Poker Straight Hair

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all having a good week. Half way there now till the weekend.
I went back to work this week after having a week off, it always feel like you have never had time off once you go back. 

I don't know whether I have previously discussed on my blog about my hair?
I have naturally curly & wavy hair, from a baby I had naturally curly hair as in ringlets kind of curly. I thought as I got older it may grow out of my hair a bit but it hasn't. The longer my hair has grown the more curly/wavy it has got. Especially the underneath of my hair it still to this day ends up with ringlets. It can be pretty annoying but I think I have grown use to it by now. So as you can imagine trying to find hair straighteners that actually keep my hair straight & don't dry & frazzle the ends can be hard. 

I have pretty much always sworn by GHD's to the point I would not buy any other hair straighteners than them. But I have recently decided to try & find a different brand of straighteners for a fraction of the price because you can buy other beauty & hair products for half the price of brand names so why shouldn't you be able to find a cheaper priced hair straighteners?

So I come across a brand called Xtava, who are an American brand. They strive to make every day a perfect hair day. They have a hair tool to suit everyone! Whether you want to achieve poker straight hair, curly locks or create that perfect blow dry look. They provide salon grade quality products which you can use in your own home.

I come across the Xtava pro satin infrared straightener. Which I found to have great reviews on their website of them. Where people had said "it works great on thick curly hair, it's one of the best straighteners they have used". Over 100 great reviews! So they definitely sounded good. 

The Xtava help to lock in moisture, protect your hair cuticles & adds silkiness & shine to your hair that lasts all day. Regular heat damages the surface of your hair which can cause frizz but with these infrared rays it works by penetrating the innermost layer of the strands. Which heats them from the inside to the outside.  This means it causes less stress to your hair to make it look healthier & shinier. Leaving it stress free. 

They also have a variable heat temperature so you can adjust the heat setting to whatever you want. You can change between 130 degrees to 230 degrees. The great quality ceramic heater enables the flat iron to reach maximum temperature within 90 seconds & allows for quick heat up recovery. Most importantly they have an auto shut off function so it turns off when they have been left unattended.

From just the first use I was so so impressed with the shine & the straightness that they give! I didn't really know what to expect but after seeing its results I was very impressed with my choice & the results they gave me. Especially when my hair is so curly. It left my hair feeling smooth, silky & straight.

For the price they are a bargain & half the price of GHD's!

You can find them on Amazon or Xtrava at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/xtava-Pro-Satin-Infrared-Straightener-Professional/dp/B01ENPSCFM

https://xtava.com/

Take Care 

Love Lottie xox

Skin Truth Skin Care

Hello Everyone,

I hope you have all had a good week & weekend. 
Time seems to be going so quickly! But good news is I am off work for the week yay.

Recently I've started using a new brand of skincare goodies "Skin Truth". I had previously heard of them through being a beautician as I have used some of their products while training & things. But I had never tried the skin care products on myself. I had looked at them when going to Pro Beauty at the Excel but never actually brought the skin care range.

So I thought I would bite the bullet & try some out for myself. As it's always good finding new products which work well on your skin.

Skin Truth is a professional beauty range which includes advanced ingredients while giving a enhanced salon experience. All their products are also Paraben, Sulphate & Mineral oil free. They literally also have a range to suit everyone for everything from skin care, to manicure products to aromatherapy goods. You can purchase them from Salons who stock them, from beauty shows, to beauty trade shops or even online to try them for yourself. But I am literally so impressed with the range of products they have to offer.

My skin type is pretty much combination. Simply because I can have oily areas to my face & in places it can become dry also.
So from the skincare range the best is the "Equalising". This range helps to balance your moisture levels while using natural ingredients. It helps to even your skin tone & equalise your oils in your skin to give you a healthy complexion. Which we all love. 
They contain Orange Blossom which helps to heal delicate skin, Ginger extract to help balance the skin's oil production. 

So from the Equalising range I got 3 products to try:

Toner - This helps to clarify & refresh your skin. It is perfect for using daily on your face to help remove any oil, traces of make up.It is a soft & light product which should really be included in your daily skin care routine. Especially when it is so easy to use. You just apply it to a damp cotton wool pad & apply it to your face & neck making sure you avoid the eye & lip area. 

Mud Mask - I absolutely love a face mask. There is nothing better than sitting with a face mask on your face & washing it off & your skin feeling super smooth, soft & glowing after it. I think they are such an important product for a skincare routine. This mask is enriched with dead sea mud which helps to purify your complexion by removing any impurities & excess oil. You apply it to clean skin & coat your face & neck with the mask. Then leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with water & dry your face.

