Last night a hair dye saved my life

So what do you do when you have a special occasion coming up, at the very last minute, there's no time to do anything and you're white as an headache tablet? You experiment with bronzer or wash off fake tan, and pray it doesn't rain. When it comes to hair, things are a little bit trickier, especially when there are grey hair involved. Colouring your hair is messy, super messy and if you're anything like me your hair only looks presentable the second time you wash it. No matter how much I rinse my hair, straight after colouring it, you can guarantee I will be left with a stained scalp and other tell tale signs.

While browsing Superdrug, I came across the Colour Effects wash in and wash out and I can't even begin to tell you how many times this has saved my ‘life’. I couldn't tell you how many times I bought it too.




The idea is to wash your hair as normal, pop a bit of the conditioning colour on your hair, leave it to rest for 5 minutes and voila. In reality, it is not straight forward as that. My hair is so bleeming dark, I like to leave it on 15 minutes (this is something I always do with any type of hair colourant) while I go about ma’ business in the bath. The product is super runny and before 15 minutes have elapsed, you look like you had a head injury and the red colourant is dripping all over your body.


The way I go round this is to apply this temporary conditioning colour and cover my head with 2 disposable shower caps immediately after. Bulk buying disposable caps is probably one of my best (and probably most boring) beauty investments in the whole of 2012. Don't even think of trying this hair colour and not having some sort of head gear at your disposal. You will only manage waiting for 5 minutes (if that) and you'll freak out in case the skin of your whole body gets stained in the process, which is probably something you don't want on the day of your special occasion.


The result is quite striking. If you have grey hair, you will still be able to see where they are, but they will look almost as highlights and will blend better with the rest of your hair. The bottle says that it contains enough product for 3 applications. I find that I just have enough product for 2 applications on my 20 inches hair. I love how it gives me enough colour to temporarily (2 shampoos) to cover the bits I am self conscious about but without the faff of a traditional hair colourant. You don't need to worry about gloves either and it won't stain neither nails or hands.


I easily could think of 2 brands which offer a wash in, wash out hair colourant with far superior quality: the legendary shaders and toners from Wella and another brand which used to be only sold at Tesco. Both of them seem to have been discontinued. Colour Effects from Superdrug are far from perfect. If I had to give it a mark, it'd just scrape a 5 out 10, due to its extremely runny texture. But it has saved my bacon so many times, it's a product that I've been buying again, again and again. It is definitely, for me, anyway, a case of 'confidence in a bottle' and that is priceless.

What: Superdrug Colour Effects Wash in Wash out. (6:4 rich red)    
How much: £1.29    
Where: Superdrug
Availability: even the small and dingy superdrugs have got it :)  

  

It’s Sunday and that means it’s Blogging Date with Sirvinya. If you have a few minutes to spare, please do check Sirvinya’s beauty blog. It’s been a real challenge for me this week. To say that I have been feeling rusty, is an understatement. Thank you for reading xx

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The sun is shining, the weather is sweet

I am a massive fan of Aussie shampoos. There are always 3 brands of shampoos on rotation in my bathroom and you can guarantee that Aussie is always always there. I used to belong to the Aussie Angel programme at some point but decided to drop my wings after a while, mainly because I felt guilty of not blogging enough about their hair styling range (I am so rubbish at styling my hair) and thought it was time to leave the amazing opportunity to someone else who would be a better spokesperson for them. My love story with Aussie started long before I even started blogging, so when Aussie released a new shampoo earlier last month, I naturally was itching to try it.


   



Aussie's latest addition is called the 'Miracle Shine' and the first thing I asked myself was if they were going to call the 3 miracle treatment 'the 3 minute miracle miracle shine
I was itching to try it but at the same time, I was a bit scared as I heard rumours that the scent was dramatically different from the usual aussie shampoos that we love. Some people described it as floral, some others as having a very sweet smell. I am not a floral type of person so I was scared me and Miracle Shine was not going to happen.






