Redken Pillow Proof Blowdry Express Treatment Primer Cream

Hello Lovelies

I suffer from extremely oily hair so trying out new hair products always makes me feel a little anxious that the product will leave my hair super oily, so when I received the Redken Pillow Proof Blowdry Express Treatment Primer Cream the latest in the Pillow Proof range from Redken, I have to admit I was a little nervous to use it, but one thing that calmed those nerves was the fact that I have yet to try a Redken product that I don't love and I have re purchased their shampoo's multiple times. 

I was intrigued to try the Pillow Proof primer as it claimed to do so many things but the claim that stood out to me the most was that it would cut down on the drying time of my hair. I am unable to dry my own hair due to my medical conditions and the way they affect me so I have my hair dried by either Simon or one of my girls, but mostly Simon. My hair takes a long time to dry with it being so long and I get uncomfortable sitting having it dried and although he doesn't say so, I'm sure it must be a pretty tedious task for Simon too. So a product that cuts down the drying time of my hair would be incredible for me, I just had to put it to the test. 

When I received the Redken Pillow Proof primer it came with some product information but also in the parcel was a little pink and white striped bag containing some American sweeties, I thought this was a really lovely touch and not only was I super excited to try the hair treatment but also to try the yummy looking sweeties too. 

As I said Redken claim the primer has many benefits one of them being that it cuts down drying time  but there are 7 different benefits in total, they are -

✿ Heat Protection Up To 230 degrees

✿ Reduces Blow Drying Time

✿ Holds Style Longer

✿ 3 Times Stronger, Healthier Hair

✿ Anti Breakage Formula

✿ Nourishes Dry Hair

✿ Suitable For All Hair Types - Ideal For Thick Hair

The product is dispensed via a pump action, pressing down on the top of the bottle dispenses the product via a hole in the top. Redken recommend using a 50 pence piece size of product and rubbing it between your hands, then applying to towel dried hair and ends and then style as appropriate. I used the recommended 50 pence piece amount of product but only apply it through the mid lengths and ends of my hair to avoid my roots becoming oily. 

The first thing I noticed about the primer was the scent, it smells amazing and I have to say all the Redken products I have ever used have smelt amazing too, the product was easy to dispense and applied with ease through my hair. My hair did dry a lot faster than usual and was left feeling soft and silky and it felt lovely and healthy, I could feel the product in my hair so have used less product when I have used it since but my hair still felt like it had product in it, not in a bad way, but I could feel it. My main concern was that the primer would leave my hair feeling oily or that my hair would be super oily the morning after but I am pleased to report that my hair wasn't oily after using the primer or the morning after. 

I have been using the Pillow Proof primer each time my hair is washed since I got it and it is fantastic at reducing the drying time of my hair, I would say it cuts it down by half or just under half the time which is brilliant. My hair feels soft and silky and smells amazing when I use the primer and it is good to know that my hair is protected from the heat of my hair dryer and straighteners too. 

Overall I really like the Pillow Proof primer and I am super impressed with my hair taking less time to dry and love that the product doesn't make my hair oily but unfortunately there is a negative. I asked my girls if they would try the Pillow Proof primer, one of them has the exact same hair type as me and the other has dry hair and both girls like to curl their hair, one uses her hair straighteners and one a curling wand but unfortunately both girls said their hair didn't hold their curls and they dropped out quickly, both my girls have fine hair but my eldest daughter who has the dry hair can usually curl her hair with a curling wand and leave it for 3 days and it keeps the curl, she always curls her hair the night before work and sleeps on it but her curls dropped out when using the Redken and her hair was no where near as curly as it usually is. This isn't an issue for me because I have straight hair and never curl it but I always give an honest review of all the products I review on my blog and if I don't mention this, I'm not being honest, but that is the only negative I could find with the product, it is a great product with multiple benefits, it smells incredible and cuts down on the drying time of my hair which is amazing but both my daughters had problems with their style when curling their hair. 

I would recommend the Pillow Proof primer cream, it has a lot of benefits and is a great all round hair product and means I don't need to use multiple products that may cause my hair to be oily, using the pillow proof means my hair feels lovely and soft, it isn't oily, smells amazing and my hair takes half the time to dry which for me is the main benefit of the product. 

If you would like to try the Redken Pillow Proof Blowdry Express Treatment Primer Cream, you can find it on the Look Fantastic website for £13.60 (was £17.00)

Have you tried the Pillow Proof range or the primer cream? Would this be something you would like to try? Let me know in the comments section below.

