Manuka Doctor- Api Clear

For the last few months my skin has been very hormonal and suffering from breakouts left, right and centre.
Whether your used to breakouts or not, when it keeps happening it can begin to get annoying and most of all upsetting. I find my make up doesn't look as good on my face as pre breakouts and when the spots and bumps are painful it can get rather tedious.

So I have been on the hunt for a range to try that wasn't too expensive, that would help to combat my new found problem. I have always wanted to try the Dermalogica MediBac range, but I simply don't want to jump on the expensive bandwagon at the moment, especially not with a new university course looming.

I received an email a while back from Superdrug asking me would I like skin like Millie Mackintosh? Of course I would I thought! Who wouldn't want skin like Millie and also her wardrobe, bank balance and gorgeous dog Herby? (You may think knowing her dogs name is slightly stalkerish, but have a peek on Instagram and then you will understand! haha) Well anyway, back to the point. Yes I would love wonderful skin and this range was claiming to do it! 

Silly, you may think? Of course every products claims they are THE wonder product. THEY are going to work and you will never look back. Well we shall see...

The range is Manuka Doctor and the Api Clear selection in the range.

They also have Api Nourish and Api Revive, so if you don't suffer from problem skin then perhaps one of the other selections might appeal to you a little more. 
I have been using the face wash, lotion and serum everyday, for a week. I must admit My skin is a little calmer so I am going to keep on with it. I of course am not expecting it to work over night. Although, the range has won the Beauty Insider award so I am not expecting it to be completely rubbish and a waste of money.

I will keep you posted on the results and show you a before and after photograph...if I dare!!!

I bought 3 products from Superdrug With Prices ranging from £11.33-£3.99 as they have a 1/3 off at the moment!!

Have a see what Millie Says...


I will keep you updated!

Lots of Love 
Amanda
xxx

OOTD- Smart Casual leopard

Hello!

The gaps between blogging just lately is ridiculous so I do apologise.

Here is an outfit I wore to work recently and I love it!

Smart but casual and comfy! 

Leggings Topshop

Converse JD Sports

Blazer Ebay

Black vest River Island

Leopard Print sheer blouse Missguided.com

Neon Pink necklace New Look

I often style my converse with smart outfits just to bring them down a little and also they are so comfy!

Not very professional pictures I know but you get the general idea! I don't have a fancy camera or studio, I just have the camera on my phone and no doubt this is the way it will always stay!

Love always

Amanda

xxx

A few random OOTD!

Looking through my phone recently I found a few OOTD snaps that I haven't shared! So here they are, what do you think?

Picture one

Peach Blazer- Miss Guided
Black top- New Look
Gold chain- Topshop
Black skinny jeans- H&M

Picture two

Khaki Maxi skirt- Primark
Leggings- Topshop
Black leather converse- Bank fashion
Black top with crochet arm detail- New look
Leopard print scarf- H&M

Picture three

Aztec Blazer Boohoo.com
Leggings- Topshop
Purple UGG Boots
White top- primark

Body Shop- Vineyard Peach Body Butter

I honeslty don't think there will be one reader who is not aware of The Body Shop Body Butter and if there is... listen carefully. You must try some!

For many years now I have been a lover of Body shop and their Body Butters. The smells and quality are to die for, just one thing holding me back, the price.

Sometimes it is hard to justify £13 for a 200ml body moisturiser when there are lots of good competitors out their in the supermarkets for a cheaper price.

Yet the sheer luxury of The Body Shop Butters is unbeatable and truely luxurious.

Now I have to say my all time favourite is the strawberry body butter and along with the vineyard peach I did purchase the strawberry one too. But enough about that and on to Vineyard Peach.


It smells exactly as you would expect... Peach. Funny that.

I like to think it smells of a peach yoghurt, with that creamy smell to it also.

The butter does take a while to sink into the skin but leaves a subtle sheen to the skin for hours.

Love


Amanda


xxx

JASON Lips Bee Healthier

I received this in a recent glossy box and I have to say I am in love with this balm.

It is a plain lip balm, no colourings, no fancy shimmers or glitters, just natural.

I apply this every morning and it smells divine. The only thing that I can liken the smell to is the smell of all butter mints! I love this smell however so if you don't, this product is probably not for you.

The texture is smooth on the lips and lasts well, leaving a subtle sheen to the lips, nothing to over powering.

A perfect balm for Winter parched lips.

Contains Aloe and Beeswax.

 

Here's the interesting bit...

Prevent Parched lips with this rich, natural combination of moisture-trapping Beeswax,Vitamin E, and Green Tea Extract.

Organic Aloe Vera Gel helps heal, soothe and protect chapped lips while Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil moisturise. Leaves lips tingly and soft with peppermint Oil.

Have you tried this lovely lip balm?

Interested in purchasing? Here is the link 

Love

Amanda

xxx

Christmas Gifts from MAC...

I received an email from MAC last week with their new make up gift sets.

I must say they are gorgeous! I would be so happy if I received one of these for Christmas and I have no doubt many other ladies out there will think the same!

The Holiday collection is split into colours; Pink, Mint and Peach. Lovely pastel colours of cases, clutch bags, make up bags and much more filled with MAC make up and/or brushes.

