Out of the Blue - Please Read :)

Well this isn't a post that I ever thought I'd write.  The reason that I've not been blogging over the last few days is that Mike and I have broken up.  This has come as a huge shock to me and so it's going to take some time for me to get back to anything resembling "normal" and that includes blogging.

As many of you will be aware, Mike and I had been engaged for a couple of years and were planning on getting married in May, so part of the upset is in connection with cancelling plans and letting people know.  That extended to people who follow me on Twitter, as I felt embarrassed to say that Mike had changed his mind given all the wedding planning related tweets of the past weeks.  I was hugely relieved and emotional to read the dozens of messages that I had back from people.  It just goes to show what an incredible community Twitter is.  Your support means a lot to me at a time when I'm living in a city where I know very few people (it may be my home city but I haven't lived here for a long time and people move on) and that can be lonely.  My friends and family are wonderful and will do an amazing job of looking after me but it's not easy to see as much of them as I'd like.

I am going on holiday tomorrow and will be away for a week, luckily surrounded by my fabulous family, and I won't be blogging in that time.  I hope that when I return and things have settled down a bit, I'll be back at the laptop with a heap of ideas for posts.  At the moment I'm too focused on packing up all Mike belongings for him to collect (never a fun task) and cancelling the wedding and to be honest, I'd only be a miserable cow, as those of you on Twitter can confirm!

Thanks for reading anyway lovelies (and following too- I just logged in to see 3 new followers!) and I hope you stick with me- onwards and upwards from here!

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I'm not sure what "it" is yet but I'll get there.

Inecto Haircare Reviews

Another day and another haircare post from me.  I do seem to have done a lot of these recently but I wanted to show you this range of coconut (yum!) based products that are such a bargain.

I was sent a range of haircare products which includes shampoo, conditioner, intensive treatment, serum and glossing spray so lets have a look at what you get for your money.

Moisture Infusing Shampoo £1.99 for 500ml

A huge bottle of shampoo which is a little too runny in my hands.  This lathers well, and leaves me hair really clean but I don't feel that this conditions well on its own.  However it leaves me hair looking lush when I use this in conjunction with a salt spray for a summery look.

Moisture Infusing Conditioner £1.99 for 500ml

I liked this better than the shampoo, it's not too runny and is pretty good for an every day conditoner, especially given the very low price.  I find that although I can smell the coconut in the bottle, it starts to smell more like chocolate when I'm using it in the shower which is odd, although just as delicious! 

Hair Repair Treatment £2.99 for 150ml

This is the standout product for me.  I love the thick consistency, and although it says that it's a weekly treatment, I use this a couple of times a week to keep my hair in tip top shape.  It doesn't leave my hair weighed down and it also smells lush.  This is definitely a product that I'll be picking up again.

Hair Serum £2.99 for 50ml

This is much runnier than other serums that I've used before but it works really well and I just have to be careful when I squeeze a little out of the tube.  A little goes a long way, as with most serums and it leaves my hair looking silky and smooth.

Glossing Spray £3.99 for 100ml

Although this is the most expensive of the products that I tried, I couldn't get it to work well for me.  Used on dry hair, it left my hair looking greasy when I spray it on, as the nozzle concentrates the product too much.  I had no problems like this using it on wet hair but I didn't like the results as much as the serum and as that's a little cheaper, that'll be the one I go back to in future!

The full range is huge and contains 18 hair and body products, all coconut based.  The packaging is basic but feels sturdy enough and although it's not beautiful, it's practical.  The best thing is the prices for me- all the products are under £3.99 and most are under £1.99.  The products are available from Home Bargains, Superdrug, Savers and Bodycare and I will definitely be trying the Body Butter and Body Oil- I love smelling like coconut so these could well be right up my street and they're both worth a try at only £1.99 each.

Do you have a favourite bargain range?

*All products were sent as PR samples, all opinions are honest*

Guest Review - Naturtint Hair Color

Hair colours aren't something that I cover much on here, being a pretty natural girl myself.  That said I like to try one every now and then so when I was offered the opportunity to try a Naturtint one, I said yes straight away.  I was a very lucky girl and was sent 2, 1 of which I'll be using myself and posting pictures of soon, and the other was tested for me by Emma.  I'm bringing you her fab review today so when you've read, don't forget to pop over to her blog and say hi!

