The Curly Girl Method.
Is it worth doing? Is it not?
How much commitment do you need to give it?
Did it make a difference?
Five years on, I can now finally look back on my experiences and tell you how I found the Curly Girl Method on my straight-wavy hair. You will find lots of CGM blog posts on here as I documented my hair journey as much as I could in those years.
Continue reading “Curly Girl Method for straight-ish wavy hair: was it all worth it?”
Hey everyone!
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here so I thought it’s only right to update you all on what’s been happening and if I have any new hair tricks and tips for you all!
My hair types settled back into 1C which I’ve decided I’m not going to fight anymore. My 2A waves still come out every now and then but most days, I’m at 1C – that’s straight hair with some kinks or bends if you’re not familiar with the hair terms. They are confusing I know!
Continue reading “Hair today, gone tomorrow…”
The ultimate ‘to me, from me’ gift, Feel Unique are offering to their customers the opportunity to access the best in beauty with a DIY subscription for just £11.95 each month. The FU Beauty Box is a beauty subscription service that lets you have full reign of picking and playing with products that you actually want to try. No more silly doubles or products that you’ll never try, don’t want or like!
Continue reading “Feel Unique launches new personalised beauty box + Giveaway!”
Lola’s Lashes is a UK brand is a hot topic on everyone’s lips and is all the rage over instagram. I’ve seen it advertised for a while now but never thought to give it a try until an amazing blogger/influencer I once met and follow on IG, @HeySareta reviewed it. I’ve never been great with applying falsies so never really gave magnetic lashes a second thought… until now. I usually prefer having semi-permanent single-lash extensions done instead but all the recent lockdowns, it’s made it difficult for me to get them done and maintained.
I’m not a massive lash girl anyway but I do like the effect falsies give my lashes. My Asian eyelashes are pretty straight so wearing falsies usually makes my eyes more defined – like what a push-up bra can do for our boobs! 🙂
Lola’s Lashes pride themselves on their “unique formula” which only requires 1 layer of application and claims to be the best-performing magnetic lash system out there. We’ll see! There are loads of other magnetic lash systems that are cheaper than Lola’s Lashes too but thing is not about price but about the quality and wear ability which can be challenging on Asian eyes.
Because most of us either have smaller almond eyes or monolids, applying standard band width lashes can look odd so we’d have to cut them down to fit. This is one thing that drew me towards Lola’s Lashes because you can pick out lashes based on their band width and length.
Each Lola’s Lashes magnetic lashes & liner kit comes with a promise. If you aren’t 100% happy with your lashes within 14 days, you can get your money back. Check out their website for T&Cs but this seems like a pretty good guarantee for me to try something out. At least if it doesn’t work or I don’t like it, I can get a refund – this is not possible when you buy your lashes from the shops.
Amethyst is a mid-length lash with doll-like spacing, giving off a modern 60’s sex kitten vibe that looks striking on most eye shapes. Amethyst is the latest lash to join our Jewels Lash Collection and gives natural beauty with a vintage lash look twist.
Lola’s Lashes UK
There are eight original jewel-named kits to choose from (rose quartz, jade, sapphire, amethyst, diamond, moonstone, amber, ruby) and currently five special edition ones – love letter, daisy chain, kiss & tell, be witchin’ and sundae. Each lash collection has its own unique style so you can really customise your day and night looks, whether you prefer natural or dramatic.
After debating between Jade and Amethyst, I decided to go for the latter. Initially, I wanted to get the Daisy Chain kit but it was all sold out. Once Daisy Chain is in stock… I’m definitely going to try them out!
I purchased the Amethyst lash and liner kit (£35) which is a compete lash system set. You can buy extras like beauty tools to help put on the lashes but I skipped this. I also got 15% off my kit on their website = there’s a popup promotion that looks like a game-show wheel, give it a spin to see what discount you’ve won. You can get up to 30% off your first order which is amazing. If you don’t win anything with your first spin, you can try to spin again but you might have to enter another email address.
Okay… So… I REALLY LOVE THESE LASHES! OMG.
Tell me why are they so cute?! The fit. The design. The look. The feel. The products. The packaging. EVERYTHING! I’m really feeling them even though I thought I wouldn’t like it as much as I do. My only peeve is that you have to apply a decent amount of the magnetic liquid liner on for the lashes to stick onto properly but apart from that they’re gorgeous!
They are really comfy to wear and feel virtually weightless on my lashes. I thought they were going to feel quite heavy like standard shop-bought lashes do on my eyes but nope! They are good. I think the magnetic liner holds it well in place so the lashes don’t just sit on your real ones. I applied the rest of my makeup after applying the magnetic lashes. Make sure you let your magnetic liquid liner completely dry before putting on the lashes. This took me around 5mins per eye. I applied liner to both eyes, made a cup of tea and had a little sip then touched them to see if it was ready and it was.
And the fact that I don’t even need to cut them to size? A winner.
The lash length is just right for me, they just about fit under my glasses. I thought the cleansing oil would be amazing but it was a let down… plus it stung my eyes so I’m using my normal cleansing balm which is a balm that turns to oil then a milky liquid once it’s emulsified with water. If, like me, you’d prefer to use your own eye makeup remover, make sure it’s an oil-based one as nothing else will take off the magnetic liquid liner effectively.
Don’t forget the eye area is delicate so try not to rub too much when removing eye-makeup in general.
