The Good, The Bad and the Panda Eye

Until very recently I was an avid user of eyelash extensions where mascara was a thing of the past and I did not have to worry about enhancing my lashes with goop, (I will write a blog about my thoughts on eyelash extensions soon)


But, now that I have decided to lose the extensions, I am minus the extensions and in need of more slap.


I read some blogs online to find out which mascara I should go for - I was after one which would not smudge, thicken, lengthen and also seperate my lashes. Two of my favourite bloggers (www.lollipop26writes.com and www.youtube.com/pixi2woo) mentioned they were impressed with Max Factors False Lash Efect Mascara.


So, off I trotted and I picked one up in black - waterproof. See, I have a thing about the '5 O'clock look' - that face where your foundation has lept onto your hand, your blusher has vanished and your mascara has slipped an inch down your face. I dont like that look. That look requires carrying a make up bag, cotton buds, removers and elbow grease when I decide to go for a drink from work and dont want to look exhausted. So, waterproof seemed like the safest bet to me.

I paid £10.99 from Boots for the mascara - not cheap but worth it if it did the job...

I have been using the mascara for 1 week now and I am impressed. It does just what it says, really transforms the eye to give striking lashes. There is no smudging and it does not weigh my lashes down to 'poker straight' status either.


So, you would think all would be well in the world of my eyelashes - not only have they recently been liberated of extensions, conditioned and spurred on by li lash but now glossed over with a fantastic mascara.


The above is all true but yet I am not a happy bunny. See the thing is, I cant get the stuff off.

Is this the flip side to wearing waterproof mascara that I am only just discovering?


I used to use baby oil for taking off my eye make up. Worked fine on normal mascara but found I was getting through quite a lot to remove Max Factor's false lash effect.


So, always on the hunt for better products, I thought I would try and get a good eye make up remover to tackle waterproof mascara.


The first one that leapt out at me was L'Oreal's 'Absolute eye & lip make up remover'. It is non greasy and removes 'all make up, even waterproof'. Great stuff. It cost me £5.29 from Boots.

I have been using this every evening for 4 nights now and I have to say I am disappointed. When I remove my eye make up, even at close inspection it appears to have gone, yet when I wake up I look like our furry panda friends.


No it is not that big a deal to give another wipe with a cotton pad in the morning, but, (and yes I am demanding), surely there is a waterproof eye make up remover that soaks up every last bit of your mascara?


If any of you have any secrets or good products please let me know. I fear I may be put in a zoo one of these mornings otherwise : )

Youtube channel now set up!

I have finally got round to setting up youtube so keep watching for video blogs soon...

I must, I must, I must improve my... barnet. Sea Kelp Tablets -do they really work?

I like to be motivated and plan ahead in most aspects of my life. I don’t like things to become stagnant and have nothing to look forward to. How organised that may sound?! It is neither organised, exciting nor sensible when it comes to my hair.


Throughout my life I have been at any one of the following stages:


1. Growing my hair;
2. Fighting the urge to go for the chop
3. Getting the chop
(These stages are on loop)


I am currently at the ‘growing my hair’ stage . About a year ago, after battling with my extremely thick long hair for a while, I decided to give myself a change and cut my hair - following the masses with the messy ‘bob’ look.

Before you ask, I am dancing, not thinking I am in a Wella advert

For a while I enjoyed having shorter hair; not only was it quicker to style but it seemed to stay in place just that little bit longer. But that is where the benefits ended. I missed not being able to tie it up on a ‘bad hair day’ and felt limited to what I could do with it (I am not a hair stylist so whilst I am sure you talented bunch could create a load of wonderful funky looks on shorter hair, it just wasn’t happening with my skills). So, with the memory of the disadvantages of long hair faded and the boredom of the short ‘do’ set in, I decided I wanted the long locks back.


Great. Decision made and new long layered hair style found. Now for the waiting game. And waiting...


Why is it when you want your hair to grow it seems to take forever? If you suffer from slight OCD like me, you will relate to the daily ‘has it grown check’ when you catch a glance of the back of your head in the mirrored lift up to the office in the morning. No? Oh, just me then : )


A few weeks ago when skimming through one of the trashy weekly’s, I read about celebrities taking Sea Kelp tablets to make their hair grow quickly which are available at Health Food stores for about £3.50 . Make your hair grow quickly for £3.50?! That was all I needed to get straight onto Google and do some research.


I had heard about hair growth products before but these kind of tablets were usually associated with quite hefty price tags. Sea Kelp tablets were by far the cheapest. They contain calcium, iron, zinc and iodine. Taken daily they boost the immune system, improve circulation and make bones stronger. Sounds too good to be true.


And perhaps it is – there is some controversy in taking these tablets:


Kelp is a rich source of the trace mineral iodine. Iodine is required for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland. As a vital component of two thyroid hormones, iodine plays an important role in the body's metabolism.


Whilst containing all natural, herbal ingredients, they may therefore be classed as a weight loss pill by some.


The reviews all seemed positive -endless comments from people saying their hair had doubled its rate of growth. The only negative seemed to be that a lot of people only found the tablets had an effect for a while and that the growth spurt lasted 2 - 3 months.


Taking all of my findings into consideration, the lure of long hair won and I decided to buy a bottle of 250 sea kelp tablets from Holland and Barrett for £3.49.

The instructions say to take 1 – 3 tablets daily with food.


I have been taking these tablets for 2 weeks now and I am really starting to feel my hair is growing faster than normal. Obviously, when you are willing for something to happen you can often convince yourself you can see a change when it is in fact that good old imagination of yours.


I am therefore going to use today as the start of my experiment and monitor the growth of my hair over the next month. Here is a picture of how it looks today from the front and back.

Im afraid this is the best back of head shot i could muster on a Monday

If, like me, you are embarking on ‘project hair grow’ and are in need of some extra help, stay tuned and I will let you know my verdict on sea kelp tablets over the next few weeks.


If any of you have tried these tablets then let me know your thoughts. Alternatively, if there is a product out there which you think is better then share your secret!


Come on girls ‘I must, I must, I must improve my barnet’

My name is Natalie and I'm an alcoholic...

Well, perhaps not an alcoholic. But I do have an addiction. And that is pampering. My vice is all things hair, nails, make up, potions and lotions. The smell of a new cream; the excitment of leaving a store with a potion which will give a 'to die for'glow; the look of a newly manicured nail - it all gives me the same buzz as a bottle of plonk does for the next addict.  So, what do addicts do? They get therapy and blogging is the start of my therapy. Instead of going to a community hall and sitting in a circle, I have made the brave decision to regularly grab for my laptop and get my pampering fix online.

By sharing the products i love and tips i swear by, I hope to offload some of the pampering love and get to know your beauty secrets along the way. It will be a bumpy ride, I am afraid I regularly fall for a 'gimmick' and therefore make no promise to produce an 'A-Z' of holy grail products. But when I discover a must-have product I will share it with you first. Think of me as your guinea pig.


I am not a professional and in no way sponsored so rest assured my waffling comes from the heart.

Let my rehab commence....