How To Have Long Hair And Not Look Like A Tramp

Happy June to all your wondrous people!! Today I am experiencing the pain that only those who also had too many shots last night and danced til dawn can sympathise about. So I'm vegging on the sofa when I should probably be outside enjoying the sun. Still, I'm off work for 12 days from Friday and heading down to Aberystwyth so there should hopefully be ample time to play in the sun. Whilst I am largely incapable of movement I thought I'd do an easy post requiring the smallest about of brain power possible, whilst munching on a giant fish finger bagel of course. A hangover cure can come in many forms.

Introducing the tools of the trade. I've been growing my hair for almost two years now and try and drag the time out between having it cut as far as possible. So in the meantime I use these products to try and reduce the time I spend looking like a tramp. Without these products I can almost guarantee my hair would be one giant frizz-ball with the consistency of straw.

So first off, I wash my hair about three times a week and always with Herbal Essences. I think I may be a secret addict to this brand. It leaves my hair super soft, smells amazing, and I can usually find it on offer in some shop or another. What's not to like?! I've just started using the Soft and Smooth shampoo because I realised with such long hair the volumising one I used previously coverted probably wasn't going to be doing much due to the sheer weight of my hair now. I use the Beautiful Ends conditioner to try and reduce my split ends and I also use TRESemme Split Remedy hair mask every other time I wash my hair. You just smother it on after conditioning and leave for about 6 minutes before rinsing it out. I definitely feel that the combination of these three products keeps the ends of my hair in a great condition considering I only have it trimmed about three times a year.

Before I blow-dry my hair I always rub TRESemme Thermal Creations Volume Boosting Mousse through my hair to give it a bit of texture but most importantly to protect it from the heat. My hair is naturally wavy but is relatively malleable with just a hairdryer; I can use a diffuser to make it really curly or comb it through whilst drying to get a straight style. This is great because I don't have to apply unnecessary extra heat from curlers or straighteners. When its dry I quickly smooth some John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Agent Perfecting Creme through the lengths to control the flyaway ends. Da-da! Long hair to rival those Loreal TV advert models that doesn't look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Now I suppose I should actually do something productive with my Sunday. Or I might just watch Aladdin...

Back Home for the Weekend and Ready for a Boots Haul!

View of Northumberland from the train. May have used instagram to make it look less grey and miserable, more stormy and mysterious

This weekend I headed home to Northumberland in search of fun and good company. And of course, the joys of a full fridge. Oh, and help with my student loan application for next year, because I may technically be an adult but also still need someone to hold my hand as I agree to another seven grand of debt. Gulp.

Friday night I met with my friend Rosie for a drink, a catch-up and to steal chips off her plate when I thought she wasn't looking. As always, our conversation was all about boys and boys and boys. Apparently there are enough boy issues in the world to keep us talking for several hours and we have yet to ever exhaust the topic. Was lovely to see her again anyway. This afternoon I've been horse riding for the first time in ages as it just seems impossible to get to the stables in Lancaster. Its been nearly a year since I've ridden I reckon and within, ooooh, about five seconds it felt like my thighs were on fire. Looking forward to walking like a cripple for the next week, but totally worth it to get back in the saddle.

Yesterday I went shopping in Newcastle with my mum, as is becoming tradition when I come home for the weekend. We are both a complete sucker for all new, shiny and pretty things and the shops of Newcastle are a treasure trove of newness, shininess and prettiness. However, I was quite good and restrained the spendage yesterday; I got these few things from Boots.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

Apparently summer is around the corner. Though I see no evidence of this (oh, hello snow, still hanging on in there I see!), I bought this Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub and a body scrubber ready for when it's time to dust off the shorts and the nation get there legs out. This is an excellent scrub, really dense and my legs were really soft after I used it last night. A month or two down the line and people will be flocking from miles around to come and see the softness of my legs. Actually, they're so white that people don't even need to flock, you can spot me in a sea of tanned folk a mile away! The awkward ginger paleness strikes again...

I also set out to get a nail polish in a mint shade, but they had a 3 for 2 offer on all beauty produces am who am I to refuse that?! I got these three shades (left to right); Jaded by Sally Hansen, Buff Pink by Models Own and Magnetic Burgundy by Barry M. 

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Jaded

I absolutely adore this shade!! So pleased with it. However, I found this polish so difficult to put on because the brush was quite wide and flat, and the consistency of  the liquid was really runny. In the end I did three very thin layers so that it didn't run off the sides of my nails everywhere, but its still a little patchy in places and took ages to dry. Essie have an almost identical shade of polish so I would get that next time. Still, so pleased with the colour that I don't care that much.

