Sunday 25 January 2015

BACKCOMB IN A BOTTLE - DO THEY WORK?

L'Oreal Got2B Freeze Spray Redken

As you may or may not know (if you've read my hair care posts, you will!) I love a bit of backcomb for texture and volume...actually, I love it a lot. However, years of backcombing and brushing my hair causes stress and tension and believe me, your hair will break. 

I thought mine could withstand the day in day out, constant strain but I was so wrong and boy am I paying the price for it now. No one and I mean no one loves big hair as much as I do (I can promise you that) but after an eye opening realisation of the current state my hair has been reduced to because of doing this (as well as using heat products and extensions), my hair is quite frankly unrecognisable to what it used to be like. I know that sounds dramatic and I'm so lucky to have what I have - but I just want to warn you that if you backcomb - please, please stop or at least don't do it every day because even though you think you're not harming your hair as much as people tell you, you are and within 6 months, you'll be able to see the difference. I won't go into the damage clip in hair extensions have caused because THAT is a whole other story in itself which I will post about probably next week if you'd like to hear about it (let me know in the comments)! 


Anyways, back to the point of this post (sorry, I usually go off on a tangent!), because of my strict no backcombing vow (I'm trying to stick to!) I've decided to try a few products to give the same effect, just with less damage. Two of these products I've used for quite a long time in conjunction with backcombing my hair using a fine tooth comb, however I wanted to test what they are like alone - with no comb to help the process. The third product, I've only recently tried but I'll tell all below so keep reading!



 L'Oréal Paris Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray

#TXT Spray


The first product is the L'Oréal Paris Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray. I really like this product. Even though it says it acts as a backcomb in a bottle type spray, I'd say it is more for texture but I would sometimes use this to set the backcomb I'd manually create. I really find this product helpful to use all over the hair so that when I put it in a bun, it won't just slip out. This product is great on freshly washed hair, for the reason mentioned previously. Have you ever thought dry shampoo just isn't enough to provide the volume you need to keep it up all day? Turn your head upside down, spray this all through it and scrunch your hair with your hands and let it dry for a few seconds (with your head still upside down) and also spray a bit on your fringe (if you've grown your fringe out) upside down and scrunch that up too. Flip your head back and give it another spritz throughout and let that dry. Only a couple of seconds should do it for the drying process! I like to use this product not just on the ends but to the roots a little too. Not too much though because you don't want to block the follicles and stop them from breathing and consequently, growing. So overall, I do think this product works. It could give a little more texture and it would be great if the backcombing aspect properly worked but for £2.53 (on offer - usually it's £3.79) what more do you want!? Cheap and affordable and does the job, simple!



Schwarzkopf Got2B Glued Blasting Freeze Spray

Got2B Freeze Spray

Okay, the second product is my holy grail hairspray which acts as a "freeze spray", called Schwarzkopf Got2B Glued Blasting Freeze Spray. You might have read about this product in a previous post of mine and if so, you'll know how much I love it! This one acts as a freeze spray (which is literally tornado proof) which gives you that extra bit of firmness than a usual hairspray. You know when a hairspray is described as "Extra Hold" or "Maximum Hold" - nothing has a stronger hold than this. I do also include a caution with this freeze spray - it dries your hair out - yes it brushes out as most hairsprays say they do, but when you brush out this one, you'll notice your hair can become very dry... At least if you use as much as I do!! This one not only works as a typical hairspray though, it works as a great backcomb & texturing spray. A great tip for achieving a backcombed effect with this hairspray with no physical backcombing with a comb is to simply:


  1. Part your hair and where you'd normally use your comb, spritz the freeze spray in place and use the bottle, yes the bottle of this spray and wrap that piece of hair around it, placing the bottle in at the root where you have just sprayed. Wrap the hair around as if you are wrapping it round a velcro roller.
  2. Hold the can in place so the freeze spray you've just applied to the hair is tightly wrapped around the freezing cold can. As the diameter of the can is larger than a typical normal can of hairspray, this makes the volume you're creating also larger. I'm quite rubbish at explaining this as you'll probably tell... Sorry!
  3. Take the can away and there you have it, you have some serious volume going on without physically backcombing!
This product retails for approximately £2.60 in Savers and elsewhere like Boots, it's a little more expensive at about £4 odd. Still very affordable but I always get mine in Savers because I use so much of it!!

