Hey Guys,

This week I have a fabulous giveaway as part of my review of these Lee Stafford Coco Loco Long Tongs (£24.99). Just scroll down to the bottom of the post for details on how to enter. I was so excited to receive these tongs as, believe it or not, I have never curled my hair with tongs in my life. This might sound strange but it's because I have naturally curly hair, so if I ever style my hair, it's usually with straighteners. However since receiving the tongs I have created a few curly styles which I'm quite proud of!

The tongs are infused with coconut oil and leave your hair feeling super shiny. I found that you could use them both as a tong with the clamp, but also as a curling wand where, for a more tousled effect, you could wind your hair around the tong without clamping it in. But be careful not to burn yourself! You will notice the tongs are quite long. This is because they are designed for longer hair and have a 205mm barrel, so that there is enough surface area to actually curl your hair. For long-haired girls this is definitely a bonus. However for me I found it quite hard to manoeuvre the tongs around my hair because of the length of the tong. I did need some help in creating my hair style, as I was too scared of burning myself. I definitely think, as with any hair tool, you get more confident the more you use it.

Another great aspect is the look of the tongs. Being rose gold and pink, it's just gorgeous to look at. I also liked the fact that the cord rotated with the wand. One thing to note however, is the length of the cord is quite short. For people who have a socket next to their dresser it would be fine; others may need an extension.

I definitely think for the price (£24.99), the tongs are worth their money. I was skeptical about the coconut oil infusion at first but I can genuinely say my hair was left looking shiny and healthy rather than dry from the heat. To get the look my sister helped me to segment my hair into sections and then wind around the tong. Once she let the hair go, she then rolled the curls back up and bobby pinned to root. Once the whole head was done, I left the hair to cool and set into place and then finally released the curls. I then brushed through with my fingers. For a more tousled look, I could have brushed the curls out with a comb. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Hi Guys,

This week I'm posting all about my hair struggle. I have very frizzy, coarse hair and have done since I was little. I won't embarrass myself with a childhood photo, but think cute baby with uncontrollable curls. I don't think my mum knew what to do with it. Either that, or whatever clips she did put in it popped open with the sheer force of the thickness. That resulted in every childhood photo of me featuring a head full of frizz.

Frizz has followed me everywhere since childhood. Even with masses of product put in it, to slick it down, there would always be the odd flyaway which I couldn't control. Needless to say I have used Frizz Ease Original Serum by John Freida since I was about 15. Sometimes I would just use it to tame the frizz and let my natural curls run free with a bit of control. However, as I got older and started styling my hair I used it to add a bit of shine and smoothness to my tresses.

Recently I was also sent the Forever Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner, so I thought I would put these to the test and see if they add anything to my routine. I shampooed, conditioned and wrapped a towel around my head. I made sure not to towel dry my hair as this can cause extra frizziness. I then applied the serum to my damp hair. The bottle advises one pump of the serum, however I know on my hair this won't touch the surface so I split my hair into three sections and apply one pump of serum to each section.

Now I wish I could say combining these products left my curls frizz free and gorgeous - they didn't. But then, to be fair the shampoo and conditioner isn't meant to be used for when you want to leave your hair curly. However, they did do what the name suggests, which is leave my hair beautiful and smooth once I had styled it.

Using straighteners, I start at the route and straighten the hair. When I get half way through the hair I twist the straighteners slightly to give a little shape to the ends of my hair. Having never used the shampoo and conditioner before I have to say it made styling my hair that little bit easier. I found I wasn't having to go over the same section over and over again and got that smoothness a lot quicker. What's also great about the shampoo and conditioner is that they also work like a treatment on the hair, so with continued use offer even more smoothness and frizz immunity, hence the name 'forever smooth'.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the results of adding the Forever Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner to my routine and think I might try the Dream Curls Shampoo and Conditioner for when I want to leave my hair natural. What is your hair type? Have you got any must have hair products you could suggest?

Hi Guys,

This week I am reviewing the Paul Mitchell Ultimate Color Repair Three Step System. This consists of the shampoo (£17.50, 250ml), conditioner (£17.95, 250ml) and Triple Rescue spray (£17.95, 150ml). You can buy all three from LookFantastic.com for £40. I got these products from a blogging event and have had them for a while, but because my hair wasn't coloured I didn't use them. However, a couple of months ago I went for a hair cut and decided to get a subtle balyage done.

Because my hair is so dark in colour, if I want any colour put onto it, it has to be lightened first. This damages the hair slightly, but the things we do for beauty hey. Due to this, my hair isn't always left in the best condition. As the colour starts to fade I also get left with a horrible brassy undertone and straw like feel. Sometimes the colour washes out so quickly that I wonder if it's even worth colouring it.

On to the products! Paul Mitchell have been around for over 35 years and were the first hair care brand to pledge against animal testing. They specialise in professional hair care and the products are used by hairdressers all around the world. Paul Mitchell also have schools in 100 locations across the world so when it comes to hair care they really know what they are talking about.  I was really excited to try the products and see if they lived up to the claims of:

- Up to nine weeks of vibrant colour

- 88% less breakage

- Preventing thermal damage by 86%

- 59% more shine

All I am going to say is, I am very impressed by the results. After using the products for six weeks my colour hasn't faded. Ok, of course it has faded a little, but not to the extent it has faded in the past. The colour is definitely still there and hasn't turned that horrible brassy colour. It actually looks healthier and shiny. 

My hair is incredibly curly, dry and coarse and I straighten it often. I have been applying the Triple Rescue spray before straightening and it is working wonders because my hair isn't left looking dry,  but healthy and bouncy. I have also noticed less broken hairs. In addition to this, I have had at least five people comment on my hair and two have actually gone and asked their hairdressers for the same look.  I don't put that just down to the cut and colour by my fabulous hairdresser, but the way my hair is actually looking thanks to the Ultimate Colour Repair system. I would really advise using all three together and I don't think the results would be so visible if I hadn't. The only downside is the scent. It's not for me. It's hard to describe it, but doesn't really give my hair that fresh smell. However I can deal with it when my hair is left looking so good!

Here are a few pics I took a couple of weeks ago. My hair is still looking brown and there is no fade whatsoever. You may also recognise the pics from a previous make-up look post; click here for the make-up details.

Just incase you need any more incentive to use Paul Mitchell, the bran are very well known for giving back and they are currently donating $1 to one of their  favourite charities on our behalf! All you have to do is either post on Twitter or Instagram about how you like to give back with the hashtag #GivingIsMyStyle. To see the list of charities and for more information click here.

Have you ever tried Paul Mitchell products? What do you use for heat protection and to prevent fading colour?

Amina xx


*PR sample. All opinions are my own.