RIP To My Hairspray, Your Days Are Overrr...

As I have told you before, I am addicted to both leopard print and eyelashes, but as I write this I realise that I have never told you about, my third, and possibly most dangerous addiction...

Hairspray.

I say most dangerous, because I imagine that, like a smoker, my lungs are clogged with a sticky substance that is most likely not very good for you. 

Dangerous also, because my poor hair has become so fragile over the years as a result of heavy hairspray abuse, that despite not having it cut, it got shorter. 

The culprit?

This:

The best hairspray in the world.

TreSemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray.

Now I understand that this post is somewhat of a giant oxymoron, but bear with me...

This hairspray is just perfect. It isn't too heavy or too light, it sprays evenly, it smells amazing (well, as amazing as hairspray can smell) and it REALLY, REEEEEEEALLY holds your hair in place in a big way - all day - I dare say it even holds up through the majority of the British weather ooooh!!

Also, the can is absolutely huge! It literally lasts forever and completely makes up for the slightly higher price that you pay.

I have used this hairspray since around 2006 - yes, that is SEVEN years! And not once in that time have I strayed away from it. 

Wait, I lied. I was once enticed by the beautiful Cheryl Cole into buying L'Oreal Elnett, and despite being probably the best selling hairspray ever, it paled into insignificance next to the beast that is the TreSemme hairspray.

Safe to say my barnet looked about as Cheryl Cole-esque as a wet pancake, and Elnett never graced my shopping bags ever again...

Anyhoo, you might be thinking 'Holly, if you love this hairspray so much, why aren't you buying it again?'

The answer - I probably will do.

However, for about six months now I have been on a massive hair detox and am loving it. I'm done with daily back-combing, curling and caking my hair in spray, and finally, my hair is growing again. I love being able to get a hairbrush through it, without handfuls of broken hair cluttering my carpet and making my house work ten times harder. 

I'm also growing to like having my hair tied up, and only using a quick spritz of hairspray to keep the billion baby hairs I have in place.

So, as my last can is running out, I thought here on my blog would be the perfect place to pay homage to what has been an amazing hairspray. When I next buy one and dare to do my hair, I'll be careful, and use it as it's supposed to be used.

In fact,

I give each and every one of you permission to send me a virtual slap if you see my trying to re-create a lion's mane with my hair again. 

Here are just a few past pictures of my hair, (with more hairspray than is healthy) to remind myself, and show you the good old days - but also, how not to treat your hair :)

(yes, I was blonde!)

Hairspray; reducing shine and manageability since 2006.

Fancy vs The Falsies: A Double Mascara Review

I like mascara.
I like it a lot.

You might have guessed I have a pretty big issue with eyelashes, and I'm forever looking for things that will make them look longer, thicker, and curlier.
I look at my brother sometimes and want to shave his eyelash area while he sleeps, and transplant the massively long, thick, and totally un-used lashes onto my own, in the hope that since we're related, my body won't reject them.

That was weird.
I'll never say that ever again.

Anyway, if you saw my recent post on LVL Lashes you will know that I solved the curling issue and now have fabuuuulous curled, black lashes...but what about the rest?
I needed a mascara, or two.

First of all, I was in desperate need of a new mascara, my much loved and abused Rimmel Day to Night was all dried up and flaking off before it had even touched a single lash, and I was fancying a change.

Which brings us on to my first purchase, well...actually it's more of a splurge.

The Make Up Forever - Smoky Lash mascara.

I might drool slightly as I write this.
I bought the Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash mascara...ahhhhhhhhh,
Look at its packaging all shiny and dark like a box of Black Magic chocolates, you just want to open it...

This is sad but I actually keep it in the little box it came in, so it doesn't get scratched or anything haha (believe me, I've done worse, used to keep my iPhone in a sock as well as a case when it was new).

This isn't sold in the UK, but is sold online, here :)

The pros:
Possibly the best mascara I have ever used. It goes on like a dream, it has a thick, bristly brush which picks up just the right amount of product. My lashes look about as false as short and sparse eyelashes can look - they're huuuge, long, thick, and voluminous, but in no way spidery. Two coats and I'm good to go, and that's because I'm greedy, most other, less-eyelash-obsessed people would be good with one. My lashes are separated to the point where I genuinely look to have twice as many. It is easy and quick to remove, and stays put all day - no flakes or smudges.

The cons:
THE PRICE! Well...more so the price-to-ml-ratio. At £17.95 for 7ml it's expensive, and definitely not going to last forever.
Aside from that, I can't think of any, it's beautiful, and it's mine.

Next up; Maybelline - The Falsies Black Drama, because I can't wear my other beauty every day...

Right at the opposite end of the pricing scale is my 'everyday' mascara, and it's another mascara with just beauuutiful packaging. It hasn't got the chic and sleek look of the MUFE one, but it is pretty and stand-out none the less.

Pros:
I'd heard a lot about this mascara but I was still pleasantly surprised, out of the 6949864923090804 mascara's I've tried, this is easily in my top five. I'd say it lengthens more than the MUFE mascara, and more than most, but isn't as big on thickness. That said, it adds more volume than a lot of others I've tried also. I've never had a mascara with a curved wand either, but I really like it, it's about a medium thickness and really does catch the lashes so well. One surprise is how this looks on my bottom lashes - I think because it lengthens so much, it has a real impact on my little baby bottom lashes.
My favourite thing is actually THE PRICE!! At £7.99 it's cheaper than most other mascaras in existence, making it the perfect choice to wear alongside such an expensive mascara, but on an everyday basis.

