Big Hair by Babyliss

I am obsessed with big hair but unless I spend ages painstakingly backcombing the roots (not something you want to be doing everyday kids) I can't seem to get it to look volumised. The problem is that my hair is very fine so it can get limp very quickly, and that's where the Babyliss Big Hair comes in....

It's basically a hot air brush that rotates to mimic the results of a blow dry. Personally I've never been able to blow dry my hair but I've always admired the way stylists do it. The brush it self is huuuuge (see below how it sizes up to my BlackBerry!) and it has three heat settings including a 'cool shot'. 

I was a little scared to use it at first because it's so big and noisy but after playing around with it for a while I got used to it. 

How to use it:

To begin you should either rough dry your hair or let it dry naturally until it is about 70-80% there. I'm very impatient so I wait 'til it's about 60% dry :)

Then, apply a blow dry serum/spray/mousse or whatever you prefer. I stick to a spray because my roots can get greasy if I weigh it down with too many heavy products.

Split hair into sections and position the brush at the roots. Turn it on and let the hot air blow out for about 30 seconds (it's important to concentrate on the roots first as this is where you want the most volume.) 

Press down on the rotation button as you move it down towards the ends. For added texture and volume 

flick some of the ends out.

Step back and admire your beautifully blow dried 

Verdict: LOVE IT - drying my hair has never been so fun and easy! And maybe one day, with some more practice, I'll be able to perfect the Cheryl Cole blow dry... Sigh. I'm urging you all to get this because it's so so easy to use and it's cut my styling time by half...!!! Move over GHDs, there's a new hair tool in town....

Sami xx

FYI - I bought mine from Argos for £44.99

Nail du Jour: OPI Purple with a Purpose

If you've seen my previous NOTDs you'll realise that I tend to stick to neutral colours, pinks and reds. You'll rarely see me in black/blue/green nails! But seeing as it's Halloween I thought I'd try something different. This colour can look a bit murky at night, but in day light the colour is very bright and shimmery. It's a lovely ultra-violet (think Paco Rabanne). I wouldn't usually pick this colour up... but it's nice to be different sometimes :)

Sami xx

PS - who else is horrified by Barry M's new Nail Effects colour?! 

MAC A Tartan Tale

I wouldn't really call this a 'haul' but I did pick up something from the new MAC collection... I couldn't resist!

MAC A Lady and Her Tricks, Buff and Line Brush collection, £39.50

I've been umming and ahhing over MAC brushes for quite some time, but I couldn't quite bring myself to pay £27 for one so someone suggested I wait for the holiday collection and buy a mini set, which works out well in terms of price. The set comes with the following: 187SE, 168SE, 252SE, 219SE, 209SE, a cute tartan patterned bag and a detachable strap!

 I love the black and gold detailing

One thing I'd have to warn people about is that the brushes are tiiiiiiiny, which makes it great for everyday use or carrying around in your bag. My face is also quite small so it's actually ideal :- )

In terms of quality... I only got it this morning so I'll update you once I've used it a bit more, but from first impressions I'm happy with it.

The Tartan collection also has some gorgeous lip and eye sets, which come in their own little bags and they have tins of lip glosses and pigments, which would make amazing gifts for beauty junkies... hint hint :- p

Anyone else get anything from the Tartan collection? What did you think?

Sami xx

Weekend of Weddings

Last weekend was packed with bridal parties and weddings so I thought I'd share my hair, makeup and outfits. To those of you who aren't familiar with Asian weddings, they're usually very bright and flamboyant! 

Mehndi Night

The bride hosts a Mehndi party (where her hand is decorated with henna patterns) a few nights before the wedding. 

The Wedding

Wearing: A white sari with antique gold detailing

Hair & Makeup: I used MAC's Tan Pigment on the eyes and MAC By Candlelight MSF as an iridescent highlight. for the hair I tonged it all over and then backcombed the crown.

Loving: Sarah false lashes from the Eylure Girls Aloud collection :)

The bride in a bright red embellished sari... Her makeup looked amazing but I couldn't get a close up... sorry!

So as you can see I've had a very busy weekend, but it was loads of fun! I love Asian weddings because I can go a little crazy with my hair and makeup lol

Anyone else love weddings as much as me?!!

