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Harajuku Lovers G of the Sea Limited Edition Fragrance

You might have seen me mention this beautiful limited edition last Summer, sadly, I missed out on it, because I was being sensible as I didn’t really need it. So, when I spotted it in Canada’s answer to TK Maxx, Winners whilst in Toronto last week I couldn’t resist purchasing. I love the Harajuku Lovers fragrance, firstly because of the branding and bottle designs and secondly because the fragrances are actually beautiful!

If you’re not familiar with the Harajuku Lovers brand, this is brought to us by the stunning Gwen Stefani and her love of Japanese street fashion. The Harajuku Lovers fragrance range is widely available and super affordable, naturally it’s aimed at a younger market than me, but I just can’t resist the cuteness!

The G of the Sea limited edition fragrance caught my eye because it’s in a mermaid inspired bottle, look at how cute it is!!

The doll on the bottle is super detailed too, she has a heart shaped belly button, coral coloured finger nails and a textured, scaly tail and mega gorgeous big curly hair, which I love. This is what I want to look like!

Check out those curls! Anyway, you’ll probably all just wondering what the heck this smells like, instead of me, who is just obsessed with the cute packaging! Well, this is a Summer version of the standard G fragrance, which I also have. The standard G has more red berry tones, whereas the G of the Sea limited edition has more citrus and white floral tones, to me it makes me think of lemonade ice lollies and reminds me a bit of the Anna Sui Secret Wish fragrance which I’m also a fan of.

Harajuku Lovers G of the Sea is a beautiful Summer fragrance, light, fresh and a little bit of fruit, plus as you can see, it’s a super cute addition to your dressing table!

Have you tried any of the Harajuku Lovers fragrances? Have you heard of the brand?

Comment below or tweet me @JayneJRead

 

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May 31, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Organic Surge vs. Burt’s Bees Shine Shampoos & Conditioners

I’ve been using Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner for quite a long time now, the bottles are huge so they last ages! Most recently, I’ve been using Burt’s Bees Grapefruit and Sugar Beet Super Shiny shampoo and conditioner, so when I was sent  the Shine Boost shampoo and conditioner from Organic Surge and spotted that they contained very similar ingredients, I thought this was the perfect chance to do a comparison review.

First off, both the Organic Surge and Burt’s Bees have the same claims, they are both paraben free, silicone free and SLS free with lots of natural ingredients. They are both shine ranges and aimed at normal hair types, they are also both citrus based fragrancs.

Here comes the comparison…

Value for Money

Burt’s Bees comes in at a higher price point, at around about £9.99 from Boots, but you get 350ml of concentrated product that I can promise will last a long time.

Organic Surge retails at around £5 for 250ml, so a lot lower priced but for 100ml less product. The consistency of the Organic Surge shampoo is thicker than the Burts Bees one, so in theory you would need less to do the job.

Fragrance

Burt’s Bees Super Shiny shampoo and conditioner has a stronger fragrance than the Organic Surge, smelling strongly of grapefruit in the bottle, however, when on the air the scent becomes more herbal.

Organic Surge shine boost shampoo and conditioner has a very subtle scent, again of grapefruit and this scent remains relatively the same during use.

Performance

Both brands are SLS free, so don’t foam as much as conventional shampoos, so don’t expect a huge lather. However, the Organic Surge foams quite surprisingly well for a SLS free shampoo, it’s a soft, smooth lather, but makes it super easy to get all over your hair.

Whereas, the Burt’s Bees shampoo is a very thin consistency which doesn’t foam significantly, it still does the job, but some people might find this difficult to use. The thin consistency also makes it tricky to dispense as it would be easy to use too much.

Results

It’s really difficult to know which one is the best overall, as they are SO similar. The main difference that I noticed is that the Burt’s Bees leaves your hair that odd, squeaky clean which if you don’t use enough conditioner afterwards can make long hair difficult to brush through.

I didn’t notice much wrong with the Organic Surge shampoo, it might be a bit heavy for some hair types due to the use of essential oils, but I think it would be unlikely to be a problem on most hair types.

Both do the job and both produce shiny hair, so it’s difficult to choose a favourite.

The Winner?

I honestly don’t think I can choose a winner as I like them both and I think they are both great value for money. I think if you are looking to try SLS free or natural based haircare for the first time, Organic Surge would be the best bet as it’s performance is close to conventional shampoo and conditioner for a bargain price! But if you are a veteran natural hair care user, you might prefer the 97.20% natural formulation of Burt’s Bees, plus it lasts ages!

Another factor that differentiates between the two is that Organic Surge is made in the UK and Burt’s Bees is a Canadian brand made in the USA, so if you are concerned about supporting British business or the carbon footprint of your beauty products, perhaps Organic Surge would be more for you?

