How to go from dark brown to blonde! ColourB4 review + new hair

By now i've realised how many posts i've dedicated to my hair, it's getting out of hand!
Unfortunately i'm one of those people who just can't leave their hair alone :(

I did say i was only going to be brunette for winter, and as soon as it hit january, i decided it wasn't winter anymore (even though it clearly is).

So without further do, here is how i achieved it without killing my hair!

ColourB4 extra strength:

This is a product i've used before, and i swear by it whenever i'm trying to remove dark hair. It really is the best way to do it without destroying your hair with bleach!

I bought mine from boots, for £11.99 (available here)

I bought the extra strength as my hair was quite a dark brown, and had been dyed a few times since i went dark as well.

The product works as a colour stripper, it reduces all the artificial pigment using the mixture you're given, and then you wash or 'buff' it out for about 15 minutes in the shower! It really is brilliant.
I wouldn't say it doesn't damage your hair at all, but its no where near as damaging as bleach.

The mixture absolutely STINKS.  It smells like rotten eggs, but thats down to the chemicals that are used to strip your hair, so there isn't actually much you can do about that, but it works great!

I would definitely recommending sticking EXACTLY to the instructions in the leaflet, the product will not work properly if you do not follow the instructions properly.

Anyway, here's what my hair looked like just before i used colourb4:

During:

(before i washed out the colour b4)


After:

As you can see, it worked excellently at removing my previous colour! I was so happy with the result! However, i still wanted to go blonder, so i used the same highlighting kit (Jerome Russell Bblonde) i used in a previous blog post (found here: DIY highlights at home)

I've also been using this shampoo recently too, to rid me of any brassiness:

Touch of Silver: Twice a week brightening shampoo.
This shampoo has been a life saver with freshening my blonde and keeping it from going that awful butter yellow blonde. I'd definitely recommend it!

available from super drug and savers

and here is the result!

the lighting is very yellow here, but my hair is ash blonde :)

Have you tried colour b4?

Mallzee launch!

I was approached by mallzee to feature their new site in my blog, I've joined and it really does look amazing!

I know it might seem like a 'promo' post but i wouldn't promote something if i didn't like the idea of it!

It is described as "all about creating a new experience for shopping online. Users create their own personalised shopping mall (Mallzee) by picking their favourite brands and stores. Our fancy software then finds products matching their personal style and showcases them in their Mallzee! There are a number of aspects that make Mallzee social from the integration of Facebook chat to creating polls and browsing friends online wardrobes.  An added bonus to inviting friends to your mallzee is that as the ‘owner’ you earn money every time anyone buys from your Mallzee, including you! (That's right you get paid when you shop?)"

It really does sound like a great concept. I hate searching all the different websites when shopping online, and with mallzee, it combines all those shops whilst picking up on your personal style as well! Its more like social networking combined with shopping (great for bloggers!) So far they have over 200 brands that will be available (including urban outfitters, new look, feel unique, st tropez and so many more).

The website hasn't launched yet, but you can sign up to join HERE!

It only takes a couple of seconds, and they're even having a competition to win £100 to spend once it launches :D  i know i've entered!

Will you be joining mallzee?

October favourites!

Hello lovely followers!

So October has finally ended and thank god.  The halloween hype in Cardiff is insane and was driving me crazy.  Usually i love halloween but i didn't get a chance to do anything for it this year so i was such a scrooge about it!

Anyway, grumpiness out of the way, i'm doing my very first monthly favourites :-)

this month i have definitely been a lot more into make up and hair care!


1. Wet n Wild: Mega Glo in the colour 'toasted'

I know this looks a bit battered but i absolutely adore this! Its a perfect highlighter that adds that instant sun-kissed glow or dewy effect to your skin.  I've been using this since winter struck in a desperate attempt to hang on to a little bit of summer! A little bit of this goes a long way. It can be used as a cream eye shadow, blush or even lip gloss! Perfect.


2. Rimmel's Kate Moss matte lipstick in the colour: 107

This is a gorgeous fall lipstick colour. The colour is such a rich deep red. I love the fact that the colour is matte as well, i'm not too keen on shiny lipsticks. I would suggest using a lip balm underneath though as it can be a bit drying!

