Babyliss Big Hair

Ooh big hair, who doesn't want some?

This is a hair styling tool that has been designed to makes it easier to create a salon big hair finish. I always love how my hairdresser gives me that big hair look that's soft and shiny without the need of backcombing and hairspray. I hate my hair full of hairspray as it feels sticky and weighs down my hair after a few hours.

So I went ahead and bought this as I was hoping I could recreate this at home!

I used to style my hair with a hairdryer and a big round brush to lift my roots to get more volume at the crown. This technique I always found was too fumbly as I'd have in one hand the hairdryer and the other with a brush while trying to lift sections of hair to dry. My arms got tired and it was a hassle to do everyday. Does anyone else find this method hard or just me?

Bear in mind that this is not a hair dyer so your hair has to be around 80% dry otherwise it'll take forever to dry it with the Babyliss Big Hair. I air dry my hair first before using this to reduce the amount of heat I use on my hair.

What it says on the tin:

The tool is rather larger, thicker than a hairdryer so took a while for me to get used to the size. However compared to my hairdryer it's slightly lighter so I don't get sore arms after like a few minutes.

There are three settings available:

* Cold setting with no rotation

I Warm setting with slow rotation

II Hot setting with fast rotation

It's quite easy to switch up which setting you'd like as you dry the hair as the buttons are places in the right place.

To the left of the purple settings you can see two buttons which determines the rotation direction. I say buttons but they're more like tabs, very smooth to slide your finger across these to change the rotation while drying your hair. It takes a few uses to get use to the rotation direction required to dry different sections of your hair but you need to experiment what works best for you.

This is what the brush looks like, similar to your round brush but is a bit bigger than your usual round brush. The vents between the bristles is where the hot air is released and this whole brush spins in the direction you control.

Rotating it one way, the bristles grabs the section of the hair and wraps it round securing it in place almost like a hot roller. You then hold for a few seconds and let go by rotating in the opposite direction. Be careful it can hurt if you roll it too tight!

The bristles are nice and soft giving the hair a lovely shiny, soft finish. I always clean out the hair after every use with a rat tail comb. It comes with the purple protective cover that slots in and protects the bristles and prevents it from getting flat.

I've had this for almost a year now and while I don't use it everyday I like to use this every now and then. The bristles are still the same as before and if you keep it clean and take good care of it it should last you a long time.

Do you need it?
I think this tool is great for those with shorter hair than mines. My long hair sometimes gets caught when the brush is rotating and I've snapped off a few hairs...I generally use the 'I Warm setting with slow rotation' to style as it's slower and the brush is easier to control. The faster setting is really fast! Good if you're in a rush.

I bought this hoping to cut down styling time but you'd still need a hairdryer to dry your hair first especially if you're in a hurry in the morning and don't have time to air dry it. I've heard from friends with shorter hair that this is a tool they swear by but now my hair is pretty long it doesn't work as well.

The Babyliss Big Hair is available at Amazon (cheaper than Boots) for around £40. 

But please do check out other reviews and youtube video demonstrations before making up your mind if you are thinking of getting this.

EOTD: Doll Eyes

I was born with monolids but as I went into my teens a small crease was forming on my upper eyelid. When I had a cold or really bad hayfever the crease would be even more prominent. These days the crease or double eyelid is permanent which is a good thing I guess though I worry I might end up with droopy eyelids! I try to be delicate on my eye area though...Does anyone have a similar condition?

Anyway as an Asian kid growing up with fairly small eyes I always had dreams of larger eyes as most Asians do...These days I envy Tsubasa and Ayumi...also Dakota Rose. Check her out as she's quite a controversial figure because of her doll like look (whether photoshopped or not) But her photos are still pretty!

Thank God for makeup which allows me to deceive others into thinking I have lovely large doll eyes. It's time consuming and definitely not an everyday look. I'd only wear this on nights out or really special occasions.

I have quite small eyes but dolls have big eyes which are easily achievable with a few makeup tricks. 

First of all like most Asians I don't have a lot of lid space (think Bubzbeauty rather than Michelle Phan) so I can't work shadow into the crease because it barely exists.

Using the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette I applied Pillow Talk all over the lid and shaded in a fake crease with Lap Dance. I use a blending brush and apply this just above my crease otherwise it doesn't show up. Then I lined my lower lashline with Like A Virgin and a little of Stiletto on the outer corner. Highlighting the inner corners with Fashion. However the eyeshadow isn't really that important not compared to the next few steps.

