I have the NEW ”Irresistible Me” black diamond hair straighteners, woo hoo! I could hardly contain my excitement after owning my old red irresistible me straighteners for many years which I absolutely love for sleek, shiny, frizz-free straight hair. See the original blog post here. The new curved design did not disappoint, that is the difference between the two so these are going to be great for curling. They are also extremely stylish, I much prefer this classic black and rose gold titanium design. They glide through my thick unruly hair and make light work of my frizz due to the negative ion technology. They reach a temperature of 450 degrees F or 230 degrees C for us Brits with a turbo heat booster that gets to temperature within 15 seconds. You will need an adapter plug as it is American but they are only a couple of quid. They have a long 8ft cord with a 360-degree swivel so are easy to use, they are also surprisingly lightweight. I absolutely love the results these hair straighteners give me and can’t wait to get them to work on my new clip-in hair extensions from Irresistible Me. All products from Irresistible Me can be bought here.
PIRATES, PRIZES AND PUMPKINS ON OFFER AT FAMILY FRIGHT FEST…
A HALLOWEEN adventure for the whole family is to return to the North East this autumn – bigger and better than ever before.
In October Lintz Hall Farm, Burnopfield will host its Family Fright Fest, a day packed with terrifying treats suitable for youngsters of all ages.
And that’s good news for anyone wanting to enjoy some Halloween fun in the run up to the scariest day of the year.
Family Fright Fest will launch on 22 October and then be held on 23, 29 and 30 October, following in the footsteps of the previous three events which were complete sell-outs.
Along with a full programme of stage shows, featuring everyone from favourite costumed characters to magic, from a superhero spectacular to a talent extravaganza, guests can also enjoy a range of exciting attractions.
They include the brand new pirate galleon, where visitors can step aboard a 70 feet long ship and visit a pirate town and the chance to visit the IScream maze, toned down from the adult version to make it child friendly.
All youngsters will also be able to visit the pumpkin patch and pick their very own pumpkin with options to visit the fun and games barn, head to the tipi and join the wizard school or visit the fairground rides.
Those who embrace the experience and turn up in fancy dress may also find themselves a prize winner, with a number of giveaways planned for the day.
Visitors will also have access to the Street Food Village which features everything from burgers to fish and chips, duck wraps and loaded fried to parmos, pizza and doughnuts.
Tickets for the event are now on sale, at £9 for children aged one to 15 and £12 for adults. There are also family tickets available, at £32 for a family of four and £39 for a family of five.
“ Family Fright Fest events are always really popular and sell out,” said Christiano Crawford, one of the directors of 700 Acres which runs the Family Fright Fest and Psycho Path, the adults only scare park which also takes place at the site.
“It’s going to be even more spectacular this year round as we’ve got more attractions than ever before, including our amazing pirate ship.
“We’ve had a fantastic response to it so far and we can’t wait for everyone to come along and enjoy it.”
Gates open each day at 11am and the event runs until 4pm.
Tickets are also still available for Psycho Path, which begins on 30 September and then runs every weekend until 31 October, ending in The Big Blaze event on 5 November. For further information visit www.psyco-path.co.uk
If you have not yet visited ask yourself why!. It is beautiful and the treatments delivered are top quality with such friendly experienced staff. Check out some of these pictures of the salon itself before I continue with the blog about my recent treatment.
Last week I visited The Powder Room Washington to have a Comcit facial. This facial is a favourite with all the celebrities at the minute and there is no doubt why. It is one of the best facials currently on the market, with a prescription to suit all skin types, each with different results. The press is all over this facial and you need to try it to believe all the hype, you won’t be disappointed!
Comcit elite the is most exciting skin rejuvenation system yet.