After 2 weeks of wait, my Superdrug finally stocked some and I was able to assess it for myself. One sniff and I was sold. For me, it has a base of 'traditional' Aussie shampoo with a very fragrant note of candy floss over the top. Washing my hair was as lovely as with any other Aussie shampoo but with the added bonus of a new fragrance. I felt it didn't leave my hair as moisturised as Luscious Long and Take the Heat (my ultimate favourite shampoos) but I felt it left my hair a little bit shinier than usual.





All thumbs up then?
Well. Not quite.

   
I understand that Aussie wanted to keep the design of the Miracle shine in line with the rest of the range. But I think that the packaging could have done with being a little bit fancier: perhaps some holographic effect on the 'shine' lettering on the bottle maybe?
I think Aussie went a little carried away with the fragrance. Every time I now go the bathroom I can smell this particular shampoo and this is, without a doubt the most fragrant shampoo I have ever ever owned. Luckily, I don't spend all my waking hours in the bathroom but if I were, I think I would become a bit bored in the end. Who needs Glade, hey?  


I love the way Miracle Shine leaves my hair (soft, shiny, light, and definitely not sticky as the fragrance could suggest), this is a definite repurchase for me, but be warned: Miracle Shine is only for the serious sweet toothed lovers out there.

  
disclaimer: bought the shampoo myself, on offer at Superdrug (2 for £6.99 I think) I am not affiliated with Aussie, I am not an Aussie Angel (I used to be but I am not anymore, I quite miss it actually) and I have not received any encouragement to write about it.

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DIY Ombre Hair

Want to try your hands at ombre hair at home and don't know where to start? British Hair Expert Scott Cornwall lost count on how many times he was asked for advice on how to do your own ombre hair at home. So he created an illustrated 6-step technique to achieve the perfect ombre hair, whether you have light or dark hair and posted it on his spanking new tips & tricks blog. Intrigued? Click here to see his tutorial.






disclaimer: I heard about the Scott Cornwall diy ombre hair technique via email and received no compensation to write about it.

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Our turn to shine

What do Lea Michele and Olivia Palermo have in common? The most enviable glossy locks. In fact, when I think shiny hair, their names come immediately to my mind. I don't know the secret to their shiny tresses but today I've heard of a brand new product and on special offer which aims to just do that: making your hair looking super shiny.





It looks like it’s going to be your typical pack of hair colour to do at home but it’s not. it's called 'Shine On Original Conditioning Hair Glaze' and it's a Professional Conditioning Treatment with collagen using salon glazing technique for home use.

What technique is that?

Glazing is the technique used by top colourists to provide a dazzling high shine to the tresses of their celebrity clients. With the launch of Shine on, Scott Cornwall is bringing the secret technique of the stars to your home. The first of its kind to launch in the UK, this protein rich conditioning hair glaze contains diamond clear colour molecules for a lustrous high shine that lasts for up to 24 washes

Without the need for cuticle coating serums, sprays or colour change, Shine On takes 20 minutes to apply and develop. Containing no ammonia or harsh chemicals it uses an extra mild developer for increased hydration and protection of the hair cortex.

 
Sounds promising but how much does it cost, will you ask? It would usually retail at £12.99 at Boots but they have a special offer at the moment (1/3 on selected Scott Cornwall hair care) so you can get it at £8.66.





Lea and Olivia: sorry loves, but it's my turn to shine, now






Disclaimer: I heard about this brand new release by email today. Shine on is not endorsed by the celebrities mentioned and the email didn't mention any celebrities. Photos were pinched from glamour magazine.

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Absolutely loving ... Wella High Hair 'Leave it Long'

Once upon a time, I chucked a mini sample of a hair product, along with other bits and bobs, in a parcel to my lovely American friend, Ashleigh. Ashleigh and I met on youtube. She is incredibly talented in makeup, make easy to follow make up tutorials on YouTube and puts my writing to shame on her blog. Coming back to this sample, little that I knew, when sending her this sample that she was going to be going obsessed with it, and become restless until she gets her hands on a full size product.

Here’s what she had to say about it:





Hey guys!  It’s Ashleigh (otherwise known as AdmiralKathryn on both twitter and YouTube!)…and as BestBrushForward here on Blogspot!