Using Loreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss I like to line thinly close to the lashline, apply lashes and then finish the eyeliner as I find after putting on falsies the whole look changes. Winged eyeliner is a must to elongate the eyes and also I like to have the eyeliner thicker near the middle as this really 'rounds' off the eyes. Because you're wearing false lashes the wing can be pulled out longer without looking too Amy Winehouse.

A more cutesy look can be created by dragging the line down and flicking out rather than up. It gives your eyes a cute puppy look. Drawing the line with your eyes half open really helps as well to get the right shape.

Unless you've naturally got nice round eyes and long lashes you definitely need circle lens and false lashes. This completes the look.

Circle Lens: Barbie King Grey

False Lashes: ELF Natural Lash Kit

Lower Lashes (No.30) from Ebay. What a difference lower lashes make! They really help balance out the heavy lashes on top. To make it easier to apply I cut them up into little sections and apply them individually. It's more time consuming but it feels more comfortable than having a long strip on the lower lashline.

For the face I use Skin 79's BB Cream with Benefit's Coralista for the cheeks. I contoured the nose and jawline with Benefit's Hoola to create a V shape which wasn't very successful. Hey, I tried.

Finish with a lipstick. I chose Revlon's Candy Apple but I really wanted a matte red. I applied two layers of this, let it sit for a few minutes and blotted dry with a tissue leaving a nice red stain on my lips.

Normally it takes me about 15 minutes in the morning to moisturise my face, brush my hair and do my makeup. This look takes more effort and time especially the eye make-up! Adds an extra 10 minutes to my routine but it gives me fake eyes. I applaud you ladies who can do this everyday.

April Empties/Discards

I've always enjoyed reading Empties posts but doing them myself has been even more enjoyable. Nothing feels better than seeing a collection of empty bottles stacking up during the month. I've managed to clear out a lot of stuff I've bought and cleared some space. I used to be the type of girl who would open up lots of products and never actually finish them, so it's nice to focus on using up one product before starting another.

In April, I have 8 finished products but only 1 make-up item which is a discard.

 Skincare Products

• La Roche Posay Melt-In Cream - My current sunscreen of choice during the summer. This wasn't used up by the end of summer last year and so I've been using it on my hands when I remember. I really need to protect my hands just as much as my face - I don't want wrinkly hands and a wrinkle-free face! I have already purchased a replacement but after this I'm looking to try the Shiseido one.
• Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion -  This massive 125ml bottle has lasted about 3-4 months which is pretty good going. I only use this at night time so it has served me well so I might repurchased in future. One thing to note is that when the pump can't get the product at the bottom anymore it's quite tricky to get the rest. I'd let it sit upside down which is easy to do with the wide flat top lid and then bend a cotton bud 90 degree to scoop the product out. It's quite tricky to use every last bit but you can!
• No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Eye Cream - This wee 5ml tube has lasted me just under 3 months which isn't bad. I only use this at night though. I won't be re-purchasing as this didn't wow me so I'll be trying something else.

Cleaners

• Simple Foaming Cleanser - This is my second bottle of this stuff and I started my third after finishing this so it must be good!
• Loreal Paris Perfect Clean Foaming Clean Wash - I just checked and reviewed this in July 2012 so it's lasted me for quite a while! I used this as a brush cleanser since I didn't like it on my face and the rubber pad was great at helping wash the brushes. Glad to get rid of this but I kept the rubber pad though.
• Loreal Paris Dermo Expertise Absolute Makeup Remover - There's a £2.99 Loreal Makeup Remover similar to this one which is £4.99. To be honest I really don't see any difference between the two. I used to buy the £2.99 one all the time but thought I should try the £4.99 one since I thought it might better with the increased price but after using this I don't see any difference at all. Anyway this was good for my sensitive eyes but still removed waterproof mascara. It's a bi-phase remover (clear and blue part that you have to shake to mix) so it will still leave an oily film on your eyes.

 Body Care

• Jason Aloe Vera Moisturising Cream - Sample that I got with a purchase. It was moisturising and felt good on my skin after a shower without being too fragrant. I loved how it didn't leave a greasy feeling on my skin. I might purchase the full size as it seems quite affordable too. 

