Kerastase Elixir Ultime Review

Let's talk about Hair Oils today. Now, Hair Oils are products that I haven't used that often before, but after receiving a bottle of the Kerastase Elixir Ultime* in a goodie bag at an event I went to a while back, I thought I'd give it a try. 

I have bleached hair, and I'm sure as hell that I should be using all the products all the time. Hair dressers like to inform me of this every time I visit the Salon... yet I always come away feeling a little bit miffed, a little bit scorned and a little bit like i've been preached to and overly criticized by the hair dresser. Which, then makes me not want to go back. It's almost like an endless circle of disdain for my hair, but i'm working on it... For instance, my hair is now the longest it's been in years, and is in pretty good shape considering how much it's bleached every month.

I started incorporating the Kerastase Elixir Ultime* into my routine about 3 weeks ago. I like to use the oil on freshly washed, damp hair. To start, I squirt around 3 pumps of product into the palm of my hand. Next, I gently rub my palms in a circular motion. Finally, starting at the ends of my hair, I begin to massage into into my hair working upwards, and concentrating on the ends and midlengths, I find that avoiding the roots means that my hair doesn't get greasy, yet still feels the full effects of the product - Which is great! 

I then blow-dry my hair as usual and when complete, I apply one more pump of product into the ends, and brush it through. I find that applying the product in this way leaves my hair feeling silky soft and gives it a real luxurious feel.

I also can't talk about this product without mentioning the scent. This product smells divine, it's like a mix of fruitiness and a high end perfume and will certainly leave your hair smelling like you've just walked out of a salon.

At £28.40 for 125ml it's not cheap in the slightest... but i'm convinced and converted and absolutely can't live without it now. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on hair oils! Do you use them? Let me know in the comments...

Em xxx

Pale Skin Friendly, Christmas Party Make Up!

This week I've had a chance to create some make up looks and really have fun with make up, more than I have done in the past few months. It's amazing how motivated you can be and how much fun you can have with make up when you're not rushing to go anywhere or constantly aware of the clock.

I've had time off this week and i've finally been able to relax, de-stress and just spend time doing things that I want to, without worrying about what time it is -  which is incredibly rare. 

Red Lipstick isn't a colour I usually wear on a day to day basis. Truth be told, it frightens me. I'm scared of wearing red lipstick with my bleach blonde hair because I just can't help but feel a little over done. Colour scares me, and even though I'm trying really hard to get out of my nude make up rut - I'm not quite sure i'm ready to make a red an every day wear just yet - even though the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet - Hot Pepper* I'm wearing is the most gorgeous shade of red I think I've worn in a very long time. 

If  you'd like to recreate this look, here's everything you need to know:

Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow - Siberia

Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Chantilly

Contour: NYX Taupe Blush

Highlight: MeMeMe Beat the blues highlighter, pearl pink*

Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Medium Brown

Eyeshadow: MUA Undress Me Too palette - for bronze/golds / Make Up Revolution Salvation Palette  - for transition shades

Eyeliner: Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Liner

Mascara: Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

Eyelashes: Total Minks - not sure which ones*

Lipstick: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet - Hot Pepper*

As always I'd love to hear your thoughts on this look! Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

Last Minute Beauty Stocking Filler Ideas!

With Christmas exactly a week away (oh my gosh I'm so excited!!), I wanted to share a few ideas that make brilliant last minute stocking fillers. If you're a regular reader of My Pale Skin, then you'll know that Bourjois is my favourite drugstore brand. They have great quality products that are so affordable and easy to wear. Here are a few ideas to get you feeling festive.

Foundation

The lightest shade in the range is shade 51 - Vanille Clair*. If you're pale, double check it under natural light as well as indoor light. I've heard from a few people that it's pale enough for them - just make sure, and definitely swatch before you buy. This foundation is so natural that it makes an ideal gift for an older relative - mum, aunt, etc.

Nail Polish

If you want to keep up the festive spirit, or pass some onto someone else, a nail polish is always a great edition to any beauty lovers bag. I love how the 1 Seconde Nail Polish Range* and they actually last on my peeling nails for around 4 days before they begin to chip. Hurrah!

