dry shampoo - just for lazy girls or a life saver?

What's the longest you've gone without washing your hair? I've managed 4 days before and it wasn't that bad...Don't get me wrong, i love the feeling of freshly washed hair - but it's good to give your hair a break from styling products and let your natural hair oils do there thing.

I know some of my friends say they need to wash their hair everyday(who has the time?!). I must confess, I'm not one that kind girl. I think dry shampoo is one of the best beauty inventions, after concealer obvs. A quarter of all British women use dry shampoo and it's been around since the Victorian times. Dry shampoo isn't just for those lazy girls moments when you want an extra 20 minutes in bed; they are now seen as an essential styling product. I use mine to disguise roots or too add a little extra oomph.

Some people see dry shampoo as a life saver, where as others will turn their nose up at it. With DS accounting for 3% of shampoo launches last year and the rise of dry conditioner (no,really!) i think it is here to stay. Plus anything that gives you an extra half hour in bed is always a good thing.

Best Volume
John Frieda's newest collection is target towards fine hair. I found this did help to add volume however, the fine powder did leave a gritty texture in my hair.
Best for Blondes 
My favourite brand of dry shampoo has to be Batiste. This one has a yellow tint to match blonde hair. I find this soaks up the most without having to spray a lot.

Best Scent
So...? are more well known for their fragrences but they recently launched a range of dry shampoo. This one is Floral & Flirty which leaves your hair smelling florally. I found you do have to use quite a lot compared to other brands but this is a good budget buy.


Are you a lover or hater of dry shampoo? Would love to hear your thoughts!

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Spellbound Nails New Releases!

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday, but I was very, very busy putting tons of new polishes in my Etsy Shop. I released 18 new polishes. Two of these polishes can also be bought as a duo and another three as a trio. There were also 2 limited edition polishes; one is still available. All in all, there were 20 new listings added to my shop yesterday. Here are just a few of them! :)

I couldn't be more excited about this duo; Eat, Drink, and Be Alice. I always planned to add on to my Alice in Wonderland collection. This time taking my inspiration from places other than the characters. I just had to take inspiration from the cakes that make you grow and the potion that makes you shrink. Meet Upelkuchen and Pishsalver. Each polish will come with its own tag wrapped around the neck of the bottle. The Upelkuchen will tell you to 'Eat Me' and the Pishsalver will tell you to 'Drink Me'. ($14.50)

Since Upelkuchen is essentially cake, even if it is a magical cake that makes you grow, I decided to do a confetti cake batter style polish. The base is lightly tinted cream and holds various sizes and colors of glitter. ($8.00)

I wanted Pishsalver to have a dreamy quality so I used all white glitter in various sizes. ($8.00)

Also available is Checkmate. Checkmate was inspired by the large chessboard where the final battle took place. It has large white squares and smaller black squares, because a chessboard isn't a chessboard if it isn't square. ($8.00)

Sucker Punch is a bruised up polish of matte purple and blue hex glitter, glittery green dots, and large black dots. ($8.00)

The Dot Dot Dot Collection is a trio of polishes filled with more dots than you'll know what to do with. The dots take center stage accompanied by smaller hex glitters, most of them holographic, to give you insane coverage and sparkle. They can be bought as a trio for $22.00 or individually (Drunk on Dots, Dot Party, Do The Polka Dot) for $8.00 a bottle.

Feeling Royal is a limited edition deep purple holographic that has an awesome nearly duo-chrome look to it as it flashes and flares blue. It's companion, Ashes to Ashes, sold out very quickly. As I type this there are only 2 bottles of this little beauty left. ($8.00)

Cucumber Melon has green and melon green dots suspended in a golden green base. It just looks so cool and refreshing to me, and I think it makes the perfect spring/summer polish. ($8.00)

Sunny Side Up is a color of polish you just don't see enough of in my opinion. A light creamy orange with yellow, orange, and white hex glitters. ($8.00)

Watermelon Seeds is another polish that is perfect for summer. All I could think of while mixing up this one is eating cool watermelon on a hot summer day. In the days before seedless watermelons, where my older brothers insisted you had to spit the seeds out or you'd grow a watermelon in your belly! ($8.00)

The last one I'm going to share with you is Lilac You. This is my take on 'I Like You'. Seriously, put the emphasis on LI-lac You and tell me it doesn't sound like I Like You. Lilac You is a light creamy lilac with a very subtle shimmer, only seen when the light hits it just right. ($8.00)

Head over to my Etsy Shop to see the rest of the new releases.

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Disney Challenge: Tarzan

Another post for the Disney Challenge. This one is for Tarzan. It is so far outside the box I'm not even sure it really counts.

