Chop

Bye bye long bleached green split ended hair, hello short and healthy locks. I like to go for the chop every so often and love having both short and long hair. I am never faithful to just one hairdresser and went to Splash Salon on Goodge Street after work on Thursday where they only do walk in appointments. Perfect for those like me who like getting their hair cut on a whim. I paid £30 for a wash, cut & blow dry as my hair was quite long but if you have shorter hair it's something like £12. Can someone please tell me how much you are expected to tip? I gave £5 because my stylist was so nice and he cut his finger in the process but he also showed me how to dry my hair so it wouldn't flick up at the ends. Is £5 too much/too little? HELP

Also, if you are a hairdresser, what is your blow drying secret?!! Even though I was shown, I went home and used the exact same technique but my hair wasn't sleek, swishy and shiny just dry and slightly fluffy. In fact my hair looks nothing like the photo now, it's more Dora the Explorer :(

I WILL persevere but do you have any blow drying tips for me? xx

A little trip to TK Maxx

As I finished work earlier than usual I decided to swing by TK Maxx, specifically on the look out for some SLS free shampoos. I had a Brazilian blow dry on Friday and have to switch shampoo as the sulphates in my normal shampoo will break down the keratin and it won't last for the 3 month it's supposed to. My hair is SO greasy right now and tomorrow is day 4 so I'm going to run home after work and gleefully jump into the shower. Lank greasy curtains begone!

My sister uses Naked shampoo which is SLS free but it made my hair really dry and I had read that Tigi have SLS free shampoos which are meant to be good. There were quite a few of those large pump bottles of Tigi superstar shampoo but I bought a normal sized tube of Some Like It Hot which is heat & humidity resistant as well as sulphate free. It smells nice and I hope it works well. The shampoo section had so many great buys. There was Frederic Fekkai Shea butter shampoo for £6.99, Bumble and Bumble Creme de coco shampoo for £9.99 and lots of mini sets of MOP for £4.99.

I also found some Essie sets! A cool pale blue, a creamy salmon pink and the only one with the label still attached, 'Jam N Jelly' an iridescent fuchsia. All for a bargain sum of £9.99. The makeup section wasn't too impressive but I found this Stila bronzer for £3.99.

It's rare to find things you like or that are unopened in TK Maxx but when you do, it's brilliant. Have you found anything good recently? Also can anyone recommend a SLS free conditioner? I didn't manage to find one today.

My week in photos and what I bought

From L-R:

1. Stage one of the process of experimenting with dip dye. I'm hoping the blue will turn out as awesome as this so fingers crossed. Also can't get enough of these metal collar style necklaces going around, this one is from River Island (£7) and I love it so much I bought the silver one too.

2. Yummy handmade spinach and ricotta ravioli from Pasta Remoli in Westfield.

3. New bag from Zara (£19.99) but I might get the black version. Grey looks chic but it gets so grubby when going to and from work on the trains.

4. Another Westfield purchase, my new Bobble water bottle! I have no problem drinking tap water but I hate the taste of it when I've refilled a normal plastic water bottle. I always get told off for not drinking more water and I'm hoping this will encourage me to.

5&6. Constant rain and grey skies are so depressing but I've been getting lots of wear out of my mid calf boots my dad bought for me. £18 from Aldi would you believe it.

7. Collection 2000 Multiplier Mascara isn't too grand but it was a cheap buy (£4.99) and the Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner was free with purchase (usually £2.99). Hands down the best felt tip eyeliner I've ever used. It doesn't smudge and it stays on ALL day.

8. I love my new jim jam bottoms from Primark (£5).

9. Found my Nintendo DS in a drawer and I've spent all day on this. Gotta catch em all!

What have you been upto this week?

VO5 Gloss Me Smoothly Conditioner

I stay over at my rents about once a week and never bother bringing a wash bag as I only live 15mins away. I just use whatever is in the family bathroom. Lynx shower gel? Don't mind if I do! Thankfully my sister buys the shampoo/conditioner in the house . I've never considered using VO5 before not because I don't like the brand, it just wasn't on my radar.