Have you tried natural hair care? Have you tried either of these brands?

Comment below or tweet me @JayneJRead

 

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May 30, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Our Trip to Canada

If you didn’t know already, last week, hubby and I were in Toronto, Canada celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Royal York hotel in the centre of Toronto and enjoy super lovely, warm weather for the entire week. Thought I would share some of our snaps with you.

If you scroll through our holiday photos, you’ll see that we ate a lot of yummy food. Check out this bargain of a breakfast, from Fran’s Dinner, we ate there three times. This was a standard pancake breakfast, costing only $10, which is about £7! I had mine with raspberries cooked into them and then lots of maple syrup and butter. Yummm.

Now then, I am surely not a sports fan at all. However, because I’m a nice wife, I went to see a Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Mets  Baseball game on the Sunday. I’m surprised to say that it was actually a lot of fun! So much more entertaining than any British sport. Love my Blue Jays shirt that we bought and enjoyed the cheerleaders and all the competitions that were run during the game. So much fun, would recommend this experience to anyone. Only problem was, due to an unexpected length of time sat outside in the sun, I burnt my scalp, yuck! Should have bought a hat.

Anyone who knows us, will know that when we go on holiday it’s all about the food! And this holiday was no different, check out our little food shop. Moutain Dew, Swedish Fish and Twizzlers to name a few must haves! We are both a bit obsessed with American/Canadian culture, so love shopping for snacks and even watching TV over there, this trip, we became obsessed with two TV shows: Storage Wars and Duck Dynasty, hope they land on UK TV soon!

A trip to Toronto wouldn’t be complete without visiting nearby Niagara Falls! You can visit from America too, but everyones says that the Canadian side is best! We were really surprised to see that the area surrounding the falls is actually really built up, Clifton Hill is full of tacky seaside attractions and reminded us of Blackpool, luckily we like things like that, but yet, big surprise! Here’s me, looking like a duck according to the hubby on the Journey Behind the Falls, we also did the Maid in the Mist boat trip to the falls to and got soaked!

I’ve got a gazillion other photos, but thought I’d share this one of Matt at Johnny Rocket’s Diner, off Toronto’s version of Time Square. Don’t know why, but when the waitress had finished at our table she drew a smiley face onto a plate with ketchup, so I couldn’t resist this photo.

One of our favourite films is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which is set in Toronto, so during our trip we were on the look out for scenes from the film, I even dip dyed my hair blue before the trip as a homage to the character, Ramona. We didn’t spot too many things from the film, but we visited Casa Loma which features heavily in a scene from the film. You can see the castle in the background of this photo, one of my fave photos of us together on this trip.

Have you been to Canada? Where are you going on holiday this year?

Comment below or tweet me @JayneJRead

 

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May 29, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Anna Sui Nail Polish in Colour 103

So, I’ve just gotten back from a week in Toronto, Canada. We didn’t do a lot of shopping and didn’t make it to Sephora, which is usually a fun trip when abroad, but I did manage to pick up a few beauty treats in both Sears and Shoppers Drug Mart. My favourite purchases were from Anna Sui in Sears, the staff on the counter were amazing, it was my first time browsing the colour cosmetics from this beautiful brand and to be quite honest I could have happily gone away with one of everything! It is just such a beautiful collection.

Anyway, this post, I’m going to tell you about my new Anna Sui Nail Polish in shade 103, a deep blue black with a subtle shimmer.

First off, check out the beautiful detail on the bottles, the nail polishes tend to come in a variety of different glass bottles, although most of them come in this beautifully ornate rose shaped glass bottle with  a long, gloss black brush handle with a carved rose on the top, how beautiful is that?

I picked this shade as I love blue nail polish, I have loads, but was lacking a dark shade. Shade 103 from the Anna Sui collection is a very dark royal blue, which comes out almost black, but reflects the light with a little shimmer. Very elegant, sophisticated and just the right amount of gothic.

I was mega impressed with the coverage from this polish, I think it’s the first polish I’ve tried in a long time that only needed one coat. The only thing I did notice is that the consistency is very thick so if you try to apply in very thin layers, it doesn’t glide on very well. But I counteracted this by applying lots in one go, which didn’t impact the drying time and left a perfect, opaque, super glossy colour.

Guess what the best thing is though? It smells like Tea Rose! Even when dried the scent lingers and this just so happens to be one of my favourite fragrances ever, it’s amazing. I think all nail polishes should smell this good!

Have you tried anything from Anna Sui? What do you think of the brand?

Comment below or tweet me @JayneJRead

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May 28, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Lime Crime Launch Liquid Eyeliners and Nail Polish

So you should all know by now how much I love the brand Lime Crime, so to see the range grow again makes me very happy. This month not only has the Unicorn Queen launched the Marie Antoinette palette, but also a new range of liquid eyeliners in the most stunning colours, I’m particularly drawn to the bright, cobalt blue.