I’m so excited to be invited by one of my dear friends Liloo to do a guest post in her petit jardin and about a product that she inadvertently hooked me on.

I had been sent a package of goodies from Liloo (we had been trading and sending back and forth for a while at this point) and as a bonus she had tucked in the cutest little sample of a hair product that I had never heard of!

What is this product? Get on with it! Enough rambling!!!!  I can hear you all now! Haha.  The product I’m talking about is Wella Professional High Hair Leave It Long Cream.





Now here’s my luck – it’s a product I’ve never been able to find since receiving it.  This would be because...it's not available in the US.  So with it not being available here, I’ve had to do a lot of digging around to find any information about this cream as the sample size doesn’t really have any information of the product on it…here’s what I’ve found:

Wella High Hair Leave It Long is a weightless, natural control cream especially for longer hair.  This lightweight cream creates a beautiful, smooth groomed look with moveable, light hold and a non sticky feel. Hair is soft, natural looking and flowing even the day after washing. Enriched with pro-vitamin B5 and UV filters it also works to fortify and protect hair.

This cream is a dream for my hair!  It is extremely lightweight (feels almost watery when I emulsify it in my palms) and I scrunch it into my damp hair to activate my curls.  Due to the lightweight hold, they stay all day and I don’t need to use any extra hairspray (BONUS! as a little backstory, I absolutely despise most styling products – mostly due to my history with theater and performing)

I have medium length, thin (but ample) hair that frizzes at the slightest notice and it’s very picky about what goes into it – this cream leaves it soft and silky with a natural bounce and here’s my favorite part – the next day it’s not disgusting so I don’t have to wash my hair every day!  I mist with a little water to take some of the flyaways down and let it go!




(this photo is of my hair 2nd day with the Wella cream – you can see that it still looks nice and fresh and not like second day hair normally can look with my particular hair type...which is scary if you're not aware haha.)

I like that it has pro-vitamin B5 in it, which means that it doesn’t leave hair crispy (B5 is an ingredient that you may be familiar with in your mascaras nowadays…it can be on the ingredients list as Panthenol and it’s a conditioner – no crunchy hair and no crunchy lashes!) and it helps to repair damage leaving your hair shiny and manageable. (If you're a science nerd like myself, here's the link to the wikipedia article about Panthenol)  Having the UV filters are also a plus because the sun won’t bleach out your color…so I love it for it’s protective nature as well.

Do any of you UK readers use this product?  What do you think of it?!  What is your favorite product for your hair (and if you tell us, tell us your hair type too!)

Bisous!
Ashleigh



Product:  Wella High Hair Leave It Long Cream, 100ml
Availability:  Amazon.co.uk is where I finally found it
Price: £6.00

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*Deal Alert* Babyliss Big Hair on Buyapowa

I've been obsessed with getting a babyliss big hair (rotating hot brush, hair styling tool) for years but my obsession with getting my hands on it reached a whole new level, since January 2012 since so and so tweeted they were able to find one at £20 in wilkinsons and another girl saying she found the same deal at Boots.


The thing is that the Babyliss Big Hair usually retails it for around £45 and I have been reluctant to spend so much money to get it, mainly because people have been able to get it for 20 quid. Well my prayers are finally answered and the babyliss is finally available to purchase on Buyapowa. How good is it? I don't know since I have yet to buy it, but so many people have been raving about it, I've been dying to try it too.


In short, it's a hair styling tool, specifically designed to help you blow drying your hair, like you've had a blow dry at the salon. A ray of hope for those, like me, who are absolutely useless at blow drying their hair at home. If you want to try it, Buyapowa is currently have it on sale, at £30 but it's in limited quantity.

10 reasons why you need a babyliss big hair in your life, featuing 'real' people, like you and me, from the blogging community:


Charlie, Lady of the Lane.
"Babyliss Big Hair Changed my Life"
"I just have to blog about it because I absolutely love it. It has revolutionised my hair styling. You can achieve a properly blow dried style in next to no time, something I have always totally failed at with a hair brush and hair dryer, this makes my life so easy." Read more...


