Fitness: Day 10 of CAD

And the crappiness continues......
I am up another pound today, WTF??????????????????????????
This is the one of only two diets I have stuck to completely and I am absolutely gutted by this reversal of fortune.
Anyway, I will continue for a while longer but, if I keep gaining weight, this experiment may come to a premature finish.

Fitness:Week 2 of CAD: Disaster!!!!!!!

I am gaining weight.

Last week I shifted 6 lbs for an average loss of 4lbs. I stuck to it diligently over the weekend and stepped on the scales with eager anticipation on Monday morning, only to find that I had put on a pound and this morning I have put on another.

Ordinarily this would send me into a bingeing spiral but I have held out until my reward meal which I will be eating very soon.

However, I am gutted to say the least. I am following the plan to the letter and eating the same meals as last week, but it is, so far, not having the same effect.

Maybe last week was too good to be true.
I really hope that's not the case......

Fitness: Days 2+3 of C.A.D. : Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead!!

The Wicked Witch in question is my unending hunger during days 1+2 which, as the title suggests, has now left the building...... or at least my belly anyway :)

So Wednesday was a completely different experience. I woke up, worked out (Jackie Warner DVD) and felt a lot less hungry than I do on a normal morning when I finally got around to eating breakfast, which was celery and cottage cheese.
I ended up eating lunch about 4 hours later (can of tuna, low fat cream cheese, chopped gherkin-all mixed together. It sounds gross but it's actually really nice I promise) which again is pretty good because I am usually famished after about 2 hours.

Anyway, I didn't post this wondrous turn of events yesterday in case it was a one off, but, today I had a knackering shopping trip and didn't feel that hungry until I was pretty much on my way home.
Usually a trip to town warrants a bit of a blow out on my arrival home involving any goodies I've picked up (thank you Savers and Greggs!) but today I put my treats in a bag, put them to one side and made myself a CAD appropriate lunch - tofu, low fat cream cheese, chopped gherkins - safe in the knowledge that they would be in for a world of shit in a few hours!

So as I type this I am looking forward to a nice big supper - cumberland sausage in a giant bap, chips, cheesy crouton salad and as many chocolate chip cookies as I can eat.
BTW, I am down another 2 pounds............. Best. Diet. Ever.

Beauty: Evolve skincare:Daily Detox Facial Wash and Multi Action Double Cream.

Wow, 2 posts in one day, even with The Hunger. Although, it does give me something to do while I wait.
Anyway, enough famine- induced digressions, on with the first impressions....

My main first impression is that they are a bit smelly. I know that sounds silly but I didn't realize how much it would bother me to use a product that smells weird.

Daily Detox Facial Wash:for normal/oily skin types:
So far, I think it's ok but that is all. Like I said, it smells odd, weird apples, but it cleans my skin well enough and doesn't seemed to have caused any breakouts. However, last night I started getting some soreness around my eyes after I washed my face. It may be a coincidence but I will keep you posted.

Multi Action Double Cream: for normal/dry skin types:
Again, it's ok, not great and not very economical because I find that I have to apply two layers of it to stop my skin feeling tight. I would normally have bought the oily skin version but I dread to think how much I would have had to use of that version.
Then, like the wash, the smell is odd. I once read a review where someone had written that the product smelled like dust. I know understand what she meant. There is also an undertone of powdered milk. Random.

I know this preliminary review doesn't sound very promising but I am going to continue to use the products to give them a chance to have some sort of effect. As for the sore skin, I am hoping that it is merely due to the (horrendous) drop in temperature we have had in the UK recently but, like I said, I will update when I know for sure.

I was lucky enough to get these products on clearance in John Lewis, Cardiff so there may be some left if you want to give them a go. Sadly, they did not have the cleansing balm which I really wanted to try, but the two products I bought came to just over £9 in total which is less than the normal cost of the face wash alone so it is definitely worth checking out if you have ever been interested in this brand.

I should also mention that these products are organic and paraben/sulphate free.

If you do try them, or have already tried this range, let me know how you got on :)

Fitness: Day 2 of C.A.D.

Today I am crotchety. Not a little bit, but massively. I could quite happily hurt someone right now. Well, maybe give them a slap or a pinch anyway... :)
I am HUNGRY!!!!!

Today I ate:

Breakfast: cottage cheese/cucumber - hungry immediately afterwards :(
Lunch: mixed salad, cheese - same thing, seriously, does this stuff really fill people up?????

