It's Summer In The City

I am beyond frustrated right now after losing most of the pictures I took in London yesterday with stylesocoy leaving me with very little to share with you and her with no OOTD shots. Today is not going to be my day. Long story short I was filming, I was exporting and things were deleted never to be retrieved.. ugh! Anyway I thought I'd share the snaps I did salvage from the Dorothy Perkins/Herbal Essences Event in the afternoon and then hopefully I'll be able to cobble something together from my instagram pics *sob*

The Dorothy Perkins range was part of the summer collection so the event was a refresher I guess.. it's nice to see season appropriate clothing on the hottest day of the year! What we saw will be available in stores soon and some pieces are already online from what I've seen here

You can get a little peek of Kat's outfit in the background here.. she was wearing a really lovely coral shirt dress and white blazer, very summery compared to my black, grey and navy ensemble! I was excited to see the tousle me softly range from Herbal Essences being promoted as it was one of my favourites last summer and you never know what might be discontinued but it looks like this is sticking around - good news!

That's all for now.. I'm off to scream in to a pillow!

Miss BB

Wella Q&A

Before Christmas I was asked to send in some questions to be answered by a style team at Wella. I received the video over a month ago and decided against posting it as they comically referred to me as "miss beauty budget", however I do think it was fairly informative and it was a nice opportunity to have some style "VIPs" answer my questions so.. here it is...

Miss BB

A Hair Raising Plan

I look at this picture of Elizabeth Olsen and think, 'she's pale like me! Maybe I could pull off that blonde.. but the picture below tells a different story. I look paper white! I'm sure I'm not quite so ghostly in real life but you may have noticed my new hair colour. You can see the shade I was here. I used ColourB4 to take out as much of the dark colour as possible. It left me with warm brown tones. I have an appointment at the salon tomorrow and my intention is to have about an inch chopped off the bottom, all of my layers trimmed and... as many highlights as they can cram on my head!

I've been brunette for more than a year now which someone pointed out to me is probably the first time in a decade and I'm bored! I've been contemplating a change for a while and I thought, why not in time for our honeymoon in Vegas? I love experimenting with new makeup when I change my hair colour but it takes a while to find the right combos so I wanted a little while to get used to it before we go away. They also say that there's only 2 weeks between a bad haircut and a good one.. well we fly 2 weeks on Sunday so fingers crossed I'm loving my new honey coloured mane by then!

I wanted to share my plan ahead of the appointment to prepare you for the 'reveal' post and inevitable YouTube video that will follow. Annoyingly I did just buy a new set of chocolate brown hair extensions which I mentioned in another post. I never showed you them because they weren't a perfect match and now they obviously won't be. I'm sure I will be brunette again at some point so I will keep them until then. If you want to see them I uploaded a video wearing them (link)

Until tomorrow...

Miss BB

Hair Envy

I have always loved Katie Holmes. I long for her colouring but know that much as I try... I can't change my pasty white skin.. I can however emulate her beautiful, shiny locks! She's been a constant hair-spiration to me and for someone that craves change she helps to keep me away from the evil bleach.

Today I made a purchase I've been umping and aching about for some time. 

I bought a set of Halo Hair Extensions!

They were £49.99 and my absolutely final purchase before our Vegas trip.. I swear!..maybe

I bought the 16in clip in's in Chocolate Brown which once again found me googling pictures of this lovely lady in anticipation of their arrival. My hair is faded now and I will likely have to dye it to get them to blend well but I can't wait to swan around the Vegas strip swishing my hair and feeling very glamorous. Once they arrive (tomorrow according to the FAQs) I will of course post my first impressions of quality etc but from reviews I've read online I don't imagine I'll be disappointed. 

I've never bought extensions online before so I'm a bit nervous to see them but they have a satisfaction guarantee and whether I dislike them or they are just a terrible match they are happy to accept returns which is one of the reasons I chose them.

Have you ever tried Halo Extensions??

Miss BB

My 2012 Wish List

My wish list for the coming year is not long but it's compiled of items I am desperate to get my hands on. The Moroccan oil is a last minute amendment as I recently purchased the 25ml and will certainly be needing the larger size. The 25ml was on my wish list you see but I just couldn't hold it in any longer. Another thing to mention would have to be the Clarisonic which I am likely to receive next week but that's still technically 2012 and I have waited a whole YEAR to get it so it' still going on the list. The Naked 2 does not hit the UK until January 1st where I will be banging down the door at dawn to get mine so again.. it will be an early check off for that one too but I consider it an absolute MUST-HAVE! The Babyliss Big Hair has seen some major blogger buzz over the past few months and since I'm trying to lay off my straighteners I am loving anything that can leave me looking "done" while avoiding them and the reviews I've seen of this are amazing. Lastly, I'm not sure a haircut can really go on a wish list but I consider any trip to the salon a luxury. I've coloured my own hair for years and haven't had a professional cut in at least 3.. maybe 4 so it it kind of a big deal. I hate to pay for someone to cut my hair when I really don't want it doing but come January "Project Hair" takes effect and the dead ends must finally come off *sob*

 I am on a self imposed spending ban (all but for the Naked 2 which I am allowing myself as an early birthday treat) from now until our trip to Vegas in March. I have the wedding to pay for in January and then all my spare cash will go towards our spending money. It's going to be tough but I'll appreciate it when I'm throwing dollars around our hotel room and cleaning out Sephora (these are the mental images I've chosen to get me through this difficult time)

Watch out for my second annual Budget Beauty Awards post coming very soon where I round up the years most used and favourite products. I've switched a lot of my hair and skin care in the past month so many of my beloved staples have taken a back seat in my regime but they still have their place in my heart and I'm sure I will find my way back to them.. I always do!

