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

Summer 2014/15


(A photo of yours truly, as I accurately appear during the summer season)

Summer. Sun, sea, sand, surf, skin and sangria.
Also heat equivalent to what an individual must feel at the doorway of hell, in Australia at least. 

As the weather slowly, but surely, starts to warm up, it's gotten me thinking about not only my favourite parts of my favourite season, but my general tips and tricks for surviving some of the harshest conditions that can be thrown at a lil' bird. 

For starters, if you're pale, don't kid yourself. Slap that sunscreen and, in some cases, invisible zinc on, and just deal with it. Don't try to tan, because believe me, I have had enough summers attempting a natural glow only to end up with a glow similar to that of a HOT STOVE. Sunburn HURTS, it SUCKS, and it can damage your skin (to the point of melanoma!). A great thing to do is use a body moisturiser that already contains SPF, so even if you forget to use sunscreen or are planning on staying indoors for most of the day (whether that be for work, school etc.) at least your skin is a little protected. 
My top picks are
Palmer's Cocoa Butter with SPF 15+ https://www.priceline.com.au/skincare/hand-and-body/body-moisturisers/cocoa-butter-formula-spf-15-body-lotion-250.0-ml
Dove Gradual Tan in Fair-Medium SPF 15+ https://www.priceline.com.au/skincare/sun-and-tanning/instant-tan/summer-glow-gradual-self-tan-body-lotion-fair-to-medium-400.0-ml
Invisible Zinc SPF 50+ https://www.priceline.com.au/index.php/skincare/sun-and-tanning/sun-protection/spf-50-4hr-water-resistant-lotion-50.0-ml

Unfortunately when you fall into the above category of white, sunburn does occur
When this does happen, I have a few sure fire ways to soothe my skin and heal the damage.
First and foremost, ALOE VERA IS THE BOMB DIGGITY. The plant, absolutely, but the gels that you can keep cool and ready in the fridge are amazeballs, super soothing and calming. Although they are, unfortunately, sticky and take a little while to seep into the skin, they instantly cool any heat and make it easier to concentrate on whatever it is you want to be doing besides feeling the pain of the burn.
Coles have an excellent aloe vera and green tea gel that goes for about $7 a tube. I have one at home, one at the boy's house, my best friend has one in her fridge... you get the idea.
If you're not up for the stickiness of the gel, Aloe Vera sprays are also a quick way to relieve the heat and pain.
Aloe Aftersun Spray https://www.priceline.com.au/skincare/sun-and-tanning/after-sun-care/aloe-aftersun-spray-250.0-ml
And if you're as desperate as I was last Thursday, and in as much pain and overheating, follow the below steps. 
1. Wet a face towel
2. Place in freezer for 10 minutes
3. Take out of freezer
4. Place on burn until it's no longer cold, and feel the relief!
(Also HYDRATE. Your skin is in shock and dehydrated, your body is working super hard to fix your skin, and you've also been out in the sun. DRINK WATER.)

TIPS & TOES
Summer means thongs, sandals, open toe wedges and pumps, and bare feet running quickly across burning sand. This means there's a tiny bit more pressure than usual to have a nice(ish) pedicure and polish happening. 
(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li8kk8vxkb1qezpw2.jpg)

OK, don't feel pressured to do anything as cute as the above, because those skills are reserved for the beauty elite. Also if you're working a lot this summer (like yours truly) there simply isn't time for tricks and patterns, so my favourite polishes are quick-drying and one-two coats. Throw on an episode of your favourite TV series and chill while they dry, so you can be 100% sure they won't scuff or smudge. 
Rimmel 60 seconds dry https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/nails/nail-polish/60-seconds-nail-colour-8.0-ml6
I love shades of blue, turquoise and jade for summer - they're such deep, jewel tones that go along with many trends, and look so pretty against sandals or peeping out of a cute pair of flats.
Sally Hansen Complete Manicure https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/nails/nail-polish/complete-salon-manicure-14.7-ml
I also love a pop of pink or orange on the toe, whether they be pastel or rich, as they compliment a nice (fake haha!) tan and also go with summery colours and tones. 
Another trend I still love from Summer 2013 is the all-white manicure. Use smooth, soft strokes to ensure your polish looks like polish, and not White-Out.
Maybelline Color Show in Porcelain Party https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/nails/nail-polish/color-show-nail-color-7.0-ml

In terms of manicures, my line of work means keeping polish un-chipped is IMPOSSIBLE. Which is why I absolutely love love love LOVE press on nails. They don't damage your nails like DIY stick-ons, and they look AMAZING and last for about 2-3 weeks depending on how rough you are with your hands.
House of Holland offer AMAZING textures, colours and shapes, but come in at around $17 a pack https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/nails/false-nails/house-of-holland-nails-royal-explosion-1.0-kit
Fing'rs are a little more affordable and ADORABLE https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/nails/false-nails/prints-girlie-glam-on-the-dot-1.0-kit
And my go-to are Broadway nails - they're quick, easy, and the packaging is a prime example of someone seeing an opportunity and TAKING IT, and I appreciate that https://www.priceline.com.au/cosmetics/nails/false-nails/b-press-and-go-nails-190-call-my-agent-24.0-pack

Stay tuned for another post about how to live, as well as survive Australian summers! 