Sami xx

PS Outfit fail of the night: Not only was it impossible to walk in my sari, the Bride's sisters all wore the EXACT same colour as me... so much for standing out eh?! 

MAC Venomous Villians haul.... finally!

I know I am hideously late on the MAC Venomous Villains collection but I did pick up some things a few weeks ago... Instead of going for the lipsticks I thought I'd try something different and ended up with some lip glosses instead!

I still haven't thrown out the lovely packaging!

Briar Rose Beauty Powder

A cool pink powder blush thing (what exactly IS a beauty powder?!) that you can swirl over the face with a large brush. The colour is subtle, yet very pretty, and it gave me a nice glow - I think this works great in the morning when you need your skin to perk up.

Hot House & Revenge is Sweet Lip Glass

Revenge is Sweet - this has a lovely subtle pink sheen to it, which you can layer over lipsticks or wear on its own. I've worn this one a lot to work and it has that 'your lips but glossier AND better' effect. My lips are quite pigmented so I usually use a nude lipliner before applying it.

Hot House - I think the pic says it all! It's a juicy dark pink with a fine thread of glitter running through it to give it that extra gloss. It also made my lips look HUGE, which is weird because darker colours usually have a slimming effect. A beautifooool colour that'd work well for a glamorous/sexy look :) 

What did you guys think of the Venomous Villians collection - inspired... or tacky?! 

Sami xx

Indian Bridal Look !

This look was inspired by MAC Lipstick in Impassioned, which is such an amazingly vivid pinky/red, and I think it works well on Indian bridal looks. Asian brides usually wear very bight and bold outfits with lots of jewellery so the makeup needs to be just as bold and extravagant! 

What I Used:

FACE

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation mixed w/Strobe Cream

MAC Studio Select Concealer

MAC MSF Natural 

Ruby and Millie Matte Bronzer

MAC Blusher in Breezy

MAC MSF in Candlelight

EYES

UDPP

MAC Paintpot in Groundwork

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Yellow Gold

Gosh Pigment in Gold

Gosh Pigment in Bronze

Urban Decay Half Baked

MAC Blusher in Breezy

Shu Uemura Gel Liner

Cheryl Cole False Lashes

LIPS

YSL Lip Contour

MAC Lipstick in Impassioned

Hope you guys liked :- )

Sami x

Lush Xmas Treats

Can I just say that this Lush Christmas Candy Box would make an amazing gift! Yes I know there are still another three months 'til Xmas but better to be prepared right? This cost £19.95 and came with six candy-themed products, which I think is really good value, considering that Lush can be overprice

A peek inside:

The box includes the following:

Snow Fairy Shower Gel This cult product that was very popular last year and now it's back.. yay! Smells like sweets and has a slight hint of glitter and sparkle.

Bubblegum Lip Scrub A yummy, pink, lick-your-lips scrub that gets rid of all the dead skin on your lips.

Candy Cane Bubble Bar Creates a creamy lather and turns your bath pink! The smell was not as strong as I'd hoped though.

Honey I Washed the Kids & Rock Star Soap - They both smell delish but aren't as moisturising as the shower gels and creams.

Snow Fairy Lip Tint - Haven't tried this yet but will update you once I do!

I'd recommend this gift box to Lush fans and Lush virgins alike because it's good value for money and has some lovely, girly products, it also includes a 10% off voucher for your next purchase. I love the candy scent... it's so sweet that I was tempted to eat it (that would kinda ruin the illusion though, as I'm guessing soap doesn't taste that nice...?) You can check out Lush's Christmas range out here. 

Another Lush Love...

Ultra Bland £5.75, described as 'the most thorough of all cleansers' caught my eye because I've been looking for a makeup remover that didn't: a) dry my skin out, and b) didn't irritate my sensitive eyes, but hadn't had any luck. This is like a creamy butter that you slather all over your eyes and then clean off with a damp ball of cotton wool. 

Did it work? 

Yes! It cleaned my skin thoroughly and my mascara practically slid off! The only down side is that it's sooo creamy that it can leave you with a greasy layer of skin (due to the Almond Oil in it). If you're prone to shine or have very oily skin I'd use this with a toner.

Is anyone planning on getting some Lush goodies from their Xmas range??

Sami x