Charles Worthington Shine Gloss Spray

I have literally had this pretty little bottle in my hair stash for month and have only recently got round to using it. I think my obsessions with hair oils have kind of taken over my hair care routine and not left much room for anything else really. However when having a massive storage overhaul after my birthday (huge post to come) I thought it was definitely time to try it out. As a massive fan of literally every single thing I have bought from the Charles Worthington range I had high expectations.

Most shine sprays I've used have dispensed via a hair spray like aerosol bottle - this one is very difference and dispenses like heat protection or most leave in conditioners. It's clear and glides evenly over the hair. I really enjoy using it over the ends of my hair - it is in no way greasy but for some reason I never like putting product on my roots unless it is seriously matte. It's a lovely addition to dry hair and I should really try and get a lot more use of it than I do.

I am continuously reaching for hair oils morning and night at the moment so this product only really gets used over hair on nights out a touch up throughout the day maybe. Even though I don't use all that much it is one of the best shine sprays I have tried. I love that you can see the contents, and that it isn't a hairspray mist so you can direct where you want it a little more accurately. It's available in Boots for £5.19 here and I do think if you are after a shine spray this is definitely one worth trying.

Glossybox - July 2012

It's Glossybox time again - this months box came two days after my birthday which made it a little bit nicer as it was like getting a post birthday present. So what was in it ... 

HD Brows - HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette 

Full Size £19.95 

I was really happy to see this product in my glossybox as I was sad it didn't make its way into last months. I love it - it's a cute little palette with really wearable matte shades and a cute little brush that is ideal for using on either eye's or brows. I will be getting a lot of use out of this I'm sure. 

Clynol Salon Exclusive - Enrich Colour Shampoo 

Full Size £9.35 

I like trying fancy shampoo's, this one is no exception it smells nice, I'd never pay for the full size but they are always cute to have lying around for travel. 

Monu - Golden Glow 

Full Size £23.00 

This little tanner is very cute and I'm looking forward to trying it out. I am yet to find a nice facial tanner so I'm looking forward to trying this and hoping it doesn't break me out. 

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics - Lip Frosting 

Full Size £10.00 

I've said it a million times before but lip gloss products just inflame my lips so as pretty a pink and juicy this looks it is going straight to my friend who I'm sure will love it in her handbag. 

Elizabeth Arden - Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion SPF15 

Full Size £32.00 

This is my second favourite sample in this months box after the HD Brow Palette. You can really see high end brands a mile off in these boxes I think. This sample was packaged so beautifully in a little box and inside it is a mini pump applicator lotion. Perfect! It is soft and soaks into my skin - I crazy love it. I don't want to love it as much as I do because it is very expensive but it is just such a lovely sample and product. 

Overall I liked the box it had a good mix and offered good value for money considering the palette alone was  worth £20 and is a product I'll love and use time and time again. 

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner (Tesco £4.99 each) *PR Samples

The new Tresemme Keratin Smooth range is right up my street. I am still trying to undo the mess I made to my hair from bleach, dye and a whole host of horrible products. Infused with Keratin each product aims to leave the hair sleek and manageable which is ideal for the way my hair is at the moment. I've always really loved Tresemme as a brand and when opening up these products I also realised I love Tresemme because I love the scent of their products. I don't really like a lot of the advertising campaigns showing women who think they've been to a salon but the products do genuinely smell like the hairdressers and I think this leaves you feeling like your hair has been treated more than with most products. 

I often find shampoo and conditioners hard to review because there is little different between them and if I'm honest I'll just buy what ever is on offer. However I did really enjoy using these two products. After leaving my hair to dry naturally the scent of the conditioner still lingers on my hair which I love it's also left my very frizzy ends looking noticeably smoother and on the whole my hair feels really soft and manageable. I have a few more products from the range that I'm going to give a go after the success of the shampoo and conditioner - I think the hair treatment mask has the possibility to really help my hair considering how lovely the shampoo and conditioner have left it so I'm really looking forward to using that now and I'll let you know how I get on soon. 

Has anyone else tried the Tresemme Keratin Smooth range? 

Cajun Pork and Stuffed Marrow

Little bit of a foody post today - I popped this bad boy on instagram a few weeks ago and so many people asked what was in it so I thought I'd do a wee recipe post on it. This feeds two hungry belly's! 

