New Year, New Hair

Happy New Year!

With a new year comes many different things, one of them being new hair! Or rather, a new hairdo. I gone done it. I had my hair chopped. It's so bouncy and really curl now and although it's quite a bit shorter than i had originally thought, I actually quite like it now. It's taken no time to get used to although i really should try to style it better, perhaps with the tongs to get more beachy waves. That's if I can be bothered.

the self: glasses by Celine

I'd been wanting to have my hair cut for ages and with each passing day Pinterest and Instagram were throwing at me so much fodder in the 'hair' sections I just had to book the appointment and go for it. I really wish I could get the hairdresser to cut my hair when it's dry though. Can anyone tell me why they won't cut curly hair dry? It's so much better to see the way it sits naturally than when wet. Hence the reason i now have corkscrew curls at the nape of my neck! Also, why do they suggest that curly haired girls style their hair by applying a cream then twisting sections and either blow drying or leaving to dry naturally. When I've had that done (twice) it looked a mess and left me feeling like I'd just walked out of a bush. It isn't nice at all. No, I just apply product and leave to dry naturally.

I finally got the last few bits of that out of date ombre colour cut off the back but it's left me my colour a bit flat so I'll be looking to get a few bits added back in in the near future.

side view: curls my own, glasses by Ray-Ban and yes I was deciding between two pairs

Now, if any fellow curly girls know of good styling products that don't give you that crunchy wet look do let me know. I'm using a curl cream and some Oribe Surfcomber mousse at the moment which is good but really expensive.

Angela

Keepin' It Fresh

Since returning from New York I'd been dying to find a stockist of Fresh products here in the UK. For the time time ever I've almost finished a lip balm. That's the Fresh Sugar original lip balm. It has SPF15 and smells just like the old fashioned sweeties, Kola Kubes, which I LOVE (pre-brace!). Delicious.

Anyway, I thought my luck was out until I tweeted asking @FreshBeauty and they kindly replied with details of how I could order from the London shop and they'd deliver. So that's just what i did last week. And the little box of delights arrived within one day, all neatly wrapped with a nice hand written note from Aimee, the assistant manager, whom I'd emailed with my order. Lovely.

What I got were: the Fresh Ruby lip treatment balm and the Fresh Petal lip treatment balm (a newish shade I think) (£18 each). I also got a little Christmas set called Sugar Wishes (£23) with the original Fresh Sugar lip balm and lip scrub. Happy Christmas to me. And finally I got a bottle of Fresh lemon sugar body lotion.

The lip treatment balms are a tried and tested formula for me. Not sticky, really moisturising and they smell amazing. The petal shade is kinda my lips but better and the ruby shade is my lips but a little pinker, brighter and much better - a nice Christmas shade if you're not into lipsticks. They look really pigmented in the tube but once on the lips it's like a tint of colour that you can easily build up for more colour wash. Perfect for me really since I have a drawer full of neglected lipsticks.

I've not opened the Christmas set as my original Fresh Sugar lip balm is still going and I won't crack open a new one until that is finished. I'm looking forward to trying the lip scrub though as winter is here I know my lips will be dry and flaky real soon.

The main event though is the body lotion (£18). Now, I don't like body lotions that are too strong (Pond's cocoa butter), or that don't sink into the skin and sit on top of it making you feel a little slimy (La Roche Posey iso urea lotion) but i do like to keep moisturised (Kiehl's Creme De Corps) as my skin can look almost snake-like if I haven't used lotion for a few days. And with the Kiehl's being a little on the expensive side for a small bottle, I thought I'd try a Fresh one. I opted for the Lemon Sugar scent as I thought it must be zingy scented and, well, fresh. And that it is. It's a lighter lotion than the Kiehl's. It rubs in perfectly and leaves a scent but not an overly strong scent. Just enough after a warming shower. It's lemony, sugary and wakes you up. The consistency means it sinks into your skin like a dream and doesn't leave that slimy film at all. My legs are especially dry but on leaving work and going to the gym afterwards they still felt hydrated from the morning. Perfect.