Eyeliner

Eyeliner is a girls best friend, I've been testing out the Bourjois Mega liner* over the past week or so and am loving it so far. At £7.99 it's a great stocking filler.

Lipstick

The Rouge Edition Velvet* line are some of my favourite lipsticks of all time. I've been having a lot of fun playing with Hot Pepper* Which you may have seen me wearing in Yesterday's post. At £8.99 they're a great bargain and I never leave home without one in my bag.

Blusher

There's something about cream blushers that makes them look oh so natural on the skin and during the summer, they're my must have item. The Little Round Pot Blushers* are fantastic and at £7.99 are reasonably priced too.

Lip Crayon

The 'On The Beach' lip crayon barely left my lips this summer and now I have a new favourite that you'll be hearing about very soon. I love how creamy and glossy these crayons are, without the stickiness of gloss - meaning you don't have to worry about that dreaded hair in gloss moment. At £7.99 The Colour Boost Lip Crayons* are a must have and if there's one Bourjois product you buy this winter - this is it.

So these are my top picks for Stocking Fillers from Bourjois. I know i'd be incredibly happy to receive any of them in my stocking... which leads me onto the question - We can make our own stockings right? That's acceptable.... right??

Em xxx

*PR Sample. 

An Alternative Christmas Look....

Y'know when you start doing your make up and go off on a tangent and create something you never expected to? Well that happened... and here we are. 

I was going for the Christmas look, and then found a green Make Up Revolution lipstick in my collection and got to work creating something new, that I hadn't attempted before. 

I can't say I've ever worn green lipstick before, and although it photographs incredibly well, it does look a little odd in real life and I'm not sure I have the confidence to really pull it of in the real world. I did however, have a lot of fun creating this look.

Here's the full list of everything I'm wearing:

Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow - Siberia

Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Chantilly

Contour: NYX Taupe Blush

Highlight: MeMeMe Beat the blues highlighter, pearl pink*

Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Medium Brown

Eyeshadow: MUA Undress Me Too palette - for bronze/golds / Make Up Revolution Salvation Palette  - for transition shades

Eyeliner: Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Liner

Mascara: Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

Eyelashes: Total Minks - not sure which ones*

Lipstick: Make Up Revolution - Serpent*

Headpiece: Primark Necklace*

Now that my Skin has started to recover from the insane breakout caused by a skincare product that really didn't agree with me, I'm hoping to share a lot more looks with you! So if you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments and I'll try my best to make them happen.

Em xxx

Ciate Speed Coat - Fast Drying Top Coat Review

If there's one area of my beauty regime that I often need a helping hand in, it's nails. As someone who leads a busy life, I often find it hard to find time to sit down and give my nails the love and attention they deserve, and it's not that I don't enjoy painting my nails - it's just the waiting around afterwards that kills me.  The Ciate Speed Coat - Fast Drying Top Coat* is a product that seems like it was created for people like me.

I hate waiting for my nails to dry, i'm slightly clumsy and usually after having them painted I've ruined one within 5 minutes - so when a product like the Ciate Speed Coat* comes along that 'guarantees touch dry nails in 60 seconds' you know that i'm all over it. Retailing at £11.00 this top coat isn't cheap, but  let me tell you this - it works, and is easy to use too.

After painting nails as usual, wait a few minutes for the colour to dry, then apply a slick of Speed Coat* over the top. I found it took a little longer than 60 seconds - more like by time you've listened to a song on the radio, or caught up watching a vlog, your nails will touch dry, leaving you able to carry on life like a functioning human being!

Overall, It's a great product that actually works and makes life easier! With the downside that it's a little bit pricey, and it takes a little longer than 60 seconds to dry. Needless to say, painting my nails should be a lot easier now.

I'd love to hear your top tips for speed drying nail polish! Let me know in the comments..

Em xxx

*PR Sample

Bleach London Pastel Hair Christmas Gift Guide!

Christmas is not only the time of year we all spend time with our loved ones, it's also a period of time off from work, school, college and university... which in hand, means time away from rules and dress codes... you see where I'm going with this? 