Tonight I intend to eat:

fish fingers (no, I am not 4 years old!); lots of veggies with butter and pepper; and a big old pile of chips with, possibly, a giant nougat bar for dessert (old school, I know).

As you can see, I am testing the "eat whatever you want" rule to the max.

However, even though I am only supposed do a daily weigh in for the purposes of a weekly average weight measurement,  I felt I should let you know that I am actually down 2 pounds from yesterday. I am surprised because I ate a lot last night, but there we are, long may it continue....

Hopefully, the crotchetiness will have dissipated a little by tomorrow and I will feel up to a longer, more informative post. :)

xxxx

Fitness: Day 1 of The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet......

Ok, so, I have had a problem with food and eating for literally as long as I can remember.
Objectively speaking, I have never been massively overweight, even though I might have felt enormous (a UK 14 at my smallest and a UK 16/18 at my biggest) but the daily mental battle that I face just to keep at this size is becoming overwhelming.

I have worked out regularly for about 8 years. Sometimes I have even managed to eat well at the same time, and it is during those fleeting, magical times that I have experienced true freedom.
Then it is gone, and I cannot find my way back.

Last week, during some moment of kismet, I remembered a couple that appeared on Oprah a really long time ago. They were talking about their diet plan, which involved 2 low carb meals a day and 1 meal, lasting a maximum of 1 hour, during which you could eat whatever you want. Yes, you did read that last sentence correctly.

Anyway, I couldn't remember the name of the book or the couple but a couple of Google searches later I had found Dr Richard and Dr Rachael Heller and their book, The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet (for the bargain price of £1.01 on amazon, let's hope it's not money that would have been better spent on chocolate).

I have to admit that I did jump ahead to the nitty gritty of he diet so that I could complete my supermarket trip appropriately but now, having reading the scientific reasoning behind the book, I am actually quite excited to get started in earnest.

In the book you will find quite a few case studies, both of the Hellers and many of their successful clients. They all read very encouragingly with such quotes as "now I know what normal feels like" and " I feel like I can think now. I don't feel driven".
Chances are, if you are reading those quotes and wishing you could feel that way, you will probably score fairly high on their Carbohydrate Addiction Test. I scored highly enough to be considered "severely addicted", lucky me, apparently you can't get more addicted than that....

Now on to the diet itself.
They advise that you pick breakfast and lunch as your non-carb meals leaving your carb hour for the evening and I would have to agree with that logic, because, usually, the later in the day, the worse my cravings are.
Here's how today went:
Breakfast: cottage cheese, cucumber
Lunch: salad, cheese, soft cheese (as a dressing because I didn't have any oil. It actually tasted good!)
Supper: chicken in a bun, steamed veggies, chunky oven chips. Bassetts Nougat (for dessert).

I severely underestimated how much food I should have in my first and second meals and felt ravenous by about 5pm so a bit more practice is neede to get correct portion sizes but overall it was ok. No miracles have happened yet because I still feel like eating right now but the "entry plan" last 2 weeks so I shall give it my best and hope that my body responds as it should.

I should mention at this point that this plan is not for everyone. If you have no problem with carbs it probably won't help you but if you do then it might be exactly what you need.

I will explain a bit more about the chemical/hormonal aspects of this plan as the days go on so if you want to know more about and whether or not it helps me, keep coming back :)
xxxx

Beauty: La Roche Posay Effaclar Review

Inspired by the lovely Lollipop26 and an rather unsuccessful encounter with an Elemis kit from QVC (not so rave review to follow) I paid a visit to my local Boots to pick up some (very generous) samples from the La Roche Posay Effaclar range: Purifying Foaming Gel, Effaclar Duo and Effaclar K.

PURIFYING FOAMING GEL

This cleanser is nice, but nothing special. It does its job and is actually paraben free but it still contains sodium laureth sulphate and sometimes feels a little bit drying.

EFFACLAR DUO

This is another product that I found to be only ok, although the fact that it is an acne treatment product that did not break me out is quite an achievement in itself.

The Elemis kit had left me with very small, sometimes red, bumps all over my cheeks, along with milia - nice - and this product, along with the cleanser, did seem to help a bit, but I really had to look to see any difference.

Maybe if I had used it longer it would have had more of an effect but, for the moment at least, I don't plan on buying a full size one and finding out.

