My Quest for Old Hollywood Hair

Hi everyone todays post is all hair related.
 Ive been on the quest to make my hair look like old hollywood movie star hair which I love and so over the last few weeks Ive been trying lots of different techniques to try to get this.
Some of these were really funny so I figured Id snap a few pics and share it with you!
Let me start off by telling you that I am still on my quest none of the methods that I have tried here worked for me so I suppose its a bit of a what not to do If trying to get old hollywood style hair.

First up I tried Bantu Curls which were reccommended to me by another blogger I hadnt heard of these before so there was a bit of googling involved before I could start. So basically Its like tying your hair into lots of little buns to get curls.

This definitely gave my hair volume but I didnt get the sleek curl that I was looking for from this method. So It was a bit of a fail, but definitely an experience!

Next up I tried my  Hot Rollers. I have a love hate relationship with these they only work for me sometimes and Im not sure why. When they do work my hair looks amazing but when they dont It is limp and disappointing. I dont like how unreliable they are or my skills at using them more like.

On this occasion they failed to impress and all I ended up with was limp hair filled with hairspray and even with all that hairspray the curl that I did have fell out after about 20 minutes.

The closest that I actually got to my hair looking decent was me straightening it and sweeping to the side but again it's not what I'm looking for. 

I'd love for you to leave me your tips in the comments for now I continue my quest!! 

Santaverde Brand new range Introduction

Hello everyone hope your all doing good. Today I'm introducing a new range age protect from brand Santaverde that will be released for sale on September 22nd. I have not tried any of these products yet so this post is purely informational. 

Santaverde is a 100% natural skincare made with 100% active ingredients with NO water. They eliminate the water by replacing it with an aloe vera base, but not just any base they combine pure aloe vera juice with the nectar from aloe vera blossom which when processed is said to produce an anti oxidant elixir. Essential oils are then blended with this base to create their products. 

There are four products in the Santaverde age protect range. 

Age Protection Toner £32

Aloe vera base blended with rockrose leaves & extract. This toner is said to provide optimal care for hyperpigmentation. 

Age Protection Facial Oil £38

Thistle seeds, argan fruit & evening primrose oil are combined with aloe vera to create this oil. I've been really loving facial oils lately and really recommend that everyone includes one into their skincare routine. 

Age Protect Boost £38

This is a concentrated care product aimed to re-balance stressed skin when a 10 day course is followed. 

Age Protect Moisturiser £46

Hylauronic acid & root extracts are blended with aloe base to create this moisturiser. 

I love the look of the packaging it's very simple but appears very high end to me. 

These products will be available from Harvey Nichols in the Uk and Ireland 

And from their own website Santaverde.co.uk 

Wooden Flamingo Chalk Board

If you have been following the blog you will of seen that I am branching out to include other posts besides beauty. I have decided that Wednesdays will be my day for non beauty posts.
This week is a gorgeous chalk board* from Wooden Flamingo.

This really pretty chalk board is shaped like a cloud and is a really lovely shade of sky blue.
You can tell that it has been handmade with love like most things found on Etsy.

I love chalk boards and spent a good chunk of last year searching for the perfect one to be part of my wedding photos to use on thank you cards. I really wish I had found these ones for the photos. This is currently hanging in my kitchen to remind me of stuff I have to do and to just write fun quotes on!

The delivery to Ireland was so quick less than a week and It was packaged so beautifully which I think is very important when buying from Etsy as it adds a lovely personal touch.
This particular chalk board would be perfectly at home in a little boys room or as a new baby boy gift.
 Ive recently moved and am slowly trying to decorate and I have just fallen in love with the handpainted signs from Wooden Flamingo and they also do Wedding Signs.
This retails at £6.00 or €7.71.
You can find more info on www.woodenflamingo.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodenFlamingo

Essence Pureskin Skincare Launch

Essence is one of everybody's favorite budget make up brands. They have now the very exciting news of expanding into the skincare market. Their new skincare range Pureskin is marketed towards problamatic, oily skin. This coupled with essence always budget prices will make it the perfect skincare range for teenagers.
Let me just give you a short introduction to the range.
I havent tried any of the products yet myself so Its purely information for today.

 Anti-Shine Pore Refining Serum €3.79
This serum is said to  regulate sebum production and free skin from excess oil.

Anti-Spot Cover Cream €3.49
A tinted cream which aims to cover whilst also fighting spots.

Anti-Spot BB cream €5.49
This aims to cover impurities without blocking your pores. It also has added bonus of SPF10.

Anti-Spot 4in1 cream wash €3.49
This can be used daily for washing face or as a mask. Its aim is to clean skin, remove blackheads, give a matt complexion and refine pores. Sounds like a great multi use skincare product for teens on a budget.

Purifying nose strips €1.89
Im pretty sure everyone knows what nose strips are meant to do by now this is the product from the range im most excited about as I dont have oily skin but I suffer with blackheads on my nose so these will definitely be on my shopping list especially at under €2.

SOS spot killer €3.79
This is an overnight spot treatment aimed at clearing skin while you sleep.

Anti Spot Gel €2.99
an on the go treatment gel designed to cool and treat spots.

This essence pureskin range is available in pennys stores and pharmacies from September.
Have you used any of these products yet? Let me know in the comments

You can also find me on twitter @clareken86

My other love :Sparkle

Hey everyone hope your all good?
So I've been blogging for a while and I love beauty but I thought It was about time to introduce you to my other love Sparkly Blingy Jewelry!
Ive put together a few of my favourite bits for this post but let me assure you there is lots lots more where these came from.

Im going to tell you a little about each of these products and will go in a left to right and hope to not confuse anybody with it!

First up Is the crystal earrings from Pearls for Girls I bought these to wear at my engagement drinks 2 years ago. they are so simple and classy with that added sparkle that just catches peoples eye without being too in your face. these are really elegant and versatile and go good with hair up and down. Im not sure what price I paid I think they were about €30
www.pearlsforgirls.se will get you stockists ect.

Next up are my stud earrings for some daytime sparkle from Crystals and Co a lovely Irish company that I am a massive fan of. well of course I would be they sell lots and lots of sparkle. These are the baby peach crystal studs and retail at €16.00.
you can order online from www.crystalsandco.com

Next up is a lovely sparkly bracelet from Absolute jewellery design also an Irish brand.I love this bracelet It is really slinky and catches the light beautifully.  This bracelet I got as a gift from my husband (before he was my husband) you can find their stockists here www.absolutejewellery.ie

Next up are some new sparkly hair clips that I got from Claires Accessories these are perfect for adding a bit of bling if your outfit dosnt permit too much. these retail at €8.95.

Last up are the 3 ball drop earrings from Crystals and Co. I wore these in March for my wedding. I wanted a statement pair of earrings that were also bridal. These were perfect for me! I wore a simple dress and no neck jewelry so they were the showpiece and tbh I was more excited about putting these on than my wedding dress!! These are also available from www.crystalsandco.com and retail for €72.

I hope you have enjoyed todays post Im still getting used to writing about things that are not beauty products so id love your feedback in the comments.
you can also find me on twitter : @clareken86
instagram: sparkleblossombeauty