Glitz&Glam Double Volume Synthetic Hair Piece

I've had quite a few questions about my hair in recent posts and on my Instagram and yes I confess...it's not my real hair!  If you read back through some of my old posts, you can see I've worn hair extensions for a couple of years and absolutely love them.   I also love Geordie Shore and when Vicky Pattison  tweeted about the hair pieces she wears are from a website called Glitz & Glam,  I went straight there to find out more.  Curiosity got the better of me, and I ordered the Double Volume Synthetic Hair Piece.

The piece is made from 140g of synthetic hair which means you can't use any heated styling tools, however the curls hold amazingly well, even after washing.  As you can see, the hair is attached onto a skull cap with two combs; one at the top and the other at at the bottom.  I wear 1b and the piece is 22" long.  

To style, I section my fringe and front two thirds of my hair with a large clip and gather the rest of my hair in a low ponytail before pinning this flat against my head.  I then fit the cap over my head, fitting the bottom comb into the hair at the base of my neck and the top comb where the pony tail is sectioned from the first two thirds of my hair (it helps if you backcomb this hair first).  I normally use some kirby grips around the joint to make sure the piece doesn't move about (especially if I'm going out dancing!)  I then pull my top layers over to cover where the join of the cap and my hair meets.  I've found the more of my own hair that frames my face, the more natural the hairpiece looks - it just takes a little practice!  I've found using sleep-in rollers make this whole process a lot easier - I pop them in in the morning and by the time I'm ready to wear the hair piece my layers are voluminous enough to cover the join easily.

The piece is a little heavy to wear at first, however after wearing extensions for years I'm pretty used to this feeling.  The combs don't hurt or tug my natural hair and as long as I use a couple of kirby grips, I've never been worried that the piece was going to become detached.  After I've worn the hairpiece a couple of times, I wash it using baby shampoo and a gentle conditioner.  I let it air dry and within a day the curls are back to being bouncy, sleek and shiny.  Importantly, try not to over comb your piece as this can cause the hair to become a little frizzy - my tangle teazer is perfect to use if I need to smooth over the ends.  I've found that a little bit of serum combined with washing regularly really helps to keep frizz at bay.  I've included some photographs below to show how the piece looks in:

The Double Volume is priced at £39.99 and delivery is amazingly fast.  I'm lucky in that I know what colour to order extensions in, however if you're unsure the girls over at the Glitz&Glam twitter will colour match you - all you need to do is tweet them a photo!

Lots of Love

Nicola

xx

Gucci Guilty Black

As a lover of the original Gucci Guilty fragrance, I was excited to try its new darker counterpart, Gucci Guilty Black.  I've been wearing this perfume daily for the last couple of weeks and wanted to quickly share my thoughts.

With notes of pink pepper, red fruits, violet, patchouli and amber, Gucci Guilty Black is sweeter and more sultry than the original.  It smells particularly fruity when first sprayed, however it settles into  floral fragrance, with the heart note of violet coming to the forefront balanced by the earthy base of patchouli and amber. 

I was initially a little surprised as I expected Gucci Guilty Black to be a much more intense fragrance suitable for nighttime due to the name and the darker packaging.  However, I've found that Gucci Guilty Black is a perfect daytime fragrance; it has the perfect balance of sweetness and earthiness.  

If you like floral fragrances, I definitely recommend Gucci Guilty Intense.  Not overpowering and a little bit sexy, it's become one of my favourite everyday perfumes.

Have you tried either of the Gucci Guilty perfumes? I'd love to know your thoughts!

Love Nicola

xx

The Perfect Afternoon Tea with Twinings

Afternoon Tea is one of my favourite indulgences (if you live near Glasgow, Blytheswood Square, Cranachan and Cup all get the 'Magic's in the Make Up' Afternoon Tea seal of approval), and to make the most of the last of the summer sunshine, my mum, sister and I wanted to bring our love of Afternoon tea outside.  I was recently sent a selection of teas from Twinings to try, and armed with our boxes of teas and far too many cakes, we set about creating the perfect Afternoon Tea at home.  

In true Carr family style, we skipped over the Sandwiches and doubled up on cakes - my favourite was the Mille-Fieulle but my mum and Gill went straight for the chocolate gateau complete with chocolate profiterole adornment!  We tried three different teas from Twinings: 'Assam' 'English Breakfast' and 'Earl Grey'.  Twining's 'English Breakfast' has been a favourite of mine for such a long time, it's a lovely flavoured tea that's perfect any time of the day (not just breakfast!). It was nice to try 'Assam' as it was a lot stronger and richer compared to 'English Breakfast' and I would definitely choose this when I need an extra boost.  On such a lovely sunny day "Earl Grey' was perfect as we served our tea with slices of lemon - it was really light and refreshing!

