3 Hair Products you need to pack for your Holidays!

Hi my Loves,

Tonight I want to go through 3 products for your hair that I highly recommend including in your suitcase when you're jetting off on holidays! 

How I style my shorter hair | Beachy, Messy Waves

Hi my Loves,

Recently, I took the plunge and got the hair chopped - it was WELL over due believe me!

My hair just looked sad basically, it wasn't that it was damaged or even dry; it was just looking blankety and shapeless - and generally wasn't doing my face shape any justice. I ended up getting about 8- ish inches off which is quite a bit, especially as my hair was long. I've actually had loads of questions about the cut I got and it basically falls just above my chest and there are lots of layers because I wanted lots of volume and movement - I wanted that I rolled out bed and my hair just looks like this type of look. My inspo picture that I took in was actually of Chantel Jeffries (you can find her on Instagram) and I was just OBSESSED with her hair. I got my hair done in Pelo Hairdressing in Newbridge; I've been gone there the past year and half and I won't let anyone else touch my hair now - I just always love how it turns out and that's so important.

So as always when you get a new hairstyle you have to get to grips with how you like wearing it and how you want to style it. When styling my hair Khloe Kardashian & Chrissy Teigan are what I use for inspiration - their hairstylist is Jen Atkins and she gives amazing hair tips. They both rock that messy, beachy look and I just love that.

All images of Khloe are from @khloekardashian on  instagram

So here is what you will need:
- Volumising mousse (I use 
- Heat Protecting spray
- Curl promoter (only if your hair is basically straight like mine)
- 25mm curling tongs
- Dry shampoo
- Hairspray

Got2b Twisted Curling mousse here & VO5 Plump it up Backcombing spray here

L'Oreal Creme de Mousse (Volume & strong hold) here, L'Oreal Heat Styling spray (3 day volume) here , L'Oreal Elnett Precious oil extra strength hairspray here

1. I add the volumising mousse to my roots & the curling mousse I have to the ends when it is wet, this is just to help my hair take a curl better because it is not naturally wavy.
2. Next I apply my heat protector spray.
3. I divide my hair into 3 sections and then your fringe or bangs if you have them.
4. I start off by curling the bottom layer first. The technique is simple once you get the hang of it - you want to work your way around each section, curling each piece if hair in alternating directions and leaving the bottom 3 inches of each piece uncurled. E.G. curl the first section of hair closest to your face in the direction away from your face -wrap the hair around the barrel but leave the end 3 inches out, wait 10-15 seconds and release the curl. Next piece of hair in the section, take it and wrap it around the curling tongs only this time curl it in the direction facing towards your face. Leave the end 3 inches of your hair loose whilst curling same as above.
5. Repeat the same steps for each section & remember after you release each curl give it a scrunch in your hand before you move on to the next piece.
6. If & when you come to your fringe area, curl these pieces in the same way as above but make sure they face in the direction away from your face to flatter it the best.
7. Back comb any sections you feel need more volume and add dry shampoo to the roots if you want even more volume
8. Use the hairspray to keep it all in place.

I HOPE THIS ALL MADE SENSE!!!! 

I know it is so hard when I can't show you on video but hopefully you all get what I mean and I helped those of you wondering how I do my hair.

With Love from,

Rebekah x

L'Oreal Infallible Total Cover Foundation | Review

Hi my Loves,

I hope you are all well! 

Today's post is all about L'Oreal's newest foundation - The Total Cover Foundation.

If you follow me on snapchat (it is @rebekahwithlove if you don't!) I am sure that you've already  heard me speaking about this foundation & how it is the best thing since sliced bread BUT I wanted to write a more in-depth review because I've still had a lot of questions on it plus, not everyone is a snapchat fan!

The Foundation claims

(This is from boots.com website)

"Discover Infallible Total Cover Foundation for a flawless, full coverage base that lasts up to 24 hours. The zero compromise, camouflage formula covers everything from blemishes, redness and tattoos without the overload, while the matte finish leaves you with an even, shine-free base.

No compromise. No transfer. No overload"

You can buy it from here or here and it retails for roughly €10.99.

Shade Range

 In the UK & Europe this foundation is available in 7 shades. (The US has a different bottle and different shade names.)

Could it have more shades? Yes most definitely. The lightest shade isn't all that light to be honest. I am an NC15 (with olive undertones) in MAC for reference and the lightest shade 9. light sand is actually a smidge too dark for me but I can make it work with a lighter concealer. There is only one shade for darker skin tones too which is a little disappointing.

