Skincare Essentials

L-R: Pixi Glow Tonic, Hydraluron serum, Avene Hydrance Optimale Light moisturiser,  Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, Vichy Aqualia Thermale Eye Roll on, REN Vita-Mineral Day cream, Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing oil.

So with the wedding fast approaching, I decided to start taking better care of my skin. I 100% blame Caroline Hiron's blog for this (you can have a little read here), and for forcing me (I honestly resisted!! I promise I did!) to spend a small fortune on making my face pretty. I have pretty normal skin but do suffer with milia around my eye area, and a bit of congestion on my T Zone. After a few months of trial and error (OH the errors!), I have found my go-to products. And the best news is, most of them are mid price range!

Pixi Glow Tonic: (£16 from http://www.pixibeauty.co.uk/makeup/skintreats/glow-tonic)

This was one of my first purchases after following Caroline's blog but it's a good 'un. It is alcohol free but full of glycol acid to gently exfoliate your skin to remove impurities and dead skin cells. When I use it, it honestly makes my skin glow! However, I'm not a fan of the smell, but have decided to grin and bare it as it 100% works! I use it during my toner step in the evenings.

Hydraluron Moisutre Booster Serum: (£24.99 from Boots.com)

Another of Caroline Hirons' faves. It really is brilliant. It contains a pure form of hyaluronic acid, an incredibly hydrating ingredient that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. The result is plumper, hydrated, glowing skin. I use this every night before my moisturiser, and my skin feels amazing when I wake up!.

Avene Hydrance Optimale Light Hydrating Cream: (£13.50 from boots.com)

This is basic, fragrance free and light but it gives my skin exactly what it needs day to day and leaves a great 'slip' on the skin for my make up. It is paraben free and mineral oil free, so it's great for my milia and sensitive skin.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: (Available in a variety of sizes from £3.25 at Liz Earle.com)

This is THE most awarded cleanser in the UK and I can understand why. It is very natural, again free from mineral oil but it's very rich and creamy. It dissolves make up and cleans impeccably. I, however, don't use the muslin cloth. I find them scratchy. I use a bog standard white flannel and use the hot flannel method (hand hot water on your flannel, squeeze out the water and then wipe off your cleanser - gives you a little exfoliate at the same time. As per Caroline Hirons, new flannel each day!). I love it, and I love the smell. I feel like I've had a facial afterwards and I love how many different sizes it comes in.

Vichy Aqualia Thermale Eye Roll On: (£14 from boots.com)

I love this! It's paraben free and really light so doesn't aggravate my milia. I use it day and night before moisturiser. It completely gets rid of my dark circles and gives me a 'wake me up' sort of look. It's especially nice kept in the fridge for a more cooling effect.

REN Vita-Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream: (£19 from REN Skincare.com)

This is a fairly new find, I actually received a sample size of it and I'm in love! I randomly (I'm fairly random anyways) use it at night as I'm struggling to find a night cream I like, and it's thicker than my avenue day cream. It smells great, it's rich enough to soothe my skin but light enough not to break me out, it's paraben and mineral oil free so doesn't clog me up or affect my milia. I need MORE of this soon!

The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil: (£10 from TheBodyShop.com)

If you haven't heard about this, where the heck have you been! This stuff is A-MA-ZING!!! It literally melts away your make-up, even waterproof mascara like a hot knife through butter. I use it as a pre-cleanse every night to get rid of my make up and dirt etc. It's sooooooo silky and moisturising too. Again, paraben and mineral oil free and perfect for sensitive skins as well as contact lens wearers. Seriously - TRY THIS NOW! 

That's all for now, but I've recently come across the most incredible hair oil - my hair feels like silk! More on that next week...

Thanks for reading,

D x

My Make-Up Must Haves!

Hello... My name is Dani... and I am a Make-Up-aholic!!! I've always loved make-up but as I've grown *cough* older (sad face), I have found a select few items that will FOREVER grace my make-up bag. So I thought I'd write a blog about the make up that I will buy again and again.

Lancome Teint Miracle - For the last few months, I have been on the search for a new foundation. I dabbled with the mineral powders, the mousses and the compacts but just couldn't get on with them. I have fairly normal skin (please don't hurt me!) but sometimes have breakouts or dry patches, and was looking for something buildable and light. I fell head over heels in love with this foundation! It is A-MA-ZING! It gives medium to full coverage and leaves a dewy, fresh faced finish. The first time I wore it I got so many comments! Definitely my go-to foundation from now on. It has recently won a Beauty Bible award in the anti-aging category so it is also good for more mature skin. Priced at £28.50 (and available from here) it is mid ranged, but it's a beautiful, big, glass bottle and will last you a while.

