Disappointing Products #1 | Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Leave in Treatment

It's not very often that I find products I'm truly disappointed in but sometimes they are unavoidable.  After the extremely popular MoroccanOil burst onto the beauty scene, it seems like every high street brand jumped on the bandwagon and brought out their own hair oil.  This is not a bad thing, as the original product is quite pricey and I'm always on the look out for alternatives.  Avon brought out their Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil range which included a shampoo, conditioner, mask and of course a hair oil.  I've tried most of the products and found them to be okay but the oil in particular really didn't work for my hair. 

First of all, it's very yellow in colour.  I've been used to oils which have a very slight tint and I didn't want to use a product which may bring out the brassy tones in my hair.  Secondly, it's quite thick in consistency, which is great for very thick, course hair but for my damaged, coloured hair, it was just too much and I felt like I needed to wash my hair after a day.  It definitely reduces the time it takes to dry my hair but it's still quite heavy on my locks.  

At £5.50 it hasn't left me too disappointed about wasting money and I know that my mum likes it, so I will pass my bottle onto her.  If you have thick and/or course hair, I'd recommend this product to you but for colour treated, damaged or fine hair I would go for something lighter.  As for the rest of the range, I found that the shampoo is excellent for washing your make up brushes.  My Sigma F80 has never been so clean since I first purchased it and they also smell nice too! 

Which products have left you disappointed?

AVON Nail Experts Liquid Freeze

For the past four years, my nails have very rarely seen the light of day, having been covered up by various different shades of the rainbow.  That's a lot of time sat patiently waiting for my perfect manicure to dry completely before carrying on with my day.  It's possibly one of the most tedious tasks.  I recently discovered Avon's Liquid Freeze spray, after recommendations from other bloggers and I don't know why I hadn't tried it sooner.  

Liquid Freeze comes in a 50ml bottle at £6 although you can sometimes get it half price if you get it through the catalogue rather than online.  Once you've painted your talons in your desired colour, spray each nail with Liquid Freeze and nails become dry to the touch. The spray is quite oily, which is great for your cuticles but not so good for the surface you're doing your nails on.  I usually put a tissue underneath before I spritz the product.  

The spray works wonders if you're in rush as it prevents those unsightly smears but it doesn't completely dry them, meaning that dents can still happen.  I usually wait a maximum of five minutes before attempting anything that might muck up my nails, which previously would have been at least 20 minutes.  Overall, I really like the product and it cuts down on the time it takes to dry my nails. I want to try different products that claim to do the same and compare them.

Do you have any fast drying nail spray recommendations? 

May Favourites.

Another month is very nearly over, is it just me or does every year fly by even faster?  We'll soon be entering June, an exciting month for me as I start my internship next Monday.  I love May favourite blog posts or youtube videos and decided to jump on the bandwagon.  I have quite a few favourites this month, so we best get started!

Beauty Favourites:

Skincare

(L-R)

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

La Roche Posay Effaclar M

Soap and Glory Hand Food 

Avon Solutions Perfect Tone Night Cream

I've had a great month, skin wise and I think it is thanks to my new routine.  Liz Earle is now a must have in my collection, I really look forward to taking my make up off at night, and it has helped my skin no end!  As I cleanse in the evening, I was looking for a nice night moisturiser and came across the new Avon solutions range.  It has helped even out my skin tone, but it's not 100% there yet.  During the day I use my La Roche Posay to sort out any oilyness before I apply make up.  Summer is all about being soft and supple, and my hands always seem dry so I've been loving my Hand Food, plus it smells amazing.  

Haircare:

(L-R)

Umberto Giannini Sex Bomb Mousse

VO5 Give Me Texture Oomph Powder

Elnette Hairspray

VO5 Miracle Concetration

Trevor Sorbie Heat Protection Spray

I'm all about trying to get beautiful bouncy locks, and all of these products have helped.  I use the mousse most days and it works a treat, but for days I don't use it, i've found the VO5 powders been a great alternative.  I've gone back to my hairspray love, Elnette and been loving it's lightweight feel on my hair.  Dying to try out argan oil i've been using this every time I wash my hair, I'm not sure how much of a difference it's made but my hair soaks it up and it smells gorgeous.  You should never attempt to blow dry or straighten hair without heat protection and this product smells great and really protects your hair.  

Fashion Favourite:

Primark

These shoes have been my go to heel for pretty much the whole month.  I love the colour, it's pretty versatile and goes with a lot.  

Now onto some lifestyle favourites...

TV Favourite:

One Tree Hill Seasons 1-7

I love my Tree Hill collection, and as season 8 has just finished in the US, I've been watching old episodes to hold me over until season 9 starts up!  

Book of the Month:

Alyson Noel; The Immortals: Shadowland

Since finishing university I've had more time to read fiction over fact.  I love anything to do with the supernatural and have been loving this series, which is completely different to Twilight (which I love so very much).  I really recommend this series if you enjoy easy reads that are along the same lines as Twilight/True Blood/The Vampire Diaries.  

So there you have it, what have been your monthly favourites?

Please comment below if you'd like any further reviews on any of the products mentioned or even a book review/TV series review!

How the devil are ya?!

What a week it's been!  As with many bloggers out there, I've experienced problems with logging in, but touch wood that's all fixed now as I'm finally logged back in.  I thought I'd catch you up on my past week, a couple of things I've been loving as well as just general chit chat.  I have a million blog ideas, but felt odd just bombarding you with them straight off.

So first of all, I finished my first year of university this Thursday.  If you aren't familiar with what I study, I major in Fashion Journalism.  It's been an intense first year and I'm extremely impressed with the work I've managed to produce.  I have a feeling (and because a lecturer told a few of us we have pretty much a hand in a week) that next year is going to be tough, but bring it on!  Here's my final piece of work, which was the efforts of a group of five and we had to make and edit a 3 minute topical fashion or music film. Well we pulled together and chose a theme with both topics in mind, and I think we were all proud of what we achieved.

I've of course, been online 'screen' shopping, trying to find some inspiration for when I have a bit of cash.  At the moment i'm faced with the battle of the beige/terracotta blazer:

ASOS; £50

Vs.

H&M; £19.99

Tell me you're pick in the comments section!

Rachel Furner, friend and musician uploaded a video of the gig I went to, to interview her.  I was unaware they were filming at the time, but there are a few shots of us chatting which crept into the video.  If you like her, then here's the video.  Love the editing at the end as well!

This week I've been trialling a new Avon moisturiser, which isn't out until next month.  It's called Solutions: Perfect Tone (or something like that..)  It's worked perfectly for my skin and hasn't as yet, broken me out.  Full review coming up soon. 

So that's a round up of my week without blogging.  If i'm honest, I was slightly lost without my blog these past few days.  Normal blogging to resume (fingers crossed) tomorrow.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!