Pamper Night In | The Essentials

Hello Girls! Hope you're all well. I keep seeing photo's on my Instagram (@misskendalwestonx) of other beauty bloggers pamper essentials, neatly stacked next to their bath tubs waiting to be used. I thought I may aswell turn my own into a blog post, as I religiously have a 'pamper night' on Fridays as I prepare for the weekend ahead. I think it's so important to take time out for yourself and just relax after a long week because otherwise there's no time to appreciate the little things. I apologise in advance for such a lengthy post! I always start with a really hot bubble bath and can sit there for up to 2 hours. It really is bliss, spending half of my time in there pampering myself beyond belief, and the other half dozing off.

I start off by pouring a rather generous amount of Soap & Glory's 'Calm One, Calm All' bubble bath into my bath water, and also, if I'm feeling particularly run down, I'll also chuck a Lush bath bomb in also. My favourite is 'Sex Bomb'; it contains sage, jasmine and ylang ylang which as you can imagine, leaves my bathroom smelling amazing, not to mention leaves the water a beautiful shade of pink too. A pamper night for me isn't complete if I don't have one of my Yankee Candles burming either! Cinnamon and Vanilla Cupcake are my all time favourites! I use my Soap & Glory 'Whipped Clean' shower butter to wash with and just sit there letting the bubble bath and bath bomb work wonders on my skin. I also like to pamper my hair every week by giving it a treat of a hair mask or ultra moisturising conditioner. I start by doing the usual routine I use which is using Aussie's 'Miracle Moist' as a shampoo, followed by my trusty Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment, then followed by Aussie's Miracle Moist conditioner. If you haven't tried this line from Aussie, I seriously can't recommend them highly enough. They works absolute wonders on dry and damaged hair and they smell like bubblegum which is such a nice touch. I'm also a massive fan of the 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor but if I sat and typed my love for it, we really would be here all day. Although I hate the fake tanning process with a real passion, I don't find it a drag to exfoliate as I'm so in love with my Soap & Glory 'Sugar Crush' body scrub. I must admit I'm not that much of a fan of the scent - don't get me wrong, I do like it but it's a bit too limey for me! That's not to say it doesn't leave my skin feeling silky soft after I use it! I then slather The Body Shop's 'Almond Body Butter' or Soap & Glory's 'The Righteous Butter' over my skin which is probably the reason I can't stop sniffing my skin after a pamper evening! Both of them smell absolutely amazing and are ultra moisturising. So moisturising in fact that I can still feel it on my skin the morning after. Nothing beats that feeling you have when you jump out of the bath into fresh cosy pyjamas! It really is amazing. Once I get out of my bubble bath, I blow dry my hair and put my SleepRollers in to achieve extra volume in my hair.

I also make sure I take the time out to pamper my skin a little. I'm quite lucky in the fact that I had relatively good skin, but I still like to do the whole shabang (if you know what I mean). I start by cleansing my face as normal using Soap & Glory's 'Peaches and Clean' - those who have tried and tested this will know just how amazing it really is. It's come to be one of my favourites ever, and melts away dirt and make up with ease, not to mention it also has the most gorgeous scent ever. I then somtimes use my Remington face steamer and sit and steam my face for a good ten or twenty minutes. I love how fresh my face feels after I use it, and it brings all impurities to the surface of the skin. Then, I use Soap & Glory's (yes, another Soap and Glory product!) 'Greatest Scrub Of All' as an exfoliator, which is a relatively new purchase. I really like it as it isn't too gritty and has a really clever formula where the micro beads in the cream pop open when you apply it to the heat of your skin. I really feel it work into my pores and it leaves me with a nice fresh layer of skin. That sounds really awful! After that I then use a face mask. I have a few favourites, but at the moment I'm bouncing between Lush's 'Cupcake' and the 'Mask of Magnaminty'. Both do absolute wonders for my skin and they're such a pleasure to use knowing that all of the ingredients are natural. I then go ahead and tweeze any stray eyebrow hairs and paint my nails whichever colour I fancy. And if that already isn't enough I slather on Soap & Glory's 'Heel Genius' over my toes and pull on a pair of thick cotton socks to help it soak in.

