accessories

 

I've been mooching around Leeds today in search of job vacancies (& if you know of any, please inform me as I've had a shocking day searching for them!) Some of you may know I live in Huddersfield but I'll be relocating with the Creature to Leeds in the next few months, so its paramount I find a job so I can afford the commute to Uni.

 

Well I under estimated the weather today, apparently even 3 layers and a fur collar leather jacket isn't enough to keep you warm lately. Which resulted in me running to Next and buying a warmer pair of leggings - Yes I wore leggings in this weather, obviously my noggin' wasn't screwed on this morning... But these new ones are actually lined with fluff & mega warm! & I also bought myself a knit headband with matching mittens.

 

The set including the headband was £7.99 and can only be bought in store. (trust me I've scoured online) & for that price I couldn't resist. I'm one of those people that owns a bobble hat in every colour - Ironic, I wasn't wearing one of the coldest days of the winter.

But I really wish they did it in other colours too, I think I definitely would have bought a few sets if that were the case.
The mittens are adorable, although they are a little on the big side. But thats because I have tiny hands. I'm not actually all that fussed on the size issues really, I mean c'mon look how pretty the jewel detailing is!

I've never actually bought a headband like this before (although I know they are all the rage back home in Merseyside) - Look at me being all Scouse!
I really like the way it looks too, even though I have had to resort to changing my usual fringe into side bangs.. of which the Creature hates! But honestly it didn't look right with my full sweeping fringe... It kept pushing my hair over my face until I looks like an emo!
 

Bank Pompom Scarf | Topshop Earmuffs | River Island Gloves | Riverisland Snood | Newlook hat

 

The Topshop earmuffs are brilliant! & they actually reduced to £5 at the moment so I'm really tempted to buy a pair. I think in the winter weather its really important to try and style up your accessories, with us being wrapped up for the best part of the day a good hat or scarf can uplift a winter outfit.

Everything above (not including the river island gloves and snood) is actually in the sale right now too, so if you want to snap up a warm bargain, click those links and grab them before they're gone!

 

Have you got a winter warmer staple accessory?

 
Enter Charissarae's 500 follower giveaway
 

Kerys tries retro

 

I promised last month that I would begin to experiment with vintage styles and although I love them, I'm not having much luck trying to re-create them for myself. - Shameful for a beauty blogger I know.

But recently I've been making small changes to my makeup routine and although subtle, I think my transformation into vintage style is gradually coming together.

 

 Only since my photoshoot with Boudoir Superstar have I really fell in love with red lipstick.

I requested a very classic vintage sort of look when I arrived into hair and makeup, and the makeup artist gave me creamy skin tones like porceline, golden eyes and pillar box red lips.

This picture is very much my usual day to day makeup, foundation, a small amount of blush and rather than eyeliner, I line my top lid with brown eyeshadow for a softer look.

& of course, the new addition of red lippy!

 

Taking the makeup artists tips on board with using golden tones, last week I bought this pallet from Superdrug.
Metallic colours are bang on trend right now, and although this is damaged, I thought £2 was more than reasonable! - And to be fair only one colour is smashed.. I can certainly deal with that.

Rather than rolling with the fake tan, I've stuck to the au natural look and turned back to the pale side.

Mama is thrilled, she loves my porcelain skin (peaches & cream she used to call me), although I think the Creature isn't amused, he's definitely more of a fan of the tan. But this is me, in all my white glory.
Personally I love the contrast of my skin against the red lipstick and the subtle golden tones on my eyes. This time however I've used my black eyeliner to create a flicked look on the top lids.

 

My next challenge will be to experiment with my hair, attempting some 40's & 50's styles.. But with me being a serial hair extensions wearer, I find it really stressful doing anything remotely complicated with my hair. Wavy or straight - That's what I can deal with.

But I will try, and hopefully I'll discover a new and exciting style that'll convince me faffing with my hair is worth while :)

 

What do you think - Shall I boycott the fake tan from now on? or are you a lover of the tan?

 

 

My miracle hair care combination

I realise lately I haven't really covered any beauty products because of the 10 day you challenge. So today I'm going to let you in on my hair care secrets.

When I was younger, 14/15ish my hair was a mass of thick waist length ringlet curls.. I never straightened it, so it was in tip top condition, and the only products that ever touched my hair was shampoo, conditioner and the occasional bit of mouse.

Stupidly, When I was in year 9 at high school I saw one of the popular girls had got a choppy bob... & I just had to have it. So all my gorgeous curls were cut away, & honestly, it's one of my biggest regrets.

 

Since then my hair has struggled to grow past my shoulders, but that is a combination of reasons why though. I was a serial hair dyer, and straightened my hair everyday. so the damage I caused was horrific.

It's been only recently that I've began to really take care with my hair. & I have as a result found a fantastic combination of 3 products that has improved the condition of my hair & also made it grow to the longest that it's been in 7 years!
 

 

Here are my 3 Miracle hair care products, applied lightly, the combination can repair even the most damaged of barnets! Mine is a testament to that. I must stress however that of course these cannot make your hair thicker.. Which is a big bummer for me, so if anyone can recommend anything that can either create an illusion of thicker hair, or a miracle lotion that can solve my problem, please let me know! 

 

   Elvive - Nutri-gloss, light, conditioning shine spray. 200ml

 £3

 

I actually got this for free in a promotion at Tesco. The only shampoo & condition I use are Elvive repair and protect and the day I ran out, all Elvive products were 3 for 2 :) So naturally as a beauty blogger, I decided to pick up something I'd never tried before. & boy am I glad I did.

After washing your hair, apply a few spritz of this spray to damp hair and brush through before drying your hair. The result is an unrivalled shine and silky softness.

 

Tresemmé - Heat Defence styling spray, 300ml

 £5

 

Prices may vary on this product, but I got this from my local supermarket as a last resort when my previous heat protection spray ran out. I was reluctant to buy this at first because I am in fact allergic to the shampoo & conditioner. But because this spray mainly goes on the tips of my hair rather than rubbed into the roots I've had no reactions as of yet.

However the product as a heat protection spray is fantastic, It protects up to 230'c and smells really nice. The creature always comments saying our bedroom smells like a real salon once I'm finished with my hair.

Anyways, a good heat protection spray is key to anyone who, like me, straightens or curls their hair everyday. Also a tip I've found online advised for those who are trying to grow their hair, to avoid spraying products into the scalp as some lotions and potions block the hair follicles and slow down the growing process.

 

Lusters Pink Brand - Original oil moisturiser hair lotion, 355ml

- Buy it here -

 £5

 

Finally I apply a little of this lotion to my split ends.

 I paid  £5 for this at a salon in Chester almost a year ago & still have half the bottle left. You need only the smallest amount of the cream (a thumb nail size blob) otherwise you run the risk of making your hair look greasy. However when applied to your split ends and ran through the rest of your hair, the result is shiny, silk soft hair & spilt ends seem almost completely repaired!

This is also fantastic for any of you out there with extensions. The cream can literally revive old tatty extensions to a silky texture again!

 

 Here are some before & after shots of my hair. as you can see, my hair is a heck of alot smoother and silkier than before I started. For me this combination is working a treat, and I'm happy to say that in the few months I've been using these products, my hair has infact grown 6 inches down my back!

So they're definetly doing something right :)

 

Have you tried any of these products before and what did you think of them?

& do you have any of your own miracle lotions?