PROS:
CONS:
To me, the PROS far outweighs the cons.
There’s too many good points about these lashes and you know what? I actually adore them more than any other false eyelashes I’ve purchased before. The only thing they can’t beat for me is having single-lash extensions done. Apart from that, Lola’s Lashes are going to be my new go-to falsies!
*Drumroll please*
Yep, you’ve guessed it… it’s a YAY! I really like the Amethyst lashes – they look great, are comfortable to wear and should last me a while as I’m not a regular user. The main problem I usually have with standard fake lashes is that the band length is bog-standard and to get my lashes to fit my eyes, I usually have to cut them. Also the lash material is usually hard but I like mine soft and fluffy like my semi-permanent single lash extensions.
Even though I won’t be wearing them daily or often because I just really don’t wear lashes like that. I do love the fact that I’ve finally found a lash set that I really like using. Lola’s Lashes also do their complete magnetic lash range in standard strip lashes too. So if you just prefer good ol’ lash glue and strips, you can get the exact same styles but at a slightly cheaper price too. It’s a win-win for all!
The £35 price tag is not all bad either. There are cheaper systems out there but whether the quality is better I don’t know. We’ll see how long the magnetic liner lasts too. Something the Lola’s Lashes team could think about doing but they probably won’t because they’d make more money from selling it as a complete system with the lash and liner kit.
Lola’s friend referral: https://lnk.rise-ai.com/ZN-9djMNkcsOecU
You can use my friend referral link to get £5 off your order and I also get £5 to spend towards a new pair. It’s a win-win!
Have you tried Lola’s Lashes before or want to give them a try? Let me know your thoughts below…
I started my wavy hair journey using the Curly Girl Method at the end of 2017 (it was Dec 2017 to be exact – you can read it here). If you read some of my later posts you’ll see that my hair went through a transition period of some sorts. I started off with 1B/1C straight-ish hair pre-Curly Girl Method then it got really wavy and ended up 2A with some 2B strands then after that it started going less wavy and regressed to 1C/2A straightish-wavy pattern. Since then it’s stuck somewhere between 1B/1C.
I was so upset with how much regression I experienced that I didn’t want to continue with the Curly Girl Method. Just to be clear, I followed a modified version of CGM and didn’t follow it strictly apart from the first couple months. This was because my hair is somewhat fine/medium density and clarifying without a sulfates-based cleanser just wasn’t doing it for me. You can read more about my swavy 2A hair journey and the products I used here. This was when my hair was possibly at its optimum health despite the colour processes it went through.
The last time I remember still having my waves was back in October/November 2020.
Below is a photo of my November wash day and how my hair looked wet, to 50% dry to fully dry… and this was air dried! Stupid me, I don’t really keep a diary of products I use anymore as it’s generally the same but I wish I had because I have no idea what I used then.
I went from this:
…to THIS!
THE WAVES WERE GONE!
My hair pretty much looked like this mess from December 2020 to March 2021. I also re-bleached my ends then a few weeks after dyed it with permanent box dye and I truly believe that’s what killed it. It was never the same after that day and I was ready to give up doing the Curly Girl Method.
I told myself that I was just a “fake-wavy”, that I don’t have any waves hair and never did. It was all just “tricks” with gels and stylers. But then I decided to take one more leap of faith and jumped onto Youtube to watch more wavy girls talk about their hair journey. My all-time favourite Youtuber is Courtney from Swavy Curly Courtney. If you’ve seen her but never clicked to watch her videos… do it! Her videos very informative, helpful and she’d been through similar experiences as me and her waves are AMAZING!
Then a couple months ago Courtney released this video about her beautiful curly waves becoming less wavy and I felt somewhat relieved… I wasn’t the only one going through this! I literally found the video a few weeks ago and decided to try out Courtney’s homemade gelatin hair treatment (video below because it’s that amazing!) and OMG the results really say it all.
March 12 – sad sad hair.. waves were gone and hair was very dry and brittle so I cut out both glycerin- and protein-based products
March 29 – hair started recovering and some waves returned. I can see loose waves but they dropped by the end of the day so I thought it’s time to add back in some protein-based styling products
April 9 – I took this photo after my wash day with a homemade gelatin hair treatment, my hair was about 70% dry and still in its gel cast
Funny thing is I thought I knew… but I still really don’t!
My hair was dry and brittle – to me, that was a sign that it was protein overloaded but the more I think of it, I think it was severe moisture deficiency. It would also explain why my waves dropped so quickly during the day. It had also been a very long time since I last clarified my hair so most probably it was a combination of everything – no hair cut, too much glycerin products used, central heating drying it out and no clarifying wash.
The trio of photos for March 29th shows how my waves somewhat returned. This was from sticking to protein-free hair products after adding glycerin products back in. It looks loosely wavy again but there was just no hold. This is when I realised I needed to add protein-based styling products back into my hair routine. I looked through Courtney’s videos and found her homemade gelatin treatment and it worked SO WELL!
Courtney uses powdered gelatin, Shea Moisture’s power protein treatment and apple cider vinegar. I skipped the ACV because it can be harsh on coloured or bleached hair (well, it’s harsh on mine) but apparently it helps the hair saturate the gelatin better although I would say the treatment still works pretty well without it too.
I cleansed my hair with a sulfates-based shampoo then rinsed, applied the gelatin treatment for 10mins then rinsed out, applied hair conditioner then rinsed, and finished off with adding my styling products, scrunched, plopped and then diffused my hair until it was 70% dry.
