Lee Stafford Academy Hair Straighteners review and giveaway

17th March 2017
I’m still very much a novice when it comes to hair, really it’s only since I had it cut and coloured in October that I’ve managed to get any kind of grip in styling it myself and my once neglected hair straighteners became one of my most used items. I’d had them for a few years already by this point and over the last few weeks I’d noticed they were failing to heat properly and were losing their ability to you know, actually straighten my hair. So when an opportunity came up to review the Lee Stafford Academy Hair Straighteners* the timing could not have been more perfect.
I’m not hugely au-fait with many hair styling brands but Lee Stafford is one I know well [by which I mean I already own one of his hair dryers]. My previous straightener was by Corioliss and I have never owned a pair of GHDs. Because of this I also roped by Mum in on this review and we both tried out the product- she is the queen of hair straightening so if something impresses her then it’s definitely a good ‘un.
I know looks aren’t everything but these are some sleek looking straighteners which gave a good first impression. I was a little worried about the size of the plates as my hair is very thick and there is a LOT of it and I was concerned that it would prove too much for this tool to cope with. I needn’t have worried.

Thanks to the adjustable heating settings [up to 230 degrees] and handy quick start guide I quickly established the optimum temperature for my hair, waited a mere matter of seconds for the straightener to heat up and got going. This straightener made short work of getting my hair smooth and sleek which in itself is no mean feat. More impressive was that after sleeping on it my hair was still straight the next day- with my old straightener I found that I needed to re-do it the next day as my natural waves had fought back.
Mum thought the same, she was impressed with how easily this straightened her naturally curly hair [please note I have never actually seen it curly] and how sleek a finish it left.

Because I tend to straighten my hair and then curl or wave the top layers with a curling wand I decided to have a go at creating curls with this as well. I probably should have taken a picture but being me I didn’t think of it at the time but this straightener also creates smooth and shiny waves quickly and easily without looking like they had obviously been done with a straightener if you know what I mean?

I 100% would recommend this straightener for anyone who’s on the lookout for a new one, with an RRP of £79.99 it’s on the more affordable scale of things and at the time of writing it’s currently on sale on Amazon for £49.95.

I also happen to have one of these straighteners to give away to one lucky reader- see the widget below for how to enter and the T&C [and good luck!]

Win Lee Stafford Academy Hair Straighteners #1

The giveaway will run until 29th March and the winner will be contacted directly by Review Directory.

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Product sent to me for purpose of review. Opinions and shiny sleek hair are entirely my own.

Posted in beauty, gadgets, giveaway, hair, review

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Crushin’ on Converse*

15th March 2017
When it comes to casual shoes there is one brand that will always be my first port of call- Converse. I’ve held a soft spot for the brand for as long as I can remember and despite being a complete pain to break in [literally] the blisters are worth it. Over the last few years there has been an influx of bigger, brighter and all together jazzier designs become available and it’s a nightmare for my shoe addict self. Right now especially there are at least a dozen pairs I wish I could call my own, and suddenly my pale pink holographic pair seem somewhat inferior. Here is just a small selection of the pairs that have captured my attention in recent weeks.

[all available on the Converse website]

I’m known for being a bit of a magpie so it goes without saying that half of this wish list is taken up by shiny styles- the glitter hi-tops are probably the pair I’m coveting the most, although they are closely followed by the gold metallic all stars and the plain white with silver detailing.

On a slightly less in your face note the neon pink and polka dots are both very me- the neon pink perhaps the least versatile of the bunch as it’s a tough colour to match with a multitude of outfits, but the polka dots would work nicely with a lot of my wardrobe. And then there is the crochet hi-tops, probably the least practical of the bunch but I’m really taken with the feminine twist on such a casual shoe.

Anyone else crazy for Converse? Which pairs are topping your wish lists right now- and how many pairs do you own? I’ll admit that a large part of my current desire for blinged up sneakers is entirely the fault of Jo at Jo’s Clothes. Her sequin pair are pure joy in footwear form!

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Posted in shoes, wish list

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[Insta]life lately

14th March 2017
Well, I’m kind of getting there with making these posts a regular thing again, not that I live an especially exciting life or anything that would explain my desire to share. I can only put it down to being a nosy person myself and some of my favourite posts to read are people’s instagram round-ups. For the full idea of what I get up to you can give me a follow and if you want to know more about any of these pictures just leave a comment below [click on the images to see full size and hover over them for a caption].
Most days she is my only company from 8-4, I predict a sigh of relief all round when I go back to work.
Cats and mindfulness = perfect. I really rate this book btw.
Nothing says “I love you” more than a poop emoji!
Re-discovered this amongst my mass of jewellery.
I’m all about the mustard yellow right now.
Caramac cookie, freshly baked.
Anyone else remember these from their school days? I was way too excited when I saw them back on the shelves!
Post blog-club purchase. Because I need to bribe myself to socialise these days.
Someone needs a diet.
BFF?
Barry M colour changing lipsticks are the one.
Indulging my stationery hoarding tendencies.
Another shot of this beauty.
More stationery indulgence- but swarvoski x beauty and the beast? I couldn’t not.
New Lime Crime perlee lipstick- so in love with the packaging AND the product.
Leave your instagram usernames below and I’ll be sure to give you a follow.