I wish Fresh Beauty was more easily available here in the UK. When Sephora started shipping to the UK I thought my troubles had ended but Fresh is one of the brands they don't ship the UK. We need to rectify that, Sephora and Fresh Beauty, please?!

Angela x

The Good Stuff Of... September

September. That transitional month that's not quite autumn but the summer is still hanging around too.

New York
It started with me in New York - I'll finish those blog posts soon. There's still Central Park and the Jeff Koons at the Whitney Museum to show off. So, yeah, me in New York was a great thing of September. Check back later...

Music
I go through phases with music (as I do with most things in my life). I listen to music for months then not much for weeks. This month high in my playlist priority have been George Ezra (that voice!) with Blame It On Me. On repeat most days for me that song. Next up is Blame from Calvin Harris feat. John Newman. For me there is no one out there that can produce tune after tune like Calvin Harris. I still regularly listen to the 18 Months album. Plus he is ageing very nicely indeed. Hashtag HotScot. Other tunes very much in my ears are Zombie from Jamie T, Iron Sky from Paolo Nutini and All Of Me John Legend. What's in you ears this month?

New iPhone!
No Photo. You'll have seen one by now...
I can hear the android device people groaning from this far. But it had been three years since I had a new iPhone. I know, first world problems. However, I ordered it online and it was delivered by O2 on launch day. Within an hour i had it set up, number transferred and everything. I have to say, going from a 4S to a 6 is a big leap. Although the device is larger I cannot tell you the last time my 4S battery lasted more than 13 hours. In fact i don't think i ever did. On my 6 I have had a fe times this month that it has lasted me 1 day and 4 hours or more. I can tell this from the battery usage. I even think the novelty of having my battery at 5% and not flaking out on me will not wear off for a while. It's a revelation to me. The Phone itself is nice. I didn't opt for the larger 6 Plus device. It was a step too far for me. I made an actual cut out of the size and dimension of the two versions of the phone before i ordered it. The 6 barely fits in a pocket and the 6 Plus certainly wouldn't have fitted in my pockets. There's been talk about phone bending when you sit on them. Well, what donkey would put a £500 plus item in their pocket and sit on it? I mean really people, come on. Plus if you're wearing jeans that have pockets large enough to fit a 6Plus hen you should be having a word with yourself. I joke, but seriously! Anyway, so far i've got no complaints with the phone. I really love it. In depth review there, huh?

Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Netflix
I've expressed before how much I love Netflix, butler me just reiterate it. I LOVE NETFLIX. This month i've overdosed on the whole Series 1 of The Originals (the Vampire Diaries spin-off), then i went and started watching The Vampire Diaries from the beginning. Two weeks in and i'm on series 3. I'm really enjoying it. Binge watching is the way to go with programmes. Why wait a week when you can hit go on the next episode. Gotta be done.

Having said that I started watching The Leftovers when I was in New York and it had only just started when i came home so i've been watching that weekly on Sky. Not least because Christopher Ecclestone is in it, as well as Jennifer Aniston's absolute hunk of a man Justin Theroux. Dreamboat. The story is decent too. Haha, at the story being an afterthought! Jeez.

Le Labo body products
Oh Em Gee. Have you ever smelled a Le Labo product? In particular Santal 33? It is absolute heaven to the senses. I first used these products back in March when I first visited New York and they were the toiletries at the swish Refinery Hotel I stayed in. When I stayed this time I made sure I brought some products back with me. Shower gel, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner. They're only tiny bottles so I'm trying to ration them for special occasions but every now and again i'll just open the body lotion bottle and take in a huge giant sniff of that scent. It's warming, it's homely, it's masculine and feminine at the same time but most of all it reminds me of two fabulous trips to New York.

2014, what a mighty fine year you've been so far.

