Kristin Ess Haircare Review

Thursday 31 January 2019

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Lauren Conrad was always my favourite character in both Laguna Beach and The Hills - I adored the way she always dressed pretty and classic. When she left the shows, I followed her on social media and I bought the books she released, and the clothes line she still produces with American retailer Kohls. Through following Lauren throughout the years I know that her hairstylist is called Kristin Ess, and therefore when I discovered Kristin had released her own haircare range I knew I had to try it out as Lauren's hair always looks so lovely.
Back in November when I was in Orlando, I headed to a store called Target as this was the only place you could get the Kristin Ess haircare collection and although I could have bought the whole collection, I chose four items (mainly due to luggage restrictions!). However, this month I discovered UK site Feel Unique have just started selling the haircare too - although not the electricals just yet. So, due to this UK release, I thought I would share with you my thoughts...

First up, we have the Kristin Ess The One Signature Shampoo & Conditioner (£14.50 each). The packaging is nude, white, grey and gold with a simple yet sleek design. There are other shampoo and conditioner duos available, but I opted for this pairing as The One is for pretty much anyone. This shampoo gets your hair super clean, but also leaves it feeling well-moisturised and looking super shiny. It is a sulphate-free shampoo and as mentioned is for all hair types, and safe for everyday use. I personally prefer to wash my hair every 2-3 days as I don't like to strip my hair of natural oils. The fragrance is really fresh and almost slightly fruity and it has a more creamy texture than the clear shampoos. On each of the bottles, Kristin leaves a little pro tip, so I will leave those for you to discover yourselves. The One Signature Conditioner is again suitable for any hair type, and is a weightless, softening conditioner which reaches the parts of your hair which natural oils can't quite reach. When using this, I ensure I leave it on for a few minutes, sometimes longer if I am having a relaxing bath to really work its magic and then rinse really well so that there is no build-up afterwards. This pairing leaves my hair looking and feeling so soft and clean!
Within the Kristin Ess collection there are a few different treatment products, but as I can sometimes be quite lazy with haircare products, I opted for the Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Leave-In Conditioner (£14.50). This spray gives your hair so much life! This sleek translucent bottle sprays a fine mist rather than spritzing out lots of product at once, which I much prefer as I have quite fine hair so when I get a product which sprays too much product it can end up making my hair quite greasy. This pH balancing spray gives weightless shine to the hair without giving you product build-up and I find that when I apply it when my hair is completely wet, it detangles my hair so easily and I do tend to get quite knotty hair due to its length. The Weightless Shine Leave-In Conditioner is perfect for all hair types and as well as producing shine and detangling the hair, it also seals in moisture and softens and strengthens the hair. 
The final Kristin Ess product I have been trying out is the Kristin Ess Dry Finish Working Texture Spray (£20). Each of the finishing and styling products are in charcoal grey and black packaging - I like how everything fits together perfectly. As mentioned, I do have quite naturally fine hair and so I do tend to need a bit of a boost at times, which is why I picked up the Working Texture Spray. Just like with the other products, it is suitable for all hair types to build up texture, instantly add volume, give an ultra-light hold and a soft matte finish. You simply spray on the roots and middle of the hair to add texture and volume, and if you are wanting more of a boost, simply wait 30 seconds and apply another layer - this way you will get volume build-up without getting product build-up. 
You can find the Kristin Ess Haircare Collection online at Feel Unique.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx
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Skinnydip Fruity Body Care Products

Wednesday 30 January 2019

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Whilst on a recent trip to Boots I spied the fabulous Skinnydip body care collection - they have really gone to town on their packaging! As the products were on 3 for 2, and you got free chocolates I simply just had to try a few out. 
Firstly I picked up the Skinnydip Melon Dollar Baby Feelin' Fizzy Bath Sherbet (£8), which comes in what looks like a soda can. You simply remove the can lid and there are four generously-sized sachets of bath sherbet inside. The sherbet itself is bright pink and of course, smells deliciously of watermelon. What I ended up doing was pouring the sachets into the can as I found one sachet could easily cover two baths and at £8 it isn't the cheapest bath product, and this way it lasts longer. 
Coconut is definitely one of my favourite scents when it comes to haircare or body care and so my next two items are both coconut-fragranced. First, we have the Skinnydip Shake Your Coconuts Feelin' Coconutty Rich Shower Milk (£9.50). This Shower Milk is very runny in texture, so be real careful when using it, however it is definitely one of the most moisturising and softening bath products I have come across. It does need a good shake every time you use it as it contains quite a lot of oil, which is why it leaves your skin so delectable. I would use this as more of a treatment product than a wash product, due to the ingredients and the price.
My final product is the Skinnydip Shake Your Coconuts Glowing Out Shimmer Body Mist (£8), and I will probably use this more in Spring and Summer when I have my skin on show. All you Zoflora lovers will adore the spray applicator on the bottle and even though it does spray out quite a lot of product at once, the glitter that actually stays on your skin with each spritz is gorgeous! Hence, why Summer will be the perfect time to use this spray, especially with a tan as the shimmer has more of a gold finish than a silver one. It also smells incredible!
You can find the Skinnydip body care range instore and online at Boots.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx
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Essence Velvet Matte Lipsticks

Tuesday 29 January 2019

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With January being Vegan month, I thought it the perfect time to share with you the new Essence Velvet Matte Lipsticks, which are actually vegan. Yay Essence!
If you have been here a while, you will more than likely know how much I love Essence as a makeup brand. I use their Princess Lash Mascara every single day without fail, and it has succeeded the likes of Dior and Tarte. It really is that good. I often have a browse on Wilko.com as I do not have a store nearby and Wilko is the only place in the UK from where you can buy Essence. I guess, for me that is the only let-down with the brand, that it is not more readily-available. I also see them release special limited edition collections in other countries which we don't get over here.

