Autumn is here! (sort of)

Hello my little birds!

Autumn is here in the city of Melbourne! Well, sort of. In true Melbourne fashion we've had days in the low twenties, high teens, and days almost reaching thirty, followed by thunder storms so vicious trees have been brought down and trains delayed.




At least it's never boring!

In the lead up to autumn and the new A/W season, I've been scouting around and trying to get some inspo for both my wardrobe and beauty looks. Knitwear is BIG this season, and I'm excited for warmer, cosy fabrics. My only criticism is that neutrals, greys and pale, pale pastels seem to be the go this season, and I'd really rather not. Autumn and winter are already such gloomy, dark seasons, I prefer to inject my wardrobe with a hit of colour over a plain basic.

Last year I came across the trick from The Beauty Department last year and I LOVE IT.



Mainly because I hate seeing carefully applied and blended foundation all over the collars of my favourite knits and scarves.
I do have a slight variation, however; at times I'll use a tissue instead of a wash cloth, simply because washing make up out of wash cloths isn't fun either.


I am desperate for some new jeans, and this year a lot of brands are offering not only a great variety, but competitive pricing. the ripped/torn denim look is back in a big way, and whilst I like it on some people I don't know that I'll like it on me - my style is more vintage, retro girly than tough and grunge.

Fashion aside, beauty is looking anything but neutral for the new season.

Once more I need to rave about Sportsgirl beauty. I used some excellent self control and only bought ONE lipstick and ONE nail polish the other week, and I was very impressed haha!
I chose the shade 'Bitten' for the lip, because it's a darker shade than I'd usually go for and it reminds me of red wine, rich stews, and falling leaves.
I cannot for the life of me remember the name of my nail polish, however I've been really into matching my nails and lip shades lately - something about the coordination makes me feel all organised and glamorous!

Here I am wearing both, and I love teaming this rich, plum-wine shade with grey, I feel like it just pops so wonderfully, no matter how dreary it is in the city!




I recently splurged with some generous Myer vouchers from my 21st, and grabbed the Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! gel push-up liner and mascara.

I like the packaging of both the liner and mascara, and they felt very special in my hands. I'd always heard great things about the mascara, and I was lucky enough to see all the "policemen" walking around Myer in the city advertising the liner. Whilst I've loved the mascara and I have found it's plumped up my lashes and made them look very curled and doll-like, the liner I've struggled with.

The tip before use
It should be noted I've never used a gel liner before, so I believe I'm going to need a little more practice before I can really 'get' it. I also found the instructions a little tricky; once you remove the orange stopper the guide said to turn it 'a few times' to get the product up, however I struggled and ended up wasting a tiny bit of product because I turned it that little too much. I've also found one twist per use hasn't worked for me, but maybe that's because I've got such huge googly eyes haha!



This season, aside from sticking to my vintage/retro strengths, I'm going to be experimenting with some different styles and dressing - dare I say it - a bit sexy.
Ripped jeans aside, I can't go past a good skinny jean, especially if it makes the butt look good. I'm also a fan of high waisted jeans - I don't have the figure just yet to pull off tucked-in shirts, but I find the denim and fit of high waisted jeans means they're far, far less lightly to stretch out and slide down.

I've yet to wear this top anywhere but I love it! (Well actually, I DO have somewhere to wear it this Friday, but you'll have to watch this space to find out what that's all about!)
I'm thinking of swapping the black over for the red, but I'm honestly such a fan of the shape that I'd love to have it in every colour of the rainbow!

I've found a pair of boots that I am loving, but saving up for - because Urban Decay launch next week and I think some of my money may coincidentally disappear - that have a LOW heel. Aside from the fact that heels aren't comfortable, I have major calf issues. Yeah, I know. Some people don't like their noses, some don't like their arms, I can't wear heels without my legs cramping up so badly the last time I was 85% I was going to die. Not fun folks, not fun at all.



Autumn/Winter isn't my favourite season, but I'm looking forward to new beauty and fashion trends and adventures, and enjoying everything the beautiful city of Melbourne can offer me this year.

