Lightening my life.........

Over the years I have been pretty much every colour under the sun, going from light brown to red, to black to mahogany and then back to brown again, however my obsession with having blonde hair has never ever gone away.

I'm not sure what it is - is it the allusion that 'blondes have more fun', is it down to Kate Winslet and her beautiful locks parading over the glossy magazine, or is it the fact that blonde's are just stunningly gorgeous - there is something really pure about them, I know I love pretty much everything about being a blonde, or having blonde hair. Don't get me wrong, having all the colours are fun: red makes me feel quite fiery and energetic, browns make me feel more studious and more sophisticated, but there is definitely 'something' about being a blonde - I want to be Kate Winslet!

With the Summer season (hopefully) upon us soon, I have been staring long and hard at my current dark brown (with a tinge of red) hair colour - yes its nice but that familiar 'go lighter' urge is with me. I have been a blonde, as in peroxide, and na, it just doesn't suit me, but a warmer blonde, possibly caramel colour does, so here in goes my one-woman mission to lightening my Summer. With thanks to the colour experts that are Garnier Nutrisse (who I have always used before) they have released a collection of videos showcasing their Blonde tones and the trends for this season all narrated by their amazing (and colourful) colour expert Lyndell Mansfield - man, I want pink hair!

After watching the video, I fell in love with being a English rose blonde - seriously, who wouldn't want to be one?! but with many different shades, easy to use applications and superb end result, my mind has been made up..... Im-a-going LIGHT with Garnier!

I bet you feel the same huh? how could you not want to be a blonde babe after seeing that video! What's your fave hair colour? have you gone blonde and loved it? Tell me what your colour story is!

This blog post was sponsored, but oh so true to my hair colour loves! Massive thank you's to Garnier and Handpicked Media.

Beating I.B.S - Part Two

Well, thanks guys and girls, you were all lovely peeps and enjoyed my rather 'too' in-depth insight to my IBS life. I knew there was many of you out there with cranky stomachs - remember you are not alone! Following on from my first post (catch it here) I've decided to carry it on with various posts about my quest to try and conquer this mis-understood condition, I'll try not to weird you out too much.

On my last set of Dr's appointments, and after months of moaning to the same Dr and receiving the same old darn information: 'stop stressing' (yeah good one) I received some surprising advice in order to conquer my IBS symptoms. It was one I had never heard of before, Yoga and Pilate's.
Of course I'd heard of the concept before, but try it? Na, not me. I had never had an inclination to want to stand like a mountain, lie like a corpse, and I sure as hell don't want to be a downward facing dog... Or so I thought. Pretty sure the blank expression on my face said it all, but the more the Dr explained why it would help, it seemed to make sense. Yoga and Pilate's isn't just standing in the above poses, its so much more than that. Yoga itself with its gentle stretching exercises and careful breathing can help release tension and reduce the effect of stress on the body - which of course one the main triggers for a 'pain in stomach' bout of IBS.

To me, this was all 'hear say' for me, if I wasn't breaking a sweat I refused to accept this as exercise, but with armed with a leaflet of 'easy' yoga poses and Pilate techniques, I decided to give it a whirl. It's not easy.... I struggled with the poses, knowing whether I was doing it ok with the correct posture, but mostly I struggled with breathing.. yes, breathing. I'm pretty sure at stages I was bent over double, legs everywhere and getting redder by the second from holding my breath, attractive non?? Over 4 weeks I finally reached 'the point' you know what I mean - I just 'got' how to do Yoga and enjoyed Pilate's. Everything seemed to fall into place: The slow, steady breathing came, I felt centred, the poses flowed and afters? yes, I felt all warm and content. Success! Question is, did it help my IBS? Success to that too.
As the weeks passed, I was partaking in my yoga and Pilate's sessions about 3-4 times a week for 30mins to 1hour and by Jove, it really did help. Gone was the cramping sessions, the burning sensations in the pit of my stomach, the sickness radiating up my throat and the constant bloating had decreased rapidly. Yes, I still feel a twat when I'm doing it but it really has helped. I've wanted to find the guts (ha ha) to go to an actual Yoga class, but in truth, my symptoms and IBS pains are a little too embarrassing so  have been going it alone and doing Yoga and Pilate's DVD's at home.

Both of these DVDs are cheap to buy on Amazon, and in truth I love them both. I started with the Leah Bracknell DVD as its alot simpler and I tend to do this when I need something not so intense, and as for Darcey Bussell - how amazing is she? yeah, well, I think that says it all - but go steady on it!