You can choose between
MICRODERMABRASION
Flawless skin in an instant, this treatment offers a safe, controlled method of skin exfoliation and allows superficial peeling of the stratum corneum, reducing its thickness through mechanical abrasion of dead skin cells .this also stimulates new cell regeneration which results in firmer and fresher complexion. super – buffing facial achieves an instant lift. £55.00
H20 GLOW red carpet ready
This is crystal clears most intense hydration treatment yet, giving red carpet ready results. The h20 glow facial delivers freezing cold oxygen throughout the epidermis to nourish and invigorate skin cells, while the comcit micro channelling roller allows hyaluronic acid to reach deeper dermal layers via microchannels; plumping and re-balancing the skin from inside out .the result is brighter, fresher, hydrated skin that glows with a youthful radiance. £75.00
FROZEN FACIAL (the one I had)
The most effective and advanced skin rejuvenation treatment yet, tackling lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation .enjoy a full cleanse and gentle exfoliation followed by our groundbreaking comcit elite treatment, using cryo oxygenated micro channelling rollers to infuse the skin with a potent active infusion serum, tailor-made to tackle the individual’s concerns.
stimulates collagen production while plumping and firming the skin. Treatment is finished with the application crystal clear facemask providing an extra hit of hydration, a truly remarkable treatment. £85.00
It is recommended a course of 6 treatments 1 every 2 weeks. Then one every 1 – 2 months
I had the frozen facial and it was amazing. You can literally go make up free for weeks after having this facial. Your skin also gets better day by day. I have a series of pictures where my skin is literally glowing off the results. This facial was great for getting my skin ready for a special theatre show I was involved in this week. My skin is plumper, more hydrated and dewy. Check out the results!
BEFORE AFTER
AFTER OVER A FEW DAYS (all makeup free)
I honestly can not recommend this facial enough. Do you have a special event or is your skin dull or tired looking?. This will be just the pick up you need. Maybe you have some skin problems that this could help with. I took a picture of the dirty grey crystals that were left behind after my facial, this is all dead skin. the crystals start off white as you can see in the picture.
The salon has recently been renovated too. I love Joannes style, it’s every girl’s dream. It’s so beautiful! Just look at this flower wall and the treatment room where I had my treatment.
last Sunday myself and my husband went to Ramside Hotel in County Durham for a mini spa break and we had the most wonderful time. The Ramside is the only Gold awarded AA rated and 4-star spa hotel in Durham and I think it is well worthy of 5 stars from what we experienced.
Upon arrival, the staff were polite and very helpful. We checked in at 3pm (check in time) and were asked if we needed help with our luggage and given the location of our room. We were in a premier double room based in the new wing and it did not disappoint. The bed was huge and the room was equipped with everything you would expect from a top – class hotel including high-speed WiFi, complimentary bathrobes, slippers and ESPA toiletries, I love high-end toiletries in hotels. We also were treated to a huge luxury bathroom with a free standing bath and a walk-in shower.
Once we checked out our room we were eager to get to the spa, one of the things I loved most about this hotel was the fact you could access the spa via the hotel. No going outside meant you could pop on your robe and slippers in your room and walk down the corridor to the spa and everyone did it so you didn’t look silly either. Who wants to be messing on with getting changed in changing rooms when you have your own private room just up the corridor.
We checked in at the spa reception, were given wristbands and were told we had full access to the spa. We were not quite sure what this meant but we were about to find out and were ready to be wowed!!
We walked straight through the changing rooms to reach the spa area which were clean and again full of ESPA toiletries for guests. There were fresh towels and robes if you needed them. There were complimentary flipflops so I changed my slippers for these. We did not use the changing facilities but they were well equipped with everything you would need. At the other end of the changing rooms, I met my husband and we were both impressed by the size of the 25m swimming pool.
We decided to have a wander as you do when you visit somewhere new, within the area of the large pool was a sunken sauna, designed to increase circulation. Very beneficial for strengthening the immune system, cleansing and detoxifying. Perfect after a good workout to reduce muscle tension, also good to relieve joint pain. An aroma steam room enriched with essential oils, designed to soften the skin, cleanse the pores, calm the nervous system and relieve stress and there were lots of comfortable loungers.
