Hungover to Heroine in 60 minutes

Hungover as all hell but you've got an early morning seminar or need to get to work? Do you have just one hour between when you wake up and when you need to leave the house to get to a seminar? No problem. Here's how to fake being awake in 60 minutes .

[Thank you to Holly for letting me write my own version of this post because her post last year completely inspired me.]

08.00: Step One - The Rude Awakening

Drag yourself out of bed - this is probably the most important bit. Even if you do it looking like a zombie, head to your kitchen and put on the kettle. At this point pour yourself a pint of warm water and start mindlessly sipping it until the kettle has boiled. Once it has, slowly and carefully make yourself a cup of caffeinated tea or coffee whilst you continue to sip your water. When you've completed this first task head back to your room (or wherever you normally get ready) and deposit your tea/coffee.

08.10: Step Two - Coming Back to Life 

Now it is time to head towards the shower, to bring you out of the alcohol induced reverie. Make sure you have some sort of exfoliating body scrub or brush and preferably an invigorating shower gel. Get into a lukewarm (but on the colder side) shower and proceed to buff and scrub your treacherously hungover body until you feel smooth and clean. The water, exfoliation and the scented shower gel should rouse you into a slightly more useful state.

08.25: Step Three - General Appearance

It is now time to sluggishly remove yourself from the shower and begin the process of making yourself look more alive. Moisturising is essential, you want all of your skin to look smooth, plump and awake. If you have one, slather on a moisturising mask, add some hair oil to your locks and slap on some moisturiser to your tired limbs and decolletage. You want your skin to say 'healthy' not 'hungover'.

08.35: Step Four - Time to Correct

At this point I would urge you to opt for minimal, corrective make-up otherwise you will probably end up looking overdone and tired. Colour correcting, brightening, illuminating - these are all terms you want to look out for. I like to use an illuminating primer under a very light BB cream or foundation which I find help brighten my face as well as cover any redness. I then add a neutral cream blush just to shape my face and lashings of brown mascara. Then I just set my brows and add lip balm (preferably a lightly tinted one). For me this takes a maximum of 10 minutes, probably less because it's quick, easy and fool-proof.

08.45: Step Five - The Finishing Touches

Go for simple, neat hair - I usually choose a high ponytail - which will require minimal blow drying and minimal effort. Once this is complete, sit back and drink your cooled tea or coffee and prepare for the caffeine to help make you feel fully alive as the hour draws to a close. Reach for comfortable clothing, but don't go for a whole outfit of black. You want to be completely at ease, and I know you'll probably not want to be the centre of attention, but you don't want to wash yourself out. I usually opt for a simple black a-line dress coupled with a colourful cardigan, regardless of where I go or what I'm doing I know I'll look put together despite the effort behind it being entirely minimal.

How do you fake being awake in the mornings? Have you got any tricks that help get you from hungover to heroine in an hour?

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Review: L'Oreal Elvive Extraorindary Oil Mist for Fine Hair

After a long love affair with expensive, high end hair oils when my birthday rolled around I decided to try out a cheaper "high-street" version. I really wanted to see if you could get the quality of Macadamia Oil or Moroccan Oil on a student budget. The product that I settled upon back in July was L'Oreal Elvive's Extraordinary Oil Mist for Fine Hair. There is also a version for "normal hair" but I can't comment on it because I haven't tried it.

I picked up the version for Fine Hair because I have relatively fine hair, I just have a lot of it. I also thought that it might make the oil more multi-purpose, and indeed I think this version of L'Oreal Elvive's Extraordinary Oil is a lot more useful than my Moroccan Oil - although perhaps not as intensely nourishing. After I have had a shower I use leave in conditioner, tangle teezer my hair, towel dry it and then apply a hair oil to the mid-lengths and ends. Some days I will spray two pumps of oil into my hands and then smooth this through my hair and other days I will spray up to three pumps into my hair and then use my tangle teezer to work the product through my hair. Both methods work in a similar way and give me similar results. If you have very, very fine hair maybe one to two pumps would be plenty, or if you have thick hair then maybe you could try out three or four. The result when I use the product in this way is that my hair is left almost completely frizz free, smooth and shiny - emphasis on the shiny. It doesn't help straighten my hair but it leaves my naturally wavy hair a lot neater looking and the waves are defined in a way that I don't see when I skip hair oil from my routine.

