WINDLE & MOODIE HAIR PRODUCTS

As of late, I have been growing my hair long, and whilst I am enjoying the new style, it has been a slight problem with regards to styling it! I say this, because now my hair is longer, the weight of it drops slightly making it harder for it to stay upright in the style I have it in.

I had been sent two products by Windle & Moodie for me to trial which were;

  • Volcanic Ash Wax
  • Matte Paste

VOLCANIC ASH WAX

'Contains Volcanic Ash, and three naturally derived waxes to give a strong, gritty, and a matte textured finish.'

I rubbed a pea sized amount of this into the palms of my hands and then began applying the wax into my hair. The wax definitely provided my hair with a matte finish to it, which is ideal for the style I go for! 

My hair managed to stay in the style for the duration of my day's activity, and the texture of the wax didn't feel too rigid or hard.

You can purchase the Volcanic Ash Wax here.

MATTE PASTE

'A unique blend of waxes to give a matte hold to short and croppy styles. Adds texture, definition and structure to all hair types.'

The application of the Matte Paste was the same with the Volcanic Ash Wax, only it felt easier and softer to apply. The paste however, didn't produce the same results and the paste didn't withhold my hairstyle for very long.. But as stated, my hair is longer now so I wouldn't have expected the Matte Paste to have lasted as long as the Volcanic Ash Wax due to the Matte Paste being designed for shorter hair length! That being said, I did find the Matte Paste to have a nice, clean and fresh scent!

You can purchase the Matte Paste here.

 

Overall, the Volcanic Ash Wax was my favourite due to it producing good results, and for maintaining my hairstyle throughout the day's activity! I also want to mention the packaging of both of the products, I find the artwork emblazoned across the lid really striking, and the sizing of each pot is great, especially for travelling!

Have you tried either of these Windle & Moodie products before? If so, which one? What are your thoughts to the products? Which is your favourite? Let me know your comments down below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS WISHLIST

On the back of my trip to Paris, I learnt a couple of things when it comes to flying, hand luggage, and what I need to take with me on my next journey. Whilst I have been reminiscing about my time in Paris, I thought it would be a fun idea to conjure up a Travel Essentials Wishlist!

Byredo - La Sélection Boisée

A three pack of 12ml sized fragrances which include Black Saffron, Mojave Ghost and Super Cedar. As a fan of the Byredo brand, and of the Super Cedar scent, this would be ideal to slip into my hand luggage! Small, but certainly packs a punch.

Marvis - Whitening Mint Toothpaste

A mini sized toothpaste, essential for all journeys! Plus, with the Whitening effect of the toothpaste, it is guaranteed to keep your teeth looking, and feeling fresh!

Aesop - Resurrection Rinse Free Hand Wash

After a long flight, your hands can begin to feel a little clammy and unhygienic, so with this Rinse Free Hand Wash by Aesop in its pocket sized bottle, it will provide a fresh and clean feeling!

Panasonic CSC Camera

I have been in need of a new camera for a while now, and this Panasonic CSC Camera sounds as though it will tick all the boxes for me! 20.3 megapixels which will allow for perfect, high quality travel photos. Another impressive feature is the WiFi aspect of it, allowing you to transfer your images and videos easily to your phone and then straight onto social media!

 

You can also read about my recent trip to Paris here!

Have you tried any of these products? If so, which one? Do you have any other recommendations for me when it comes to travelling? Do let me know your thoughts, as I would love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to click the like button down below!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

PARIS

Out of all of the places that I have travelled to, nowhere comes close to Paris. Prior to visiting Paris, I knew it was a special place from having heard about it from people who have travelled there previously, but I never knew how special it was going to be. 

For my recent birthday, I wanted to mark it by doing something a little different than just a bog standard night out, or to go out for a birthday meal. Not that there is anything wrong with doing those! As always, whenever I celebrate something, whether it be big or small, I like to celebrate things in style! I took along my friend Daniel and we worked out that it would be cheaper and easier to fly from Leeds Bradford Airport, as opposed to travelling to London to catch the Eurostar. We had booked the trip to Paris back in January and I guess I hadn't anticipated just how quickly those months were going to fly by. The day before flying to Paris, I can honestly admit that I have never felt so stressed before, albeit my fault entirely! 