Models Own in Buff Pink

I got also wanted a pale pink so that could have natural looking nails without them looking too dull as they sometimes do when bare. There was so much choice but I got this one and am loving the colour of it. It will be nice to opt for a nude nail design for when nothing is really happening but I want them to be painted, as sometimes I find myself going back to nibbling them when they have no polish on and I refuse refuse refuse to go back to having ugly nail again!

Barry M in Magnetic Burgundy

I've heard some people mention about magnetic nail polishes so I thought I'd try out this one for fun as it was my third and therefore free nail polish. The magnet forms a sort of stripey design when held over the polish straight after application; its quite subtle so I'm glad I got this gorgeous deep red colour to make it a bit more interesting.  Has anyone else tried a magnetic nail polish by another brand to compare them?

When I get back to Lancaster tonight James should be back from his holiday, and that means we get the doggie back tomorrow so yey!! And then it'll be a week of packing for moving to the new house next weekend. 

Life Lately

So, although I'm definitely becoming a little old lady prematurely and loving the nights in on the sofa with a giant hot chocolate a bit too much these days (could I be becoming, shock horror, mature!?!), I have had a bit off a booming social life this past week. Thursday I met a few of my Lancaster girlies for dinner and we headed to that old classic, Wetherspoons. I swore I wasn't going to get a desert...so of course I ended up walking home stuffed full of chocolate ice cream sundae. I have zero willpower. 

This was how I wore my hair on Thursday for Wetherspoons. I found this old boho-style dress in the back of my wardrobe and felt it was definitely time it had an outing again. My fringe is at a really awkward length at the moment though so I plaited it across the front and left the rest loose, backcombing the underneath layers a bit to give it a bit of life. It looked so cute with the dress.

Friday evening I went to Lancaster beer festival with my housemate and some of his friends which was really good fun, though the train journey home to my parents early the next morning was not so fun with a beer hangover. I went home to surprise my gorgeous mum for Mothers day. She was definitely surprised - she was so happy, made it all worthwhile. The major shopping trip in Newcastle also helped in that department. I  really wanted to make this post about the clothes and stuff that I bought but I went for a run earlier and then literally didn't have the energy to do anything but lounge about in pyjamas, watch Bridesmaids and prematurely crack open the Easter goodies. I'll add it to my list of posts for the near future.

Roy (The IT Crowd).                                Nathan (Bridesmaids).

Talking of the film Bridesmaids, how much of a babe is Joe McHale's character, Nathan the policeman. I mean, how does one go from being lovable-but-never-fanciable Roy in The IT Crowd to Nathan?! I have definitely become a bigger Joe McHale fan in the last half an hour. And I'm sorry to adhere the stereotypical  female thought process, but half of his charm has got to be down to the beauty that is the Irish accent. 

So Tuesday night was a bit different; I went to Lancaster university boxing society's Easter ball. I have never boxed in my life. I never plan on boxing in my life. However, two of my friends do and I was invited along as one of their 'dates' so I donned a dress and we headed to the Dalton Rooms. Was a fun night, even though I had to leave early to be up for work this morning. I took this quick snap shot of my dress on the way out the door. Apologies about the awful quality, took the photo on my iPod as I was in a rush (I blame Elliot, we were talking on the phone for hours and I lost track of time...silly me!)

Dress from Coast sale (2010)

In fact, I was in such a rush that I didn't get to paint my nails to match the dress which I'm trying to get into the habit of doing now I actually have nails (I started biting my nails as soon as I grew teeth and only stopped at the start of this year). So I did it this evening, whilst admiring Joe McHale's face. I tried out my Barry M chameleon nail paint which changes colour when you put on a clear top coat. So simple and looks so pretty, could easily do some really cool designs with this. I went for this simple half and half design just to try it out. Its definitely something worth investing in if you're into trying out new nail polishes. 

Excuse the sleepy doggie in the background of that last photo! That's Theo, my housemate's weimaraner. Such a cutie!! More photos for the dog-lovers among you here

Over and out.

H x

Starry Night Themed Nails

Supplies used (left to right):
Barry M Jewel Glitter in Gold Mine
Barry M Chameleon Nail Effect in Blue
Barry M Instant Nail Effects Foil in Gold

The wonderful Mothership got me a whole box of Barry M nail polishes for Christmas including all kinds of paint colours, glitters and other effect polishes; I love Barry M simply because of the huge range of different and quirky nail polishes they do and great prices - you can see the whole range here.

I got inspiration for this design from Kaylah's 'weekly nail' post. She's spot on in saying that blue and gold go great together, so I combined my three blue and gold themed nail polishes and created what, I think, looks like a sort of starry night sky design. I totally loved experimenting with a few colours all together which I've never been able to do before as, up until November, I've spent my entire life biting my nails so never had the urge to paint them and draw attention to them. I've definitely got the urge now though, I can't wait to try out some other combos!

And it's always nice to have something pretty to look at, especially on a grim ol' Monday.
H x