My hair felt really cleansed, lightweight and how it used to feel. I’m going to try this treatment again but without diffusing to see what the result will be like. I’ll also be making a video of this and add it to my Youtube page. I’ll add it to the bottom of this post so you can bookmark this page and return in a few weeks time to see if it’s up. If not, just give me a few weeks as I’m really slow with making vlogs! Otherwise, you can subscribe to my Youtube page and you’ll get a notification whenever I post up a new video.
So I decided to add a little more protein back into my hair routine and boy did it make a difference! I’ve gone back to using my old cream and gel combo (Cantu curl activator cream and ECO olive styler gel) on my second day after wash day (refresh day 1) and pixie diffused (fancy CGM term for diffusing hair in smaller sections) and I am loving the results. The waves are coming back and they look a little more defined. Still a little stringy in some bits but better than it’s been since October/November.
Products I used on wash day in order of use: As I Am conditioning co-wash (no-poo cleanser), Noughty Tough Cookie conditioner (conditioner), Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food Banana hair mask (deep-conditioning mask left on for 3mins), Noughty Thirst Aid conditioning & detangling spray (leave-in), ECO Styler olive oil gel (gel)
Refresh Day 1: water to slightly damp hair, Cantu curl activator cream (cream/enhancer), ECO Styler olive oil gel (gel) and pixie diffused to dry hair to 70% then air-dried until fully dried.
I’m going to try and replicate the results on my next wash day to see what happens and will update this blog post once as soon as I can.
Have you gone through a similar experience with the Curly Girl Method?
Tell me about your wavy hair stories in the comments section below. X
PS. This post does contain affiliate links so if you decide to buy any of the goodies listed above, I will receive a bit of commission on qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and would help support me with the running this blog.
*this giveaway is now closed.
Happy Galentines ladies!
I was supposed to launch this giveaway at the start of the year – because it’s a new year and I wanted to do this giveaway asap, I kind of got a little overwhelmed with starting a load of other things and just forget about the giveaway. So here it is.. the long awaited Noughty To The Rescue bundle giveaway!
It’s been a while since my last giveaway which was last year December for the curated beauty box. But for hair, I don’t think I’ve done a giveaway before. As an advocate for Noughty Haircare UK, I’m super excited to be giving away this little bundle of joy! My FAVOURITE hair mask, To The Rescue Intensive Moisture Treatment is the best hair mask I’ve used so far. It smells amazing and works great on fine to medium density hair and on all hair curl types. It’s a medium-heavyweight mask but I don’t find it that heavy on my hair. If you have straight hair that’s dyed, bleached or just very dry, it’s a really nice moisturising hair mask to use. The tub usually lasts me a few months and I use it once weekly. If you use it once or twice a month, you could probably make it stretch up to 6 months.
What you get in the Noughty giveaway bundle:
I want to raise this issue because a commenter on my Youtube hair video told me that the hair mask above and the thirst aid spray are not CG-friendly as they contain isopropyl alcohol. This is true if you have a US stock product. I’m afraid these Noughty products are not ‘CG approved’ or CG friendly – only the UK stock is CG approved which they state on their website. You won’t find isopropyl alcohol on these two products in the UK. This is why they’re still on my haircare list as CG friendly. I just wanted to clear that up in case anyone else didn’t know, was confused about it, or thought I was lying – I doubt the latter but you know, I have to put it out there so everyone else knows. 🙂
It’s such a shame they’ve done it like this. It should be CG friendly world but I guess formula regulations are allowed to differ from country to country. Soon, I’ll host a Noughty giveaway internationally so my US and abroad readers, keep your eyes peeled for summertime. It’s going to be a big giveaway!
So how do you enter and what are the rules?
Rules: How to enter
GOOD LUCK!
Well done to our lucky winner, Lucy!
The giveaway was such a big hit, I got really excited and decided to giveaway another tub of the Noughty intensive moisture mask as a runner up prize. A massive well done to both ladies and thank you EVERYONE that took part in the giveaway. Next giveaway will be Summer 2021 so keep your eyes peeled on the blog and social media.
Don’t forget you can subscribe to the blog via email to get notifications on new posts and upcoming competitions.
NB. This post contains affiliate links.
Hey beauties!
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here writing – been feeling a little underwhelmed and just not motivated to do anything. With Christmas a few weeks away, my mind and time’s been preoccupied on getting everything ready. Little man also came down with a cough last Friday which has disappeared now but in a panic, I ordered a Covid home test kit for the both of us. After all, I don’t want to go back to work without knowing I’m all clear and don’t want LO to cause his class to self-isolate so close to Christmas if he isn’t all clear.
This month, I wanted to create a curated box that I could giveaway – especially with the festive mood it seemed like a good time to set a giveaway! I have to apologise for being a couple days overdue on this post, I should’ve scheduled it ages ago but not been at the best with my health since the end of last month. I’ve been having really bad eye-strain and can’t seem to sit in front of a screen or on my phone for too long. I’m going to have to get starter with my time keeping so I’m only getting about 2-3hrs screen time then that’s it.
Anyway… without further ado, here’s what you can get your hands on this December:
What’s inside the curated box?