Gorgeous glamorous pressies!!!

Click here to go straight to the web page or read on for a snap shot of the gifts...





 


What do you think?



Love

Amanda

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation 220

I picked this up in my local tesco last 
night along with the concealer to match.












The foundation is on offer at Tesco at the moment for £7.99 which I thought was reasonable to trial it.

Along side the display of foundation there was an easy to use guide. The guide was split in to Fair, Medium and Dark skin tones. There is two different shades of foundation in each section which personally I think this makes it easier to choose from, although I can see this may be more of a hindrance if you don't fit in to that specific shade.

I picked shade 220 in foundation and shade 20 in the concealer.

I must say when I applied this foundation this morning it was lovely, easy to blend and a perfect colour match. It left a dewy finish making the skin look healthy and not 'cakey'.

This picture is at 8:15am when the foundation was first applied. I applied the foundation with my fingers rather than a foundation brush this time.

And 7 hours later...

The foundation first thing did cover blemishes but not fully so I did need to use the concealer on these areas. I finish the makeup with MAC mineralize skinfinish and Mac Blusher.

7 hours later the foundations coverage is still visible but the coverage on blemishes had gone completely  As you can see round the chin area on the second picture.

I would say this foundation is definitely a day wear foundation if you have blemishes you need to cover. You may wish to have a heavier coverage foundation for evening wear. I would say this is a light to medium coverage foundation.

Overall I do like this foundation so far. However I will see in a few weeks if this is still my opinion!

Love

Amanda

Bonfire night fashion....

I really love bonfire night and love getting wrapped up even more.

So here is my take on bonfire night fashion and how I would keep super snuggly!!


I always manage to keep my torso warm yet always have cold legs! So the last few years I have resorted to leggings under my jeans! Yes I know not very sexy but nevertheless I have warm legs!

I also always layer up on top too. A cool t-shirt, a cute jumper followed by a chunky knit scarf.

THE most important fashion accessory of course is the coat as this is usually the main item of clothing people will see. I have had my eye on a gorgeous Zara coat for a while now (below) but it is out of stock at the moment so I am keeping my eye out for when it becomes available! This would be a perfect winter warming coat with the fur detailing I cannot wait to purchase!

Of course it is also important to have appropriate footwear as often at this time of year organised displays are in muddy fields, a place where you really don't want to wear your best shoes! I often wear a cheap pair of snow boots or wellies as they are easy to clean and if they do end up getting ruined, the cheap price makes it not much of a big deal if they end up in the bin!

I also usually wear a cute hat and gloves making sure im super snuggly and warm.

Most of all bonfire night is a perfect night to have fun spend time with friends and family but most of all to be safe.


Have a fab bonfire night everyone, be safe and have fun!



Love


Amanda

xxx

pictures credit zara.com, google.co.uk/images

Hair Treatments....

I have been using hair treatments a lot recently to try and get my hair back to a good condition. My hair is dry at the ends mainly due to my over use of straighteners!

The last few months I have eased off using straighteners and embracing my natural curl, although it has been difficult!

I have used many different hair treatments over the years but here are the ones I have been loving recently...

Aussie Hair 3 minute miracle

This left my hair feeling silky soft and for 99p from my local supermarket its super handy picking one of these sachets up. They also smell gorgeous which is an added bonus!

Tresemme Treatment masque sachet

                                               

Similar to the Aussie treatment it leaves hair feeling soft and nourished. Similar price point at around 99p from the supermarket.


Now on to a more professional range of treatments which are available from salons.

The Matrix 5+ Protopak re constructor treatment.

                                                       
Fantastic treatment and my hair felt amazing afterwards. If you are struggling with dry/ damaged hair try this out it is fantastic. I bought mine from my local salon wholesaler but they are also available on Ebay I have noticed at around £2 a sachet.

And finally...

Joico K-PAK reconstructor.


                                               



I bought this again on Ebay after my hairdresser recommended it to me. It is a system also available in salons. I bought the travel version of the system so I could try it out without splashing out on the larger bottles. The set cost just over £10. In the set there is shampoo, conditioner, treatment and styling oil. I love this pack. My hair feels amazing after using this system and I will be definitely buying more. I would definitely recommend trying this out as an alternative to the matrix treatment.


Overall for a cheap treatment I pick up an Aussie or TRESemme sachet from the supermarket. But when I am feeling a little more flush I purchase the K-PAK re-constructor by Joico.

I generally try and leave the treatment on for as long as possible and I do this at least once a week to keep my coloured hair as nourished as possible.


You can see my hair transformation here and the reason I started using these treatments.



Do you have any treatment recommendations?



Love Amanda
xxx

The new blonde...

My hair has been many different colours over the last few years and have been heading towards blonde a few times.

I have been sporting a full head of blonde for the last few months now yet I began noticing the bottom third of my hair was becoming increasingly an 'orangey' colour. Not a good look!

I often visit Beverley Alexandra Salon for my HD Brows and you all know how much I love the results of my brows, so during my brow treatment I asked the lovely Bev to give me some advice on my hair colour. Bev is such a professional and filled me with confidence with the spontaneous consultation. She informed me why my hair had gotten to this colour in the first place, what needed to be done and how she would do it.

