For Beachin' Hair

Summer is here! And what better way to channel those boho vibes than with multiples braids and wavy locks, right? My hair is naturally wavy, but also very thick, which weigh them down, turning my post-wash bouncy do into a flat, frizzy mess. Here are a few of my favourite products to fight all that summer throws at our hair; from frizz to tangles - come at me, Mother Nature.

With any beauty routine, I start with a clean slate. My standard The Body Shop Banana Shampoo and Conditioner duo (£4 each) works wonders to combat frizz, cleaning and comdiitoning the hair without weighing it down. However recently I've discovered the shampoo and conditioner from John Freida's Beach Blonde range (£7 each), which do all of the above and leave hair even more weightless and bouncy than my TBS go-tos. Perfect for beachy locks.

However after using a clarifying shampoo can sometimes strip away moisture, the same effect salt water has on your hair, so keeping it nourished and conditioned is key. On most days, I add several squirts of OGX's Argan Oil of Morrocco Penetrating Oil (£7), working directly on strengthening and nourishing hair follicles. However after a day at the sea, or the bottled version sans my shampoo, a large scoop of Vita Coco's Coconut Oil (£6), or any solid, natural oil can be used as a deep conditioner to add natural shine and bounce to your do. Alternatively, before you shower, a generous amount of LUSH's H'Suan Wen Hua Hair Mask (£9.75) can be left for 30 minutes before washing off to improve overall hair condition. But warning, this stuff smells rather funky...

For beachin' hair, I keep styling to a minimum, but before blow drying, adding several spritzes of John Freida's Beach Blonde Sea Salt Spray (£7) creates a more defined look for my lacklustre wavy hair. And unlike normal salt sprays, you're left without that crispy feeling when your hair is dry, which is a look you want to avoid. Knotty hair, no thank you.

Heading to any beach destinations this summer? Let me know in the comments or tweet me, I would love to hear your favourite seaside spots! And if there's any room in your suitcase, perhaps...

TWP: Long Time, No Talk

Hello, stranger! It's been 3 months since I put up a post in this little corner of the Internet, what with A-Level exams and coursework deadlines my blog had to take a backseat.

Not much has happened since I last updated you, as life tends to slow down when you're swamped down by hundreds of prompt cards and A3 posters, however I have a lot of exciting plans this summer, from festivals to quick getaways, that I can't wait to share, so keep an eye on my blog for bi-weekly posts on Wednesdays and Sunday's at 9am GMT, and almost daily updates on my Instagram and Twitter, both @deskparties. 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday; drink too much coffee, watch too many episodes of your favourite series of Netflix (I'm currently hooked on House of Cards) and add one too many steps to your skincare routine tonight. You deserve it. See you on Wednesday! 

Post-Party Skin.

I hate hangovers. Sure, they are a great excuse to wear sweats all day and eat all the crap, but after going out last Wednesday? Ain't nobody got time for that on a Thursday. Needless to say that following day I felt a bit worse for wear (slight understatement) so I needed something that was going to make look and feel a little more human...

Enter LUSH; always at my beckoning call for any skin troubles, and this time their BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask answered. 

It's consistency is thick, but it absorbs into the skin rather quickly, which means you can feel the stuff getting to work from the word go. After splashing my face after the mask has completely dried (for around 19 minutes), I could see my skin looked brighter and less, well, 'bleurgh'. I've used this several times since I bought it a week or so ago, and my skin looks cleaner and cleaner every time, and unlike most radiance/deep cleaning masks it's not leaving me with 59676 dry patches. A win-win!

As LUSH's face masks are fresh, they usually last a little less than a month, and I keep mine in the fridge for longer keep, amongst other essentials for those morning after feels. Poached eggs on toast anyone? 

The Weekend Post: Mum's The Word

Happy Mothers Day everyone! This week I am spending my Sunday making several cups of tea and ushering boxes of chocolates into my mums hands (no change from the usual, but it counts more on Mother's Day, right?)

Other than that, I surprised her with a few things from LUSH's Mothers Day range, which I thought I would share with you because, I'm going to be honest, I wish I bought some of these things for myself!

First off I picked up the Ultraviolet Bubble Bar; made with violet and jasmine absolutes and ylang ylang oil, this product smells of Parma Violets and I imagine would make the bath water look amazing. Then I popped the Mother Superior Bubble Bar in my basket, which I bought mainly because it looked so darn cute, and I knew it would make mum laugh. It contains mimosa absolute, which I have to be honest, doesn't smell incredible, but the novelty of this bubble bar won mum and me over.