"When I was offered the chance to do a hair dye review for Rosalyn's blog, I was thrilled as this blogging malarky is still new to me and I'm just finding my feet. So, off I toddled to Google Naturtint Permanent Hair Colorant and have a look at previous reviews...error. On one review site I found that LOTS of people had complained of having allergic reactions to the product despite its major selling point being that it's all natural ingredients and is specifically aimed at those who react to the more well known brands of hair dyes. I've been dyeing my hair for around 10 years now, and will admit that I very rarely do the recommended allergy test before slapping the stuff all over my hair and hoping for the best, but for this product I decided I would follow the instructions, partly for review purposes and partly because I was worried all my hair was going to fall out and my head swell up!!


The colour I am reviewing is Light Mahogany Chestnut and I've got to be honest, I would not describe the colour shown on the box as 'light mahogany chestnut'.

I was expecting more of a chocolate brown with a slight red tone that would show in the sunlight, the colour shown is more of a plum red. If I was in Boots or Superdrug picking up a new hair dye, this one would not make it into my basket based on the image used. The hair looks dull and dry which is obviously not what you want when dyeing your hair.

On the side of the packet is a colour guide to advise what colour your hair *could* turn based on your starting colour.

I found that the results colours all looked a lot more red than the colour on the front of the box suggests, with it even suggesting that if you were starting with blonde hair you would finish with a nice bright red. I've been dyeing my hair red for just over a year now and it has been various shades, never usually staying the colour I want it to for more than a couple of weeks before fading to a horrible ginger tinge.

So this is what I started with as a base colour for the dye:

As you can see, it was desperately in need of dyeing. It had faded badly and towards the ends had developed that attractive ginger tinge I mentioned. I was embarrassed to leave the house!!

In the box you get all the usual bits that come with a home-dye kit.

Now I mentioned before that I did the allergy test - well, I did my own version. It says to mix up a small amount of the colourant and the developer then rub a little on the area behind your ear and leave for 48 hours to see if you have any adverse reaction to it. I left it for around 24 hours, mainly because I'm impatient and also because I figured if anything was going to happen it would have done already.

The mixture is applied to dry, unwashed hair and left on for 30mins. Disposable gloves also are provided to protect your hands. Before applying the dye, I rubbed some Vaseline around my hairline, over my ears and round the back of my neck as any colour hair dye is a pain but dark ones are especially bad for staining the skin. This normally isn't enough to stop the staining but after rinsing I found there was no dye on my skin whatsoever which I was really pleased about.

The instructions provided are really clear and easy to understand.

You need to shake the mixture really well in the developer bottle, if you think it's ready - do it for another 20 seconds or so, just to be sure. The formula had a jelly/gel-like consistency which I've not experienced before in a hair dye and it applied well with no dripping. The smell wasn't overpowering but it didn't smell particularly great either. After 30mins, you rinse the dye out which takes AGES. I've found with any dark dye I've used that 4 washes later and there'll still be colour in the water so this was nothing unexpected. You're supplied with a shampoo which they advise you to do twice, I like this step which a lot of other dyes don't have, as I feel I'm at least getting *most* of the dye out before slathering on the included conditioner. The instructions state to leave the conditioner in for 2mins but as my hair is particularly dry at the moment with bad ends (I'm getting it cut this week!), I left it on for 15mins and wrapped my hair up in a towel to give it a really intensive treatment. I then rinsed out the conditioner and blow-dried my hair.

This was literally just rough blow-dried and left. Initially, I was disappointed as it was a lot darker than I was expecting and perhaps not as red as I'd have liked, but I've now decided I really like it as it makes a bit of a change for me. In certain lights, the colour looks almost black, it's not until I'm stood under a light or outside that you see the plum tones to it.

I would say the results are very similar to the image on the front of the box, rather than the colour guide on the side. My hair looks so much more healthy now, the colour is even from root to tip and it feels soft. I also kind of like that my hair looks really dark until it catches the light and then you see the true colour.

