Barry M Texture Nail Polish

I love experimenting with different textures, patterns and designs on my nails. A new favorite of mine is the  "Texture effect" from Barry M. it gives your nails a wonderful concrete style finish.

They come in an amazing variety of colors from brights to pastels. I bought the shade 304, Atlantic road  its a beautiful aqua blue.

To get the full effect, you will need a couple of layers, but to be honest you would with any nail polish.

The only down fall i feel this product has, is that its a tad bit of a nightmare to get of and tends to chip easily. Also i wouldn't recommend putting a topcoat over it as you would lose the effect.

(aah excuse the embarrassing lack of nail painting skills)

My hair is no longer colourful!

Although there is no picture what so ever of me with my purple/pink/blue hair. I though i would still share the fact that it is now official back to brown.

I loved my hair so much when it was all crazy colour's. It was fun and crazy and made me smile. But... A lot of work goes into maintaining such vibrant colour's.

It was also so incredibly expensive having to buy hair dye every fortnight and bleach every so often.

I also really started to notice the effects of bleaching and styling. My poor hair was being tortured every weekend so i could have crazy coloured hair.

Especially as the summer is (slowly) getting closer, i wanted a hair colour that was easy and could hide my hairs imperfections.

I also found that actually it was fairly hard to choose clothes that didn't make my look like a rainbow, this meant that i t always wore black, white or grey. This was a shame because i really love wearing colours and vibrant patterns.

So, at the end of the day i had a lot of fun with my hair and definitely don't regret it. but, my experimenting days are o-v-e-r, over!

Pastel Hair Dont Care...(feb)

Recently, there has been a flood of awesome and crazy coloured hair. Last October i caught the bug and went from a brunette, to a blonde and finally lilac! I love having coloured hair and since then, i have also had purple, white, pink, blue and all of the above together! Its a drastic and ambitious decision to go for the colour and like a lot of things, comes with its own list of risks. Of course, bleaching your hair is extremely risky and although i went ahead and did mine at home with a kit, I recommend getting it done by a professional or at least have a professional check the quality of your hair and whether its okay for you to bleach it. Dying your hair pastel (or whatever crazy colour you prefer) is not such a problem for your hair as it is a semi-permanent colour with no harmful chemicals, and can be diluted with conditioner in order to achieve the perfect pastel colour.

To bleach my and head and to bleach my roots i use "Jerome Russel's b blonde high lift powder bleach" and there "30 vol bottle of developer". It comes in the correct measurements and you simply have to put them together and mix them well into a creme formula. Bleaching my own hair is quite tricky so i have my dad help me do it. (yes, you read correctly...my dad  haha)

To colour my hair i use "Directions" semi permanent hair colour by "La Riche". Its easy to use, can be mixed with other colour's and conditioner and has a nice(ish) smell to it. It lasts usually about a week before the colour fades but doesn't fade completely for about 10-15 days, (give or take a couple of days depending on how much i wash and style it). To make my dyes last longer as well as to spend less money, i buy a pot of colour as dark as possible without getting the colour too wrong, and then i mix about a teaspoon of it with a bottle of cheap white conditioner.(if the conditioner was any other colour, it would ruin the colour you are trying to go.)

Once i have the perfect colour, i apply it over my whole hair with a tint brush, (with the help of my dad of course) making sure that every inch o my hair is covered with an even amount of product. Leave it in for about 20 minutes and wash off like you would regular hair colour. Style you hair as normal, then behold to the world your new awesome hair!

The comments i get for my hair are unreal. people who i don't even know talk to me about my hair ll the time an i have to admit, i love it! its a great way to express your personality and gives you an excuse to go wild!

How i went from brown to blonde

Bleaching my hair was not a decision i made on a whim, in fact it took me a year to decide  to take the plunge.

I decided to have my hair cut from a medium/long length to short (just above my shoulders). I did this because i knew the ends of my hair were of poor quality and did not want to risk my hair falling off!

I first wanted to ensure that my hair was in the best quality possible. To do this, i washed my hair with intense conditioner and repair serums. I also avoid all heat on my hair. The week before i used the bleach, i decided not to wash my hair at all. this was so my hair had a natural barrier of protection.

Bleaching hair at home without a professional is very risky and if you want to ensure no mess ups,  fully advise you to go to a hairdresser. But, i do not have the luxury of having money to spend on hairdressers.

My hair to start with, was a dark brown. I knew that i would have to bleach it multiple times in order to achieve the right colour. I would recommend allowing a week or so between each session. Courageous me, decided to bleach mine 4 times in 3 days! If i had had the time, i wouldn't have done it so quickly. But i had college a week later and wanted in done in time.