Velvet Soft Facial Serum - I will admit I don't always use a serum or a facial oil on my face everyday. It's just not something I have used daily of my face until recently because I do have oily areas to my face I have to be careful what kind of serum or facial oil I use as they can make my skin more oily. This serum helps to restore natural radiance to your skin. This serum is suitable for all skin types, it is enriched with Acerola & rose extracts which help to replenish & moisturise the skin. 

The quality of these products are amazing & they are literally value for money. You do get salon quality for such a good price. I cannot wait to try more of their products! One of my favourite products from my skincare range is a hot cloth cleanser. It literally is my go to product. I currently use No 7 & swear by it but I might have to try the Skin Truth one & see what it is like.

You can find more out about Skin truth & their products at:

https://www.skintruth.co.uk/

Take Care 

Love Lottie xox

A Little Bit Of Lola - Face Talk

Hello Everyone!

Happy Wednesday! Hope you are all having a good week.

In one of my previous posts you may remember me talking about some new make up products that I had been trying from Lola Make Up. If you didn't see that post then you will find it on the 16th July I posted it & I showed the lipsticks & Mascara I tried from them. For those of you who don't know:

Lola Make up by purse was designed in Britain by a team of beauty experts & make up artists. Lola is a cruelty free brand who give you a quality make up product! Lola helps giving you tutorials via social media to create amazing make up looks by providing professional products & tools. 

You can try & purchase Lola make up from:

Marks & Spencers - It is available online & in 63 stores in theMarks & Spencers beauty halls across the UK including city centre stores like: 

*London, Oxford Street 
*Birmingham 
*Dublin
*Liverpool
*Leeds
*Northampton 
*Manchester

They literally do every kind of make up item you could want from eyeshadows, to lipsticks, to lip glosses, to nail varnishes & treatments, to false eye lashes. You name it Lola literally covers it!

So this month I have got two other new products to try from Lola Make up. Which are probably one of the most important products of make up of all: Foundation & Pressed Powder. Without these products you could not achieve the perfect flawless make up look. 

Finding a decent foundation is very hard I have to say, I am pretty fussy when it comes to finding the right one for me because I find some leave my skin a bit oily & shiny. I do not like that look. Not only that but some foundations I think are so thick & I do not like them simply because I worry what it does to your skin. It will clog your pores up completely over time so I try not to wear such thick textured foundations. But everyone is different. Some people like 
these because they have scars from acne or something so for them it covers them up. So everyone is after something different when it comes to foundations.

I got the Matte long lasting foundation in shade: R040 
I choose this one because I did want something that gives a medium - high coverage to help conceal blemishes & imperfections whilst still giving a natural glow to your skin. Also something that minimising the look of pores because some foundations can make pores look obvious. The great thing about this foundation is that it has oil absorbing properties which minimise the shine it gives to your skin. 

When I first tried this foundation I did find it was definitely thicker than what I am used to using. But I knew that when I chose it because it does state it is a medium/high coverage. To me it is more of a high coverage than a medium. But I was happy with the finish it gave to my skin. It didn't look caked on which I was worried it might do. It did also tend to last on my skin too but I don't think I would use this for my day to day foundation simply because for me it's too of a high consistency.

The other product I got was the: Matte Silky Finish Pressed Powder in shade: B012.
I am not normally one for pressed powder but I do like to have a decent one just in case I want to create that more matte finish make up look. It is always a handy make up product to have in your make up bag. Again I chose a matte finish product because I do not like a shiny look to your make up & prefer the matte finish. This powder is perfect for any skin type, it gives a flawless finish to your skin & is also oil free so it does not become oily on your skin. The powder is made up of micro-fine powders which let your skin breathe while oil absorbing. It is a weightless, smooth, breathable texture which helps to balance your skins tone & help to reduce the appearance of pores. It also contains SPF10 to protect against photo ageing. 

The powder also comes in a compact which is handy to just pop in your bag & carry around. Which is great because it's not a huge compact it's the perfect size to carry around with you & top up when you need to. I don't normally use powders so unlike foundations I can't really compare this powder to another. But from when I have used it the powder is definitely weightless & not heavy on your skin & glides on perfectly over the top of foundation. 

So if you are looking for a new foundation, powder, or even a new make up brand to try them check out Lola. 

You can also use the discount code: lottielola10 to get 10% off!