I don't actually remember much of this movie, but what I do remember was wanting more than anything as a kid to be able to swing from the vines and climb and slide around on the trees like Tarzan. So, I did tree bark nails. Like I said, so far outside the box I don't even know if it counts. But they were so fun to create, and I really like how they turned out. :)

Up next in the Disney Challenge: Lady and the Tramp

Next up on the blog will be nail art for the Time Periods Challenge: Renaissance Era

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Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox: Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This will be my last post for the Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox. I will of course continue to use my products, but with this review of Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer this is an ending. 

I held off on this review until last because I honestly wasn't sure what I was going to say. Would I give it a good review or a bad review?? I just didn't know. It has its good points, but it does have down sides. Though what product doesn't?

One of those downsides is their big seller. The new continuous spray nozzle. It's a nice idea, but you hold it 4 inches from your skin and spray. Moisturizer comes spraying out in a steady, slightly foamy stream and some of it is going to miss your arm or leg or whatever else you're spraying. This means you do not want to be anywhere near ... well ... anything. My first use got moisturizer all over the side of my television as it shot around my arm. Also, you really don't want to use it around hardwood or tiled floors as they will become insanely slippery!

Overall, kind of messy.

You can see the moisturizer here on my arm, partially rubbed in. I really wish you could smell this because it is yummy! Definitely a good point! The other good points? It's not greasy. It dries quickly; I wouldn't say in seconds but quickly. And it really does leave my skin insanely soft.

Does that make up for the messiness of the sprayer? Now you see why I left this review so long. I finally decided that Vaseline Spray & Go will be perfect, essential even, for the beach in August. It will also be great for those days I'm in a horrible hurry and want to be out the door quickly. That said, I will be reaching for my usual moisturizer when I have the time.

Still, don't take my word for it. I definitely recommend you read reviews from other Influensters here and make up your own mind.

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox: Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hello again! Here is my review of Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes. That's a mouthful!

I told you when I got this box this was the one thing I was hesitant to use. My skin is very sensitive to change. The littlest thing can cause a breakout or dry patches. However, these things work beautifully! I do recommend using a moisturizer after using one of these towelettes since I've heard witch hazel can be very drying, but I haven't had any breakouts or dry patches since I started using these and my box is nearly gone!!

Here is the packet containing the towelette. These are all nicely stacked inside the box for easy grabbing. Each packet tells you that Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel is oil free, non-drying, and for all skin types. It will gently remove dirt, oil, and impurities while eliminating shine with botanical extracts. It's a gentle formula with a touch of aloe.

The back goes more in depth on the benefits of witch hazel; listing that it refines pores, removes & controls oil, soothes irritation, and locks in moisture. Be warned that these towelettes have a very strong scent. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but once I got over how strong it is I actually find it has a pleasant scent.

My favorite part? They remove makeup beautifully!! They are so much better than my makeup wipes. I have to rush through cleaning my face with my makeup wipes because they dry out so quickly. But Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes are nearly soaking when you pull them out of the packet, and they stay wet long after I'm done! Do be careful cleaning around your eyes; it'll sting a little if you get some of the witch hazel in them.


I even use these when I'm not wearing makeup, and I have to tell you ... I realized very quickly that my face isn't as clean as I think. These towelettes pick up some major yuck! They're not lying; the interlocking mesh really does pick up and trap dirt and oil, and the spun lace fibers really do clean deep into pores.

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox: Nectresse

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I told you I was going to try to get through these reviews quickly. :) This one is for Nectresse. 

Nectresse No Calorie Sweetener is from the makers of Splenda. It's made from 100% natural ingredients. The main one being monk fruit. Fruit is naturally sweet so it's a great way to sweeten foods. The monk fruit is an amazing little fruit. It is naturally 150 times sweeter than sugar without all the calories!!

The Nectresse website explains how the monk fruit is used to make their sweetener. They pick the monk fruit fresh from the vine. The fruit is crushed to release its sweet extract. The crushed fruit is then soaked in hot water to extract all the sweetness. They filter the monk fruit infused water and then it's dried to create monk fruit extract. Finally, this extract is mixed with other natural sweeteners to create Nectresse!

I don't use much sugar in my everyday life to be honest; certainly not in my coffee or tea! I struggled to find something to sweeten that I didn't have to bake since I am trying to fit into my swimsuit this year. Thankfully, one of my Holiday VoxBox brand prizes arrived the other week. Quaker sent me a box of some of their best products. Included in this was some really cute heart shaped Cheerio-style cereal.

Eating this was surprising. I'm not sure what I expected. I guess another 'all natural' sweetener that left a horrible aftertaste all while not tasting like sugar. Again, I was surprised. First off, this tasted really sweet! But it was a good sweet. I actually thought it tasted very slightly fruity, like a good fresh peach. Not as great as real sugar, but so much better than the fake aftertaste of other sweeteners! Definitely the best alternative I've tried yet. That said, a full packet was just too sweet for me. I'll definitely be using only half the packet next time.

Don't take just my word on the goodness of Nectresse, check out what other Influensters are saying here.