Mrs Jones, Keeping Up with the Joneses.
"I have never had so many compliments about my hair, and I've even been stopped in the street to ask where I get my hair blowdried!!! Big Hair Styler, I love you!" Read more...


Ashton, Ash Beauty Tips.
"My hair generally goes bushy (not overly bushy, just more frizz like ) so this worked wonders. I'd recommend buying this product if you want a salon finish. Personally I LOVED the hairstyle it gave me & I will continue to use it everyday so give me that added volume my limp hair needs :) " Read more...


Natalya, Filthy Gorgeous Makeup.
"The Babyliss Big Hair is so much easier to use than a regular brush and a hairdryer, and is fantastic for adding volume and movement". Read more...


Catherine, Catherine Loves Blog.
"I have always admired how the hairdressers dry your hair with a round brush as I could never do that myself at home, but Big Hair has allowed me to do this now with ease."
"I love this as it allows me to create volume through drying which I have always struggled with before, it's so easy to use just the push of a button, you can use it on dry hair to add some more volume throughout the day or the next day". Read more...

Tanja, Tanja loves makeup.
"I love this thing. It's like having two hands in one. No more wrestling with the big round brush in one hand and the hair dryer in the other, this thing does it all for you! My sister got one for her birthday and she loves it too. She's a busy mom with 2 kids so she needs something that will style her hair quickly, and this brush/hair dryer does that for her" Read more...

Beauty Geek UK
"I'm a HUGE fan of the Babyliss Big Hair Brush as it's made it possible for me to have hair that looks perfectly blow-dried. I've never been able to achieve that 'just out of the salon' look with standard blow-drying techniques, so this brush was a fantastic buy for me." Read more...

Gemma, Gemsmaquillage.
"The Babyliss Big Hair tool is one of my favourite ever styling tools.
Although not cheap at £45.99, I would purchase this again in a heartbeat as I use it so often" Read more...

Kirstie, Beaut.ie.
"This thing is fecking fabulous!"
"Really good mostly smooth finish that I personally can’t achieve at home normally – I don’t have a) patience, b) lots of barrel brushes and c) extra patience so the fact this does it for you is great." Read more...

Stina, Chic Beauty Blog.
"I find that using this for maybe 5-10 minutes gives my hair a sleek and polished look.."
"A look that makes people think I have had it professionally blow dried- which is fab, as that is a look I can't achieve myself, - even with a round brush."
"9 out of 10" Read more...







Need more reasons? Want to see it in action?
Not a problem :)





























So do you understand how I got obsessed with that thing?
Get yours on buyapowa before it's gone.

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Hair confidence boosting

The end of the year and lots of us already are thinking whether we should do make new year's resolutions or not. I have a got a few in mind but I would hate to publish them on my blog, read them 2 weeks later and see where I've failed. Amongst other things, I have been unhappy with my hair lately. I've reached the stage where it needs a permanent colour to cover the greys. For the first time this year, I went to the hairdressers and had a permanent hair colour done. This was done with INOA and the result was lovely. I kept on having compliments on the colour, as it multi tones of red peeking through under the bright sun or strong lighting.



Alas I was not happy with it and 1 week later I was back at the hairdresser's asking them if they could fix it? what was wrong with it? The fact that I could still see the greys in it. They kindly redid it for free. The result: well... the greys are definitely gone, but I can see why the hairdressers chose the first method. This one feels definitely flatter and just boring brown. Ideally, it would be absolutely lovely to have some red highlights put in on top of the colour but I don't have the budget to keep this up. So to cheer myself up about it, I went on the net and downloaded some pictures of very dark brown/black  barnets. Dark brunettes, if you feel your hair colour is boring, this is for you and check out how glossy and elegant these women are :)

Long live long and dark hair :)
















and last but not least, Rachel Weiz (sp?) I love her haircut too, her layers are perfect.






How do you feel about your hair at the moment? Fancy a radical hair cut / colour or are you pretty happy with it?

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