However, Wilko still provides us with a large enough range so we cannot complain too much! Their new release of Velvet Matte Lipsticks features 12 shades, from pinks, to nudes, to purples and browns, there is a shade for every skin tone and preference. The packaging is simple and sleek, and at just £2.30 each, you just cannot go wrong. 
Texture-wise, Essence Velvet Matte unites matte colour with a soft, creamy feeling on the lips and it leaves you with a semi-matte finish which doesn't dry out your lips. I was really impressed with the pigmentation and you don't need multiple layers to get the shade in the tube.

Here, I have shade 01 Donuts Go Nuts, which is a warm nude shade, and 02 Marshmalove, a dusky pink suitable for everyday. Marshmalove will be perfect with lighter skin tones, and will look super pretty for Spring. 
You can find the Essence Velvet Matte Lipsticks instore and online at Wilko.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx

* This post contains items which were gifted to me
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St. Tropez Everyday Tanning Routine

Monday 28 January 2019

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If like me, you weren't born with the wonders of an olive-skin tone, you may have to fake it 'til you make it during these colder months. St. Tropez is one of my all-time favourite self-tanning brands - let's face it, it was more or less the original! Here's what I use to gain a little Summer glow in the depths of Winter...
If you have been a regular reader of Kathryn's Loves, and The Kats Paws before that, you may know I hate waiting around for products to dry. When it's cold I like to step out of the bath and straight into my radiator-heated pyjamas. That's why the St. Tropez Gradual Tan One Minute Mousse is perfect for me. Yes, you read that correctly - ONE MINUTE. Hurrah St. Tropez!

This is a super quick method to get some colour on your pale skin. Simply apply it to dry skin, wait one minute, and then shower it off. Craziness. But, most importantly it works. St. Tropez mousse is something I used to buy bottles of as it is so easy to apply (I would, as always recommend using a tanning mitt), and as it is a coloured mousse, you can see exactly where you are putting it and it sinks instantaneously into the skin. You can of course leave it on longer if you are wanting a deeper colour, or just reapply before your shower the next day.
I don't like to apply regular false tan to my face as it tends to dry it out, and so to keep my face golden, I use the St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Face Lotion. Normally I would opt for Light to Medium, but I accidentally picked up the Medium to Dark shade, so I mix it in with a bit of my regular moisturiser. 

However, this is also a moisturiser so normally you wouldn't have to do that, and it contains soothing aloe vera and the antioxidant Vitamin E to keep your skin supple and well-moisturised without drying it out. The Everyday Face Lotion has a light texture to it and I find it absorbs into my skin instantaneously. The Lotion also contains an innovative Aromaguard fragrance technology so that you don't get that 'fake tan' smell, which is definitely a huge advantage. To apply, you simply blend it into clean, dry skin in circular motions and wait a short while until it is touch-dry. You are then left with a subtle, yet beautiful glow to the skin, without the dryness. 
The St. Tropez Gradual Tan One Minute Mousse costs £14.50 for 120ml at Boots and the St.Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Face Lotion costs £14.50 for 50ml at Boots

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx
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L'Oreal x Camila Cabello Havana Collection

Saturday 26 January 2019

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Now, I am a little late to the party with this one, but with the recent miserable weather we have had lately, I felt I needed a little hint of Summer to perk me up. So, here is the L'Oreal x Camila Cabello Havana range.
This wasn't such a big deal in England, as we never seem to get as many collaborations brought over here compared to the US, but this was everything over there and I managed to pick up some bits whilst I was in Orlando during November. L'Oreal has recently become one of my favourite drugstore brands, but again, unfortunately they release a lot more products in America than what we see over here. 

The collection does contain other products, but these are the ones that caught my eye the most. 
Starting with the L'Oreal x Camila Cabello Havana Sun-Lit Bronzer, this comes in two colourways - Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. I picked both up as I knew I could then use the lighter shade in Autumn/Winter, and the warmer shade in Spring/Summer. 
I find the packaging so Summery, with its pop of mint green, pink blooms and gold touches, it cheers you up just looking at it. The product itself comes in a squeezy-tube with a narrow point so that you can control the amount of product coming out and texture-wise it is a liquid bronzer, but feels slightly gel-like when it first comes out of the tube. As with all liquid bronzers, the colour can look a little scary at first, but it blends in beautifully to create a very pretty, healthy glow to the skin. 