Estee Lauder Double Wear All Day Glow BB Cream - On my hunt for the perfect foundation, I also wanted  new tinted moisturiser but didn't really get on with any I tried. I tried this because it is oil-free and because I suffer with milia, I didn't want any oils that would clog my pores and make matters worse. Like its Double Wear Foundation counterpart, it lasts all day and provides pretty good coverage (more than a tinted moisturiser) and lights my face up. It's a nice consistency too, quite creamy but not too thick. It's also loaded with SPF 30 so perfect for Summer Day wear. It is priced at £29 and available from here)

Benefit They're Real Mascara in Black - This is the UK's best selling mascara for a reason. It is friggin' AWESOME. I've been using this mascara ever since it came out, converted from Benefit's Bad Gal mascara. It separates, it lifts, it sticks around all day even though it isn't waterproof (Benefit - if you're reading - bring a waterproof formula out soon!!), it's just everything you want in a mascara. Priced at £19.50 and available from here.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz - I hadn't used my a shimmer brick for a while, but whilst having my make up trial for my wedding (Natasha Wiggins is an incredible make-up artist BTW - visit her here) she used one on my skin and I loved the finished look. I went straight out and bagged myself one. I chose Pink Quartz which I layer over a nude/pink blush, and it gives a lovely soft, warm glow. It's a little pricey for a blush/highlighter powder at £32 but its worth every penny and will last you FOREVER. Can be purchased here and is available in 5 shades.

Dior 3 Couleurs Smoky in 091 Smoky Black - This is a great little trio combining a base, a matte and  iridescent eyeshadows. I swipe the base all over my lids, use the matte black/dark grey in the socket line and corners and then BLEND BLEND BLEND (I don't particularly pull off the 'I've just been punched in the face' look), and then I sweep on some of the sparkly grey in the corners. As with all Dior shadows, they are a beautiful texture, uber-blendable, and come in a pretty swanky compact. Priced at £36 (but will last ages!) and available in 4 different shades from here.

L'oreal La Touche Magique Concealer in Ivory Beige - This is desperately trying to be YSL Touche Eclat and doesn't quite manage it, but it works pretty damn well as a spot covering/under eye concealer. It has quite a matte finish (despite claiming to be highlighting) and therefore covers blemishes well. It's a pretty nifty £8.19 and available (on a 3 for 2 offer ATM) from here.

No. 7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Black - FINALLY! A pencil eyeliner that doesn't smudge during the course of the day! I have tried every pencil that claims to be 24hr or waterproof and this one knocks them out of the park in my opinion. It's got a lovely little smudger at the end too so you can achieve that smokey eye look. A bargain at £6.50 and available from here.

Bourjois Little Round Pot of Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet - This is quite a new addition to my make up collection, but I don't know how I did without it! It was recently a finalist in the Beauty Insider's Choice Awards. It goes on and blends in well, a nice matte but also sheer colour (not too heavy but buildable) and gives a great finish. I apply with my fingers to the apples of my cheeks and blend backwards. A great drug-store find and a bargainous £7.99 available from here in four shades.

So those are my make-up bag must haves, these are the items I will always select if I'm going away, for example and throw them into my kit. Absolutely love them!

Thanks for reading.
Dani x

"Rapunzel, let your hair down!" - Hair Extensions

Ahhh, my first proper beauty post - I decided to stick with something I know like the back of my hand! Hair extensions. Once upon a time, I had hair down to my bum! Unfortunately I was very ill during my early 20s and lost a lot of my hair (length and thickness) due to treatment. I was devastated to say the least. But help was at hand... in the form of hair extensions. 

Clip Ins

My Tantrum Hair 18inch Clip-ins

I started out fairly cheaply and began with Clip In hair extensions. Lots of you will have tried them, they look amazing when applied correctly, and you can whip them in and out in minutes. They usually come in packs with pre-cut widths of hair extension wefts (strips of hair) with clips already attached (although you can buy one long weft and apply the clips yourself). You can buy them in a range of lengths from 14inches to 24inches and longer! I personally stick to 18 - 22 inches. In my opinion, if you are only going to wear them every now and then for occasions, you don't need to buy the top of the range stuff. Brands like Style Icon, Dream Girl and Sleek are all good for occasional use (and the hair is very thick). If, however, like me you wear them everyday (I literally won't leave the house without them - they are like knickers and a bra to my head!), I would spend a little bit more. My personal favourite are Tantrum Hair Clip Ins (link can be found here) as they use fantastic quality hair and the clips have a silicone lining so they don't slip, and they are much smaller clips than the cheaper brands. Tantrum prices from £50, although I buy 2 packs and sew them together for fuller hair. 

