100 Day Spending Ban Update: Week One.

Week 1 of my 100 Day Spending Ban is COMPLETE.

Virtual Hi-fives to anyone that has also been doing it. I haven't actually struggled as much as I thought I would, and I've been given all too many opportunities to break it. Just in the first week!

I have noticed that I've desperately tried to avoid temptation though, normally when I'm scrolling through my blog reading list I don't hesitate to click on Hauls, or new product reviews. But I have been avoiding them like the plague! Especially when things like the Rimmel Apocolips have taken the entire blogging world by storm and it seems like everyone and their nan has tried them. I have been avoiding Boots and Superdrug as much as I possibly can as well, it's all too tempting for my incredibly weak will power.

I also went up to London to go for a taster day at The Session School on Sunday, which I might write up an entire blogpost/ semi-review on soon. But we somehow ended up on Oxford Street. TEMPATION CENTRAL. Gah. It was unbelievably difficult, But somehow I manged to stick to my guns and avoid Selfridges, Forever 21, Zara and countless others.

I didn't leave completely empty handed though. I did go into the Body Shop and picked up 2 shower gels, which I am allowed to, as I did list them as an essential and I'd run out of my vineyard peach. I bought 2 mango shower gels, because They were 2 for £6 so it worked out cheaper to have one in reserve. I also got a Love Your Body Card. The cards are £5 so I did seem a bit of a cheat, but you do often get a free gift when you buy one, a free gift on your birthday and when you receive enough stamps. AND you get 20% off all your purchases at the moment with one. PHEW! So in the end, I paid £9.80 and got 3 shower gels (1 being a free gift) and  Love Your Body card. I ended up saving £8.20!

As promised, I did also say I'd write about all the products I've been lusting after this week, list them and move the money into my savings account. So. This week I've been lusting after:

• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle £21.50 - A proper cult beauty blogger product now. And a beauty shimmery highlight, I want!
• Rimmel Apocolips in Apocoliptic £5.99 Oooft. I love the look of these lip lacquers, more opaque than gloss but with a sheen. I liiiiike. (And everyone else seems to have got one)

Considering it's week one, I don't think that's too bad to be lusting over only those two things! I'll move the £27.49 into my savings account now. Feeeels good!

Week One: Saved £27.49

Spent: £9.80

Q- Are any of you doing a spending ban? How are you getting on? 

What are you lusting over this week?

Ojon Rare Blend Oil Review.

If you watched my latest video, you'll have seen that I picked up this for an absolute bargain for £15 from my local Boots when the RRP is £29. I've heard quite a lot about Ojon before, mainly rave reviews so when I saw this for half price I was more excited than I probably should have been to give it a go.

What Ojon Say: 

"From tropical Tahiti to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, from the remote rainforests of Central America and beyond Ojon gathered potent natural oils legendary for their "great healing powers" and infused them into 3 phases: Amber, Crystal and Red.

One precious drop of this multi-tasking wonder helps protect, nourish and transforms dull, dry or damaged hair to vibrant health. Hair instantly looks glossier, shinier; suddenly feels softer, silkier, more luxurious."

What I say:

I'm not sure about whether or this oil has "great healing powers" but I do agree that my hair does look glossier, shinier and feels more soft and silky. I've tried various different hair oils as someone with dry, coloured, damaged hair I need all the moisture I can get! But this, I have to say has been the best I've tried so far. This feels like it properly penetrates my hair and nourishes it, rather than just coating and smoothing it.  It doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down. but a little really does go along way - I am someone which follows the rule more is more, but not with this. One drop really will do the lengths and ends of your hair. 

How I use it:

As you can see in the pictures, the three oils "Amber, Crystal and Red" come layered, so you need to shake it before use. I find it best applied to damp hair, before blow drying as it does have heat protecting properties. Although if my hair is looking a bit lackluster and needs a boost of shine I'll rub a teeeny tiny little drop throughout the ends of my hair, giving it a bit of a boost. The one thing that I don't like is the packaging, it's a thick plastic bottle, without a pump. Which drives me craaazy, you need the smallest amount with this product and not having a pump means I pretty much always get too much. And if you don't screw the lid on tight it has a tendency to leak and gets eeeverywhere. Not cool.