Until next time my little birds,
Tweet tweet xx

My Swisse Prize Pack!


Hello my little birds! In my last post I mentioned some Swisse cleansers and creams, so I thought I should elaborate!
Around August last year I was lucky enough to win a Priceline competition, by Swisse, with  over $150 worth of products. I’ve been slowly working my way through all of them, because I actually got that much it’s been hard to handle!




I’ve been using the Swisse Purify Cream Face Cleanser each morning and night, alternating with the Swisse Polish Face Exfoliant. Whilst I’ve enjoyed the Swisse cleanser, I think I much prefer St. Ives’ Apricot scrub as a facial exfoliant. Whilst the Swisse Polish works, and doesn’t upset my skin, I just don’t feel it cleans as thoroughly as the St. Ives’ brand scrubs.













The Swisse Body Scrub arrived just in time, as I’d run out of my Soap & Glory Breakfast Oats scrub. If you can’t tell from the photo, I’ve nearly used the entire tube, and unfortunately that’s not because I love, love, love it. Whilst it’s gentle and doesn’t upset sensitive skin, I found that to get off fake tan, or to really see a difference in the texture of my skin, or to really see a difference, I had to use more of the product than I would of my other scrub. I would probably re-purchase it for use during summer, when my skin can be a little more sensitive due to sun exposure.


The Swisse Recovery Anti-Ageing Night Cream is wonderful, though I do have a slight issue with the scent. Whilst I know there are no fake fragrances or perfumes in Swisse products, the natural scent of hibiscus took quite a while to get used to. In terms of the general feel of the cream, it’s soothing and thick, and my skin feels plumped up and fresher when I wake up.

I haven’t opened the Swisse Hand Cream with Vitamin F and Pomegranate, simply because I’ve still got my Vaseline cream and my Palmers lotion on the go, and opening a third hand cream seems like a bit of overkill. From what I can smell, though, the hand cream isn’t kidding about the pomegranate scent. I’m hoping it’s not a repeat of the hibiscus in the night cream, however, as that took me a good three weeks to get used to, and obviously a product on your hands during the day could be a tad more overpowering than I’d like.





Speaking of products on your hands, I’ve been using the rose hip oil on and off to combat my psoriasis and dry skin during the day, and night. I try to avoid using the oil when I’m working, as the oil could obviously stain fabrics such as silk, but when I’m at home or before I go to sleep, I’ll rub about two drops of the oil on my fingers and rub it into my palms.
I haven’t yet used the Swisse Bioactive Nature Oil, as it claims to do a lot of the things my Palmers Cocoa Butter Firming cream does. When I go through my bottle of that, I may start to use the Bioactive Oil, to compare.


 And that’s it! Thank you again to Priceline and Swisse for my incredible prize, all of the products are of such a high quality and I really do enjoy using all of them each day to feel natural and beautiful.
Until next time my little birds,
Tweet twee xx


P.S. I DID A COLLABORATION! With The Little Red Blogger! Go check out her amazing work and the interview we did together, it was so, so much fun, and her blog is INCREDIBLE!

http://thelittleredblogger.com/ 

January/February Faves!

I am a terrible person, I was hoping to get these out to you by the end of February but now we're four days into March! I'm sorry my little birds!



L-R: Kikki K planner, Pores Be Pure Mud Mask, Australis Finishing Spray, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri,  Stay Matte Rimmel Setting Powder, MAC Snob Lipstick, MAC Chatterbox Lipstick, Mocha Wallet, Maybelline Undereye Concealer, Australis Stay Put Foundation, Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette, Abode Aroma Intense Candle, Vaseline hand and cuticle cream, Palmer's All Over Firming Lotion, St Tropez Tan Mousse in light/medium, Soap & Glory Oats Smoothie Scrub. 