Moving on to my favourite part of the collection - the eyeshadows! There are four to choose from, and each one is totally different from the other so there is something to suit pretty much all skin tones and colourings. The shadows come in individual clicky pans and the packaging is nowhere near as stunning as the bronzers unfortunately. 
As mentioned, there are four shades in the collection:
01: In Love - A soft, baby pink full of shimmery silver micro-glitter.
02: Hot Havana - By far the sparkliest shadow. Full of gold and green glitters.
03: Control - A warm bronze shimmery shadow.
04: Oh-Na-Na  - A rose-gold shimmer which looks perfect with blue eyes.

I found the eyeshadows super soft and easy to work with. You only need a small amount of product to create full-coverage with these and they really do look stunning in real-life - I always think that when it comes to shimmers and glitters, they don't always photograph as well. 
Even though I got these in America, I did manage to find them online at Pretty Little Thing, where the products are currently on offer and you can get the Bronzers for £6 each and the Shadows for £4-4.50 each.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx


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Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation Review

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 Marc Jacobs cosmetics aren't something you see a lot of here in the UK, and even online I could only find them on Net-a-Porter - Harrods used to sell them online but for some reason they have stopped. From the few products I have previously tried, I have been really impressed, and so I thought it was about time I tried out one of their foundations. 
It is often pretty hard to find a correct foundation shade online, but I stuck with one of the lighter shades as I have quite fair skin, and I am pretty happy with the colour. Marc Jacobs have quite a few different foundations available, but I opted for the Shameless Foundation, which is described as a 'Youthful-look Longwear Foundation'. I do prefer long-wearing foundations and as I am very nearly 35, I figure an anti-ageing product would do me good. (Yes, I know you're supposed to start using them in your twenties, but I am in denial). 
Shameless comes in a simple black, white and silver box, with the foundation itself in a plastic squeezy container, so it is easy to distribute the product out. On Net-a-Porter, there are 26 shades available in the Shameless foundation, and I opted for Light Y210, which is suitable for light complexions with yellow undertones. 

The foundation has SPF 25 formulated in with it, which I think should be necessary with foundations, especially in this day and age. Unfortunately, not all foundations do, so props to you Marc Jacobs! Shameless Foundation is a super lightweight liquid formula which I find blends into my skin really easily. Even though it is a long-lasting foundation, it doesn't feel at all uncomfortable on the skin and doesn't seem to cake which with my pores, sometimes is the case. 
As mentioned, it is a long-lasting foundation, and sure enough it did last throughout the day on my skin without the use of a setting powder or setting spray. I can be a little lazy with makeup during the week whilst I am at work, and so this product is a current go-to as it requires so little effort and also keeps my skin protected from the sunshine. When that sunshine decides to make an appearance. 

Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation costs £32 for 32ml and is available online at Net-a-Porter.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx
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Dr Roebuck's Perky Collagen Boosting Serum Review

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Welcome back to Kathryn's Loves!
Apologies for the long break, but unfortunately there has been a lot going on, but I a now back and ready to bring you a plethora of the latest skincare and makeup product reviews. Today, I am starting with the Dr Roebuck's Perky Collagen Boosting Serum. 
Over the last few months, skincare has been my most enjoyable beauty products. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE makeup, but without a good base your makeup isn't going to look as good. So many things can affect our skin, whether it be the environment, harsh weather, hormones and our health, and so sometimes it can be harder to get on top of our skincare routine as we may need to make adjustments to the products we use depending on any of the things mentioned above. 

With freezing temperatures of late, my skin is super dry, and it feels sallow and doesn't look at all 'fresh', so after seeing one of my favourite You Tubers Natasha Bure discuss the Dr Roebuck's skincare range, I knew it must be worth giving it a whirl. Natasha lives in America, and has the purest of skin, and we all know Americans, specifically Californians ace that skincare life. 
Dr Roebuck's serum comes in many different options for different skin types, but I knew my skin need perking up. The Perky Collagen Boosting Serum is great for Normal/Oily/Combination and Dry skin types. It is a natural serum which helps with dryness, loss of firmness and elasticity, and fine lines and wrinkles. It is a natural yet powerful serum which not only supports natural collagen, it is also infused with plant-based squalene, ginseng, pullulan, Inca inchi and hyaluronic acid to give the skin a healthy, skin-quenching experience that doesn't leave you with an oily aftermath.

I have been using Perky for a few weeks now, and I started to notice a difference within the first 3-4 days, although for a deeper rooted result, this wouldn't happen until around six weeks, once your skin has had time to renew. My skin looks and feels more hydrated and I have started to lose that sallowness, which helps me look less like a zombie! Texture-wise, it is a lightweight product which has quite a citrusy scent to it, which is unusual for skincare, as normally they have more floral and spa-like scents but it is definitely pleasant and fresh. 
Dr Roebuck's skincare is made in Australia, built on science and natural ingredients. Their skincare is dermatologist tested, vegan and cruelty-free. 

You can find Dr Roebuck's Perky Collagen Boosting Serum in-store or online at SpaceNK, where 30ml will cost £46. 

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx
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