Review: Fudge Urban Sea Salt Texturising Spray

Salt sprays are a product I never really got the point of. Laid-back, beachy waves? When my hair gets in contact with sand and sea water it turns into an uncontrollable, frizzy mess, so why would I ever want to buy a product that will make my hair go berserk? After I tried the Fudge Urban Sea Salt spray, however, I changed my tune and now it's got a firm place in my hair styling routine.

I find it works best on second day hair, when my hair begins to naturally curl and wave a little bit. Rather than cause frizz as I feared it would, it does a perfect job of defining my natural wave and adding some volume and a bit of oomph. Instead of making my hair look how it looks when I go to the beach, it makes look how I always wanted it to look when going to the beach.

Seriously, this stuff is amazing. I never really thought hair could be sexy, but after using this, if I could have sex with my hair then I would. It leaves no sticky residue and the smell alone is simply divine - think a tropical, coconut based fruity cocktail!

At £6.99 a pop, I consider this a must have for gorgeous summer hair.

My Ultimate Beauty Wishlist

It's so easy to get carried away by all the new releases and fresh launches when shopping for beauty products. There are so many products I've wanted to buy for ages, but never got round to it, as something new and shiny caught my eye instead. So, as a kind of aid when I'm out shopping next, I've compiled this list of beauty products that I really, really want to try, so I can focus on what I really want, rather than what I just fancy in the moment.

It's no coincidence that most of the products on this list are high end. I find it really difficult to part with a larger sum for just one beauty product when I could have several cheaper things for the same amount of money. I've actually set out to buy some of these, but then bottled it and returned home empty-handed. Hopefully having them all in one place will help me save up some cash and splurge on things that I really want rather than waste money here and there on things I get bored of after a few days!

SKINCARE

• Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm // £36
• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Complex II // £65
• Elemis Papaya Enzyme Skin Peel // £31
• Caudalie Beauty Elixir // £11.50

HAIRCARE

• Tangle Teezer Compact Styler // £11.99
• Kerastase Elixir Ultime Cataplasme Mask // £23.60

MAKE-UP

• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural // £22
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz // £15.50
• Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette // £37
• Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer // £21
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush // £28
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder // £38
• Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner // £13
• The Body Shop // Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder // £13
• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush // £16

ACCESSORIES AND FRAGRANCE

• Real Techniques Core Collection // £21.99
• Neom Organic Treatment Candle Happiness // £39.50
• Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne // £78 (or any other fragrance Jo Malone has ever created, really)

Monthly Favourites: May 2014

1) Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

Wow, two months in a row my favourites include a Bourjois mascara! I've only just published a review on this one (you can find it here), but if you don't want to go through a lengthy post, then let me just tell you that this is my new favourite drugstore mascara. I think I even prefer it to my trusted Max Factor False Lash Effect! It gives defined, long, fluttery lashes that still look incredibly natural. It's not quite as good as my ultimate holy grail mascara, Benefit's "They're Real!", but at a fraction of a price, this comes a very close second.

2) Pro:Voke Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo & Intensive Treatment Conditioner

I've already featured this shampoo in my favourites once, but it was recently that I purchased the matching conditioner and both together definitely deserve another mention. I've tried a lot of purple shampoos and conditioners to keep my blonde hair from going brassy and no matter the price tag, none of them even come close to these. Not only are they powerful enough to really knock every last bit of yellow out of your hair, they also leave my hair feeling insanely soft and nourished - and they're less than a fiver each!

3) Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Paint in Rich Russet

This is a classic case of "the blogger made me buy it". After seeing so many of my favourite bloggers rave about this eye shadow and this colour in particular, I just couldn't help myself but make a sneaky purchase. While it's not the most amazing eye shadow ever, the neutral colour and its versatility are what makes this a stand-out product for me. It's so easy to blend it into a neutral daytime look or layer it up for a bronzed smokey eye, which makes it the perfect day-to-night product. The fact that it comes in a handy tube and can easily be blended with your fingers makes it perfect for on the go. The formula will also stay on my lids pretty much all day once it's dried down. It's crazy to think how far high street cream shadow formulas have come in the last few years!

4) Super Facialist by Una Brennan Brighten & Refine Facial Scrub

Now, this is a scrub for scrub lovers. When I exfoliate my face, I want to feel like I'm actually doing something and this fits the bill perfectly. The grains are tiny and spread very well, but boy are they effective! Do not use this on dry skin unless you like the feeling of sandpaper on your face. In the shower, however, used on wet skin it's the perfect once or twice weekly deep clean that my face needs.

Review: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

This mascara has only popped up on drugstore and supermarket shelves not too long ago and already it's received rave reviews left right and centre. I've even seen it compared to my ultimate holy grail mascara, the Benefit "They're Real!". At a fraction of the price, it seemed to good an opportunity to pass up on the chance to try this possible alternative!

Just as I thought I'd seen everything when it comes to different types of mascara wands, along comes this strange contraption. It's essentially a big rubbery brush, but in addition to that there are lots of tiny little rubber balls interspersed between the bristles. I can't say I've ever had the feeling that my mascara wand is in need of lots of little rubber bubbles, but hey, don't knock it till you've tried it!

On the lashes the brush feels very grippy and does a really great job at lengthening the lashes while still giving definition and separation. You can add a few coats if it's volume you're after, as it layers very well, but I usually go for just one coat.

Top: No mascara; Bottom: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

The finished result is a very defined and natural look, which I'm a great fan of. I can definitely see where the comparison to "They're Real!" comes from, even though I find the brush of the mascara wand to be a lot more difficult to maneouvre and as it doesn't have those little bristles at the top of the wand like Benefit's offering, it's a lot more difficult to get into the little corners.

Having said that, this is probably my favourite drugstore mascara I've ever tried and unlike the Benefit mascara, it comes in a waterproof version as well. It lasts well all day without flaking or smudging, and at £9.99 (currently on an introductory offer of £6.99) it's very purse friendly, too!

Review: ELF Angled Blush Brush

I find that, while they're all incredibly cheap, elf brushes tend to be a bit hit and miss. Their Kabuki brush is one of my favourite make-up brushes I ever bought, but unfortunately, this one is more of a miss for me.

The main problem here being that the bristles are just a touch too hard and stiff. They're by no means scratchy, but they tend to pick up way too much product and I end up tapping and swiping away loads before I'm comfortable enough putting this anywhere near my face. They also make blending incredibly difficult. There's a place for stiff bristles on brushes - on angled brushes or liner brushes, for example, where a clear and defined line is key. But the last thing I want is a clear and defined stripe of blush down the side of my cheek!

On the plus side, the brush has held up well to frequent washing and there's been hardly any splaying at all. Nevertheless, I think I'm going to be replacing this one with a Real Techniques brush very soon.

ELF Angled Blush Brush retails at £3.95 - you certainly can't complain about the price!