First up is my Kikki K planner, which I grabbed during their post-Boxing Day Sales. Can I just say I'm now a Kikki K convert? Aside from being my favourite colour (mint!) it has literally saved my behind this year, keeping me up to date with everything from birthdays, appointments, to remembering to drink more water! They're completely customisable, with various accessories and add-ins available online and in Kikki K stores. Such a good purchase, big thanks to Miss (well, Mrs now!) Maddy for inspiring me! 
This year I'm focusing on myself, and doing what I need to do to feel good, balanced, and happy in my life. Whilst that sounds borderline douchey and philosophical, it also translates to GOOD investments. Kikki K products are GOOD, high quality leather, and as you can purchase re-fills annually, they're very sustainable and will last for years and years to come. 

My Pores Be Pure Mud Mask was something I bought a sample pack of once, just to try, and became addicted to. At only roughly nine dollars a tube, it doesn't cost a lot to give myself a treat one-to-three times a week; I was concerned the first time I tried the product, as it tingles and grows warm on your skin. Having used it over the last six months I've found that not only does it not make my skin angry, it leaves it feeling clean and glowing. 

Australis have been knocking it out of the park for me lately! The Finishing Spray smells like roses and feels like mermaids are caressing your face before you leave for work. Not even exaggerating.
I've been raving to my friends about the Stay Put 16 Hour Foundation because it actually does what it says - stays put! My only complaint is that even the lightest shade, Nude, is still too dark for my (unfortunately) pasty skin. That, however, is a small complaint considering how good my skin looks with this foundation, and how long it really does last. Working long days in retail means that not only do I not have time to re-apply my make-up, I don't really want to think about doing it on my breaks. 
     To combat the darkness of my foundation shade, as well as really setting my make up to last all day, I have been adoring Rimmel's Stay Matte translucent powder. Sprinkle of Glitter (a.k.a. Louise) and Substance for Belle  both raved about this powder for so long that when I saw it on sale, I figured, why not give it a go?
I'm never going back to another setting powder! I'll still use my Australis compact on-the-go, but for setting and buffing, this stuff is king!

This is my ugly old mug after a solid fifteen hours of wearing my Stay Put foundation.
IT. STAYS. PUT!

SALLY HANSEN INSTA-DRI WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!

HOLY MOLEY. I am a SERIAL smudger/lumper/mess-up-er when it comes to nail polish! I'm actually the worst. You know that meme 'thought my nails were dry three hours ago/went to do something/nope'? That's me. Well, it WAS me - you put this stuff on two minutes after you apply a coat of colour, wait thirty seconds AND IT'S DRY
NOT STICKY DRY
NOT EVEN SLIGHT FINGER PRINTS LEFT DRY
DRY
Now I was lucky enough to receive my bottle in a Sally Hansen pack that came with any Chemist Warehouse purchase. Usually it goes for around $14 at Priceline, but obviously keep an eye out for deals, 3 for 2 promotions, and of course, free gifts with purchase. This stuff is amazing, I cannot recommend it highly enough!
My nails do, unfortunately, still chip after use, but to be fair, my nails never last more than a day once I'm at work. I've tried nearly everything and the only time my nails haven't been wrecked by the end of a shift is after a professional salon gel job, and guuurrrrl I do not have the money to be doing that regularly.

I was extremely spoilt on my 21st birthday, and I'm so very grateful and feel so special that so many lovely people thought of me and gave me such gorgeous, thoughtful gifts. I received two MAC lipsticks, my first ever, from a group of friends, and I'm in love. They're my babies, I keep them in their boxes and the zipper compartment of my bag, I never let them out of my sight haha!
The shades I have are 'Snob', an almost-nude pink, and Chatterbox, a pink/coral/bright shade that I love.
Chatterbox and Snob 

Admittedly I've been using Snob a little more, just as I find it's a little more matte and neutral compared to Chatterbox. For work I like to emphasise my eyes, so having a subtle pink works best for me day-to-day. When I do wear Chatterbox, I get that many compliments it's not funny! 
Snob on top
Chatterbox beneath

Speaking of thoughtful, beautiful birthday presents, my work girls spoilt me rotten with a whole collection of gorgeous items, including Too Faced's Naturals Eye Palette. 