Quick Tease 15 Backcombing Finishing Spray by Redken


Redken Quick Tease

This next product is one which I purchased last week. It's the Quick Tease 15 Backcombing Finishing Spray by Redken. I have trouble purchasing this in stores so I purchased this on Amazon for £14.26 for 250ml. I was super looking forward to trying this product because I saw it on TV (I think it was on This Morning) and so I thought I had to give it a go! I have to say, although I really, really loved this product I probably wouldn't repurchase it because it didn't last me long at all. When I say it didn't last me long, I don't mean on my hair, I mean the product as a whole in the bottle didn't last long. Also it did a very similar job to the L'Oreal #TXT Volume Spray I spoke about earlier. It's very similar in product so by paying £11.73 more for this product, it's really not worth it. Unless you can afford to dish out nearly £15 everytime you come to the end of it (which I can't!) then I'd stick to the L'Oreal. However on the plus side this product acts as a finishing spray as well, so if you want the backcombed look, spray in at the roots but if you'd rather it just act as a finishing spray lightly dust your hair with it at the end of finishing your style. It  has a great hold and doesn't leave your hair looking sticky or looking like you have too much product in it. I think why it possibly didn't last me too long was because I was using it as a backcomb spray and a finishing spray so it was getting double use. Overall, great product; love the finishing spray aspect of it but for the price, I'd stick with the L'Oreal but if it was a bit cheaper (around £6/7), I would likely try this one again.

Hope this post was helpful to you if you're trying to choose a good backcomb product! I tried to keep this one as short as possible but you know me and my tangents, I can't help myself!!

Before you go, I'm running a campaign called 'Take Back What's Yours' - if you follow me on Twitter, you probably have seen me mention it. I tag you to take part in this campaign and here's how you can get involved! I really appreciate everyone who has got involved in my #TakeBackWhatsYours campaign. You can get involved in this if you're a blogger OR even if you don't have a blog and you just enjoy reading them - in this case, all you need is an Instagram account and a Twitter account! Please check out the link I've put above because all of the information is included!


Thank you for reading!

Chloe xx

Get in touch! 



Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com / TakeBackWhatsYours@gmail.com


Instagram : @ChloesConcept


Friday 9 January 2015

PRETTY IN PINK - FAVOURITE LIPSTICKS

Hi everyone! 

Here is a little post on a couple of lipsticks I'm loving recently! I wear them everyday, either on their own or layered to make a different colour altogether! 

SEVENTEEN - Stay Pout - KISS ME QUICK



The first lipstick is Stay pout by SEVENTEEN in the shade Kiss Me Quick. This is quite a coral pink, which I love because any lipstick which has a tint of orange in it, automatically wins a place in my makeup bag! I know a lot of people change their lipstick colours for different seasons - darker in the Winter and lighter in the Spring/Summer, however I don't find I suit dark colours on my lips so I stick with anything that has a baby pink/bright pink/coral/lilac colour - anything that doesn't wash me out completely - like for example, deep purples, reds etc., even though I would absolutely love to be able to wear them; they just do not suit me!

So yes, I love the SEVENTEEN Stay Pout - Kiss Me Quick lipstick! Definitely recommend. I love the tube as well - it's always nice to have fancy lipstick packaging! The price is amazing for the quality too! I think it's £4.49 which is outstanding and something that is so affordable if you fancy trying a new colour or brand but you're feeling the pinch with Christmas just passing. Also, the longevity of this lipstick - especially if blotted, stays on an incredible amount of time. I explain a little later in this post a bit more on that!

Here's a little chart of the different colours they do in this range!