I can't get enough of this conditioner. It makes my hair really soft and definitely less frizzy which is my biggest problem since I rarely straighten my hair these days. I guess this is down to the fact that it contains a blend of argan, avocado, apricot, jojoba and grape seed oils and the addition of hydrolyzed silk. It also smells really good which is important to me. I hate my hair smelling of nothing and am always envious of people who leave a waft of their shampoo scent when they swish by. I haven't tested this out yet but I can still smell it on the ends of my hair.

In my own shower I'm using Dove's Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment conditioner and I've found that it doesn't make a remarkable difference. I know a lot of people rate it but it doesn't work for me. I guess you don't really know how well a product works until you have something to compare it to and for my hair, VO5 is so much better. I rarely buy matching shampoo and conditioner. I stick to Head and Shoulders then buy any conditioner that strikes my fancy or whatever is on offer. So I don't know how the shampoo is but I'll definitely be buying my own bottle of this conditioner especially as the whole range of VO5 shampoos & conditioners (250ml) are currently on offer for 99p in Superdrug.

Keep cool and carry on

It's been really hot and muggy here over the past few days and keeping my hair up is one of the best ways I've found to keep cool. There's nothing worse than a hot and sweaty neck (so gross!), especially on the tube AKA sauna. Ponytails look awful with my shapeless long hair but I do love a braided up do.

This is the "style" I've been sporting today, really easy and great for when your hair is a tad greasy and won't sit right. Just divide your hair and form two plaits - one on either side. Then wind each plait around your head making both ends meet in the middle then pin into place. This video will show you what I mean. My ends are quite wispy so it doesn't look brill and I couldn't pin it any further forward but it'll do me fine. Don't mind the halo of frizz, got caught in the rain today :)

Hair inspiration - Elle Fanning in Teen Vogue

Image source: Teen Vogue

Yes, even more braids! The second hairstyle is definitely my favourite and I quite like the first one, even though I know I would get strange looks if I wore a fishtail crown.

I wish I was this graceful and cool when I was 13 years old. I'm 25 and still not out of my awkward phase....

Experimenting with braids & an accidental FOTD

My hair is really boring at the moment and it's getting on my nerves. I have a few long layers and a grown out fringe which is becoming hard to style. If I don't straighten it I look like a frizz ball, and if I do, it becomes lank and lifeless.

Example:

Not that you can see much of my makeup but I'm wearing:

Eyes: MAC fluid line in Blacktrack, L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara, Benefit Gilded eye pencil & MAC Moisturecover select concealer in NC44.

Face: Benefit Girl Meets Pearl & Sleek Coral blush on cheeks

Lips: MAC Vegas Volt lipstick applied sheer.

Anyway whilst watching Gossip Girl this week, I really liked the way Blair's hair was done and I tried to recreate it but my stupid fringe kept falling out. 

Episode stills taken from YKYLM

My solution? Braid it in any way possible and hope for the best. I had some help with the french plait (thanks Mum!) and I did a normal small plait on the left side and pinned it underneath. Doesn't look amazing but I feel it's much better than before. Keeping most of my hair up also kept me cool in the scorching summer sun.

I'd love to be able to do french plaits in my own hair and I really want to know how to do a dutch braid. I've been watching lots of YouTube videos and getting a dead arm from practising. Can anyone recommend any good video tutorials?

John Frieda 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray

What they say:

Transform curly, frizzy hair into a straight, smooth style that lasts up to 3 days (or until your next shampoo). Introducing Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray. Our revolutionary heat-activated formula with keratin protein wraps each strand to seal in longer-lasting straightness without weighing down. Protects against heat damage and blocks frizz.

It appealed to me as someone who would love to get a permanent blow dry (also known as a Brazilian blow dry) but can't afford it. Though for £6.99? That's more than do-able.

My hair is naturally wavy and very frizzy if left to air dry so I prefer to straighten it. It does end up with little kinks and gets a little fluffy as the days progress, especially if the weather is horrible so anything that helps keep it straight is brilliant in my books.

Directions are simple enough, it has to be applied to damp or wet hair (not dry), blow dried then sealed in with hair straighteners. I once forgot to blow dry and it left me with very glossy defined curls as it air dried. Once I straightened my hair it worked fine.

So this is what's pictured on the back of the box followed by how it worked for me.