After picking up a few bath things, which i thought would be a lot more relaxing and luxurious, my mum is in fact more of a shower person. But as LUSH lack a good range of shower products other than body wash, I opted for the Yummy Mummy Shower Gel. With notes of orange and geranium I knew this would be a delicate yet refreshing gel perfect for a morning wash. And as mum wakes up ridiculously early to get ready for work, I thought this would do just the trick to wake her up.

And lastly, I grabbed a pot of their Bubblegum Lip Scrub, because, well, their lip scrubs are amazing, and as mum and me have a similar skin type (dry/sensitive-combination) and she too always complains about having dry lips, I thought I could show her what she was missing out on.

Enjoy spending time with your family today, and if unfortunately you don't have a mum or mother figure  to share Mother's Day with, allow yourself the day to treat yourself for staying strong.

Things For 'That Time' Of The Month

'Mother Nature, can you come back another month plz? Ty' 

If you haven't guessed already, it's my time of the month, so I am currently writing this from the sofa whilst spooning a hot water bottle eating all the chocolate in the store cupboards. Not the most glamorous of get-ups, but desperate times... 

Now if you're like me (it's most likely); hormones drive you a little crazy (to say the least!) and the stomach pain is sometimes unbearable and the whole 3-7 day period is just plain uncomfortable, here are a few things you can rely on to make myself feel more human when Mother Nature calls.

Herbal Tea

I love a classic cuppa when I am feeling worse for wear, but herbal teas are brilliant for soothing cramps, and as they are caffeine free they are the best before bed, when the pain is usually the worst. My favourite is Pukka's Womenkind tea; with liquorice root, chamomile and vanilla; first up it smells amazing, and it's sweetness keeps (some of) the cravings at bay, but all of the ingredients are best for relaxing and soothing sore stomachs.

A small bag of emergency supplies 

It's good to keep a small, discrete pouch in your bag, that doesn't scream 'Hey everyone, I'm on my period! So yes, that's why I'm being a moody bitch today'. It's good to avoid that kind of honesty. I use a H&M pouch (they are dead cheap, always in stock in different designs) and in it I keep: some towels and tampons (obviously), paracetamol (for pain relief) a mini The Body Shop Eau De Toilette Spray (for feeling fresh), mint tea bags (to settle my stomach) and hairbands (because there's nothing more annoying than hair getting in my face, especially when I'm just not in the mood). It keeps everything in one place, and stops you from forgetting anything important when you need it the most.

Spot treatments 

The biggest burden of that time of the month are the spots that populate my face, and in places I never get them. However I recently discovered a few LUSH products that actually make a difference; Grease Lightning Spot Treatment, Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Fask and Tea Tree Toning Water to name a few. The products from the Good Things range, which is available in Boots, are also amazing for busting blemishes, or, if you have the budget for it, the Origins Super Spot Remover is all kinds of awesome.

Oil based skincare

Although I get spotty when I'm on my period and by logic, oil based products would in fact, make the breakouts worse, but using said spot treatments can be very drying on the skin, and already being a girl with dry skin, this means hydrating products such as oil cleansers and treatments are high on my agenda. For that I will refer to my post featuring my favourite things for dry skin spells. During 'that time' it's good to keep hydrated on the outside too, so keep large bottles of water and herbal tea nearby. Your skin will thank you for it.

Chocolate (for the cravings!)

I think this one goes without saying, but with low magnesium levels and tendencies to act like a total bitch, chocolate seems to solve a good portion of problems I have on my period. In fact, anything containing chocolate will do - usually I favour a double chocolate digestive or three but whatever you want. You're mind is telling you no, but your body is telling you yes - no, I'm not suggesting to give some Bump and Grind, but to listen to your cravings for those few days of the month. You deserve it. 

Things For The Girls With Dry Skin This Winter

If there's one thing that I dislike about the cold weather, it's the havoc it plays on my skin. Combine comfort food, cold weather and my college's heating system; and you have the perfect recipe for dry, irritated skin. However, this year I have been keeping this under some control with a few products that keep flaky skin at bay.

LUSH's Dream Cream 

Although this is officially a hand and body cream, the shop assistant at my local LUSH assured me that it worked just as well as a facial cream, too. And oh, she was right. As a girl with dry-combination skin, this does wonders on the drier areas of my face (my cheeks and temples), by applying a generous layer of it as a part of my evening routine after cleansing and toning, then it works it's magic as it soaks in overnight. I love to use it for its original use; as a body cream, too. Particularly after a hard workout at the gym, leaving my dehydrated face and body softer and smoother. A win-win product, for sure.

