Pursuit of Prettiness: June's Best in Beauty

It's been a long time coming, yes, but June has been a very busy month so I have only just had time to pull together this rather comprehensive edit of my favourite new (and some, not-so new) beauty products, ideal for all manner of pre-Summer preening.

Here are my seven favourite products of the moment for top-to-toe pampering. So whether you are jetting off somewhere exotic, or simply soaking up some home-grown sunshine, make sure you give yourself a little bit of extra pamper time. It's only fair, after all. 

As ever, if you have any other products you are particularly loving, please do tweet me at @SWfashion_ or comment below!

1. ESPA Pink Hair and Scalp Mud, £31 tub here

If you're reading this, Mum, I am sorry for pinching this when you were on holiday, but desperate times... 

During my internship, I absolutely destroyed my feet by wearing impractical Zara shoes, and they have since needed some serious TLC. When I was last home, my Mum told me the ESPA assistant in Harvey Nicks had recommend this hair masque for use on dry feet, which I laughed off with "don't be daft- it's for hair." Still, I threw caution to the wind this weekend and tried this rich creamy masque on both my hair and my heels and it made an immeasurable difference to both.

For my hair, I applied a generous dollop to damp hair and wrapped up in a towel for 20 minutes to work all that pink mud magic. When I then rough dried my hair, I was astounded at how silky it was- the purifying pink mud works wonders in soothing the scalp and adding oodles of gloss to hair. 

For my feet, I simply pumiced my soles before showering - where I also scrubbed top-to-toe with Laura Mercier Almond Coconut scrub- and after towel drying my feet I slathered on a little masque and put on some cotton socks. Et voila.

2. L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil, £32 here 

It is all about the oil for beauty buffs these days, and this sweet, satisfying L'Occitane offering is my absolute all-time favourite. 

I find that skin can get horribly dry during warmer months, and this oil is nourishing but not greasy, leaving skin strokeably soft and smooth. However, do not use it before sun exposure- that's just silly now. You don't want to look like this. 

1. Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme, £12.99 here

Do you like Piña Colada? Good, then i'm sure you'll be all over this Bounty-tastic natural foot balm from Burt's Bees. With a scent slightly infused with cooling peppermint, this buttery Coconut foot creme is so nourishing. It is the perfect way to tackle post-sandal feet.

4. Origins GinZing Energizing Moisturiser, £23 here

I must admit that I have never really used Origins products before, but when I was sent this lovely moisturiser I fell a little in love... Primarily with the scent, but that's not important.

A morning "espresso for the skin", this light moisturiser is oil free and charged with Panax Gingseng Coffee Bean optimise hydration. 

1. Le Labo Eau de Parfum in LYS 41, £95 for 100 ml here

When I sampled the two new scents from Le Labo, a New York fragrance institution, I was truly impressed with their new interpretation of florals. LYS 41, in particular, struck me as a unique, fresh and feminine scent with a little edge.

The artfully balanced white floral is sweet but still sophisticated with light floral notes dancing alongside sweet vanilla and subtle jasmine tones. It is long lasting and distinctive, without being overpowering or overbearing. I really am quite enthralled with this scent, and feel a purchase coming on when holidaying in New York this Summer... At £95 for 100ml, Le Labo scents are not a throwaway purchase, but with personalised labels and wonderfully innovative scents, surely you deserve the treat.

6. Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed Mask, £11

Think you've seen all Soap and Glory have to offer? Think again ! Their repackaged, revamped "SkinGenius" skincare collection is worth getting excited about. At the recent blogger launch event, the lovely Soap & Glory team set up a skincare dispensary, with each blogger handing over a skin prescription following an evening spent chatting over sushi, detox juices and, of course, bubbly.

The revamped collection has a retro/clinical look and is split into four different ranges of cleansers, treatments, moisturisers and serums. As someone with seriously stressed out skin, I was immediately drawn to the No Clogs Allowed self-heating mask and I have since become something of an addict.

This thermal mask feels like a high-tech facial, without the cost, and leaves skin totally clear and smooth.

1. Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan, £37.50 here

If you are looking for a fake tan that goes the extra mile, then you really are in luck. I have always been intrigued to try Vita Liberata, having heard great things, and I have not been disappointed.

This high-tech mousse formula is the first long-lasting tan I have seen on the market, and so far, so good. It goes on smoothly, and the colour is wonderfully golden brown, not even remotely orangey. It also doesn't leave the hideous tell-tale tanning smell, which is such a bonus! Definitely worth an investment if you are going off on holiday, ready to bare all in that itsy-bitsy bikini.

Pursuit of Prettiness: Road to Rapunzel

1. Hair Growth Shampoo £6.99
2. Hair Growth Treatment £7.99
3. Hair Growth Conditioner £6.99
SHOP HERE.

As you know from my previous post on hair regrowth (see it here), I am struggling to get some life back into my slightly dreary locks. However, shock horror, my hair is starting to grow- I HAVE ROOTS!

So, to ensure that this growth keeps on going, and I can get myself a nice mop of Middleton-esque hair, I have decided to invest in a whole lotta nourishing treatments for my locks.

Having read great things about the Lee Stafford Hair Growth collection, I had to give it a go. It's been in rather high demand since it's recent launch and until now I have not been able to get my hands on the full collection but, thanks to the big fat Boots in Westfield, I have now got the full collection standing pride of place on my shelf.