These are the shades:

• 9 Light Sand
• 10 Porcelain
• 12 Natural Rose
• 21 Golden Sand
• 24 Golden Beige
• 32 Amber
• 33 Cappuccino  

Shades 9 Light sand & 21 Golden sand

Skin type best suited to?

I have normal/combination skin which leans more to slightly dry and dehydrated than it would to oily and this foundation sat on my skin perfectly. As I mentioned above, I think that this foundation will work for oily skin you just might need to powder your skin whereas I did not have to. As for dry skinned girls - this probably wouldn't be my first choice of foundation to recommend to you if your skin is extremely dry in terms of flaking or cracking etc. as it is a matte foundation in will cling to those dry areas. If you lean towards slightly dry that is nothing too drastic, this will work perfectly just make sure to moisturize before hand (as you should with every foundation BTW and prime if you want to.)

My Thoughts

This foundation has not left my face since I bought it almost 4 weeks ago - it has been the only foundation I have used since then and it is my new favourite even above my high end foundations!

 I initially bought the lightest shade first and then bought my tanning shade 21 Golden Sand I loved it that much. 
This foundation is incredibly full coverage, incredibly matte and incredibly long wearing (I've not ever worn a foundation for 24 hours in my life - but it lasted me 12-14 hours which is a dream) - all whilst still feeling light on your skin. It completely covered my blemishes and spots, my pores and my ridiculously dark under-eyes and left me with the option of using no concealer which I have never experienced before. I also did not have to use any powder as the matte finish sets itself and truly does not need to be set unless your skin leans oily and then probably only in the t-zone area anyway.

The best way to apply this foundation is with a buffing brush in my opinion and to work in sections of your face (e.g. Dab some on your right cheek and nose then blend it in, dab some on your left cheek then blend it in etc.) as it dries down quickly and can be hard to work with if your aren't quick enough with your blending - and once this sets, it is going NOWHERE.

If full coverage is not your thing this foundation is not for you - whilst it looks flawless on the skin it will look like you are wearing makeup, however it does not look heavy or cakey.

I am extremely impressed with this foundation - I did not expect to love it as much as I did and now I can't be without it!

I hope you guys found this review helpful! If there is anything else you would like me to review please let me know and I can look into it for you!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

L'Oreal Pure Clay facial masks | My Thoughts

Hi my Loves,

I hope that you all had an amazing weekend! Usually either every Sunday night or Monday night I like to do a little pamper session and maybe scrub off tan or apply some, use a nice body butter and do a face mask; and this is actually what prompted me to do this post!

For the past two months I have been trying out the L'Oreal clay masks - I have the Pure Clay Detox mask and the Pure Clay Glow mask. The Pure Clay Purity mask didn't appeal to me as it is aimed towards people with oily skin which is an issue I do not suffer from - I'm quite the opposite to this!

First off lets go through what each mask claims to do and I'll discuss my thoughts. These masks are aimed at the whole multi masking concept by the way, hence why if you've seen the ads you'll of seen some of the models with one or two on their faces.

On the L'Oreal website the description says:

Detox Mask: 

"Enriched with Black Charcoal which acts like a magnet to draw out impurities.

The creamy texture of this deep cleansing face mask detoxifies the skin’s surface and works deep into the pores, leaving the skin looking clarified and beautified."

Glow Mask:

 "Enriched with Red Algae extract, known for its brightening properties.

Finely milled apricot seeds gently exfoliate dull, uneven skin to reveal your natural glow.

It has a beaded, creamy texture which illuminates tone by exfoliating your skin without drying it out."

I just want to state I am a huge L'Oreal fan; L'Oreal is one of my favourite drugstore brands - I think they are leaps and bounds ahead of other brands you can get in Boots or Superdrug; however these masks just didn't do it for me unfortunately and I'm so sad to say this because I had such high hopes!

Something I feel drugstores/or chemists etc. brands lack is good face masks so when I heard about L'Oreal releasing masks, I basically rushed to get them. I got them on offer so I'm pretty sure I paid maybe €7 or €8 for each one but they usually retail at about €11.50.

Sadly though I am not a fan. The Detox one seemed very promising - I was hoping for a dupe of the GLAMGLOW super mud - but no.