Bleach London are known to be the experts at cray coloured hair in London. With Salons in Shoreditch and even Topshop, a range of hair dyes that can be bought in drugstores too. Bleach seem to know their stuff. If you've been a fan of the pastel hair trend, or know someone who is, the Christmas period could be the perfect time to experiment with wash in colours to add a little edge to a look. I wanted to share with you my top picks from the Bleach London* Gift range that are all super affordable (and even on 3 for 2 at Boots!) and are a great way to mix up a look. 

Bleach London Spin The Bottle* - £12.00

The Bleach London, Spin The Bottle* gift set is great value for £12.00 and offers a one off opportunity to try so many different colours. It's the type of set that I would have killed to get my hands on as a teenager, and I can imagine a group of friends having so much fun at a sleepover experimenting and creating some great looks.

In the set, you get:
1x Sea Punk Super Cool Colour
1x Washed Up Mermaid Super Cool Colour
1x Violet Skies Super Cool Colour
1x Bullini Super Cool Colour
1x Rose Super Cool Colour
1x Awkward Peach Super Cool Colour

 I will point out though that these shades will not work on dark hair, you will need to have light blonde hair, or highly bleached hair to get the full effect of the shades. These are also Semi Permanent dyes and they will wash out in 2-10 washes, depending on your hair type.

I have three weeks off over the festive period, and I'm hoping to get through at least half of these colours before I go back to work... and you never know, If I like them... I may make one of them a permanent thing.

Bleach London Hold It's Hair Pencil Case Set* - £10.00 

What I love about the Bleach London Hold It's Hair Crayons* is how easy they are to use. At £10.00 it's an incredibly affordable set, that not only fits in to a secret santa budget, but is a great stocking filler too. The set contains 3 different shades that work well together to create an ombre effect, or by using varying amounts of pressure, work well on their own to create a cool 'faux dipdye' hair do. I love using the Rose and Bruised Velvet crayons together to create beautiful pink & ombre looks in my hair and the best thing about these crayons is that they wash out straight away, meaning they're perfect for a cool night out and you can head back into the office the next day without anybody ever knowing...

Bleach London Rose Cool Colour Bauble* - £5.00

The Bleach London Rose Cool Colour Bauble* could well be the ultimate stocking filler for a cool blonde, or light haired friend that you know. At £5.00 it makes a great little gift that is welcome in my stocking any day, you can also stay bang on trend with a Scrunchie... (I still can't believe scrunchies are back in fashion?!). A beautiful rose pink dye that is easy to apply and washes out in 2-10 washes, it could be a great way to mix up your look over the festive period. 

Bleach London Phone Case & Sticker Set* - £10.00 

Finally, a gift idea for the ultimate Tumblr reading, pastel hair loving girl - a great stocking filler is the Bleach London Phone Case & Sticker Set* that even comes with dare I say it, a cute NIT key ring... That's right, a hair nit. The set comes with some cute stickers and the case fits an iPhone 5/5s. At £10.00 it's a cute gift that fans of the brand will enjoy, I'd say this is more towards the young teen age range, and If I wasn't such a clutz who needs a hard bevelled edged case - I'd totally use the case on my phone. 

So those are my picks from the Bleach London Gift range. I'm dying to get to grips with the hair dyes, so stay tuned to see what looks I come up with! I'd love to hear which is your favourite product from the range, let me know  in the comments.

Em xxx

*PR Sample.

Charles Worthington Strength And Repair Split Ends Binder Review

If you dye or style your hair on a regular basis, you may find your hair in need of a little helping hand every so often to tame those split ends in between trims at the salon. I bleach and curl my hair and it would be madness to say that my hair is in perfect condition - it's far from it, but the Charles Worthington Strength & Repair Split Ends Binder* may just be the product that every girl needs in her hair care collection to cheat the appearance of perfect hair.

At £5.99 The Split Ends Binder is more of an affordable keeping up appearances product, rather than a fix all - what I mean by that is that it's not going to solve the underlying cause of the split ends, but it can improve the appearance of those already there and offer them a helping hand to ensure they don't get worse by protecting it. 

It's super simple to use, and I apply it into towel dried, freshly washed hair and blow dry as usual. I've found that once dry, the product doesn't leave a residue, however it does take slightly longer to dry my hair after using this product. 

