Cherry Blossom Lips

In the colder months of the year I tend to wear more of a red lip then say in summer time and recently I've been loving the AVEDA Lip Glaze in Cherry Blossom.

Cherry Blossom is part of the Aveda Rehydrating Lip Glaze range which contains 11 other gorgeous shades from nude to bold. The lip glaze is infused with plant emollients and is clinically proven to moisturise, plump and smooth the look of fine lines of your lips. 

The gloss has a lovely formula, shiny but not sticky, pigmented but still with a hint of sheer and it also feels super refreshing and tingling due to its organic vanilla and mind aroma and flavour! 

This is the lip glaze on my lips, such a bright cherry red, I love it :)

For a high gloss look you can wear it alone, applying along the natural contour of lips or for a more intense effect, layer over other lip color. Also a little tip is if you want more of a 'pouty' lip then focus applying colour intensity at the centre of your month.

Do you like a red bright gloss like this? xoxo

Aveda Cherry Blosom Lip Glaze retails at £15.50 and is available online here.

Show your inner light: Aveda tinted moisturiser

I have always been very much a ‘liquid foundation kind of girl’ because I prefer to use a foundation that provides me with medium to full coverage. But even I have days where I feel like a more naturally glowing makeup look. A few months ago I came across Aveda’s new tinted moisturiser and I ended up using it a lot over summer for those hot days where you want a lighter/fresher face whilst still providing sheer to light coverage to hide any imperfections.  

Aveda, Inner Light is a mineral tinted facial moisturiser containing SPF15. It’s oil-free and non-acnegenic formula is lightweight, making it feel like you are not wearing anything yet giving you a smooth and even finish of sheer to light coverage with a dewy finish – allowing your inner light to shine through ;)

It has a refreshing smell and is full of certified organic ingredients such as:
♥ Titanium dioxide - a mineral derived sunscreen that helps provide protection against UVA UVB rays
♥ Coconut and jojoba seed - provide natural emollients that deliver oil-free hydration for soft skin with a dewy, moisturised finish.
♥ Resveratrol - anti-oxidant from Japanese knotweed that helps fights free radicals and protects against environmental aggressors.
♥ Tourmaline gemstone - a naturally energizing mineral that increases skins radiance. Unlike many other tinted moisturisers Aveda Inner Light is available in six shades: Aspen, Beechwood, Sweet Tea, Sandstone, Poplar, Sheer and Bark.


The shade I use is Beechwood (02)

I think this tinted moisturiser is great for those “no makeup” days like when you are going to the beach or to the gym!  But I also love wearing this tinted moisturiser, paired with a bit of concealer under the eyes and finished off with a quick dusting of powder for a more natural glowing makeup look.  Here is a recent face of the day with the Aveda TM:
The formula absorbs and blends in easily (I just use my favourite stippling brushes to apply) leaving your skin looking luminous and deeply hydrated at the same time. In that respect this tinted might not be that suitable for people with oily skin as I can imagine it could all become a little too shiny and oily but for me it’s perfect for a lighter and fresher look!

Have you tried the Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisturiser or is there another Tinted Moisturiser that you rave about? Do tell me! :) Aveda Inner Light is available online here at £23.50 for 50ml.

Aveda Smooth Infusion: The Round Up!

Hi everyone,

So after using the Aveda Smooth Infusion collection for almost a month, here it is; my final round up of the challenge! You can read my previous two posts as part of the challenge here and here.

To summarise the range here is another quick outline of the products I have been using:

1. Smooth Infusion Shampoo: softens hair & reduces frizz, priced at £14.50 for 250ml

2. Smooth Infusion Conditioner: includes a special plant infusion that leaves hair silky smooth, priced at £16.50 for 200ml

3. Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother: makes styling easier by producing long-lasting smooth results, priced at £18 for 100ml

4. Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener: for all-day straightness &shine, priced at £18.50

♥ What they say

"With 40 percent of women seeking smooth, straight, frizz-free hair, Aveda’s 4-step smoothing system, Smooth Infusion, was designed to help achieve these results—leaving hair chic, straight and manageable for 12 hours."

♥ Things I loved about the range:

The lovely lemony botanical scent. It smells so fresh which seems to linger in your hair all day!

Being organic and natural products the shampoo and conditioner feel really cleansing and good for your hair.

The products aren’t too heavy or rich which means it doesn’t weigh the hair down.

The products provide a heat barrier which means it protects your hair from heat styling and humidity.

My hair was super easy to brush (de-tangle) after washing, especially after applying the Style-Prep Smoother.

It made my hair softer, shinier, more manageable, well conditioned and less frizzy!

