Thursday 27 September 2012

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner

Hello Lovelies!
"There's more to life than hair but it's a good place to start" The Aussie Philosophy

I have been waiting for some time to share with you my new miracle hair product. I hesitated using the word 'miracle' just there as it is in the title of the product, but it is deserving of this self-granted title! A few months ago (probably quite a long time ago actually..) after coming to realise how badly damaged my hair had become from my rituals of bleaching and dying it, I was in boots and headed to the Aussie haircare section, picking up this leave-in conditioner as the third thing in a 3 for 2 deal. The other products I got were two hair masks, which I may blog on at some point, but I'm always unsure whether they have helped much or not. I didn't pay much attention to this leave-in conditioner until around a month ago, however, and since then I have not looked back.

This product costs £4.49 full price and you can find it at this boots link here. It is enriched with jojoba oil which nourishes damaged hair - your hair doesn't need to have been colour damaged, things like indoor heating, air conditioning and heat styling damage your hair too, stopping it from reaching its full potential of shininess and glossiness. It also smells divine. The packing is like eye-candy too - I especially love the little kangeroo silhouettes around the neck of the bottle.

I use this leave-in conditioner every day, immediately after getting out the shower when my hair is still wet. The product isn't sticky so you can spray a lot on - even close to your scalp - and still receive lovely results. What this product does is not only detangle your locks (so pretty nifty to spritz on after your shower!) but makes your hair so so smooth! My hair almost feels like its back to a more natural-feeling good condition! Even just a month ago the bottom section of my hair which was previously bleached and ombred felt horrifically dry and coarse, which is pretty unpleasant! I strongly recommend this to every one of you reading this! And it lasts seemingly forever, so it's a fabby investment!
Rachael XX

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Primark September Haul: Dress and Skirt

Hello lovelies!
It seems a lot of people on the internet enjoy a look in on Primark hauls (speaking from the experience of the response to my first Primark haul) and here I have another! This is the first of a series of hauls, and I really love both of the items I got here! (Positive shopping is always the best kind)

The dress I got came in this burgandy/red print or an alternative white/black print. It costs  £15 and was my full-priced item. It may not look anything special on the hanger, but I absolutely adore it because of the shape, the fact that it has pockets, and the colour which I think is very flattering with my dark hair.

The skirt is a black above-knee length creation. It sits nicely with a natural flare outwards thanks to the layering of the fabric. It is 100% cotton, with a pretty dot effect all over the outer layer. There is an elasticated strip at the back, and gold button detail at the front. I got a size slightly too big because I found this in the sale, but it still hangs nicely! It only cost me £1. Best £1 ever spent. 


... Apologies for my messy messy room! If you follow me on twitter you shall know that I am quickly uptaking the typical expectation of students to live like animals. (eek)

Rachael XX


Monday 24 September 2012

So I didn't die..

HELLO LOVELIES!!

Time for the massive apology: I'm mega sorry. There we go, now onto an explanation.. I have managed to stray right off radar over the last three weeks! (A very long time for a daily blogger not to blog) due to stresses getting the flat, stresses moving into the flat, getting used to being in the flat, and, uhh Freshers' Week. That brings me up to last week, where I then failed to blog due to the complexity of finding my way around new university buildings, battling with my quirky printer to produce a whole load of course notes every day, and a very absorbing tiredness that made me zombie through life. 
Nevermind, I'm back! This is actually not a proper beauty blog post because I had too much to say to just slip it in before introducing something else, but on the cards just now I have:

♥ September Primark haul
  September New Look haul
  Topshop Shoe sale haul
  Week in Facemasks
  Mascara duel: False Lash Effect vs Lash Architect

(I've been shopping rather a lot..)
But I thought I'd pop some pictures into this post to brighten it up anyway! As well as tell you a slightly entertaining story. 
Firstly, I just wanted to share some pictures of the lovely flowers that are currently brightening my room! On the left is a gorgeous bunch of fresh flowers from my mum. The other is a little fake bunch of red tulips, which I got at the Freshers FreeSale at my university (basically you go in and grab whatever you want! I also got a lot of coat-hangers)

Recently I was sent an offer from Boots photo to get £10 off a photo calender of my choice. Finding a calender that was £9.99 I then thought it would be fun to create a rivasoave blog-themed photo calender! This was three weeks ago (It takes under 7 days for an order to arrive) and I had decided to send it to my local boots to save on postage fees. Two weeks worth of back and forth phonecalls, emails, and a general lack of a calender, and it was finally re-sent out. And I am now known by name by almost every team member in boots. Haha! Celebrity status is hard dahhlings.. I have my calender though, so here it is!
Hopefully it shall at the very least remind me to blog!
I have three weeks of reading to catch up on, so don't be offended if I haven't commented on your posts in a while!
Watch this space!!

