RICHARD WARD // THE CHELSEA COLLECTION

The continuing struggle to fight frizz from humid cities and the occasional damage from the sun meant that it was about time my hair had a bit of a treat to help get the nourishment it needed to look and feel more healthier. My hair has been in battle of overcoming dryness for as long as I can remember and finding the right products has proven pretty difficult. I've been on the look out for some haircare products that will give my hair the conditioning it needs but however doesn't make my roots greasy two days in. 

Around two months ago I was kindly sent the Keratin Restore range from The Chelsea Collection by Richard Ward and have been using it ever since I'd received it in order to gain my full and true opinion on it. This shampoo, conditioner and hair mask is targeted for those with dry and damaged hair which to me sounded like the exact type of product I was looking for. It contains natural ingredients such as keratin, a natural protein which helps protect an re builds hairs natural fibres, chicory which helps with strength and vitality, and an ingredient called yucca vera which revives suppleness and natural shine. 

The first thing I noticed when applying the products is that they have a very similar fresh scent to the original TRESemme's products however these seemed much more luxurious and silkier and had a really quick and easy application. I personally loved the 'Keratin Restore shampoo' from this range as I found that it didn't completely strip all of my natural oils or leave my hair feeling dry like some others I have tested. I also found that this shampoo began nourishing my hair from the beginning of application whilst also removing any excess dirt which would be perfect for those who like to wash their hair daily or every two days. 

In my opinion the 'Keratin Restore conditioner' is perfect for an everyday conditioner as its not too heavy yet it gives your hair the conditioning it needs. I also found that using this from time to time helped close up my split ends resulting in a more healthier look. The last product, the 'Keratin Rehab mask' was by far my favourite out of the three. I absolutely love giving my hair a deep nourishing treatment once to twice a week and this hair mask left my hair feeling silky smooth and overall made my hair look and feel extremely healthy. I'm always a bit sceptical with trying new hair products as my hair is very specific to what products can and can't be used but I have to say I was definitely impressed by these. These products are exclusive to Waitrose stores and are all priced at £5.99 which in my opinion is an amazing price for such professional results!

I hope this post has been useful to some of you and I will be back to posting every Wednesday and Sunday! Have any of you tried any of the Richard Ward products before? 

*Although these products were kindly sent to me I only work with brands I love and think I will enjoy and all opinions are honest and my own*

L'OREAL // SCULPT CONTOUR PALETTE

Hello my lovelies, first of all I just want to apologies for my lack of posts! Exams have definitely gotten the better of me and revision has currently taken over my life, but on the up side, I will be back into the swing of things as I will have officially finished my first year at university!

To get back into the swing of things, I thought what would be better than to write up a review on the not so new anymore, 'Infallible Sculpt Contour Palette' by L'oreal. As soon as I'd seen the adverts of L'oreals new Sculpting range and saw this contour palette I immediately thought that this product could at least try and give me some cheek bones. If you're unlucky like me and suffer a round face with no definition this would have definitely caught your eye. This product can be purchased at both Boots and Superdrug with a price of £9.99. I however bought this during a 3 for 2 promotion as it can be a bit on the pricey side for a drugstore contour kit. This contour kit also comes in two different shades, light/medium and medium/dark. The shade I picked up was the light/medium shade as 1) lets be honest, I tend to be on paler side of the scale and 2) I find that building up contour gives a much more natural finish. This product came with a small guide on where to contour for your specific face shape which I found highly useful as I'm always trying to find new ways to contour in order to achieve the best look for my face shape.

The first thing I noticed about this contour kit was there was a lot more less product than what I was hoping for, but this didn't really bother me as the consistency of the product seemed so smooth and creamy. This can be a bit of a risk for a contour palette due to creamy products having the tendency of not lasting a great deal amount of time and tends to smudge throughout the day. Probably two of the most things that you would wish your contour wouldn't do. However saying this, although the product is highly creamy and silky it blends to almost a very fine powder texture. I found that applying both shades to my face was easiest after applying foundation and concealer and before powdering as I was able to then set it afterwards with my Topshop bronzer in 'Mohawk' and the MUA Highlighting powder in 'Iridescent gold'. I did however find that if my foundation had dried, it was more of a struggle to blend this product without making it look patchy so make sure that you apply this directly after foundation!

The light highlighting shade looks more pink under toned in the pan more than it does when applied and blended as it gives a more neutral highlighting shade which is perfect for a natural contour and will suit all skin tones. I found that this highlighting shade was more of a matte shade with the slightest and most finest amount of shimmer, which to me is barely noticeable. It glides on really nicely and can be applied on the cheek bones, bridge of the nose and cupids bow. I find this a really good matte base with for any powdered highlighters and will enhance the duration of wear. Perfect for long lasting make up.

The dark shade that is used to contour and define is also a really matte shade with a neutral under tone. It is not too orange nor too ashy which also helps give that more natural effect. I use this shade in the hollows of my cheeks to help create a defined look and bring out my non existing cheek bones. I also like to use this on the temples of the forehead. By doing this helps create the effect of a smaller forehead which I personally like. On special occasions where I'm taking my make up to the next level I like to apply a small amount of this to the edges of the bridge of my nose to help give my nose more definition and to make it look slightly smaller.

Overall I really enjoyed using this product, both shades were really easy to blend and lasted a good deal amount of time. I also found that using a powdered contour and highlighter on top of this product gave it a more defined and longer lasting effect. This product is build-able to a certain extent before beginning to look patchy and give a really natural result. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking to explore into the contouring world and even for those who are experts for an everyday subtle contour.

I really hope you enjoyed this post and let me know of any posts you wish to see these next coming weeks! Hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

Love,