• Aveeno Cream appears every month (I just realised I didn't feature it last month but I did finish one. I must have forgot). I just started a new bigger bottle and it's my last one so I think I'll move onto another cream after this (maybe the Jason's one as mentioned above). Nothing wrong with this but it's always good to try something new as this is getting boring now! 

One discard this month and it's a foundation. I found the No7 Essentially Natural Mineral Foundation at the back of my drawer and thought I should probably finish this. There was a reason I had forgotten about it and stuffed it at the back because I really didn't like it. It doesn't provide much coverage and definitely not buildable because it ends up being cakey. There was no way I could work with this not even mixing it with moisturiser so unfortunately it has to go. Good riddance!

If you have an empties post please link below I'd love to check it out! How many products did you finish this month?

Eau Thermale Avene Samples

Avene is fast becoming my new favourite skincare brand. It doesn't contain any parabens and the products are fragrance free which agrees with my sensitive and dry skin.

They offer a wide range of products for all skin types too. It may seem pricey to some for a high street brand as the cost per millilitre is almost the same as some high end brands. But I'd choose most products from this range over Clinique anyday as I find some of Clinique's skincare quite harsh for my skin. But again it's personal preference.

If you like Avene sign up to their website. I normally sign up to websites I like or ones I am interested in but not yet tried out to get more information. Sometimes (like Avene) they send out samples to try completely free! This was after completing the Skin Diagnosis quiz (which only takes 5 minutes).

They sent me the Skin Recovery Cream in Rich and the Extremely Gentle Cleanser. The Soothing Repair Mask sample I got sent by Perfume Lover when I bought the Hydrance Optimale UV Riche SPF20. Perfume Lover is a site that sells a range of beauty products and they do free delivery in the UK too and is generally cheaper than Boots.

Skin Recovery Cream in Rich

This cream is great for soothing dry and irritated skin as it is so rich and moisturising. I've used this before and absolutely love it. Although it's rich it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin or leave a greasy feeling which is a must.

Extremely Gentle Cleanser

I normally use cleansers that you lather up and rinse off with water but more recently I've discovered how great cleansers without the need of water is for my dry skin. I apply this with fingertips and massage into my face and neck for at least a minute to ensure I get a deep clean (I never manage a full minute, one minute is a really long time when doing this!) then wipe off with a cotton pad.

This wouldn't remove your makeup, especially not waterproof makeup but I use this cleanser for washing my face in the morning. I normally just splash my face with cold water but I find this is more gentle and soothing for dry skin days. I would consider purchasing this.

Soothing Repair Mask

I've already bought a full sized version of this. I like to use two masks during the week - one that exfoliates and another which hydrates and soothes. I apply this onto the skin and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. It's not a very thick mask and wouldn't really do for very dry skin I think. It's perfect to use for Spring-Summer time though but I'd require something more heavy duty in the winter.

The mask goes on clear and I remove it with a soaked cotton pad.

I love samples as they are perfect for travelling but I find I don't travel often enough to save these so I always use them up until I find that I am travelling somewhere and I have no samples left! Rather annoying isn't it? So I have to go to the hassle of transferring products into smaller tubes.

Also huge thank you to all my readers! I love receiving your comments and I love how this introduces me to lots of amazing new blogs too. I am almost at the magic 100 followers and shall host a giveaway soon, so keep posted!

Wet n Wild Nail Polish Review

My friend recently went to the States and brought me back some Wet 'n' Wild goodies. I've never tried this brand before but have heard about it from youtube makeup gurus from across the pond. I got an eyeshadow palette (review coming up) and 2 Megalst polishes. The two shades that I got are Tropicalia (left) and Sugar Coat (right).

Application was really easy because the brush is the perfect size for my nails to apply in one stroke. Two coats are required for Tropicalia to achieve a nice opaque finish. I was sitting there for about 5 minutes for the polish to dry completely which was annoying. It also chipped within the next 2 days which was annoying.

The shade is really nice though!

I didn't bother with Sugar Coat as I found that three coats of it did not achieve full opacity and the white tips of my nails was visible. I would definitely use it for a french manicure though but I'm too lazy to do those these days.

I also want to say a huge thanks for everyone who has been reading and commenting on my blog - it really makes my day! I will be hosting a Giveaway soon as a thank you!