Inside this little box of goodies are the following products:
S E L F C A R E
Coming out of a lockdown and back into tiered restrictions, London is lucky to be in Tier 2. We are able to go to the shops like normal, visit non-essential retail stores and eat out at restaurants again. My health has taken a slight turn (well, my eyesight mostly) but my physical health is not the best either. I haven’t done any exercise and I can feel that it’s taken a toll on my body. My mental health seems in tact for now but I can feel that mental-burnout is not a far away thought. I wouldn’t say I’m experiencing depression but I do feel sluggish all the time, not motivated or too tired to do anything and not wanting to work. The phrase “I can’t adult today” seems to be my favourite daily motto. Every now and then someone pulls me out and it’s usually by allowing myself some time to take care of myself and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels the same.
This box was inspired by taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally.
Treat your hair and skin to wonderful goodies! Soothe a sensitive scalp with Philip Kingsley‘s shampoo and nourish your winter hair with Palmers deep conditioning protein mask. Treat your skin to Holika Holika‘s super-drenching hydrating face sheet mask. Damask rose softens and hydrates the skin, and improves skin cell regeneration – that’s why you’ll always find rose essential oil in many anti-ageing skincare products. Cut down on time with The Works‘ 3-in-1 mask, primer and moisturiser. The creamy texture is perfect for winter skin and suits all skin types.
On a more emotional and mental level, I wanted to include products that can help you create a calming mood for your self-care time. The pillow spray by This Works is amazing – it contains lavender, vetivert and chamomile to soothe and calm your mind so you can sleep better. Before you spray your pillow, light up the super-indulgent wax melt by Savour Candles. All you’ll need is a tealight and oil burner if you don’t already have one. You can get these from Poundland, Asda and other homeware stores as cheap as £1.
Savour Candles
With my promise last month to deliver you a treat from one of my favourite black-owned small businesses, I’ve picked Savour Candles. They have THE BEST soy candles and wax melts I’ve ever experienced. The Caramel Vanilla Latte is f*ing AMAZING (not to mention constantly sold out!) but my second fave as to be the Tobacco & Vanilla – very musky and sensual. My candle’s burned well over 6hrs in total and I still have a decent amount of burn time left. Check out the official website and don’t forget the next Black Pound Day is January 2nd for exclusive discounted rates. Check their instagram page: @savourcandles for their 10% off discount code – order early as last dispatch for Christmas is December 18-22nd.
If you’re ready to enter, simply hit the button below which will take you over to Rafflecopter which is where the giveaway will be hosted.
Terms & Conditions:
UK entrants only.
All mandatory entry fields must be completed to be eligible to win.
A winner will be selected at random and contacted via email.
Box will be sent via Royal Mail tracked 48.
No cash prize alternatives.
Closing date is midnight on Sunday 20th December!
If you can’t see or click on the button above, you can enter via the link here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/adc6df918/?
A side note: this giveaway has not been sponsored or endorsed by any brands. They’ve either been bought exclusively or selected from previous beauty boxes for this blog giveaway.
Who doesn’t?! If this competition is not enough for you, I’ll be lining up another blog giveaway for the new year… YAY! We all love getting free goodies right? The New Years’ giveaway goodies will include three full-sized products; my favourite haircare, skincare and body care product. Ooh, I also have another Noughty revierw to complete and yes… there will be a NOUGHTY GIVEAWAY in the new year too! WOOP WOOP!
Keep a look out on my instagram: @manny.wandering for all the latest updates and new giveaways will be announced on January 1st! I’ll make sure I’ll schedule them ready from now LOL 🙂
Hey Beauties!
I’m back with another beauty box review. Yay! I can’t believe my last review was in the summer.. oops. I’ve been loving the beauty boxes but just been so busy with other Real Life things (and a bit lazy with writing) that I never got round to writing up a review but I will be jumping back onto it and backdating the reviews so have a little look for them on here.
So let’s get to the review, I won’t hold you in suspense any longer… 🙂
I LOVE this month’s Birchbox packaging. It’s super cute! First off, the natural yet feminine tonal colours really captured my attention as it’s completely different from last month’s Birchbox which was a brighter pink tote bag. I loved last month’s box but never got round to writing a box review so I’ll do that soon and backdate the post for October.
The nude pink and earthy green colour works really well together and it may be because they share some nude or brown undertones. Super pretty and feminine. It’s also very calming to look at. Birchbox is all about women empowerment and the past few months I feel like the boxes have had a strong focus on self-love and affirmations.
Inside this month’s box…
* My favourites this month!
With face coverings being compulsory whenever wee step foot anywhere outside of the house, you’ll need a lipstick that can meet your expectations. That’s why I love this super highly-pigmented, ultra-matte liquid lipstick, it really delivers! Forget lipstick stains on the inside of your mask as this magical stuff is smudge-proof, thanks to the brand’s smear-resistant formulation. Once applied, the liquid lipstick dries matte in 30secs flat, is super easy to apply and goes on smoothly. The colour I got was the mauve colour, named ‘I decide my destiny’ but there are two other colours to choose from.
It’s definitely one of my BB Faves from this month’s box. I first heard of the Real Her brand from my previous Birchbox where I tried their Goddess highlighter which is AMAZING! Again, the highlighter is also super pigmented in a champagne gold colour, so beautiful. You can see my review of the highlighter here and on Youtube. 🙂
I’m really enjoying the range of highlighters I’ve been able to sample. Even though my fave highlighter is the baked powder one from Real Her, I had to give The Beauty Crop’s highlighter a try. This liquid highlighter has a silk, creamy texture that’s lightweight on the skin. It has this really beautiful, dewy sheen when I apply it onto my skin straight after moisturiser. Enriched with coconut and argan oils, the hydrating formula leaves the skin looking plumped and glowing.