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

✿ Post contains PR Sample or Gifted Item

NOTD - Rose Gold Sparkly Nails

Hello Lovelies

Today I have a NOTD or nail of the day post for you, as always I will share with you how I created the nail look and which products I used to create it and I will always give you a mini review of the products too. 

Creating The Look

To create the look I used the nail polishes, Exposed by George at Asda and Rose Chic by Maybelline, I used 3 coats of the Exposed polish allowing each coat to dry fully in between coats and then I added 2 coats of the Rose Chic polish over the Exposed polish on my ring fingers to add an accent nail. I then added 1 coat of the Essie Gel Couture top coat to add a lovely glossy finish to my nails. 

George at Asda Exposed nail polish

Maybelline Rose Chic nail polish

I didn't use a base coat with this look as the George polish is a 3 in 1 polish and has a base coat included. I really loved the finished look of my nails and so many people asked me if I had had a gel manicure as they thought they were gel nails. Lots of people who follow my Snapchat also sent me snaps asking me what was on my nails, they were very popular indeed.

I really loved the finished look, the rose gold glitter is beautiful and I am so glad I have it in my collection, it will look beautiful with many of the polishes I own and I think it looks great with the Exposed polish from George, I really love it. I love the Exposed polish too, it is a gorgeous peachy/pinky/nude shade, it doesn't have the longest wear time and unfortunately it chipped after 3 days, only slightly on one finger but it did chip, my other nails didn't chip and I removed the polish on day 5 because I broke one of my nails quite badly after catching it and needed to file it down, so I had to file my nails down so removing the polish was inevitable unfortunately but I think had I not got the slight chip on one nail the polish would have lasted around a week before chipping and the need for removal. This is down to the Essie Gel Couture top coat, it is brilliant, it gives a beautiful glossy shine, and the nails look lovely too and I do get asked a lot if I have gel nails so it does give a gel like finish. 

This is one of my favourite NOTD of this year so far, I really love it!

Where To Buy The Products Used

✿ George at Asda Beauty - Nail polish in the shade Exposed - £3.99 - no link is available unfortunately but it is available in stores. 

✿ Maybelline - Nail polish in the shade Rose Chic - £3.99 - available HERE currently buy 1 get 1 half price on all Maybelline products.

✿ Essie - Top coat from the Gel Couture range - £7.99 (was £9.99) - available HERE

What do you think of this colour combination? Do you like an accent nail? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

Origins Mix And Mask Beauty Box With British Beauty Blogger

Hello Lovelies

As you know I love me a bit of skincare, so when I saw that the lovely Jane who writes the blog British Beauty Blogger had come up with one of her infamous beauty boxes and not only that, this one was an Origins beauty box, I was super excited and knew I just had to have it.

I already use and love the Origins Drink Up Intensive mask and have wanted to try so many other things from the brand that this box was perfect for me and such good value for money too. The BBB boxes are £20.00 and that includes delivery which is an absolute steal and also the reason they sell out super duper quick, so if you ever see a BBB box you love, snap it up or you'll be disappointed. 

When my box arrived I was so pleased and couldn't wait to try everything in it, but before I do I thought I'd show you all what I received in my box. 

What's In The Box?

The box came beautifully wrapped with a tissue paper overlay which was stuck down with a round sticker matching the pattern on the box. On top is an information booklet which explains a little about each product and then once the tissue is opened the products are revealed. 

Origins VitaZing 50ml (full size) Worth £29.00

One of the products I most wanted to try out of the box was the VitaZing, a tinted moisturiser. The VitaZing is a self adjusting tinted moisturiser and an ideal base for me over the summer months, it is rich in antioxidants and very hydrating which is brilliant for my extremely dry skin and being full size is absolutely brilliant. 

Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask 30ml (large sample size) Worth £6.90

I love the drink up intensive mask, I have used it for years and it is an excellent product, it is an overnight mask, is very hydrating and also smells incredible, I love it. It is amazing if you have dehydrated or dry skin or both as I do. It's a great size being 30ml which is a great sample size and perfect for travel, I think I will put this away to be taken on my holidays. 

Origins GinZing Mask 15ml (sample size) Worth £4.80

The GinZing mask is a peel off mask with a metallic appearance, it contains coffee beans and fruit acids and is ideal for dull skins, I can't wait to try this as my skin is dull due to the dehydration. 

Origins Maskimiser Skin Optimizing Primer 95ml (full size) Worth £18.50

I have to admit, I probably wouldn't ever have bought this product but that's the beauty if you'll pardon the pun, of beauty boxes, they are a fabulous way of trying out products you wouldn't normally buy and it's brilliant that this is again a full size product. The mask is used by spritzing on the face to soften and hydrate the face so it is fully ready for the mask, this sounds like it will be brilliant for my skin and I'm hoping it adds a little more moisture, I am looking forward to trying it with all my face masks but especially the drink up intensive as both products are hydrating products. 