Rachael XX

Thursday 6 September 2012

Uni Stationary Haul

Hello!
This is the second post I've written today, having already done a Bedroom Tour on threeflatmates! As you are well aware by now, I start as a uni fresher in a matter of days! So, of course, a stationary haul was needed. 
If you're a stationary fanatic like myself then this won't shock you (although if you're not this probably will).. the total of this haul was around £45. Wow. Expensive!! But my dad bought it, so I didn't have to spend the money...hehe. 
Also, lol that I got a Pritt Kids Art magic glue stick! This was the only type of Pritt Stick left in the shop :( (The shop being WHSmith). It dries clear and can wash off with soapy water though..so potentially useful.
Rachael XX

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Cheeky No7 Haul and Colour-matching

Hello!
I was in Argos the other day buying a lot of things for the flat (it took 6 massive Argos bags to take it all out the shop) and of course, just had to go into the Boots situated next door.. 
I need a new foundation because both my No7 BB cream and Revlon Photo Ready foundation are almost run out. I tend to find it tricky to colour match foundation in the florescent lighting of stores, so I like asking an assistant to check the colour for me. For this reason I decided to get a No7 foundation, not actually realising that No7 'match made foundation service' had begun. This is where the No7 assistant uses a small machine to take a photo of your jawline on both sides of your face, and the machine tells you the shade of foundation closest to your skintone. Turns out my guess was spot on, but it was still fun getting this done! Since getting this done, I have seen the advert every time I switch the tv on haha! 
The foundation I chose was the No7 Essentially Natural foundation. It's a thin to medium coverage and is best for normal to dry skin. I'm yet to open it and use it, having had a sample at the No7 counter because I want to use up my old ones first. So I can't speak for its wear. I got the second shade, Cool Vanilla
Now the main reason I went for this was the price - at just under £10 this foundation is good for a start-out student! Unluckily I then saw the '3 for 2' sign and well.. I have a poor sense of self-control. I first picked up the No7 Stay Perfect Smoothing and Brightening eye base. I probably shouldn't have, considering I tend to wear eyeshadow most days and use my Urban Decay Primer Potion, but impulse buy rachael came out. However, it is what it says on the tin, and is very silky-feeling with a slightly pink tone. It usually costs £7.75
The third thing I bought was a powder blush - No7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour. Shade: Honey. On the Boots website this shade looks completely different to how it is in the pan. I wanted a shade like this because I like using my Maybelline Dream Creme blushes for pinker shades, but the apricot shade doesn't do much on my skin. This blush is £9.50
So there it is! The receipt came to just under £20.. Not what i intended, but at least I won't be craving new makeup any time soon!
Rachael XX

Sunday 2 September 2012

Going Dairy Free!

Hello!
I've just been on a mega shopping trip to stock up on groceries for the flat, but with a little twist - everything I've bought has had to be dairy free! Eek! My doctor thinks I'm allergic to something, and since a Lactose Intolerance seems most plausible I'm having to go completely dairy free until they get the results of my blood tests. It's made me pay a lot more attention to ingredient lists on labels! Rich Tea biscuits don't contain milk, but a lot of food does! So I picked up some products from the Sainsbury's Free From range:
 So the first things I searched for was sauces for meals.. I picked up Tikka Masala, Korma and a Chicken Hotpot! This means I won't be loving off pasta and noodles next week haha
 Yes, I have a sweet tooth. I'm not sure how nice these will taste - dairy free chocolate is made with oil. But I'm willing to try!
My mum spotted these and I think was feeling a bit sorry for me haha!!
The big issue with a dairy-free diet is that you are really restricting the amount of Calcium and Vitamin D you are consuming - important for healthy teeth and bones! So I picked up some chewy vitamin tablets that are aimed at kids but can be eaten by adults too! They taste of strawberry ;)
I'm a huge tea drinker (noo!) so I had to buy Alpro Soya 'milk'! I know you can buy Lactose-free cows milk, but incase I have an allergy to milk rather than an intolerance to lactose, I have to stay clear of that just now. I hear this stuff is minging, but I need to put something in my tea! Then I saw this Ribena which has calcium in it! Hooray, an easy way to get more calcium! 
 It will be hilarious if I turn out to have some other allergy (maybe relieving, I don't know how good all this stuff with taste!) If you know any tips for a dairy-free diet please do share below!
thanks guys!

Rachael XX

Saturday 1 September 2012

Launch of Three Flat Mates

Hello!
This is a super exciting post for me today, because I'm bringing you the launch of my new blog Three Flat Mates and a Goldfish! As I'm moving into my new flat next week for starting Uni, I have convinced my two flatmates to start a blog with me, where we can record all our memories from living together, as well as share our tips and ideas with other students who are thinking of moving into rented accommodation.


So please go and take a look! I posted last night a Little Guide to Flat Hunting. It's all going to be a little rushed to start off with, but soon SOON it shall get interesting ! haha


Rachael XX