New Hair Style Savers

It’s been a very long time since I’ve made any drastic decisions when it comes to my hair, which is generally left long and air-dried since I’m too lazy for constant heat styling and can’t braid to save my life. I’ve even stopped colouring my hair late last year, after I received compliments on the ‘lighter colour’ when I actually just hadn’t dyed it since before my wedding!  The few grey hairs are still pesky (yes, I’m a young woman with silver strands of wisdom in my mop!) but overall nothing was really happening with my hair until I succumbed to my lust for a blunt fringe! The hairdresser was hesitant but I was adamant and I love how it’s made me care about my hair a bit more, and start using product more regularly.

I wake up each morning with the craziest looking fringe ever, so I generally wet it a little bit and then comb it down with my Tangle Teezer* (I have the Watermelon version, isn't it adorable?!) or my Lady Jayne Tangleze On-The-Go Detangling Brush*. After it's dried I either straighten it or just spray a mist of L'Oreal Elnett Satin Normal Hairspray* (this is the mini can!) which takes the spot of top hairspray so far throughout my trials (currently trialling some more to compare for you!) If I find that my fringe is a bit piecey and won't stop separating, my mini can of Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo fixes it up. I also use the Girlz Only Dry Shampoo and am going to give the Tresemme Dry Shampoo a whirl next as I've heard it's pretty decent and it's on sale at Coles this week.

Having a fringe can be frustrating at times and isn't entirely low maintenance but so far I'm really happy with the change - I sometimes pin it back for work and it blends in with ease, so I can opt out of effort if I want to. My initial chop gave me a wispier fringe than I intended so we made it more blunt the second time around (picture on the top left is the most recent!) I have a few more hair posts in the pipeline and I would love to see your product recommendations in the comments as I'm a bit of a hair noob!

-Emma xx

*Products provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Top 3 Hair Products for Lazy Locks

In the lazy haircare department, I am pretty sure I take out first prize. I have a lot of thick hair, and even taking the time to blow dry it is asking a lot from me. Every once in a while I feel inspired and decide to roll with some product, but generally I am all about the easy to use and fuss free products that make lazy hair something I can step out of the house with. This is what I’m currently rolling with!

Dove Intensive Repair Hair Mask*

Well-conditioned ends are something I strive for and so far this is the best hair mask I’ve found that does the job without weighing it all down too much. I use it as I would a regular conditioner, except it is way better and even though it is in tub form I still find the packaging oddly alluring and sleek. I use this once or twice a week and even though I need a trim badly, it sorta hides that a little bit. I've almost used up this tub and will definitely be buying a new tub, stat!

Pantene Night Miracle Leave On Crème Serum

I’ve used this for years, and find that it lightly moisturises and tames my hair if it’s acting a bit rambunctious. Even though it specifies that it is for PM I use it in the morning more often than not, and think it smells really nice, too.

Girlz Only Dry Shampoo (Dawn 'Till Dusk, but I use any of the scents)

This is a staple in the Bovary household – I have thick and unruly hair that takes a heck of a long time to dry after washing, and sometimes laziness gets the better of me in that regard. I love how affordable this is ($2!) and that it comes in a variety of scents. It absorbs any oil in my roots and adds a nice puff of volume to my hair which is always a nice touch!

Lazy hair is a bit of an artform and my locks sure get in a tangle more than once a week. I love these products for taming back the crazy while still keeping a natural feel to my hair, and I’d love to hear your lazy hair recommendations in the comments below! I’ve just started using a luxe Kerastase hair serum which smells divine so I’ll keep you posted on that one.

Emma x

Salon Melbourne 2014 - experience, make-up + haul

I begrudgingly rolled out of bed this cold Melbourne morning to head into the city for Salon Melbourne, exciting but craving less chill in the air. Having gone previous years I knew what to expect, and needless to say I was pumped for a day of new knowledge with Carly by my side.