Overall, I was impressed with this hair dye and the results. It's not the nicest smelling product I've ever used but it wasn't unbearable. I'd be interested to see what other colours they do as I don't think I'll be staying red for much longer, and I like how healthy my hair looks and feels as a result of Naturtint. I would advise anyone that has previously reacted to hair dyes to treat this product with the same caution. I would definitely purchase a dye from this brand again.

I just want to say thank you again to Rosalyn for giving me the opportunity to feature on her blog, and for giving me my first "guest reviewer" experience.

Emma xx"

Thanks so much for your review Emma, even if my disorganisation meant that I did have my first guest review post up on Tuesday ;)  Your review is so brilliant and thorough- I think I'll just post a few pictures when I dye my hair at the weekend.

I love the shade on your hair and how it looks different in different lights- I always like that in a hair colour.  Thanks again, so much Emma!

Yes to Tomatoes Tempting Tomato Daily Volumizing Shampoo Review

Wow, what a mouthful!  But yes, I'm back today to bring you a guest review of Yes to Tomato's volumising shampoo offering.  My hair is pretty thick anyway so I passed this to my friend Lucy's Mum to give it a thorough testing so I'm going to hand you over to Val now...

"I was presented with a very large bottle (500ml) of Yes to Tomatoes Volumizing Shampoo.  I decided to treat this trial like a scientific experiment.  Firstly I looked at the packaging.

The bottle is plain but in keeping with natural modern image of product.  It is not particularly attractive, but I feel curiosity would draw me to it on a shelf.  The sliced tomatoes on front made me think of a salad not a shampoo.  To use the word limp in in the description seemed strange but would describe exactly why people would use the product.


The bottle was difficult to open, especially with wet hair and hands but once I discovered the seal (and this took a lot of time and not a little annoyance) opening became straightforward.  The product smells wonderful and ‘gloopy’ consistency fills you full of confidence about its claimed volumizing properties.  It lathers up well and feels silky on hair but beware of eye stinging – quite bad and unusual these days.


I used the shampoo regularly over four weeks.  It made my hair softer and fluffier but there was no real evidence of added volume, perhaps if used with matching conditioner I would have seen a difference.  As a shampoo it is pleasant and my hair feels fresh and clean after use.


Obvious the natural angle is very popular these days but I feel they will have to really market this carefully.  Tomatoes do not scream shampoo or freshness. In fact tomato sauce is used to clear up green tinge chlorine damage to highlighted hair so I found myself initially using it with trepidation.  The marketing people may have trouble overcoming the mental block over ingredients - I am told that it contains no parabens which is supposed to be good, but to the ordinary consumer this would have to be explained."

I'm glad you liked it Val!  I definitely agree with your point about parabens and natural ingredients though- I have a lot of difficulty working out what's good or bad and why so I think people have to do their own research on this is they're keen to find what might work well for them.

500ml of the shampoo will set you back £8.20 over at Victoria Health which I think is pretty good value for a massive bottle of SLS, petroleum and paraben free shampoo.

Do you try and seek out SLS and paraben free products?  What are your favourites?

*This shampoo was sent as a PR sample, all opinions are honest.*

400 Followers Giveaway Extended

Just to let you all know that my 400 Followers giveaway has been extended.  I'm not sure when it will close now but I will post when I know.

I'm not blogging much at the moment, but hopefully my blogging mojo will return soon after a little break!

No 7 Skin Illuminator Review

The No 7 £5 vouchers frustrate me sometimes.  They come round with alarming regularity, to that point that the prices have been pushed up and yet I don't seem to be able to leave them upspent.  So this time I have purchase the Skin Illuminator Radiance boosting beauty fluid, as I can't resist a highlighter.

This is Peach but it also comes in Pink and both sell for £11.00 when bought without a voucher.  You do get 30ml of product for that though which is generous compared to many liquid highlighters.  But is what you get any good?

Firstly, I like the design as it's easy to carry around in a makeup bag.  However I do find the brush design quite wasteful- you squeeze the tube and the product comes up through the brush.  You brush it on and then pat it into the skin but I find that quite a lot of product gets stuck in the bristles.  

