Crown and Glory Love

I've wanted to make an Crown and Glory order for such a long time and decided there was no better time than when they were offering a 25% off promotion recently (which I actually forgot to redeem when I was at the checkout, I think I got a little over excited!!).

I ordered the medium Glitter Bow in Parrot, the small Glitter Bow in Gold and the Loverdose Glitter Heart Headband.  I've pretty much rotated between the three since the day I received them in the post. My job has recently brought in a new dress code and I find it so dull having to wear business dress five days a week. Adding a little bit of sparkle to my hair has cheered both me and my outfits up, and while they are probably not strictly business dress, I've got away with wearing them so far!

All three accessories are extremely high quality and well made.  They are so sparkly and really catch the light.  Importantly, there isn't any fall out from the glitter and they are attached really securely to the clips and head band.  The bows are made from thick material meaning they hold their shape really well - I hate bows I've had in the past that flap about when they're in my hair! As it was my first order, I wasn't sure what the sizes would be like so ordered a small and a medium which you can compare in the photo above.  I now really want a large bow - I think it would be perfect for a night out.  I have a vision of my hair in a half up do with a large bow placed at the back, I just need to decide on a colour!  All of the accessories on the Crown and Glory website are amazingly well priced, the small bow was only £3, the medium was £6 and the headband was £5.  I would of expected to pay more for the quality! 

Have you ordered anything from Crown and Glory? If so, what else can you recommend? I feel a new addiction coming on!

Love Nicola

xx

Rouge Dior Lipstick in Trafalgar Pink

Working in the heart of Glasgow city centre means I am constantly surrounded by temptation, and when I'm bored, I shop.  The result of a recent boredom induced shopping trip is my first ever Rouge Dior Lipstick in 565 Trafalgar Pink.  This range has always intrigued me as it is inspired by the colours of Dior's Haute Couture gowns.  Dior Rouge lipsticks have an amazing shade range from wearable nudes and pinks to more dramatic shades.  I was instantly drawn to Trafalgar Pink - unsurprisingly a hot pink with a blue undertone.

On their website, Dior say that the Rouge Dior range contain new 'hyaluronic acid microspheres' that help give the appearance of full and smooth lips - this sounded perfect for me as I am always on the look out for lip products that help my top lip look a little fuller.  While the formula is moisturising, there is a slight graininess when applied on the lips.  I'm not sure whether this is just restricted to this particular shade on account of there being some shimmer particles in the lipstick.  It is definitely not as creamy as the Dior Addict range, however it is extremely pigmented and long lasting.  Trafalgar Pink lasted about 5 hours on me before I had to reapply, which is practically unheard of on my lips!

Trafalgar Pink is a hot pink with a blue undertone and shimmer.  Particularly in sunlight, the shimmer makes this lipstick so shiny - it reflects light beautifully.  If you've ever used a white shimmery pigment over lipstick, Trafalgar Pink has a similar effect without having the horrible feeling of powder on your lips.  Even by looking at the bullet you can see how shiny the lipstick is - I think it looks like a toy!  

When talking to the assistant at the counter, I mentioned I don't particularly like matte lipsticks (apart from Chanel's Rouge Allure Velvet formula, which wear beautifuly) to which she replied 'Dior don't believe in matte'.  While I thought this was a slightly odd statement, it's a useful thing to know when make up shopping and, when I think about it, I own no matte products from Dior!

Love Nicola

xx

Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Daily Conditioner

I am not particularly kind to my hair.  I wash it daily, I probably use too much heat and dye it too often.  Once in a while, I get little niggles of guilt that I'm not looking after it quite as well as I should (this is normally prompted by realising just how much of my hair falls out when I wash it...) and so, I am always searching for new conditioners and hair treatments to try.  I had heard a lot about Joico's K-Pak range and decided to buy the daily reconstruct conditioner to try.

The reconstruct daily conditioner aims to help repair damage by helping to strengthen and reconstruct the cuticles of the hair.  According to the Joico website, this is done by the amino acids (the building  blocks of hair) contained within the conditioner adhering to the hair cuticle. This then helps hair appear smooth, shiny and bouncy.

Since using this conditioner, I have seen a noticeable difference in the condition of my hair.  It feels nourished, moisturised and extremely shiny. My hair type is quite odd really, it's fine and can be quite oily but also due to being quite over processed, feels quite dry. Because of this, I was worried that the conditioner might weigh my hair down as it is quite a thick product.  However, my hair seems to have a natural bounce to it and I've also noticed that I have less split ends! The one draw back I have noticed is that occasionally the product has made my hair a little too soft to work with.  On these occasions, the next day I'll switch to Lush's American Cream for a day or two and can revert back at my next shower! 

I ended up buying a litre of conditioner (proof enough that I love it) and love that this size bottle comes with a pump.  One pump is perfect for my hair length and avoids any tricky slippery bottle mishaps in the shower!  Overall, the Joico K-Pak reconstruct conditioner is the best I've ever tried for daily use and  I now really want to try the reconstruct treatment - have any of you tried it? I would love to hear about your experiences!!

Love Nicola

xx