I have been a long-term sufferer of over-processed, dry hair for quite some time (due to previous highlights, ombre and dye-jobs) so for years I've been on the hunt for an affordable product I can use without shelling out loads of cash on the expensive ranges always pushed by salons and hairdressers. 
So, you'll be more than happy to discover that after googling 'Gigi Hadid hair secrets' at the weekend, I discovered one of her stylists swears by the Salon Science ReCorrect Leave In Treatment, £15, for over-processed damaged hair, which lead to me rushing out to Boots at the weekend to grab a bottle. I also picked up the Shampoo and Conditioner in the same range while I was there because they're currently on offer at 3 for 2 so I couldn't say no to that.

After recently having highlights to blend away the ombre look I've had for the past year I was in need of a little TLC so after buying the Salon Science products I was more than excited to try them out. I washed my hair first with the Salon Science Retextuluxe Shampoo, £13 and Salon Science Retextuluxe Conditioner, £15 and found only a tiny amount of each is needed and instantly my hair felt clean and soft and the smell, which is grape, is so lovely!

I was most excited to try the leave-in treatment, as I think these are where you find the best results when it comes to hair care. The great thing about this treatment is the fact that it is a leave-in conditioner, you don't have to sit around with wet hair for 20 minutes while it works before getting back in the shower and washing it off and I love that. I used a small, chestnut-sized amount and worked it into my ends before using any leftover nearer my roots.

A lot of comments and reviews about this product are that it's too heavy or it's making people's hair feel too greasy. Personally, I didn't experience this at all when using the treatment and I can only imagine that perhaps if you do get that feeling then using a smaller amount and making sure it's worked fully into your ends only, steering clear of the roots, then you may notice a difference.

I then blow-dried and styled as normal, using my usual heat defence spray and my hair felt amazing afterwards, soft and silky despite the beatings it's taken recently from the highlights. The best thing about this treatment is that you can use it regularly and the bottle recommends at least twice a week so you may get through it a little quicker than some of those other intensive hair masks but the fact you're treating your hair to that luxury multiple times a week means you'll notice a difference much sooner.

OLAPLEX REVIEW: HAIR'S HOLY GRAIL

Well, Olaplex. Where do i begin?! If you've got color-damaged, dried hair then you're going to want to stick around for this one so grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy. I was heading to Leo Bancroft's Weybridge salon for a cut last weekend and knew I was in dire need of a treatment beforehand. Following a lot of salons and stylists on Instagram I was sure I'd heard of Olaplex before so when an Olaplex treatment cropped up on Leo's list of services I immediately asked my stylist Holly to book me in for a treatment before my cut.

If you haven't heard of Olaplex, let me give you the 101 on the sciencey-stuff. Most conditioners, even the expensive leave-in ones, usually just sit on top of your hair, temporarily treating damaged hair which can leave you with a silky smooth finish at first but after a few washes you're back to square one. This is wear Olaplex is different because it actually repairs and fixes the hair shaft while it colours and treats it. To give you some context, Olaplex is how Kim Kardashian went platinum from her natural dark locks in one day without going bald.

My Olaplex treatment was a two-part process and the whole process took half a hour from start to finish. The sensation was an odd one, the product is obviously a liquid but didn't feel super wet or thick like some conditioners so until I reached up and patted my hair it didnt' feel like there was any product on at all as it wasnt trickling down my neck or the side of my face which is always a bonus!

When it was rinsed out I reserved all judgement until my hair had been cut and blow-dried. When I finally ran my fingers through my previously thick, dry, damaged brittle hair I could have cried with happiness. That sounds dramatic but I've been through a few ordeals with my hair over the years and the last time I felt that silky-smooth, lightweight, freshly-cut hair feeling was probably about six or seven years ago. Since then, every blowdry has been a nightmare with hair breaking, brushes struggling to pull through the ends and stylists unable to run their fingers through my hair. It used to fall heavy, full of frizz and the ends looked frazzled.

Not now. The damage has literally been reversed and it's like I've rewound the last few years of bleach and dye, leaving my hair feeling so light and soft and genuinely healthy. I'm so excited that Olaplex is a thing and it doesn't cost a fortune either, my treatment was £30 and worth every single penny.

Olaplex can also be added to colour and bleach to minimise damage and if you YouTube Olaplex you'll find an abundance of videos showing girls with damaged hair going even lighter with little to no damage at all. It's incredible and a revolutionary product which hopefully will be rolled out to more and more salons around the UK - and the world - very soon!