It's a lovely, subtle golden peach shade but it's not as pigmented as some highlighters.  The packaging says you can use it alone or under foundation.  When used on its own it's lovely but it gets lost under my foundation, concealer and bronzer so I much prefer to wear it dabbed along my cheekbones after I've applied my other make up, as I usually do with a highlighter. 

I've purposefully not blended this out too much.  It's a beautiful shade and looks lovely on but when I blend it fully, it won't show up in pictures very well.

So in short, I quite like it and have used it quite a bit recently.  It's lovely worn with bronze and gold shades on the eyes and I will try the Pink shade next time I have a voucher but although it's a good price for what you get, it's not my favourite highlighter out there.

Have you tried No 7's Skin Illuminator?  Do you like liquid highlighters or do you prefer powders?

Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses - The Collection Grows!

As I thought, I have succumbed to temptation and picked up a couple of new Colorburst shades.  What can I say?  The sunshine makes me want glossy, bright lips!

I already had Peony (on the left) but now I also have Strawberry (middle) and Hot Pink (right).

As you can see, they are both just as sparkly as Peony is but neither feels gritty on my lips.

Hot Pink

Strawberry

Strawbeery looks rubbish on me without a tan but lush with one so next time I fake tan, I'll use this in a FOTD.  Hot Pink is a bit more wearable but equally, looks fab with a tan too.



For contrast, I've put Peony on the left so you can see how bright the others swatch in comparison.

I really must go back to my Project 10 Pan and finish that off.  I've been a bit naughty, having picked up a few new things recently and I really need to stop.

What's your favourite recent purchase?

Monday's Good Stuff - Wedding Special

Those of you know who me in real life know what a soppy person I am so this post won't come as any sort of surprise to anyone.

This week's MGS is a special edition as I am only featuring Lucy and Olly's wedding this week.  I could list far more than 5 things about their wedding on Saturday to make up the post but I'm just to say that it was the most wonderful day, seeing two people who are totally made for each other, so happy and getting married.  Oh and I've put this up a day because I wanted to make sure that they get a chance to see it before they go on honeymoon, in case you were wondering.

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Tissington- I wish you a lifetime of happiness together.

Introducing... BeautyBangs

Happy Thursday everyone!  As usual, it's time for this week's introducing post and this week I'm featuring Steph from BeautyBangs.  Steph is a total sweetheart and I love chatting to her on Twitter so I'm thrilled to be able to introduce you to her blog today.

How long have you been blogging?

Since 16th January 2011.

What made you want to start blogging?

Reading the blogs of my favourite YouTube make up gurus pixi2woo and Pixiwoo! I've always been interested in writing but have never found an appropriate outlet for it so this year I decided to take the plunge and start a blog to give myself time to write and to put my thoughts and opinions out there!

What do you like most about blogging?

I like being able to put my opinions out there and hopefully give people free and impartial advice (haha I sound like a no-win no-fee lawyer advert!) I also hope to become part of the blogger community and meet like minded folk. Having the opportunity to write about a topic that I love for no real reason other than the fact that I do love it.

How would you describe your blog?

Beauty and fashion on a budget! I hope to find products that are affordable yet effective. I'm just a normal girl trying to cram a beauty routine into the drudgery of a non beauty based 9 to 5 and this is a little insight into the trials and tribulations that I encounter along the way. Hopefully with a bit of good humour thrown in for good measure.

What are your 3 favourite make up items?

17 Photo Flawless face primer which is brilliant and only cost something like £5, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack which I don't use everyday because I'm still mastering using an angled eyeliner brush and Revlon Colourstay foundation purely because it matches my skintone perfectly and doesn't budge all day and ended my 9 year search for foundation.

How would your spend your perfect day?

Wake up in a beautiful apartment somewhere overlooking the sea with my fiance. Have a glorious breakfast followed by exploring and sightseeing. A slap up lunch on the beach and a little bit of beach bumming around, followed by a mammoth pampering session with a whole host of beauty goodies. For the evening, a free designer dress would be pretty sweet and a private dinner for two as the sun sets followed by cocktails and dancing! *wakes up from daydream*
 
Oh wow that sounds like an amazing day- I love reading those answers and always end up in a daydream myself.  I'll have to try out the 17 primer, because I'm still on the look out for a great budget one, thanks for the tip Steph!
 