Angela x

Rosabotanica

I've become more experimental in my choice of fragrance over the past few years. Eternity by Calvin Klein will always be my one true favourite however slowly but surely I've branched out and dallied with other scents to suit my mood, or indeed the season. Lancome's La Vie Est Belle is hot on the tails of Eternity in the number two slot. Jo Malone Honey Blossom and Nectarine is my spring summer scent. Now though. Now i have discovered Balenciaga Rosabotanica.

All I can say is YUM. I don't know what's actually in this but once it settles on the skin it's lovely. So lovely I had to buy myself a bottle. I got a little sample in a box i got delivered last week. I sprayed it on my top to try it. After a little while it settled into a gorgeous floral but not too sickly smell. You see I wold never say that i'm a flowery person. I don't particularly like flowers around the house. I would always choose fruity over floral but this, this might just have changed my mind.

And let's not forget about the design of that bottle and box. Isn't it just great.

I can see me leaving this on my dressing table top for all to see. But just don't you try to take a sneaky spray!

Angela x

#NOTD: Essie After School Boy Blazer

Navy.

It seems to be a thing this season. Navy. Navy is everywhere. From my coolest new H&M premium collection handbag to my new Primark socks to the new hue to grace my nail polish drawer.

Here we have a navy cream called After School Boy Blazer from Essie's autumn collection.

I haven't really had a navy in my collection. I have a few pastel blues and a really amazing inkjet blue shimmer polish from Leighton Denny but i'd never been a one for just navy nails. Until now.

It really is the perfect navy colour. Really opaque with one coat I found but for a flawless look you might want to add two coats. Settles on the nails and gives a really nice dark with a twist finish. I love it, and i thought i'd gone more of a pink person. It seems the leaves on the ground and the nip in the air has muted my personal colour palette and i'm kind of okay with the navy.

It's easy to apply with the brilliant Essie wide brush. I go on about this all the time but the brush can really make or break my decision to apply a polish. I have to really steady my hands with a thin brush which can then take ages to do. I like the wide brush for a quick and smooth application. A couple of strokes on each nail and you're done.

Good stuff.

Angela

Greige #NOTD

Models Own  Utopia

I wasn't really a fan of the greige nail trend when it came out. I avoided it for far brighter or completely dark colours. However, there is a colour that falls somewhere in between greige and very pale lilac. That colour (above) is Utopia from Models Own.

Having pale freckly skin, I don't think certain colours suit me. Like proper full on beige colours, they wash me out. Utopia is the perfect beige but not really beige pale alternative. It lay at the back of my nail polish drawer, unloved and unopened since a first wearing some time last year. At that time I paired it with a glitter polish from OPI - Rainbow Collection. It was lovely.

Top - Models Own Utopia after 4 days wear (decent); Bottom Barry M Lychee

This time I've left it alone. I've had two coats on for 4 days now and there's only starting to be a little bit of wear on the edges (top photo above). You definitely need two coats, three for a fully opaque coverage. The application is nice but can be patchy. I suggest a thin first coat then a slightly thicker second one.

Whilst in town I browsed the nail section in Superdrug and completely off the cuff bought Barry M Lychee gel polish (bottom photo above) and Rimmel Mary Mary Quite Contrary. I wanted to compare the three. 

Rimmel Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Models Own Utopia, Barry M Lychee - Flash on

Rimmel Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Models Own Utopia, Barry M Lychee - Flash off

I've already tried the grey Rimmel polish and I love it. It will be a good autumn colour with the pale simple colour palettes that are gracing the windows of my favourite shops. It's almost exactly like Utopia except it's grey instead of very pale lilac. You'd hardly notice the difference, though there is a slight one. Lychee is an obviously more beige colour. I'll give it a try but it may not suit me.

What's on your nails?

Angela x

Tangle Teezer-ing my curls

Being a curly haired girl, I haven't really brushed my hair in years. Not my dry hair. It would resemble that of a maiden dragged through a hedge backwards if I so much as looked at a Denman brush. But, one time, at the hairdressers, the young assistant who was washing and prepping my hair used a Tangle Teezer on me. It went through my hair like a hot knife through butter, so smooth was it's action.