Let me know either in the comments below or over on Twitter @laurenfell if you're thinking of giving Olaplex a try, I'm also happy to answer any questions you might have!

NEW HAIRCARE HAUL

So I've reached that point with my current hair care products where I'll sit pressing down the pump on my Aussie leave-in conditioner bottle for about 20 minutes before accepting that I've 100% run out and definitely need to replace it.

Of course, when I get to Boots they're completely out of the leave-in conditioner that I usually use so I had to stand there in the aisle talking myself - yes, out loud - through the pros and cons of the two conditioners they had instead. As you can see from the picture above, arguing with myself never gets me very far so I resulted in throwing both in my basket along with a couple of other bits.

I'm in love with Aussie's leave in conditioners and although I do really like a hair mask, I appreciate being able to spritz my  hair with moisturising goodness and leaving it in because I'm a very impatient human being. I usually use the Miracle Recharge Moisture conditioner but as I said they were out of it in Boots, leaving me to decide between Take The Heat and Shine before giving up and opting for both.

I haven't given either of these a go yet but if they're anything like their Moisture counterpart then these conditioners will be lightweight, non-sticky leave-in sprays which I feel just give my hair a little more of a silky soft finish after washing. Although I use a heat-defence product alongside the Aussie conditioner, I quite liked that the Take The Heat spray also does this so I can double up on the heat defence!

The Shine leave-in conditioner just sounded really nice, I've always had quite damaged hair until recently thanks to the incredible Olaplex treatment I had recently, post on that coming this week - so it will be nice to put a shine back into my much healthier looking hair.

Another product that I've ran out of recently was my heat-defence spray, usually I use a Toni & Guy product but once again, they were sold out. I'm really not selling my local Boots right now, am I? Although, this did give me a chance to look for something new. I'm a big fan of Lee Stafford products and thought that the Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Mist sounded like it would do the trick. You can use this product before you blow-dry and also afterwards, on dry hair, before you use straighteners.

I also picked up a large can of the DeHumidifer Liquid Umbrella, also from Lee Stafford. I used to swear by this product when I was at school/college and when I discovered serum I stopped using it, however, I'm gradually running out of Bleach London's Split Fix Serum which I am obsessed with and was going to replace until I saw this! This is a lightweight spray which controls frizz and keeps your hair looking smooth, sleek and silky. I've already given it a go this afternoon and forgot how much I loved it. This product also comes in a smaller, handbag-sized can for frizz-control on the go!

Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to know what you think of them so let me know! 

JEROME RUSSELL BBLONDE MAXIMUM LIGHTENING SPRAY

If there's one thing you guys should know about me it's that I am always changing my hair colour. Over the past year or so I've been various shades of blonde and ombre but now that autumn/winter weather is creeping in it's got me in the mood for something very different altogether.

Now, I knew that I didn't want to go even blonder right now - let's wait til next summer though, eh - actually, my goal wasn't to drastically change the colour of my hair but to even it out ahead of a whole new shade that I'm aiming for this season and the Maximum Lightening Spray* seemed ideal!

You use the spray after you wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and after three applications you should see a gradual lift, even more so if heat is applied after use. Now, I can probably guess what you're thinking, yikes, a lightening product + heat = fried hair and I'm not going to lie, I spread out the three applications over a couple of weeks as the thought of frying my roots didn't appeal to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how soft my hair feels after using, although bear in mind I did only spritz this product closer to my roots and kept it entirely away from my ends.

I noticed a visible lift in colour after one application and this product by Jerome Russell definitely helped to even out the colour, giving me a much better base for my next colour which I'm very excited to be having done by the lovely Holly at Leo Bancroft's salon in Weybridge. I shall keep my plans under wraps until Tuesday 20th but if you follow me on Pinterest you can probably tell the gorgeous shade that I'm hoping to achieve *insert smiling devil emoji here*.

The BBlonde range is so extensive and I definitely recommend it if you're thinking of going blonde this season, however, if you're looking for something less intense then the Lightening Spray is the one to go for to enhance highlights or keep your ombre looking fresh. Team it with one of their awesome toners - either a natural shade or be daring and go for a pretty pink - for a completely finished look!

*PR sample

CURRENT BEAUTY FAVOURITES

As much as I love autumn and winter it's always a slightly trickier business when it comes to beauty. The wind, rain and cold doesn't do much for my poor hair and skin so now's a better time than any to bring a few slightly different products into my routine. These are the products I'm currently loving.

Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser, £7.99

Moisuriser is a key player in my make-up routine and I find that my foundation just doesn't last without it. This little gem from Good Things Beauty includes extracts of blackcurrent - for its' clarifying qualities -  and goji berry (so it smells hella good for one thing). What I like most about this moisturiser is that it's fast-absorbing so I don't find myself spending ages trying to rub it into my face in the mornings.

Lush Rub, Rub, Rub Shower Scrub, £8.75

Not only is this pretty pot from Lush an exoliating shower scrub but it double's up as a hair treatment; adding volume and shine to the hair. So two for the price of one! I love to use this product once or twice a week in the bath to exfoliate and really treat my skin to a gentle cleanse, however, this product can be used dry for a really good buff and I find this makes it perfect pre-spray tan!

Montagne Jeunesse (now My 7th Heaven) Dead Sea Mud Spa Clay Mask, £1.09 

I'm such a huge fan of Montagne Jeunesse, who are now known as My 7th Heaven, and I probably own more face masks that one girl needs but at just over £1 a pop it's a crime not to invest in a bunch! One of my all-time favourites though is this Dead Sea Mud Spa Clay Mask.

Each mask from My 7th Heaven boasts lots of different benefits and ingredients but as I have breakout-prone, sensitive skin there's a select few I go for again and again and this is one of them. This particular clay mask is all ready for you to use as soon as you open the sachet, no awkward squeezing out and slapping on, the pre-constructed mask just unfolds, you pat it down and you're good to go!

John Frieda Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque, £2 for 25ml 

If you dye, bleach or put heat anywhere near your hair then an intensive masque or treatment will definitely make your life a lot easier! Winter weather conditions can be harsh on your hair, making the ends brittle and dry and this treatment from John Frieda's Frizz Ease range gives my hair a little TLC when it needs it most.

Superdrug B. Makeup Brush Cleanser, £4.99

I'm hooked on the Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaning Spray but as I very recently ran out of the stuff I gave this (much cheaper) version a go and I think it's great for a temporary fix! The cleanser comes in an easy-to-use pump bottle and I've found it works a treat in between washing my brushes properly.

Let me know what beauty products you're loving at the moment in the comments below or tweet me @laurenfell!

MY WEEK IN PICTURES: MOVIE PREMIERE, HAIR DYE & HELLA GOOD CHEESECAKE

I'm sitting on my bed in an oversized Wildfox sweater and tracksuit bottoms, watching a terrible Adam Sandler movie feeling sorry for myself because my sinuses are swelling up and causing me major face ache. SO, I thought, hey, why not reminisce on happier times like last week when I was eating heavenly cheesecake?!

The Best Cheesecake In The World  (So Far)
Okay, I say 'so far' because I'm waiting to try something at The Cheesecake Factory when I go back to Florida next year BUT for now, this is The Best Cheesecake In The World. It's the new Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake from Prezzo, where I've been twice in the last two weeks just so I can sample this delight. I'm actually salivating now just thinking about it which isn't great because I'm sure all we have in the cupboards is maybe a Kit Kat or a chocolate digestive.

Dinner With Old Friends
I was super lucky when I finished my foundation diploma but didn't want to go to University, I ended up temping at a company where I ultimately stayed for over two years. There I met some of the loveliest people I've ever come across and the other week a few of us met up at Las Iguanas for dinner and drinks. It was a lovely evening and man the food at that place is so good, I do love me a sizzlin' fajita.

Scorch Trials Premiere
I've fangirled over this movie so hard on Twitter over the last week or so that I'm sure you're well aware of this BUT if you didn't know, I was lucky to attend the UK premiere in Leicester Square, London last Monday for The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. This is a photograph from our seats of the lovely Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Wes Ball and Jim Chapman when they answered some fan questions before the movie.

Lush Tea Tree Water
This is my holy grail right now! I wrote a whole post about this last week because I abso-freaking-lutely love the stuff. A quick spritz of this toner water in the morning when I wake up and before bed makes my skin feel really clean because of all the anti-bacterial shiz that's in this product.

My Hair Dye Collection
I didn't actually realise I owned this much hair dye until I got round to sorting out one set of my Alex drawers at the weekend. It's obviously ridiculous as no one person can use all of that much product at one time - especially seeing as there's a good old mixture of platinum blonde, honey blonde, ash blonde, golden brown, dark brown etc in there but I think I like to have the options and they kinda look pretty in there don't they?! Okay I'm just trying to justify my hair-dye-hoarder tendencies...

