Pastel Hair - Stargazer Baby Pink and Renbow Crazy Colour Lavender

A couple of months ago I finally got around to trying my Stargazer semi permanent conditioning hair colour in Baby Pink. It's been knocking around in my toiletries cupboard for around three years unopened. I bought it when I was last a bleach blonde along with a box of hot pink permanent colour. At the time of purchase I had dyed my under layers black and was going to do slices of hot and baby pink between. I never got around to it which I regret because I was still in uni at the time and I could have gotten away with much crazier hair! I wish I'd done that at college when I was 16/17/18. I still haven't used the hot pink.

Anyway one day this year I got it out of my cupboard and dyed my under layers pink on a whim! You're meant to apply it to combed through, towel dried hair after shampooing. I found that it didn't take very well first time around so I had another go when it was dry and the colour was much more visible.


I only got one picture but here's an example of baby pink in my hair:

The whiter your blonde hair is the better, as brassy bits will change the colour and make it less effective. In my case, I had a couple of faint brassy bits near my roots and it looked a touch more peachy pink because it was more gold blonde there. You really need bleach blonde hair for these dyes!


I'd love to do baby pink all over - maybe if I was younger or had shorter hair again. It'd make for a cute bob. My hair is too damaged for it to look good all over!


It faded after a week or so but I didn't mind that personally as I didn't want long-term commitment! That's what I have Mr BNH for ;) whereas beauty trends will come and go! Next up was lavender...


I was looking for a nice lavender semi permanent hair colour online, as I'd wanted to dye my hair that colour for a long time. After looking at several brands I chose this one, based on shade. I was after a pinkier pastel purple, rather than grey or blue toned, which is what their 'lilac' shade looked like.

It didn't cost much and I ordered it through Amazon here. This is my first time trying Renbow so I can't really speak for the other shades but it looks like they have a wide variety of colours to choose from. They're a British brand who claim to be the original since 1977, which instantly made me think of the Punk movement. I asked my dad but he'd never heard of it - probably because he was a rocker!


I nearly got a load of La Riche Directions colours to experiment with, but as I only wanted to dye sections of my hair I didn't want loads of large tubs to use up - I'm feeling like this is more of an experimental phase than a long term thing!


The small bottle of Renbow is a perfect size for my project and lasts longer than you might think - probably not so much for a whole head application. Directions would probably be better for that, or buying more bottles depending on hair length. Mine is very thick mid/shoulder length and i reckon I'd need at least two. The Renbow is the same amount you get in Stargazer bottles. it's also a deep conditioning semi permanent colour.


I went for something different with the lavender and applied it to the ends of my hair. This is quite a big trend at the moment so I thought I'd have a crack at it.


I left it on for half an hour, but it didn't take very well. Here's a pic of it dry (extremely frazzled hair - I know it's bad, that's why I'm a beauty no hoper!). I found it too pale and too bluey, not what I was expecting at all from the colour swatches online.

I had myself a little brainwave (woohoo!) and figured I could get the desired colour by mixing the stargazer baby pink with it. The two dyes are both semi permanent conditioning cream based formulas that apply in the same way. Within both ranges you can mix different shades to blend your own so I had no qualms about mixing the two together.


Here's a few pics of my tools all prepped... :)

And the mixing, before and after...

What it looked like whilst developing:

And dry and styled!

I've been told I look like one of these:

Picture from 99ptoresltd

I'm much happier with the result of this shade, and might mix it a couple more times to keep it maintained for a few weeks. It will look nice when it fades too, I think.


I don't know if I'll try any other colours, I guess I'll just have to see if I'm in the mood for it! I like the fact that it doesn't last too long which is good for someone who changes their mind a lot like me. If you wanted something more long term, then you'd probably need to buy a few bottles for regular upkeep.


Personally, I want to let it fade before my next hair appointment, as I don't want to keep bleaching my hair forever (and ruin it further). It's not so bad if it's short, but I want to grow it out. The crazy colours are just a phase :)


Sticky Kisses!

NOTD - Models Own - Golden Peach

Models Own Nail Polish – Golden Peach

Maybe it was talking about my Golden Peach YSL lipgloss the other day but I was suddenly in the mood to use this polish. This is definitely a fave of mine – I love the formula and the colour. I think it even looks really pretty after just one coat, as it is a very sheer hint of glamour which is subtle and almost gel-like. But in these pictures I have 3 coats and a topcoat. I'm so sorry about the terrible lighting in the first four but I painted them at about 2 in the morning whilst waiting for some video footage of a film shoot to upload (I'd hired a camera and it had to be back before 9am!).