I then toyed with the idea of buying myself one for months. In the end I never did, but when I ordered the Selfridges summer beauty box I was delighted to see one in there. This is the Tangle Teezer Aqua Splash. Made for summer when you're in and out of the warm sea waters or a swimming pool by an amazing view... sigh.

It is quite large but the centre is hollow so it's not heavy at all. The ergonomic shape makes it easy to hold in the shower when I'm washing and conditioning my hair. For that is where I will mostly use mine. I like to shampoo my hair first, apply conditioner or a mask, brush it through and leave for a few minutes to work, then I rinse and brush out the remaining conditioner. It works for me. I have used a little plastic Revlon wide toothed comb I got in Superdrug years ago, but now I use the Tangle Teezer.

love the design of this Tangle Teezer Aqua Splash

It has made the process of washing my hair at the gym easier and quicker too, which is always a great help. I'm not sure how the thin plastic bristles can manage to make my hair feel silky when it more resembles straw at the moment. The act of brushing your hair can feel great, soothing almost. But I'd never brush my hair dry with any brush. However, when I'm putting my hair up on a ponytail I do use it to smooth it out first then wrap it in a bungee tie or a bobble.

Being a lover of a good simple effective piece of design means I absolutely love this. The pink and white colour scheme and the ability for it to stand up means not only is it functional, but it does look good on the bathroom shelf!

(available from Boots for £13.99, possibly cheaper on some online outlets)

Angela x

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That Perfect Ombre Hair: the search goes on...

So, I got my hair done again last week after a little over 5 months. I went back to the same place, and frankly I'm a little disappointed with it. So much so that i spent the past few days researching THE perfect hair colour for me on different websites based in places as far reached as LA to Miami to London. Argh, does anyone else have this much angst when you're getting your hair done? I swear I'm more scared of the hairdressers than the dentist. Serious.

Anyone, you might wonder what went wrong this time. Well, I don't really know except the colour is totally wrong for me. My much desired perfect ombre looks like grown out highlights with a hint of the dreaded stripey look on the sides. Serious. I don't like it that much. I mean, it's passable for summer. You could say the base colour (which I wanted just like my natural colour), looks like the 'sun-in' look from the 1990's. Oh yes people. I used to spray that stuff on my hair hoping for that sun-kissed look, but what you actually ended up with was, well, not exactly that.

That's my current base colour. With blonder bits at the end, which i did ask for. I just expected it to be nice and blended. Which is sort of is and in the salon it did look very nice. But on closer micro inspection in my 5x optical mirror, I can see the edges of where the blonde starts and ends. And I can definitely see a ginger tinge in the base colour. OMG.

Crap. I'll have to let it grow for a month or so and see what evolves. It usually ends up okay once the colour starts to fade a little bit. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, I've decided that the only person I'd trust now to do my hair in Mr Johnny Ramirez. Unfortunately there's about 5000 miles and a big wide ocean that separates us. (You don't know how many fingers and toes I had crossed on Friday night to win that EuroMillions lottery so that I could visit his LA salon. Serious). Anyway, I absolutely adore his work. I follow his website, Box No 216, 'Like' his Facebook page, found RamirezTran on Tumblr, and Instagram.com/ramireztransalon and I'm always excited when they post a new 'in the salon with..' story every couple of days. Yes, I'm obsessed in that 'I love your work' way, not in a stalkery way!

He seems like a genius with hair colour. And his partner in crime, Anh Co Tran, seems like a genius with a pair of scissors. Reading the stories, they often spend up to 8-10 hours in the salon with a client to get the colour just right. Just right! Wouldn't that be great! How many times have we been whisked in and out in 2 hours in our salons here in the UK, whilst in-between your colour and cut your stylist heads of the cut Jessie's hair who has popped in on the off chance of a last minute appointment. Not exactly customer care. I know they have to make money but it does feel like a bit of a conveyor belt instead of good customer care, at times.