We could see the outdoor heated pool with spa garden through the windows and wondered how you get outside. Then we found the entrance to a whole different level of spa. You will need to make sure you have full access when you book your spa day to experience this additional area. You use your wristband to let you in and we were wowed. I have reviewed many spas as you will see on my blog but this place was on another level. There is a large hydrotherapy pool with many different jets and gadgets, we had great fun trying them all out. There are two additional thermal suites, the Himalayan Salt steam room which helps with skin conditions including psoriasis and eczema and the Herbal Infusion sauna which helps to revitalise and invigorate the senses and looks out onto the outdoor heated pool and spa garden. There is lots of comfortable seating and bar area with fresh fruit, infused waters and service with a smile.
Treatments can also be booked in advance with the beauty therapists. We were more than happy with what the spa had to offer even without experiencing treatments and we made sure we had a go of everything. We especially enjoyed the outside area and the hydrotherapy pool. One of the staff members managed to reserve us two beds as it was extremely busy and we lounged around snoozing until it was time to go and get changed ready for our evening meal reservation at 7pm in the fusion restaurant. I do want to point out that you can go into the fusion restaurant in your robes and slippers also up until a certain time, but we wanted to get changed. We walked back to the room in our robes and got changed ready for the evening.
The restaurant is situated within the spa using traditional recipes from South East Asia. You can view the menu here.
The food was outstanding, as was the service. The guy who served us was called Charl and he was very happy to assist us with our choices and he was a credit to the restaurant. We went for a selection of starters to share and a main course each. The portion sizes were good and the quality of the food was unreal. We had a selection of prawns for a starter, a soup and duck with pancakes. My husband had sweet and sour chicken for his main and I had the crispy duck on top of noodles. We were too full for a dessert but I had a latte coffee which was lovely and creamy. We will most definitely be visiting this restaurant again in the future.
Once finished the lovely meal we retired to bed. The bed was comfortable and we had a great nights sleep. Our final experience of the hotel was the breakfast. Once again this hotel did not disappoint. There was a good selection of hot and cold food including cereals, cold meats, cheese, yoghurts, pastries, breads, jams, traditional English breakfast items at the self-serve buffet and more. I was still stuffed off the night before and am not a big fan of breakfast in general so did not eat much but my husband really enjoyed his and agreed the selection was very good.
Once finished breakfast we went to check out. We could have spent the day there in the spa but we both had to be back due to work commitments. We had been very eager to use the gym, and took our gym gear but unfortunately ran out of time, so I can not comment on the gym facilities, however, I am sure they will be fantastic if the spa is anything to go by.
Overall we had an amazing experience at The Ramside Hotel and Spa and I would highly recommend this hotel and spa to my readers. Check out all the spa deals they offer here
Any exclusive offers I may get for my Tried and Tested members will be posted on the Tried and Tested Facebook group so watch for any future offers.
Thank you so much to the Ramside Hotel for inviting us along to review the hotel and spa. We can not wait to return in the future.
Well, another day, another award winning Salon visit!
Everyone knows their hair is their crown and glory and I’m always nervous visiting different salons to review, however, I need not have been worried when visiting Collective Hairdressing smack bang in the middle of Newcastle town centre. They are the most reviewed salon in the North East of England due to their unique five step consultation. They listen, advise and educate all clients in the maintenance of their hair. Currently ranked 1st out of 7,355 UK salons as of the 23rd of September 2016. Winners in the English Hair & Beauty Awards 2015 for the Team Service of the Year. As of the 18th of February, finalists in the English Hair & Beauty Awards 2016 for not only Hair Salon of the Year 2016 but also Team Service of the Year 2016. (seriously check these guys out!)
Before my visit, I had a skin test which is most important when going for a colour. The moment I met Paul the owner, I felt immediately relaxed. He is fun, happy and more importantly has years and years of experience and really knows what he is talking about.
Never have I ever had such an in-depth consultation, which consisted of colour matching to my skin tone (we discovered I was cool tones), a discussion on what I wanted to achieve, an in-depth explanation of the products we were going to use and why and the current condition of my hair.