I took a day off from 'Operation Disco Pants' today, however if you wanted a healthier Afternoon Tea option, the blueberry muffin recipe I posted about here would be perfect teamed with some of the healthy tea ranges available from Twinings (I love the sound of 'Sleep' and 'Defence').  I've got an Operation Disco Pants post up my sleeve where I've created a complete Afternoon Tea that comes in at under 500 calories (and doesn't leave you feeling short changed!)

What would you include to make your perfect afternoon tea?

Love Nicola

xx

Review: Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

I have quite problematic skin and have often struggled to find an exfoliator that doesn't irritate my skin.  In my recent skin care post I spoke about how I've been incorporating my Clarisonic into my daily routine. However, when my skin just isn't feeling it, I've been reaching for Liz Earle's 'Gentle Face Exfoliator'.  

Firstly, I was pretty much sold when I read the word 'gentle'. This exfoliator uses jojoba beads to gently buff away dead skin cells, eucalyptus oil to help purify skin and finally cocoa butter and almond oil to leave skin feeling moisturised.  After using this exfoliator, my skin is left feeling extremely clean and smooth without feeling stripped or raw.

As you can see above, the exfoliator is quite thick (I would actually describe it as cleanse and polish with added exfoliating beads, it smells pretty much the same too!), and the richness of the product makes it feel extremely luxurious to use.  To use, I lightly massage the product onto my face in circular motions before using warm water to rinse the exfoliating beads and any residue away.

If you want to add a gentler exfoliator to your collection, Liz Earle's 'Gentle Face Exfoliator' is perfect.  It provides the perfect balance of richness to exfoliation for my skin.  Importantly, on the Liz Earle website it is stated that this product isn't suitable for sensitive skin, however I have fairly sensitive skin and had no adverse reaction!

What are your favourite exfoliators?

Love Nicola

xx

*PR Sample

Blog Throwback: Glitter

I've been feeling extremely nostalgic recently, leading me to read back through my old blog posts.  Unlike a lot of other people I've spoken to, I don't get embarrassed by my old posts; yes my photography skills were shocking and most of the time it looked like a child had painted my face, but I started writing 'Magic's in the Make Up' when I was 20 and I'm now 25.  Instead of feeling embarrassed, it's been a perfect way of documenting how much I've changed over the last five years. 

However, looking back at the last couple of years made me realise how much fun colour could be!  Apart from the occasional bright lipstick, I haven't worn colour in such a long time and definitely haven't used glitter. So, on a recent night out I decided to recreate one of my blog posts and make it fit to my current make up tastes.  I decided to recreate the make up from this post, using two Topshop glitter pots.

Not quite as orange and shiny as my original post, I didn't apply the glitter as opaquely (and Clubland Classics has been swapped for One Direction - my taste in music has not improved).  I followed my original post and applied the dusky pink shade 'Gilt' to two thirds of my lid before applying the darker glitter 'Lagoon' in the outer corner.  As I knew I wasn't going to be applying the glitter as opaquely, I applied eye shadow underneath the glitter (Urban Decay's Sphynx, Ecstasy and AC/DC) and used Two Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue to make sure the glitter stayed in place all day.

What do you think?  I might go back and do this with a few different posts - I'm intrigued how I could make yellow eye shadow more wearable! 

Lots of Love

Nic xx

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Duo

REN has featured quite heavily on Magic's in the Make Up recently but I seem to fall in love with every product I've tried!  This has only been made worse with the opening of a new Marks and Spencer beauty hall five minutes from my house...I swear my bank account cried the day I heard about this.  

My most recent REN purchase is the Moroccan Rose Otto Duo gift set, which contains a 200ml body wash and 200ml body cream (a gift to myself for meeting my 2 stone slimdown target but more on that later in the week!).  The REN moroccan rose products smell absolutely amazing.  Often, I can find rose scents a little overpowering, however REN have managed to create a scent that is subtle, not too sweet but also long lasting.

The body wash has quite an unusual gel formulation that is a lot thinner than the majority of other shower gels I've used in the past.  The body wash leaves my skin feeling clean, but not stripped and after I've stepped out of the shower I always notice how soft my skin feels.  I can't stand using a body wash that leaves my skin feeling tight or sticky.  Admittedly, it's not the most foaming of body washes, however I would rather this over the inclusion of sulfates.  Despite this, it still feels extremely luxurious to use and is perfect to use as part of a pamper session

As I've mentioned previously, I dislike thick body creams and the REN Moroccan body cream has the perfect consistency.  It's not too thick but still leaves my skin feeling extremely soft.  It sinks in well and doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky.  I've found that layering the body cream over the body wash allows the rose scent to subtly stay on my skin all day.