Anyway, to say I would DO ANYTHING for a chance to have Ramirez Tran let loose on my hair would be an understatement. If I had the money I'd be out there in a flash. With each photo that's posted I am so jealous of those women who have their colour perfected by the man himself. He's famous for his well blended, faded even, ombre look. Ombre incase you didn't know is like really grown out highlights (darker roots and lighter ends) here in the UK. In Johnny's chair you get baby-like hair. You know when you were a kid and it was those long hot summers (I know, we're in the UK but humour me)? anyway your hair was sun-lightened around the face and the ends were lighter too because your mum always tied your hair in a ponytail. Well, you know that hair? That's what he's famous for.

Hair that I would absolutely LOVE.

I mean, the only other haircut and colour that has been pretty much perfect for me was when I visited London salon Jones and Payne and Charlotte coloured my hair. She pretty much gave me my own hair colour as a base and then lightened my ends a little bit. I loved that hair too. (Oh and the reason I need my base colour done is that since I'm mid-twenties (ahem, okay I mean thirties!), there is a little bit of silver slivers showing through now. It happens to us all. Otherwise I would never get my base colour done. Sadly I need to. But when Charlotte coloured me, she pretty much nailed my colour. That was 2 years ago and I've been striving for that ever since.

The reason I'm bothered so much is that my hair is pretty much my favourite thing about me. Apart from my flat stomach - wink. No, but seriously, some people don't mind using packet dyes but I'd be too nervous to do that myself. Plus I don't want to damage my hair further. The ends are now a bit dry due to the bleach that was used to lighten them. No, I'll wait a month or two and try to get it corrected or coloured with a flat, non ginger-tinged natural looking base colour. I wonder if that's possible?

Until then I'll try not to let it dent my confidence and I'll leave you with a few pictures of what my ideal hair colour would be. You can also find more examples of my favourite hair on my 'Hair I Love' Pinterest board.



This is pretty much what I'd ideally like...




OR this...



Or this...



You get the idea. Lovely, natural looking faded ombre hair colour.

Please someone in the universe, make this happen?!
Love, Angela X

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NOTD: Essie DJ Play That Song

I've got a couple of purple nail polishes in my collection but every time i reached for them i was met with this pang of doubting niggles in my head. It's too dark, it's too lilac, it's too reddish. Until now.

This, my friends, is what i'd call the perfect bright true purple from Essie neon summer collection - which may not be released in the UK yet (if at all). It's called DJ Play That Song. I know, great name right! And it's bedfellows in the summer collection are all a little bit bright and neon. Perfect for summer (if we ever get one). But if not, perfect to cheer up these dreary grey showery days.

I got this from my trusty favourite eBay store in the USA so it has that thin brush. I was a bit wary of using it but the formula is good. I put a very thin first coat on (that looked almost jelly-like), then made it more opaque with a second coat. Lastly, and unusually for me, I put a coat of the famous Seche Vite top coat on. My first use and i'm impressed, although 2 days on and i have a little bit of tip wear where i have a ragged nail.

The colour is great on my light freckley skin tone. They call it 'jammiest neon plum'. I'd call it freaking delicious! It pops without being ultra neon bright. As I'm looking at it now it does in some ways have an almost jelly-like look about it. Perhaps that's the top coat though.

Really pleased I picked this colour purple, finally. I don't know what I was afraid of.

Angela x

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Beachy Hair - minus the beach

I used the same shampoo, from the same bottle, for the whole of 2012. A giant 1 litre bottle of Aveda Be Curly shampoo. It's good but i felt like i needed a change, and my hair probably did too.

However, since the turn of the year I've been trying out other shampoos. No conditioners as I'm still using the remnants of a Frederik Fekkai conditioner for curly hair that smells like tangerines. Not oranges, tangerines, there's a difference ;)  I've even begun trying a Tresemme nourishing shampoo, something i never ever thought I'd try. But I decided that i wasn't going to spend insane amounts of money on something you wash into and out of your hair.