What's on your 2012 wish list?

Miss BB

Philip Kingsley - Elastic Fantastic?

I was so excited to receive the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer in my November Glossybox. There was a lot of buzz about this wonder treatment at the time and judging by the reviews it seemed to be a firm blogger favourite. My hair is damaged and dry and very much in need of a cut.. let me take you back to February of this year.. this was my hair...

It was dry, needed a trim, I'd cut myself a terrible fringe and I was searching for super conditioning hair-growing potion to make it long and lustrous...

Then in a moment of madness (of which I've had many) I decided I wanted to be platinum blonde)

I didn't quit achieve platinum but to get to this stage (in 24 hours I might add) I used ALL of the below...

For the first time in my many years of f**king about with my hair something I thought would never happen..did. As I was washing out the final dye my hair started coming awake on my hands. It had turned to chewing gum. It's one of those things you never think will happen to you.. you hear about it happening to other people but think it's totally fine to bleach your hair 4 times in a night and then continue to dye and tone it and it will be healthy as ever. Not so. I had a hair appointment booked, I knew I was going to need a trim at the end of my colouring adventure but I had no idea how big a trim. I couldn't face the hair dressers so I ended up chopping it myself. It turned out okay but quickly lost it's shine and went brassy so I was forced to return to the dark side. I was then left with this...

A super unflattering cut in a very similar shade to what I'd been prior to bleaching only now my hair was so damaged I thought it would never grow. Luckily I'd just found out I was pregnant. Pregnancy was very good for my hair. It grew fast and I didn't touch the bleach again until the day before I went in to hospital to have my son.. And then I enlisted professional help and only had highlights.

I'm still yet to take the plunge and get it cut though and those ends have really had it at this point. I was over the moon when I heard this Elasticizer stuff could leave me with virgin-like hair again. People were saying they had white blonde uber-dead hair and it brought it back. Why then did this amazing tube of miracle pomade do NOTHING for ME? I am both disappointed and perplexed. My hair is bad but surely not the worst. I have just invested in a whole host of healthy hair related goodies (which I'll post on later) I have enough makeup and right now my hair needs some special attention so you can expect more hair product reviews in the next few weeks. I was so hoping to love this Philip Kingsley treatment and was fully prepared to go out and buy a full sized full (£££) priced tub but it it left my hair feeling no better than before. For those totally out of the loop it's a pre-shampoo treatment that you leave on for 30 mins (I left it at least an hour) before washing and conditioning as normal. 

If you love this stuff please feel free to comment as I think that as with skin care what works for one doesn't work for all but I do think with something as pricey as this you want to try a sample first because it's not a guaranteed-to-work product!

God Bless Glossybox for giving me a sample because this is just the kind of "miracle product" I would have bought in desperation to avoid the hairdresser for just another month.

You can buy Philip Kingsley Elasticizer here for £25.50

You can also get a sample sachet here for just £3.50

Miss BB

Hair Envy

I don't know if it's the blonde or the waves or just the fabulous condition but I can't get enough of this girls hair! LOVE! Hair is definitely my next priority.. This weekend I will be shopping for super nourishing products and attempting these soft, polished waves in my own lacklustre hair.

Pictures taken from HRH Collection

Miss BB

Dear Santa...

Tis the season to be jolly... and lustful! 

Christmas is a great excuse to that yourself to some of the items you have lusted after all year long. For those items a little out of my price range right now.. consider this an open letter to Santa.

Moroccan Oil £30.45 here

NARS Love Thrill Gift Set £45 here

Yankee Candle in Sparkling Snow £9.99 here

Topshop Alphabet Letter Purse £6 here

Givenchy Play Intense £45.90 here

RI Rose Gold Toned Diamante Watch £22 here

KG Adelia Platform Shoe Boot £60 here

H&M Faux Fur Jacket £19.99 *sale* here

Viva Glam II Lip Glass £12.50 here

Viva Glam Gaga II Lipstick £13.50 here

Diamond & Morganite ring £103.77 here

Snowflake CZ Studs £19.99 here

Merry Christmas

Miss BB

My New Hair

I love being brunette, it's healthier for my hair and it definitely suits me more than blonde... but sometimes it's a bit boring, y'know? That and the darkest dark shades I usually use tend to make me look even paler than I am (which is really pale). So I decided to lighten up as a pre-baby treat and this is the result.

What do you think?