I used it morning and night for one week.

EFFACLAR K

This is the product that I think I might actually buy in the full size. I have been using it for three days, morning and night, and FINALLY the bumps seem to really be getting smaller.

This product feels like a light lotion and actually hydrates my skin a little, unlike the Duo which waas more of a gel-cream texture and did very little to moisturise.

I will update if anything bad happens, but at the moment I am looking forward to a red bump/milia-free face!

It was very easy to get samples of these products (thank you to the very friendly SA in Boots, Swansea!)

and I highly recommend that anyone with problem skin give them a try.

Beauty: Double Wear update

I have been testing different methods with this foundation because I really wanted to find a way to make it work and, happily, I did :)

I put a little Double Wear on the back of my hand, then use a duo fibre brush (Pout Airbrush - Ebay bargain!) to stipple and blend the foundation all over my face.
Then I put out a small amount of Bare Minerals and use a  Kabuki (mine is from Tarte) to lightly press and buff the minerals over the top.
That's it.
It's not perfect, I still needed to powder during the day and my nose became very streaky for some reason with some patches that were completely bare by mid afternoon - not very flattering.

But, if you are not as oily as me, but you are as pale (unlikely, I know!) then this combination of products should work really well because the addition of the minerals seemed to completely stop the Double Wear turning orange.

At the moment I would not buy this product myself but I would definitely recommend that you give it a try if you get the chance.

Beauty: Review of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

I was able to pick up a sample of this last week and finally got a chance to try it out today.
It went on really nicely, very smooth and with good coverage. I was even able to add a second layer and it looked great.

The finish is satin-matte on me, I have very oily skin, and I did feel the need to powder afterwards, but I was very happy with the look it gave my skin and I left the house feeling rather good.
A couple of hours later I happened to look in a mirror and my good feeling turned to horror -

I was orange.......shiny and orange.

I will be trying this again over the next couple of days to see if different application methods make any difference. My biggest hope, I think, is trying it with a layer of my, supernaturally pale, Bare Minerals over the top to see if that curbs some of the oxidising.

I tried Ecru which is the palest Neutral shade in the range.

If you are brave enough to risk orange horror head on down to your nearest Estee Lauder counter where they will be happy to match you up with your ideal shade.

Beauty: Sarah Chapman Skincare

So this is another product that came to my attention thanks to QVC.
Sarah Chapman is a Facialist who is quite well known in the beauty industry and I believe treats quite a few celebrities.
The products I have tried are:

                                                                     Overnight Facial
This product is a gorgeous smelling oil that you apply at night after cleansing.
I usually use it by itself but you can layer a separate night cream over it if you prefer.
I have to be honest, I don't wake up "glowing" when I use this but it smells amazing (Jasmine?) and really soothes my skin if I'm feeling a bit sensitive.

                                                     Dynamic Defence SPF15 Day Cream
I prefer to use a higher SPF than this (at least 25) but it came as part of a kit and I am glad it did because it's a lovely product. It's really great for (not very Sunny!) days when I feel I need a bit more moisture. It has a fairly thick texture but it doesn't feel heavy or overy greasy on my skin. I am very oily across my T-Zone so there is always shine whatever I use but, even with this thicker texture, I am no shinier than usual.
Like the Overnight Facial, it smells lovely but in a completely different way, sort of herbal, excellent description I know but it smells quite unusual!

                                                                    Ultimate Cleanse
Ultimate Cleanse is a cleansing balm that is removed with a cloth and warm water. It has a similar smell to Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish but more camphor and less menthol.
I was not massively keen on this product because I didn't feel like it came off properly and I would usually use a facial wash straight afterwards to make sure my skin was clean.
However, most people seem to love this product so it's probably worth a try!

                                                                   Age Repair Serum
This serum is nothing like a typical serum, it feels more like a light moisturiser. It has a similar smell to the Day Cream and gives a nice hit of moisture. However, like the cleanser, I was not overly impressed. I did not suffer any adverse reaction to this product I just didn't feel like it was doing anything other than moisturising which was something that the Day Cream already did. So, for the moment, I will not be adding this to my routine.