Now the only problem I do have is Yoga and Pilates wear.... Now, anyone of you sufferers of the dreaded IBS will know that the IBS belly will strike over and over again, and when it does strike, you want a nice expandable waist trouser that are fitted on the leg, wont fall down and look GOOD - is that so hard? it seems like it is. I have tried 4 different types of Yoga wear and they have either been too tight on the waist, expandable but too big so they fall down, too long in the leg that I stand on them and once again pull them down.... ho hum.... The search will continue, but in the mean time I shall continue to yoga-it with my bum showing!

Hope this helps some of you IBS sufferers - have any of you tried it? do you have certain moves that help? Do any of you have any yoga wear tips?

Spending more or cheap treats?

Never one for being the beauty queen, I got to reading March's edition of InStyle magazine that came with a free 'Best Beauty Buys' guide. Normally, these things go straight in the bin - beauty to me is a foreign language - I, at best, know how to apply mascara but that's pretty much where my makeup artist skills end. Sure as hell I own make-up,  I mean seriously, I own one blusher that quite frankly saves people's sight every darn day, but I go into my local Boots and I tend to have the habit of buying the first thing I see.

This time, I took the time to read this beauty buys guide, it was a first for me, and it got me thinking: all these hundreds of different products - but branded luxe products or  cheaper branded products? Does it make a difference?

I'm a cheap treat kinda girl - I use Simple moisturising cream which costs me say, no more than £4? why do I use that you ask? well, I have kinda sensitive skin and well, I don't really need much else apart from a bit of moisturiser... do I? but the more luxe brands: Lancome, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Shu Uemura - they do so many creams, so many lotions - should I be paying more for the one skin I own?

How much is acceptable to pay for a nail varnish? I have a collection f about 30+ nail varnishes and over 60% of them are by Rimmel or other cheaper high street brands. I noticed Chanel's Le Vernis nail polish - they are the ones that you see in all the latest fashion mags as having this season's colours. Me? I tend to wait three months and buy the Rimmel version, but am I getting something altogether different by buying a Chanel nail polish or am I simply paying for the name? I must admit the bottles look lush, and to think I was wearing Chanel would make me feel a little bit wow... is this what makes people buy them? Is it a feeling more than the product itself?

Lipstick, Eye shadow, Mascara - I'm confused? Will I look like Natalie Portman, Monica Bellushi or Rachel Weiz if I buy their endorsed products? I can tell you they cost double what I currently 'like' to pay. They look amazing, that I will say. But, is it me? Am I just that uneducated that I don't 'get' the reason as to why its better to be buying luxe brands? But the more I read the magazines, see the makeup see the reviews I look at my own 'cheap' self and think I'm missing out on something. Perhaps I might feel more confidant, or maybe even smile more? I must admit, I like the sound of it all.

Tell me people, what do you wear? what would you recommend I spend more on? what are your views - do you pay for what you get?

It's a beauty mine-field out there......

ASOS - Spring / Summer Edit

 Everyone's favourite online shop, ASOS, have come up trumps again this S/S. I still remember this online brand as being my first toe in the water of online shopping, I bought a dress for the work Christmas do, and it was a dress that was 'seen on' Christina Ricci.... it was and still is, one of my favourite dresses. I remember thinking that ASOS was going to be big, and well, year after year I have really enjoyed watching this very 'simple' brand grow. I can safely say year on year, their season transitions and new collections always bring a certain something 'else' than other High Street brands. To me, they are always a little more 'high' fashion than just generic - I always see something a little different, in a good way.

Largely using the 'Sports Luxe' trend, ASOS are getting heavy handed into colour blocking in a new effective way: matching colours with colours, only a mere tone apart from each other: who knew there was so many different shades of tangerine? Mixing layering in a cool casual and very very wearable way - mixing turn-up coloured jeans with cropped tee's and longline shirts - add in some high top trainers and sunnies and you have an outfit fixed and ready for just about anywhere. For a more polished look ASOS have teamed sheers with strong colours - accessorising with zany sunglasses and footwear to help the outfits come alive.
Another strong trend being seen everywhere is of course, tribal. ASOS bring a youthful addition in vibrant tribal print leggings that those of only pre twenties and size 10 can get away with. A trend that perhaps, is not so wearable for us all. Mixing tie dye prints and florals is a nice addition - fitting for a nice laid-back day at the beach/town/home.

What do you think of ASOS new edit? how wearable is Sports luxe? and what do you love about this new season?

Another good edit for this SS12.