Make sure you pop over and say hi to Steph, click here to be taken to her blog!

NOTD OPI Nomad's Dream

A very neutral NOTD today girlies, the likes of which you don't really see on my blog.  I do love my bright polishes, as you all know.

However I tried this one of my Mum's last week when I was in a rush and needed a subtle shade in case my nails smudged on my way out to dinner.  This is OPI's Nomad's Dream, a sheer, shimmering duochrome beige and green polish.

The shade of beige is a little too orangey for my skintone but I love the green shimmer that catches the light every now and then.  I wore this for 3 days without a topcoat and it lasted really well.  I bought it for my Mum at full price, £10, which is an awful lot but I don't mind paying that occasionally.

The only problem with pale, sheer shades like this is how the condition of my nails shows through.  As you can see, my nails and cuticles are in no condition for close up photography at the moment so I've stocked up on some nail care products to start getting them in better shape.  The main thing is to apply more handcream as being in schools and washing my hands all the time is drying them out so badly.



What are your favourite pale shades of nail polish? 

Monday's Good Stuff

Oops, I really nearly forgot this week's Monday's Good Stuff, how silly of me!  Well it'll have to be a quick one as I was just about to head to bed to read a wedding magazine with a cuppa.  Actually...

1)  Reading a magazine in bed with a cuppa is one of the best things in the world.  Fact.

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2)  I also loved watching The Hangover 2 on Saturday night.  I laughed my head off and so did my brother, but I probably don't need to tell you that.  He laughs so loud that you probably heard him wherever in the world that you live.
3)  I had a day to myself today and although I just caught up on various errands, I feel great for it.  Sometimes you just need to get yourself organised.  I'm back in school from tomorrow and for the rest of the week which'll be great- I'm raring to go after my week off.

Guest Reviewer Needed - Naturtint Permanent Hair Colorant

Morning everyone.

I'm looking for a guest review to test out Naturtint's Permanent Hair Colorant in Light Mahogany Chestnut and report back.

If you'd like to review the hair colour and are happy to report back with pictures, then please comment below and leave your e-mail address.  I'll choose a guest reviewer on Thursday 10th June.

Thanks!

Wedding (Guest) Makeup Ideas

This post serves 2 purposes.  Firstly Ellie asked me to post a picture of my dress and makeup ideas for the  wedding I'm going to next week as she was short on ideas for one she's going to and I'm happy to oblige, but also I have too many ideas.  I'm also worried that I will go over the top, as I often do, so this is your chance to rein me in.  And with any luck our beautiful bride to be, Lucy, is reading and let's face it, her vote will be pretty persuasive.

I say that I'm worried about going overboard for a particular reason.  This cobalt blue dress from Monsoon is the perfect base as so many colours will compliment it.  I'm wearing a cream fascinator, nude shoes and carrying a antique gold and pale pink handbag so I can wear any make up to compliment this really.  Here are my options.

1)  Glowing face, defined eyes, pink lips.  This would only need a little touch up for evening but would otherwise be a day to night option.  I would wear eyeliner and highlighter by the way but wasn't in this picture.

2)  Bronzed face, neutral eyes, coral lips.  I'd wear the coral lipstick blotted down for the church and then for the evening, apply it a little more heavily and add some gloss.

3)  Bronzed, smokey eyes and neutral lips.  Definitely more day time appropriate but I'll admit that it's not as exciting without a bright colour to contrast against the cobalt blue.

So there are my 3 options.  I will be a little browner by next week as I'll be slicking on a little of my Piz Buin fake tan for a healthy glow.  All 3 options will suit that though as they have been thoroughly (night out) road tested already. 

So what do you think?  Please let me know in the comments whether you think I should go with look 1,2 or 3 and I'll wear it the wedding next Saturday!

P.S Not sure what I'm doing with my hair yet but I'll post on that, and my last minute accessories when I get myself organised.

*Apologies for a couple of unedited photos, my computer won't let me at the moment*

Bathing Beauties

Being back home with my Mum and Dad, I'm loving baths in their gorgeous bathroom.  It's a great feeling to be able to use up this Boots Essentials Cocoa Butter Bath Cream which I've had since Christmas 2009!