The colour ‘Blind Date’ is a deep bronze hue but on my medium olive skintone, it blends in perfectly. There are two other shades available. I really love it and will definitely add it with my moisturiser or tinted moisturiser for a dewy day-to-day face or when I want a sheer, dewy look. You can also mix it into foundation for the same effect.
Full sized product
The Birchbox pocket mirror is super cute! It’s a BB Exclusive and even comes with a nude leather-effect pouch. This small, hand-sized pocket mirror is compact enough to fit in even the smallest vanity purses. The back of the mirror is printed with this month’s motto: “Pretty smart, Pretty kind, Pretty funny, Pretty strong” and the BB logo. It’s a great little affirmation which you can remind yourself of every time you reach for the mirror.
Full sized product
Spas and beauty salons are currently closed until early December (at time of writing, subject to Gov advice it could change) until further notice so your next beauty appointment might be a while yet. However, no need to fear as Vitamasques has our back with their 3-step facial mask. It’s said that this little pack can “deliver us professional salon results at home”… I will be the judge of that. I loved their pineapple serum which I got in the August box so I’m hoping I’ll love this mask too however I wish I got the hydrating mask as my skin is more dehydrated than combination. This is the green detox one, so ideally good for normal/combination/oily skin types whereas the pink hydrating mask which is better for dry/dehydrated/sensitive/mature skin types.
Update: I gave this mask a try yesterday and can say it is really good! I love the fact that it’s a 3 step facial – in the Detox one you get a scrub, the sheet mask and moisturiser. For the scrub, I wish there was more of it as it bubbles up which feels quite tickly on the face, when I washed it off my skin felt really cleansed but not stripped. Then I put on the sheet mask for the recommended 20mins – I loved the mask but the eye holes and mouth holes are too small even for me and my eyes aren’t big! I got some of the product in my eyes which wasn’t nice but good to know they load up on the serum in the face sheet.
Once 20mins was up, I massaged in the remaining serum and applied the lightweight moisturiser on top. It was a lovely Saturday treat and I enjoyed using it. I do still wish I was given the Hydrating mask instead as that’s more tailored for my skin but no biggie as I will purchase it after knowing how good Vitamasques are. 🙂
This silky formulated serum is said to leave your hair frizz-free and smoothed out which can make styling easy and hassle-free. It’ll will tame flyaway strands and split ends and suitable for all hair types. As it contains silicones and I’m still following my own modified version of the Curly Girl Method, I won’t be using this serum. Silicones are great at smoothing out the hair cuticles which leaves the hair looking shiny so if you’re partial to using silicones or use them in your current routine, the serum will be a nice treat for your hair. It’s packed with provitamin B5 and vitamin A which will also leave your hair feeling nourished.
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I’m currently curating my own beauty box to GIVE AWAY THIS CHRISTMAS! If you want to be in with a chance of winning it, make sure you’re back on the blog on Sunday 6th December. Set your reminder and keep an eye out on social media too. More details to be revealed soon! you can enter the giveaway below!
NB. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the links and decide to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission on qualifying products at no extra cost to you.
It’s arrived!
I was slightly excited to open this box and boy was I in for a treat! This month’s box has one of the best selection of products inside (one of the main reasons why I subscribed this month) and I’m so glad I wasn’t left disappointed. I’ve also received my Birchbox this month and I’m a little underwhelmed with the products but that’s for another post!
Beautifully wrapped and sealed with a metallic foil sticker, Look Fantastic really go all out when it comes to their box presentation. Compared to other beauty boxes I’ve had, LF boxes are one of best wrapped and filled. If you open the box neatly enough, you could reuse the tissue paper and the shredded paper can definitely be reused for other presents or gifts.
The box (same size it’s always been) won’t fit in the letterbox so if you’re expecting your beauty box, make sure you’re in to open for the postman or have someone at home to accept your parcel.
*my favourite products!
A seriously good line-up right?! There are lots of good premium products to try in this box, and with the jade roller being a full-sized product that’s worth £9.99 alone, you’ve basically got everything else in the box for just £5.01 more!
Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream
I really love the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream – it’s been one of my all-time faves for a while but because it’s so expensive it’s just completely out of my price range. The scent of the cream is great and this British brand is one of the leading spa skincare brands out there. What makes this moisturiser really special is the algae extract, Padina Pavonica that they use in their Pro-Collagen range, which is proven in their formulations to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles and firms up ageing skin. (No wonder it’s the brand’s number one bestselling product!)
ESPA Pink Hair & Scalp Mud
I was so pleasantly surprised that this ESPA pink mud mask is fully CG approved! Before using it, I was curious to see if there were any non-CG approved ingredients in the list and Curlsbot gave me the green light (literally!) so I was very happy about it. The product smells fresh and fab, like a mild citrus scent. It’s currently SOLD OUT on Look Fantastic and ESPA website so if you want to give it a try, you might have a hard time looking for it. But be aware, it’s not a cheap treatment mask – for a list of other hair treatment masks, check out my CG approved products list.