I knew that the flight to Paris was going to be relatively short, but even I was staggered as to how short the flight actually was. It had almost felt as though we had landed just as quickly as we took off! As we collected our bags, we caught the Metro over to the 15th District area, the very heart of Paris in which we were staying, and made our way over to Hotel Campanile Paris 15. What had felt like the longest journey ever from Charles De Gaulle Airport to the Hotel, we finally arrived at our stop, and as we walked up to the Hotel, I was completely taken away by just how close we were to the Eiffel Tower. There it stood, just a few metres off in the distance looking absolutely magnificent and grand. I will admit that the Hotel was a little basic, but the staff were very friendly and after all, we were there to explore Paris, not the hotel!

After a quick pit stop and refresher, we began walking over towards the Eiffel Tower and I was truly in awe of my surroundings. But whilst I was in awe and taking everything in, I was also annoyed and irritated. Now that may sound a little strange, but I was annoyed because I had planned and regimented everything down to the time and location of where we were going to be so specifically, that because the journey from the Airport took longer than I had planned for.. It threw me off, and because it had thrown my plans up into the air, I was getting more irritated. After countless photographs of the Eiffel Tower, we began searching for a restaurant and came across Mokus. A chic, trendy restaurant with Neon lighting, strong alcohol, and a calming down from my friend which soon put me to right. 

I had been recommended to visit Place Vendome, as that is where all the chic, designer boutiques were, so we caught the Metro there and although we got a little lost, we eventually came across the area. The whole area and atmosphere felt incredibly relaxed and easy going, and the back drop of the designer boutiques such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Commes De Garcons and more, made for a pretty cool photo location. Keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming 'Paris LookBook' shoot on Thursday for those photographs!

Shortly afterwards we walked over to The Louvre and I have to say, it was magnificent! We had arrived just after 9pm so it was all lit up and it looked truly striking. In the distance something caught my eye, and it was the Eiffel Tower's infamous 'Glittering' effect that happens on the hour, every hour throughout the night, and lasts for 5 minutes at a time. As the night went on, I was falling more and more in love with Paris, and all of the iconic sights that Paris had to offer.

The following morning came, and despite my feet being crippled from having walked everywhere the night before, I was ecstatic to be heading up the Eiffel Tower! I was told that the best time to visit the Eiffel Tower was first thing at 9am, just before all of the Tourist Buses came at 11am, and boy am I glad we went when we did.. We went to the very top, and the views were simply breathtaking. Everywhere I looked there was something else I hadn't seen before, and different areas that all looked so intriguing!

After the Eiffel Tower, we then caught the Metro to Champs Elysees and we began to hit the shops. I had wanted a pair of shoes from Gucci, so I had made a beeline there first, but unfortunately they didn't have my size.. So to cheer myself up, we had some afternoon tea at the darling cafe; Ladurée. We then went to Palais Royal for a little photoshoot, (again make sure you come back here on Thursday!) Soon after, I bought myself 'Seven Veils' by Byredo at the uber chic store; Colette, which subsequently made up for not purchasing anything from Gucci! As night fell, we came across a little, quaint restaurant in the Le Marais area, and hit a few clubs. Unfortunately I cannot remember the names of them... Whoops!

The day came to head back home and looking back now, I realised that although planning in advance is imperative and a smart thing to do, sometimes over-planning and being so regimented with timings, it can actually deter you from just letting go and to just live in the moment! I guess that is one of the pressures from being a blogger, always feeling as though you have to capture every single little thing to produce as content, as opposed to experiencing things there and then. But for my next trip to Paris, (which I am hoping will be very soon!) I am hoping to experience the lesser-known side of Paris, and to not be so hard on myself when things don't go according to plan.

Paris, you were magical.

MR LUKE CHRISTIAN TRAVELS

When 2016 was coming to an end, I took some time out to re-evaluate where I wanted my blog to go, and how to create more content that felt fresh and exciting.. So after a while, and many lists of ideas, there was one idea that I kept coming back to - T R A V E L .