What you need: 

Pork Fillet 

Bulgar Wheat

Marrow 

Mushrooms

Two Peppers 

Newmans Cajun Marinade 

Chorizo 

Olives 

Onion 

Tomato 

Jalapeño Peppers 

• Chop your pork fillet in half and slather in Newmans Cajun Marinade cover and pop in the fridge - leave it for as long as you can go drink wine and let the meat soak up the deliciousness. 
• Chop the marrow in half and chop out all of the rubbish middle bit of it so you are left with two marrow boats. Put face down on a baking tray and spray with fry light or drizzle in olive oil depending on how healthy you want to be. 
• Cut out the middle of the peppers and pop them on the baking tray bottom side up too. 
• Put both in the oven for about 25 minutes 150 degrees 
• Whilst they are cooking get chopping all the other ingredients and add hot water to the bulgar wheat 
• Literally chop anything you want for this just chop it all relatively small we went for chorizo, onions, mushroom, tomato, olives and jalapeño peppers. 
• Put half into the cooked bulgar wheat and stir 
• Get the pork in a pan with some fry light and get it nice and crispy on the outside 
• Turn the peppers and marrow over and fill the peppers with the bulgar wheat mixture and the marrow with the other half of the chopped bowl of deliciousness.
• Let the pork cook through and pop the veg back in the oven for about 15 minutes 
• Serve and drizzle the pork in even more cajun marinade. 

It was delicious - the oils from the chorizo just cover all of the fillings so perfectly and you are left with a taste sensation :) 

Happy Birthday To Me - Last Instagram of my 22nd Year

Left to right - top to bottom: Geek waiting for the boy to carry the shopping, amazing spa day at Penny Hill Spa, It wouldn't stop raining, Boyfriend always being hot, cuddles with doggle, geeks, we love dips, i love this doggle more, rasberries, celebrating with wine after getting a new job, the swing at the spa changing rooms, fridays face, gorgeous dinner, taking my hair back to brown, THCF bracelets, the Olympic torch in southampton. 

It's my birthday today :) yay I love birthdays! Haha I thought I'd wrap up the most recent instagram images in a little post marking the end of my 22nd year.

Goodbye 22, Hello 23.

I wanted to do a post that's a little bit thoughtful on the day before my 23rd birthday. Somehow birthdays seem to be coming around a lot faster than the used to. I love having a birthday in July it works out nicely as it splits up my year a little bit. 22 was a bit life changing really. I completed my degree in Public Relations and left my job of 2 years and relocated back to Southampton officially where I now have a new job. 

I feel like everyone my age is growing up way too fast - every time I log onto Facebook someone else is showing an engagement ring, a scan photo, wedding picture or new born baby. I am still spending all my money on cosmetics and shoes and I think its nice that way. I wish people would slow down and stop doing everything so quickly.

Also my 22nd year bought the introduction of 'The Hannah Chamberlain Foundation' into all of our lives which is something I am so excited to get launched this year and raise lots of money to such deserving people. Finally it bought about Magpie Obsessions here - I love keeping this blog and interacting with so many lovely people who love the things I do all over the world and can't wait to keep growing it and meeting new people from it this year. 

I think 23 will be a massive year for me, 22 kind of put down the foundations for lots of things. The charity is going to officially launch and I will get fully into the swing in my job. It also looks like I could end up living with a boy this year which is as much growing up as I'm prepared to do right now.

Thought I'd leave this little post the day before my birthday with some of my favourite moments of 22.

L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil

L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil RRP £9.99 (Currently £6.66 - Boots)

I'm pretty obsessed with oils for my hair at the moment. I've been buying them like their going out of fashion since trying the Tresemme Liquid Gold in April.  After going through a major hair overhaul and bleaching the hell out of my tips - I can hand on heart say that hair oils have completely rejuvenated my hair and has turned the tangled bleached mess that were my ends into manageable locks again.  

The L'Oreal version of hair oil comes in two types the one I have which is designed for coloured hair and one for normal hair. Like all hair oils it claims it can be used in lots of different ways - I mostly just used the Tresemme one when my hair was wet after a shower and before styling. However I actually prefer to use this L'Oreal oil when my hair is dry. I find its a lot thinner to touch and spreads really easily over dry hair keeping hair looking a lot sleeker throughout the day. I do sometimes use this brand when my hair is wet too but I feel its texture and consistency suits itself to my hair dry. My hair isn't overly thick but I have a lot of it so find this product is a little too light for my wet hair but it perfectly tames it when dry. 

At £6.66 right now it's a steal as it comes in a very generous 100ml which will last me ages. I love the pump applicator and overall look of the product. I like that glass bottle because it feels a little more luxurious but it means I would never dare travel with it so this product will always remain firmly in my home. 

Has anyone else tried L'Oreal's hair oil or have any recommendations for others? I'm in love with them at the moment so am on the look out for new buys ... 