 I wanted to put more effort into my makeup for this special event, but reality got in the way (in the form of extra snuggles with Charlie and swiping on a bright lip at the last moment...check this post for details on that) so I ended up rocking the Clinique Neutral Territory 2 palette and my beloved Tarte Exposed blush along with my bright coral lip.

 

Carly buying her hair extensions!

I was quite impressed with the Redken stand this year - a popcorn machine (evidence of me chowing down is above) and a claw game style machine full of colourful Redken samples that I wasn't talented enough to win. Another interesting exhibitor was Klara Cosmetics, which were promoting their Kiss Proof Lips and beautiful looking line of lip products.

Having one of the Klara Kiss Proof Lips applied (matte formula)

the beloved French skincare - I love my Bioderma, Nuxe + Uriage <3

the madness that was the Lime Crime stand

one of the best parts of experiences like this - the amazing and inspiring body art (from Melbourne Polytechnic)

Watching Lorna Evans style some up-do's on stage was definitely one of the highlights of Salon for me - something Lorna said about inspiration really stuck in my mind as I perused during the day. She was 'knitting' a wild and very beautiful hairstyle on a model and mentioned to the crowd that a look like this wasn't for her clients - they were not going to walk in and request this for a night out. This sort of look was for her, to keep her inspired and in turn inspire her clients (and in my opinion, it would also highlight her natural talent for hair at the same time) I realised that I think about makeup in beauty in much the same way, and when I create crazy bright eye looks or an icily sculptured look based on a YouTuber, it is to keep my creative flow pumping and gives me a chance to enjoy the sheer beauty of makeup products.

Food for thought, right?

Lorna Evans inspiring the crap outta me

the effervescent Michael Brown teaching me that it isn't only shimmers and brights that can create beauty - matte taupes and browns can be so stunning!

totally losing out at the Redken sample machine

Klara Cosmetics rocking it on the Launchpad Stage with Klara herself

was so tempted to get a Tangle Teezer - so cute and bright!

exploring the Eye of Horus makeup brand for the very first time

one of my very favourite skincare brands had some strong messages for Salon attendees

Klara Cosmetics, again!

I walked into Salon Melbourne knowing that I wanted to pick up some nail supplies since I have begun doing my own gel nails at home with my Sensationail by Nailene machine. I nabbed Carly's loot so that you could have a peek at two hauls in a single post - don't say I don't love ya, okay?

Carly's haul:
Crown Brushes buffing brush
Artiste Lint-Free Nail Wipes
Lime Crime Geranium lipstick
Klara Cosmetics Kiss Proof Lips 06 (free sample)
Colour Club Winter Affair
Girlee Cosmetics 4pan Palette (shades below)
Hair Extensions + care products from Amazing Hair

in love with the Lime Crime bag

Girlee Cosmetics in Mulberry Satin e/s, Pink Glow Illuminator, Dubonnet blush and another e/s I've forgotten the name of

Geranium!

I am pleased as punch with what I brought home from Salon Melbourne - all things I've been lusting over for a while with some random fun things thrown in for good measure.
My haul:
Crown Brushes shader brush and shadow brush
Gelish Fantastic Four Essentials Pack
Gelish Polish in A Mint of Spring
Colour Club Winter Affair
Colour Club Harp on It
Klara Cosmetics Kiss Proof Lips (free sample)
Artiste Lint-Free Nail Wipes
Girlee Cosmetics 4pan Palette (shades below)

A Mint of Spring

Absolutely swooning over these two

Girlee Cosmetics Mulberry Satin e/s, Grenadine blush, Golden Glow illuminator and eyeshadow I can't find the name of- I promise that Carly and I didn't mean to grab so many identical items, it just happened!

Klara Cosmetics and my Girlee palette swatched (I blame the Grenadine blush purchase on Liz!