Cons:

This...

I look like a panda.
Lots and lots of smudgy transfer, with a few flakes for good measure, and from reading reviews I'm not the only one. From the reviews I also gathered that the original Falsies, (without the 'Black Drama') didn't have the same problem. Trouble is, I love mascara's to be as black and dramatic as possible...
This picture was taken after about six hours, but I'd already noticed it after three, so not so good :(


Aside from some fairly pricey prices, and panda problems, I love both of these mascaras, they do the job.
If you've used any of these mascara's, please let me know how you found them - and also if you have a remedy for panda eyes, please share and I will love you forever :D

'It's Like a Volcano in Here!' || A Leather OOTE :)

When I think of leather on the bottom half, (or pleather as I should probably call it) two things come to mind:

1. Ross from 'Friends' and his epic leather trousers incident.

2. The way Kanye is insisting on dressing Kim Kardashian right now. Say no more.

Realising now I write this that my other half got me this skirt, and that worries me slightly...

Even more worrying, is that I have none of the items in my bathroom that Ross used when trying to free himself from his leather trousers...

If ever we have a heatwave, remind me not to wear this skirt.

I may be wearing it for life.

:|

So anywayyy, I took out my lovely cousins last week for some well deserved grub, and seeing as leaving the house to go anywhere fun is a rare event for me, I took the opportunity to don my new skirt. 

It is a midi length, high waisted leather skirt, with a gold zip down the back.

I believe it was in the sale at Internationale, but I honestly don't know the price.

I teamed it with this casual green shirt, tied it up at the front; it slightly tones down the skirt, which can look either a little formal, or just downright scary.

I do however like it though, and it's flattering :)

Kind of felt empowered too...hmm maybe that's Kanye's motive?

'No one man should have all that power'

So he gives his lady some?

Nah, who are we kidding? 

These are men after all.

My favourite brown wedges, my favourite gold bangles, and the black blazer which may have to be surgically removed from my body at some stage, finished off my outfit, along with my gold cross earrings. 

Yes I FINALLY dared to wear them!!

I will get my £1's worth, oh yes I will.

Skirt - Internationale

Green Shirt - H&M

Shoes - New Look

Black Studded Bag - eBay

Bangles - Various

Cross Earrings - Primark

Also, just had to add this and reminisce...

Gotta love a bit of 'Friends' :D

New Year Nail Niceness.

Happy New Yearrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

Hope you all had lots of fun doing lots of exciting things :D

My New Year involved a particularly hardcore game of Monopoly, which went on until 4am.

Wild.

On another note...

Guess who has been soooo good and managed to go a whole 4 DAYS without picking her nail polish off??

Thats right. Me *shocked faces everyone*

I'm like a whole new person.

I would say it's a New Years Resolution, but considering I still did eventually pick it off, (albeit after 4 long days) I think I'll just acknowledge that I did well, and leave it at that.

However. 

The reason why I didn't pick it off is possibly linked to the reason for my post today.

My New Year nails.

For Christmas I was lucky enough to get some verrrrry beautiful Nails Inc. polishes.

Nails Inc for me are a kind of luxury brand, something which I've heard a lot about and always thought 'but I'll never have any', given that full sized ones cost around £12 each, and a girl needs to eat...

This is a Christmassy colour collection which I believe my sneaky mum picked up from good old TK Maxx. 

L-R: Chelsea Manor Street, Crown Court, Gloucester Place, George Yard, Cambridge Terrace.

These colours are perfect for any event but fit the festive season in every way. The glittery red, (Gloucester Place) is stunning in particular, and isn't half as pickable as my Barry M red YEY!

The dark purple/berry colour, (Crown Court) is a typical toenails colour for me - it's very rare that my toes are not painted a dark red or purple colour, whatever the time of year, and this one will almost certainly be on my toes for some time to come.

I really like the unique gun-metal colour, (Chelsea Manor Street) also included; it's not a colour I've seen around much, and I can't wait to try it.

The silvery shade, (Cambridge Terrace) is beautiful, but being a lover of all things gold, I will probably use it the least, or just as an accent colour.

Finally, there is a stunning gold-champagne colour, (George Yard) which is what I picked that day :)

It is the perfect, pearly polish but with tons of sparkle, making it the obvious choice for New Years Eve.

I described this as a gold-champagne colour but no, I take it back. It's actually better. Pink champagne.

But not so pink that you have to match it with pink accessories or clothes...if you catch my drift?

In short, it's just gorgeous. 

This final picture shows how the polish looks in natural light, and was taken the next day seeing it likes to get dark ridiculously round here.

To be honest though, it's dark and gloomy here most of the time.

The weather hates bloggers, and spoils our photo op's.

I however, love my nails.

I ermm...unfortunately also love to experiment, so this was actually session #2 of nail painting that day, after a champagne and gun-metal ombre nail effect went disastrously wrong...

Let's just say it's a reeeeeally good thing that the camera focused on the tea-towel, and not my nails.

Lol.

Happy New Year everyone, and hope 2013 brings you lots of happiness!

I'm off to remove the last remaining gold flecks of paint from my nails the right way, so I can't do any more damage.