It goes on fairly evenly in application and it doesn’t seem that patchy. I chose three coats to make it super even and because I'm usually so unsteady, but if you’re careful you could probably get away with two. I don’t like to apply too many coats really as sometimes it ends up looking too orange. I like it peachy. It’s definitely a favourite colour of mine and one I keep returning to. Lovely for summer! All it needs is a warmer climate and a cocktail… can you tell I’ve got the post-holiday blues? I vacationed too early and now I have to suffer everyone else going abroad with nothing to look forward to!

Sticky Kisses!

May Glossybox - 1st Birthday Edition

I've been getting Glossybox since last Christmas, so this will be my sixth delivery. Some have been good and some have been a tad disappointing. The best one so far was probably the Harrods edition for me, and the worst was the eco/natural/organic box, which was last one. I had it in mind to cancel after that but I got billed for the following month before I did and I thought 'what the heck, I'll give this next one a chance'.


Here's a few pics of some of my previous boxes...

And now onto my new one, which arrived today. I sometimes see what others have received in their Glossybox through instagram, or other blogs - I usually discover that everyone else got a much better lot than I did, especially with the last natural edition. People were getting Burt Bees and Cherry & Vanilla or Rose flavoured lipbalm, I got hair gel (hair gel?!?), lipliner and a peppermint and tea tree flavoured lip balm (yuck). So was this one any better?

In my opinion, yes!

This month’s Glossybox celebrates their first anniversary (or Birthday) and comes with a couple of extra themed goodies. I can’t fault Glossybox for beautiful presentation – I especially love their commemorative tissue paper! Even though I’m paying for a subscription, it really does feel like a present arriving in the post…

The first thing I did was blow up the balloon! I really hate these kind of balloons (I’m ok with foil ones) because of my fear of sudden loud poppage. But as this one was a pretty pink shade I braved it.

We received a special Glossybox branded mirror as an extra. It’s nothing fancy but it’s a good size for portability, has a normal mirror and magnifier, and was a nice touch really.

I’ll list the goodies in the order they appear on the card. By the way I really want to say how much I love the card that lists the contents – mostly because of the QR code links. Perfect for lazy bums like me!

Noble Isle – Summer Rising Bath & Shower Gel 75ml

“An Immaculate fragrance evoking the beginnings of summer, with toning elderflower and antioxidant-charged gooseberry. Noble Isle is a new British bath & body brand inspired by the natural and cultural riches of the British Isles.”

On a random note - I really love their logo with the flowers growing out of an old fashioned bathtub! I imagine it's a nod to flowery fragrant bathtimes.

This has a nice floral fragrance which is inoffensive. I happen to like flowery scents, and am also a fan of elderflower so I think I’ll enjoy using this. It’s a good travel size especially as it's a multitasker, or I could save it for when I fancy a nice change.

The 250ml version is available to buy on their website for just £20 – twenty flippin’ quid?!? I don’t care how nice it is, I wouldn’t part with twenty of my English pounds for bubble bath unless it had magical properties!

Pardon my outburst… moving swiftly on.

Lolita Lempicka fragrances

There were two vials to sample. The Glossybox card invited us to “Discover Lolita Lempicka’s feminine world where Parisian chic meets fantasy fairy tale to create the perfect fragrance.”

The L’Eau en Blanc one is described as “a bouquet of white violets with a hint of raspberry and musk”. At first spray I thought ‘it’s nice, but not necessarily for me’. Over the last few hours it has settled on my skin and is smelling more and more appealing, I can pick out the raspberries! It reminds me of a grown up version of the Hello Kitty fragrance that came out a few years ago from COTY (I have a couple of bottles!). It's very delicate and girly but the hint of musk stops it from being sickly sweet.

Si Lolita is described as “The secret spicy freshness of Sweet Pea” and I immediately thought of it as a spicier and zingier version of the other fragrance before I’d read the card! Unlike L’eau en Blanc I can’t really smell it as much now. It’s a nice scent but I don’t think it’s one I’d like to buy.

I’ll continue to use these perfumes, maybe when I go out, and see how I feel about them. You can find both fragrances and more on the House of Fraser website, which is currently offering a free Parisian Shopper handbag with any purchase of a 50ml and above.  

L’eau en Blanc starts from £49 and Si Lolita starts from £35.

WELEDA Wild Rose Smoothing Night Cream 5ml

I had a bit of trouble figuring out what on earth this thing was (I had to visit the website!) – the box and packaging had barely any English on it whatsoever and the Glossybox card referred to it as Face Cream/Body Milk as there were other Weleda samples sent out.

I sincerely love rose scented products – I use a rosewater toner which is fab (will do a blog post soon) so was chuffed to finally try something from the Weleda Wild Rose range.

Glossybox inform us that “Weleda products only contain natural ingredients grown biodynamically to help restore health and maintain wellbeing.”