I AM IN LOVE. I don't think I've used a single other palette since December. Some of the darker shades aren't quite day-wear appropriate, but make beautiful liners and shades for cut-creases as well. I'll even use Silk Teddy as a highlighter instead of blush. Such a beautiful collection of colours, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a palette that can do nice, neutral day looks, as well as smokey eyes for nights out, this is my pick! (However word is Mecca will soon have the Too Faced Naturals Matte Palette and that may become a new favourite by the end of March!)
(Speaking of Mecca and March, HOW FREAKIN' EXCITED AM I FOR URBAN DECAY?! LOTS!)

Of course, perfecting your eyeshadow game means nothing if you've got big, fat circles under your eyes, and summer heat doesn't make for a peaceful night's sleep, lemme tell you! So imagine my absolute DELIGHT to find Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer. HOLEY RUSTED METAL BATMAN. With Goji berry extract and a foamy roller ball, this goes on like a dream and really, truly works! I couldn't believe it! I've never had an under eye concealer work so well, and so nicely too. As you can see in the photo I've nearly gone through the tube, and I'll definitely be repurchasing as soon as I can! 

The Vaseline Hand & Cuticle cream is a staple in my handbag. I don't find it as hydrating as the Palmer's hand, foot and elbow cream, but it is definitely more quickly absorbed. I'm the worst at remembering to moisturise, so having this in my bag and having to look at it every time I grab my wallet or phone reminds me to do it!

I've said before and I'll say it again; Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub is AMAZING and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. 
Did you get that? LOVE IT.
For starters it smells like how I imagine American breakfasts do, all sugary and maple-syrupy, and amazing. It's a nice, smoothing scrub that doesn't leave my skin stinging afterwards (unless I've scrubbed too hard by accident) and my skin is smoother than a baby's bottom after wards.

Perfect for using before tanning, and I have to say, I now understand the hype around St. Tropez. One of my last posts from 2014 mentioned me buying the tan on sale, and I'm so, so glad that I did. It's a green based mousse that goes on smoothly with a beautiful finish, and doesn't look harsh or fake or orange. I'm very careful with how I use this tan, as it can stain your hands, and I leave my arms and legs out straight for about an hour after I apply, to make sure I don't smudge or mess it up. The problem with St. Tropez, for me, is the price. On sale I could justify the mousse and the mitt (which washes and dries like a dream, and is always ready to-go for application!), but coming in at closer to $50 than I'd like, I'm afraid this will be my first, and possibly only bottle. It IS on sale this week at Priceline so hopefully I'll be able to duck in and grab another, but no guarantees! This time around I might try the gradual tan, just so I can compare it against the Palmer's Cocoa Butter tan.

Palmers is another brand that's been surprising me lately, especially the Firming Lotion. I mentioned this product in a post earlier last year; I grabbed it just to try, and fell in love. It actually works! My thighs appear smoother, my skin feels better, and I've been recommending it to anyone concerned about cellulite, stretch marks, or skin tone. Team it with the Scrub and you'll have skin to die for!

More birthday goodies!

My work team are incredible. They're also thoughtful, generous, and kind, and heard me mentioning that I'd been looking for a new wallet. Imagine how excited and grateful I was to open my new Mocha wallet! IN MINT! Honestly these girls know me too well - it's gorgeous, it's patent leather, it fits everything I could ever need, and I adore it. Mocha are quite a cute little boutique style of stores found in most Melbourne shopping centres; they also stock Samantha Wills jewellery, if anyone else is in love with the Bardot Bohemian rings like I am! 

My gorgeous girl Hanna gave me the Abode Aroma candle in pineapple and guava, and in case you can't tell, I've nearly burnt it down to the quick! I LOVE THIS CANDLE. I light it nearly every night before bed, and it smells so summery and fresh. I leave its lid off during the day, so that when I come home my room smells like a mini-tropical get away.

