Umberto Gianini Glam Hair Product Review :)

Hey everyone! :)
today, i am going to be reviewing some umberto gianini products, in particular the 'glam hair' range. umberto gianini products are available from boots, i don't know about superdrug and i'm not sure if they're available in the USA or other countries, sorry!
a direct link to the glam hair products is here: http://www.boots.com/en/Umberto-Giannini/Glam-Hair/?cm_re=c9094_rot2-_-content-_-back_comb_feature&cm_sp=brand_treatment-_-c9094-_-c9094_rot2
all of these products retail for £5.61 each :)
DISCLAIMER: at the bottom of the page :)

to make things easy, i'll go from l-r in the picture :)

sex bomb massive mouse - i haven't tried many volumising mousses because i don't really like the feeling in your hair when it's all bunched together and stiff, but this is a pretty good one. i really only use it when i'm going out, but when i use it it's good. it does leave that feeling in your hair, but what i do is apply it to the roots and the top of my hair, let it settle for a bit, brush my hair then towel dry it and even without blow drying my hair it leaves my hair more volumised than before. i have blow dryed my hair with it in and unfortunately it didn't do much. it works better when i towel dry it. i would purchase this again and i give it a 3.5/5. :)

morning after dry shampoo - this is deffinately my favourite out of all the products! not only does it smell amazing (as do all of the products,) it's the best dry shampoo i've ever used. it's WAY better than batiste in my opinion! it absorbs the dirt in your hair extremely well, and it is also extremely good at adding volume to your hair (in my opinion better than the volumising mouse, but i would reccommend the mouse!) and is just a great all round product. i give it a 5/5.

backcomb in a bottle - this is where my love for the umberto gianini products stops. i really, really don't like the backcomb in a bottle. i thought it would give me instant volume, it doesn't. it made my hair look like it hadn't been brushed for days, which isn't a look i like. it also made my hair really sticky and hard. i used it by lifting up the top layer of my hair, spraying underneath, 'shooshing' it (couldn't think of a better way to describe it :P) and it was meant to add volume underneath but it didn't. i also tried applying it straight to my roots, and again it made it look like my hair hadn't been brushed. can't say i like it at all! i give it a 1/5.

rock 'n' roll extreme hairspray - right, okay, i don't COMPLETELY hate this product, like i did the last one, but it's not my favourite product of the bunch. i can imagine it would be an really high hold hairspray, but when i first used it, and what kind of put me off, is the fact that when you spray it in the product just sort of sits on your hair wet, and takes atleast about 3 minutes to settle. the hold's good, but i wouldn't buy it again. i'll give it a 2.5/5

glamour puss crystal mist - well i can't say much about this product because i haven't used it. it's basically spray in glitter, and i'm not really a fan of glitter. but i have sprayed it on my hand, and it was a kind of orange colour, i tried to take a picture but my camera wouldn't pick up the colour & i don't know if it stays that colour in your hair. i'll give it a rating purely on first impressions - 1/5, and thats just because i don't really like glitter in my hair and it was shockingly orange. :)

so, overall, i'm not really a fan of these products. i LOVE the dry shampoo and would deffinately buy it again, i would buy the volumising mousse again probably just so i have it but i wouldn't buy any of the other products.

thanks for reading!
maddie
xx

My Skincare Routine :)

hey everyone!
today i'm gonna do a post on my skincare routine, because i know a lot of people like to see what other people use, and it's good for recommendations :)
i'm gonna split it into 3 sections - what i use in the morning, what i use at night and what i use occasionally :)
i'll give you a bit of info on my skin. i have normal/combination skin. i get quite an oily t-zone, and i have normal cheeks which can get dry sometimes. i've never had problems with acne, i get the odd spot here and there, but my main problem is blackheads which i have a lot of on my chin and around my mouth. i also get a lot of redness, especially around my nose, but i haven't found a product that helps that yet.

i'll start with what i use in the morning :)

clean and clear blackhead clearing daily scrub: this is the best thing of all. i love this - would never be without it! it's oil free, so doesn't add anything i don't need and it has loads of beads in so i'm not using one bead to scrub one side of my face if you get me! the cream in it does a really good job of removing excess oil, and it reduces the visability of your blackheads which is GREAT. 5/5!