Luxie 209 Large Shader Brush
As I mentioned in a previous post, I really love the Luxie brushes. They are super soft and super pretty to look at. The pink handle is very girly but it’s a nice shade that would suit anyone. I received my first Luxie brush from a different beauty box and loved the way it applied my highlighter and this shader brush is perfect for applying my eye-shadow. I’m not a big eye-shadow fan but I have a few I like using so now I actually have a tool to apply with than just my fingers. Also, this is a beauty brand with a conscience – their synthetic brushes are cruelty-free and entirely vegan so all you plant-based peeps out there you can be rest assured your beauty tools are as animal-friendly as you are. 🙂
BrushWorks Jade Roller (full sized product)
Facial rollers are a new one for me. I’ve seen them about and highly recommended by beauty bloggers and editors but never tried them myself. This roller from BrushWorks is only £9.99 which is the cheapest one I’ve seen around and if I hadn’t had gotten in this box, I would’ve never thought about getting one before. It’s super cooling on the skin and would really soothe any irritated skin. It can also be used as a tool to help you massage in your serums or moisturisers. I like applying a slightly firmer pressure with it around my jawline and cheekbones to alleviate facial tension (did you know we unknowingly clench our jaws more when stressed!) and I use the smaller end gently around the eyes and browns to encourage lymph drainage which helps to reduce puffiness around the eyes.
Illamasqua Beyond Powder Highlighter (shade OMG)
This Illamasqua highlighter is extremely pigmented – and if I must say – it’s even more pigmented than my previous highlighter from REAL HER and I seriously love that highlighter. I also used this highlighter as an eye-shadow and its silky powder stayed on really well and was a lovely champagne colour on my eyelids. You can also use it as a body highlighter on collarbones for a beautiful light-reflecting sheen. Its versatility means that I can definitely make the most out of it, especially as I’m now starting to build up a little mini collection of beauty products!
Diego Della Palma Lip Pencil (Shade 80, Antique Pink)
This lip pencil is a really pretty colour and suits light-medium to deep-medium skin tones. The dusky pink is a great for wearing as a natural lip colour as it’s a muted, dark beige-pink and it’s one of my favourite shades to wear. It pretty much goes with everything. I like using this lip pencil as an all-over colour on my lips but it can also be used as just a lip liner. Either way, it glides on really well and has a matte look. If matte isn’t your thing and you prefer a glossy or sheen effect, you can wear a lip gloss or lip balm on top for the desired look.
LF Beauty Box pop socket
I’ll tell you the truth… I had NO IDEA what the hell this thing was and had to google other LF beauty box reviews to figure it out LOL! There’s no mention of it in the LF Beauty Box magazine that the box comes with and there’s no instructions or labels on what it is inside the box! So now we’re clear it’s a pop socket, these little bad boys go on the back of your phone to make it easier to hold your device and prevent slips of the hand. Not sure how reliable it can be with most iphones weighing a ton but apparently it works! Unfortunately for me, Little Miss got to it before I managed to get it on my phone and she’s peeled off the adhesive side completely so I can’t use it at all. Bummer!
NB. this post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission on qualifying transactions.
*Approves means it doesn’t contain silicones, oils, waxes, harsh sulfates or alcohols that need to be avoided when following the Curly Girl Method.
Are you finding it hard to look for CGM Approved haircare in the UK? There’s so much more advice online now about where you can go to buy your curly girl products ranging from supermarkets to online stores. Here’s a list of all the products I’ve located which range from cost-effective to costly. I will be going through the list to add on small descriptions of each product soon to make it more helpful for you when searching a product.
Continue reading “Curly Girl Method: CG Approved list of haircare products available in the UK”
Yup. You read it right.
That was the theme of this month’s beauty subscription box. I actually really like the packaging, I found it very women empowering if that’s the right word to use. Perfectly aligned with my birthday month, I’m all for women empowerment and strong women.
The colourful flyer had some interesting stats around some of the taboos associated with women’s sexuality, these include:
For me, I don’t find those stats surprising but instead quite accurate. As women, I think we know our bodies well and we definitely know what we like/don’t like when it comes to bedroom antics. But because female sexuality is such a taboo subject, many of us find it really hard to talk about it but really, we should be owning it as part of self-love. How can we expect others to love our bodies if we ourselves don’t love our bodies?
So back to the point of this review (the products!) let’s take a look at what’s inside the box. Everything looked pretty much like a full-sized product this month which is really nice. For once, I was excited to try out everything in there.
I also had a little look on the Birchbox website to see what I could’ve had in my box and was actually disappointed I didn’t get the AVEDA shampure composition oil! That stuff is AMAZING! I love the scent of that oil and it works so well on my skin. Aveda’s composition oils are multi-purpose so you can use it on hair, skin and nails. I would’ve rather that than the minty body shimmer. Bummer.
So along with a leaflet of what’s inside and a little flyer about the orgasm survey, we have:
Don’t Forget! Students get 50% off their first box (verified on UniDays)
Palmers Coconut Oil conditioning protein pack
Summer hair can be quite tricky to manage as we can all end up with dry, parched hair if we’re not protecting it enough from moisture or hydration loss. This Palmers Coconut oil protein treatment helps to strengthen and nourish dry and damaged hair. Ingredients include coconut oil, monoi oils and keratin protein keeps the hair smooth and shiny.