♥ My overall verdict:

Well basically I have been pretty impressed with the Smooth Infusion range. It promises smoother & sleeker hair and ever since I have started using these products I have certainly noticed a difference in the way my hair looks and feels. Does it make your hair straight and totally eliminate any sign of frizz? Well no, it can’t work miracles but I did find my hair was noticeably smoother, softer and it felt more hydrated. I have naturally quite straight hair already but after sleeping I normally wake up with frustrating ‘kinks’ in my hair (especially at the back of my neck) and I found while using the Smooth Infusion Range that my kinks were virtually gone in the mornings, woop woop! Also my hair remained in a smooth and less frazzled condition even after travelling on the busy London tube, working in air-conditioned offices, walking through wind and rain, ice skating and many more activities! So the big question, would I re-purchase any of these products? Yes, I would certainly re-purchase them! OK the products are a little more expensive than your average high street/drug store brands but then again I feel you get what you pay for and especially with the Style-Prep Smoother and Glossing Straightener you only need to use very little so it would last you ages. The Style Prep-Smoother is definitely my favourite of the line. As much as I know that using the full range of products will give you the best results, I think the Style Prep-Smoother is the star of this collection and you will get smoother results by just using that!

I hope that you girls have enjoyed reading about my Aveda Smooth Infusion Challenge! For more information on The Smooth Infusion line go to your local Salon or visit http://www.aveda.co.uk/

*this was a sponsored post via HandPicked Media for the Aveda Smooth Infusion Challenge.

Aveda Smooth Infusion Update:

Hi everyone,
Back in mid January I was invited to the Aveda Institute in London to take part in their 'Aveda Smooth Infusion Challenge'. You can read my original post here.

Basically the Smooth Infusion collection includes the following products:

1. Smooth Infusion™ Shampoo - softens hair and reduces friz

2. Smooth Infusion™ Conditioner - includes a special plant infusion that leaves hair silky smooth

3. Smooth Infusion™ Style-Prep Smoother - makes styling easier by producing long-lasting smooth results

plus 4. Smooth Infusion™ Glossing Straightener - for all-day straightness and shine

For the last few weeks I have been using the Shampoo, Conditioner and Style-Prep Smoother on my hair to see if it lives up to their promises to protect my hair from heat styling damage, keep my hair free from frizz for up to 12 hours and defend against humidity!

♥ My thoughts so far?
To be honest I have been pretty impressed with the performance of the Smooth Infusion products!
First off, I absolutely love the smell of the shampoo & conditioner! It’s so fresh and clean and really makes me feel like I am getting a salon treatment/wash in the comfort of my own shower ;) You can also tell that the product is very natural and good for your hair because it truly feels cleansing without making it feel so heavy and glossy from lots of added un-natural ingredients.
To describe my natural hair would be fairly straight, thin but I have quite a good amount of it. So normally when I wash & condition my hair and just blow or rough dry it, it comes out pretty smooth and straight but the ‘frizz’ and ‘fly-aways’ are the bits that annoy me intensely! It always looks nice and smooth when I am inside, but as soon as I spend sometime in the outside world, frizz starts appearing :( That's why very often after blow drying my hair I will run my straighteners through it quickly to smooth it down! I have used the products as they recommend in the picture above. What I really like about this line is that it leaves my hair feeling soft & smooth, yet not heavy or weighed down like some other ‘anti-frizz’ products can do. It protects my hair from heat styling and left my hair a feeling lot smoother than I am used to. In the last few weeks I have to admit I have hardly used my straighteners. My new routine has been to blow-dry my hair, using some velco rollers to give it a little ‘oomf’ and creating a smoother, softer and voluminous style, which actually lasts beyond the inside of my house! This is my hair after a full day of work, including walking around London, travelling on the tube and working in an air-conditioned office. Still looks pretty smooth right?

I will continue using these products and will give you a final update & round up of my challenge in the next few weeks. To read more about the Aveda Smooth Infusion range or to buy the products - click here.
For my UK based readers: Download a voucher HERE to get your own FREE haircare consultation plus a 3-piece sample pack of the Smooth Infusion haircare system, at an Aveda salon near you! xoxo
* Small print: this is a sponsored post via HandPicked Media for the Aveda Smooth Infusion Challenge

Aveda Smooth Infusion Experience %

Last week I was one very lucky girl because I got invited by handpickedmedia to attend an amazing event at the London Aveda Institute. I'd never been to an Aveda Salon before & their Covent Gardan 'flagship' store and training institute definitely blew me away. When we arrived we got the first class treatment with smoothies, champagne, nibbles and a tour around the institute.  The reason we were invited was to receive a 'Smooth Infusion' treatment! Basically this meant a wash and blow dry treatment as part of a monthly challenge for us to put to their newest haircare collection to the test! 