I had a wonderful time at Salon Melbourne once again this year. The event provides a great opportunity to socialise with likeminded beauty lovers and industry professionals while also being really inspiring for me as a beauty writer. I'd love to know if you've been to events like this, and what you think of my haul products!

 

This is how I felt after walking around Salon Melbourne all day - exhausted!

 

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

 

*I was invited to Salon Melbourne as a guest of PR, but all opinions are honest as always.

Violet Candy Styler - ghd's new Candy Collection!

Sometimes a beauty product is so hyped up that you cannot help but overthink things when you get to use it for the first time. I think it often helps to step back from the details and think about how a product makes you personally feel when organising a written piece about it, so when I was send a beautiful Candy ghd styler* to trial recently I did just that.

 

During my high school years, hair straightening was just about the coolest thing you could do in the beauty realm. Not many girls wore much makeup at my high school (bar a little bit of eyeliner and maybe some gloss) but if you had your hair straightened, you were the coolest! I didn’t have a straightener for a long time, but we would all go to one of my friend’s houses and she would painstakingly run the ghd over our locks before we would head out to our underage discos. I used to practise not putting my hair behind my ears so that I wouldn’t cause kinks, and if we were heading out to the shops the next day I would sleep stiff as a board so I woke up with my hair still glossy and lovely.

 

I always yearned for a ‘proper straightener’, which of course is the ghd branded one! My sister lovingly bought me a Vidal Sassoon straightener (which I still use and love!) but I still wished for the sleek style and ‘cool girl persona’ that comes along with a ghd. It wasn’t until this year (in my early 20’s!) that I finally got my wish! The Violet Candy ghd Styler is a thing of beauty, and though I am an adult and should know better – I am totally feeling like the ‘cool girl’ right now!

before (photos were taken before I darkened my hair)

After using the GHD Candy Styler

This glides over my long (and crazy!) locks really easily, and because the styler isn’t very heavy it doesn’t cause pain in my weak wrists that are prone to sprains. The packaging is absolutely stunning (of course!) and if you were looking at getting a beauty gift for somebody, this gives a great wow factor and is something that is luxe but totally useful at the same time. I admit that I am hardly what you would call creative with my hair styling, but for a simple straight look this totally hits it out of the park for me. Having a blow wave or freshly straightened hair always has a positive effect on my mood, and this made my hair really silky (I also used the ghd Heat Protect Spray* beforehand)

For more creative hair styles with the ghd Candy Styler, ghd have put together a great bunch of ideas and inspiration here – my personal favourite? The Power Beehive!  I'm not sure that it would totally suit my chipmunk cheeks, but I'd still love to rock that one night To check out the other stylers that are available (the Pink Diamond Styler is so pretty!) head over here!

Did you have a fascination with ghd stylers in high school?

How often do you straighten or curl your hair? Only on weekends, or during the week too?

*Provided for consideration, but all childhood flashbacks belong to me ;) Honesty, always.

A Rare Hair Review: Goldwell's Berry & Lychee Treat for my Hair

It isn’t often that you spot a hair care review on this blog, and it isn’t for lack of trying. I am quite lazy when it comes to my hair, and though I’ve been good at applying various oils to my thick mane since becoming a beauty blogger, that is pretty much the extent of my care for it all. To fill you in, my hair is wavy, thick and prone to getting oily if I don’t wash it regularly. I do suffer from flaky scalp (that only Garnier can help!) and so most of the exciting hair care products are focused on the ends of my locks. One of the products I’ve been loving lately and have almost finished up is the Goldwell Dualsenses Color Extra Rich 60sec Treatment*. Bit of a mouthful, so from here on out it will be called the Goldwell  60sec Treatment!

A pretty pink tub of goo, this was part of the hair pack I reviewed for Hairhouse Warehouse quite some time ago. This smells delicious, and immediately reminds me of swanning about my favourite tea store T2, sniffing the tins of exotic smelling brews. Berries are predominant in this pot, but there is a definite tea note to me, with the official scent containing notes of blackberry, watermelon, raspberry and lychee. Sounds good enough to drink, right?!