It's surprising the difference that one little product can make to your hair, and well and truly love using this product to keep unruly split ends under control, and It's certainly earned it's place in my hair care collection.

I'm always on the look out for product recommendations for hair care, so let me know your favourite split ends remedy in the comments,

Em xxx

*PR Sample

Real Techiques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review

The Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge is a product i'd been meaning to pick up for quite some time, but kept forgetting to do so. On a recent supermarket trip whilst visiting my family, I noticed the sponge in the beauty aisle and in a now or never situation... it made it's way into the trolley.

Retailing at £4.99 the sponge is incredibly affordable, and not only that, but it's easy to use too.

To apply my foundation using it, I first soak it under the tap in cool water and squeeze out the excess. I like to dispense a little of my Nars Sheer Glow onto my hand and then in small stages, I'll gently take the flat edge, and begin to apply over my skin, in an almost bouncing sort of way - never dragging. If needed I'll change to the pointed end to make sure the product is applied under my eyes and around my nose, ensuring it's all even and blended out. 

I find that applying my Sheer Glow foundation in this way does make the product more sheer, and gives it a lovely natural dewy look on my skin - which makes a refreshing change.

What I liked about this sponge is how it can be used for different purposes in different ways. One end of the sponge tapers down to a point which is extremely useful for blending out concealer under your eyes, The sides are rounded which makes for easy bouncing of product onto your face and the other end is flat which allows for precision application of foundation or even contouring. 

My only negative with this sponge is that, no matter how much I seem to clean it, it always seems to be stained with foundation - which makes me feel a little uneasy about using it again.

Overall, a great budget buy and one that has made its way into my every day make up essentials... it just leaves me with the question.. How do you store yours? 

Em xxx

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter Review

In my recent trip to The Body Shop I picked up a few cleansing items from the Camomile range in the hopes of getting my skin care routine updated, locked down and working in perfect harmony with my skin.  

The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing butter retails for £12.00 an having heard some great things about it on twitter from bloggers I love and trust, I jumped straight in purchased it without hesitation. 

How the product works is really quite simple, you take a small amount and in circular motions, work it into dry skin (on top of make up if you're wearing any!), next, soak a muslin cloth in warm water and gently wipe away, ensuring that all the product is taken off... follow up with your usual toner and moisturiser. 

I'm always up for trying new products and I loved how simple and easy this one sounded to use, however sadly,in this case, the reality didn't quite live up to the expectations. Now skin care is always subjective, and what works well for one person may not work well for others and that just happened to be the case in this instance.

I switched to using the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter for a few weeks and it made my skin feel incredibly clean after using it in conjunction with the muslin cloth. During week one, I noticed no improvements in any troublesome areas, and a few extra breakouts I attributed to hormones, and the time of the month. I kept going with the product in the hopes of seeing an improvement, however, sadly by the end of week two, my face was in in an incredibly bad way. I had self inflicted clusters of acne all over my face including breakouts that were under as well as above the skin that were fairly sizable and quite painful. I can't actually remember the last time my skin looked this bad, and I immediately ceased using the product, instead switching back to my trusted Eucerin Dermopurifyer Cleanser and after about 48 hours, my skin calmed down and is on the way to being back to it's normal self. 

Although this product didn't work for me, It may work for you. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this product, did it work for you? Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

My Skin Type - Combination.

Sudocrem As A Moisturiser?

Sudocrem. It's a product that conjures up the image of nappy changes and thick white cream being smothered onto dry knees and elbows as a child. Of course we all know that it does wonders for changing babies bums, but did you know it has many other uses too?

Word in the blogosphere is, that Sudocrem can also do wonders for your face and over the past few months I've been dabbling and rediscovering Sudocrem -  because you never know what might work for you until you try it.  There are so many blog posts and comments out there online from people who have had their lives transformed by using Sudocrem as a moisturiser and face mask and I for one, certainly wanted in on the action.

Now, Sudocrem Skin Care Cream isn't like using your typical moisturiser. It goes on as a thick white cream and after some time, it eventually sinks in to your skin. I like to warm it up slightly between my fingers (in the hopes that it makes a difference) and then I do my best to apply it as evenly as possible. 