To help me relax even more, I'll spend the rest of my evening watching a few chick flicks or catching up on soaps, tucked up in bed (yes, on a Friday night) with a big mug of hot chocolate. My favourite chick flicks to watch, not that it's particularly beauty related, are Pretty Woman, Sex and the City, the boxset of Absolutely Fabulous and Bridget Jones. If I'm feeling brave I'll watch the Scream films back to back or some other horror film which will keep me up all night. As many of you know I'm currently on a diet and am fast approaching loosing my first stone already. I make sure that I allow myself one treat meal a week, and this is usually eaten on a Friday or Saturday night. This is the perfect way to round off my pamper night in! Once again, I'm sorry for such a lenghty post. But I would love to see what everyone else does or uses during their pamper sessions!

How To Grow Your Hair

Hi Girls! Hope you're all well and the sudden cold weather isn't getting you under the weather to much, excuse the pun. Being a true girly girl and having had my fair share of hair cut and colour disasters, I know just how frustrating it is to grow your hair long and healthy. It times time, commitment and above all patience. At the moment, my hair is quite short and sits about two inches below my shoulders without hair extensions, but it used to sit about an inch above my waist. I decided to cut it all off to start again, and it grows pretty quickly now that I've followed what is below. Please consider that this is what works for me, and it may not work for you. So get comfy and grab yourself a cup of tea, it's quite a lengthy post!

Products

♥ Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo and Treatment - I have raved continuously about the hair growth treatment from Lee Stafford, it is one of those products I would never leave out of my hair routine. Providing you use it every time you wash and condition your hair, and massage it into the scalp for long enough you wil see a difference. It nourishes the hair from the root which makes way for healthy and quicker hair growth. You can read my full review by clicking here. The shampoo is a great way to speed up the process also, and I feel as though I'm putting double the effort into growing my hair.

♥ Holland and Barrett Sea Kelp Tablets - If you're more of a girl who likes to use beauty supplement tablets to see a difference, these do the trick. Sea kelp is full of natural ingredients which strengthen the hair follicle and promote healthy growth. I take mine twice a day, and although it tends to make hair greasier more quickly, I have noticed a difference while using it. I picked up mine from Holland and Barrett in their legendary penny sale for £10.80 so got 1000 tablets which would last me a good while!

♥ Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Intensive Hair Mask - Every week I treat myself to a hair mask and bounce between this and Aussies legendary 3 minute miracle. This repairs split ends which makes hair more manageable and more likely to grow. Not to mention is smells absolutely gorgeous and leaves your hair ridiculously shiny and soft!

Treatments

♥ Indian Head Massages - Frequent head massages not only make you feel pmpered and revived, but they also stimulate hair growth by letting blood rush to the follicle. When I was a beauty student I used to beg the girls to give me Indian Head Massages as they are so relaxing and leave your hair pampered when done using aromatherapy oils. If you can't always afford to go to a salon to get it done (it can come up quite pricey), you can get your other half or one of your friends to do it for you. 

♥ 6-Weekly Hair Trims - Its a no-brainer that frequent trims at the hairdressers help make hair grow. They cut off split ends to make way for healthy growth, and although some salons can charge an absolute fortune, there are always model nights where you pay a fraction of the price by allowing a trainee to do the job for you. Not only that but you always come out with a new style feeling like a million dollars!

Other Tips & Tricks

As I said before, these suggestions are what works for me and my hair type. They will not neccesarily work as well for you and your hair, but I promise it's all worth a go! These are a few tips and tricks which I have found to be helpful along the way. 

♥  Use a soft hair tie to tie up your hair overnight. The hair won't drag and snap against your bed sheets, but don't tie up your hair too tightly. Loosley does it!

♥  When your hair is wet, use a wide toothed comb to untangle your hair. Using a brush will snap the ends.

♥  Pat your hair dry after washing it rather than scrunching it up and rubbing it against a tough towel. 

♥  Cut down on using heat appliances unless you have to! It's obvious that 200 degree straighteners do nothing but bad things to your hair.