After explaining I wanted a deeper darker colour as I felt I was too light, Paul explained just by going cooler on the same level will achieve this. I also wanted slices of a vibrant contrasting caramel colour, Paul explained this is known as strobing and picked the perfect colour to marry with the dark ash tone. We then discussed the length. My hair was long but quite heat damaged on the ends, I went in not wanting to lose any length but I trusted Paul and understood that losing some of the length will not only make my hair more healthy but would also give me the body that my crazy thick, naturally curly hair needs.
So after The 30 mins consulting Paul was ready to get to work!
Paul started by cutting off the length (he would then finish my cut later). The lightened slices were added and then my all over dark brown colour. This was left to develop while I was looked after with offers of refreshments. The salon has a lovely feel, Paul makes sure your involved in any conversation and all clients speak with each other which is lovely.
The developing time was up and I had a toner applied to my lightened slices of hair at the basin. This is where the magic happens, not only with the toner but with the products used in salon. Collective hairdressing use Loreal Pro Fibre and this was used on my hair when shampooing and conditioning. I did not have the smart bond treatment we hear so much about when colouring, which keeps the condition of the hair throughout, however, I did get introduced to the pro fibre ”restore” range and have since been using this range at home with amazing results. I was very concerned how my hair would be after with the bleaching, but a combination of a good cut and using the right products, my hair is looking and feeling fantastic.
Once toned and washed Paul gave me an amazing blow dry so he could finish the cut. The cut was important for my hair type, curly hair with body needs cut correctly and Paul explained all this. He also wanted me to see my look curly so finished off by curling it for me.
I was over the moon with the results, my new look is much more on trend and my hair looks and feels amazing. I would highly recommend this salon ladies and if your a fan of Loreal products, they sell them all!
It makes me giggle as I write this review and think about my friend asking if I am skinnier!! Credit where it is due the name is very catchy and may lead people to believe that with a stroke of this tan you lose 5lbs. Sorry to dash your dreams but this is not the case, however what it does do as a fake tan is make you appear thinner and also helps mask any skin imperfections.
Skinny Tan is the first self-tanner that combines a natural tanning active with naturally derived skin smoothing actives to tan, contour and reduce the visible appearance of cellulite!
I was sent the tanning mitt and the Dark tanning mousse that seems to sell out as soon as it comes into stock so I knew I was onto a winner. As we all know I am a tanning connoisseur. After my skin cancer in 2015 I stay out of the sun and rely on fake tans to give me that bronzed look all year round that I love. When I have a tan I feel better and will even happily walk round and video blog without any make up on (just contour your face with your tan ladies). Fake tans have such a bad stigma because they used to be terrible but now tans have really really improved and I must say skinny tan is now up there on my favourite fake tan list!!!
I opened the mitt ready for the evening tanning ritual and I have to say that the mitt alone screams quality. It is thick, double sided and has like a velvet finish. I have had mitts before where the tan seeps through and then stains the hands but you don’t get this with the skinny tan mitt and this mitt will last you a very long time. You can wash and reuse it which is perfect. After giving the mousse a shake I pumped a blob onto the mitt and had a smell. It was a pleasant coconut smell which continued onto the skin once applied. The guide colour was good so you knew where you had applied the tan and it went on effortlessly and streak free, my 9 year old even managed to do my back.
Desperate to see the finished result I jumped in the shower the next morning and watched all the guide colour rinse away only to be left with a gorgeous deep bronzed glow. The tan was dark as I like it, looked like a proper sun tan, streak free and there was no unpleasant smell. Here is me all ready for filming the next day with my skinny tan!
This is the tan 5 days later and as you can see there is no patchiness where the tan starts to fade and I still have amazing colour. Even look at the knees where colour can build or fade terribly, after 5 days skinny tan still looks flawless. I can get irritated by tan too and itch but as this is made with naturally derived tanning actives I have not experienced any problems.
Skinny tan is given the big thumbs up from Tried and Tested and I just cant believe I didn’t try it sooner. To order yours and check out all the products they have to offer pop over to their website HERE
A couple of weeks ago I posted a blog (check it out) about these amazing hair straighteners and promised to share with you all a different look created with the same tool.