I've also found that this hair oil is light enough to use on dry hair. I like to use it after I've straightened my hair, applying one spray of oil to my hands and then working it through the ends of my hair to add some hydration back into my hair as well as adding shine. I also like to use it on the ends of my hair on days when I don't wash my hair and use dry shampoo. I find that it doesn't weigh the ends of my hair down and instead refreshes the ends of my hair and also helps stop any frizz that might be developing. 

Overall, at the very reasonable price of £8.49 for 100ml on Feel Unique I think that L'Oreal Elvive's Extraordinary Oil Mist for Fine Hair is a bargain, especially if you take advantage of FeelUnique's regular 10-20% off discounts. I wouldn't use this as a leave in treatment like I do with heavier oils but for day-to-day use it is incredibly high performing and fits a number of different hair needs. If you have thicker hair then I'd definitely consider the Normal Version of this product as I have been really impressed with this version and think that it is great value for money. 

Do you use a hair oil? Do you like the sound of a 'lighter' option hair oil?

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Review: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask usually comes in a 100ml tube and clocks in at £22. My 30ml tube was a free gift with purchase and I was very keen to give it a try because I've read mixed reviews. In case you didn't know, I'll just quickly catch you up - my skin type is combination (oily t-zone with dry cheeks) and I haven't quite escaped my "teenage skin" meaning that I am still rather prone to getting spots. I think it's important you know what my skin is like so that you can appreciate that my skincare reviews are going to be influenced by my skin's specific needs. If you have very, very different skin issues then it might be more helpful to read a review of this product written by someone with similar skin concerns to yourself.

Moving on to my review. You're supposed to apply a thick layer of this face mask before bed, after your normal skincare routine, and then leave it on when you go to sleep. I was nervous to try this out because I thought that a heavy "intensive" moisturising mask (especially a leave on mask) might break me out. What I found is that it has actually done wonders for the drier parts of my face and helps leave them softer, more hydrated and less prone to redness. However, I do think that it isn't the best product to use on my t-zone. Although I thoroughly advocate moisturising oily skin I feel as though Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask doesn't plump the skin so much in the oilier areas. Instead, although it hasn't broken me out, I feel as though it sits a little heavily in my pores - no spots per se, but I do feel as though it undoes some of the hard work I put into declogging and shrinking my pores. I now like to use this on my cheeks, and sometimes on my neck too, once or twice a week at the end of my usual skincare routine. I find that this gives my skin the help it needs in the areas it needs it and that way I don't waste any product and I don't aggravate my t-zone. 

As I said before, if you have dry skin or very oily skin all over then I think this review isn't relevant to you and I'm sorry that I can only write from the perspective of my particular skin type! I really like this product but I think that I would like to try out a different moisturising mask before repurchasing because although I really enjoy using it I am not totally enamoured with it. You can find Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask on Origins website or on the Boots website.

Have you tried Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask? Are there any moisturising face masks you'd recommend?

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My Top 10 Beauty Products For Under £10

Not so long ago I wrote a post about my Top 5 Beauty Products for under £5 and given my love of 'drugstore' make-up I thought I'd continue on with the natural follow up, my top 10 beauty products for under £10. As I've mentioned before, people often don't like to talk about the monetary value of beauty products but I think that regardless of the price bracket you're buying into you should always aim to make the most of your investments. There are some wonderful beauty products available for under £10 but there are equally some really poor quality ones. In the past the only way I had to differentiate between the duds and the gems was an often very disappointing process of trial and error. In an attempt to save some of you from much of that disappointment I'm going to share ten beauty products, that all come in under £10, which I really love and think are worth investing in.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer RRP £9.99

This is the most expensive beauty item that I'm going to mention but I really wanted to talk about it because I feel like it generally gets incredibly overlooked. I like to use this on the high points of my face under my make-up because it gives me a natural looking glowing complexion, however, it also works just as well over make-up when used as a highlighter. It has a liquid formula without being too thin and I find that it doesn't dry as quickly as the Benefit highlighters making it easier to work with. Given how multi-purpose it is and how long it lasts (it makes it through long, long days) I think it is a wonderful product that fully deserves a place in everyone's make-up bag.

Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation RRP £8.99

If you're looking for a really light, natural looking base then this is what I would consider to be the nicest drugstore option. It doesn't last terribly well without a primer but I love how it evens out my skin without being thick or cakey. I think for younger girls (myself included) this is a great foundation because I often want a bit of coverage but don't want to age myself by looking like I'm wearing tonnes of make-up.

Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer RRP £5.49

If you've tried Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer and wanted something with similar coverage that wasn't quite so thick then I would recommend trying Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer. I wrote about the concealers I use in this post so if you're keen on seeing swatches or reading about how I apply my concealer you might enjoy reading it.

Lanolips' Lip Ointment with Colour* RRP £8.16

I mentioned this product in my September Beauty Favourites but in case you didn't already know about these I'll give you a little run down on them. They're essentially very nourishing lip balms but they have a very thick consistency that is also really glossy meaning that they stick around on your lips a lot longer than most balms. In addition, the lip ointments with colour (as you might imagine) have a colour so they also can be used in place of a lipstick or gloss, or you can use them over the top of a lipstick or lip stain. I'm very impressed with their moisturising qualities and how long they last compared to pretty much every other lip balm and lip gloss that I've ever tried. 

MaxFactor's Colour Elixir Lipsticks RRP £7.99

(especially in the shades Bewitching Coral, Pink Brandy and Ruby Tuesday)

I would go as far as saying that the MaxFactor Colour Elixir Lipsticks are my favourite drugstore lipsticks. The only area in which they are let down is their shade range- there are only three really gorgeous colours and I've already bought them all. These lipsticks are completely opaque, have a creamy/satin finish and are very long lasting. If they expanded the shade range I think the popularity of these lipsticks would explode but in the mean time do definitely check out Bewitching Coral (a bright pink), Pink Brandy (a coral hued "my lips but better" pink) and Ruby Tuesday (an intense, classic red). 

Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks £5.49

(especially in shade 107)

Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks have a satin finish that is definitely on the matte end of the spectrum but it means they aren't as drying as many matte lipsticks. The colours swatch very opaque and they last on the lips for a number of hours which helps make it less scary to wear the deeper, intense colours (such as 110 and 107). I wear the shade 107 to death in the autumn and winter and I think if you haven't swatched it before then you definitely should. However, if you don't like dark, bold lip colours then 101 is a very pretty pink colour that comes highly recommend from nearly everyone I talk to!

Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains RRP £7.99

These are my absolute go-to lip products. I nearly always wear them on 'nights out' as I know they'll last on my lips for hours and hours and they don't ever smudge or bleed on me. I have about six shades which I've reviewed and swatched (on my arm and lips) which you should definitely read if you haven't already tried them. I think they're the bomb.

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara RRP £7.99

A relatively new favourite of mine but Maybelline's The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara really delivers in terms of quality. I find it gives me long, volumised lashes without any clumps and it doesn't ever leave me with panda eyes despite it not being waterproof. I have this in brown so I can't comment on how black the black shade is but I would definitely recommend this on the basis of its formula and brush. If you're interested I wrote a full review here.

Bourjois Volume Clubbing Liner RRP £6.99

Although I am gravitated away from liquid eye liners I still think that this Bourjois offering is the best one that I've ever found. The colour is intensely black and the lasting power is amazing. I used to wear this daily for years and years and have gotten through countless tubes of it. It can be a little tricky to apply but the brush is really tiny which allows for precise application. I love it and it doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves.

Sleek's Eye Shadow Palettes RRP £7.99 

(shown here is the limited edition Respect Palette)

Sleek's eye shadow palettes offer some of the best value for money eye shadows without compromising on quality. I have worn the Respect Palette to death since I bought it and am keen to try other palettes in the future. I find the colour options to be incredibly wide meaning that there will be a palette for everyone and there are both matte and shimmer options. At under £8 I really don't think you can do better and if you pick the right palette for you then unless you're a complete make-up junkie like me you'll probably not need any other eye shadows!

This was a bit of a long post but I really enjoyed putting it together! I hope this helped any of you on the hunt for good quality, affordable make-up. What some of your favourite beauty products are that cost less than £10?

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