My hair on the third day of using 3-day straight.



My hair on the third day straightened as normal without using any other product. Please note that my hair isn't wavy in this photo, the camera just captured movement when the wind blew.



What I think:
I did end up with a few slight kinks on the third day when I used it but nothing I would be outraged about. Personally I don't think there's much difference in terms of how straight it makes my hair as opposed to not using it. However the one thing I did notice is that when I used this product it made my hair shiner/glossier and you can see this in the photos. See how dull my hair looks in the second photo? It was also easier to manage and less knotty. I would buy this again for these reasons alone. The added bonus is I wouldn't have to buy a seperate heat protectant spray.

Have you tried this yet? What do you think? 

New year, red hair

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! Just before the new year I decided to go red (inspired by Lina's hair from Make up to Make out). Well... just the ends of my hair as they were already bleached. It looks more like a reddy brown - a subtle change but noticeable to me.

Also wanted to announce the winner of my Dr Ogranics giveaway. Congratulations to Sami! Will be contacting you shortly :)

P.S. The sales were absolute pants this year and I hardly bought a thing.

Beauty on a budget: The many uses of Almond oil

A few months ago I bought this bottle of sweet almond oil with the intention of creating my own makeup remover. Sadly this turned out to be a big fat fail as I couldn't get the correct quantities of water and oil. Instead of chucking it, I decided to use it as a hair conditioner.

It's much heavier than coconut oil so a little goes a long way. Mostly on my ends and a little massaged into my roots. I leave it in for at least an hour and wash out throroughly. It makes my hair look glossier than it's usual dull state.

There's many other uses but here are my preferred ways:

On my skin: Instead of using body lotion, I use almond oil after I shower. Almond oil is often one of the main ingredients in body butters because it's a rich source of Vitamin E and a good emollient. It's especially good on rough areas such as elbows, knees and feet. I don't slather myself in it, I rub a pea sized amount between my hands then apply - it isn't greasy at all. It doesn't have a strong scent and I can only smell it if I sniff from the bottle - a faint sweet nutty scent. Body oils are usually really expensive but this does the same job for a fraction of the price. My bottle was only £1.50 from Waitrose.

Conditioning my eyelashes: I wear waterproof mascara everyday which isn't too kind to my lashes. I rub almond oil into my lashes and along the lashline to condition them.

Conditioning my nails and cuticles: Similarly, constant nail polish wear makes my nails dry and brittle. I use almond oil to try and repair the damage. It's also great at softening up ragged cuticles.

All in all, a big thumbs up for almond oil. It's inexpensive, multifunctional and 100% natural.

Caring for dry/damaged hair

I recently bleached the ends of my hair - it's not as contrasted (or stupid looking) in real life, to be honest no one has even noticed! I wanted something different, which I definitely acheived but the downside was that it didn't leave my hair in very good condition. The ends are really dry, having been stripped of moisture along with the colour and I get new split ends everytime I brush my hair. The first two weeks afterwards were awful and my hair felt like straw, so I began trying out new products to try and repair the damage I caused.

These are the current things I'm using to help repair and maintain the condition of my hair:

1. Tresemme Thermal Recovery Intensive Repair & Rehydration Treatment - For something that sounds like it would be amazing, I haven't really noticed it do much. It has almond and aloe vera extract which I feel should have done something but honestly, it feels like any other conditioner rather than a deep conditioning treatment.

2. Herbal Essences Beautiful End Split End Protection Intensive Mask - Their shampoos don't agree with me but I saw this on offer in Boots and wanted to try it. I use it everytime I have a shower, leaving it in for a good 10 minutes and my hair feels so silky and smooth. For all I know, it could just be all the silicon but I REALLY LIKE the results.

3&4. I've done too many posts on these - read more here and here.

Is there anything you would reccommend for dry/damaged hair? I need all the help I can get!

Monthly Favourites: July 2010

 I know we are halfway through August but better late than never!

1. Aussie Dual Personality Heat Protection and Leave in Spray - Rolling over from last month, I am still loving this product, especially as my hair is really dry and damaged at the moment. I often spritz this onto my hair when I feel that it could do with a bit of moisture and it does a great job without feeling sticky or greasy.