(The thing I want to mention about detoxifying clay masks; GLAMGLOW supermud included is that they actually are meant to make your skin worse before it gets better. However I don't think companies divulge this correctly - in order to clarify your skin, they work by bringing impurities to the surface - so please do not use a detox mask before the weekend as you will most likely have some spots appear from nowhere. If you are very strict and use these types of masks ritually they work as there should eventually be nothing to bring to the surface but as a once off these are not recommended as a Friday night weekend prep mask.)

To start, The first two times I used it I didn't notice anything super positive or negative - my skin felt and looked clean, but a good cleanser can do the same. However, after the third time using it,this specific mask made my skin so bad. Bad like I've not seen it so bad since I was in school. I broke out in tiny little spots all over my forehead, t-zone and around my mouth - my skin was NOT happy and I want to point out I don't have sensitive skin nor has a detox mask done this to my face before. I found it to be super chemically, the smell alone gave that away. I know so many drugstore masks have chemical ingredients obviously but this one just seemed particularly so, and I didn't like that.

As for the glow mask, whilst this didn't break me out anymore - it irritated spots I already had and made them worse. And again the chemical smell of this was so unappealing again. The only thing I did like about this mask was the little beads which allowed for a gentle exfoliation and did make my skin a little brighter, but nothing to write home about sadly.

I have read quite a few reviews of these L'Oreal masks and going by these I was expecting these masks to be amazing, and I'm not trying to call myself a skin care expert or anything like that - but from my experience these are sadly not really what I would classify as wow amazing.

In my opinion, if you're on the look out for good, reasonably priced masks you are better off trying a 'Lush' face mask - both of the results these masks claim to give can be easily achieved through one of their face masks at a similar price but using fresh natural ingredients which actually do fulfill the products claims unlike the chemicals which seem like they should do something but really don't. 

I love you dearly L'Oreal , but sadly the Clay face masks are a miss from me.

With Love from,

Rebekah x

Five minute summer makeup look

Hello my loves,

I posted a picture on Instagram earlier today showing you my 5 minute look for when you needed to be ready 5 minutes ago! 

This is actually the story of my life; I do NOT do early mornings and I have a bad habit of over estimating the amount of time I have to get ready. I will lie in bed till the very last minute possible and then be in panic mode.

The products that I'm going to show you are all drugstore/chemist brands. (bar one product, but this isn't an essential part to the look to be honest so you can switch it up or leave it out, totally up to you!)

The aim of this look is to literally have it as fool proof as humanly possible - so you can basically do it half asleep - this was the most important thing to me!

Also in the summer with that clammy, humid weather I hate having thick makeup on because I feel like I am melting like a snow-cone the second I leave the house; I feel patchy and gross for the whole day then. So everything I am is using here is to keep the skin and face light, fresh and very natural - i.e. PEEERRFECT for summer!

Products

Primer: Makeup Revolution Aqua priming base (This is spray on primer and it feels so refreshing and cooling)

Foundation: Rimmel #InstaFlawless skin tint in light/medium (this is literally just a tint, it doesn't have any extra coverage to it, it will just even out your skin tone and give you a healthy finish. I wear this on its own and under foundations too)

Concealer: Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (This has a lovely serum texture so it doesn't feel cakey at all but it covers very well. I use this anywhere I need coverage)

Mascara: Soap & Glory Thick & Fast collagen mascara (my favourite trick to make your lashes look longer is t curl them beforehand - I know it seems time consuming but it literally takes less than 30 seconds and it gives you a wide awake look)

Lips: Huda Beauty Lip contour in 'Bombshell' and Maybelline Color sensation vivid matte liquid lipstick in 'Nude frill' (If you wanted the Huda Beauty lip contour in this shade and missed out - the Maybelline liquid lipstick is an absolute identical shade!)

Setting Spray:  Maybelline Super stay 24 hour setting spray (My tip for this is shake the bottle before you spray this, otherwise it can come out in very odd blobs..)

I did not do my eyebrows as mine are not a necessity when I'm in a rush but if you need to do your eyebrows quickly; I would recommend the L'Oreal brow artist sculpt product. It will tidy your brows and give a thicker appearance. 

If you have oily skin you can dust your face lightly with some translucent powder and then spray with the setting spray to remove the powdery texture.

I hope this was helpful! If you try any of my looks or use any tips let me know, I love to know that I've helped some of you! <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x

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My hair care heroes ♡

Hello my loves,

Let's talk hair today. 

If I'm honest, I'm hit & miss with my hair care routine - sometimes I'm really good with my leave in conditioners & heat defense sprays and then other times, let's face it I'm just that bit too lazy or tired. 

