L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo

You might have seen a recent review on a shampoo that made my hair extremely greasy, and to try to combat that and get my scalp back to normal I had to resort to buying a new shampoo.

This time I thought I'd give the L'oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo a chance. This shampoo targets oily roots and dry ends and promises up to 72 hours of purified, lightweight roots thanks to the use of fine clays. It also claims to leave lengths feeling hydrated, soft and revitalised, with shine and bounce. 

The L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo manages to control the oiliness of my scalp effectively with the aforementioned 3 clays (argilla, montmorillonite and kaolin) plus the use of salicylic acid, which gently exfoliates and unclogs pores, making it a great option to control oily scalps and dandruff. 

It has a pale green colour, light consistency and lathers gently. The scent is something that really stands out as it is more high end than high street, which I really liked. It also leaves my hair soft and very shiny (unlike the last shampoo I used), so I definitely recommend this shampoo if you suffer from dandruff and/or oily scalp. 

Find the L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing Shampoo in Superdrug and Tesco.

xo

Something to Watch: Defending Jacob

Over the past couple of days Dot and I have been watching an Apple TV series called Defending Jacob, which is based on the best selling novel of the same name by William Landay. 

It follows the case of a 14 year old boy called Jacob after he is accused of stabbing a classmate found in a park he usually walks through on his way to school. 

We are currently just over halfway through the series, it is only 8 episodes and it gets more interesting as new circumstances and possible suspects are uncovered. 

Will you be watching this series or have you watched it? Let me know in the comments below. 

xo

Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky Shampoo

As you might already know, I have very oily skin, which isn't limited to my face. The oil imbalance plus an oleic acid sensitivity can irritate the scalp and in an attempt to get rid of the irritant, cell turnover is increased, which can mean a dry, itchy and even flaky scalp. 

So from time to time I will have to treat my scalp for irritation, itchiness and flakiness. And this time I decided to try the Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky Shampoo. 

The Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky Shampoo promises to "fight early signs of dandruff before they even show, including itch, dryness and oiliness, and to leave you with beautiful, flake free hair". 

The shampoo has a medium thick consistency, lathers well, leaves my scalp clean and it has reduced flakiness, though not eliminated it completely. It also got rid of dryness, however it has made my scalp incredibly oily. 

I used to be able to go up to 3 days without washing my hair and since using this shampoo by the 2nd day it's already greasy and by the 3rd day it looks very dirty, so unless you wash your hair every single day, I wouldn't recommend this shampoo as you won't be able to get away with only washing it 2 times a week as I was used to. 

Find Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky Shampoo in Tesco and Superdrug.

xo

3 Gentle Cleansers For Spring & Summer

Gone are the days of arctic winds and with them the need for a super rich and moisturising skincare routine.

As summer approaches, skin can be more prone to oiliness and shine so a cleanser that provides lighter moisture and even some gentle exfoliation could be really helpful to prevent any clogged pores and spots.

Simple Age Resisting Cleanser £4 - I've been using this cleanser for a few weeks now and really enjoying how it leaves my skin feeling soft and without dryness.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser £12 - This cleanser is one I'm interested in trying as I've used the CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, but on top of Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide and Ceramides, this version also contains Salicylic Acid.

Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel £12 - I've used this zinc infused cleanser before and it's effective against spots: read more on my review. 

Have you tried any of these cleansers?

xo

Mohair & Micro Bag

5 Activities To Pass The Time During Self Quarantine

As the days go by we might get overwhelmed as our routine has completely changed, but that doesn't mean we can't create a new routine with activities we enjoy or have been meaning to do for a while but never found the time. So here are my 5 suggestions of things to try during self quarantine.

1. Tend Plants: even if you don't have a garden, you can still have a couple of tiny plants on your window sill. Succulents are particularly easy to keep as they only need minimal care. I also am really into kalanchoe, which are the ones with the miniature flowers pictured above. Dot helped me transplant and add more soil to my succulents, which was a nice activity to do together. 

2. Play Video Games: since receiving a Nintendo Switch Lite for Christmas last year I haven't stopped playing Pokemon Shield and more recently, Animal Crossing New Horizons. Whether you like adventure, puzzle, or even multi player games, there will be a game you'll like to help you pass the time. 

3. Learn a Language: if you keep telling yourself you'd love learn to speak another language, now is the time to start. With all this free time you are sure to pick up at least the basics or a couple of helpful words and phrases which are always helpful if you get the opportunity to visit a new place in the future. I've been using Duolingo whenever I remember and completing a few of lessons always makes me feel like I've accomplishing something. 

4. Try Something Creative: I do enjoy creative activities, such as drawing, watercolour painting and digital photography. But if you don't have access to the tools needed for those things right now, you could also try journaling. Start writing about your day on your journal: how you feel, what you did, what you learned, what you are grateful for or even what you ate that day. Keep it simple in plain text or decorate it with doodles, stickers, coloured pens, washi tape and sticky notes. 

5. Connect With Friends & Family: although you might not able to see your friends and family in person for now, you can always organise a multiple video call with all your friends at once or a one to one with a close family member to keep up to date with each other. We had a Zoom 'meeting' with my nieces on Sunday as it was the birthday of one of them and it was nice to get to see them as they haven't been able to visit us.

xo

5 Day Creams Under £15 To Try This Spring

The sun's finally starting to come out and SPF is something you shouldn't go without even when it's cloudy or if you're staying indoors all day. Although there might still be restrictions on going out, here are some day creams with SPF you can wear when you venture outside for your daily exercise or to do your grocery shopping. 

Olay Sensitive Lightweight Day Lotion £7 // Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle + Pore Refining Cream £11 

Garnier Skin Active UltraLift Day Cream £8

Simple Triple Protect SPF 30 Moisturiser £6 // L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pro Retinol Day Cream £13

xo

Animal Crossing New Horizons Custom Path Designs

After finally unlocking the ability to terraform and make paths on your island on Animal Crossing New Horizons you also get the option of adding custom designs on paths. 

While I don't believe I will be covering every available surface with a path, I thought having the green grass on its own looked a bit plain, so I created a couple of designs to add more interest to grassy areas. 

The first design is a mushroom one, which looks great in woodland areas and adds a more whimsical look. The second one is some tiny yellow and white daisies pattern which adds more dimension and colour to parks and fields.

If you use these designs do not hesitate to tag me on Instagram or Twitter so I can see them!

xo