simple replenishing rich moisturizer: this is my second favourite thing in my skincare routine! i didn't think i'd get on with it at first because it doesn't say that it's oil free or anything, but it's a really good moisturizer! it leaves my skin leaving really soft, and is an excellent base for makeup. again, 5/5!

next, what i use at night:

face wipes: well, face wipes are face wipes! i use them to take off my makeup and if i'm not wearing any makeup i use them to remove any dirt and bacteria. i'm not going to give them a rating because they all do the same job :)

ponds cold cream cleansing cream: i think i'd like this better if it was made for my skin type, i think it was made for more dryer skin types. that said, it does leave my skin feeling really soft. it also does a really good job at removing makeup. i apply it to dry skin then use a hot flannel to remove it, because that's meant to give you a 'deep cleanse.' it's alright, but not my favourite, i'll give it a 3 and a half/5

nivea pure and natural cleansing toner: i really like this! there's not much to say really because it's just a toner, but it has no silicones, parabens or anything like that. i use it after the cleanser, and it does a good job of getting any dirt or makeup that i've missed. it's a 4/5 for me

finally, things i use occassionally:

avon solutions pm maximum moisture: i use this night cream when my cheeks are dry, and obviously at night because its supposed to give 'maximum moisture.' it's okay, it does give a little bit of moisture but not as much as i'd expect from the name. i'll give it a 3/5

avon clear skin pore perfection clay mask: i put this in the blog to say that i do use a mask sometimes. this mask isn't my favourite, for my skin it doesn't really do that much. doesn't make it that much softer either. i deffinately prefer either lush fresh face masks or those ones you can get anywhere in the little sachets with the person on the front wearing the mask. i'll give it a 2/5

so thats my skin care routine! i hope it gave you ideas if you have a similar skin type to me :)

please read!

from now on, i'm going to try and do a blog post every other day because i won't have time to do as many a day as i'm doing now. i have loads of exams coming up so i'll be revising for them. like i said, i'll try and do one every other day, but if i miss one day, sorry!

thanks!

maddie

xx



maddie the bookworm - its a long one!

hey everyone!

firstly, this two posts a day thing will most probably not be continuing for much longer. i've been on half term so i've been able to set this blog up and do a couple of posts a day and stuff, but when i go back i have one week in school, work experience & then straight into exams (woo.) so the posts won't be coming so thick and fast but i'll try my best to get some up as quickly as possible :)

SOOO
i thought i'd do a post on books i love reading! i am a complete and utter bookworm, i love to read! i usually read before i go to sleep but i will read if i have any free time when not on the laptop. also, i'm a BIG girly girl when it comes to reading, i love to read 'chick flicks.' i do want to try and branch out and read other things, but when on ebay (cheap and cheerful!) looking for books, i find myself drifting towards the girly ones...

these are some of my favourite reads. the luxe, angus thongs and full frontal snogging and the secret dreamworld of a shopaholic are all the first in a series. i'm currently on the second book in the luxe series.
i love along for the ride by sarah dessen, and she has other books out like this so i think when i've finished the luxe i'll have to have a look at those!
i read the angus thongs and full frontal snogging books before i watched the film and, compared to the books, the filmed sucked in my opinion. and it makes me cringe - some of the things the say, oh dear. but i do like to drool at dave the laugh so i will watch it again and again ;) i haven't seen the time travelers wife film, but i don't want to watch it because the book is absolutely amazing and i don't want to spoil it haha!
and as for the secret dreamworld of a shopaholic books well, they've gotta be the funniest series of books i've read! love them. becky bloomward's whole life makes me giggle! and i love the film aswell, which is called confessions of a shopaholic.


if you have any recommendations for books, leave a comment! :)

maddie
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FOTD :)

hey everyone! :)
thought i'd do a 'face of the day' for you today.. don't know why just thought i would haha xD

maybelline dream matte mouse foundation - shade 'nude'
natural collection pressed powder - shade 'cool'
dusting of bronzer on cheeks and down neck (sorry, i don't know what brand or anything!) picture above :)
avon 8 in 1 palette (eyes) - 'neutral tones'
avon quad (eyebrows) - nocturnal (limited addition)
maybelline gel liner
collection 2000 xxl volume sensation mascara

comment if you want a review on anything!

maddie
x

20 Questions Tag

hey everyone!

today I'm going to do the 20 questions tag - my first tag! hehe. i love reading and watching people do tags and i think it's a good way of getting to know people :)

so lets get into it..