2. Cutex Moisture Guard Nail polish Remover - Nothing outstanding but it does what it says and does it really well. The big plus is that it doesn't have a strong chemical smell, so I can use this with ease without the fear of passing out from fumes (as is the case with most other removers).

3. Vaseline Sheer Infusion Mineral Renewal Body Lotion - Bought this on offer and it isn't like anything I've used before. It has an almost gel like consistency but is really moisturising (without feeling sticky) and smells so good. It also claims to contain "enriching minerals like those found in healthy skin" but to be honest I don't really know much about that...

4. Coconut Oil - I've already done an entire post on this but also wanted to add it here as I've been using it every day! My ends are really dry despite using an intensive conditioner, so I try to lock in moisture and keep them in good condition by rubbing in a pea sized amount.

5&6. Mac Mineralize Blushes in Warm Soul and Dainty - I'm not really wearing any makeup at the moment but can't get enough of blushes. These are great in summer as the shimmer really reflects in the sunshine (when it decides to make an appearance).

Hair Inspiration: Braids

All images taken from FYBH

I love braided hair, especially fishtail plaits which I only recently learnt how to do! I just need my stupidly short layers (no thanks to vidal sassoon academy) to grow out a bit more. Bah.

Beauty on a budget: Coconut oil as a hair treatment

I have never liked using hair oils despite being aware of it's benefits. My mum actively encouraged the use of olive oil but I couldn't stand the smell nor the way it left me feeling like a huge greaseball. In my ignorance I assumed that all hair oils (well the limited few I knew) were the same so avoided them. It was only when I started reading blogs that I learned coconut oil could be used as a hair treatment.

This is what I currently use (99p from Asda). It comes in solid form and has to be warmed up (I usually use a hairdryer) before it turns into an oil. I apply this to my hair every Sunday as a deep conditioning treatment, leaving it in all day before washing it out. I love that it has no discernible smell nor is it as viscous as olive oil - in fact it's quite light. I straighten my hair a lot and I feel that using coconut oil has helped to repair and prevent any further damage. My ends are quite dry but the coconut oil leaves it moisturised and looking shinier/healthier. With regular use it has made a noticeable difference to the condition of my hair.

I was reading up on the scienfics and came across this study in The Journal of Cosmetic Science. A few excerpts:

"Coconut oil was found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product".

"Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft".

Interesting non?

Rhamnousia and Amina have both done posts on hair oils which are worth a read.

Further reads
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil for Hair
The Benefits of Coconut Oil in Black Hair Care

Review: Batiste Nude dry shampoo

I only seem to need dry shampoo when my hair has been straightened, and as I'm rocking my natural waves (or frizz) these days, I haven't used it in a while. In fact the last dry shampoo I bought was this cheap smelling Charles Worthington one which has since been "gifted" to my sister.

However last week whilst shopping, I spied this unique looking bottle on the shelf and even though I didn't really need it, I WANTED it. I'm not usually a great fan of Batiste dry shampoo as I find it thick and difficult to brush into my hair without leaving telltale signs.

This nude shampoo is different. It's fragrance free and 100% natural (with only two ingredients - zea mays starch and talc). As you can see in the above photo it's finely milled and is a breeze to brush into my hair. My only gripe (albeit a small one) is the bottle and it's nozzle. I apply it to my hair by turning the bottle upside down and squeezing, so the talc *poofs* out. It's a bit awkward but I guess I'll have to get used to it.

I prefer this much more than the spray Batiste dry shampoos but I'm not sure if I would buy it again. Has anyone else tried this?

I bought mine for £3.49 from Superdrug.

 

Images: Nicole Richie Fashion

I want Nicole Richie's hair.

Review: Charles Worthington Refresh & Revive dry shampoo

I usually wear my hair straight and when I do, the roots get greasy very quickly. As I only wash my hair every other day, I rely on dry shampoo between washes and my usual Batiste dry shampoo just wasn't cutting it.  My hair is jet black, and it just looked as if I had powdered my scalp with talcum powder - it was very hard to brush out. I know Batiste have brought out a range of coloured dry shampoos but I can't find them anywhere so I picked this up instead.