TOPSHOP MATTE BULLET - PLASTIQUE

Topshop Matte Bullet

This is more like one of those chubby stick type lipsticks. I love these types of lipsticks because it's so easy to apply and reapply without needing a mirror (especially due to the subtle colour - can't say it would be easy to apply red without a mirror!)

The colour, like I said, it a subtle, pastel-like lilac colour which I think most people would suit. It's not an offensive colour or too bold (if you're feeling a little less confident) and it's just a really pretty colour to take you through each season! It does say it's a matte effect, however it can be a tiny, tiny bit glossy, (not as in a proper lip gloss finish, just a subtle sheen!) so I'd blot it a little just to get that full on matte look!

I really like the simplicity of the packaging; clean looking with the crisp white body, clear lid so you can identify the colour easily if you have multiple colours and a young, fun type font. I always like to talk about the packaging of products... Weird? Probably.

You can get this nifty chubby stick-like lipstick for £8 exclusive to Topshop!


Here are the other colours they sell in this Lip Bullet! I think I'll try "There She Goes" soon!


These two lipsticks are beautiful on their own, but if you like to mix colours and brands; these two lipsticks are your new "besties". If you put one lipstick on, blot it and then apply the next and blot again, you're set for the day! They both stay on amazingly well, for a very, very long time - even after eating the messiest of foods! Win!

Have you tried either of these products? What do you think of them?

Before I go - if you'd like to get involved in the Big Blogging Movement 2015, head over to this page where you can find details on how you can be involved! Thank you to the huge amount of people who have taken part already and who are supporting #TakeBackWhatsYours! It means the world so thank you, thank you, thank you!


Get in touch! 


Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com / TakeBackWhatsYours@gmail.com


Instagram : @ChloesConcept

Thank you for reading!

Chloe x


Thursday 8 January 2015

BE PART OF THE BLOGGING MOVEMENT IN 2015 - TAKE BACK WHAT'S YOURS


Hi everyone!

I just wanted to write a post thanking everyone who has taken part in Take Back What's Yours - New Year Challenge so far! Your support has been so overwhelming and amazing, I really can't believe it!

It makes me so incredibly happy to see us bloggers pulling together to write posts for this challenge, something which is one of my main aims of this campaign; for us all to pull together and make a difference...and that is happening!

I love reading through everyone's posts, the comments, emails, tweets...everything! I am so appreciative of the huge amount of support people are showing toward this campaign, so thank you so, so much.

This is just a little post to keep you updated, but coming this weekend is a big post which features everyone's #TakeBackWhatsYours blog post links and photos! I can't wait to share it with you all! I'll keep updating this post every time someone uploads a new post or picture so you'll all be in it!

Please remember that this is not just a regular New Year's resolution that you give up after 5 minutes (like I usually do!). No, this is a lifetime commitment! I'll be doing posts throughout the year with this challenge, focusing on the next part of the campaign which will be posting updates on how you are getting on with your resolutions! More information on that to come in the near future though!

I tag you ALL to get involved with this campaign! If you are unsure about what it entails, you can have a look at this post which tells you everything you need to know about how you can get involved with the big blogging movement in 2015! 

If you aren't a blogger - don't worry! If you have Twitter or Instagram, upload your photo with your poster (more info on this in the post linked above!) and make sure to include  #TakeBackWhatsYours!

I'll be constantly uploading posts with everyone's photos, blog posts and more so keep using this hashtag and also tag me @ChloesConcept on both Twitter and Instagram! 

ALSO before I go, keep an eye on #TakeBackWhatsYours on Twitter for updates! I'm in the process of making a separate Twitter account for this campaign, what do you guys think? Would this be more helpful?

Let's do this!

P.s, this is also my 100th post! 


Love,

Chloe x


Get in touch! 



Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com / TakeBackWhatsYours@gmail.com


Instagram : @ChloesConcept


Friday 2 January 2015

L'OREAL'S INFALLIBLE STAY FRESH FOUNDATION

L'Oreal Infallible Foundation Beauty Makeup Great Foundations


Hi everyone!