My only peeve with this conditioning protein pack was that it contains silicones – if you are a strict Curly Girl Method follower you will want to avoid this one. You can give it away to friends or family, or save it as a Christmas stocking filler as it looks really good to use. Otherwise if you don’t mind, go ahead and use it. My waves have become really stringy in the heat and silicones are actually an anti-humectant like castor oil so I’m going to give it a try and see what happens! Will update once I’ve given it a go.
VQ Pineapple glow serum (my fave!)
I love fruit enzyme exfoliators but have not really tried fruit enzyme serums – the closest I got to that is a vitamin C serum (from Balance Me which was fab!) so I was really thrilled to give this one a try. Just at the right time too as my go-to serum has almost finished. The serum is very lightweight and glides on the skin perfectly. It’s really easy to spread and sinks into the skin super fast. I LOVE using a serum and it’s really changed my skincare game. I recommend a serum to all of my clients at the spa and definitely feel all skin types can benefit from using one.
The VQ pineapple extract serum contains antioxidants, hylauronic acid to plump up the skin and gold reflectors to give skin that dewy, hydrated look without the heavy or greasy feeling.
Lord & Berry Line/Shade Glam eye pencil in Antique Bronze (my fave!)
In my younger days, you’d rarely find me without eyeliner on however I always stuck to classic black and never bothered to venture into other colours. Now I’m a bit older, I love the coloured alternatives – plum really brings out brown and hazel eyes, khaki is a wonderful shade on grey, green, and blue eyes, blue makes brown eyes pop and brown/copper looks fab on all eye colours. Saying that I do prefer to use liquid eyeliner over pencil.
I got the bronze shade in my box and it is a beautiful colour. I would love to see what the gold looks like but I’m happy with what I got. It’s easy to apply and glides on my lids very easily. It’s said to be blendable so you can create a smoky eye with it but I’m not great at doing smokey eye. I do however like to blend it in so it looks like a creamy eye shadow – as I said, the colour is amazing! Defo my fave to the classic black.
Real Her Goddess highlighter
This powder highlighter is the stuff of wonders. The packaging is actually the most classiest I’ve seen for a highlighter and I really like it. I’m not usually a fan of powder highlighters anymore as I prefer my Fenty Beauty cream to powder formulation as it’s more easy to apply but this is a really good alternative as it’s super smooth on the skin and man the pigment!
It’s seriously rich in pigment, I swiped a bit on my cheekbones and damn! It looked so good when the sun light fell on my face. I will be using this one again, especially when I rather a dry formula compared to my Fenty Beauty highlighter. This Real Her Goddess Highlighter would also work a treat as an eyeshadow – I will definitely use it for this too!
Brave New Care Minty Twinkle Twinkle hair & body shimmer
Super shimmery like a lot of the products in this month’s beauty box however when I opened the tub, the heavy menthol smell took over me. Wooo! It’s heavily menthol scented that I’m actually a little scared to use it. It’s definitely not a sweet minty smell like peppermint, it’s hardcore menthol like Vicks rub or Menthol cigarettes. The golden bronze colour looks fabulous though so it might have to be a product I carry with me on a beach day to apply post-aftersun for a beautiful golden glow. *update* Okay, I finally decided to use this product and you know what… I actually really like it haha! The strong menthol is replaced with a yummy vanilla scent once it’s rubbed into the skin – alcohol smell none! Definitely a winner. It leaves the skin looking slightly sun-kissed, smooth and would prob feel really refreshing on a sunny day.
Get your hands on your very own August 2020 Birchbox beauty box!
Lucky for me, I received TWO Birchboxes this month (not sure if I was charged twice! I better check) but as it’s my birthday I’m feeling very generous so will be giving away my second box totally FREE! It contains the exact same products I have in my box above.
This giveaway is now closed.
NB. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the link I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.
It should be no surprise that I am a BIG Noughty fan.
I really love this brand because it works for me, my hair and my children’s hair. Seriously guys. I’ve been using Noughty on and off for a few years now but always find myself returning back for more because they are that good. If you haven’t read my post or seen my Noughty video on the Wave Hello range, you can read it here.
Noughty’s 1 Hit Wonder cleansing conditioner and co-wash is a gentle non-lathering cleanser. In curl-talk terms, it’s called a ‘co-wash’ or a ‘no-poo’ as it doesn’t foam or lather, some people might technically say it’s not even a shampoo and they’re not entirely wrong. After trying out the whole Wave Hello range and a few of the To The Rescue range, I really wanted this co-wash originally for my kids because I thought it would feel too heavy on my hair but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it even worked on my hair. The light coconut-y scent smells really nice but to be honest, I like the smells of all their products especially the To The Rescue intensive hair mask – OMG! That one smells soo good and is CG approved too in the UK.
Noughty Haircare is also reasonably priced (around £6.99) so you won’t break the bank giving them a try. There are a few products available in travel sizes not this co-wash is a little bit of a shame but I’m hoping one day they’ll bring one out.
Unless you are strictly following the Curly Girl Method, then I’d say yes! This product is not listed as CG-approved because it contains isopropyl alcohol which is known to be a drying alcohol. However, as it’s almost at the end of the ingredients list, I am able to overlook this and to be honest.. the cream is rich enough that I haven’t noticed the drying effects from using it on my hair. Other curly girls though might disagree.
