Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm | Review

When it comes to haircare, I am definitely a sinner; after a couple of years of various shades of ombré-d locks, I also toyed with what I refer to as 'aggressively dark' hair this year, before finally settling on a much more summer-friendly shade a couple of months ago, all of which, considering I'm not even a natural brunette (which anyone following me on instagram has probably worked out from my childhood snaps), hasn't exactly done my hair a world of good. Whilst I'm incredibly lucky not to have hair like a glorified loo-brush by now, I've never been too 'caught up' on haircare products, and it wasn't until I was doing a little fringe-maintenance last week that I noticed just how brittle the ends of my hair had become. 
Being a self-confessed haircare novice, I spent a good twenty minutes in my local Boots attempting to find something that wouldn't leave my hair feeling greasy (à la Frizz-ease), but that wouldn't require too much time out of my busy revision schedule - my hair's incredibly coarse and thick, so the whole branch of rinse-in-the-morning overnight conditioners were out too. Eventually, though, I stumbled across Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm by Umberto Giannini, and, as a light cream that's intended for bed time, and promises to leave locks silky smooth, with no need to rinse, I was sold.

I generally try and hold off on reviewing a new product to my collection for at least a couple of weeks, but I just couldn't restrain myself where this beauty is concerned; it's so rare, with beauty products, that you see a notable difference after just one use, but the morning after rubbing this solution into my frazzled ends (I'd avoid applying it throughout the hair, might lead to a little greasy build-up), I woke up to softer, gorgeous-smelling locks, and it's safe to say, I'm impressed. In fact, the only issue I'd raise with the formula is that it can feel a little sticky upon application, but allowing it to dry for a couple of minutes before laying down soon puts an end to this problem. 

Would I recommend it? In a heartbeat! I'd definitely refer to it as a 'must-have' for anyone who frequently dyes/straightens/curls their hair, or anyone suffering from post-holiday dryness (lucky you!); and retailing at £5.65, it's a steal
Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm is available from Boots stores nationwide, or on eBay, here.
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Westfield, Stratford | Shopping Haul

I generally tend to stay away from 'haul' posts, mainly because, well, I'm a student, and I get serious shoppers' guilt just from buying one pretty dress, so genuine 'hauls' are quite rare, where I'm concerned, but...well, my housemate and I have had a very long term, and all that hard work and the ridiculous number of assignments we've been given between us lead us to believe we deserved a bit of a 'day off'. Naturally, the sensible thing to do was to grab our purses and hop on the first fast-train to Stratford International, so we could sneak in a little retail therapy at the Stratford branch of London Westfield.
Obviously, the first stop on any shopping spree, for me, is Boots. It was here I decided to take the plunge and finally lighten up my hair for good (more on that in an upcoming post), and finally invested in my first ever Revlon Lip Butter (in love!). Reviews on all the other goodies are also coming soon, so keep an eye out!
Earrings: Accessorize.
Anyone who knows me knows that jewellery is kind of an obsession of mine; like a magpie, I hoard it obsessively...but, somehow, since kicking up a royal fuss about finally getting my ears pierced a decade ago, I haven't really bothered to actually buy earrings ever since - and I felt like this gorgeous gold leaf pair were the perfect place to start. As you can probably tell by my current outfit posts, I'm very pleased with my decision. 
L: Forever 21; R: New Look.  
The wishful soul in me is still dreaming of warmer weather, and pretty dresses to wear whilst I'm out enjoying the (currently non-existent) sunshine, and Forever 21's latest collection has really wrapped this up, for me; floral prints, feminine cuts, gorgeous colours...I can't get over this dress, in all honesty. And the photo really doesn't do my New Look find much justice, to be quite honest,it;s a gorgeous 'waffle textured' pinafore-style dress with the most flattering cut I've managed to find for a while - and I finally own my perfect LBD!
L: David & Goliath; R: Primark.
I don't know if this is just me, but loungewear is the ultimate comfort-purchase, where I'm concerned; there is no better item of clothing to buy than a cute tee or adorkable PJ set that I know I'm going to get to enjoy when I finally get a day off. I think I'm just a sucker for anything cutesy or quirky, if I'm honest.
What's your ultimate 'day off' treat?
When's the last big 'spree' you had?
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Shine 2013 | Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is a charity that's always been very close to my heart; it's a decade, this year, since my grandmother died from Renal Cancer, and I've always been as active as possible in raising money for the cause.
That's why, this year, I'm taking part in the Shine Walk; a night-time half-marathon through London to raise money for Cancer Research. It's not til September, but the training starts this week, for me - and so does the fundraising!
And no, that's not what this blog post is about - not that donations aren't welcome over on my Just Giving page - but for those of you that are in London in September, or one of the other cities involved, I'd strongly recommend you get involved, or take a look, it's a great cause, and nowhere near as strenuous as it sounds!

Are you getting involved in any charity or fundraising events this year? Would you?
You can read more about why I'm taking the Shine Walk (or donate) on my Just Giving page, here.
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