 

I pop a splodge of the Goldwell 60sec Treatment onto my ends from the ear section down, and truth to be told I tend to leave this on for a little longer than the 60 seconds spruiked by Goldwell. It just feels strange to have it all done within one minute, and by the time I’ve scrubbed my body and sang a little Justin Bieber, more than 60 seconds has passed by anyway. This isn’t heavy in my hair, and even though my hair is thick I believe this would work well for those with fine hair if they used a smaller amount that I do. This stuff keeps my hair soft but I still like to follow up with a hair oil or similar- I use this as an intense conditioner, and much prefer it to most drugstore conditioners you find on the shelves at Coles.

 

Pros:

-Smells great, fruity and fresh scent lasts lightly on the hair

-not much is needed for it to work its magic

-packaging is clean and easy on the eye
 

-said to be great for colour treated hair

 

Cons:

-some may not love jar style packaging

-perhaps not rich enough for straw-like damaged hair?

-does not completely control frizz

 

This treatment retails for $20.95 and is available from Hairhouse Warehouse here.

How often do you use a hair treatment like this one?

What would you describe your hair as needing the most, moisture or a clarifying clean?

*Product was part of a pack provided for consideration. Honesty,always.

 

Platinum Blitz Box from Hairhouse Warehouse // Unpacking and First Impressions

Now that I'm finally getting into taking care of my massive mane of hair, I was elated to see the annual Hairhouse Warehouse Platinum Blitz Box! Each time these boxes are released the ladies in my family go nuts for them, my sister in law in particular is addicted to them as she loves the chance to try new hair care for such a great value.

There are a few different choices with the Platinum Blitz Box, and they are easily identified by looking at the markings on the back of every box. If I could handpick a product to go in my box, I would definitely go for the RPR Make Me Shine spray, as it's a product I'd love to try and don't own anything like.

I received the Goldwell Color shampoo and conditioner, which I have gifted my sister as I am not colouring my hair right now and she colours hers regularly. The other option is the Goldwell Rich Repair set, which I assume is great for dry or damaged hair. I made a commitment to stick to my dedicated anti-dandruff shampoo so am not up for trying something new, but my sister is stoked to have these bad boys!

My Blitz Box came with RPR's Wax My Style, which Chris nabbed straight away to trial. He only does his hair when we go out on the weekends, so he hasn't had a chance to try it out just yet, but I'll get him to review it soon.

This Goldwell Extra Rich 60 Second Treatment is a fruity scented pink leave in treatment that is something I dived into when my Blitz Box arrived. I found it softened my hair, but will leave my full opinion for a proper review later on. I'm really happy to have this in my cabinet!

Also included is a travel crimper, which I am stoked to own! My niece's fight over the one crimper my family owns, and so I am elated to have a mini one of my own. I quite like the idea of crimping the lower layers of my hair to add volume, and some of the new runway looks see the bottom of the hair crimped into crazy town, and I'm looking forward to giving that a go! The comb is also something I am happy to have, it means I can evenly distribute my hair products and not have to brush my wet hair and damage it.

If you regularly get your hair done at Hairhouse Warehouse, this box is immediately worth it with the inclusion of this $20 salon voucher. It's valid for services over $100 and until the end of November. I'm tempted to go in and get some colour treatments to get the dark out of my ends, but we will see how we go!

 

The Platinum Blitz Box is awesome value, and though not all of the products are suited to my hair type I am pleased with the contents and would happily shell out $30 smackeroos for all of this loot. For $130 value, this is a good excuse to spice up your hair care. It's a limited edition deal, so run to snap up a Blitz Box if you're interested.

 

How often do you switch up your haircare?

Thoughts on crimping?

*This pack was sent to me by the company, which does not affect my opinion on the product. Honesty, always.