The collection comprises of three products: the shampoo, the treatment and the conditioner, all promising to nourish hair at the roots and therefore stimulate healthy and luscious growth. It also smells rather tasty.

Last night I gave it a little try and I have to say i'm muchas impressed. I began (obviously) with the shampoo, working it into a creamy, luxurious lather that belies it's £6.99 price tag. Mr Lee Stafford then directed me to pop a big egg-sized dollop of the treatment on to my hair and leave for five minutes to work it's magic. Washing the rich treatment out, my hair already lovely and silky, and just a teensy bit of conditioner was required to lock the moisture into my parched locks.

Blow drying my hair as normal, I noticed that it felt unbelievably smooth- as of yet I have not noticed some gigantic growth spurt, but give it time! The healthier the hair, the faster it grows, and this treatment is perhaps the best I have tried, especially given it's fabulous price (it even beats Bumble & Bumble Mending Masque I reckon!)

I definitely recommend giving it a go if you're looking to give your hair a little TLC, or just wish to mix up your shower routine.

Oh! You Pretty Things...

River Island Hairband £20

Pursuit of Prettiness: It's A Hair Mare

I’ve not done a Pursuit of Prettiness post in a while, so here’s a big’un. This year, as most of you probably know, I’ve been struggling with an eating disorder and all it’s effects. As much as everything seemed to go horribly wrong, one of the little things that really got to me was how much hair I lost.

Ew. I know, right? I sound like an old man- except i'm a girl and balding at 18!

The lack of nutrition in my body meant that my hair was the last of my worries and, thus, became brittle and started breaking off, while no more grew. I was repeatedly asked if I’d cut my hair, but it had just all fallen out, sometimes in clumps. I’ve seen tweets from girls needlessly seeking to lose weight saying things like “the worse part about losing weight is losing your boobs” to which every bone in my body longs to reply “wait until you lose your hair…”

The great phrase: ‘you don’t realise what you have until it’s gone’ seems applicable here (not in a dramatic sense). I took my long, soft honey blonde hair for granted for all those years. I never had thick, glossy locks but I had beachy waves on holiday and my hair went nice and golden in the sun. It suited me so much more than the bleached, dry straggles that have hung from my scalp for the best part of a year. I feel so ugly without my long hair.

In March, as I started to gain the weight that is making me look so very repugnant at present, I decided to go for the chop. I headed to Cobella in Selfridges and had my shoulder length hair cut into a swishy bob. At first I loved it, but it really didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off. I WANT MY HAIR BACK.

So this P.O.P post is dedicated to those looking to grow their hair, either as part of recovery from an eating disorder, or just because you too have made the decision to cut off your hair without fully considering it.

Here are my tips for sustaining hair growth that, so far, have worked for me. It looks like these tips are working, so please do let me know if you have any others!

EAT WELL

It’s such an obvious one but starving your body of the nutrients it needs immediately affects your hair, skin and nails. You really need to nourish your hair from the inside out. Protein is crucial, think nuts, fish and eggs. A healthy diet will show in your overall appearance, regardless of your weight.

SCALP MASSAGE

This is a little tip I got from my friend Harriet (an annoyingly gorgeous budding beauty journalist with a fantastic little blog here) for which I am eternally grateful! I have only been doing it for just over a week but have immediately noticed a difference to the volume and strength of my hair. Massaging your scalp for around 3-5 minutes a day makes a world of difference. Just massage your scalp gently as you condition your hair and it shall stimulate the growth of the hair. It also feels pretty darn nice. I like to treat myself to Bumble & Bumble Mending Masque which I put on, massage my scalp for around five minutes (bit of a bicep workout to be honest!) then leave the masque for a further 10 minutes. My hair is soft, glossy and looks so much healthier as a result.

SEA KELP

Another little tip from the lovely Harriet. Supposedly sea kelp tablets (which you can buy from Holland and Barrett- in the penny sale just now!) help promote the healthy growth of hair. There is, as of yet, no scientific proof of this but seaweed is iron-rich and therefore sure to be beneficial. It should take a while for me to see the results, but I shall let you know if this really does work. Harriet says she’s noticed a difference in her hair and has had it recommended to her by a few friends so I’d definitely suggest giving it a try.

BLOW DRY HAIR STRAIGHT 

Rather than ironing your hair every day, as I used to do, try blow drying it straight with a ceramic barrel brush, using a heat protector product to keep the condition (my favourite heat protector is the GHD one but i'm not fussy!)

MOROCCAN OIL 

I have heard great things about Moroccan Oil for assisting hair growth. I personally have not tried the Morroccanoil brand, but am very keen to. I actually use Keihls Argan Oil on the ends of my hair to keep it smooth. It is a weekly treat for my hair and I have started to massage my scalp with a few drops of Argan oil as well as applying a little to the midlengths and ends of my hair. It does promote strength of hair as well as length and there is very little better for your hair! Just don’t overdo the hair oil as fine hair is more prone to greasiness.

Hopefully you have found these tips reasonably helpful and please do let me know any more tips you may have on hair growth (recovery or not!) as I’m all ears! I’ll let you know how my hair progresses… As I’m sure you’re riveted.