All shook up!

Overall I'm really impressed with this oil, it leaves my hair feeling light, hydrated, shiny and soft. I'm not sure I'd pay £29 for it, but if it's ever on offer again I will certainly be stocking up! It has definitely made me much more curious to try some other products from Ojon, and possibly shampoo and conditioner. 

Q- Have any of you tried Ojon products? If you have, what do you like/not like? 

   - Would you pay £29 for a hair oil?

100 day spending ban.

Ohhhh lord what am I getting myself in for. I'm doing it. I'm biting the bullet and attempting a 100 day spending ban. This is going to be a bitch! 

I've got an exciting and expensive summer ahead of me, and to be honest up until now I haven't really been budgeting at all. I'm not exactly blowing my pay cheques on mulberry handbags (however much I might want to) but I have been buying things partly for the sake of it, on a whim or just because I'm plain bored. I've got IMATS coming up in June shortly followed by Glastonbury, and then a girls holiday a month later! So it's not exactly like my money isn't going to be put to good use, it's just going to be hard to resist temptation up until then!

The rules:

1. The spending ban will take place as soon as I post this blogpost (Tuesday 12th of February 2013) and will end on May 23rd 2013. 
2. I am not allowed to buy any make-up in between those dates.
3. I am allowed to repurchase something if its urgent and I have no alternative (e.g foundation, eyebrow pencil etc) but only if I have no alternative. 
4. Under no circumstances do I need any more lipsticks. *sob*
5. I am allowed to buy essentials (e.g shower gel, deodorant, heat protectant) 
6. I will write weekly update posts on my blog to talk about my progress, what I'm lusting over so I can keep a record of how much I actually want something. 
7. Every time I don't buy something that I want, I will move that exact amount of money the item costs into my savings account. 
8. I am allowed to repurchase skincare (within reason, I don't need to 'stock up' on 8 bottles of liz earle cleanse and polish) 
9. I am allowed to buy makeup with any vouchers I have/receive for my birthday 
10. I must see this through to at the very least 50 days! 

We'll see how we'll I manage it! Have any of you done the 100 day spending ban? I'd love some tips, or if any of you are doing it as well at the moment I'd love to hear how you're finding it! 

What are you putting on your face?!

Today I'm going to be talking about nasties. Parabens, silicones, SLS and that kind of crap. Now, until probably about 3 months ago I was blissfully unaware as to what any of those things were really, but since working at The Body Shop it has been brought to my attention. And seriously, that shit is SCARY.

If you're not entirely sure what I mean when I talk about these nasties, basically SLS is a cheap foaming agent that is in most, shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, laundry detergent, shower gels, bubble baths. It's originally derived from the coconut, but don't let that fool you. It's a nasty little bugger that has been seriously linked to cancer, skin irritation, organ toxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity. Parabens are essentially preservatives with antibacterial and anti fungal properties, used to extend the life of cosmetics. However, parabens in cosmetics are absorbed almost immediately into the body and mimic the body's own hormones, such as estrogen and damaging and disrupting the entire body. They too have been found, again to be linked to breast cancer; a study showed parabens present in the breast tissue of 18 out of 20 women suffering with breast cancer.

YIKES!

To me it sounds terrifying that this kind of crap can be legally allowed, let alone in cosmetics and every day items like toothpaste! Since scaring myself shitless with these facts and figures I decided to make a conscious effort to switch over to more nasty-free, organic natural products. Which sounds easy enough, but as a total beauty addict you'd be surprised how many products they creep in to.

What to look out for in ingredients
They've all got hideously long names to try and confuse you but the ones I try to look out for is:

• Methylparaben,
• Ethylparaben, 
• Propylparaben, 
• Butylparaben 
• Isobutylparaben.
• SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate)
•  SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) 
• ALS (Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate) 

I hope I haven't scared you all too much, but when I found out I was like WHY HASN'T SOMEONE TOLD ME?! So I'm spreading the word to you lovely ladies. I am still a complete beginner at this, looking for replacements for products I used to love, especially skincare and haircare wise. So if any of you have any suggestions of products you've been loving I'd love to hear them.

If you take anything away from this post, read the ingredients on the back of your favourite products. I think you'd be surprised!