You can find Lola Make up at:

https://www.lolamakeup.com/

Take Care,
Love Lottie xox

Everyone Loves A Good Brow & Lashes

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Hope you are all well & enjoying the fab weather again at the moment! It is glorious! It is weather like this that makes me feel happier. It just instantly puts you in a better mood. Well... If I had my car back I'd be in a better one as i truly feel so lost without it because I just feel so stuck. You have to rely on others & I hate that because I am so independent!  But not much longer & I will have bae back. But then I have the great decision of whether to sell it straight away & get a new car or wait abit. I don't really want to have to sell it but I think it is time to. Why are cars so expensive?! 

I have a big thing over lashes & eyebrows. To me they have to be spot on. I am quite lucky because I do have quite naturally long lashes & as I am dark haired they are also naturally dark both my lashes & eyebrows. Then I love a good brow nothing more satisfying to see than good brows. Or is that just me? 

But like anyone I always want my lashes to be longer, fuller & as healthy as they can be. So recently I have purchased Epibrow who are a company who specialise in semi-permanent eye make up treatments like microblading. But they are now looking to branch out & offer retail products of a salon quality for us to use in our own homes. Epibrow feature in the sun, pretty 52, The herald, Daily Express & other places.I have been toying over the idea of having my eyebrows micro-bladed but yet to actually look into it so for now these products for me are perfect!

Before use

They have recently launched:

Epibrow Ultimate Lash Serum

This is an overnight treatment which is formulated with essential minerals, polypeptides & is full of nutrients! So it works by feeding the hair follicles & leaving you with longer, thicker, fuller & stronger lashes. Which is what we all want right?




I was worried that the serum was going to be hard to apply but it could not be easier! You simply apply it before bed to the base of your lash line upper/lower depending on what you wish to achieve as you maybe just looking to improve your upper lashes.

You do this every night for a month. 

So far I have been trying this for about a week & I have to say my lashes are starting to feel abit thicker already. Plus my lashes nearer the outside of my upper lid are longer than they were & are starting to curl out more so they are definitely getting longer in length. So I cannot wait to see what they will be like in another 3 more weeks.

They do recommend for long term results wait 4 weeks between treatments & then repeat the steps again. This treatment is a more effective alternative treatment to eyelash extensions & a lot more healthier & natural.


Epibrow Brow Design Serum
This can be used at any part of the day on your brows along as you apply it to clean make up free skin.

The serum contains fast working formula ingredients such as Iron & Vitamin B which are very important nutrients needed for hair growth. This helps to achieve bold & darker eyebrows.

The serum helps to speed up the process of hair growth to give you thicker, fuller shape & more healthier brows. We all love a bold eyebrow. 

To get the best results & to make them look darker:

*Use the treatment once a day on clean skin.
*Massage the area to help boost the blood circulation.

The product keeps the hair at its growing anagen stage for a longer period of time so you get the best growth for the product as possible.

Again I have been using this product for around 1 week & brow hairs 
are growing quicker than they normally do. I am wanting to grow them out to make them slightly thicker in places. So this product is perfect for that.

After a weeks use

Both of these products are great for anyone who wants to boost the growth of their lashes & brows. Especially if you have short, thing or sparse hair. 

You can find more about Epibrow at:

https://epibrow.com

The products can be brought at epibrow.com or:

www.amazon.co.uk/Epibrow-Brow-Design-Serum
www.amztk.com/ultimatelash

Take care

Love Lottie xox

Konjac Sponges

Hello Everyone!

Happy Monday! Back to that dreaded day of the week again already but it's okay the day has been & gone now. Now for the rest of the week... Which is pretty hard when you are not feeling on top form & your working full time & then have blogging work to do. But I love what I do. So needs must. Hopefully the doctors will sort things out for me soon...

So as you may have guessed by now I an a big fan on skincare items. I am forever trying out new products! But one thing I have not tried before are facial sponges. Have you?
It has never been something I have incorporated in with my skincare routine. I think that's simply because it is not really a common beauty product I have personally come across in shops. Well not in my area. 

I come across The Konjac Sponge Company who are an original & leading supplier of premium Konjac sponges all around the world! You can even find their products in high end stores such as Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fenwick's.

Konjac sponges originate from South Korea & are a popular feature of Korean beauty regimes.They are used as a gentle exfoliation & deep cleanser which leave you with silky smooth skin. They are even 100% natural & rich in minerals. They are also vegan & cruelty free. Which as you can imagine with Vegan & cruelty free products being very popular these days they really are perfect for anyone to try! Even people with the most sensitive skins like babies. There is a sponge to suit everyone! Every skin type!