Origins By All Greens Deep Cleansing Mask 25ml (large sample size) Worth £11.42

This mask intrigued me the most I think out of all the products in the box as I have never used a foaming mask before. It is described as "green juice for the face" and contains green tea, spirulina and spinach in a clay base. It is best suited to dull or clogged complexions or after a heavy night as a morning after the night before mask. 

Origins Original Skin Mask 30ml (large sample size) Worth £6.90

In the information leaflet it states that I should have this in one of the Origins Mask Pods which are 10ml pods but I was pleased to see a 30ml large sample size instead, I'm not sure if everyone got a 30ml size of this or just a few people but it did say on the Latest In Beauty website when I ordered my box that some people would get larger surprise items so maybe this is one of those? The original skin mask contains rose clay and willow herb and also jojoba beans to exfoliate, it provides a deep cleanse and glow boost in one and sounds like it will be lovely for my skin. It is recommended for dry, oily or normal skins.

Origins Mask Pods 10ml Worth £2.50 Each

The first mask pod is the Clear Improvement mask, I have heard so many people talk about this mask and can't wait to give it a go, the pod masks are ideal for trying out different Origins masks and the clear improvement will be brilliant when I have breakouts and my complexion is playing up. It contains bamboo charcoal which acts as like a magnet to clogged pores and white china clay to absorb toxins and dissolve impurities to leave the skin looking and feeling clearer, it is suitable for normal, oily and dry skins. 

The next mask pod is the Out Of Trouble mask, ideal for oily skins, it contains zinc oxide and sulphur  plus camphor to soak up oil and get rid of dead skin cells, this mask is described as being good to prevent breakouts and help with oily patches, I don't think this mask will suit my skin but I'm sure I can find it a home. 

The last mask pod is another of the drink up intensive masks, as I said I love this product and having this pod is a great way for one of my friends to try the mask, I am always being asked by my friends and family for advice on skincare and beauty products so having the pod is brilliant because one of my friends or family members can try the drink up and see if they love it as much as I do. 

Those are all the products in the Mix & Mask box, there was also a £10.00 money off voucher too which is brilliant because I would love to try the Origins Mega Mushroom range but it is a little pricey so £10.00 off is brilliant. 

Overall Thoughts

Overall I am super happy with the box, 2 full size products and deluxe/large sample sizes is fantastic and even the smaller sample sizes will contain enough product for more than one use, the mask pods are also a brilliant idea, the box has given me the ability to try out a lot of different Origins products, some of which I wouldn't ever have picked up, I am extremely happy with the box and can't wait to try all the products and I will of course have review posts on all the items in the box. 

The value of the box is £85.02 which is incredible considering I paid £20.00 including delivery for the box, I am so happy with my box and it's contents and can't wait for the next box that Jane releases as they are always brilliant, keep an eye out on her blog for the next one, you won't be disappointed and her blog is an excellent read and one of my favourites anyway, so I highly recommend you check it out even if you're not interested in the beauty boxes. 

Thank you Jane for an outstanding box, I am now off to dive into the box and try my first face mask! 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x

A HUGE Beauty Haul - High End And Drugstore

Hello Lovelies 

I have recently been doing some beauty shopping so I thought it was only right for me to share with you what I have bought, I have a ton of beauty products to show you, some high end and some drugstore, so without further ado, I shall crack on with my haul post. 

I will have review posts of all the items shown in today's haul post coming soon. 

Boots

The first thing I picked up from Boots is the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes shampoo. Despite me having the same colours on my hair when having my hair dyed for the last few years, recently my hair decided to play up and become very warm looking, my sister who is also my hairdresser thinks it is all due to my medication and has been gradually changing the colour of tint I have and using toners on my hair and is looking a lot more ashy now but she also suggested I use a shampoo to help the process along a bit. I have been using the Evoke Silver Shampoo but I spotted the Lee Stafford one when I was in Boots recently and it was on offer, my friend Khila has often spoken about this shampoo and how much she loved it when she had blonde hair so I thought I'd give it a go, it was and still is on offer too, so even better. You can find the shampoo HERE for £4.66 (was £6.99) 

The next thing I picked up from Boots was the Maybelline Master Contour V Shape, this is a contour and highlight stick with one side for contour and one side for highlight, I saw this on Liza's you tube channel and thought it looked interesting and easy to use so I thought I'd give it a try. I picked up the shade light, you can find the contour v shape HERE for £6.99, Maybelline are currently buy one get one half price. 