Next up, I managed to dig up this little sneak peek of the upcoming dessert inspired nail polish, I’m loving the look of the square bottles and the Unicorn logos, plus, lots of yummy pastel colours, which always win in my books!

What do you think of Lime Crime and their new products?

Comment below or tweet me @JayneJRead

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May 27, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Guest Blog: She Said Beauty Box Review

Today’s guest post comes from the very sweet and lovely, Tanzina from Makeup A to Z, bless her, she nearly missed this opportunity because she’s been ill, so I’m super pleased I had time to schedule this post, as it’s such a great review of the She Said Beauty Box, this one looks great Tanzina, maybe I need to try it out?

Beauty boxes started appearing in the UK about a year ago, and they have seemed to be a big hit in the beauty loving industry. But as more and more brands and boxes start coming out, it’s hard to decide which box to choose and expensive to subscribe to them all. When making my choice, I like to peek inside other people’s boxes and see what they got for the past couple of months. I find that helps me figure out whether that particular brand of beauty box would be suited to me or not. So here’s my latest box by She Said Beauty and my thoughts on it, which hopefully help you decide whether to jump on the bandwagon or completely avoid it!

The packaging of the SSBB is really lovely, and feels quite luxurious. As you can tell the lid doesn’t detach itself from the box, shoe-box style. I love boxes that are reusable, and I’ve started using these boxes as memory boxes, hoarding keepsakes inside them. But I think I prefer the shoe-box types, as they’re more practical in the sense that I’ve started using them as makeup organisers inside my dresser.

This is what my eyes were greeted to when I opened up the box. The first thing that caught my eyes were the lashes, and I was pleased to see that there were no tiny little perfume samples as they really get on my nerves. You can get those samples at Debenhams for free, and I don’t think they should be included in beauty boxes.

The first item I picked up was these lashes by The Vintage Cosmetic Company and I was so glad to see that they were wearable lashes and not the overly dramatic, colourful type. To buy they cost £6 and I’ve already had the chance to wear them. They look quite natural and the quality is quite good meaning I’ll get quite a few uses out of these. I’m really glad they were included and can see them suiting lots of different people. Definitely a good surprise.

Next, was this Green People SPF15 with tan accelerator. I’ve come across Green People in a previous box and really liked their products. They are a natural and organic company. My initial thoughts were great, I’m already of tanned skin tone and don’t ever use tan products as I have no need to. The product is supposed to speed up your tan by 25%. SPF is great but the tan factor put me off a little bit, however now I’m thinking maybe it’ll be fun to tan on purpose and I shall experiment with this in the summer. This was a sample size and full size (100ml) is 12.99

I was really happy to receive this actually; this is the Inika Vegan Lip Whip. I love makeup products in beauty boxes and have come across boxes that have not had any make up. Let me tell you from personal experience that is very annoying! This is in the colour Apricot and is also full size. To buy it costs £14.50 (more than the SSBB cost) and it glides on very smoothly. It’s slightly sheer which isn’t a problem for me as that gives me the option of wearing it by itself or as a matte lipstick topcoat.

This IS a perfume sample, but as it isn’t a tiny generic perfume sample I wasn’t unhappy to receive it. This is a Kim Kardashian perfume called Kim Kardashian and smells okay, nothing special. (Just like her! Hehe I joke), it isn’t my type of fragrance as I like something a bit more woody with depth but it isn’t repulsive either so I’ll probably keep it in my handbag just in case. To buy 30ml it costs 22.95

The last item I picked up was this Natio soap which you can buy as part of a trio. I was really excited to see this as I’ve tried their soaps before and in the bath, it is really relaxing. I’m usually a shower gel kind of girl, but in the bath the scent of a previous Natio soap really helped relax me so I’m looking forward to trying this on out. To buy a set of 3 it is £8.50.

So this little trio is a sample bonus gift and is from a brand called Snowberry which reminds me of the frozen yoghurt brand Pinkberry. If you haven’t tried Pinkberry yet you need to! (Jayne let’s go there one day!!). Back to the samples, there was a day cream, night cream and a face serum. I’m glad this was a bonus sample and not an actual luxury sample as it would’ve been rather lousy as the samples are tiny! I’m quite happy with my current skincare routine and have passed them on to my friends but it’s a great way to find a new brand I guess.