The Body Shop's Argan Solid Oil for Lips

As the usual victim of chapped lips, this year hasn't seen a bump or flake on my lips, and I'm pretty sure it's down to this product. Before bed and after slapping on some lip scrub from LUSH - love the stuff - I apply a thick layer of this unique solid-oil-meets-lip-butter product, and when I wake up, it's still on my lips 8 hours later. What more can I say?

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask

The Origins Drink-Up Instensive Face Mask will always be near the top of my wish list, but with a £23 price tag, ain't no student got time for that. However after trying this Body Shop mask that I received free at a members event, I feel we have a dupe on our hands. I have to warn you, it's the weirdest consistency, almost a bit like jelly, but it's cooling effect and wet texture feels amazing on dry skin. I usually leave it on for around an hour, or overnight, if my face is really suffering, and once washed off it leaves you with a bright and glowing complexion.

Superfacialist by Una Brennan 

I was converted to oil cleansers by Loreal's Skin Perfection cleansing oil over a year ago, but recently I this product caught my eye in Boots because a) Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup raves about this on her blog, and anything she mentions is bound to be brilliant, and b) it was on offer. And I can't resist a bargain. The Loreal oil is quite similar in quality and price, but this oil left my face feeling cleaner, without drying out my face, which most oil cleansers can do. And it smells amazing, what more could you want in a cleanser?

Yes to Carrots Face Scrub

Now you are probably thinking that scrubs will only make dry skin worse, but as a big fan of the Yes To products, I was prepared to give their face scrub from their carrot range, suited for dry skin types, a go. With dry-combination skin, I tend to get dry skin away from my t-zone, however in the middle of,the winter, I get patches of dry skin on my nose and chin as well as my cheeks, and this scrub manages to lift these dry patches without causing irritation to my sensitive skin. I usually apply this in the morning, and after that I follow with the Yes To Day Cream; a thick but wearable cream that leaves the best base for makeup. Their face wipes are amazing too, so this range gets a big thumbs up from me. 

A Few Things From LUSH

Until last week, I was a LUSH Virgin - I know. In my defence, I have always much preferred a steaming hot shower to a bubble bath, so paying a visit to a shop that markets itself as a bathcare cosmetic company never really crossed my mind.

Whether it was the recent influx of festive lush hauls on blogs and YouTube channels (is it bad I am counting down to Christmas now?), or due to my state of self pity after getting another piercing last Wednesday, me and one of my best friends took a trip into our local LUSH branch and I picked up a few things.

Lip Scrubs in Santa Baby and Mint Julips

The weather is changing for the colder months, so chapped lips are no distant memory for me right now - can I get a few hands up here? I rushed into lush a few weeks back to pick up Mint Julips for my emergency dry lip situation, and every night I take a pinch of the cane sugar based solution, rub it together between my lips, and because it is made from sugars and oils, the ladies in lush encouraged me to lick it off afterwards! I was impressed how smooth and delicious my lips looked (and tasted!) that I bought Santa Baby, which is coloured red and tastes like cola bottles. It's a bit more sticky than mint Julips, so if I were to repurchase one it would have the mint, however  

Snow Fairy shower gel

As I mentioned earlier, I love a long shower, so the idea of my morning wash smelling like raspberry bubblegum got me as excited as a kid in a sweet shop. Snow Fairy is one of their most well known products; I knew about the stuff before even setting foot in the store. It lathers beautifully and is silky smooth on the skim, but now every morning I feel like Christmas is drawing closer and closer as I use more and more of this stuff, and in hand with the fact it reminds me of the smell of pink Quality Street, it's practically a Christmas chocolate selection box in a bottle. Not brilliant considering it's only October, but I guess the only solution is to stock up so I can use it up until the big day. Oh what a shame...

Cosmetic Catastrophe Fresh Face Mask 

Taking a few steps back from the festive season and back to October, the sudden change in weather and drop in temperature is causing havoc for my skin, leaving me with dry cheeks and forehead and spots on my t-some, so when I saw their fresh face masks, nothing could of sounded more appealing than this face mask in particular, especially in my current state. It's main ingredients are blueberries, which are supposed to calm and detox the skin, and after using this several times, it does what it says on the tin. Upon applying it has an instant cooling effect, and after using this a few times already it has reduced the puffiness and redness on my t zone, leaving me with a lump and bump free face.

I am very happy with the products I tried, so now a question for you all: what should I buy next? I will remind you that I am not a bath person, so any shower and cosmetic recommendations please!