Weaves

Me on holiday with my weave extensions from Pretty B*tch, Portsmouth - the night I got engaged actually!

I have, in the past, dabbled with weaves. They are perfect if you want a longer-lasting effect than clip-ins, but want a more budget friendly method than having permanent micro/nano bonds etc. Prices range from about £90 - £180 depending on the quality of hair you have installed. Your stylist will match up your hair colour, make 3 or 4 braided tracks (corn rows) in your hair and sew the weft of hair in. This method lasts up to 3 months before it needs re-doing, however I find it only really lasts for about 6 weeks in good condition as the hair around the braid can begin to matte. I've had them put in for a holiday and kept them in for about a month before getting new hair installed. As much as people say they damage your hair, I have never had a problem besides the matting sometimes. My favourite places for weave extensions are Elegance, Portsmouth and Pretty B*tch, Portsmouth.

Micro-beads/Micro-rings (my current method)

Micro-ring extensions from Tantrum Hair, Guildford

Which brings me to my personal favourite method: Micro rings (sometimes called micro beads).  Quite a pricey method (around £400+) but by far the best for long term long hair. This is when strands of hair (around 1g each) are applied individually to your hair strands and connected with a tiny copper tube. There is no glue and no heat and therefore they are completely safe. Unlike weaves, they don't cause too much weight to be held on your hair shaft and so don't pull. I absolutely love my micro-rings which I have applied and maintained at Tantrum Hair, Guildford. I am currently wearing 150g of 20 inch Russian hair (by FAR the best quality hair I have tried, even a month on there is not drying/breakage/matting and they are so easy to look after). If you are local, please go and give them a try - they sometimes do £350 deals which is a bargain in the extension world!


I hope that has given you some insight into the crazy world of hair extensions - give them a go!
Dani x

Welcome to Crazy BeYOUtiful!

Hi everyone!

Thanks for stopping by to view my new blog 'Crazy BeYOUtiful'! I suppose I should introduce myself...

I'm Dani, I'm 28 and I live in Surrey with my fiancé Matt and my cuddly kitten (not so much anymore!) Millie (or Mildred as she is fondly known). I'm a self confessed hair-extension junkie, make-up and skin care a-holic and love all things beauty. Once upon a time, I trained as a dancer and for a while, worked professionally but along the way I have changed my career and I'm now a teacher (hard work but I love it!). Matt and I are soon to be married which is very exciting but quite a stressful planning process.

Here we all are...

Having been an avid blog reader for some years now, and a slight (who am I kidding - HUGE) obsession with all things beauty, I have been gently coaxed persuaded (by Matt) to start my own beauty blog. This came about after endless shopping trips dragging him around Space NK, Liz Earle, Boots, Superdrug, Aveda (you get the idea) weekend after weekend, searching tirelessly for a new moisturiser/lipgloss/foundation/shampoo/cleanser that I didn't need but just HAD to have. The amount of times he had sat patiently (not really) and listened to me drone on and on about mineral oils, mica, microdermabrasion, hot cloth cleansers - I think he'd had enough and so thought blogging might be a way for me to air my thoughts and musings on the subject to the lovely people on the web!

And so begins Crazy BeYOUtiful (named after one of my fave songs by the BEST band in the WORLD - Hanson. Yes, I am aware that I am not 11 anymore. More on this later...)

I will be blogging mainly about beauty - skincare, make up, hair care/styles and hair extensions, but will probably also talk about my attempts at keeping fit at the gym, diet, etc (desperately trying to look my best for the upcoming wedding). As well as this, I hope to review some items from the above topics and give my own opinions on what works/doesn't work for me. I hereby VOW to post a new blog weekly (probably at the weekends) but you may be lucky and get more out of me.

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bloglovin' - just click on the icons in the side bar. Also, if you fancy requesting a review of a specific product or have any questions for me, just email me at crazybeyoutiful@gmail.com.

So... let's begin shall we?!