Overall I was quite pleased with my Sarah Chapman experiment. There are some really nice products there and well worth a try.
This is the kit I bought:

                                   Sarah Chapman 3 Piece Overnight Facial Collection - 229628

I had previously tried a different collection which included the serum and is no longer available, but this kit gives you a travel size of the day cream and the cleanser as well as the full size Overnight Facial for less than the price of the Overnight Facial on it's own!! Weird, but I'm not complaining...

All products can be found on QVC and, sadly, I did have to buy them myself!

Fashion: Mumbles Fashion Week - 27th Sep - 1st Oct.

Here is some info from The Wave (local radio) website:

The hugely successful Mumbles Fashion Week is back. Now in its third year, 14 specialist men’s, ladies and children’s fashion boutiques will join to showcase their contemporary and inspirational autumn/ winter collections. The fashion shows which will take place at some of Mumbles most lavish venues start on Monday 27th September - Friday 1st October. Tickets £15 (last year they sold out within a week). Proceeds will go to the RNLI ,who are raising funds to acquire a new life boat. Visitors to Mumbles on Thursday 30th September will see Mumbles really come to life. Shops bars and eating establishments will all get together from 6.30pm to 9.00pm to put Mumbles on the fashion map. This year is going to be the best year yet with some truly spectacular events and the odd celeb floating about enjoying the many treats available throughout the village including live music, cocktails and make-overs. Further information is available from 01792 366133


So if you're in the Swansea area, come and check it out and have fun supporting a good cause.
Maybe I'll see you there! :)

Beauty: Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation Review

The first time I tried this foundation I absolutely loathed it. I couldn't get any coverage and it oxidised on me within an hour leaving me a shiny orange mess. Thankfully this little experiment took place while on holiday in Florida, so my return trip to Sephora easily rectified my horrendously unsuitable purchase.

That was in 2004.....

Roll on another four years and my search for the perfect foundation is frustratingly fruitless. My journey has taken me from MAC to Maybelline, from the just ok to the absolutely nightmarish. But through all those products my mineral curiosity remained: why is it so bloody good on some people and rubbish on me?
Then in the Summer of 2008 I attended a Hypnotherapy training course in Marin County, Northern California (over the bridge from San Francisco and absolutely beautiful) and one of my fellow students was waxing lyrical about her B.E. base while I nodded along, keeping my opinions to myself, but after my class my husband took me to the local mall and, as if by kismet, there stood a Bare Escentuals boutique beckoning me in with it's kitschy goodness.

Apprehensively, I wandered in, trying to avoid eye contact with the sales assistants, by some good luck I failed that mission and an assistant (who looked like the woman with the red hair the tutorial DVD) came over and asked me if I needed any help. I muttered something about being pale and shiny and she immediately came back with the original formula in Fair. To my surprise it was an exact match and my Spidey senses start to tingle.

She then showed me one of those introductory kits that hold everything but the kitchen sink: Primer, 2 brushes, 2 foundations, Warmth, (all hail) Mineral Veil and Clear Radiance, all for a bargain price. Bargain, that is, except for the fact that the two foundations are different colours, one of which is completely wrong for me. I mentioned this to the Sales Assistant, feeling rather despondent - wasting money is always a buzzkill - but she told me that it wasn't a problem because she would swap the two small pots for one large pot of the Fair! At this point I loved this woman, I was already getting a good deal but now I was getting a larger amount of foundation ( I made sure of this) in my exact colour, what a result!

I cannot remember the Assistant's name which is a shame because I made many trips back to that store and she, along with everyone else I spoke to in that store actually, was so friendly and helpful that it would have been nice to give her a name check here. The store was in The Village shopping complex in Corte Madera and I would definitely recommend it.


Here is how I like to use B.E. :
I always use the Full Flawless Face brush or one of the Kabukis. These brushes, along with the different shade, was the thing that made the most difference with my B.E. experience.
The Flawless Face brush that came with my first kit just doesn't give enough coverage for me, I use that to apply face colour, like Warmth, and it is perfect for that job.

I use the application method that is recommended, "Swirl, Tap, Buff", most of the time, but if my skin is looking a bit ropey I will just dunk the brush into the minerals and put it directly on my face. It means I can  go through product a bit quickly but I get great coverage this way.

Mineral Veil is a bit of a saviour for my greasy skin, but, again, using the right brushes is what makes it amazing because in my first kit it seemed to do nothing at all. I sometimes use it under my foundation as well as over and it is the only product that has done anything to combat my shiny T-Zone.