That gorgeous china with the Lindt balls is Royal Albert, the Miranda Kerr collection. I was absolutely SPOILT and surprised, and humbled to receive the cake stand, tea strainer, as well as the tea cup, saucer and plate. They're absolutely beautiful and I know I'll keep them forever, and pass them down to my granddaughters one day. 
Fun fact about me: I collect tea cups. I think it's residual tea party obsession from when I was a little girl. 

Well that is it for now, my little birds! Any questions about any of the products mentioned, please just leave them in the comments - or if you've used any of these yourself PLEASE tell me what you think? Am I totally wrong? Is there something better I should be trying? Something I should know! Tweet it loud, tweet it proud! 

Until next time, 
Tweet tweet xx

Pink Hair Don't Care

Hello my little birds!

I PROMISE (cross my heart and hope to die!) that my next post will be SOONER and it will include all of my January and February Favourites for 2015

Today I need to share with you my latest hair adventure - PINK!

Fresh Colour & Curls

Before I give y'all the run down, MASSIVE THANK YOU to my girl Prue. Prue was the one who suggested we go pink, she has such a passion for hair and beauty, and honestly it's exactly the thing I've been needing lately so I can't say enough how grateful I am and how much I love that girl!

I got myself to Prue's house fairly early in the morning, and lucky I did or who knows how long we would've been waiting around for colour to take, etc. After lunch (woo! lunch!) we walked up to her local Priceline, where one of their sales assistants was extremely helpful. 
My hair is already quite blonde, and quite light, and has some ashy undertones. The main question Prue and I were tackling was what concentration of bleach to use on my already coloured hair; not only would this leave a great base for the pink, but once the semi-permanent dye washes out, the colour underneath needs to look beautiful as well. 
Important Colour Decisions Being Made
We ended up with a cream developer bleach, 30 Vol, a packet of blue peroxide, and a tube of a light blonde that was in the same colour wheel as my current tones. Prue also grabbed  a bottle of Swarzkhoff Nordic Blonde Toner to use after the colouring process, to eliminate any chance of brassiness. 

We return to Prue's, where I was bundled up like a baby in a towel, Prue popped on her gloves and started mixing. I cannot over emphasise how much I TRUSTED Prue to do this. Whilst it's absolutely great to have friends that want to experiment with hair and beauty with you, keep in mind there's some things best left to the professionals - Prue however has an excellent understanding of hair care and colouring, and I knew I was in good hands with her, literally.
Prue preferred to wear gloves and do the colouring by hand, rather than using a brush and foils. I think this lead to a natural, beautiful result, as Prue was able to judge, by eye, where the colour was going and how it was going to fade.

Bleach and colour were in, and we played the waiting game, chatting and checking the bleach wasn't getting too hot. Then I had my head over her laundry sink while she washed it through, first getting out the bleach and peroxide, then using toner, before washing it through with shampoo and conditioner, and then applying a hair mask. 
Waiting For the Hair Mask to Dry, Enjoying a Vanilla Latte (and Tim Tam.. or Four)


The mask was rinsed out, my hair blow dried, the dead ends trimmed, and voila! Beautiful new hair.

And then I was back in the chair for the best bit - THE PINK!
The method Prue used is one that leaves a semi-permanent, wash out result. If I were to take on the pink permanently, I wouldn't be doing it the same day I bleached or dyed my hair blonde, as I think that'd just be asking for trouble and breakage!

Essentially it's all the conditioner you can fit in a bowl, with all the dye you like, mixed up and then applied to the hair. 
Mid-Way Through
Again we played the waiting game, letting the colour sit... and sit... and sit... Before Prue used a hair drier on the conditioner/dye blend. The heat locks the colour into the hair as it dries.
Another rinse, another blow dry, aaaannnd... PINK HAIR! 

Left to Right: (1) Hair before colouring (2) Waiting for bleach and colour (3) Washed, toned and blow dried - blonde! (4) Conditioner and colour mask (5) Rinsed, blow dried and freshly curled
(6) Curls brushed out into beautiful waves 



I'm so excited and so so happy with my pink hair - it is semi-permanent, and even after washing it today the colour has receded and gone a gorgeous pastel shade. I honestly don't mind doing this process again because the end result was that beautiful and made me feel THAT HAPPY that I'm absolutely willing to tip my head over the laundry sink a couple more times haha!