If I have breakout areas or dry patches, I'll apply a slightly thicker amount on that area and then it's off to bed in the hopes of perfect skin in the morning. Just a note, this is where the pale skin comes in handy, as this stuff is white, so you will look a little odd - just go with it.

Upon waking up, I can't say I've been blessed with miraculously healed skin with breakouts banished forever... however what I have noticed is that any dry areas seem to have disappeared, and any break out areas seem to have calmed down and appear less red, and It certainly hasn't caused any fresh breakouts on my skin which is always a positive as my skin seems to be so sensitive at the moment. I don't think i'd use this cream every day, however a couple of times a week seems to be doing the job for me and keeping my skin calm during any bad flare ups.

At £1.99 for 30g, it's by far one of the cheapest creams I've ever put on my face... but having seen it out perform more expensive products, it's certainly deserving of it's place on my beauty shelf.

Would you use Sudocrem as a moisturiser? Let me know your thoughts in the comments...

Em xxx

Mondrian London, Agua Bathhouse & Spa Launch

On Thursday, April and I headed over to the  Mondrian London Hotel at Sea Containers for the launch of the Agua Bathhouse and Spa.

Spa's are places that intrigue me and although I've visited one before, I rarely venture into them. It's likely because I grew up with my mother not really into beauty, she isn't one for make up or skin care products as much as I try and push them in front of her.... I'm also in the mindset that If I spend a day lounging, being pampered and just relaxing - I feel guilty. I feel guilty because I know there's a million other things I'm meant to be doing during that time.

What I loved about the ' Spa Playground' is how it's different to your everyday spa. It's modern, inviting and utterly beautiful. Designed by Tom Dixon, there's a space for everyone in the lounge area and the glamour room is set out wonderfully for Ciate manicures and pedicures. 

For treatments, the spa is packed full of 'boutique' brands such as Glamglow, Dr Jackson's Natural Products, Estelle & Thild, Billion Dollar Brows, Lola's Apothecary and many more... 

The staff are polite, friendly and highly trained and surprisingly the prices aren't extortionate for Central London- with an express manicure starting at £25 and a day packed with treatments up to £260.

Would I go there for treatments? A full day, highly unlikely - as I'm not necessarily a 'spa woman' and can think of better things to spend £260 on. However, for an afternoon with girlfriends, I feel like I've been converted and I'm pretty tempted to pay a visit and have that niggling pain in my lower back ironed out. 

Do you enjoy spa visits? I'd love to hear your top tips to make the most out of them. Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

Hair Rehab London Event with Lauren Pope

Last night I headed over to Kleins Hair Salon in Canary Wharf, London for a night of nibbles, hair and blogging fun at the Hair Rehab London Blogger event. After a bit of dodgy map reading ( I rarely leave Central London), I made my way to the hair salon and was greeted with a gorgeous glass of pink lemonade and smiles from the team. 

Lauren came over, and said hey straight away and we chatted for a while. It was one of those funny moments where we both tried our hardest to work out if we'd met each other before. We moved in similar circles many years ago and knew many of the same people. Lauren was at the top of her modeling game when I had dreams of being in the same industry as a teenager and I even remember watching her on Tycoon to try and gain investment for her company from Peter Jones. At the time it was rare for a glamour model to be on mainstream television - let alone a business program. I'd also been told that we went to view the same horrendously hideous flat in Central London many years ago, needless to say we both had a little giggle over it when I mentioned it.

I had a quick catch up with Perfectly Polished whom I met at the Gelish Nails Day Event, and then It was on to the hair styling. 

We decided to try the Syn Snap Ponytail* in platinum on my hair to try something different. Lauren and the team worked their hair magic and I honestly felt like a classic pop star with my high pony and tumbling blonde locks. I loved how quick and easy the pony is to apply and I do look forward to trying it out and seeing what looks I can create using it.  

I had so much fun at the event and got spoilt massively with a generous amount of hair products in a goodie bag to take home. Hair Rehab Products can be purchased at Superdrug, or online HERE.

Em xxx