CHARLI B

A British Beauty, Lifestyle & Family Blog

Love The Sales Payday Wishlist

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Love The Sales Wishlist

MK Selma Medium Messenger Bag £110 | Mii Illuminating Face Base £21.95 | Miss KG Shelly Chain Boot £49.99

New Look Grey Cuffed Coat £22.50 | MK Continental Purse £91 | Kerastase Resistance Terapiste Duo £33.55

I’m quite lucky as this month I’m a little flush, so what a better way than to treat myself with some new things. I had a little search through Love The Sales because I’m all about getting a bargain and came across some great things. They are all things I really need, okay, well some are things I really need because I definitely don’t need a new handbag. I grabbed a gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff handbag last year in a Black Friday deal for near enough half price and it’s still as good as new.

I found the Michael Kors bag and purse in the Michael Kors sale with the bag being half price and the purse having a £39 discount which I think is fab. I already own a Michael Kors purse and its still going strong, the only problem with it is it’s white so it’s become a little discoloured over the years so I think it’s time I invested in a new one.

I am also so in love with Kurt Geiger shoes and Miss KG are no different, they don’t skimp on quality in their range and these boots are absolutely perfect for the colder weather. They were marked down to half price in the Kurt Geiger sale section, although there were so many boots that I fell in love with. I also knew that I needed a new coat and I had seen one I quite liked on another blog but I couldn’t remember where it was from or what blog it was. I thought I would just search through women’s coats and see if I could find something similar, I did and it was a beauty from New Look marked down to half price!. I actually love New Looks coats and have owned many of them before so I know that I shall be safe in the knowledge it will last me through all the cold weather we will be getting.

Lastly I spotted a beauty section and I cannot leave a site without checking out their beauty section, plus I knew I was in need of some new hair care as my hair has been looking and feeling a bit dead since I went back to brown. I then found the Kerastase shampoo and treatment at £12.45 off. I love Kerastase products and they really do wonders for my hair so this is going to be a definite purchase.

Finally I spotted the Mii Illuminating Face Base while still scouring the beauty section and I knew I had to have it. If you have read my previous review on the Mii Celestial Skin Shimmer then you will know that it is a brand that I really like and their products are absolutely fantastic. I have high hopes for this as I love a good product that can help you look glowy and lit from within, especially now that the weather is making my skin look a little drab.

One of the things I love so much about Love The Sales is that everything is there in one place, I didn’t have to go searching for on different websites and it gives me the cheapest prices meaning I get to save my pennies!.

*Via lovethesales

Cloud Nine Touch Straighteners & Octer

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Cloud 9 Straighteners Cloud 9 The White Touch Cloud 9 The Touch Straighteners

So, over the years I have owned so many pairs of straighteners. I have tried different styles, different makes and a whole host of different coatings that are meant to be good for your hair. Nothing could ever compare to my trusty GHD’s. Now, I’m not talking the ones you can get now, I’m talking about the very first pair I got back in around 2003/4. I still owned these until about 3 months ago when they died their final death, no repairs could save them. They had done me proud and served me well over the years, needing to be repaired once in that time.

I was straightenerless (is that even a word? It is now!) and devastated, as even though I don’t straighten my hair every day I need a good pair of straighteners to get my hair to how it needs to be. You see I have very curly hair, and if you want to see how curly just look at this rare curly-haired (drunk) Instagram picture.

Luckily I was able to borrow Tapangas’ straighteners to tide me over until I found a pair I really wanted, another pair of GHD’s I had handed down. I did my research and the Cloud Nine The Touch Straighteners came out on top. I just had to find the best place to get them.

Luckily in my search a company called Octer got in contact and bought themselves to my attention.

What is Octer All About?

Octer is like a market place of the UK’s biggest stores where you can shop by department or store. You can then compare the brands and prices. You can save items to a wishlist for later or choose to buy them then and there.

I found the straighteners that I wanted just by typing in ‘Cloud Nine The Touch’ into the search bar on the Octer site. You can however just browse by department, as the site is really easy to navigate and I have found some right bargains. Once you have clicked on buy now the site will redirect you to where the item is actually being sold, where you complete your purchase.

I actually really like the idea of shopping like this as it takes out all the aggro of searching for a bargain yourself. My straighteners were listed for £99 by one company and £79 by another, so I bagged a £20 saving instantly. I was also able to get them in white, a colour I didn’t even know they stocked until I saw them on the Octer site.

What are the straighteners like?

The Cloud Nine The Touch Straighteners are the best straighteners I have used. It’s a big claim but it’s so true, they glide through the hair so effortlessly. You click them together to turn them on, if you feel like the heat is too high/low tap three times and it changes the temperature.

They heat up instantly, less than a couple of seconds and these are ready to go. There is no drag on the hair and they also create really nice curls/waves. I absolutely adore them and I am so glad I purchased them.

Over all my experience with using Octer and the Cloud Nine The Touch Straighteners have been an excellent, I would thoroughly recommend them both.

Head over to the Octer Website to have a look and you never know you might grab yourself a bargain.