As you can see I have very long thick hair but that was no challenge for these flat irons. These are beveled perfectly to create amazing curls and because you can adjust the heat setting there is no damage to the hair. Check out this video on You Tube for a tutorial on how to create the perfect curl.
If you want to purchase them yourself then visit here, they cost $149 which is around £122 but if you sign up on the website you get an extra 20% off!
Living in a house full of boys there is nothing I love more than taking myself off for a little ”me” time and ”me” time for me is what I call ”faffing”. Faffing with make-up, faffing with hair, I just love faffing!!! My popular Facebook group tried and tested came about after a night of ”faffing” creating hair styles with a new hair tool i’d purchased, so you can imagine my delight when I was sent this new generation of flat iron from irresistible me.
They were delivered within a couple of weeks and packaged well, the box is stylish and would make a great gift. The flat iron is bright red in colour and lights up with led lights when in use. It has an american 2 prong plug so you will need to grab yourself an adapter. I got mine from the pound shop. All the functions listed on the box looked impressive so I was very keen to give them a blast
a 360° mobile cord that swivels around following your every move
a thumb print and cool tips for a steady grip and to avoid burning your fingers
all buttons are on the inside so you don’t accidentally change the settings
shuts down automatically in 30 minutes
gets hot (450F/230C) really fast, in up to 15 seconds
intelligent heat display that lets you see the temperature all the time
it is super light and comes in a beautifully designed box with magnetic closing that you can use to store it
it automatically changes the temperature display to Celsius or Fahrenheit, depending on the supplied voltage, making it perfect for travelling
the 1” floating plate self-adjusts, eliminating any pressure points, so that the iron can work through your hair smoothly without pulling
Warranty: 1 year guarantee
I have very thick naturally curly hair so it takes a good flat iron to tame it. The good thing about these is the variable temperature control so you can have the cooler setting for thinner or damaged hair, however I ramped them up to 230 oC because my hair needs heat!!!. They have a great clamp on the hair but also glide effortlessly with no snagging. They ironed out my hair in no time and i’m sure you will agree that the result is impressive.
Stay tuned in to my blog for more styles with this fantastic flat iron and if you want to purchase them yourself then visit here, they cost $149 which is around £122 but if you sign up on the website you get an extra 20% off!
He’s always stared into the eyes of fellow beings that passed his way, with a strong sense of admiration. The windows to the soul often shone with beauty but the brows and lashes, not quite so!
In a flashtastic moment he knew what had to be done! He must provide perfect brows and lashes for all… But how?
With a passion to trim, tint, tweak and tame the world’s unkempt calamities this fashionista and renowned beauty tourist travelled the cultural corners and brought to these naïve shores the simplest, quirkiest and most perfectifying skill of threading!
Great brows for all!
Benito designed, devised and pioneered the brow bar concept and now loves to shout from the highest vistas all about the Nation’s number one Brow Bar. With an ever increasing Nationwide coverage of over 30 Brow Bars and counting, all offering an express walk in WOW service of choice and convenience!”
They offer high definition brows, tinting, waxing, threading, gents brow management, lash extensions and packages. I had my brows threaded last night and I love them. I thought my brows were not too bad until I saw the end result. Check out the picture below where I have one brow done and one untouched. I look like I’ve had a stroke down one side of my face. The brow that has been threaded has completely lifted the appearance of one side. Brows frame the face and a good brow makes a HUGE difference. If there is one thing I cant live without,its good brows!
There is a protocol all Benito therapists follow so you receive the same great service at each and every brow bar. Check out the end result. The threading is so precise and lasts so much longer than your average wax. Threading can grab the tiny hairs that wax cant too.
Benito treated us to some fizz, gorgeous branded cupcakes and a fabulous goodie bag full of branded goodies of their staple orange colour.
Benito currently have a half price offer on for semi perm eyelash extensions throughout September
Eyebrow threading costs just £13.00. I will be back to get my brows tinted and will certainly return for threading in the future.
