HOW TO RESTORE SEVERELY DAMAGED SHORT HAIR - MY STORY OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM DUE TO HAIR LOSS AND OVERUSING HEAT

Oh dear, my hair journey... ha! Where to begin? Let's start from the first time I dyed my hair - I was a very self-conscious 13-year-old who felt the need to do everything to not look like 'me'.
I was in a very bad place at the time because of bullying and trying to settle in my new school, but now I wish I never touched my hair.

I had beautiful golden blonde hair which was long and healthy, it wasn't very thick but it was definitely thicker than it is now. I begged my mum for months to let me dye my hair and she finally did which made me very happy. I kept bleaching my hair until the age of 15 when I decided I wanted to have brown hair?! - If you're thinking about dying your hair brown but you're a natural blonde, make sure you speak to a professional beforehand, because me going brunette was the worst decision ever. After a couple of weeks, I got bored of my dark hair and wanted my blonde hair back. Oh, boy was it hard to go back to blonde then! I bleached and bleached and bleached my hair until it went a horrible bright orangey-yellow colour and very bad condition.

For my prom, I wanted to have long and curly hair but did I f**k... The hairdresser I went to BURNT MY HAIR OFF!!! She burnt my hair off the DAY of my prom.... The condition of it was so bad that all was left for me to do is have it cut really short and re-grow it. When I say short I don't mean Pixie-cut short, I mean above shoulder-bob-length which I hated. Thinking back now, I should have sued the woman! She was so rude as well, not helpful when it came to me picking out a hairstyle at all... and the fact that she did not dry my hair properly and using styling irons which weren't suitable for wet hair on me made me so angry. But, you live and you learn...

After 5 years of trying to grow my hair out and dye it less, I can say that I'm finally happy with the condition of it due to this routine and these products:

My current hair care routine consists of scrubbing my scalp every time I wash my hair - 2-3 times a week, depending on my plans. Once I've scrubbed my scalp and got rid of all the dry skin, excess product etc. I then move onto shampooing and conditioning my hair as normal, I have recently been using the whole Lee Stafford Hair Growth range and I've noticed a massive difference in the quality and length of my hair already. Once a week I will use a hair mask to nourish my hair, I love this one from Lush and any of the Lee Stafford ones.

I used to wash and straighten my hair every day for at least a year, so I have cut down a lot on using heated tools. When I was regrowing my hair properly I refused to use any heated tools and just let my hair dry naturally and put it up using scrunchies or invisibobbles.
Now, I blow dry my hair every time I wash it because now that I'm older I take care of my appearances more than I used to, and from time to time I'll either curl or straighten my hair too. I have been really enjoying using Lee Staffords' Coco Loco Heat Protecting Mist as it smells bloody amazing, and works wonders for my hair too! Jeez, this sounds like a sponsored post but it really isn't! I paid for all these products with my own money and I only buy hair care products when they're on offer anyway.
Another issue which bugs me is that my hair falls out so much every time I brush it... I know it's normal to have up to 100 strands of hair to fall out but my hair is thin enough as it is!! Would you recommend any hair products or how to reduce hair fall out?

Have you ever been through something similar? What are your holy grail hair products?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

TRAVEL || WHAT TO DO IN ROME + TIPS ON WHERE TO EAT, HOW TO SAVE ON TRANSPORT, AND WHERE TO GO

Those of you who follow me on social media will already know that I have been on holiday to Rome back in July (2017). I did plenty of research before my trip and have also learnt a lot of helpful tips while on holiday. Obviously, this post will include the Colosseum etc. but I will also mention how I saved a lot of money and made the most out of my trip. This post includes my own photographs only - I have many, many more in my archives but I thought I'll stick with these ones as you should really see the city in person for all its beautiful glory!

REVIEW || ARE THE URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTES WORTH YOUR MONEY?

The Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palettes have been a big hit since the first one came out in 2010, but now with so many amazing and more affordable palettes out there, are they really worth their price tag? I can finally say that I own the first 3 naked palettes and have put them to the test. After lusting over them (especially the first one due to the packaging) for years now, my wishes came true and the makeup fairy gifted me with these three beauties - in this case, my mum turned out to be the fairy.

The packaging:

Like I've mentioned above, I love the packaging of the first palette. It's very unique and you can actually open it all the way around so it's great for travelling. The only thing that annoys me about this one is the size of the mirror  - it's pathetic. I'm the type of girl who uses her palette mirror on-the-go, but using this one I can only touch up my lipstick if I hold it close enough to my mouth! 

On the other hand, the Naked 2 & 3 palettes come in a metal packaging which I really dislike. It reminds me of a very cheap palette that you could buy in like corner shops or something, but they do come with a large mirror and the metal case protects the palette from breaking while you're travelling.

Naked:
I feel like the shades in this palette are great for people of all skin tones and ages. It has a variety of subtle matte shades as well as pigmented shimmers. My favourite shades from this palette are 'Buck' and 'Toasted', which you can use to create a full eye-makeup look using just these two shades. Even though this palette was the first one to come out, it's one of my favourites and was actually my latest addition.

Naked 2:
The Naked 2 palette is a cool-toned shadow lovers' dream. The shade 'Tease' was literally created for me... it's a beautiful transition shade for all skin tones and looks lovely on its own too. I enjoy using this palette but I don't reach for it as much as I'd like to, so I would definitely suggest that you try the colours out in store before deciding on which one to buy.

Naked 3:
Now, I feel like this palette is very girly and versatile. It's great for every-day use, and the shades compliment each other very well. It has a lot of pinks in it, so if you're not a big fan of pink shadows then stay clear from this one as you might not like it. I think the shades 'Blackheart' and 'Trick' are my favourite as they're very pigmented.