Until then, tweet tweet and much love my little birds xx

WHEN TANS GO WRONG

I'm so sorry I've been away from so long - work, uni, and getting sick at the same time hasn't left me much time or room for my little birds, but I'm back!

And BOY do I have a doozy for you!

I have cardinally sinned (in beauty terms) - I tried to apply MORE tanning mousse over my already fading, patchy tan, and the results weren't pretty



 Not pretty folks. Not pretty at all. 

 So today I used a tried and tested method for removing/fixing fake tan that I've been using for around two years now. It's super simple, all you'll need is

2-3 medium to large lemons, halved
1/2 cup raw sugar, or enough to make an almost watery-paste

1. Halve your lemons
2. Juice your lemons
3. Pour in the sugar
4. Take a bath!

(NOTE: you don't HAVE to take a bath. This stuff works in the shower too, but I find a bath lets me get a really good scrubbing before it all washes off too quickly)

I also added some epsom salts, as they also aid in getting that tan off as well as soothing any tight muscles.


Now grab a handful of your lemon-sugar concoction and give yourself a good scrub! Once you've done this leave it for 2-3 minutes, as the lemon juice gets into the skin and the acids lift the tan away from the skin (without being too harsh, of course). 

Take a clean face washer or small towel and rub this over the skin before rinsing. Make sure it's one you can easily wash, as the towelling will lift and rub off the tan in small, brown flakes.
Soak for a little while the tub after rinsing off the lemon juice and sugar, as this gets into the skin a little more as well as softening it.

Today I was DESPERATE to get this awful tan off, so after I hopped out of the tub I jumped into the shower and used the Swisse Body Exfoliant - it's a VERY gentle exfoilant that smells lovely, and it helped to get those darker, stubborn bits of tan to fade. 

Here's the result: 



As you can see, my tan hasn't completely faded, but it's far more even than earlier today. Once you've used the lemon-sugar scrub it becomes MUCH easier to exfoliate and get more of your tan off. I'd recommend leaving your skin a day or two between using either the lemon-sugar scrub or a harsher exfoliant, so your skin can recover from the scrubbing. 

And I PROMISE to never EVER tan over an already fading tan EVER again!

Also, using a gentle self-tanner, like Dove Summer Glow between tanning stints helps to  moisturise your skin and even it all out as your tan fades out. 

Until next time my little birds, tweet tweet! xx

Maybelline FIT ME did not fit me. At all.

Before I post the image that you'll see below, I just really want to emphasise that I'm ok, my skin will be ok, and I'm not in any pain or suffering any kind of irritation.

I woke up on Wednesday morning thinking that hey, my skin may have a few pimples at the moment, but it'll be all right. When I saw my cheeks, however (more commonly known as the G zone, opposed to my usually oily and problematic T zone) I scrapped that thought and replaced it with "OH MY GOD".


The photos above haven't been altered or had any sort of Instagram filter put on them. Those angry, red and pink blotches were a bit more vivid in real life, and they weren't pleasant at all. 

I mentioned in an earlier blog that the FIT ME stick foundation was for occasional use - the last time I'd used this product more than a few days in a row, it'd irritated my skin a little, but not to this extent. This time around I'd used the FIT ME stick to contour perhaps four days in a row, and obviously my skin did not appreciate it. 

As much as I would love to give this foundation the benefit of the doubt, after I stopped using it all together my skin calmed down SIGNIFICANTLY, and I'm unfortunately now certain that it was definitely the foundation that set it off. 

I may use this product again in future for nights out, where I need heavier make-up or a heavier contour, but otherwise it'll be shelved.

I want this to serve as a warning to my little birds with sensitive skin - stick foundations are heavy-duty, long-lasting, and for want of a better word, cake wear. Unless you are appearing on stage, need heavy, full coverage, or are heading to an event (such as a wedding or formal), I would recommend staying CLEAR of this product, or, not using it at all. 

Sorry to be a downer! I promise my next blog will be a lot more cheery! 

Tweet tweet xx
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