Prue then pampered me like a princess, curling my hair, which looked phenomenal, and doing my make up too. I've gotten so, so many compliments about my hair, which has been so so lovely as well. I'll list all the products we used below, though I don't know Prue's hair mask brand (again, head in the sink guys, visibility was low!). I'm so, so, SO excited and happy about my hair! 
The Final Result xx
PRODUCTS; 
Nordic Blonde Toner $5.39
Hi Lift Blonde Highlighter Sachet $3.99
Innovative Creme Developer 30 Vol $5.59
Crema Colour in 10T  Very Light Beige Blonde $13.99
Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx

The Brunette and The Blonde: DRAMA

OK folks. The big day came last Thursday, and it went... Well it ended well!



The end result 



 I couldn't jump straight to my inspo photo level of blonde - my hair was much too dark from the ombre and balayage. Firstly it needed to be lightened, brought up quite a few steps and toned. Hopefully by my next salon visit I'll be able to achieve the ash blonde balayage I've been dreaming of!

Firstly, the back of my head, where I have the most hair, was sectioned and popped into foils.

This was where things got interesting.
Bleach gets hot, and as it lightens hair it gets a bit warmer. Moisture tends to drip and leak through the foils, which I knew from the last time I was blonde. As I sat in the chair, though, my hair slowly (but surely) began creeping from a 6 up to an 8, with 10 being the absolute BURNING hottest and 1 being nothing. Soon my scalp was getting to a 9, and it was at this point my hairdresser noticed quite a bit of leakage, so quickly teased my ends and applied lightener. Within ten minutes I almost couldn't stand it, but hadn't said anything because hey what do I know? (I'm not a hair dresser haha) When my hairdresser felt my hair and said "I've NEVER felt hair this hot, we need to get you to the basin NOW!" I panicked slightly. 
Lightener had also leaked onto my shirt, so my lovely hair dresser threw it in the washing machine - meaning for the remainder of my appointment I was topless. Ha. 


Here we are, waiting for the lightener to do its thing, hoping my clipped-closed wrap stayed closed so no one would spot my bra.... Chilling.. Chilling... 

The ready half of my head was washed first


Believe me, I know a tiger striped head ain't attractive, but it didn't stay this way for long. Once all my hair had been washed, my hairdresser had the base to start working up to the blonde you saw above. 
 (I know, sexy right?) 

My salon has recently started using NAK hair colour, promoted as 'the soft colour range'. It's pretty cool, the choose your tones, pop them in this bowl that's then WHOOSHED around like a salad drier, to achieve the perfect colour. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I was used to old products, but the end result looked pretty. Did it feel softer than the old colour products? Not so much that I noticed, but I must mention that my hair was a tad dried out after the process. Not due to anything my hairdresser did, simply because going from such a dark shade to a light colour isn't a great thing to do to your hair, no matter how healthy it is. My saving grace was that my hair is extremely thick, so breakage isn't as big of a deal because there is, seriously, that much of it. 

I've washed my hair twice since Thursday, and I've been using John Frieda Everlasting Blonde shampoo and John Frieda Color Renew conditioner, which is purple as it contains toner, STOPPING brassiness (yay!)

It hasn't even been a week and I've received so, so many compliments and comments. Weird as it sounds, although blonde isn't my natural colour, I feel more like myself with this as my hair colour over brunette shades. I'll keep you all up to date with how my colour is progressing, and all I'm doing to keep my hair healthy and my colour looking fresh! 


(Before: Brunette balyage                                                After: blonde and bright!) 



Tweet tweet xx


Stay tuned... My next post will be all-21st related, including a tutorial! 

Priceline Haul & Blonde Prep Update

Hello little birds!
A quick little post, I popped into Priceline today and picked up one or two bargains, and some VIBP (Very Important Blonde Products) before my hair appointment tonight!