And that is it, a sneak peek in the May SSBB and my initial thoughts on it. Overall I was really happy with it and didn’t get the feeling of disappointment I’ve previously gotten over other boxes. I’m looking forward to trying out the tan product and the soap especially and I haven’t really got anything bad to say about the box. This was my second SSBB and I was just as impressed with my first. I hope you enjoyed reading lovelies, Tanzina x

Thank you for a lovely review Tanzina, I think I will have to give She Said a whirl! What did you guys think? Leave a comment and I’ll read them all when I get back!

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May 26, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Folksy Friday: Bits N Bobs

I discovered soap shop Bits N Bobs on Folksy, when I was getting married and was browsing for gifts for my bridesmaids. I was making gifts around a biscuit and cake theme, so when I found Bits N Bobs biscuits soaps, I couldn’t resist them as a gift. This Folksy shop has a great range of hand made novelty soaps, these are some of my favourites.

Not only are these designs mega fun, imaginative and well made, you’re looking at prices as low as £1.50! When I ordered from them last, the order came really quickly, I would highly recommend, a great shop for a bit of a pick me up or a gift for someone!

What do you think? Have you found a better soap shop on Folksy?

Comment below or Tweet me @JayneJRead

 

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May 25, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Happy Wedding Anniversary to us…

Just a quick, happy post, because today is our second wedding anniversary. We are currently in Toronto, Canada enjoying maple syrup, Mountain Dew, Sephora, pancakes, doughnuts and all other great things that Canada has to offer. Hopefully, by the time you read this post, we will have also visited Niagara Falls!

To celebrate our second wedding anniversary, I thought I would share a few wedding snaps, as I know everyone enjoyed them last time I posted some.

Photos were taken by the incredibly beautiful and talented India Hobson.

See you soon!

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May 24, 2012 | Categories: Wedding | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Guest Post: Alpha H Liquid Gold Mask Review

Today’s guest blog comes from fellow WordPress blogger Dija, you can see her blog Dija’s World here. Here’s a review of a science lead skincare product that sounds mega intriguing!

Usually as the seasons turn, I change my skincare routine. Seeing as we are on the cusp of summer, I’ve dived straight in with a mini skin overhaul. Out with the old (dull tired skin) in with the new (fresh, plumped and smooth skin). You know the drill.

Using a glycolic mask is not something I do often, but when I feel I need one, I always reach for Alpha H Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting Mask.  It packs a powerful punch working down my checklist very quickly and easily. Radiance, tick. Plumping, tick. Smoothing, tick.  I could go on, but suffice to say it does the ‘bizness’.

This is a creamy mask that doesn’t set, containing 15% sugar cane glycolic extract. Its VERY fast acting and the glycolic acid gets to work straight away. You can feel the tingle as it melts away dead skin. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend this product to extremely sensitive skin. But all other skin types should be fine. If in doubt, do a patch test.

It is enriched with rose, lavender, macadamia seed, wheat germ oils and manuka honey making it feel very luxurious. These ingredients sooth and hydrate whilst the active ingredient is at work.

I love this mask because in 10 minutes flat I can boost my skin improving texture and tone all at once! Plus the effects are long lasting too.  Be warned though, you may suffer a tiny breakout following this mask as it really loosens dead skin cells. So if you had any zits lurking underneath the skin, they will rise to the surface.

Although it boasts a myriad of natural ingredients, it also contains (whispers) parabens. There isn’t a proven link that these will cause any problems, but I like to be aware and stay away from parabens as much as possible. Having said that, I yet to find a product that ticks all the boxes in the same way. So I guess its all down to personal preference.

I would love to know if you use any glycolic based products, if so which ones?

Have you ever used Alpha H products?

What did you think?

Looks really interesting Dija! Glycolic is a great ingredient, it’s been used in anti-ageing products for years. Thanks for contributing. 

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May 23, 2012 | Categories: Beauty | Tags: , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Are these the droids you’re looking for?

Girl Geek time! I’m going to make this a regular feature as I am admittedly a mega geek and I know that there are others out there, plus it’s a great fun feature too.

Today I’ve found some super duper, sexy, Star Wars droid related girl geek things to share with you.

First off, I’m sure guy geeks everywhere are thanking Black Milk Clothing for this sexy Star Wars get up. It makes me want to take up swimming that’s for sure! Who would have thought that R2D2 and C3PO could ever look this hot! I must add, it helps buckets that they found some pretty foxy ladies to model these geek chic items.

Looking for something slightly more modest and a bit vintage inspired? How about this mega cute R2D2 circle skirt from Go Chase Rabbits on Etsy? You can always find some geeky crafters on Etsy and Folksy!

Looking for something a little more practical but equally droid-esque? Haute Mess Threads on Etsy have dolled up R2D2 with added bows and rolling pin shaped details in this beautiful number. I want one, badly!

Are you a girl geek? Would you wear any of these droid items?

Comment below or tweet me @JayneJRead

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May 22, 2012 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »