Katy Perry O.P.I Mini Collection

Katy Perry has recently collaborated with O.P.I to create four new fabulous nail polish shades. As a big fan of Katy (only 5 weeks until we see her in concert!) I just HAD to have the mini collection.

There are four shades (from left-right in the picture):
Not Like The Movies - it looks greeny-grey in appearance, but purple in the light.
Teenage Dream - a pale pink, glittery colour
Last Friday Night - a blue, glittery colour
The One That Got Away a deep pinky-red colour.

I've tried all of these except for The One That Got Away - I think it's more of an evening polish. One thing I have to say about these polishes, and I've never tried OPI polishes before, is that they are really good quality. They last for ages, especially with a base and top coat. I wore nail polish to work and given the extremely physicalness of my job, I wasn't expecting it to stay on - normally, it chips or comes off completely... but there wasn't so much as a scratch! Really impressed.

I'll post pictures once my nails grow a little - they're bitten right now. Not attractive. I have to say that Teenage Dream is my favourite so far - it's so pretty, and I just can't stop looking at my nails when I have it on!

Overall, I think the mini collection is a complete steal. The bottles are small, but you don't need a lot on - two coats is perfect. I'll be buying the full sized versions of Teenage Dream and Last Friday Night, I think!

The Katy Perry OPI mini collection is available from
ASOS for £12.75.
Individual nail polishes from the Katy Perry OPI collection are available in full size from ASOS, £10.50 each.

Hair Trio

I've decided to review Hair Supply, Glad Hair Shampoo and Glad Hair Conditioner all in one post - just for convenience!

We'll start with Hair Supply. This is one of Soap & Glory's first hair products, and I first tried it as part of a giftset I got for Christmas in 2009. It's available in a full sized squeezy tube (200ml) and a smaller, travel-sized one.

The formula is a yellow-ish colour, quite thick in consistency, and smells quite perfumed. I'm not sure about the scent really but I know a lot of other people like it. Maybe I'm just fussy!

The description says...

"Super gloss-giving radiance and repair mask treatment for all hair types. Ultra-lite gel formula hydrates and
defrizzes but won’t weigh hair down! Leaves hair smooth and shiny, coats and controls spilt ends!"

It definitely controls split ends and leaves hair smooth, but I wouldn't recommend Hair Supply if, like me, you've got fine and curly hair. It just weighs it down far too much in my opinion. I really wanted to love this product but it refuses to love me! I have continued to use it on my split ends, though, and it works a treat.

I've noticed that quite a few girls on the Soap & Glory Facebook page often complain that it weighs their hair down, so make sure you only use a small amount - a little bit goes a long way! I think it depends on your hair type as to whether this product would work for you.

Hair Supply is available to buy in Boots, £6 for a 200ml bottle.

Glad Hair Day Shampoo

The Glad Hair Day shampoo and conditioner are fairly new products to the Soap & Glory range. The first thing I noticed about this product was the smell. It reminds me of raspberries - it is absolutely divine!

The shampoo itself is a pink colour, almost like a gel. I don't think it lathers up very well but it does a good job of cleansing my hair when I've had a build up of product - a big thumbs up from me for that! I find the biggest problem I have with shampoo is getting the previous day's products out, and this has been a huge help. I'd definitely recommend this shampoo if you have similar problems.

I'm generally used to bottles that you tip upside down in order to get the shampoo out, so the squeezy tube makes a nice change. It means that when you haven't got a lot of product left, you don't have to tip the bottle upside down yourself so that you can use the remaining bit of product! I sometimes find it hard to squeeze it out though, so do be careful.

The one thing that seems to put people off... is the price. At £5.22, there are plenty of cheaper shampoos out there that do the job just as well. But if you're a Soap & Glory addict like me, you'll trust the brand to deliver a good quality product and you won't mind paying the price. I can honestly say I'm always having a Glad Hair Day after using this!

Glad Hair Day Shampoo is available from Boots, £5.22.

Glad Hair Day Conditioner

Now we come to Glad Hair Day's partner in grime, the Glad Hair Day conditioner. Once you've washed away the previous day's muck, it's time to condition your hair and show it some respect!

Like Glad Hair Day Shampoo, the conditioner smells really good, and comes in a similar squeezy bottle. I have to admit I've often mistaken the conditioner bottle for the shampoo one, and end up squeezing a massive amount of shampoo onto my hair. Again. (S&G if you're reading - could you possibly modify the bottles so it's easier to distinguish between the two? Thanks!)

I prefer this conditioner to Hair Supply - it doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down, but it stills works nicely as a daily conditioner. It complements my curly hair nicely, and I've always got a nice bounce in my hair after I've used the Glad Hair Day products! Both the shampoo and conditioner are suitable for daily use, so don't be worried about using it every day.

Again, the Glad Hair Day conditioner is £5.22 but don't be put off: it's definitely something everyone should try, especially lovers of all things Soap & Glory. I have tried a lot of hair products in my short life, and this duo is definitely up there with the best ones.

Be warned: The Glad Hair Day Shampoo and ESPECIALLY the Conditioner seem to be proving EXTREMELY popular in the shops. I've noticed that people are finding it increasingly hard to get, and Boots.com always seems to be sold out... So don't worry too much if you can't find it - when it is in stock, grab it quick, because I guarantee it won't be there for long!

Glad Hair Day Conditioner is available from Boots, £5.22.

ASOS Love

On the 11th February 2011, ASOS announced a week-long competition where you simply had to input your email address/Twitter account name with your "most loved" item, up to a value of £150. Now, I'd been entering a few of the competitions ASOS had been running, so I didn't hesitate to enter this one! To my surprise I was the FIRST winner of the competition! I don't have a nice watch that I can wear when I'm out and about so I decided to buy my most loved item - the Juicy Couture White BFF Watch!

I don't normally wear watches very often, and when I do I have to opt for a child's watch because my wrists are quite petite. Thankfully this has a snug fit! I was actually worried about the strap as it is silicon, and sometimes they can look a bit tacky. Luckily that wasn't the case for this watch! It has quite a weight to it, which surprised me. What I like most about it is that it is quite plain: the design is simplistic, all white with the Juicy Couture logo placed in the centre of the watch. The Swarovski crystals don't overpower the watch either, and fit in nicely with the rest of the design. I love it! It's definitely something I would wear every day if I could. I'm slightly scared about wearing it outside in case I happen to scratch it, or even lose it...

One thing I absolutely HAVE to mention: the packaging is so cute! It comes with its own little brown cushion, in a pink box, in a black box. It's a bit like "pass the parcel" when you're unwrapping it... Nevertheless, I love it - and I love ASOS for giving me the chance to win such a glamorous watch!

Born This Way

Image from GagaDaily

I'm a huge Lady Gaga fan, so you can imagine how excited I was about the release of Born This Way. After hearing the little snippet she sang at the VMAs, my initial thoughts were that it would be a darker song, maybe something like Speechless (which is one of my favourites). Imagine my surprise when I listened and it was really upbeat! The song is completely different to anything I've heard from Gaga before, and it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. I'm really interested to see what the video is like especially considering the content of the song. I think it will be relevant to the lyrics, but Gaga always tries to bring out hidden meanings in her videos so who knows?

Lyrically I think it's fantastic - really inspiring, and it is definitely up there with "Firework" as far as pop anthems go. I don't think it's Gaga's best song, and I don't think she'll ever write anything that will top "Bad Romance", but it one of the most inspiring songs she's written. Having a disability I can sort of relate to the song - and yes, I was Born This Way!