First I grabbed a new can of Schwarzkhof firm hold hairspray (because my brother keeps ‘borrowing’ mine without replacing it) and John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting shampoo (extends your colour for up to two weeks – truly!). I love using John Frieda for my blonde hair, because the brand understands what your hair needs – the toning conditioner is excellent and cancels out all possible brassiness, whilst softening your hair after the trauma of bleach and foils.


I also grabbed some St. Tropez tanning products, as they’re currently marked down. I’ve always heard great things about the brand, but it’s so, so pricey! $50 for self tanner? On a student budget? Whilst also being blonde (at the time)? Er, nope. But down to $31? That was a little more do-able, for a one-off (as it’s my 21st birthday party tomorrow night!). To be safe I picked up the St. Tropez tanning mitt as well, as I would hope their mitt is designed to suit and help along their own product. I chose the mousse option as I find they dry a little bit faster, don’t leave an icky residue, and are easier to control than a spray.




Australis Stay Put foundation has quickly become one of my new favourites, as it actually does stay put! The only problem I had was I chose a shade suited to my (falsely) tanned skin, which didn’t suit my naturally pale beige complexion. I plucked from the shelves the shade ‘nude’ which will hopefully blend a little better. I also replaced my Face of Australia matte eye-shadow primer, as my last little $7 pot is nearly empty. 

I'll give the full run-down of my other preparation for going blonde on my next post, after my (eek!) appointment! 

Tweet tweet xx

Come with me as I go from brunette to blonde!

Hello little birds!

It's been almost a full year since I was blonde. What appealed to me the most was that going to a shade closer to (what I thought) was my original colour, I wouldn't have to deal with re-growth as often, saving me time and money that the blonde definitely did NOT.

Before I went to brunette, this is what I was dealing with.

As you can see my blonde was very brassy, re-growth coming through, the ends were dead and it was a struggle to deal with, and unhealthy. Something needed to change because as most blondes will tell you (even the natural ones!) it's not an easy colour to keep up. 


I won't lie, my first dive into brunette/balyage was much, much too dark and I was a little scared. WHAT had I gotten myself into? I looked so pale! I loved the balyage but I felt the hair closest to my face, and my roots, was borderline gothic.
I'd gone from a brassy blonde, above, to this:
Ignore the awkward facial expression, I think I was in shock. 
This is a few hours after the dye job, so you can see the dark marks on my skin. It took a little while to get used to seeing my own reflection! This was February 2014 - new semester, new hair. 

Fast forward to May 2014, and my re-growth was looking GREY. GREY! I'm only 20!
My hair wasn't turning old, I'd just misjudged my original colour. I'm naturally a very, very cool blonde/brunette colour, and unfortunately, against a bold, almost auburn brunette, that colour looks grey, even though it definitely isn't. My second attempt came out much, much better, richer and slightly lighter. 
As you can see the balyage has been pulled up a little higher, almost level with the cheekbone, which again softened the dramatic dark dye job no. 1
I loved this colour and the ombre, but as with all blonde ends, they began to split. That's why August this year I opted for a lob! 
August 2014 - the length was JUST at shoulder, and the balyage was still sitting at a comfortable spot - the brunette was also a lot softer than February, and without the dead ends weighing it down, my hair felt much lighter and heavier. 
Now we're in December (WHERE DID THE YEAR GO? NO SERIOUSLY I'M REALLY CONCERNED) and as much as I've enjoyed my hair this year, I need to be blonde again. I felt happier, brighter and more smiley as a blonde. For reference, 2011-2013 I went from a half head of foils 

To a full head of foils and full fringe by the middle of 2012
 

I loved being platinum, Barbie blonde, and I did love my fringe BUT HOLY MOLEY FRINGES ARE HARD WORK AND I'M STILL GROWING THAT SUCKER OUT. This time around I'm aiming for an ash-balayage blonde
Here are a few of my hairspo images!
 

I'll keep you all updated as I go from brunette-balayage back to blonde! (Fingers crossed it's not a disaster zone!)

Tweet tweet xx
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)