It smells divine - it's quite strong so if you don't do heady florals then it might be a bit overpowering for you. I’ve just put it on before bedtime and it absorbed very quickly. I thought it was quite thick when it came out of the tube but I used a tiny, less than pea sized amount (petis pois?) and it already feels smoother! I'm immediately impressed so I’ll see how I get on with it. You can get the full sized 30ml version here for £14.95 and the 5ml sample here for £2.95. It's disappointing that 'full size' is only 30ml for that price. If I like it and decide the night cream is worth repurchasing, it'll be a splurge, but I have a feeling it could be one of those 'a little goes a long way' products.

Whilst browsing the Wild Rose Range on their website, I saw an offer on a set with Cleansing Lotion, Toner and Smoothing Lotion for just £10, saving £19.85… so I bought it! It looks like they had a body care set which must have sold out already, probably with thanks to whoever received that sample in their Glossybox.

I'll try these Weleda products and report later.

UNIQONE All in One Hair Treatment Spray - 9ml

This sounded promising, claiming to be “The first leave-on mask on the market that offers the 10 main benefits that hair needs. The ideal partner for every day use for the best stylists and their most demanding customers.”

What are you on about love? Demanding customers? I’m not sure what they meant by that but I had a spritz on the frazzled ends of my hair. I can’t really notice a difference, it even feels a bit rougher if anything (I didn’t spray much), but it smells like hair salon in a bottle! 

The bottle lists the supposed benefits as follows:

1. Repair for dry and damaged hair
2. Shine & frizz control
3. Heat protection
4. Silkiness & smoothness
5. Hair colour protection with UVA/UVB filters
6. Easier brushing and ironing
7. Incredible detangling
8. Long-lasting hairstyle
9. Split ends prevention
10. Adds body

So far I'm not convinced but I'll try it in its various guises as suggested above and give it a chance.

Full size is £13.99 for 150ml, Sold exclusively in hair salons. The website is here but it’s a bit bare information wise.

Let’s Go Lashes –Temptress 09 Strip Lashes

"Available in 40 styles, 100% human hair, incredibly easy to apply and re-usable."

I’ve never tried human hair lashes before (eek!) but these look very luscious and I’m keen to try them, because the lashes themselves are bonded to a clear strip. I’ve only had synthetic lashes on obvious looking black strips before and I always struggle with them so I’d like to see if these are easier for me. I think they look fluffier and more natural than synthetic lashes (stating the obvious a bit there, I know).

Their website looks interesting, with an instructional video on applying lashes and info about training. They have a shop section too with their other brands, my particular lashes can be found here for £8.95. I think all the strip lashes are that price, actually.

Interestingly, their parent group also make the Nouveau Lashes mascara that appeared a few Glossyboxes back… was it Christmas? I cannae remember.

All in all I thought it was a fairly impressive array of bits and bobs, and one that I’m sure I will use every product from. Thumbs up from me, I’m looking forward to trying them all. Glossybox have just about redeemed themselves for last months bad egg, so I won’t be cancelling my subscription yet!

Sticky Kisses!

P.S. Crikey that was long! Sorry...

OPI Nail Envy

OPI Nail Envy

Ok, so one of my many beauty goals is to get my nails into a good condition and maintain it. I managed to improve them earlier this year by using a strengthener and nourishing nail treatment from Avon. My nails get to a certain length and then snap off. By paying attention to them I managed to get them the longest I’d ever had them! I’d been filing them into an almond shape, but I’d also been overdoing it on the polish and they became flaky and went back to their old state.

I decided to cut them back to a neat length, use a bit of strengthener and keep them bare for a while to give them a bit of a rest. As I was going on holiday I thought it would be a good time to expose them to some vitamin D!

As it happens, I forgot to take my strengthener away with me, but there was still a marked improvement in their overall condition. They looked whiter (but that might just have been me getting browner) and they became less flexible and weak. They felt thicker and I even got Mr BNH to do a press-test on the tip of my nail to see how much stronger they felt, and he could tell the difference. They grew quite a bit too. I love being on holiday, it fixes so many beauty dilemmas!

 About a week after getting back they’d weakened again. The tips were starting to snap again and were flaky and brittle. I’d seen reviews of Nail Envy and in the end I thought it’s got to be worth a shot. It sounded to me like an intensive recovery course, or a boot camp treatment for your nails.

It looks cloudy in the bottle but applies clear. It can be used as a basecoat and topcoat and application consistency reminds me a little of Seche Vite, except maybe less thick and glossy. The instructions say to apply two coats first, then one coat every other day. It immediately made my nails look more presentable, and feel a bit thicker/more reinforced. 

You can actually paint your nails with a colour polish and still continue applying Nail Envy over the top, but I imagine this would make the treatment slightly less effective. I’ll try it anyway, as you are meant to take it all off and start again every week for as long as you need it, although I’ve read some reviews that say your nails will become brittle again if you don’t use it. I would have thought that was a little obvious, but it might be enough to just use it less frequently and still maintain a good condition in your nails.