Maybelline was on and still is on a buy one get one half price promotion so I also picked up the Colour Show 60 seconds nail polish in Rose Chic as well as the contour v shape. Rose chic is a gorgeous rose gold glitter, this is a lovely polish and will look beautiful over so many different shades of polish and will look stunning as an accent nail I think, You can pick it up HERE for £3.99.

My next Boots purchase is another Khila enabled purchase, my friends do make me spend money don't they? I have seen Khila wear the Maybelline Colour Drama lip pencil in the shade In With Coral several times and it always looks stunning on her but I always forget to pick it up, so I made a bee line for it recently, unfortunately I didn't need anything else from Maybelline so couldn't take advantage of the offer again but never mind. In with Coral I'm sure will be right up my street, and I can't wait to wear it, you can find it HERE for £4.99. 

My next purchase is the Leighton Denny Large Crystal Nail File and is something I bought on recommendation from one of my lovely blog readers, Victoria. I posted my currently loving, beauty favourites blog post or my faves, raves and not so funky's and my not so funky was some nail files or nail shapers which ever you prefer,  I was saying how rubbish they were and how I couldn't seem to find a decent nail file, Victoria tweeted me after reading my post and recommended the Leighton Denny nail file, she said she'd had hers years and said it was really good, so I decided to pick one up for myself. The nail file was expensive I'm not going to lie, and I have never spent so much on a nail file but if mine lasts 6 years then it will be cheaper in the long run that spending a few pounds on nail files every few weeks. You can find the nail file HERE for £15.50 or the small Crystal Nail File HERE for £12.50. 

I also picked up another Essie Gel Couture top coat and another of the Gel Couture polishes in the shade Signature Smile which is a gorgeous pink, it is shown in the image above but for some reason I don't have a photograph of it alone which is a complete blogger fail! You can pick the polish up HERE on the Boots website, where Essie Gel Couture polishes are currently 2 for £15.00 .

Lastly from Boots is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in the shade taupe, this was a gift from my daughter Cole, she uses the NYX micro brow pencil on both herself and her clients and as a professional makeup artist she really likes them and I've been struggling with my brows recently so she thought I might like to try the pencil, you can find it HERE for £7.00.

Superdrug

I picked up the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover from Superdrug recently, this is a re purchase and is a product I will continue to re purchase as it is so good, I reviewed it on my blog a couple of years ago and still use it now, a bottle lasts a long time, in fact the bottle I am currently about to finish is the same bottle I reviewed on my blog back in 2013 which gives you an indication of how long it lasts considering both myself and my daughter Lissy use it regularly. It is so easy to use and extremely effective and I cannot recommend it highly enough, I paid £6.99 for mine in Superdrug but can't find it on their website to link for you, but I have found it cheaper on Amazon so worth checking on there.

Amazon

I have wanted the shade Cotton Candy by Orly for such a long time but it is quite hard to track down, so when I found it on the Amazon website, I snapped it up. It looks like such the perfect shade for me and has been a shade I have wanted for a while after seeing someone wearing it, I am so pleased I now have it in my collection, you can find it HERE for £8.54. 

George At Asda Beauty

Another Khila enabled purchase is the nail polish from George at Asda beauty in the shade Exposed, if I hadn't seen Khila wear this I probably wouldn't ever have picked it up, but it looked so lovely on her that I really wanted to try it for myself, it is a lovely peachy/pinky/nude shade and something I am hoping will look lovely all year round. Unfortunately I cannot find a link for the polish but it is available in store for £3.99. 

Estee Lauder

I have wanted to try the Estee Lauder Micro Essence skin treatment lotion for a while but the hefty price tag has always put me off, the reviews for it are incredible but I haven't been able to justify the price, as you know my eldest daughter is a professional makeup artist and because of her career she is entitled to some amazing brand discounts, one of those brands is Estee Lauder and my lovely daughter kindly bought me the Micro Essence as she was able to purchase it for £30.00 instead of it's usual £68.00, she knows I have wanted to try it for a long time and surprised me with it earlier this month, I was blown away by her kindness and cannot wait to try it and see if it not only lives up to it's hype, but also it's price tag. You can find the Micro Essence by Estee Lauder HERE for £68.00 for 150ml.

So those are all the items I recently picked up, that really was a big haul! I will of course be reviewing all the items shown in today's haul, but if there is a product you would like to see me review sooner rather than later, please let me know in the comments. Also please let me know which is your favourite item I picked up or the item you're most interested in hearing my thoughts on and if you have tried any of the items and what you think of them, I love chatting with you in the comments section below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x 

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