♥  If you must use straighteners or a curling wand, then use a good heat protector. I love Trevor Sorbie's 'protect, flatten and shine spray', read my full review on it here. 

♥  Dry Shampoo is your friend, Over washing your hair strips it of its essential oils, so if your hair is looking a little flat and greasy, Batiste is the way forward. 

♥  Back combing is just as damaging to your hair as chemical treatments are. If like me you can't bare to have flat hair then take advantage of hair pieces or blow drying your hair upside down.

What are your tips to grow you hair longer?

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My Current Hair Care Routine

Hi Lovely Ladies! I'm really sorry I've been neglecting my blog lately. I haven't picked up any new products recently which have screamed 'Wow!' at me, and I've had (in the words of Carrie Bradshaw herself) a bit of writers block. But here I am, snuggled under my duvet with a hot chocolate (woops, diet!) on a rainy Friday afternoon putting together a new blog post. Apologies in advance, this post will be rather very long and on the picture heavy side!

I absolutely adore trying hair care products. My usual routine changes from time to time if I find something which makes my hair look and feel a little better than usual. I can honestly say I've tried everything from Poundland bargains to salon bought goodies and everything in between. I often get asked how I style and look after my hair, so I thought I'd tell you all at once exactly what I use and do. Since having my hair coloured from burgundy to brunette, the constant colour refreshing has become a little bit less of a nightmare. I went on the hunt to my local Boots to find a shampoo and conditioner specifically for brunette hair, as it adds subtle colour and brings out the undertones of brunette hair while adding a huge amount of gloss. 

Washing ♥

John Freida Brilliant Brunette Shampoo RRP £5.65 ♥

I came across John Frieda's 'Beautiful Brunette' range which a few of my friends have recommended in the past. The packaging makes it look and feel like you're using a product from the salon, but for only £5.65 each, only at a fraction of the price. The shampoo has a bit of a marble effect when you use it, which I seem to love the idea of. It smells absolutely gorgeous too, sort of sweet and floral. A little really does go a long way with it too, and a small palm full lathered up well enough to cover my entire head. My hair felt squeaky clean once I'd removed the product too.









John Freida Brilliant Brunette Conditioner RRP £5.65 ♥

Acts as the sister to the 'Brilliant Brunette' shampoo. There isn't a marble effect with this conditioner, but more of a thick brown cream effect. I cannot begin to tell you how amazing it smells too, very similar to the scent of the shampoo although definitely stronger. As with all conditioners, its essential you don't apply too much product, particularly to the roots of your hair, as your hair will look as though it hasn't been washed in a week. This restores shine and manageability, and realistically transforms the look of the mid-lengths and ends of your hair.









Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment RRP £7.99 ♥

This product is a definite must of mine. It's one of those products where you think 'does it really work?' 'is it a waste of money?' or 'it's too expensive'. But honestly, I don't know what I done without it! You apply the treatment inbetween shampoo and conditioner from root to tip and leave it to work its magic for 4 to 5 minutes. If you suffer with the whole booby length situation where it stops growing altogether, this is a product for you. After using it for two months or so, my hair has grown just under two inches. Hoorah! Two inches closer to not needing hair extensions. I have a full review of this product which you can read by clicking here. 

Clairol Colour Seal Conditioning Gloss RRP 99p ♥

These are the little tubes of conditioner you get when you buy a box dye, but they are now sold seperately in Superdrug, Boots and supermarkets. I personally don't use box dye to colour my hair anymore as my best friend is a hairdresser, but these little beauties are amazing. Once every two weeks I treat myself to a hair mask or an intensive conditioner to repair the look and feel of my hair. These tubes are the bees knees, and also come in shades suitable for blonde and red hair. They smell identical to John Freida's range, but the formula is alot thicker which means a lot less is needed. It adds a massive amount of shine, and there is a real difference in the look and feel of the hair.

Drying ♥

After washing my hair, I love a good old bouncy blow dry. It took me years of practice to be able to dry the back of my hair nicely, but I got there in the end. I think a fresh blow dry is key in getting a great finished result, and if you use the right products, can make you hair look even better than normal. 

Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum RRP £5.99 ♥
Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Leave In Conditioner RRP £3.49 ♥
Trevor Sorbie Beautifully Straightened Heat Defence Spary RRP £5.99 ♥

I have previously written about the above products on my blog and have raved about how great they are after washing your hair. I spray both the leave in conditioner along with the heat defence spray through my hair and use a wide toothed comb to remove any tangles and spread the product through my hair. It's important not to comb the coconut milk through your hair as you'll end up with very greasy hair, you only need it through the ends of your hair. To read a full review of the Organix Coconut Milk, click here, to read a full review of the Schwarzkopf Leave-In Conditioner click here, and to read a full review of the Trevor Sorbie heat defence spray, click here. 









Core Essentials Blow Dry Brush No. 109042 RRP £19.99 ♥
This brush works absolute wonders in getting that big, volumised finished blow dry. The barrel itself is so big, which in turn makes for bigger hair. It has air flow technology, which means the air is able to get through the brush, resulting in hair being dried quicker. The bristles grip the hair and there are no wispy bits lying around (TIP: the bristles are very prickly so be careful not to grip them to much. They will hurt). I section my hair 4 times, but that's only personal preference, so may not be the look you want to achieve yourself. 

TreSemme Salon AC Dryer RRP £21.99 ♥
I've mentioned in the past that I really like TreSemme products, although some hairdressers do say to stay away from it. The hairdryer is great, and does nothing more or less that your standard Argos one. It comes boxed with a removable diffuser and air flow attachable too which I would recommend using when blow drying hair. It aims the air flow from the dryer itself in the direction you want. I'vegone through countless hair dryers in my time, and have had this for well over one year now, so far there have been so sparks, no sizzling sounds and no burning smells. Winning. 

Styling ♥

This is by far my favourite part of my haircare routine. I love being able to mix up my hairstyle to my mood, whether it's long and straight, big bouncy curls or up in a bouncy ponytail. From day to day, I tend to wear my hair down and straight with a bit of backcombing at the crown but if it's a special occasion or I fancy a bit of a change, I go all out.

Foxy Locks Hair Extensions RRP £74.00 ♥
I cannot rate these hair extensions highly enough. I use the Deluxe range, which means the hair is extremely thick, soft and double wefted. I much prefer clip in hair extension to bonded ones. Yes, they are a pain to put in and take out everyday, but your hair will thank you for it. My only slight criticism is the fact that they are only stocked in 20" which isn't great if you want very long hair. They come down to about 4 inches from the waist, and providing you look after them properly, will last you ages. I'm going to write an updated blog post where I will go into more detail on these so look out for that!

GHD Classic IV Styler RRP £109.99 ♥
Babyliss Pro Large Barrel Tong RRP £19.99 ♥
I've been using GHD hair straighteners for years now, and I've never looked back. They really are a godsend and I adore them. I've had my second pair for three years now and although they have a six year guarantee I'm looking to replace them at Christmas. They heat up within seconds up to 230 degrees (so be careful. I can't count how many times I've clamped my fingers inbetween them!) so straightening or curling your hair takes no time at all.  I picked up the Babyliss curling wand a few months ago as I felt I wanted bigger bouncier curls than what you get when using a straightening iron. Again, it does get extremely hot so please don't touch that barrel!

Schwarzkopf Silhouette Hairspray RRP £4.99 ♥
By far the best hairspray I've come across. It holds my style all day and it doesn't leave that dreaded crispy feel on parts of your hair. It also contains shine technology so by this point, your hair looks extremely glossy and rich. If I'm backcombing my hair then a little spritz of this stuff at the roots is a godsend. It keeps wispy bits at bay, and most importantly keeps my fringe in place.

Denman D3 Classic Styler Brush RRP £4.99 ♥
Finally. I have to stress that this brush is the most amazing hair product I've ever come across. Denman have some great products, and this brush is by far the best. The brush makes backcombing effortless, and it grips onto the hair with ease. It does have a tendancy to pick up hair it it's track, but hey what brush doesn't? If I could have one product to last me forever it would without a doubt be this.