GIRL HAIR

As my hair has grown longer I have made friends with my GHDs in a big way. There is so much hair it really needs taming. 

I've never been one for really long hair, I was a massive tom boy as a child and my teens and twenties were spent cutting it super short and then growing it out to chin length, before cutting it super short once again. After years of never really understanding how people grew their hair so long my hairdresser gave me some advice...stop cutting it! Sounds so simple but I needed to hear it from a professional. Even she admitted that her hair never gets as long as she wants it if she cuts it as more always comes off that you're anticipating. It's been 9 months now, so I figure get to a year and then I'll go for a trim. 

Jumper - River Island 

Trousers - J Brand 

Trainers - Aldo 

Boots - Galleries Lafayette 

FEARNE'S PINK HAIR

Is it wrong that I'm a bit in love with Fearne Cotton in this picture? She doesn't usually do it for me but eek, girl crush. 

Perfect hair and spot on makeup. It makes me want to go blonde and pink, which I'm sure is so not a good idea...such is the power of a great photo. 

BEFORE AND AFTER

I was in a mega rush the other day. A personal training session running up and down Primrose Hill at 7am in the morning had meant that my morning routine was curtailed to about 18 minutes from getting back from my session to leaving for work. Phew.

No makeup, wet hair tied back. The bare minimum of acceptability. 

So I was rather nervous about going to my first beauty type event for bloggers at Earth Hairdressing, a Central London salon just off of Oxford Street. It's a stand alone salon in this country but in Japan it's one of the biggest chains. The salon is deceptively big - from the outside it looks small, but the rooms go up and up - all sparkly, well equipped (and with a very nice VIP room to boot). 

We were treated to a pampering session, something that is not my usual territory but to my surprise, with the shoddy foundations I gave the hairdresser and makeup artist to work with, they managed a quick turnaround. Big bouncy curls and smoky eyes! Very exciting. We were then treated to a photo shoot with a photographer. I was probably the world's worst model as I can't smile on camera without feeling like a prat. I'll have to wait and see what the outcome is...

T shirt - Christopher Kane 

Jeans - Topshop

Shoes - Poste Mistress

Jacket - Luella x New Look 

Scarves - American Apparel 

GLOSSY BOX REVIEW

I'm no beauty blogger (I'm the kind of person who pretty much buys all her toiletries in Boots and Superdrug - spending £20 on shampoo has never appealed to me) and I get bored of most new products after about a week, but even I got excited about Glossy Box, a UK version of the American Birchbox. 

Basically you pay a £10 a month subscription and for that you receive 5 lovely samples each month of new and established products. It's great for me as I get bored of things so easily and if they work for you there are money off vouchers included if you were so inclined to repeat buy. 

Call me shallow, but one of the main highlights for me was the packaging! It was lovely to come home to a beautiful box full of surprises and unwrap it carefully to reveal all the good stuff inside. I wish there wasn't such joy in great packaging but for some reason it just hits all those buttons and makes it feel super special. Needless to say, I can't bring myself to throw out the box. 

WOMEN IN LOVE - HAIR INSPIRATION

I finally got round to watching the BBC4 adaptation of Women in Love last week and, typical me, the main thing I took from it was hair inspiration. You see, Rosamund Pike was giving good hair (or more likely the hair stylist was). I loved the casual, slightly undone but very elegant bunches tied behind the ear. 

My attempts at it totally suck, because I am the most inept person when it comes to hair styling, but I still quite like it. Subtly different, but different nonetheless. 

Top - Topshop 

Trousers - J Brand 

Shoes - Prada

Going Grey

God, that title isn't even funny. I really am going grey. I've had a bottle of hair dye in my bathroom for 3 months now and I keep on putting it off because, as my hairdresser tells me, once I do there is no going back. Gulp. Old age is no fun kids, don't do it. 

Anyway, whilst I may be fighting a losing battle with my grey hairs, I'm winning the battle of grey / silver toned jumper acquisitions - nothing goes quite as well with blue jeans and these two components comprise my key uniform for weekends when I can't be bothered to dress up (or don't want to confuse people in the pub). 

Jumper - H&M

T Shirt - Ashish at Topshop 

Jeans - Topshop 

Boots - Carvela from Kurt Geiger

Harmonica necklace - Tiger in Hammersmith 

Jumper - Topshop 

Jeans - Topshop 

Thermal top - Uniqlo 

Boots - See by Chloe 

Hair Decisions

I have prattled on at least once before about just how much Beyonce's Bettie Page hairstyle rocks my world. At present I am debating a fringe once more. Sadly, I don't think I could ever pull off the 1950's pin up girl mixed with 80's / 90's ragga muffin, but a girl's got to have an aim in life. 

Gwen Stefani - Nylon

Probably in my top three magazine covers of all time - this Nylon issue came out some time in 2000, I can remember obsessing over this particular issue all summer, and in particular wanting to have pink hair and wear red lipstick. But instead I decided to get a buzz cut. I've still got magazine it tucked away somewhere, when I have some time I'm going to find it and plunder the editorials. 

Hair Up. Hair Down.

I was made to take my hair down by someone at work. She gave me a talking to and then juj-ed it up and I actually really like it. It shows how crap I am with my hair that I can't even do this much to it. I doubt I'll be able to re-create this, but I'll give it a bash. Somehow my hands turn enemy when they get near my hair. 

Jumper - Whistles 

T Shirt - Uniqlo Heat Tech

Jeans - Topshop 

Boots - Random brand at T.K.Maxx Croydon

Derelict Chic

I am guilty of doing very little with my hair, pretty much the definition of wash and go. If I'm feeling fancy I might put a hairdryer over it and action which should not be considered the same as blow drying. 

Sometimes I talk to women and am amazed at the stories they tell - of 90 minute blow drying, lotions and potions and the ability to be dexterous when your arms are above and behind you (I could never plait my own hair...how do people do it?). It's partly the time, but also the level of skill that means hair is a no go area for me. 

After cutting my hair today my hairdresser was encouraging me to take baby steps at hairdressing for amateurs with a twist and dry jobbie. I love the finished look, but still it would take me at least 30 - 45 minutes and I know I would get bored about halfway through and end up looking like a bag lady...which I often do anyway, so I choose the lazy easy route to the 'derelict' look. 

Jacket - Zara 

Scarf - Urban Outfitters 

Top - Marks & Spencer

Trousers & Belt - Zara

Shoes - Yin

"Derelict my balls"

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