If you're interested in more affordable dupes for these then I suggest the W7 palettes or the 'eBay' alternative 1 and 2.

^swatches from the Naked palette.

^swatches from the Naked 2 palette.

^swatches from the Naked 3 palette.


Overall, I found it hard to decide which palette I liked and used the most out the three, but I chose the first original Naked palette. I chose this one because I thought it suited me the most as there are 10 nude shades and 2 silver shades which make smokey eyes a lot easier to create. However, the price tag of £39.50 is way too high for what these palettes have to offer, but I will probably buy the Heat palette as I've heard lots of great reviews of it.

Do you own any of the Urban Decay Naked palettes? If so, what do you think of them?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

CHEAP AND HEALTHY SNACKS THAT WILL STOP YOUR CRAVINGS

So, you've clicked on this post and now you're wondering what snacks can be 1. yummy, 2. healthy, and 3. cheap all at the same time? Well sit back and relax hun, because you're in for a treat (no pun intended)! I usually do my food shopping in Tesco as it's close to my workplace and house, but since I'm moving to a new place in September my closest shop will be Aldi (I'm very happy about this). As you can see, these things were all bought at Aldi on my recent trip for some vegetables but as you can see the trip took a different turn and I ended up buying some goodies - #NoRegrets.

Ever since trying Popchips for the first time in my life this year (and loving them obviously), and hearing from many influencers that Aldi does a cheaper version I had to try some out. They come in two flavours - BBQ and Sour Cream & Chive - the BBQ are my and Kieran's favourite, and at only £1.29 they're a bargain! Aldi's Pop Outs are made with a lot less fat and are actually a healthy alternative to regular crisps so you can still enjoy yourself and indulge in some heavenly crisp sandwiches.

Talking about a crisp heaven, I came across these sweet chili gluten free rice cakes which are AMAZING. I've always been a big fan of rice cakes and usually tend to go for slightly salted rice cakes or plain with a bit of peanut butter to taste but these are great on their own as either a lunchtime or late-night snack. As I mentioned above, these are also gluten free so anyone can enjoy them! - they also come in a few different flavours but this one sounded the most appetising to me, and at only 79p per packet you cannot go wrong!

I used to be obsessed with peanut butter but since literally over-dosing on it a couple of years ago I stopped buying it and would only have it on special occasions. When I came across this wonderful jar of Wholenut Smooth Peanut Butter which has no added sugar, I had to buy it. It's great on toast, mixed in a smoothie or protein shake, with porridge - the combinations are endless! It tastes very nutty which I personally love and know that even Kieran will eat it if it's mixed in with his food! I believe this only cost me £1.29 on offer with the usual price being around £1.50 which s still very affordable.

Cacao powder was on my shopping list for a while but I wasn't going to buy any until we had settled in our new flat but seeing it in Aldi for only £1.99 I had to buy it - come on now! It only has 37 calories per 10 grams which is pretty good, especially if you like to add it to unflavoured protein or porridge. I bought it to make a healthier version of brownies or granola bars that taste good so my little brother and sister can enjoy them as well as the adults.

I feel like I've saved the best 'til last! These are honestly the best brownie bars I have ever tried and believe me when I say I've tried a LOT 😳 They are gluten free, soya free, vegetarian, and it says milk free so I guess they're also vegan? But make sure you check the ingredients list before you buy them as they may contain some traces of animal produce. It's like they're a cheaper version of the Nakd bars which are pricey but oh-so-delicious! I believe these only cost £1.49 for 3 bars so it comes up to 50p per bar which for a healthy snack is fantastic - my university sells a piece of fruit for 80p so I'd much rather stock up on these and carry a packet around in my handbag to snack on inbetween lectures for an instant energy boost.

Have you tried any of the snacks I mentioned above? Did any of them tickle your fancy? I know for a fact that I'll be getting some more of these during our weekly food shop as you can't go wrong with tasty, healthy AND cheap snacks like these.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

OOTD || GLAM BEACH LOOK - DAY TO NIGHT SUMMER HOLIDAYS OUTFIT

If you've already read my What To Do In The UK During Summer Holidays post then you'd know that I recently went down to the British seaside and managed to get some nice shots taken. I didn't know the weather was going to be as nice as it was (I'm sure it came up to around 30 degrees) so I would have maybe worn a playsuit, however, I feel like this dress was perfect as it's floaty and made from thin material so it turned out as the perfect outfit!

Ever since receiving this gorgeous kimono for Christmas a few years ago, I've been obsessed with it and wear it all the time in warmer weather when it's too hot for a proper jacket but not warm enough to go without one. I believe it was in the Topshop sale for around £15-£20, so it was very affordable for a statement piece that I've been loving for years!

My cute little marble bag has made an appearance in a previous post which you can find here. I love a statement micro bag - these are huge this year as mentioned by the lovely ladies at a bloggers event in Nottingham. This gorgeous bag was only £6 from Primark which my lovely mum has bought for me on a shopping trip a while back.

This dress is honestly one of the prettiest items I've ever bought from Primark - yup, you heard it right - PRIMARK! I had seen it on Instagram and was hoping to find it in store and when I did, boy was I happy! At only £13 this is definitely a must-have this Summer. I'm not sure if there will be any left as when I bought mine there were only a few sizes left, but if you're lucky enough to find one I would suggest trying on a size down as it does come up big!

My huge hat is also from Primark, I believe it was only £3!

Have you been to Primark recently? Did you come across any bargains?

Lots of love,

Maya xo