So far, so good. I’ll continue using it and report back.

Sticky Kisses!

Duty Free Treats - MAC & YSL

So last week I went to sunny Spain, and for me, the best part of flying abroad is… duty free at the airport! I’m like a kid in a candy shop, looking at all the lovely luxe brands in their slightly less expensive glory. Swatches all over me, spritzing scents on various patches of arm…

I decided I would treat myself, or rather, allow Mr BNH to treat me for my birthday, which fell whilst we were away. There’s nothing quite like fancy cosmetics to cheer you up when you become another year older. I didn’t have a lot of browsing time on my way out as I had been booked in for special assistance due to a knee injury, and I was walking around in a splint with a crutch - long story.  I had to be in a certain place at a certain time to board first (didn’t work out very well, as our drivers were directed by control to the wrong plane TWICE, and made our actual flight late – not our fault though!). I hobbled onwards for my fix regardless.

Anyway, I knew what I wanted and headed straight to the MAC counter. I’d heard good things about MAC Pro-Longwear Concealer and wanted to try some myself, as I like a concealer with good coverage (my opinion is that the point of concealer is to conceal…). I’d like to get into more MAC products and thought I’d try a concealer before a foundation.

The MAC website describes it as “a lightweight fluid concealer that provides medium to full coverage with a comfortable, natural matte finish. Colour-true formula lasts up to 15 hours. Helps conceal and correct the look of under-eye circles, and discolorations. Comes in a clear glass vial with a matte black pump”.

I wanted to swatch the colour before I went on holiday rather than after, as this would mean it would be truer to my natural skin tone which is quite pale, and let’s face it – tans don’t last forever! My shade was NC15, and I believe this is their palest shade, at least in this range. I don’t know for sure so if anyone knows otherwise then please feel free to correct me!

I actually caught quite a lot of colour on holiday, so won’t be using it for a while until I get back to my natural colour. With the weather so rainy and miserable back in Blighty, it’ll probably be sooner than I’d like!

I used it the first couple of nights while I was away until I became too dark for it, and the coverage was just as good as expected. I may purchase it in another colour that is darker, so that I can mix up a custom shade. My skin tone does vary quite a bit – I don’t know how to explain it other than some days I seem to have more colour in my face than others!

Here’s a swatch on the back of my hand that I did post-holiday. 

It’s clearly too pale for me as I’m still brown (for now) but it was a very good match before I tanned. You only need a tiny amount so although the bottle is quite small it should last me a while. I’ve only applied it with my fingers so far but I’m keen to try it with a concealer brush. Application is good but it sets quite quickly so you need to be swift!

It also lasted as long as I needed it to, with Benefit’s That Gal! as a primer, Rimmel’s Wake Me Up foundation, and no powder or fixing spray. My first impression was a good one, and when I get around to being pale and using it more regularly, I’ll decide whether to re-purchase again.

The return leg of my journey was also fruitful – I was looking for a certain YSL lipstick that is my all-time favourite(Rouge Pur Lipstick in Tropical Pink) but they didn’t have it.  I’ll do another blog specifically about it. I wanted to console myself with a limited edition Rouge Volupte Perle in 115, which was a shimmery peach/coral with golden glitter flecks and a glossy finish, but they were out of stock! *dramatic despairing faint*

In the end, I settled for a Golden Gloss. I would have rather purchased a lipstick, and was even considering getting a Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres  but couldn’t find a shade I really wanted. So I bought this: Golden Gloss in 50 – Golden Peach.

It’s very pretty. All the Golden Glosses are – I think YSL do the best lippies, and they smell amazing to boot. I can’t figure out the fragrance to this – I think it might be peach with a hint of orange, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Apologies for the photos - I tried to pick up the lovely glitter in the tube but I was only using my iPhone 4S so not great quality I’m afraid! There’s much more golden flecks in the formula than the images portray.

I didn’t have any glosses in this colour – maybe a few similar, or peachy, but none like this. It looks too good to use – it’s beautiful! I always have this problem with high end products – I can’t bear to use them too often. Maybe it’s because they are expensive treats and I want to get longevity out of them, or maybe it’s like a beautifully presented dessert that’s just too pretty to stab your fork into and destroy.

The formula isn’t as pigmented as I’d like on bare lips but it’s still quite nice. It feels rich without being too sticky, and it lasts a long time. It looks a lot nicer over another similar lip colour, such as a nude or pale peach. You get enough on the wand for a perfect application each time, and it’s a brush, which I like. It seems so much fancier. I’ll probably save this one for special occasions rather than everyday use.

Overall I’m happy with my duty free picks, I would have liked a new perfume too but I somehow managed to rein myself in!

Sticky kisses!