Lately my skin has been acting up a bit and Fair just started to look a bit "wrong" on me. I'm not really sure if I was just a bit darker this summer or if it was just some weird fluke but what I found helped was using a light coverage liquid foundation in a slightly too dark shade underneath my mineral foundation. This seemed to warm up the colour and just looked better overall. You could probably do this with tinted moisturizer too.

FYI, I have very pale, very oily, very sensitive, acne prone skin and B.E. has never broken me out, if anything, it has helped clear my skin up a bit.

I hope this (epically long!) review has been helpful.
xx

Music: The Pretty Reckless

Yes, I know, she is from Gossip Girl and is very, very young but the music is great.

When I was 14 I wanted to be like Courtney Love, these days I want to be like Taylor Momsen.....

Beauty: Mally Beauty TSV: 8 Piece Rise and Shine Longwear Collection Review

I love QVC.
I also hate QVC.
I love it because it has lots of cool stuff that you get to see demonstrated by the people who created it and the opportunity to buy (sometimes) quite exclusive products.
I hate it because I want it all!!!!!!!
This is a review of a recent TSV (Today's  Special Value for those of you with a life :) )

Here is the description from the QVC website:
Look and feel beautiful with this eight-piece beauty set from Mally. The Rise and Shine kit has everything you need to accentuate your natural beauty with Conditioning Concealer, Brightening Powder Blush, High Shine Liquid Lipstick, Evercolour Starlight Eye pencil, Volumising Mascara, Brightening Shadow Duo, Finish Line Luminiser and Brow Boost. The collection comes with a pink faux snakeskin make-up bag and is available in five colour options to suit almost every skin tone.


and a link if you want to see more:
http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.221396.cm_scid.KeywordSearch


This was my first ever Mally purchase and, overall, I actually quite liked it.
Here are my thoughts on each product:


Conditioning Concealer (Fair) 
I really liked this. The tube is a nice size, the tiny tip delivers an appropriate amount of product and, most importantly, it actually covers pretty well. My issue is dark circles and, mixed with my Joe Blasco Orange Highlight, it did a decent job of covering them and stayed on all day. No miracles but definitely worth a try.


Brightening Powder Blush (Pink Glow)
This product was a real surprise. It looks scarily pink in the pan and I was resigned to suffering a bit of an Aunt Sally moment as I tried it but, to my shock, it is a lovely, subtle colour that gives a really healthy looking bloom to my pale skin. I was really impressed.


Finish Line Luminiser (Heavenly)
Another nice surprise. The product has a really unusual texture. It's a sort of creamy/siliconey/powdery hybrid texture. Either way, it goes on really well with finger application and gives a really nice subtle dewiness without being too glittery. It was also pretty long lasting on my very oily skin.
Do be careful on areas of enlarged pores though as it can emphasise them if you get carried away.


High Shine Lipstick (Starburst)
This product is lovely. It has the handy Stila "tribute" packaging and smells AMAZING - like sweets.
Sadly it is not very pigmented, or long lasting and it can leave you with a bit of a glittery mouth, but I don't really care because every time I use it makes me happy.


Brightening Shadow Duo (Plums)
I find purples difficult. A lot of purples have too much red in them for me to use without looking punched, but these purples are just right on my skin, especially the darker colour which is just gorgeous and richly pigmented enough to be used dry as an eyeliner and lasts all day.
I have done some lovely smokey looks using these colours.


Evercolour Starlight Waterproof Eye Pencil (Gunmetal)
This colour is so pretty when it is first applied and it stays in place all day, but the metallic sheen that you get when freshly applied does not last and the pencil "lead" tends to snap and break when sharpened so it's a bit wasteful.
I would be interested to try some of the other colours and would really like to see it as a twist up pencil instead.


Brow Boost (taupe)
I am in two minds about this product. The colour is surprisingly great. My eyebrows are almost black but  Taupe really does seem to me universal. However, I could not "style" my brows with this product I had to apply it and then go over it with my usual brow gel to get the shape I wanted. Also, it is very imprecise. It was difficult to fill in small gaps and I would imagine it would be near impossible to use it to build up sparse, thin brows. Ok, but needs refining, the same colour in the form of the new Smashbox product would probably be excellent.


Volumising Mascara (Black)
Sadly, the reason why I purchased this kit is the only real disappointment. I don't know if I got a duff one but I found it very dry and difficult to apply. I did not find it buildable, it did not volumise or lengthen and it did not hold a curl despite being very difficult to remove. Lots of people rave about this product but it was not for me.