Refresh & Revive dry shampoo is from Charles Worthington's new Front Row range and here is what the man himself has to say about the collection:

"Together with the art team, I have worked to create products not only suitable for use backstage, but perfect for translating catwalk looks into everyday life".

The range is fronted by the beautiful Leigh Lezark who has been named the campaign abassasdor, and is seen here modelling looks created with Front Row products.

Photos taken from  Make me Front Row

I must admit that the only reason I bought this was because I couldn't find anything else on the shelf in terms of dry shampoo. Plus I really like the packaging and the design. If you peel back the cover, there's some styling tips and a snazzy print.
 

 
Three products from the range feature limited edition prints designed by the fashion designer Erdem, who is responsible for these beauties below.
 

Photos taken from Style.com

The dry shampoo itself is really good as it is very very fine and is  easy to brush through, without leaving any white marks behind. It soaked up the grease in my hair easily and left it looking clean. It can also be used to create texture and give your hair some volume (e.g when back combing). Here is a photo of how fine it is compared to Batiste.
 

 
Both were sprayed from half an arms length and as you can see Batiste sprays thickly, whilst Refresh & Revive sprays like deodorant (I sprayed  a large amount but only a small section showed up on camera).
 
However as good as it is, I'm not sure I will be repurchasing this because I think it smells like cheap unbranded teenage deodorant. For such a great product I don't understand why they didn't make it smell nicer? I am quite sensitive to smells so maybe others won't mind so much, but i prefer Bastite's clean smelling scent over this one.
 
If you would like to buy this, it is available from Boots at £5.99 (or wait until it goes on special offer like I did!).

grr argh

How amazing is the concept and cover of this book?! Bought this at a charity shop today and I can't wait to read it.


My big box of hair products came today and I seriously won't need to buy shampoo/conditioner for the next year. I've only got 11 days to test them out so I got crackalacking with the Aussie Mega shampoo + conditioner.
Containing Kangaroo Paw flower (sounds weird no?), this shampoo is for getting rid of buildup and leaves your hair super duper clean, which in turn makes it shinier. Well my hair is still wet so I won't know for sure if it's worked until tommorow but I can feel my hair is silkier than usual already. Plus I can't stop smelling my hair, it smells so good! I was surprised about this, it's akin to Herbal Essences (but hopefully without the dandruff that HE gives me!)

p.s. I got fed up of trying to design my own layout and succumbed to a shabbyblog one

p.p.s. Enter this amazing giveaway at The Virtues of Beauty !!

Yesterday I went to see Clint Mansell play live and it was AMAZING! He's a British composer/musician who is most known for his film soundtracks (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler etc.) His name might not be recognisable but I guarantee you will have heard his music because it's used a lot in film trailers and tv shows -most notably Top Gear and X Factor.

I was sitting next to the director of the aforementioned films, Darren Aronofsky (Rachel Weiz's fiance) and Trudie Styler!! Plus the producer from Gnarls Barkley was sat in front of us and my boyfriend was so chuffed to meet him. Not gonna bang on too much about it but you should check him out if you like contemporary classical music as it's along the same lines. I'm currently listening to one of his songs from the new film "Moon".

Mesmerising stuff!

Okay onto my latest buy! I've decided not to straighten/blowdry my hair for a good while, so I've been letting it dry naturally and rocking my loose curls. My hair is very thick so I have to tame it with lots of serum if I don't want to end up looking like a frizz ball. My frizz ease has just about run out and I didn't want to pay £6 something for a new one! Instead I picked this Curl Hydration leave in cream from Tresemme up as it was on promotion in Boots for £3.15.



It's from the Flawless Curls collection which is one of the new ranges they have out I think? Anyway this is what it says on the front - "moisturises & smoothes for frizz-free defined curls & waves". You're supposed to use this after washing your hair but I used a small amount on dry hair to tame my frizz, so I'm not sure how good it is at creating/defining curls but will do a follow up when I get the chance.

From what I've seen so far I really like it. It smells great - the signature Tresemme scent and does the job well. In fact I've used this everyday for the past 3 days and it doesn't make your hair greasy at all, nor does it leave a greasy residue on your hands. And my hair really does feel moisturised. I also like the packaging - look at that funky lime green pump! Hopefully will do a post in the next few days on how it works in wet hair :)