A hairdresser friend of mine (she's actually StyleSoCoy's sister) came over and did it for me in the comfort of my own home which is always nicer when we're talking time consuming foils. I told her I wanted lighter blonde pieces in the underneath and overall highlights and I think it came out really nicely. When my hair moves you can see the lightest sections and dependant of how I style my hair it will reveal different highlight effects, it makes me boring brunette shade much more versatile. The damaged ends of my hair always fade quickest so it's evened out my colour too. I loved the glossy dark on top but the lower layers never matched so it was about time something was done and I really like how it's turned out. 

It's not quite the Lauren Conrad brunette I was initially campaigning for but over time I think I'll have more blonde in the underneath to achieve that contrast look. 

Before and After

You can't ignore the difference in skin tone and I swear this is the exact same makeup I'm wearing in both photos. Ok so the lighting's different but neither were taken with flash.. the warmer shade just really brings out the colour in me. It's perfect for Autumn/Winter and most importantly I like it!

Miss BB

Project Profile Picture

After a conversation with Fee (makeupsavvy.co.uk) on Twitter about how she felt her appearance had  changed over the years I took a peek at my Facebook profile pictures and it turns out I'm quite the chameleon myself. Nearly every one of these was taken before I started blogging and vlogging so it just goes to show I've always been one for switching up my image. I love photos for this reason, you can look back and judge what style really suited you with more objectivity than you could when you were sporting said style. You can see what hair colour made your eyes pop and what just didn't go. You can see that wearing tight dresses did not make you look skinnier and you can see that sometimes it's better to "embrace the pale" than look like a Jersey Shore reject. This is just a selection of photos from the past maybe 5 years... this doesn't include any of my teenage looks where I dabbled with the "goth"trend or sported the (very popular at the time) croydon-face-lift. We've all had our disasters and I love Facebook for keeping them on record for all to see. I'd like to suggest you all give this a go.. it's eye opening!

 

 What's your favourite?

And if you do do this, please leave me your blog post link!

Miss BB

My Hair..

My hair has finally grown to what I'd describe as "mid-length" and the last thing I want to do it cut it but I really want a change. I love the ombre look but I don't think it looks great on shorter locks and I have lots of layers so I'm not sure it would work. I want to lighten up while still keeping a rich brunette tone throughout, I've been too blonde in the past and it washes me out. I like my hair dark but it can make me look so pale.. I just want something I little different. I love this highlighted look LC's rocking (below) and am hoping to achieve something similar with the help of my hairdresser friend who's visiting tomorrow. The day before my hospital visit may not be the optimum time for making changes like this... after all the first baby pictures will be around forever so I'm keeping my fingers crossed I don't hate it. In the meantime if any of you have any fabulous colour suggestions/pictures for me I would LOVE to see them... leave me a comment!

Miss BB

Home Hair Extensions - How To

I've thought about doing this a lot since I chopped my hair off in February. I used to use glue-in hair extensions all the time a few years ago before I discovered clip-ins and decided they were the be all and end all. The problem with clip-ins for me is that I can never be bothered to put them in and when I do they feel loose or tug my hair and more than anything else they feel bulky on my head. Being pregnant there's not a lot you can do to make you feel more attractive as you get heavier so I guess that had something to do with why I finally bit the bullet today. I know I'll probably regret it.. I remember the nights of picking glue out my hair but I couldn't help myself. I did buy the weaker glue (not the liquid gold I used to buy) and some remover so I'm keeping everything crossed it's got easier in the last few years.

They took less than an hour to put in.. more like 40mins actually, so it will really depend on how easy they are to remove and how long they last as to whether this will be a regular thing.. we'll see. I love the extra length. I didn't want them too long so I went for 14" and I think they blend quite well.

I knew I wouldn't be able to let this change go without explanation and anticipated lots of "how do I?" questions so figured I'd take some pictures by way of tutorial. 

I bought 4 strips (£6 each) , I bought 2 different shades in the hope it would look more natural as my hair isn't one block colour.  You can see below on the left how they look wrapped up and on the right each width unravelled. I alternated the two shades when I applied them to my hair.

Here's my before... 

When I sectioned my hair nobody was more surprised than me at the colour of it.. since I used Colour B4 last week I thought it had lightened up overall but turns out the layers underneath lifted a lot more...Disappointing to see my roots though.. I haven't bleached my hair since February.. I don't think that's much growth for 7months! Anyway... so I sectioned my hair with a tail comb...

I applied a thick line of glue to the "root" of one strip of hair and left it a couple of minutes to go tacky..

Hopefully you can see from the picture below but in a nutshell I attached it as close as I could get to the roots of my own hair. You may well need help (I did... Lee did most of the work if I'm honest)

One thing to make sure of is not to get any glue on the upper hair you've sectioned away!!!

Repeat for as many layers as you feel necessary to get a believable thickness. I think I could have done with a couple more but hey ho... next time! Forgive my badly straightened hair below but this was just after application. Add some waves and serum and the extensions are barely detectable. I'm really pleased with them! You can be sure I will rue this day when I come to remove them but I will be blogging that experience too so watch this space.

How many of you have tried DIY glue-in extensions?