January Favourites

First favourites of the year already! One month down!

I have had a few different hair & beauty favourites this month. Mainly make-up and hair products, I'm still searching for my perfect skin care and my perfect foundation. I do have a foundation in this list and I do really like it, but I still think that maybe I could find something even better. (Maybe if I picked it up in the right colour as well....!!)

On with the favourites!!

Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum 

This stuff is probably the best hair oil that I have ever used. I've tried a few different hair oils (such as the original Moroccan Oil, Silk Oil of Morocco, Argan Oil and the Dove Nourishing Oil) all of which I have liked, but none that seem to have helped my hair as much as Ojons Damage Reverse. I originally tried this in a sample size bottle that my Mum gave to me and it worked miracles on my then fried, brittle, bottle blonde hair. When I ran out I questioned for a long time whether or not to buy a new bottle because I still had so many other hair oils. They just really didn't seem to do as much good as Ojon though! The sample size bottle lasted me for a really long time, it looks as though I have barely touched this full size one and I have been using it most mornings and/or nights for at least 2 months now. It has a weightless feeling on the hair and doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy or sticky. It has a pleasant smell and an easy to use dropper for application so that you don't use too much product at once! I have tried other products in the Ojon range and I really do like most of their products. The Instant Restorative Hair Treatment garners a lot of mixed reviews, but I have always liked this since I first started using Ojon. It does have quite a strong smell, so I can understand that it receives mixed reviews for that alone. It's effects don't wow me in the same way that this serum does, but it is a nice treatment. I wasn't a big fan of the Damage Reverse Shampoo and Conditioner as I felt this was almost a little drying on my hair, I prefer the original Ojon shampoo and conditioner.  

Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe Bio-Advanced Restorative Treatment

I decided to give this a try after watching Karissa from Saturday Nights Alrite talk about being a good blonde! I give my hair hell, I am quite surprised I still have any attached to my head, so I thought that I should start treating my hair better and actually try out a few treatment conditioners. I originally tried the Global Keratin Juvexin treatment (I have a review below) which is nice, but the directions say to leave it on for 20 minutes and apply heat, which I was doing from time to time. This is fine when you do have the time to do it, but I don't always get the chance to have a shower and then sit around for half an hour. The beauty of K-Pak is that you only need to leave it on for 3-5 minutes and it leaves your hair feeling so incredibly soft and manageable. It is probably the best conditioner that I have ever used and I can see why people rave about this brand! I will be repurchasing this again and again and again. I wonder if you can buy it in a vat...?

Bonacure Rescue Repair Sealed Ends 

This treatment is what I use before blowdrying. I feel like it does a good job of protecting my hair and it leaves it feeling silky smooth once it has dried. I gave this a try after a friend from work suggested it and I'm so glad that she mentioned it because I really do love it! I've probably been using it since November on and off, but only in the last month or so have I been using it religiously on wet hair before drying it. I don't know if this is technically a heat protectant, but it definitely works for me. I think that I have less trouble with split ends from using this, I don't get little pieces of hair breaking off the way that I was (a trim probably helped this too) but do believe that this has improved the condition of my hair and that it prevents split ends from developing as quickly as they would if I wasn't using it. As for repairing split ends, I'm not sure if it does completely repair them, but it does seem to assist in preventing them from getting worse. 

 Rimmel VolumeFlash ScandalEyes Mascara

 This is my favourite mascara at the moment. It gives lashes great volume and adds a good amount of length. It's a really affordable mascara that has a nice consistency that isn't too watery. The brush is nice and big and thick, covering your lashes really nicely. It gives a nice fanned out effect to the lashes and one good coat is all you really need for a dramatic difference. You can build this up with a few coats but it can start to clump if you leave it too long between coats. I like that I can wear this everyday as well. It doesn't irritate my eyes at all and doesn't sting my eyes when I wash my face at the end of the day. It is a dramatic difference but it doesn't look over the top for day to day work wear. 

 

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil  

 This is a great eyebrow pencil for me. The colour isn't too extreme, but it's great for filling in sparse areas of my eyebrows. I have relatively full eyebrows (when I don't overpluck them!) but they do have areas that look a little sparse once you have on a full face of make-up. I don't like a really strong brow on myself, I wish I could pull it off, but I just don't feel that it suits me as I am so fair. This one adds just the right amount of colour and has no warmth to it which is what I prefer in my brows. The little brush on the lid is perfect for blending the colour out too. It's firm bristles work better for me than a spoulie. It's also really affordable and will last for ages!