The sponge is made out of Konjac plant roots, which is a plant used as a healthy food & also for its medical properties in many parts of Asia. Its natural moisture & fibre rich plant is packed with goodness. Which means it has a number of nutrients which include: Vitamins A,E,D,B1,B2 & many others! 

Konjac vegetable fibre is blended with different clays & powders to help cater for every persons skin types & issues:

* 100% Pure Konjac- This is the sponge perfect for ALL skin types

* Charcoal Powder - This is the sponge perfect for oily & spot 
                    prone skin.

*Green French Clay - This is the sponge perfect for anyone with 
                     
an oily t-zone & has combination skin.


*Red French Clay - This is the sponge perfect for dry, damaged &
                   the more mature skin also those with skin 
                   conditions such as Eczema & Rosacea.

*Pink French Clay - This is the sponge for those with tired & 
                    de-vitalised skin.

*Chamomile Powder - This is the sponge which helps smooth angry, 
                    & irritated skin.
*Green Tea Powder - This is the sponge which is antioxidant rich 
                    which helps purify & calm skin.


The sponges can be used as part of your daily skin care regime.
They help to:

*Revitalise the skin whether it be face or body

*Perfect for use even around delicate areas like the eyes which it also helps to brighten & drain puffiness from around the eyes

*Helps to delicately exfoliate the skin leaving it with a natural glow

*Deeply cleanses pores, helping to elimate dirt, excess oil, blackheads & bacteria


*After a few weeks of using the sponge regular the skin starts to have a more "airbrushed" smoother appearance 

*The sponges do NOT strip the skin even if the sponge is used twice a day

*You do not have to use any additional products with the sponge if you do not wish to. You can just simply use the sponge. Or you can use it alongside a cleanser. 

As I have a more of a combination type skin, along with a oily t-zone & clogged pores at times. I went for the Green French Clay. As to me that suits my skin type best. I have been using the sponge for a few days & even after just the first use I felt as though my skin was a lot softer & the few pores I have in areas such as my nose did seem more minimal. That was just after a few days of use so I cannot wait to see what it will make my skin like in a few weeks.

The sponges are SO easy to use. You simply soak them in warm water for a few minutes until it becomes squishy & really soft. Then massage the sponge on your skin in circular movements. Like I said before this can be with or without a cleanser. But because I love the cleansers I use I have been using it alongside my cleanser. Which currently is the Nuskin Cleansing gel. Which I have to say I do really love because its so light on the skin, it lasts ages & a little goes a long way. Especially with this sponge it just lavers up.

Then after use just gently rinse the sponge through throughly. Squeeze out the excess water & leave it out to dry in an airy dry place. Do not leave it in a pool of water as this can cause it to go mouldy or even disintegrate. As long as the sponges are well looked after they can last anywhere between 1-3 months!

I really don't think you can go wrong with this product. 
I have to say I have become a fan of them & I think so many of you will love them too!

If you'd like more information about The Konjac Sponge Company or to purchase then visit:

https://www.konjacspongecompany.com/

Take care, 
Love Lottie xox

Love Me Beauty

Hello Everyone! 

Happy Tuesday! 
It has been a while since I have posted! I really do go through phases in writing often & not. But life lately has just got in the way. What with work, mother's day & other things. But I am back & ready to write more to share things with you all :)

Now girls we all love a good subscription for beauty & make up products to try before we commit to buying like the full size versions of them. I have tried many subscription boxes; glossybox & birchbox. But for a while I have been trying to find something a bit different which includes products of the brands I love. Like OPI, benefit, just to name a few. So when I came across Love Me Beauty I was SO happy!

Love me beauty is a subscription of a different level for both beauty & make up products. It takes 3 easy steps too:

Step 1) You create a profile for yourself. Tell them of your beauty interests & they create the best recommendations for you!

Step 2) Browse through the months different products to choose from. You get to customise your order which is done monthly.

Step 3) All the products are then handpicked & delivered to your front door for you to try & review!


There are 3 different memberships to choose from.

* Rolling monthly membership: £10(per month) + £3.95 p&p(per month)

*3 Month Membership: £9(per month) + £3.95 p&p (per month)

*6 Month Membership: £8(per month) + £3.95 p&p (per month)

So this month I received some amazing products from my Love Me Beauty. When the goods arrived I was in love with the make up bag alone! The products came in a make up bag with the quote:

Just wing it life eyeliner everything

I am such a sucker for a quote & anything with a quote on it. So this bag & this quote is amazing! It's such a true response a comment for us girls.

The items I received were:

Omorovicza Budapest - Copper Peel
This is a foaming two phase peel, which combines with a blue copper paste & an acid activator. It helps to polish & smooth your complexion & helps reduce pore sizes & make your skin brighter & more toned.