And then Bumble and Bumble just had to go and launch the Surf range.

New for summer is the Surf Foam Wash shampoo and the Surf Creme Rinse conditioner. As well as the fantastic Surf Spray. I absolutely LOVE their surf spray but at £19 a bottle it's just not been in my shopping basket for a few years. I bought my first bottle back in 2005 from HQ Hair. I saw a few reviews raving about the new range but never from anyone with my type of curly (kinda already beachy) hair. In John Lewis last weekend i hesitated and decided not to buy it. I have this new rule. If I see something I want to buy, i don't buy it there and then. I wait a day. If I still want it the next day I weigh up why, then decide if i really need it before i buy. Works. Sometimes! But this non purchase lingered on my mind and as soon as I was home I searched online to see if there were any bargains.

Hurrah! I managed to stumble upon a site i hadn't heard of before, Active Beauty, and with the lure of 15% off until 21 May i didn't hesitate for a day. I bought the shampoo, conditioner and the surf spray all with free delivery too. Bargain.

I tried it out on Saturday. I wasn't expecting much to be honest. You know when shampoos promise much and almost always fail to deliver. But oh, how wrong was I! What I ended up with was soft, great smelling, 'beachy' hair. Usually if i don't put mousse on my hair then it ends up a frizzy mess. But with the aid if just a few drops of hair oil and a few sprays of Surf Spray it was like I'd just stepped out of the  water in Ibiza. No really.

It was soft, manageable and yet had the messy look about it. Well, messier than my usual. But with a look of being 'done' too. And the smell. Oh the smell. I can't describe what it is except... aqua. I didn't need to use much of the shampoo to produce a lather and I've learnt to use half the amount of conditioner than I think I'd need. A huge plus was that the conditioner felt like i had rinsed it properly. I wary of some conditioners when they don't rinse out or take half an hour to rinse out (Pantene, Aussie - in my experience - yuck). I let my hair air dry for a few minutes then sprayed some surf spray in it. There was no tangles or straw like texture, just 'beach' hair. Honest.

If, like me, you have curly hair and want something to give you a bit of that 'done' texture look then this range is probably for you. Only if your budget can stretch to them that is, because at £18.50 per bottle they aren't exactly budget priced. But I only get my hair done maybe twice per year so I like to treat it in between times.

Angela x

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Spring into Summer

You'd think with our recent weather that we were still stuck somewhere around February or early March, but this weekend has (hopefully) been the turning point. That point where we slowly transition from spring to summer. We get our lighter brighter clothes out and pain our nails a neon shade - well, the girls do.

With that in mind, it was with much excitement that i ripped the brown box open as fast i could last week.

Inside was this... the Selfridges Summer Beauty Box. Tah-dah!

Beauty boxes have been popular for a good couple of years now but i stopped buying one as i felt that, even for only £10 plus postage, I wasn't using most of the products that came in the boxes. I've seen a few recently and i'm glad i stopped mine.

However, when i saw that this Selfridges box had a mini bag sized Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray as well as a neon pink Models Own nail polish I couldn't help myself and ordered it straight away before it sold out. I think these boxes are limited edition and are only released at certain times of the year. (Summer and Christmas, perhaps?). It also costs £25 which is more than your Glossybox or Birchbox but the products are better.

Inside you also get a Tangle Teezer for wet hair, which i am thrilled about. I've been going to buy one for ages since the hairdresser used one on my (mostly unbrushed) hair. Can't wait to use it.

You also get a mini sized St Tropez instant face glow. A Lancaster after sun tan maximiser. A Caudalie beauty elixir spray - that i also love! A set of Jane Tran hair grips and clasps which will be lovely in my newly surf sprayed hair. A Molton Brown mini shower gel and an Erborian Korean skin therapy BB cream. I'll pass that on to someone else I think.