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Posted in beauty, blogging, cats, instagram, jewellery, life, life stuff, Mae

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All the Embroidery

13th March 2017
Just in case you hadn’t gathered by now, I love this seasons embroidery trend. A lot. It’s probably the only trend I’ve actively followed- and to be honest, other than the one for all things pink (which I also love) it’s the only one I really know about.

Jumper: Primark (recent) | Skirt: Vintage | Ankle Boots: New Look

I picked up this skirt when I went to the Bristol Textile Recyclers Vintage Kilo Sale back in October and it’s been hanging in my wardrobe waiting to be worn ever since. It’s vintage Monsoon and I love it- there are some gorgeous embroidery detail skirts on the high street at the moment (I especially love this one and this one) but a lot of them are just SO short, and now I’m rapidly approaching my 30th birthday I’m starting to wonder if I’m getting a bit too old to sport a mini skirt at all times and so I’ve decided to embrace the midi a bit more. The only trouble with this skirt is that it’s a pencil skirt, something I usually steer away from and because of this I was at a bit of a loss of how to style it. As soon as I saw this hummingbird embroidered jumper in Primark for a mere £12 I knew it would make a good partner for it so snapped it up, resisting the urge to size up as I usually do- I think that might be the key with pencil skirts, opt for a more fitted top half as well, although slouchy longer tops do seem to work well too.

Footwear was another problem especially as it’s still a bit too nippy to bring out the ballet flats or sandals. In the end it was my trusty pewter ankle boots that saved the day, and despite these photos not being the greatest representation of the outfit (thanks to the persistent drizzle) it’s an outfit I really loved and I wish now I’d put a bit more effort in to making sure things were tucked in properly, popping on some brighter lipstick and persevering until I had photos I was happy with. I’m struggling a lot with my inner perfectionist at the moment and it’s leading to a lot of dissatisfaction with most aspects of my blog and with my life in general, ho-hum. It’s taken me forever to get around to writing this post as I didn’t deem the photos worthy enough and sometimes I get the urge to delete my entire blog and start again.

How do you silence your inner critic? And how are you wearing the embroidery trend?

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Posted in fashion, life, life stuff, outfits, shopping, trends

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Snacking: Quinoa Crinkles from Burts Chips

12th March 2017
I’m going through a distinct savoury phases with my snacking at the moment. It seems to go in cycles where for a month or so all I want is biscuits (rich teas or party rings preferable) and then suddenly the need for something savoury kicks in and I become a fiend for salt. That being said, I’m not really a fan of traditional crisps- I prefer roasted chickpeas, Hippeas and Burts Chips Lentil Waves over a packet of Walkers so when Burts Chips got in touch to announce the arrival of their new “Quinoa Crinkles” and offered to send me some to try I gratefully and enthusiastically accepted.
Made with (the currently very trendy) grain Quinoa these are deemed to be a wholesome and interesting alternative to the traditional crisp and claim to combine delicious taste, a boost of fibre and top quality ingredients. Each pack comes in at around 85 calories making them perfect for anyone who is watching their weight and the Quinoa Crinkles come in two flavours- sweet pepper & chorizo and west country cream cheese.

I still can’t make up my mind on the sweet pepper and chorizo flavour. On the one hand it’s beautifully strong and definitely unique, but on the other hand my palette struggles to make sense of two such bold flavours together with the over-tone of the sweetness. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy these, because I did…they just aren’t what I’m used to- but they have me wanting more which must count for something.

The West Country Cream Cheese was lovely. My experience of cheese flavoured snacks only extends to Quavers and Wotsits so I didn’t have the highest of standards for these to live up to. These are cheese snacks for adults, with a bold yet creamy cheese taste with a slight hint of onion. Out of the two these were my favourite but I’d happily buy and either either of them again. I’m also a massive fan of the Lentil Waves but in terms of flavour and texture the mighty Quinoa comes out on top.

For more information, stockists and the full nutritional breakdown pop along to the Burts Chips website.

Tell me about your favourite savoury snacks in the comments.

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Big thanks to Burts Chips for the samples (and for setting off another snacking addiction).

Posted in food, review, snacking

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