"With 40 percent of women seeking smooth, straight, frizz-free hair, Aveda’s 4-step smoothing system, Smooth Infusion, was designed to help achieve these results—leaving hair chic, straight and manageable for 12 hours."

We received a little speech from the Creative Director about the 'Smooth Infusion' collection and then all the stylist got to chose the blogger they would treat that evening. Lucky me - I got chosen by the fabulous Creative Director himself, Michael Lendon! 
Here we are in the 'before' picture taken by a professional photographer on the night:
To start the Aveda experience I had to smell 3 types of oils to see which one my current 'mood' preferred. The oil I chose was then applied to my hair & I received a luxurious shoulder and scalp massage. Michael shampooed my hair with the Smooth Infusion Shampoo, rinsed, and then applied the Smooth Infusion Conditioner and brushed this through with a comb before rinsing my hair. A little tip from Michael was to always quickly comb your hair after applying conditioner (you can do this in the shower) before rinsing it out as it will ensure a more even distribution of the product, meaning a better result! Once washed and clean, we could start the prepping and blow drying process!

Michael applied a small amount of the Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother to the mid and ends of my hair. Because my hair is naturally already quite smooth he said I only need a small amount (1-2 pumps), however if you are prone to quite frizzy hair feel free to use 2-3 pumps of this product. The Style-Prep smoother contains an exclusive plant infusion, a blend derived from organic aloe, maize and guar bean, which creates a smooth surface on hair. Plus it defends against humidity for up to 12 hours and a hydrolized wheat protein in the product protects against surface damage from heat styling! He also applied a small amount of the Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener to the ends of my hair to maintain a long lasting straight style! Then he styled my hair by blow drying it straight whilst creating some of movement in the ends using a round brush. He also gave me some great tips and pointers on how to achieve the professional blow-dry look at home! 

♥ Always blot wet hair with a towel to remove excess moisture. Don't rub, as rubbing creates frizz.

♥ When hair is 100% dry, use cool air to set - this closes the cuticle & ensures your smooth blow-dry will last longer.

♥ For thick/coarse hair, apply product before bed. This helps maximize smoothness & helps prevent excess volume in the morning.

After having my hair all looking amazing and feeling SUPER smooth, I got a little make up touch up and was taken to the studio upstairs for my professional 'after' shot! I'm not a huge fan of this photo, because it looks so official that I don't think it really looks like 'moi' :) But my hair does looks super smooth and perfect! 

Thank you to Aveda for this amazing experience! Before departing we got given a fantastic goody bag containing the full Smooth Infusion Collection for me to review over the next months. So watch this space, this story is to be continued.....

Have you tried the Aveda's Smooth Infusion range or any other Aveda products? xoxo
*small print: this post was sponsored by Aveda as part of a month long challenge to test the products.

Va Va Volume with Aveda

Like many girls I am always in the ongoing quest to find the ideal product for more voluminous hair ;) Recently as part of this quest I purchased Aveda's Phomollient Styling Foam. See the result below. 

If I may say so myself; Va Va Volume achieved! 

Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam:

What Aveda says: "Our patented formula—which includes certified organic honey, burdock and marshmallow root—creates weightless volume on fine and medium hair. Adds shine without build-up or weight. Uses air-infused technology"

♥ For fine to medium hair types
♥ Light to medium hold
♥ Weightless volume
♥ Detangles
♥ Builds body

How to use? What I do is spray 2-3 pumps into my hand. Rub my hands together to distribute the product evenly (yes, it does liquefy a little) and apply to damp hair; distribute near the roots for added lift. Then I blow-dry my hair (with my head upside down or using a rounded brush ) to create volume. 

My hair is pretty fine (but I have quite a bit of it!) and the problem is that it often feels very "flat". I have experimented with different mouses in the past during my quest for volume and have always hated the results. Sticky, frizzy and stiff/crunchy hair, yuck! Therefore I was a bit hesitant when the shop assistant suggested this styling foam. But I was pleasantly surprised. Phomollient Styling Foam is great because, unlike a mouse, it's light and airy. This product leaves my hair soft and silky but magically with more volume than mother nature gave me. The foam also smells lovely & fresh, a bit like honey and the scent makes you feel like you've just walked out of a salon. 

Little $ Tip: Save the top (the pump part that screws on the bottle) of the Phomollient and you can buy the refills for cheaper!

What product do you love for Va Va Volume?