Thanks so much Benito for inviting me and making my brows ”on fleek”
On Monday I was invited along to the Garage Spa located near Barnard Castle, Co. Durham for a morning pamper session. As if I was going to refuse a morning of pure relaxation so of course I jumped at the chance. I have seen this spa mentioned many times on Tried and Tested with glowing reviews so I was very excited.
Firstly the area is stunning, lots of green surroundings and it was a red hot day. I noticed a large hotel ‘’The Morrit’’ beside the spa and did not realise that later this would be where I would dine for lunch.
‘’Adjoining the historic Morritt Country House Hotel, The Garage is a building with a fascinating past, transformed from an ancient stopping station into a first-class spa.
Here you’ll find everything you expect from a modern spa and more. Created with imagination and luxurious rural simplicity, sumptuous decor awash with warm natural stone and timber welcomes you like an old friend.
The Garage is no ordinary spa. Want your nails done? Step into the paint shop. Not firing on all cylinders? A full body MOT is just the ticket. Need to put on the brakes after exploring the stunning Teesdale countryside? Make The Garage your destination.
We’ve put a unique and luxurious spa on the map and look forward to welcoming you to our one-of-a-kind facilities and gorgeous treatments.’’
On arrival I was greeted by two lovely smiley therapists who gave me a medical form to fill in, asked if I would like to book any additional treatments as they had availability and gave me a menu to pick my two course lunch which was either a starter and a main or a main and a dessert. I was very impressed by the menu, true restaurant standard food and lots to choose from.
After I had filled in my forms and picked my lunch I was shown to the changing area and given a fluffy robe, towel and flip flops to wear. The changing areas have individual units which include a toilet, basin and shower which was a nice touch and they were fitted to a very high standard, I loved the tiles and huge shower head. It did feel like my own private bathroom. Shampoo and Conditioner was supplied, however there was no body wash and my hand wash had ran out on the basin so I had to wash with shampoo.
Once I was changed into my robe I was given a guided tour of the spa which consisted of
Steam Room
Salt Room
Jacuzzi with separate plunge pool and a separate warm pool
Outdoor Gardens, which if you get the weather like I did are just amazing to relax in. I loved the swing seats
Outdoor Sauna
Outdoor rustic Jacuzzi bath
Many different fancy showers around that all looked different so I assume do different things and cold bucket dunkers which would be great fun if with friends
Many treatments rooms including a mud treatment room (you can buy the mud to massage all over the body, chill in the room letting it work its magic and then wash it off) the floatation bed room (ill come to this treatment later) then upstairs they have a couples treatment room which has its own private balcony with a copper bath on the balcony and more treatment rooms.
I had a go of everything apart from the mud and didn’t have a treatment although I wish I had now.
I must admit I loved the outdoor space especially as the weather was so good and it was so peaceful.
I was treat to a 15 minute dry floatation treatment which is a like a water bed that you lie on and your submerged down into warm water. Imagine being on a lilo in a hot bath but actually being submerged without getting wet. The bed sort of hugs you tight and you just float on warm water. I did lie there thinking that it would be great it had settings that would create a slight wave so you felt you were at sea but it was very relaxing all the same.
After the floatation treatment I was peckish. I’d had no breakfast so went to the reception area which has a beautiful lounge and ordered tea and a teacake. I sat and enjoyed this in my robe catching up on emails. Once finished I went back to make the most of the facilities.
At 12.30pm I decided to go and get changed ready for lunch at 1pm. I sat in the sun outside the spa and a lovely girl from the hotel came and got me and escorted me to the restaurant in the hotel. My meal was fantastic, could not fault it. As was the service, I had corn fed chicken and a strawberry shortcake. It was divine and from what I saw of the hotel it too was beautiful.
After lunch it was time to head home. I really enjoyed my time at the Garage Spa, its quirky and different to the norm which I like. I will definitely return with friends in the future and make sure I have a treatment.
Don’t worry I did not leave without securing all my readers an exclusive discount and I have a cracking offer for you all subject to availability so don’t miss it!
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NOT YOUR ORDINARY FACIAL