Really glad I ordered this. The value is apparently £70 in real money if you were to buy the products separately. Bargain. It comes in a nice sturdy white and yellow box too which is a nice touch.

Summer is here!

Angela x

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#NOTD OPI I Theadora You

Yes, as you can tell, OPI have again come up with another great quirky name for this polish. This pale, creamy, milky pink polish. This polish is from the recent Oz The Great and Powerful collection.

OPI I Theadora You

This is called I Theadora You after the nice witch (played by Michelle Williams). Is she from the East or the West? I can't remember. The film is pretty decent. James Franco perfect in that role.

Anyway. The polish. This is a great alternative to the bright fuchsia pinks that I've been unusually drawn to recently. It's also less boring than a beige. It feels clean and calming on my fingers.

The formula is nice. Not too thick or thin. However, I found that it did streak a bit and I had to apply 3 coats to be sure you couldn't see my ridges or the nail line. I wore this for 3 days and had no chipping and only a few little signs of wear and tear. (Perhaps because it's quite pale I couldn't see any?). I use OPI Nail Envy as my base coat and no top coat (lazy!) but I'll have to buff my ridges down on next wearing to get that perfected look.

I love this pale pink colour though. It reminds me of Nails Inc South Molton Street or Rimmel Pro French Rose, although i'm not sure if it's a direct dupe. It's pale, creamy looking and elegant. I'd say a good wedding day manicure colour if you don't want very sheer nails. It also reminded me of OPI Pink Friday but quite a bit shearer and less 'bright'.

Overall, I do like it a lot. Nice work OPI.

Angela x

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all pics were taken on iPhone 4S as you can probably tell, they're pretty grainy! oops.

#NOTD OPI The Colour of Minnie

As you know, red is one of my favourite colours. Before 2010 I would always have considered red nails to be 'tarty'. How very old fashioned of me! (Cringe).

But look at this... This luscious candy cane red is OPI The Colour of Minnie from the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection that was released in summer 2012. I bought this from my usual eBay shop last year along with I'm All Ears from the same collection.

I really love this red. It's shimmery and not at all glittery. It is enough to brighten up any outfit and as a classic red it goes with most outfits. The consistency is not too thick nor is it too thin. The wide OPI helps the polish glide on. Two coats are best. I use OPI nail envy matte as a base coat these days as my nails really quite dry and ridged and that seems to be the only thing to help them out these days.

But back to the colour. Look at it. You could just pop it in your mouth, BUT DON'T!! It's my go to red shimmery polish at the moment. I always find myself drifting back to this one. I wouldn't say it's a dupe but it's pretty close to Chanel Rouge Karat that I have too. Except this is more shimmery. Rouge Karat has tiny golden shimmer running through it and is less candy-cane-esque. So actually probably not a dupe at all.

you can see the shimmer better here

Overall a really nice red shimmer polish.

Angela x

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New hair-do, and I like it!

It's fair to say that my hair is really important to me. I'd say my curly hair is one of my distinguishable features. I love my curly hair, and if you've read here before you'll know the anguish I've gone through trying to find a hairdresser that i can go to regularly. My last attempt was a disaster that left me feeling rather rubbish. Mane Street: read about that here.

Anyway, *let the angelic choir sing* I think I've found the one.

I went back to Rainbow Room in Stirling and got the salon director Will to give my hair a much needed seeing to. After my last hair-don't, I said that I wanted ombre again but not the harsh dark at the top and really light at the ends. I wanted a more blended ombre. My consultation lasted a good 15-20 minutes. He asked me loads of questions about how I like to wear my hair, what exactly did I want and what did i not want. He suggested colours, told me which way he'd be doing it, told me how he was going to cut it and then style it. It sounded great. 