If you are a QVC US viewer you may have noticed that there is something missing: an eyeshadow brush. This brush was actually in the bag when Mally was doing her midnight presentation on QVC UK and there was a bit of an awkward moment, so clearly it was still available so why didn't the British customers deserve this extra item? Who knows. A similar situation happened recently on a Laura Geller TSV with a "missing" lipgloss, which was the deciding factor in me not purchasing that kit, and it has happened before with Smashbox and various other US to UK conversions. Is this fair? I do not think so.


Anyway, rant over, back to the review. The products that we do receive come in a fold up pink bag. The bag is small and pretty much only fits the products that come in the kit, but it is cut and kitsch and a good way of keeping your kit together.


So would I recommend the this kit?
Yes, I would, especially the blush, the eyeshadow and the lip gloss. I was quite impressed with most of the products I tried and look forward to trying more Mally Beauty in the future.

Beauty:NARS Sheer Glow Review

Ok, so I am definitely in the minority here in Blog-World but I am very sad to say that I was not impressed with this foundation.
I had read a seen so many good things about this product that by the time I arrived in John Lewis I was like  a two year old on Christmas Eve and spent the rest of m evening smiling moronically knowing the potentially life changing treasure that lay nestled in my handbag.
The next morning I rushed through the rest of my routine in order to get to my foundation application as quickly as humanly possible. I opened the box, shook up the sexy little bottle and, gingerly, tipped a little out on the back of my hand. I dipped in my foundation brush and applied it to my cheek.........
Nothing happened.
I tried a different brush......
Nope.
My fingers.....
Nada.
My skin is ok. I have the usual imperfections from old acne war wounds and areas of redness on the sides of my nose and Sheer Glow did NOTHING to cover them. I could see colour on my skin but no actual coverage. Very weird and so disappointing.
My next complaint is the texture of the product. It was quite hard to blend out and had a tendency to look patchy on me. The powderyness(?) of the product made it set too quickly but did nothing at all to stop oil breakthrough during the day.

Now, I have seen a review on YouTube where the reviewer has some of the complaints that I did and those complaints were fixed by trying a different colour. Sadly, as I live in the UK I am denied this opportunity: if you buy the wrong colour, you keep the wrong colour. At least you do where I bought it.

So, would I recommend buying this product? No.
Would I recommend trying it out if you have the chance? Definitely. I wanted to love it and maybe I would have in a different colour but I guess I'll have to wait for my next holiday to find out if that's true.....



Here is the review I mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LzFs230bYk

No 'Poo for You?

I haven't 'pooed in about three months............

Nope, I haven't lost my mind, I am talking about the No(sham)Poo routine for curly hair, also known as "Curly Girl" after the book of the same name by Lorraine Massey.

I have long, curly hair which requires a lot of styling to to look shiny and ringletty(?!) and have spent far more time than can possibly be healthy preoccupied with trying every curl orientated product I could get my desperate little mitts on.

However, earlier this year, I happened upon an interesting post

skwigg.tripod.com/blog/index.blog/1843724/curls-gone-wild/

and once I had finished my lovely but 'cone loaded Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo and conditioner (I may be fickle but I don't do wastage!) I began my journey into the mousse-free unknown.

It took a while to get used to the new routine and the first time I tried it was a complete disaster, but I persevered and now have a routine that I'm actually pretty happy with.

There are lots of curly blogs dedicated to how to do this properly but, for the sake of interest, here is my routine anyway:

Co-wash - Wilkinson Tea Tree conditioner

Conditioner - same again

Styling- small blob of Boots Curl Cream followed by a ridiculous amount of Boots hair gel( the purple one)

Then I scrunch most of the water out with three large tea towels that my Mum very kindly sewed together for me and give it a final spritz with Salon Professional hairspray (black and pink can from Savers).

After I do my makeup it's usually ready to be diffused dry, and that is it.

In the evening I put my hair into a half pulled through ponytail right on the top of my head. It is horrendously unflattering but it maintains the curls so well that all I have to do the next day is shake it out.

I know that most people straighten their hair these days, but for those of you who love your curls (and for any non-curlies who suffer with dryness) give no'poo a try because anything that makes your life easier has got to be good right?

Scarlett xx