Products i used:

Jerome Russel b blonde high lift powder bleach

Jerome Russel b blonde developer in 40 vol, then 30 vol

Provoke touch of silver shampoo

1st bleaching

I left the bleach in my hair for about 30 minutes. once i had washed it out, i was faced with fluorescent orange hair! is was quite a shock but i was reassured by knowing it would soon be gone.

2nd bleaching

I was a little nervous about bleaching my hair again but did it anyway. I had to bleach my whole head again as it was all orange, i had also missed few bits the first time so had to cover them. I t came out a toxic yellow colour! Again, i was completely mortified but knew it had to be done.

3rd bleaching

I was really hoping that this would be the last time i would have to bleach my hair. My hair was looking so sad and tired after bleaching the last two times. I left it on for about 15 minutes. I dyed my hair a slightly more diluted orange colour. I then shampooed my hair with the silver toning shampoo. i left this on for about 30 minutes. Washing the shampoo out, i noticed that my hair was a lot shinier, and the lighter bits were more peach-toned.

4th bleaching

I knew that my hair really needed to be bleached again in order to achieve the right blonde i needed to go pastel purple. I was really reluctant to bleach twice in one day, but none the less, i did it. I only left it in for about 15 minutes again. By this time my scalp was little saw. my hair was finally a lot lighter then before and with a last toning shampoo wash, i was ready to dye my hair lilac!

If you have hair that's any darker the coppery blonde, then bleaching your hair will be a long process.

I also would not recommend doing it as quick as i did. I was exceptionally lucky not to turn bald! I would also recommend purchasing a silver toning shampoo as it eliminates the yellow/coppery tones that comes with un-naturally blonde hair.

My Soap & Glory Collection

Soap & Glory is without a doubt my favourite toiletries brand. Every product smells amazing and lasts on your skin the whole day. The packaging is so feminine and looks great on a dressing table or in a bathroom.All these products are available from Boots.

(left to right)

CALM ONE CALM ALL™

BUBBLE BATH

RRP £5.50

SCENT-SATIONALISM

GIFT SET

RRP £8.50

FOAM CALL™

SHOWER AND BATH BODY WASH

RRP £6.50

SOAP & GLORY™ ORIGINAL PINK

FORMULA 1 EAU DE PARFUM

RRP £16.50

THE RIGHTEOUS BUTTER™ BODY LOTION 500ML

JUMBO SIZE BODY LOTION

RRP £10.00

HAND MAID™

ANTIBACTERIAL HAND GEL

RRP £2.50

MIST YOU MADLY™

FLIRTY FLORAL BODY SPRAY

RRP £6.50

Calm one calm all 

This is a moisturizing bubble bath which makes the most amazing bubbly baths! its moisturizing properties really do leave my skin feeling soft and quenched. Not to mention the amazing fragrance which lasts all day.

SCENT-SATIONALISM- body spray gift set

This a gift set of the three body sprays "Mist you madly , "Girligo" and "Glamalot". they are in the travel sizes which make them perfect for putting in you handbag and taking everywhere you go. The two scents are perfect for day and night. The moisture mist is great for those on-the-go moisture pick me ups.

 

Foam Call

This is a super foamy shower gel which i like to use as my daily body wash. Its smells incredible, really fruity yet kinda sweet. Its not really a thick formula which i like and its also really moisturizing. I loved this body wash so much, I'm on my third bottle!  And have another ready and waiting for when I'm running low. :]

Original Pink Perfume

I really love this perfume, its perfect to wear everyday as its not to heavy. Its ligh

The Righteous Butter

I'm not one for remembering to moisturize regularly, but when i found this one I instantly fell in love with it.
It doesn't sit on your skin or leave your sticky. It sinks in instantly and leaves your skin noticeably quenched and   glowing. Of course, no soap and glory product is without the amazing ever-lasting scent, and this product is no exception.

Hand Maid

I always have a hand sanitation within reaching distance of me. Certain sanitation, i find dry out my hands quite a lot. This one however, i found didn't. It doesn't even smell like a synthesizer  It has a berry, fruity kind of smell that's amazing!

Mist You Madly

Sometimes, I  like to spritz a body spray every now and then instead of wearing a perfume. Without a doubt,  this is one of my favorite scents. Its long lasting and is the perfect summery scent.

Check out more of there products on the  Soap & Glory official website

This is me.

So this is my first post and i guess a good way to start is by introducing myself.

My name is Taylor, I'm 18 years old and i live in  a small secluded town just  outside of London, where i live with my parents and younger sister. I'm a college student and hope to be studying art next year. I love all aspects of creativity and try to explore all forms of art from fashion and make up to dancing and acting. i always try do have a go at everything and wanting to try my hand a writing a blog. so here it is. I like to babble about beauty products, hair, make up and such. As well as general.Stay tuned.