To accompany the bath cream, which is absolutely gorgeous by the way-it leaves my skin super smooth and smells delicious, I've also pinched the Extracts Cocoa Butter Body Wash and the Sugar Scrub (which I can't see on the Boots website at the moment) from my Mum to buff and bathe myself.

I'm not a massive fan of the Sugar Scrub, it's not as effective as other scrubs that I've used before and I'll be stocking up on Sanctuary ones when there's an offer on next.  However I love the sweet, but not over powering smell of the Body Wash and will definitely buy this again.  I love shaving my legs with it as it doesn't dry them out as much as other shaving gels or shower gels and they always smell lush afterwards!

I'm only just getting back into having baths, after not having one in either of my flats for the last couple of years but I love them.  What are you favourite bath time treats?  Do you stick to budget brands or do you splash out on more luxurious products?

Introducing Life on a Heartstring

I always love being able to introduce blogs of people who I chat to on Twitter because there really is nothing better than chatty, lovely people on Twitter.  So today I happily introduce Paula Heartstring who blogs over at Life on a Heartstring.  Over to Paula...

How long have you been blogging?


I've been blogging seriously for about a month. Although I have done it on and of for ages, but never gave it any real commitment before.

What made you want to start blogging?

Well I've wanted to write for a long time, but I just don't have the patience or time to write a book or anything. Plus my friends have said that I should write things, apparently I can be quite funny.
What do you like most about blogging?

Anything and everything really. As long as I've got a funny anecdote or comment on it, I'll write about it. Although I do love blogging about my dating experiences, whether that's actual dates or the minefield that is online dating websites.

How would you describe your blog?

I think it has fairly wide appeal, just because it's mostly about dating from a female perspective, I don't think there's anything a guy wouldn't enjoy reading. I hope it's funny, sort of informative, and at the very least, entertaining.

What are your favourite 3 make up items?

I seem to be a bit of a Boots No7 fiend at the moment, I think they must have had an offer on. I love No7 Mineral Foundation powder. It took a bit of getting used to, but now I have the knack of it, it feels like I'm not wearing any! Brilliant!

Front Cover eye shadow sets are amazing. I got one for Christmas and not looked back. They are so good that when I forgot to take some off after a night out. When I wok up in the morning it was still exactly where I'd left it! 

Collection 2000 (I think) Eyeliner felt tip. It's great! I'm useless at using the proper eyeliner brushes so they are perfect. Just wished they did normal colours. They do it in Black, Purple and Teal, which is all fine, but I'd love a brown one!

How would you spend your perfect day?

A perfect day would be when I could go shopping and find exactly what I want, in my size and eat junk food and not put weight on... Ok, now I'm really dreaming!
 
I'm with you on that one- I think it should be impossible to put on weight when you're chilling out on days like that, that would be perfect!
 
If you're looking for a new blog to check out that is such a giggle, then please head over and take a look at Life on a Heartstring.  I'm addicted to Paula's updates now and love her stories of dating.

Natasha Bailie's First Ready to Wear Collection launches today!

Today's post is a little different to the usual content on Primp and Preen.  After all, I'm the first to admit in my OOTD posts that I'm no fashion guru.  However I, like most girls, love reading about fashion and there's nothing I admire more than a gorgeous dress.  Since becoming absolutely addicted to Mad Men, I've developed such a soft spot for vintage fashion which is why I just have to show you this amazing dress by a very talented lady.

Natasha Bailie, who is one of my absolute favourite Tweeters, has designed a collection of vintage style dresses, a dream Natasha has held since starting her vintage emporium 3 years ago.  Inspired by her favourite era - the 1950s - the dress screams Mad Men siren. Natasha has picked the best features of her favourite gowns from the thousands she has bought and sold, creating a cinched waist, full skirt and essential bow detail.

Ava

Grace

Betty

This, the first of Natasha's designs, will come in five different floral prints, all locally sourced in her new hometown of Singapore. The prints are limited edition, so you won’t bump into another Betty wearing your vintage inspired dress!
The dresses are available in sizes 8-14 and are even available with free international shipping from Singapore! Which is your favourite pattern?  I'm in love with Betty, it's a super cute print and perfect for a summer wedding.

The range launches today so pop over and check the range out!