The assistant put a conditioning treatment on first and gave me a head and shoulder massage. He then washed off the treatment and then Will set about cutting it. Afterwards he rough dried and started on the colour. At the very ends I had a conditioning treatment applied, mid section was a blonde colour and then any remaining hair had the main colour applied. This was all left on for about 40 minutes with regular checks in between times. Then it was time to have the colour washed out. Afterwards I got another treatment applied and a second head massage - bliss. Then it was time to style it. 

He applied a leave in conditioner, a hair oil and a curl cream. He applied it to the ends first and then ran it  through the roots. Next he took sections and twisted them around his finger. Once my full head had these twisted sections he started drying it with the hairdryer and diffuser. I'd had this done before and was sceptical but actually, this time it turned out really lovely. When he was done he showed me the back with a mirror. Wow I was surprised. The curls were great and the colour was just right. 

Since we're still in winter my main colour is a mid brown that is my own natural colour but more shiny and a bit 'brighter'. There's a few golden blonde strands through the mid length and underneath there are lighter blonde-ish sections. This gives the effect of grown out sun-kissed ombred hair. I like it. It's gotten rid of that harsh dark brown and harsh bleach blonde ombre effect that I had. The cut is great too. He cut a few inches off the length, cit long layers into the back and sides and then twisted sections and cut downwards with the scissors. This gives the curls some extra bounce as well as making them thin out towards the ends. I really do love the way it sits now.

Lighter, more delicate ombre ends

I was really pleased with the experience in the hairdressers. I was glad I went back to Rainbow room and paid that wee bit extra to have Will do my hair. He gave me ideas for my next colour appointment too, a few extra blonde strands through the back in the springtime! Can't wait. 

I skipped out of there with a smile on my face and hot footed it to H&M where they have all around mirrors so I could capture it on my phone. These pictures make the hair look a bit 'redder' than in real life as I was under their artificial lights. Now, a few days later and after one wash I can say that i absolutely love the cut and the colour is great too.

I'm so pleased with it. It's good when you feel you're hair is sitting great.

Angela x 

Essie She's Pampered, with a bit of sparkle #NOTD

On New Years day I sat and watched a whole day of Kim and Kourtney in New York on Viva channel. It was great as I hadn't seen the episodes immediately after Kim's short marriage to Chris. The Kardashians of course. Anyway, I sat on my bed, blogged and watched this and in between times painted my nails.

For this, a new year, i decided to go for something bright with sparkle. I opted for Essie's She's Pampered and then Beyond Cozy on the ring fingers. Both polishes from the recently new winter collection.

Essie She's Pampered - true red creme

Beyond Cozy on the right. Looks a bit pewter here too

She's pampered is a bright red creme with a blue tone in it, not orange toned like Snap Happy from the same collection. I have She's Pampered in the normal sized bottle and Beyond Cozy in the mini size from the set i'd bought just before Christmas which you can read about here.

She's Pampered is what i call a true blue red. Not too dark, not too light, a true red. One of my favourite colours. As with the newer style Essie polishes this comes with the wide brush (even in the mini size bottles) which is just a dream to apply any polish with. The polish applied well and dries with a shine. 

Beyond Cozy is a strange fine glitter colour because in the bottle it looks like dull golden flecks but on the finger it can take on a silver tone. Strange, but nice all the same. I don't think I'd apply this by itself on all the fingers (it would be a pain to take off) but it certainly added that little bit of sparkle for the new year that i was looking for. 

Essie Beyond Cozy - in a mini bottle

An arty processed shot of my ageing fingers.
She's Pampered is darker here than in real life.

A truer colour representation

As always I applied my polish over a base coat of OPI Nail Envy Matt. Recently i've been wearing my nails bare to let them heal from using all the dark polishes. The Nail Envy has worked a treat to help prevent my nails from splitting since they are pretty ridged on my thumbs and index fingers. I find the OPI Nail Envy to be the only thing that helps me with that. At £18.50 per bottle it is pretty expensive but i bought a new set from QVC where they had both the matt and original versions in a set for £18.50 (2 for 1). Can't really grumble with that.

Overall a really great show-stopping red. What do you think?

Angela