Makeup Revolution Palette in 'Flawless'
I posted all about this awesome product yesterday and seeing as the packaging is so darn pretty I thought it was Instagram-worthy! This is a 32-shadow palette from Makeup Revolution and is sold in Superdrug for only £8 - I can't get over the price and as it's nearing the end of the month I am living in Bargain Town right now.

Follow me @laurenefell on Instagram for more!

Boots 'Drugstore' Haul

As soon as payday comes around, so does an obligatory Boots haul. Mainly to replenish those necessary empties but also to take a good old look around and see what's new!

I already own a couple of the brushes in this Real Techniques Foundation/Base Core Collection, £21.99 set but I thought it would be nice to a) have duplicates for the brushes I already have, in case one set needs cleaning super urgently I can switch them out, and b) use a couple of brushes that I've never tried before, like the smaller detailing brush and the contouring brush.

These Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Facial Wipes, £2.65 have been on my shopping list for a long time and they were on offer today in Boots so it seemed like the perfect time. I have skin which is super-sensitive to harsh facial wipes and I usually always go for a wipe that includes cucumber as it's such a soothing ingredient. These wipes include not only cucumber but also aloe vera; the dream team!

This trio of beauty products includes one that I love, the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, £4.19 and also a couple of new buys. I have very dry skin so I've always been wary of powders as I don't want to invite any cakey-ness onto my face where it's not welcome, this Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, £1.99 looked super-lightweight and I'm excited to give it a try.

I also really liked the look of Maybelline's Dream Bronze BB cream, £6.99. As the weather gets warmer, I like to wear less and less in the form of foundation so this bronzed BB cream fitted the bill perfectly. It also contains SPF 25 which is a huge bonus, I'll let you know how I get on with this BB during the week.



The new nude lipstick collection from Kate Moss for Rimmel, £5.49 have been all over the blogosphere lately so when I spied them in Boots today I just couldn't resist choosing a shade to take home. I opted for shade 45 which is a beautiful brown-based nude with a hint of pink (so don't worry, it won't look like you've got foundation on your lips). I'll be reviewing this product in full very soon so keep an eye out for that post.



Finally, I picked up this John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Agent Touch-Up Creme, £4.00. I've been using Bleach London's Split Fix Serum to control my flyaways and to smooth out my ends for a long time now but as they were out of that in the store today I took the opportunity to look for something new to try out. I found this product and it looked like it would do the trick.



Full reviews for these products will be on the way once I've given them go so make sure you're following me on Bloglovin or Twitter for all of the updates.

 

July Beauty Favourites

This last month has been a manic one and I feel like it's flown by! I've titled this post my July Beauty Favourites because I think I'm going to try spreading my other 'Favourites' out (like clothes, movies, music) throughout the month rather than all in one post because, you know, I'm always discovering new things and want to share them with you as soon as I've figured out I like them!

Anyway, that's enough rambling for me, let's get down to my July Beauty Faves.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo and Conditioner: The Marvellous Transformer with Argan & Camellia Oils 



The name is a bit of a mouthful but these two products have really helped in getting my hair back to a much better condition after it was lightened earlier this year. I've been trying for the last few months to not bleach or use as much as heat on my hair and so far so good. However, a little extra help never hurt anybody so during a recent Morisson's shopping trip I noticed these two products on offer and grabbed them!

There are a few different varieties of shampoos and conditioners in this range but this pair is designed for dry and dull hair and contains two types of nourishing oils; argan and carmellia. Since using them I've found my hair is a lot silkier and softer after washing and I like to alternate these throughout the week with the Lee Stafford Bleach Blonde shampoo and conditioner that I mentioned in my Julianne Hough hair tutorial.

Garnier Ambre Solaire Self-Tanning Dry Body Mist



Here's a funny story; last weekend I was feeling super pale, the weather was beautiful and I was going for lunch SO I grabbed a St Moriz instant tan out of my drawer and proceeded to slather it all over my body after a shower. Little did I know that particular bottle of tan was about 18 months out of date.

The tan turned an instant greyish-green colour and I freaked out and washed it off entirely. I then went back upstairs again to root through my drawer of self-tans (yes, that is a thing I'm afraid) and found this one which fortunately was in date and also worked a bloomin' treat!

I love, love, love tanning mists. They're the second easiest way of self-tanning after the super-easy in-shower tan, like the one I wrote about last month. I sprayed this instant Garnier mist all over and by the time I was ready to head out the door a couple of hours later, it had already developed into a beautiful, natural golden tan. Due to the nature of this product I found that it didn't leave nasty streaks or uneven patches. I also have the face version of this tan so I might give that a go in August and update you!