1. Thing you cannot leave the house without?

my phone, ipod & camera :)

2. Favourite brand of makeup?

hmm.. i like the natural collection - cheap and cheerful! but i also like rimmel and maybelline
3. Favourite flower?
lillies - love them!
4. Favourite clothing store?

even though there isn't one where i live, i love h&m. i would say primark but i'm not being funny, it's got a bit expensive for the quality! and if i fancy a splurge then obviously topshop :)

5. Favourite perfume?
oooh.. er.. sarah jessica parker nyc & britney spears midnight fantasy - both lush!
6. Heels of flats?
FLATS! flats all the way. i'm a girl who loves comfort - i won't wear something just because it looks good, it has to be comfy too if you get me!
7. Do you make good grades?
erm yeah.. well i like to think i do! i work hard at school :)
8. Favourite colours?
i like neutral colours like cream and light brown and that, but i also love that apple green sort of colour :)
9. Do you drink energy drinks?
occasionally.. either if i'm on a trip or if they're on offer! i think my favourite is rockstar.. love it!
10. Do you drink juice?
only really at breakfast.. other than that i either drink water or fizzy!
11. Do you like swimming?
NO. no no no. unless i'm holiday. i hate swimming in england & love swimming abroad haha, and once i'm in a pool i'm in there for hours!
12. Do you eat fries with a fork?
yeah, i'll eat everything with a fork. people take the pee out of me because i eat pizza with a knife and fork hehe :3
13. Favourite moisturizer?
simple kind to skin replenishing moisturizer
14. Do you want to get married later on in life?
yeah i'd love to :)
15. Do you get mad easily?
well, i usually bottle up anger, but i get really easily annoyed and i'll be the first to admit i'm easy to wind up haha :)
16. Are you into ghost hunting?
can't say i am! never really been into it, i ain't afraid of no ghost!
17. Any phobias?
er, i have things that i really don't like, like insects. but no phobias. but i do have this thing against swollen things on your body (oo-er) like if you've broken something and its swelled up, it makes me feel sick! ooh, i don't like lightening either, but i don't think they're phobias because i can put up with them
18. Do you bite your nails?
nope
19. Have you ever had a near death experience?
i set my hair on fire once! (not on purpose) i was in my cousins room, and used to have really long hair and he had a candle on his window sill and i was trying to put dvd in the dvd player and my hair swung into the candle. not fun times. i don't know if that's a near death experience?
20. Do you drink coffee?
no i don't like it :( but it's one of those things i want to like!

Maybelline Gel Liner Review

Hey dolls! Today I'm going to be reviewing the gel liner by Maybelline :)

In my opinion, there aren't many good drugstore gel liners (just my opinion - don't shoot me down!) I've tried the sleek one, and it resulted in me looking like a panda at the end of the day. It was terrible - I love sleek but their gel liner is a no no for me!

So when the advert for the Maybelline gel liner, I got slightly excited because, I'm not gonna lie, I can't afford to blow money on a Mac gel liner (how I wish I could!)

I flippin love it!!!

Seriously though, I love this gel liner.

It doesn't budge all day and is pretty high quality! When i first got it, I used the brush it comes with, but I switched to an angled brush because i preferred it. My only issue with the brush is that it's kind of the shape of an eyeshadow brush so is quite thick, but I'm sure if you play around with it you'll find a line thickness that suits you :)

It retails at £7.99 which I think is brilliant considering it's quality.

GO BUY IT NOW!

Maddie

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