Whether you have straight-wavy hair like me or dense curly hair, your hair will thank you for using this co-wash. However, I do think wavies are better off using occasionally rather than frequently. Try alternating co-wash days with a low-poo wash days because using just creamy cleansers can leave your hair eventually looking and feeling limp. What you’ll then experience is product build-up. This is totally normal, especially for wavy girls.
If your hair is really fine or limp-looking already, a co-wash might not be the best option for you. Instead, stick to lightweight low-poos and clarify your hair often. If you have curly and coily hair, it is recommended that you mainly co-wash and occasionally swap to a low-poo if you’re missing some lathering action.
If you get product or oil build-up, simply cut down or cut out the co-washing for a few weeks. If there’s still no improvement, check out the two options below.
Option 1 – do Apple Cider Vinegar or Rice Water rinse at your next wash to cleanse away any build-up. If you have coloured hair, go for the Rice Water rinse because it’s more gentle on the hair than ACV. I haven’t personally tried the rinses but have heard so many good things about them. This is the CG-friendly option.
Option 2 – wash your hair with a sulfate-based shampoo (yes, sulfates. Not CG friendly!) as this will strip away any build-up and follow with a deep conditioning mask for at least 20mins. This is because nothing clears build-up as good as sulfates-based shampoos but do your research before trying it out to figure out your hair will respond. As I dye my hair and I follow a modified CGM approach, I do use this option and find that it works for me.
In the first row of photos I had just recently coloured my hair with a semi-permanent colour so the hair was already a little drier. I should’ve chosen to use the co-wash then but as I hadn’t washed my hair for a week and a half, I wanted to use a lathering cleanser so opted for a low-poo and deep conditioning mask. I diffused my hair to dry. Two weeks later, my colour had already faded and I only washed my hair once between these two weeks which is not shown.
In the second row of photos, I cleansed my hair with Noughty’s co-wash/conditioning cleanser and used their Colour Bomb conditioner (lightweight conditioner) instead of a deep conditioning hair mask. I also diffused to dry on that occasion. You can see that there is a little more clumping going on when I used the co-wash (my hair normally doesn’t clump well or at all), waves look a little more defined and less stringy. It gave my hair a little bit of what it needed – moisture.
My Little Miss has mixed hair and her curly combinations range from type 2C all the way up to type 3C depending on where you look on her head or how well I’ve looked after her hair post-wash day. Most of the time, it’s around type 3A/3B. Her curls responded wonderfully to Noughty’s cleansing conditioner (thanks to the castor oil and shea butter). Little Miss’ hair density is more on the fine side and tends to dry out, feel brittle and knot very easily so her wash day consists of a co-wash followed by a deep-conditioning hair mask (so I can detangle her knots easier), then applying a leave-in conditioner or curl cream. I also like adding a bit of melted pure unrefined shea butter into her ends and mid-lengths whilst her hair is damp to lock in all that added moisture.
It can get a little confusing with all the jargon but co-washes and cleansing conditioners/conditioning cleansers are the same thing! ‘Co-wash’ is an abbreviated term for ‘conditioning wash’ which used to describe a cleanser (shampoo) that has a creamy, conditioning, non-lathering texture. This is exactly the same for a ‘cleansing conditioner’. I don’t know why there are so many name variations for the same thing, it can really be confusing. Low-poos, however, are totally definitely different as they do lather but don’t contain any sulfates.
Now… what is different is using your conditioner to cleanse your hair instead of a co-wash/cleansing conditioner. Please don’t do this!
Hair conditioner has been formulated to ONLY condition the hair – hence why when you use a co-wash or cleansing conditioner, you will/can still use a conditioner depending on your hair type and moisture/hydration needs. Co-washes and cleansing conditioners are formulated specifically to CLEANSE the hair but also giving you the added conditioning, nourishing moisture your curly or wavy hair needs.
There’s also leave-in conditioner but that’s used as a styling product as you leave the product in the hair and don’t wash it out.
It’s super simple. Get in the shower or bath – pump a good-sized amount into your hands and massage it into the scalp. If you want, you can add a little water to emulsify it to get it going. Don’t scratch the head with nails, use the pads of your fingers and thumbs to provide friction against the scalp. If you want you can leave it to work its magic for a few minutes before rinsing out thoroughly.
I won’t lie to you – if you’re not used to or never used a creamy cleanser before, you will think “WTF am I doing? This is not going to clean my hair properly!” but you are wrong. It does and it will. The coco-glucoside ingredient in this creamy cleanser will help to remove all the dirt and natural oils build-up in your hair and wash away without any stripping the hair nor feeling heavy and sticky.
Always follow with a thorough warm rinse then apply conditioner or deep-conditioning mask. If you have fine or wavy hair, I would suggest using a lightweight conditioner and occasionally use a hair mask once a month or whenever hair feels drier.
Try to avoid skipping conditioner. If you feel like the co-wash didn’t leave your hair ‘clean’ enough, you can either do a second cleanse with the co-wash or a low-poo cleanser. Alternatively, add conditioner mid-way down the hair to the tips. I tend to concentrate my conditioner on the ends but apply all over the head.
So what are you waiting for? Give it a go. For £6.99 you really don’t have much to lose but a new product on your shelf to gain. 🙂
Full Ingredients:
Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Behentrimonium Chloride, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Phenoxyethanol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Coco-Glucoside, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Parfum (Fragrance), Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Amyl Cinnamal, Coumarin.
– not a CG approved ingredient
NB. this post contains affiliate links
Wandering.Mother 