Hair Burst 



I'm going to write a full blog post on this soon, I know I've missed my 30 days milestone now but I've been super busy so please forgive me, it is coming!) So far, I really, really like the Hair Burst vitamins! I've noticed changes in my hair length, hair condition and also, more excitingly for me, the condition of my skin since I started taking them, you can read my original post on these all-natural pills here.

During certain times of the month I suffer from breakouts, usually it's inevitable and I just roll with it because it never lasts more than a week, but since taking Hair Burst it's safe to say I haven't suffered from any at all *touch wood, as I don't want to jinx it!*

Ultimately, Hair Burst contains a lot of the same ingredients as your average hair, skin and nails vitamins and I've definitely noticed vast improvements in all of those areas so I'm really chuffed. I will of course be updating more thoroughly for the next couple of months and there will be a big post at the end of my three-month trial to let you know how I got on and whether I will be continuing to take the vitamins.

A Week In Photos

1. This is the last post I uploaded before this one, it's an overview of all the things I am loving and pinning on Pinterest right now.

2. Now, I know some people aren't into taking photos of what they're eating but I've never eaten hummous before and I had some on a picnic with a friend the other evening and oh my goodness I love it! So this was yesterday's lunch (also had this today too) and it was scrummy!

3. I saw this on Instagram and absolutely loved it so re-posted it to my feed, credit to whoever came up with this though, it's hilarious.

4. Sigh, this is me reminiscing on my Florida vacation last October. I'm going back again next year and it's like a second home to me now, I was thinking about doing a Florida-related blog post with all my tips and tricks so keep an eye out because that might be coming very soon.

5. Elle magazine was giving away some lovely-looking beauty products and with the issue only costing £4.00 I just had to buy it for the freebies.

6. I grabbed this recipe book at a charity shop last weekend because my mum and I have been doing so much home-cooking lately. We've discovered some really great healthy-eating recipes in mum's Slimming World magazine and online, so we wanted to write them all down and keep them in once place so they're easy to refer back to. If you'd like to see some of the awesome Slimming World/diet recipes we love then let me know!

7. This is a funny one, these are my lovely acrylic nails after getting them done last Saturday, six days later and I can't bear them and sat at home last night using Superdrug's Artificial Nail Remover to dissolve them. I love how they look but they're so impractical for me.

8. This is my lovely new car the first day I brought it home, the weather was gorgeous so I had to take a photo, you can read more about that here.

9. This is the mixture that creates my all-time favourite no sugar, no flour banana and greek yoghurt muffins. So, so good.

That's my week in photos, if you'd like to see more then follow me over on Instagram @laurenefell

Julianne Hough's Platinum Messy Waves - Tutorial

Along with being an incredibly talented dancer on Dancing With The Stars and her very own tour, Julianne Hough is also well-known for her incredibly gorgeous platinum blonde bob. Julianne got her long locks chopped by her best pal and hairstylist to the stars Riawna Capri and since then she's shown there are many ways to wear her neatly cropped style whether it be braided, straightened, half-up half-down or even pink! However, the style she rocks most often is a fresh platinum-blonde loosely curled 'do and that's the look I'm going to help you achieve today.

Soak Up The Sun

If you're going on vacation this summer or simply staying at home to soak up the sunshine you'll want to look fabulous while doing so. Since getting my hair chopped shorter I've been looking for ways to jazz up my 'do this summer - especially seeing as I can't really pull off cute top-knots or sleek ponytails anymore!

Along with finding great ways to style my short hair - tutorials coming soon - I've also found some amazing accessories to switch up my summer styles.

Headwraps

Imagine Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella; these headwraps are a stylish way to add some bohemian vibes to your outfit. Curl your hair into messy waves and team with distressed denim shorts and a plain boxy tee for that effortlessly chic look.  Get this headwrap from Forever21.

Hair Rings

If I could heart-eye-emoji on my blog then I would because I am in love with these hair rings. Slide a few onto your hair while you braid or wrap your hair around a ring to jazz up a half-up 'do. If you'd like a tutorial on a few ways to wear hair rings then comment below. Get these hair rings from Free People.

Keep blonde looking fresh

When you're not a natural blonde - like myself - it can be a struggle to keep your blonde looking fresh and to keep those annoying yellow tinged out of your hair.

There are a combination of ways to battle brassy blonde hair, here are some of my favourites: