MAC Minis – Overview

Is there anything cuter than mini beauty products? I think not, especially in regards to mini MAC lipsticks: the sweetest, dinkiest little products around that are deceivingly practical and come in a wide array of shades including all the cult favourites such as Velvet Teddy and beyond. If that’s not enough, there’s an entire range of MAC mini’s waiting to be discovered, regardless if all your summer entails is a brisk stroll around the park, let alone an exotic holiday.

Fairly freshly launched is the new MAC Fix + Vibes Setting Sprays (£12): 7 new varieties, all with various scents and almost aromatherapy-like benefits. I am tempted to purchase the other 6 offerings within the range but as I only have one face, I settled on MAC Fix + Calm. As you can imagine, it is fairly gently scented and aims to help the user relax as well as setting make-up and/or refreshing the complexion. In my opinion, it almost reminds me in terms of fragrance as ringing close to fabric softener? It’s not awful but in hindsight, I’d probably pick a different option – maybe something more fruity? Regardless, it’s great to see brands embrace the ideal of wellness alongside cosmetics.

One of the products a lot of people seem to find intimidating is MAC Strobe Cream. I get it, it’s one of those beauty items that’s everyone seems to love but very few, tend to explain how they use it. In essence it is a liquid-come-cream highlighter but a subtle one at that, it delivers more of a glow to the skin for a radiant finish rather than a blinding flash of light. To use, you can apply all over the face (and body), to targeted areas, use with or without make-up and of course mix it into all manner of bases. If you still aren’t completely sold, then snap up a mini MAC Strobe Cream (£10)(I have the shade Pinklite) and then decide if it is for you. Heck even if you are a fan and want to try a new shade, then the mini option is also for you as a little goes a long way.

The MAC product I’ve never really understood? MAC C-Thru Lipglass (£12), just about every person I know adores this milky-almost-transparent nude hue and yet I’ve never quite been nearly as enamours as everyone else. I’ve popped it in my online basket several times only to wuss out at the final hurdle, that was until I found it in mini form. Now that I’ve tried it, I’ll admit that it is a nice enough shade but I’m still not completely enamoured and doubt I’ll reach for this often. That’s the beauty of the mini sizes, it’s a lot easier to use them up (especially the items you aren’t fully sold on) to avoid product guilt.

Due to the bulky packaging of MAC In Extreme Dimension Mascara (£12) it doesn’t exactly appear to be mini but for those that are regular travellers, rest assure it is a fairly compact 4g in weight and more than complies to the TSA flight requirements. As a mascara it pains me to say, it is fairly average but does deliver a good level of volume and is ultra black. If you have good natural eyelashes you’ll probably enjoy this more than those amongst us with fine, straight lashes.

And now we circle back to the ever admired and collected MAC Mini Lipsticks (£10). For the longest time I’ve been meaning to try the MAC lipstick shade Please Me but as I’m so fickle – and frankly need another pink lipstick like a hole in the head- I decided that a mini was the only way to go. Frankly given the recent price hike within MAC lipsticks (£17.50 each) this may be the way forward. I’m pleased to say (geddit?) that MAC Please Me is a delightful, dusty rose hue that works wonderfully both as a lipstick and a cream blush.

There’s a lot of MAC products that have been given the mini make-over treatment, sadly foundation and cheek products have yet to make such list but here’s hoping one day they join the ranks.

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Why Is ‘Chub Rub’ Such A Taboo? The Best Products & Solutions To Help Prevent Chafing

Why Is 'Chub Rub' Such A Taboo? The Best Products & Solutions To Help Prevent Chafing

Hands up if you know the feeling of those red hot, inflamed and itchy red patches between your legs all too well? Hands up if you’ve ever walked around looking like you’ve peed your pants, just to stop the pain?…

The post Why Is ‘Chub Rub’ Such A Taboo? The Best Products & Solutions To Help Prevent Chafing appeared first on Hayley Hall.


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Salon Trusted – Salon Products for at Home Use

Salon Trusted Review

– Sponsored Content – So Salons have only just began to open up and most are operating on a smaller scale than we are used to, meaning that purchasing aftercare products from our trusted local shops is currently off the table. Understandably you will not only want to support small businesses but also require the assurance that any beauty product you do purchase is the real deal.

Salon Trusted Review

Enter Salon Trusted, an online destination in which you can not only purchase all your favourite aftercare products safe in the knowledge that each item comes from an authorised source, and if your local salon has a Salon Trusted Code (ask them next time you visit) they earn commission from each sale.

What does Salon Trusted sell? Just about every beauty product and brand (all competitively priced) you could imagine including hair care, beauty products, grooming items and electrical goods, not to mention gifts galore. Rather impressively, there’s free delivery on all orders over £20 too!

I was kindly sent an array of products to test from Matrix Biolage via Salon Trusted, all of which have been selected to cater to my currently bleached and damaged tresses. The idea was to nurse my hair back to health over the course of lockdown and somewhat dazzle my stylist with my newly reformed tresses.

Matrix Biolage is of course a professional standard brand which has been created so you can take the salon home, as such you can expect big things in terms of quality! What makes them a little more special in my opinion is the fact that they have a raw line in which their products are up to 99% natural origin and biodegradable formula – great for the environment and your hair.