So over Christmas, as I'm sure you're all probably the same, I was lucky enough to get lots of different makeup products!

Today I'm reviewing the Infallible Stay Fresh Foundation 24H.

This is definitely going to be one of my staple go-to foundations, I can already tell. It has a wonderfully soft, liquid texture which glides perfectly onto any skin type. I think that's what I love about it most; the fact that it works great on dry and oily skin types.

The worst thing is when you buy a foundation and it doesn't gel well with your skin type. Mine is mostly dry so when I apply this foundation with my damp beauty blender, it gives the most incredibly flawless coverage and lasts a long, long time. Does it last 24 hours? No, but what foundation honestly looks the same after 24 hours of wearing it?

This foundation is easy to build to achieve a full coverage look, however it looks completely natural whilst covering those pesky imperfections if you're going for the natural, dewy and fresh look.

Talking of dewy and fresh, this foundation provides this to no end. After a couple of pumps of this one and you'll see the glow straight away; just be careful and make sure you apply some setting powder over those T zones to prevent your face from looking too oily. Also, as it is a liquid, I'd always apply some setting powder all over just to prolong the wear.

The colour match to my skin is fantastic, however by looking on the Boots website, they don't seem to do a large range of shades. Here's what I found online:

Boots

You can purchase this product anywhere that sells L'Oreal products, but here's a direct link. It retails at the very reasonable price of £9.99 but you can usually get a 3 for 2 offer if you keep checking in store!

Have you tried this foundation? What did you think of it?

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Chloe x

Get in touch! 


Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com





Thursday 1 January 2015

2014; THE YEAR I BLOGGED




Hi everyone!

This time last year, I was still sitting reading blogs, hoping to one day write my own for other people to read. I was so hesitant as I thought no one would bother to read it and why should they? I'd probably write in a boring manner, my photos would be a terrible quality and the whole look would be totally unprofessional.

I finally took the plunge early on in 2014 and committed to making a Blogger account. After a little while, I decided my blog name didn't have the right message so around April time, I changed it to Chloe's Concept.

I remember my first post was the Beauty Blender "dupe" and I was so proud of it because I took time with writing it, lined the products up with a backdrop behind it and took pride in how I presented what I was saying but still thinking no one would read it. I'm so, so glad I did click "Publish" on that first post because ever since, I've had so much joy, enjoyment, excitement and much, much more coming from my blogging experience.

I've never really explained why I called my blog Chloe's Concept but in case you were wondering, I named it Chloe's Concept because even though it might seem self explanatory, I wanted it to be somewhere I could write down my opinions on things; i.e., products, clothes and even come up with my own concepts, such as my #TakeBackWhatsYours campaign. 

My 2014 in the blogging world has been insane. I've managed to interview lots and lots of bloggers, people, celebrities, foundations, authors, life-coaches, published articles for online magazines and more. I could have NEVER done this without my blog. As you might be aware, I created my blog for the whole product review/fashion/interior side of things, which I absolutely love but I also wanted to use my blog for a different purpose and that purpose was to create a campaign/platform where I could provide a place for people to come when they're feeling down and low from being bullied, low self-esteem, anxiety, suffering from diabetes (and any other illnesses) and much more. I won't go into detail in this post because you can find everything you need to know here

2014 for me has been a huge stepping stone; making me realise what I want to do in life, who I want to be and how I'm going to achieve it. I've even gone as far as making my university dissertation all about blogging! I've gone blogging crazy!

I just want to thank every single person who has been or is involved with my campaign. Thank you for your support and belief in it and thank you for every single kind and thoughtful message you've sent my way.

Before I go, if you are a blogger (or even if you're not!!) I tag you to take part in #TakeBackWhatsYours New Year Campaign Challenge. We as bloggers have more than enough "power" to unite and make a humongous change in this world. You can find ALL of the information here and I urge you to take part and let the world know we're here to make a difference. 

To everyone, Happy New Year and I hope you have the best year ever and may your dreams come true :)





Love,

Chloe x

Get in touch! 


Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com