I have been lucky enough to have a few trips booked in place, and I cannot wait to share them with you!

I also want to thank you for your support, and I truly appreciate every comment and like that I receive here on my blog, and on my social media channels. Talking of social media channels, I am ecstatic to say that I have recently hit over 4,000 followers on my Instagram!

First up.. Paris!

TWITTER || INSTAGRAM || YOUTUBE || PINTEREST || BLOGLOVIN'

CLARINS MEN: TANNING BOOSTER

When it comes to fake-tanning, I want something that is relatively quick, fuss-free and one that looks as natural to a tan as fake-tan can be... If you agree with me on those three points, then I have a treat for you! I have recently been testing the new Tanning Booster by Clarins MEN, and I have to say, it covers most of those points!

The Tanning Booster is incredibly easy to apply, and is designed to be added and mixed with your daily facial moisturiser:

  • To begin with, take out your daily moisturiser and rather than massage into your face, place into the palm of your hand.

  • Once the moisturiser is in the palm of your hand, add 2-3 drops of the Tanning Booster to your moisturiser.

  • (Make sure you have unscrewed the lid off first... I made the mistake of not doing so, and it can be rather messy otherwise!)

  • Massage the moisturiser onto your face as normal.

  • Wash hands thoroughly after application.

  • It's that easy!

 

I applied the Tanning Booster first thing in the morning and I began to notice a slight change about 4-5 hours after application. I wouldn't necessarily say that it gives a 'tan' as such.. More of a 'sunkissed' look after a few hours outside. But there is definitely a boost of colour and so much so, that I have received a few compliments from having applied this! The one downside that I found to the Tanning Booster, was that unfortunately this has no protection against the Sun, so do be careful and make sure that you apply suntan lotion when out and about. 

I really enjoyed trying out the Tanning Booster by Clarins MEN, and would definitely recommend this for a 'natural, sunkissed' look! As stated, it is incredibly simple to use, and quick to apply! You can purchase Clarins MEN - Tanning Booster here.

Have you tried the Tanning Booster before? What were your thoughts? Did you find it worked for you? Have you tried any of the products by Clarins MEN? If so, which ones? Drop a comment down below as I love hearing from you guys, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

WHITEWASH LABORATORIES

Over the past couple of months I have been trying out The Sonic Whitening Toothbrush, kindly gifted to me from Whitewash Laboratories and I have to say, I have received so many 'OMG how do you get your teeth so white!!?!' comments!

In addition to the Sonic Whitening Toothbrush, I also received their;

  • Whitening Toothpaste - Multi Active Whitening with Advanced Enamel Repair System
  • Professional Whitening Toothpaste - Silver Particle Technology which contains Aloe Vera, Green Tea Extract and Vitamin E

The Sonic Whitening Toothbrush has a 30 second interval timer feature, which upon first try took me by surprise, but prompted me to change the specific area in which I was cleaning! Another handy feature, is the 2 minute auto timer where the brush will turn itself off, which is the Dentist Recommended time for brushing, and move onto the next 'brushing mode'. Both Whitening Toothpastes are completely safe, and for application, just simply use as normal toothpaste!

There are 3 brushing modes depending on what you want to focus on; Clean, Sensitive or Massage Brushing. I mainly used both the Clean and Sensitive features, and can honestly say that my teeth felt impeccable after each use! They felt squeaky clean, and appeared a lot brighter and felt stronger. I also liked the design and the feel of the Toothbrush, as it felt slick and extremely powerful compared to previous ones that I have used! The battery life is also incredible, as I have had the Toothbrush for a couple of months now, and have only needed to charge it up once since.

You can purchase the Sonic Whitening Toothbrush here. Also, for every brush purchased, a brush is then donated to a child in need. A fantastic cause for everyone involved!

Have you tried The Sonic Whitening Toothbrush before? What did you think to it? Have you tried any of the Whitening Toothpastes, if so, did you notice a difference? Do you have any tips on getting whiter teeth? Do let me know, as I would love to hear from you guys! Also, don't forget to click that 'like' button down below!