Salon Trusted Review

My new routine essentially revolves around Biolage Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner (£27) which has been created for dry and dull hair with quinoa husk and honey . A lot like the colour of the product suggests and the ingredient line up, this has a sweet, almost creamy scent that lingers on the hair all day. The shampoo is gentle yet effective in removing product build up such as dry shampoo and of course daily grime. The conditioner is wonderfully hydrating and yet doesn’t weigh my hair down.

Salon Trusted Review
Salon Trusted Review

This is coupled with a weekly wash using Biolage Colour Last Purple Shampoo to prevent my blonde hair from looking brassy and frankly stretch my highlights out for as long as possible. The pigment within this shampoo is beyond impressive, it quickly eradicates any yellow tones from my hair and yet doesn’t tinge my hair lilac. I can not recommend this enough to fellow blondes (bottle or otherwise).

Salon Trusted Review
Salon Trusted Review

Another weekly treat is Biolage Re-Hydrate Clay Mask (£30.99) which again has been created to deeply nourish dry and dull hair. I’ve tried a lot of hair masks but what sets this aside is the fact that it is clay based; Moroccan Lava Clay to be exact, coupled with Shea Butter. The end result, a thick, luxurious, quick to work hair mask that leaves hair soft, conditioned and manageable. As a side note, a little goes a long, long, way.

Salon Trusted Review
Salon Trusted Review

As we all should, every time I as much as think of going near my hair with heat, I apply a product to protect it. My new weapon of choice is Biolage Heat Styling Primer (£22.99); this non-sticky, easy to use lotion protects hair up to 450°F for soft, smooth, touchable hair. If like myself your hair is fine and easily weighed down and yet you don’t want to skip such category of product, this is a must have! Again, less is more Biolage Heat Styling Primer and I find it works best when used as a companion to blow dry your hair.

Salon Trusted Review

Maybe you don’t have the same hair needs as I do but I can guarantee whatever your current styling requirements may be, Salon Trusted will have whatever you are looking for…and then some.

You can shop all of the above products and many more via Salon Trusted.

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I Signed Up To Beauty Pie For 3 Months: Here’s What Happened

I Signed Up To Beauty Pie For 3 Months: Here's What Happened

How Beauty Pie Works, My Top Product Tips & If It’s Worth Becoming A Member It’s been almost four years since Beauty Pie launched into the UK. I remember sitting down to thoroughly put the range through its paces, prepared…

The post I Signed Up To Beauty Pie For 3 Months: Here’s What Happened appeared first on Hayley Hall.


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Lesser Known Fragrance Brands for Father’s Day

Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands

It’s been an odd few months hasn’t it? With next to no shops currently open for obvious reasons you may be at a loss as what to purchase a loved one for Father’s Day? I know the category of fragrance isn’t exactly groundbreaking but you could use the upcoming event to dip into some lesser known yet wonderfully constructed fragrance brands.

Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands
Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands

Notebook Fragrances

This beautiful, affordable (just £15.99 for a huge 100ml bottle), Italian brand is a glorious blend of substance and style, the beautiful boxes (and scents), complete with inner gift card, make gifting a breeze and with seven fragrances to chose from, there should be something for everyone.

My picks for Father’s Day are: Notebook Fragrances Patcholi & Cedarwood Eau de Toilette for Him; deep, musky, woody and aromatic – it is sophisticated without being overpowering nor stuffy and should appeal to most wearers of gentleman’s fragrance. For something a little more aquatic and dare I say lighter, I would recommend Notebook Fragrances White Wood & Vetiver, it is fresh, cooling and a little sporty – perfect for the warmer weather or perhaps more casual endeavours.

As a side note, I am going to invest in a few of the female aimed scents within the Notebook Fragrance line and will report back. You can shop all seven Notebook Fragrance Eau de Toilette – here £15.99/100ml – link.

Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands
Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands

Banana Republic

If you have yet to experience any of the Banana Republic Eau de Parfum’s you are truly missing out; well priced, luxurious, oddly readily available in retailers such as Superdrug and yet the packaging hints at something far more up scale than your local pharmacist!

As this is a Father’s Day article, I thought I’d mention a brilliantly unisex and ultimately easy fragrance by the brand – Banana Republic Neroli Woods Eau de Parfum. Again this is fresh and carefree, with notes of Neroli and Orange Blossom; it has a certain Tom Ford quality thanks to the addition of Neroli but without the hefty price tag (currently just £25).

You can find it here for £25/75ml – link.


Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands
Lesser Known Male Fragrance Brands



Yardley


Once upon a time, we associated Yardley with lavender and perhaps our grandmothers? Well the brand has shaken off it’s once stuff image and now offers a whole array of products for every taste and budget. Over the last few years I have found myself growing quite fond of a few of their fragrances and have found a wonderful one for Father’s Day in Yardley Gentleman Urbane Eau de Parfume.

With notes of bergamot, lavender, thyme, tarragon, sandalwood, patchouli and musk this is the most aromatic and dare I say complex scent within my run down. It is modern yet classic and should appeal to men of all ages, it is a rare scent in which it is perfect for work and play.

You can find it here for £15.99/100ml – link.

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