Ciara Sims







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I've been dying to get my hair cut for so long now. I'm so sick of my long hair and it just causes me too much stress. It gets all over the place, has more knots than I thought was possible and makes me so hot. So I decided for the summer that I would finally go in and get it all cut off. Well not all of it, maybe just to above my shoulders. This will be the shortest I've had my hair since I was in infants school so lets hope that I don't end up looking 5 years old again!

What do you think of bobs?

Ciara x

I have fine hair which, despite having a lot of it, tends to fall flat and is easily weighed down if I plonk on too many products. It is also quite prone to a bit of breakage and don't even get me started on fly-aways! Because of this difficult combination, I don't tend to use any oils on my hair. I find them generally too heavy and they just leave my hair looking a little bit greasy. Percy & Reed No Oil Oil For Fine Hair (£14) however, does the complete opposite.

No Oil Oil has a wonderful lightness, almost water like and contains violet extract which tames hair leaving it smooth and silky with some added volume thrown in there. This is such a great little multi-tasker as it also helps to repair damaged hair by adding strength and heat protection. Also because it is so light and oil free, you can use it up near your roots to manage those fly-aways.

No Oil Oil is super easy to use, you just rub a couple of pumps in your palms and get to work smoothing it over towel dried hair. What I perhaps love the most about No Oil Oil though is that it doesn't leave that horribly oily feeling on my hands after I have applied it. (Hair Xpertise Argan Oil I'm looking at you!)

Percy & Reed is easily my favourite brand for all things hair related. They are absolutely fab and not only do the products do everything they claim but they come in the cutest packaging ever. Way too pretty to be hidden away in a draw!

What's your haircare hero?

Ciara x

I actually nicked the VO5 Extreme Style Texturising Gum (£4.19) off my brother a while back but it is honestly the best texturising product I have tried. The VO5 Extreme Style Texturising Gum is designed to be worked into hair to give it texture and definition while giving flexible hold. I can honestly say that it does all this and more, it is a really versatile product and can be used for all sorts.

I love using the texturising gum when I curl my hair to hold and define the curls. The lasting power is great and I have really noticed an improvement in how long my curls last since using this product. It also doesn't leave the hair feeling horrible, however, be careful not to overdo it otherwise it makes the hair quite stiff and sticky.

What also works really well is mixing a bit of the gum with a small pump of hair oil, I use the Hair Xpertise Argan Oil Hair Treatment, this creates a serum that you can scrunch through the hair to add body and shine.

This little pot is really handy, perfect for travelling and unlike similar products, smells really nice. A little goes along way so the tin will last you a long time. I think Vo5 are a brand that are really over looked and they have some great products to check out.

Ciara x

I'm always looking for ways to add volume to my hair and scrunching mousse into damp hair before styling is a great way. I have tried my fair share of mousse really and until now I thought that they all do pretty much the same thing. I actually came across the Boots Essentials Styling Mousse (£1.10) by accident. I asked my brother to pick me up some mousse on this way home and  being the cheap skate that he is, he picked this up for me.

I'll be honest, when I saw it I turned my nose up straight away. It was too green, too cheap and too Boots for it to be any good. Well boy was I wrong. This stuff is way better than most of the mousses on the market and it is only £1.10. That's right, just over 1 quid!

This stuff is fab, just by scrunching some into my damp hair before styling/leaving to dry, it creates volume and just generally makes my hair look better. It isn't sticky, doesn't leave hair feeling crisp, weigh it down or smell funny. Brilliant. It adds some lift and body at the roots which lasts all throughout the day. Wait it gets better: It also protects against heat damage and prevents frizz.

This mousse is the perfect package. It works extremely well and is cheap as chips.

What's your fool proof way to add volume to your hair?

Ciara x

As I have said on numerous occasions, I long to have been born with gorgeous, voluminous, uncontrollable curly locks when instead I have flat hair that cannot make up its mind and doesn't do as it is told. On a recent search for the miracle product that will bring me such gorgeous waves, I found the Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray (£7). I was really excited to try this out as I've heard quite a lot about it but never managed to get my hands on any of the products from the brand.

When I first tried it out I was hugely disappointed. I expected far too much from this product and believed that a few spritzes and scrunches were going to leave me looking like a mermaid. In reality I ended up with a knotty mess. Yes it gave me loads of texture, but there weren't any waves in sight. If you're looking for a quick and easy spray to give you some waves then I really recommend the Aussi Dual Personality Texturizing and Conditioning Gel Spray. However, when I sprayed it in my hair before plaiting or curling it, I did notice that the curls were more defined and lasted so much longer. Not Your Mother's recommended using the spray on damp hair, but I think it is fine to be used on dry hair if you are in a hurry, just use sparingly otherwise you will end up with knotty, crispy hair.

The spray contains dead sea salt and sea kelp which unfortunately leaves the spray with not the most pleasant of smells and the salt does have a tendency to build up on the nozzle. However, I love the design of the bottle and think it is so cute.

Not a huge love for me really, I expected a lot more and was let down. Although, it does provide me with lots of texture, perfect for big hair on a night out.

Have you tried any products from Not Your Mother's before? What did you think?

Ciara x

Percy & Reed is a brand that I am developing a serious love for. The Percy & Reed Wonder Balm (£18) is the first product I tried from the brand and I actually got this as a sample from a magazine. I didn't really know what it was or how to use it but I was super impressed with the packaging.