Ultra Sun - Face Sun Protection 30 High SPF
This sun protection comes with no perfume, no preservatives.
It helps restore moisture levels & reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It is perfect for sensitive very skin to the sun.

Ultra Sun - Glimmer 20 SPF
I love a shimmery product when I am on holiday & have a tan & this sun lotion contains a shimmer to it. Like the face sun protection it comes with no perfume, no preservatives. It is also perfect for sensitive skin but also give tanned skin that shimmery colour to you sun kissed skin.

Caudalie Vine Active - 3 in 1 moisturiser & Energising and smoothing eye cream
I have wanted to try Caudalie for a while as I have heard so many good things about their skin care range. I love trying new skin care products! I like to find products which help improve my skin condition because to me skin care is important.Both of these products you apply morning and evening. 

Ellis Faas - Creamy Lips, Hot lips, Glazed lips, Milky lips
These came as 4 different samples, so four different shades.
Glazed lips: Shade L304 - Sheer Orange
Hot Lips: Shade L403 - Bright Fuchsia
Milky Lips: Shade L207 - Nude Pink 
Creamy Lips: Shade L101 - Ellis Red

These are a combination of different lipsticks. From pigmented colours, long wearing & other properties.

Perricone MD - Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment
This is a new brand coming over to the UK from America. 
It is easy to use you simply apply it to a cotton pad & wipe it over your face. It helps remove all dirt & access oils from your skin before using the next Perricone MD product treatments.

I have started using the Perricone MD Blue plasma cleansing treatment & I am impressed with it so far. I will keep you posted on my review of Perricone MD products as I am using a few of their products at the moment.

You have to check them out the choice of products you get is amazing. It is also such a great way to try new products.

Plus use the discount code below & get a discount off your subscription!

lottiejessica20

Check out:

https://www.lovemebeauty.com

Love Lottie 
xox

Unique Jewellery Ideas

Good Evening Everyone!

What a week it has been so far I have been so busy but it is making the week go so quickly. I cannot believe that it is Wednesday already tomorrow & we will be half way through the week. Doesn't seem at all possible. Does anyone else feel like that? 

I also collect my new glasses on Sunday which I am looking forward to. I am hoping they will ease my headaches. Plus they are so lovely! I can't wait to wear them.

As you may all know here in the UK it is Mothering Sunday, this Sunday (26th). If your mothers are anything like mine they can be so hard to buy for. Which can make things hard work. But I do feel like you really cannot go wrong with jewellery pieces. There are some lovely pieces out there but I do like delicate pieces. Whether it be for myself or for a gift for others.

I recently come across a brand called Kaytie Wu. 
Kaytie Wu relaunched in 2015 by a UK jewellery designer. Kayte happens to have a vast experience in jewellery & fashion & has created an amazing contemporary brand. But not only that she is also an independent woman who has created her own business & succeeded in it i believe. The pieces from their collections are beautiful. They are minimalist, delicate & unique. The collections are presented in fine gold or silver plating with use of delicate Austrian crystals. There is a sister brand to Kaytie Wu also: Kaytie Kaytie Wu. This brand also follows in the same style of designs of Kaytie Wu however unique shapes & a flora series has also been incorporated. Plus also pieces also include sterling silver & CZ stones.

I fell in love with the Kaytie Kaytie Wu flora collection. The pieces were so beautiful. As the name states the collection has a floral design based around it. The collection comprises of stud earrings, a pendant & also a ring. All which have a floral design to the pieces. The pendant & ring come with a floral design & have a small CZ stone featured on them. The stud earrings however are just a simple floral shape but equally as stunning! They would make any outfit look that little bit more complete.

I am not a huge fan of gold jewellery on myself & I prefer just costume jewellery to be in gold. So I tend to choose them more in silver. So I purchased the Flora pendant & earrings. I did not get the ring because I am not one to wear rings. 

When the pieces arrived I was so amazed by not only the quality of them but also how unique they are. All of the items are like no other jewellery brand I have come across. The items come packaged beautifully in branded boxes & also come with certificates of authenticity. This includes how to care for them. They are not to be 24/7 like in the shower, to the gym etc. Moisture & chemicals can spoil its colour & finish. 

There are so many more jewellery pieces like I love I could of spent a fortune! Not only that but they are also reasonably priced so whether you are purchasing for yourself or a gift they are perfect.

You can browse their beautiful collection at:

https://kaytiewu.com/

Take care, 
Love Lottie xox