3. Bobbi Brown under eye corrector in 'light peach'

This product is my absolute saviour. I literally cannot go without it since i bought it! I genetically have VERY dark circles under my eyes, and a lack of sleep does not help my situation. Luckily for me, this corrector removes any trace of them! The peachy tone of the corrector not only hides the circles, but also brightens up underneath the eyes, leaving you looking fresh and awake! My only issue with the product is that its £18 for that tiny little pot, but i have yet to find a decent dupe for it. wah!

4. Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation

I literally love this foundation to death, and i'm so gutted about the £36 price tag! Luckily for me i found a decent dupe, and i even did a post on this which can be found HERE. It just gives such an even and flawless coverage, and has quite a bit of lasting power. Recently i've been mixing it with my rimmel wake me up foundation and its just lovely! 

5. L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary oil for all hair types

This has been an absolute life saver for my frazzled hair! It can be used on both wet and dry hair, and even as a conditioning treatment! I use it the same way i would a serum and add it to wet hair just before i blow-dry/heat style (with heat defence spray of course!) for added protection and shine! my hair literally feels so soft when i use this! 

Hope you enjoyed this! 

What have your favourites been?

Chanel perfection lumière + cheaper dupe

Chanel perfection lumière review + cheaper dupe:

Despite being a poor student, i am unfortunately such a sucker for branded make up. There have been many times at the end of the month when i'm just eating pasta because i bought myself too much in one month! Recently i have managed to restrain myself and only bought the Chanel perfection lumiere.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere (£36)

'PERFECTION LUMIÈRE controls every detail of a perfect complexion. Its invisible yet perfect correction of all types of imperfections and its "multi-faceted" radiance, colour, comfort and matte finish create a perfect complexion. Universal shades, an easy application, a light texture that glides on seamlessly, adjustable coverage: perfection has never been so simple' According to Debenhams.

I bought this foundation back in August, tax free between finland and sweden and have been using it everyday since. Despite the £36 price tag, i adore it!  

My foundation is in: 50 beige. 

Coverage: its about a medium coverage, but you can build it up if you need more. It really does well to leave a flawless and perfecting look and I find that i dont need to use too much to get a 'radiant' but still natural look.  Not only does it cover the redness in my cheeks, it also illuminates my face to make it look bright and awake. I find it gives me a more 'dewy' look rather than matte. It also has SPF 10. I always make sure my foundation has at least 10 SPF to protect my skin. 

skin type: if you have oily skin, i'd avoid this. Your face would look more oily rather than dewy. It is good if you have either dry or normal skin. But be warned, it will cling to overly dry skin and just make it look worse. It sets well with powder without the surface looking too 'powdery' if you know what i mean.

Pros: good coverage, SPF 10, dewy effect, soft, smooth and easy to blend

cons: price, small bottle (30ml), not good for oily to combination skin.

here are examples:

It almost looks like the foundation is my own skin, but 100x better!

Unfortunately, the price is really offputting. However, i've been using it since august and its still got quite a big product left. As a lowly student, i can't afford to pay £36 every time i need new foundation! 

If you don't want to fork out £36 pounds for the chanel, there is a good drugstore/high street alternative that isn't too pricey but gives a similar effect!

Dupe:

L'oreal lumi magique (£10.99)

Colour is Rose Sand

colour is Rose Sand

(wearing lumi magique)

"With age skin can becomes dull and tired. L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation helps give instant skin radiance. You will be glowing inside and out" boots

Again, the idea of this foundation is to give medium to buildable coverage as well as radiance. This too lights up your face and give a more dewy glow. Again, if you have oily skin, i would avoid this product (unless you are willing to blot/powder the whole day). At a price of £10.99, how can you say no??

Coverage: Like the perfection lumiere, this gives medium to buildable coverage, with radiance enhancing qualities. I find that in comparison with the chanel, its coverage is about the same.

Pros: Price! (£10.99 instead of £36!), radiant glow, easy to use/blend, same size as chanel but much cheaper (30ml).

Cons: size (30ml) easily used up if you wear foundation everyday, no SPF (that i can tell from bottle or description), again not good for oily to combination skin.

Overall, i adore my chanel perfection lumiere. I love the finish it gives me! however, when there are other products like lumi magique for cheaper, i may have to give up the chanel and trade in for l'oreal. Otherwise my bank is gonna start hurting :(