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox: belVita Breakfast Biscuits

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Here is my review of the belVita Breakfast Biscuits that were included in my Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox.

There was one packet in my VoxBox, nicely wrapped in bubble wrap to keep the biscuits all in one piece. I thought this was very thoughtful of Influenster!

Opening the package shows four large biscuits. The reason I never purchased these before was only because I thought there were two biscuits inside, likely small, and probably not a great breakfast. I WAS WRONG! I have no problem admitting how wrong I was.

The biscuits are perfectly sized and to have four in the pack was amazing! The biscuits are designed to be your breakfast and to give you continuous energy throughout the morning. They are made with a whole grain blend of rolled oats and rye flakes making them a good source of fiber and B-Vitamins which help you convert food to energy. Even better: they have NO high fructose corn syrup, NO partially hydrogenated oils, and NO artificial flavors or sweeteners.

You can see the whole grains in this close-up. They give these biscuits a wonderful texture. They have just the right amount of crunch without being too hard. I also found them just the right amount of sweet too. I'm not a doughnut for breakfast kind of girl; I'm actually not a breakfast person at all. I hate all the ultra sweet breakfast foods and tend to just skip it all together, so this was perfect for me.

Coffee and belVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits have become my normal breakfast now, and my body couldn't be happier with me!

PS: They also make a great snack! :)

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox: Colgate Optic White

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hey everyone! Welcome to the first review of my Influenster Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox. I'm running a little behind with this box, but I'll get them all up quickly.

See this smile? What could possibly make me smile so big?? Okay, so it's not my real smile, but I couldn't smile big enough on my own to really get my feelings across. :)

This review is for Colgate Optic White. In this VoxBox was a Colgate Optic White toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash.

The toothbrush is the Optic White 360 with whitening cups and polishing bristles. What does this mean exactly? Have a look for yourself.

Here is a closeup of the brush. You can see that the bristles form cups that will fit around your teeth. You can also see the odd little polishing bristles, or what I assume are the polishing bristles. They're not exactly bristles, looking more like little white sponges to me.

On the back is a tongue and cheek scraper. There's really not much to say about this. Good to have but kind of yucky to talk about.

On the opposite end, the handle has nice ridges to make sure you get a comfortable and firm grip.

And smack dab in the middle is a rubber cushion on both sides, again to aid in a better grip. A better and more comfortable grip means a better brushing experience. The last thing I want when I'm trying to brush my teeth is my fingers slipping around on a wet handle so in my mind so these are perfect additions.

The last toothbrush picture I have for you is one with toothpaste. You can see that the bristles don't just cup your teeth, they cup the toothpaste too. No yucky running; the toothpaste you put on your brush actually makes it into your mouth and onto your teeth!

Next up is the toothpaste. I actually already used this toothpaste before receiving it in my VoxBox, so that has to say something about my love for it. When we first started buying this I actually hated it. Not because it didn't whiten or because it tasted bad but because it is such a strong toothpaste! The first time you use it it will likely knock you off your feet. It's probably not a toothpaste for everyone, but I'm one of those people who like to know my mouth is clean. And this toothpaste lets me feel it, taste it, and just know.

And the mouthwash? I love the mouthwash. It's crystal clear, tastes really sweet, and as it starts to foam it turns minty to leave my mouth minty fresh. Why did I stay away from foaming mouthwash all these years? I have no ideas because it's pretty darn awesome!

In the end, I think these products are great. I'm a heavy coffee drinker; I can't live without my coffee fix (multiple times a day). Sadly, this leaves a great deal of staining on my teeth which leaves me very self-conscious. I've noticed a big difference in the amount of staining left behind while using Colgate Optic White. They work beautifully together. I didn't get the same amount of whitening using just the toothpaste as I do when using all three together.

So, would I recommend them: YES! But don't just take my word for it; see what other Influensters are saying here.

*All products were sent to me for testing purposes, completely complimentary, from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Disney Challenge: 101 Dalmatians

Another Disney Challenge mani. This one is for 101 Dalmatians. What a great movie!

I've been hoarding this idea for about 2 years. It's been sitting in my Book of Nail Art just waiting to be done. That's what I love about this challenge. It's letting me do all these old ideas.

The idea behind this one was mostly Cruella de Vil and some fake puppy fur clothing, because the last thing we want her to have is real puppy fur clothing!! :)

Next up: Tarzan

Until next time.

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Time Periods Challenge: Imperial China

Welcome to another Time Periods Challenge post. This one is for Imperial China.

Here is my pretty poor attempt at creating the Great Wall of China on my nails for this part of the challenge. At war with nomadic tribes, the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered a defensive wall be built. This wall would later become the start of the Great Wall. All in all, little of the defensive wall he had built to stop the attacks of the other tribes still stands today, but it's still pretty darn impressive that something started so long ago still stands in one form or another!

Next up in this challenge: Renaissance Era.

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