I booked my appointment for three weeks time, on the advice of Bev, as my hair was extremely dry and neglected. She recommended I concentrate on plenty of hair treatments to nourish my hair and fill it with moisture. I did this religiously for the three weeks and the difference in my hair after the three weeks was amazing (click here to read about the treatments I used). To make sure my hair is maintained in a tip top condition I will use a treatment often.

I arrived at my appointment yesterday and Bev discussed with me whether I was still happy with the conclusion we had come to at my HD Brow appointment. She showed me pictures of what my hair would look like at the end of the appointment and whether we were on the same page as to what the result would be and most importantly, that I was happy.

Bev and her colleague Chelsea worked in perfect sync with each other adding a full head of highlights to my hair. I sat under the heat source enjoying my iced water and magazine, until the colour had developed and I was then taken over to the backwash where I sat on a gorgeous massage chair whilst my hair was washed, conditioned and toned.

As I sat back down with Bev the results were instantly visible even whilst my hair was wet and I was so excited to see the final results.

Bev kindly took some before and after pictures and here they are.....

BEFORE

AFTER

I am so happy with the results especially on top and the ends of my hair where it was an orange blonde. I have had 5 different colours to achieve this new, clean, modern blonde and 4 hours of hard work from Bev, Chelsea, Sophie and Diane. Bev used her up to the minute training to provide me with a colour that will last for 8-9 weeks, due to her highlighting technique at the root. She has great confidence and pride in all of her work, therefore giving her customer piece of mind. Her team is highly professional and everyone of them is lovely and welcoming.
I was so happy with the results I was happy to part with my cash at the end!

What do you guys think?

Love 

Amanda

xxx

Preppy Chic....

I love preppy chic... mainly because I need to wear glasses! So I love that they can be a fashion accessory!


My fav nude flats make a come back again in this outfit!

without jacket

with jacket

Jacket is New Look

Blouse is H&M

Ribbon is just a black ribbon tied into a bow

Jeans are Topshop

Shoes are from Cyprus

Gold and pearl ring is Juicy Couture.

Love Amanda

xxx

Practical Bows....

Hello Lovely readers,

As you may know I have a love for bows on everything from my handbag to hair accessories to tops and shoes. I LOVE BOW DETAIL!!

It is super cute and pretty!!


This outfit is a smart but practical outfit. A smart blazer toned down with jeans and flats but with the added glamour of pearls and sparkles on my shoes.


Blazer is Boohoo.com
Black top with bow detail is H&M (recent purchase)
Jeans are River Island
Bag is Primark (recent purchase)

Zebra print bangle is also primark
AND my current obsession... my sparkly nude flats which I purchased on a recent trip to Cyprus!

I loved wearing this outfit... I felt smart but not too overdone!

What do you think?

Love Amanda xxx

Nails of the week... understated glamour...

Hello Lovelies!



This is the polish I am wearing this week.

I am a huge fan of bright coloured nails but sometimes it does call for a more toned down colour.

I often find myself looking at polishes and picking up the same colours just a slightly different shade from the last!

However I don't often have colour on my nails as I have acrylics done every 4 weeks, so when I have the chance I love to have a new gorgeous colour on!

This polish is by Ciate and the shade is 'Bon Bon'

It is such a natural shade but with added glamour! It is a beige/lilac colour and looks fab on!

I really do rate Ciate polishes they glide on easily and give a super glossy finish once dry.

This sweet polish as nudged its way into my top favourite polishes it is simply gorgeous!

I got this polish free in a magazine a while ago and hadn't used it until recently! I think it may have been Marie Claire magazine!

But I think they retail at £9 per bottle.



Love


Amanda 

xxx

And the Winner is....

Thank you to all you lovely ladies that entered my giveaway!

And welcome to all new followers!


Anyway lets get to the bit you are waiting for!


And the winner is:

Entry number 4 Susan

The winner was chosen by the random generator at random.org


Congratulations Susan!! I have emailed you!!


Thank you everyone who entered and keep on coming back to Dreams of Beauty, there its lots to come and plenty more comps coming up in the near future!!!!!



Love

Amanda
xxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! **MAC giveaway **

Lets kick off my return with a Birthday celebration!!!


Dreams Of Beauty was 1 years old way back in February and seeing as I was snowed under with uni work I had to neglect my blog!


But do not fear! Let the celebrations begin... and lets begin with a giveaway!!!!!!!

To celebrate Dreams of Beauty's birthday I will be giving away one MAC Lipstick (£14) in the colour of the winners choice...

Rules of the giveaway....


1. Entrants MUST be a follower via Google Friend connect
2.Entrants must be 16 years old or have parent/guardians permission.
3. There will only be ONE winner selected at random via random.org (online sorter)
4. Please write ENTER ME in the comments box below along with an email address that I can contact you on if you win!


CLOSING DATE 1st September 2012
WINNER to be announced 4th September 2012




AND thats all folks!


Good Luck and may the best lady or gentleman win!




Love 


Amanda
xxxx