 

*Collaborative Post – I was given £50 to spend on the Octer site, I paid the remaining amount with my own money

Tips for fuller, thicker hair

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Fuller Thicker Hair

Something I have come to notice over the last few years is the fact that my hair has started thinning. It has gone from being a beautiful thick healthy head of hair to a shadow of its former self. No one would really know if they were to look at it though as I am the queen of trickery when it comes to my hair, a quick flick of the comb here, blow of the blow dryer there and a spray at the end, the magic is complete. I’m going to share a few tips with you on how to get your hair looking fuller and thicker if you’re starting to feel a little lacklustre.

Stop washing your hair!

Okay, I don’t mean completely, but I do mean every day. This is only going to make your hair prone to breakage due to the fact you’re stripping all them natural oils out and making it really brittle. Try going every three or four days to see how it goes.

Put down that towel and that brush while you’re at it!

Please, for the love of god stop rubbing your hair with a towel and yanking it with a brush while its wet. This is going to cause so much damage and make your hair prone to breakage. Instead pat it dry or better yet leave it to dry naturally, as for the brushing try using a wide tooth comb teasing any tangles rather than yanking them.

Stop using heat every day

Heat can really damage your hair, yet again causing it to break and look thin. The worst part for someone like me who’s hair also falls out is all that tugging can make excess strands drop. Some simple yet effective root lift tricks without adding heat is to just simply change what side you wear your parting on, back comb in the areas you need a little lift, and use dry shampoo throughout your hair to add texture to make it appear thicker and fuller.

Perfect your blow dry

If you are going to use heat on your hair make sure you’re going to use it right. Perfecting your blow dry can be hard but once you have the knack you’re going to be whacking it out like a pro. Blow dry your hair in the opposite direction to how you want it to fall to really give it that root lift, then set it with a cool shot, this will hold your style all day long. Once you get the hang of it you can then have a play around by adding curls for more volume, keeping the straighteners well away from your hair.

Rethink your cut and colour

Even if your hair is falling out or thinning having a good cut can actually boost the way it looks by adding a bit of depth in the terms of layers, creating volume in areas. Also just adding a few highlights here and there can trick the eye into making your hair look thicker and fuller.

Obviously when your hair starts to thin and fall out it can really knock your confidence, I know it doesn’t make me feel as great as I used to as I can’t do all the things I used to be able to with my hair. Luckily we live in a day now where there are so many treatments on offer from natural supplements to hair transplants where you can get a beautiful head of hair to give you all the confidence in the world. They aren’t just designed for the likes of Wayne Rooney either, women can benifit from them all the same given them the beautiful head of hair they once had or have craved their whole life.

What are your top tips for keeping your hair looking fuller and thicker?

*Collaborative Post

Holiday Hair Essentials

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Holiday Hair Essentials

I’m so excited because on Tuesday I am jetting off to spend 10 whole days in Mallorca, its my home away from home and I absolutely love the place. I am going with my best friend and fellow blogger Tanya from Glam Glitz Gloss to Palma where we stay in the same apartment every year with Magaluf just around the corner for us to party to our hearts content.

We aren’t ones for packing light but this year we have both tried to hone it in a little so I have really pulled it back with what I am taking for my hair, taking just 4 products and 2 tools! This is seriously an achievement for me as I am normally the one packing hair oils, salt sprays, curl enhancers and a treatment of some sort.

I have packed the Palmers Manuka Honey Range as since I have started using them I can’t get enough and have re-bought them, they are so great and I feel like my hair is in the best condition it has been in a long time. I have also packed the Celsius Hair Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray which is the best heat protection spray I have used, it smells like gorgeous sweet raspberries and adds incredible shine to the hair so doubles up as a product.

Finally I have packed the Braun Style & Go Mini Styler and Dryer, both are the smallest and lightest of their kind from Braun’s Style & Go, travel-ready collection, perfect for shaping your style anywhere or giving great results for handy touch-ups on the go. They both pack a great punch and work just as great as their bigger counterparts without taking up the space that they would meaning there’s plenty of space left to buy lots of holiday souvenires, or in my case bring back a few bottles of cheap vodka!.

The Palmers Manuka Honey Range is priced between £5.99 and £6.99 at Superdrug, Celsius Hair Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray is £14.99 on the Celsius website, Braun Style & Go Mini Styler £19.99 and Braun Style & Go Hair Dryer £12.99 both from Argos

Do you have any Holiday Hair Essentials?

Celsius Hair Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray

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Celsius Hair

Did you know that most of the heat protectors on the market today are made up with water? This is what gives you that sizzling sound when you straighten your hair. Celsius Hair have come up with a great concept with their Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray* which isn’t made up with water at all but instead a formula which actively works with your heated styling tools to protect your hair and create a beautiful shine while doing so.

The Celsius Hair Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray is a lightweight spray that can be used on damp hair before blowdrying your hair for added heat protection or on dry hair when using a straightening or curling iron, it protects the hair to temperatures up to 230°C which is pretty hot so I am sure you are in safe hands no matter how hot your styling tool goes to.

The Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray smells absolutely amazing with a sweet raspberry scent which really lasts throughout your hair, I absolutely adore it. The best things about the spray is that it really works and helps my straighteners glide over my hair with ease, my hair isn’t left looking damaged or tatty and the shine that is left is so beautiful.

If you would like to pick up a bottle of the Celsius Hair Ceramic Heat Protect & Shine Spray you can for £14.99 on the Celsius website.