 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation 

This is in colour 225 - Medium Buff which is probably technically about 3 shades too dark for me. However, this blends so incredibly well that it really isn't that noticable. When I do repurchase it I will probably buy a lighter shade, but I do think that this is a great day to day foundation that blends beautifully and feels light but still seems to last well throughout the day. I do feel like this is buildable, but the point of it is that it's meant to blend with your own skin and look natural. I don't mind the bottle, it looks nice and I like the simple style, however a pump would be nice instead of having to pour it out as this really does get messy, not just the pouring itself, but around the rim of the bottle.

 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles & Garnier Roll On Anti Dark Circles

This is my new favourite under eye combination. The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind is in shade 60 which is a brightener/illuminator. This is a really pinky colour which really does work well on dark circles. It blends ok, but you need to be careful not to put too much on or you can get a bit cakey. The Garnier Roll On is a metal ball roller applicator that is super cooling when you roll it on. The consistency is smooth and light and it really does add a lightness under your eyes. I use the Age Rewind right under my eyes in the bluest areas and then after that is blended I put the Roll On over the top in the triangle method from corner of my eye to corner of my nose. The roll on is my favourite of the two, mainly due to the consistency and how cool it feels under the eyes. It definitely adds brightness to that area and I love the convenient application and sleek packaging. Together I feel like these two add just the right amount of coverage and brightening for me. I don't have a huge problem with dark circles, but I do feel like my under eye area needs more attention as I get older...

 Australis Show Stopper Gloss Stick, Revlon Colourburst Lip Gloss & Victorias Secret Beauty Rush Soothing Lip Balm

These are my current favourite lip products/lip combination. The Australis Gloss Stick in the colour Fairy Floss has a great pink colour that is really easy to apply and actually feels really soft and glossy (guess that's why they called it a gloss stick!) It has a really soft texture that glides on easily and great colour pigment that really lasts througout the day. It could easily be work by itself, but I really love it with one of these two lip glosses. The Revlon Colourburst Lip Gloss is in the colour Crystal Lilac. I've always thought of lilac as a purple colour, but this has definitely got a very pink tone to it, almost a peachy tone. It goes on really smooth and it isn't sticky or tacky in any way, which is good because I'm really not a fan of really sticky glosses. I think that the peachiness of this one probably mutes the pink in the gloss stick a little and it does leave a really nice light pink lip. The Beauty Rush Lip Balm is a nice treatment and a great gloss. It's a little sticky but it feels so nice on the lips that it really doesn't bother me. It has such a great pink colour to it as well and I love the packaging. It is a gloss that you will have to apply with your finger or a brush as it's in a little pot, but the pot is bright pink and I love the writing on it. Very cute! This is great worn over the Australis Gloss Stick or any other 'dry' lip pencil. I really like it by itself too because it does have good colour to it on its own.

 OPI AvoJuice Skin Quencher

I love most OPI things and I have been using the AvoJuice hand & body lotions for years. This one is a particular new favourite, the Caramel Cream, because it smells like caramel! I love these little travel size bottles, they are so easy to pop in your bag! I have this size and the standard size that I got in a pack with two of the Winter Huckleberry flavour as well from tvsn. A little bit goes a long way with these moisturisers and I think the selection of scents that you can choose from make them a great gift idea and there's something that will suit most people! The only thing about them is that the scent does hang around, so if you aren't a fan of highly scented hand & body lotions, they may not be the best choice.

 

Bath & Body Works Frosted Gingerbread 3 Wick Scented Candle

 I don't know what else to say about this candle other than I absolutely adore it. I love the packaging, it's so cute and the smell of this is just devine! It definitely smells very strongly of gingerbread! I keep mine in my kitchen and even without lighting it, it leaves a beautiful smell lingering! I wish there was a Bath & Body Works that I could visit locally because I would be there all the time! The size of this candle is great too, it will last me for absolutely ages! Not really a hair or beauty favourite, but I just had to include it. I got it around Christmas time and have been in love with it ever since! 

 

 Well, that's my main hair and beauty favourites for January!! I did plan on doing a full review on the Joico K-Pac Treatment, but I've only been using it for just over two weeks and didn't get around to doing an actual review. I have ordered a few other Joico products to try, so perhaps I will do a collective review later in February. 

I have a few books and movies that I may have to do a January Favourites on as well. So look out for those coming up!