I love the packaging of both REN products, it feels well made and the pump makes both products  clean and hygienic.  However, I can imagine it might be quite difficult to reach the product at the bottom of the tube - I'll keep you all updated.  Individually, you can buy the body wash for £17 and the body cream for £26, however if you buy the duo together it costs £38 saving £5.  The set comes beautifully packaged making it a perfect gift - even if it is a present to yourself!

Have you tried any REN body products? I really want to try the Sugar Body Polish next!

Love Nicola

xx

My Current Skincare Routine

The skincare I've been using recently has changed substantially from the last time I posted (almost a year ago!).  I've always had a love/hate relationship with my skin.  It's sensitive, oily and prone to hormonal breakouts that scars easily.  I've struggled to find products that work without irritating my skin but I'm really happy with my current routine.

Cleansing

REN 'Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk' - If you're looking for a gentle cleanser, REN's 'Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk' is lovely.  The cleanser is quite a thick cream and has a fresh, herbal scent.  In the morning, I massage the cleanser into my skin before removing it with warm water and a face cloth, to remove any oil or dirt that has built up overnight.  In the evening, I use the cleansing milk as a second cleanse after Emma Hardie's 'Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm'.  It removes any remaining make up and residue well, without being harsh on my skin.  My face has never felt tight or stripped after using 'Hydra-Calm' and as with all REN products, the cleanser has no parabens, sulphates, mineral oil or synthetic scents or colours.  You can pick up 'Hydra-Calm' for £18 for 150ml.

Emma Hardie 'Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm' - I recently blogged about this cleansing balm recently and my views haven't changed - if anything I love it more! Nothing has removed my make up so thoroughly and left my skin feeling so clean but moisturised.  I use the EH cleansing balm every night as my first cleanse with warm water and a face cloth.

'Clarisonic Mia' -  I have wanted a 'Clarisonic' for such a long time, but was always a little nervous to risk spending so much money on a cleansing tool that might not work on my skin.  However, now it's part of my skincare routine I can't imagine life without it.  Yes, I had to go through the dreaded purging phase but it was worth it.  I wanted a 'Clarisonic' predominantly to help with acne scarring and my uneven skin tone, and so far I have seen a slight improvement (it will come with time) however there has been a huge improvement in the number of breakouts I have.  Although having quite sensitive skin, I use the deep pore cleansing brush head to help with oiliness.  I use my 'Clarisonic' every second day, (personally I think it would be too much for my skin to use it every day) with the REN 'Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk' which work wonderfully together.

Moisturise  

Origins 'GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser' - Based on the best selling eye cream, GinZing is a light, gel based moisturiser.  It is less illuminating than it's eye cream counterpart making it a great all rounder for most skin types but is still light-weight and oil free which makes it perfect for me. Ginseng and caffeine help to vitalise and refresh skin and, as it's gel based, provides a great deal of hydration without making my skin look shiny.  'GinZeng' is priced at £23.

Eye Care   

Origins 'Starting Over' - 'Starting Over' is quite a thick eye cream that is formulated to help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and smooth 'crepiness' on the eye lids.  I bought 'Starting Over' as a preventative measure and it's a perfect eye cream to use every day.  It sinks in well and leaves a lovely, smooth base on the under eye area for make up application. I use 'Starting Over' every and is priced at £28.

No.7 'Beautiful Skin Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm' - This eye balm is formulated to improve dark circles and puffiness.  Initially, I was a little surprised at the consistency of the product as it's definitely not a traditional balm - instead it's a gel formula.  It's very cooling on the eye area and sinks in quickly as it's extremely light.  If you don't want to buy two separate eye creams, you could easily use this in the morning and the gel consistency would make concealer application a dream.   The 'Revitalising Eye Balm' is £12 and can be bought in Boots.

Face Masks

I've built up a collection of masks that help deal with a number of different skin complaints.  

Origins 'Out of Trouble' is perfect to use on days when I have breakouts.  You can read my review here. 

I use the Super Facialist by Una Brennan 'Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask' on days when my skin feels a little dehydrated - full review here.

I use the REN 'Glycolactic Radiance Renewal' Mask once every week to help with acne scarring and my uneven skin tone.

I would love to hear if you've used any of the products I've mentioned!

Love Nicola

xx