Worth the hype?

So for a while now, I've been seeing this particular brand of moroccan oil going around the blogger/youtube world, and most reviews have praised this oil and sometimes even stated that it's a miracle worker.

The purpose of this oil is to calm frizz, add shine and soften to create beautiful hair, which is certainly the look I'd love.

Moroccanoil Oil Treatment is an ultra-light formula which is absorbed by the hair instantly, resulting in a natural, silky finish and brilliant shine without leaving a residue.
Moroccanoil Oil Treatment has the ability to restore over-processed hair damaged by environmental factors and chemical 

procedures.

The smallest bottle size is 25ml and comes in at £12.85 on feel unique.com, and there is also a formulation for thin/lighter hair, which costs the same. The larger 100ml bottle (shown above) is a tad more expensive taking £30.45 out of your pocket.

Having naturally curly and frizzy hair, I was definitely bought by the thought of being able to have shine but still retaining the curls. Anyone with hair similar to mine will know that as soon as the curls are brushed out, they turn into something resembling an afro (having a dad who used to have an afro doesn't help that i've inherited the style), so I don't tend to brush my hair when it's curly. I know, you're probably thinking that's so bad! I brush it in the shower with a tangle teezer which does the job without ripping the hair out of my head, but I diverge, enough about me.

I have yet to try this particular brand because I'm not willing to fork out money from my pocket for something that can be found cheaper in a different product.

So, I decided to investigate a few different oils and products from different places.

In Leeds, there are a few shops that cater to the afro-caribbean hair which can be so difficult to deal with. I have been going there from a very young age, and have always found that the products do tame that ghastly frizz, but they leave a sheen to the hair that just screams product.

What do you think?

Is it worth the price or the hype?

Nat xxx

John Lewis comes to Leeds

The luxury department store John Lewis has decided to expand their business to Leeds. The site of the store will be that car park near the market and they will also be taking over the old police headquarters to replace them with a multi-storey car park. Now, I'm not a driver but a new car park in Leeds has to be good news, knowing that whenever I do go to Leeds with my mum, we are searching for a parking space for a long time until we decide we're going to have to park in The Light car park which costs extortionate amounts to park during the whole day.

The new development in Eastgate will cost approximately £110m for the first phase of the scheme, which has been planned to include 30 shops, up to 6 restaurants, and the car park.

If the plans are to be approved, the whole construction is planned to be finished in 2016. That's 4 years of construction and developmental work, just so we have more places to spend our money.

Councillor Keith Wakefield comments "Eastgate Quarters is a hugely significant development for the city which will enable our retail sector to compete with other British cities and attract international visitors and investors. It will bring thousands of new visitors to the city as well as creating a significant number of jobs for local people."

This new construction seems promising, I just hope that it doesn't create more trouble than it's worth.

Harry Potter Studios Tour

Here it is, the big one, the one we've all been waiting for...

Well, as you may have guessed from the title, I went to the Harry Potter Studios Tour in North London.

I am a huuuuge Harry Potter fan and ever since they announced a behind the scenes look into the making of Harry Potter I was on board.

It was one of the best experiences of my life. I am so interested in film studies and cinematography and art, everything was right up my street.

I took so many photos but I won't show them as not to spoil it for people who hope to go in the future. 

Emma, Dan, and Rupert's handprints. Emma and Dan's hands are tiny! I could only just fit my hand into Ruperts' 

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape. There is an unbelievable amount of detail on every single outfit. 

All the Gryffindor costumes. You can't see in this photo but behind me there was Dan's outfit from the sorting in philosopher's stone, which was so sweet and small!

The makeup used on set.

Luna Lovegood's attire, Evanna Lynch, who incase you weren't sure plays Luna, made a lot of the jewellery you see, including the radishes. What a creative gal!

Sherbet Lemon!

mmm butterbeer!

Number 4, Privet Drive

At the end of the tour, there is a shop (like always) and I couldn't resist buying a few bits.

The official guide, we prepaid for this with our tickets.

a few little bookmarks for free

A chocolate frog, with a real wizard card!

A souvenir glass available when buying butter beer.

A clapper board, which I've always wanted to have!

Hermione's time turner in a protective case.

 A pin to add to my collection from disney.

I had a really good experience at the studio tour and I would definitely recommend going, even if you're not the biggest fan of Harry Potter or you're interested in filmmaking.

Nat xxx

Surprising Reads

Seeing as all my recent blog posts have all been material related, I've decided to write a long blog post, and whether you read it or not is up to you.

As I'm now on summer break, I've been doing hardly any school work. This has given me plenty time to read books. After reading some classics for english literature such as Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights I decided to read an easy read.

Scowering through my bookcase I found the vampire diaries series that I bought a few years ago when I used to like twilight etc (how embarrassing). Anyway, there is no denying that I hate all of these soppy romantic novels that idolise the dangerous supernatural.

So I thought, I can't sell the books without reading them, and here I am, reading a book about vampires, witches, druids, and teenage problems. I must say though I am hooked, it is much darker and deeper than twilight. The book does loosely follow the story line of the tv series but you get to know the characters better, as you can see exactly what they are thinking about, as opposed to deciphering what is meant through their actions.

The character of Elena is very different to the tv character. She is much more like Catherine, feisty, sassy, flirty, and confident. Whereas Catherine is depicted much to be like Elena, fragile and delicate, like a flower.

Like all book to tv or book to film recreations, there are characters that you wouldn't be familiar with if you watch it on television.

Surprisingly, this book is quite a good read and if you have spare time, I would definitely recommend you read this, but only if you have nothing else for read.

Hyped Products

Reading blogs and watching youtube beauty videos, over time I've taken note of a few products that have been hyped about. I decided to try 3 of the most popular products that are in my price range.

Real Techniques Blush Brush

£9.99

This brush has been so popular, and for good reason. The brush is so soft and thick. However, I have to say that it seems to be too large to be a blusher brush, where you only want to apply a small amount of product to a small area, I have decided to use it for bronzer or finishing powder, depending on the occasion. Using it for bronzer is much better as it spreads the product evenly over your cheeks and cheek bones resulting in an even glow.

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba

£1.99

This blusher gives a really natural finish to the skin, yet you can build up the colour if you prefer that look. The price of this product does not reflect on the quality, I am so surprised at the soft velvet like feel. It's a small product which is perfect for the makeup bag. I can see why this blush has been raved about as it's one of the best blushers I have tried and the price is the best bit about it!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

£5.99 at Boots 

I love red lipsticks, I tried the revlon lip butters I fell in love with revlon.

When I saw Essie review them I knew I had to try them because she spoke so highly of them.

The idea is to have a lip stain and a balm incorporated into a stick, just like the chubby stick from Clinique which are more expensive at £16.00. I am so impressed with this product, it is so pretty. I opted for the shade Romantic, which is a light orangey red. The colour starts very sheer and you can keep building up the colour to create a bold red.

The staying power is brilliant, and it stays even after food. If you're not a fan of mint I wouldn't buy this lip balm as it has a minty scent which I think is really fresh and bright although I know of a few people that don't like it.

Hope you've found this useful.

Nat xxx