Like most people, I've been reading reviews from bloggers about "Born This Way". And I have to say, I haven't been impressed. If there is one thing I've learnt from the music industry, it's that music isn't original. Every artist borrows ideas from another, perhaps making it more relevant to this day and age. Most bloggers have compared "Born This Way" to Kelly Rowland and Madonna - so what? It's obvious Madonna was a huge influence in the way Gaga has approached the music industry, and I think it's fantastic that she's taking older songs and trying to reinvent them and make them more relevant to our society. I don't see it as a bad thing.

I also stayed up last night to watch Gaga perform at the Grammy Awards. She arrived in a "womb", although everyone initially thought it was an egg. Not far off, I suppose! It was pretty odd - even for Gaga - but I think it's just a sign of what's to come. She seems to go through fashion phases: The Fame seemed very obsessed with become famous, so you had all the glitz and the glam of the Hollywood industry. The Fame Monster took a darker turn and everything about her seemed more twisted. Born This Way seems as though it's going to take a completely different path - reborn, if you like. It's a chance for Gaga to show the world what she's capable of, and I can't wait to see it.

Going back to the performance, I thought it was fab! It was quite plain for Gaga - I was actually expecting... well, something more dramatic. But it was relatively low-key and simple. One thing is for certain: that girl can move! I loved her hairstyle - a supershort fringe and a high ponytail, and I'm expecting to see them around a lot more after this performance. I didn't care much for the outfit, but I guess it was all part of the "womb" idea.



What do you think? Yay or nay?

Sugar Crush

Hi guys! Haven't posted a Soap&Glory review for a while, so I've decided to review the latest addition to my collection - Sugar Crush. Soap & Glory is currently on offer at Boots, 3 for the price of 2, so I had to (finally!) pick it up.

"It’s sugar, baby
Use your Sugar Crush in the shower once, twice, or three times weekly, depending on the level of scaliness you struggle with. (Four times – even – if you’ve ever been labelled ‘old lizard legs’)."

Now, I wasn't sure about the scent to start with. It's quite a strong lime smell, but you can also smell a hint of almond. After getting in the bath and scrubbing it all over, it did start to grow on me. Sugar Crush contains Smashed Brown Sugar, Sweet Lime, Almond Oil, and Macadamia Grains.

I actually think the scrub is similar to Breakfast Scrub (which I promise I'll review soon!) in terms of the actual textures. It's definitely different to the likes of Flake Away and Scrub, Actually but I think that is what makes it appealing. It's quite a good scrub although I think the consistency is quite watery, and unlike Flake Away, Scrub of Your Life etc. it doesn't leave a sticky feeling on your skin afterwards. Although I personally don't mind it, I know other people do.

It IS quite expensive at £9.45, but it's a 450ml tub so it should last for quite a while unless you're abnormally flaky... I think it would do well as a gift for men, as the S&G Spa range is blue instead of the Original Pink colour. Definitely worth a go if you're looking for something a bit "different" to the usual Original Pink scrubs!

Available from Boots, £9.45.

Katy Perry - Firework

"Firework" is quite an old song now - you could say it has lost its spark, but not for me! Peaking at number 3 in the charts, Katy Perry said it was her favourite track on Teenage Dream. She said:

"People are coming back and almost adopting it as their own anthem, and it's hard, I think, to write an anthem that's not cheesy," she explained. "And I hope that this could be something in that category. I hope this could be one of those things where it's like, 'Yeah, I want to put my fist up and feel proud and feel strong."
(source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649047/katy-perry-tweets-about-sparkling-new-music-video.jhtml)

The thing I like most about Firework is its ability to inspire. I felt empowered when I listened to it for the first time on The X Factor. When I watched the video, I had to hold back the tears - it was so sad, but lovely at the same time. I thought it was wonderful. I've been going through a rough patch lately, especially with regards to my career direction. I haven't got much of an idea, but Firework says to me: you CAN do anything you want to do! I found the following lyrics particularly inspiring:

"Maybe the reason why all the doors are closed/
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road"

I'll leave you with the video - tell me what you think!