Go High or Go Home

1. Orange and Grey Platform Court Shoes £24.99 New Look
2. PUG Suede Wedges £65 ASOS 
3. Rinks £31.45 ALDO
4. Paramount Pointed Wedges £35 ASOS
5. Pandora Wedges with Colour Block £45 ASOS
6. Mega Navy Wedge £40 Dorothy Perkins 

I'm a massive believer that a heel should be high, or you should just go without a heel. This became truer than ever when I tore a ligament in my foot and had to spent 6 months not wearing a heel - no outfit looked right and it just made getting ready so much harder! I am loving wedges at the moment and have put together this little collection of shoes I'm lusting after. I feel my shoe collection is all a bit neutral and black so slowly trying to add some colour into my shoe rack ... 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable - Rendezvous

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains - £5.99 Boots Superdrug

I did a post on the Revlon Just Bitten lip stain pen in February here  then I saw Essie do this  video on the new Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains. Which in essence are the same but combine the balm and stain in one very lovely looking crayon. It is the same packaging as the Clinique Chubby Stick I reviewed here but obviously a completely different product. I went with the intention of buying one of the four pink shades Essie talks about in her video however I ended up buying this orange shade 'Rednezvous.' It made sense in the shop but I came home feeling a bit like eurgh why did I buy this bright orange lip stain. However I do really love it - it comes off a little more coral red toned on the lips than it does in the swatch so it works with a kind neutral outfit. 

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with stains - I love their staying power and the way that offer colour for so long. I don't love that they can dry out your lips and leave a kind of patchy look as the colour sinks into dry spots. I guess the idea of mixing the balm and stain into one stick is trying to eliminate the dryness. I actually prefer having the stain and balm in too separate applicators. When you put this product on it's a lot simpler and easier to apply as it is all in one but as time goes on and I maybe want to add moisture to my lips I don't necessarily want to keep building up the pigmentation that the already pretty bright stain offers. 

I also found the lasting effects of the original felt tip type pen stain was much longer. I also find my pink stain as a perfect base for other pink lipsticks to help build up the colour and make it last for longer. With this balm stain you don't get the opportunity to do that. 

I've been using this for about a week now and I'm still a bit blah about it - some days I adore it and think it is just the most handy lip product to have it all in one. But then if I'm wanting to go out and use it as a base or not keep building up my lips to a very bright shade I tend to dislike it. However I do love products that come in these handy crayon like containers - they are just perfect for being out and about with and they just fit in my little hand bag perfectly. I'm pretty sure I will be heading back to boots and picking up a few more shades because I'm a sucker for packaging and the lasting colour offered by a stain. Maybe if I pick a lighter pink that can be built up a little more throughout the day I might get on with it a little more. Lovesick and Cherish are probably the two shades I want the most. 

New Brush Storage

After my post 'Obsessing Over Storage' I have literally been obsessing over storage. I was in a really big Tesco Home store the other day and was lusting over some pretty stationary (really weird obsession I have) and I spotted this acrylic pen pot. It is actually on a ball bearing coaster so spins around making all the little compartments accessible when it's on a shelf or in a cupboard. I adore this little pot it has compartments all different sizes perfect for storing brushes, cotton buds, tweezers and just everything you reach for daily. The best bit is that because it was in the stationary isle is only cost me £3.86 - I swear if this was in a storage or cosmetic isle it would be about £15. I can't find it online but I've seen it in my larger Tesco Extra too so think it's about and they had loads in the Tesco Home I bought it in. It's made me realise that just searching down the storage isle might not have the best options! 

Me Before You - JoJo Moyes, Book Review

I originally picked this book up as it looked pretty and was in the 3 for £10 offer at Asda where I was buying my holiday reading. I know its fickle but I've found some gems just by heading for the top 50 and picking the girl looking pretty ones. Myself and my best friend Sophie both read this on our one week holiday - we both finished it crying like babies. This book takes you on one hell of journey and I had to get my thoughts down about it. 

The story follows a girl called Lou who loses her stable job in the bakery and with family desperately needing the money is forced to sign on and take a job as someone to look after, just be around for a man called Will Traynor. Will was involved in a a motorcycle accident that leaves him paralysed from the neck down. They form the most unique relationship and she learns so much about herself, her relationships and Will. 

At its heart this story is about euthanasia and it completely challenged any preconceptions I had on the issue. You watch the most unlikely relationships form and develop in so many unexpected ways. I really don't want to say too much because I really do urge anyone to read this book. It is written so well and comes from an author who clearly has either researched immensely or dealt with the issues first hand - as the writing just carry's you away. I couldn't put this book down, I laughed out loud at some of the chapters and cried ALOT too. 

Over my two holidays I read 5 books and this was easily the most amazing of all of them. It makes you think whilst whisking you into an amazing romance story you would never expect. I never thought this pretty book on the shelf would have my crying laughing and thinking in the way that it did. It can be bought on Amazon for just £3.86 here.