As it's a Sunday and everywhere is covered with snow, I thought it would be fun to try out this DIY hair treatment using these two items from my kitchen. Beer and honey have been used by countless actresses (apparently Catherine Zeta Jones is a big fan of this) and models to give their hair extra volume and shine (which the beer provides), as well as giving it a natural moisturising and softening treat (which is where the honey comes into play). Here's what I did and how you can do it too if you want to give it a go :)
You will need:-
1 bottle or can of beer - (any brand will do as long as the beer is dark in colour)
1 tablespoon of honey
A measuring jug or similar item
How to:-
1. Open the beer and allow it to go completely flat. I left mine open overnight.
2. Fill the measuring jug with 250ml of hot water.
3. Add the tablespoon of honey to the hot water and stir until it dissolves. Put to one side.
4. Shampoo your hair as usual and then pour the flat beer over it. Leave in the hair for 2-5 minutes.
5. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and then pour the honey water over it as a final leave-in rinse.
6. For best results allow hair to dry naturally.
Summary: I found this to be a very useful treatment for when hair looks dull and lifeless, as it's particularly good for getting rid of any overstyling/product buildup. The beer works perfectly for adding shine to darker hair and the honey water rinse made my hair feel soft but not so soft that it becomes flyaway. The scent of the beer DOES linger in your hair though for a few hours afterwards, so if this puts you off or you don't have dark hair, I'd recommend just giving the honey water rinse a go.
Do you do any DIY hair treatments? Let me know if you give this one a go :)
In case anyone's missed it, free with this month's Elle magazine is a full size Soap & Glory mascara, which is their new Thick & Fast one worth £10.
Hope everyone's having a good weekend and keeping themselves nice and warm! x
As there was no Joliebox for January, I decided to treat myself to a box from Latest In Beauty. LIB do these great 'themed' boxes every few months, and their main selling point is that you can see what you're going to get before you buy. These are perfect for people who want to try out beauty samples, but aren't fond of surprises, or perhaps have allergies to certain ingredients etc. The current themed box on sale at the moment is the one that I bought, and it's called 'The Refresh and Recover Box' which is £6.95 with free postage. As its your typical detox/new year theme, there is a mixture of beauty samples & supplements which reminded me a bit of the US Eco Emi boxes. Here's what was inside:-
Teapigs Tummy Tonic - one tea temple, is a pure peppermint tea which helps to settle overindulged tummies. I use Teapigs teas a lot because they are an ethical/eco brand and their teas are absolutely delicious. Cosmetofruit Chile Luxurious Hair & Nails, 30ml - I was most intrigued by this little bottle which calls itself a 'beauty drinkable elixir'. It has a 'PhytoNutr-A-Berries Complex' (fancy!) which helps to regenerate and strengthen cells for soft and healthy hair and nails. My only verdict on it so far is that it tastes like sour undiluted Ribena, but I'll no doubt finish off the bottle. ActMint Probiotic Supplement, x 3 - these little mints have probiotics to help aid healthy digestion, so I'll definitely try one of these out after dinner.
Onto the beauty samples, I received a 20ml Sun Shots SPF25 sun protection cream which I thought was a little strange but maybe aimed at those lucky people going away for some winter sun? Have popped it into my suitcase anyhow for the time being. There was also a Lavera Hand Cream, 20ml, which is a nice size to pop into handbags and smells good too. The little vintage inspired tin is a Figs & Rouge Sweet Geranium Balm which is 100% organic and multi-purpose. I always have some type of multi-purpose salve in my bag so I'm looking forward to trying out this one. Lastly, I got a Monu Soothing Touch Recovery Balm, 5ml, which is more like a cream than a balm, but feels very good on the skin.
In addition to the above, you can choose any two luxury samples at no extra cost, to add to your box. Last time I looked, there were brands like Cowshed, This Works, Burts Bees, Clarins etc to pick from so there was a good range. I chose the Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash, 55ml which smells lovely and the Balance Me Hydrating Rose Otto & Shea Butter Salve, full size 15ml to try out.
Summary: I'm pleased with this box and the contents. The customer service from Latest In Beauty was pretty good too when I had a card query, and the box itself arrived promptly. I think these are great little treats for when you want to try out a few things, but don't want to commit to a regular beauty box subscription. I also bought the special YOU box from LIB and will post a review of that when it arrives :)
Do you like this box? If you sub to a beauty box, would you prefer to know what contents you're getting or do you like the surprise?
So glad that January is over and done with, I swear I thought it would never end! Here are my beauty favourites for January:- (1) Ecotools 6 Piece Brush Set - I have been using this every single day since I got them and they've washed perfectly with no problems, no shedding either. If you are looking for some new make-up brushes I seriously recommend these! (review). (2) Zoya nail polish in Petra (NOTD) and (3) Ciate nail polish in Wait Until Dark (NOTD) - I have been loving purple shades this month and these two have been worn the most. (4)Eyeko Fat Eye Stick in Satin Taupe - I know some people have been slating these since receiving one in this month's Carmine box but I really like it. The main criticism seems to be about how sheer they are, but you can build up the colour by adding one or two extra layers. I like how this can be used for a subtle smoky eye that's suitable for daywear. To get this to work for you, it's essential to use a good primer otherwise it will crease, but I've had no problems using it with UDPP. (5)Mac Paint Pot in Rubenesque - Oh Rubenesque how I love you so! You can see my swatches of it here. I love these paint pots and definitely want to pick up more! And finally, (6) Barefoot Botanicals SOS Daily Rich Body Lotion - I was so pleased to win this in a giveaway and it's been my new go-to body moisturiser in this freezing cold weather (review) Smells good too!.
What have been your January beauty favourites?