When I do slack with a good hair care routine I can really feel it in my hair by the texture and just the regular look of it. I feel my split ends are more visible & my hair tangles easier. 

My hair has had a rough life (queue the melodrama) - I've cut it every way you can imagine and I've also fell victim to bad extensions that basically left me with bald patches - my hair has also been double bleached in one sitting, not to mention that I've been dyed most colours now. I've put my hair through the wars I'm not kidding.

Finnnaallyyy though I have gotten my hair to it's total natural colour & it's starting to grow longer which I love. So now I'm all about keeping it long, healthy and shiny but still voluminous - I don't ask for much.

These are the products I now use very frequently to keep my hair in the best condition it can possibly be.

The Shampoo:

Mark Hill XXL Boost shampoo

Boots €9.99

Are you looking for a salon worthy collection of products with drugstore price tags? 

Then make Mark Hill your go to. I adore his hair care products. First off: the smell of them all is literally divine - but the quality is amazing. I'm a hair care whore (sorry, but it's true) I flit back and forth between shampoos and conditioners never being able to tell the difference usually, with the exception of his shampoo. I always return to Mark Hill products because they do what they say on the tin. This is the newest one of his shampoos that I'm loving and I love it because I really can both see & feel the volume.

The Conditioner:

Mark Hill MiracOILous nourishing conditioner

Boots: €9.99

Same situation as above. The smell, the quality, the doing what it says on the tin. The MiracOILous condition has been my go-to for the past 6-8 months and I can honestly say that can attribute my soft, nourished hair to this conditioner. I love it so much I've traveled an hour to a specific chemist to get it! I won't use anything else. I ran out a while back and had to use another to tie me over & I could notice the different straight away - my split ends were visible and my hair just felt dry and crispy. A few days later I returned to using this conditioner and the dryness disappeared - I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this conditioner. 

The hair mask:

HASK Argan oil Deep Conditioning hair treatment

Penneys/Primark/Ulta: Around €2.

So I've blogged about this before and you can check that out here. But this is my favourite hair mask OF ALL TIME, ever ever. When my hair was bleached I need something strong to bring it to good quality and this was when I stumbled upon this brand one day in Penneys. This made my bleached hair look like real hair once again. I can't describe what it does it's that good, it's the kind of see it to believe it product but I urge you to purchase this and I promise you won't regret it. This is a hair savior. It takes dry hair and makes it silky again.

The oil:

L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary oil

Boots: €12.99

Every single time I wash my hair this is the one product that I will add 2 pumps of always to my towel dried hair. This oil is my favourite of the ones that I have tried by far. Others leave like an oil residue on my hair, weighing it down because my hair strands are fine but this one doesn't do that. It literally just nourishes your hair. Added bonus is that the bottle lasts you FOREVER. I've been using this for 2 years and I have only used 3 bottles so there is the proof!

The mousse:

John Frieda Luxurious volume thickening mousse

Boots: €7.99

My favourite mousse to add both volume and hold when I curl my hair. I don't use this everyday but if I want my style to hold or if it's the weekend and I want nice hair I will always apply this to towel dry hair and blast my hair with the hair dryer upside-down. It doesn't leave your hair crunchy and you don't feel like you've loads of product in your hair making it greasy which I also love.

The something a little bit extra:

Lee Stafford Coco Loco Blow & Go Genius lotion

Boots: €9.99

I know that I keep referring to the smell of things but MY GOD - this smells divine. It basically smells like you're drinking a Pina Colada, on the beach in the Bahamas. I'm not totally sure what to describe this product as completely to be honest, basically the claims are:

• Conditions
• Improves shine
• Strengthens
• Helps repair damaged hair
• Nourishes
• Softens and smooths hair

It also claims to hold styles for longer. 

I can vouch; after using this for a month, that it does all of the above. It makes my hair look and feel in really good condition and whatever I choose to do with my hair - it holds it. I sometimes will use this, dry off my hair and pop it into a plait and in the morning my hair has proper defined waves that hold well. (this NEVER happens for my hair, I usually just get kinks from plaits!) I use this every time I wash my hair now, I am totally obsessed.

So these are my hair care heroes girls - I have been using these for months now so these are things that I know most definitely work and are very good products!

 I'm a beauty junkie so I try many things, but these are the heroes for me!

I hope you all enjoyed this post, I have another one coming over the weekend and it has a little something to do with Christmas......;)<3 So keep an eye out!

With Love From,

Rebekah x ♡