Fudge Paintbox: Whiter Shade of Pale

Hi Guys!

I'm sure many of you will know that having highlighted hair can be troublesome to maintain. Firstly comes the trauma of bleach followed by weeks of intensive and nourishing treatments to get your locks silky smooth, only to find that you wake up one morning to 2 inches of regrowth. Urgh. 

Over the past 2 years I have noticed another problem which is oh-so common amongst blondes... Brassy tones. Yeah sure, not the most dramatic thing to get stressed over, but when you find you're parting with close to £100 every 8 weeks, you want to ensure the colour you love is going to last! 

In the past I have been a firm believer in silver/purple shampoos, and you can pretty much bet your bottom dollar I will have a bottle of Lee Stafford in the bathroom. However more recently I've been finding my trusty favourite is just not a good enough match for the atmosphere/pollution/whatever it is tainting my highlights. 

My search for help led me to this little bad-boy in a bottle... 

RRP £8.39

Whiter Shade of Pale by Fudge can be mixed with their vibrant paintbox shades to create a softer, pastel colour or used on pre-lightened hair to neutralise yellow tones. 

So armed with my mother's assistance I gave it a whirl. The first step is shampooing your hair then you apply the toner to wet hair (ouch at the memory of combing out un-conditioned hair). The 150ml bottle was enough to cover all my hair once and I have a bit left over to go over the more troublesome areas at a later date. For reference I would say I've got mid-length thin hair - but there is ALOT of it. Wrapped up in cling film(!) I waited the 30 mins as instructed before toddling off to rinse it out. 

Before

After

As you can see overall the hair is lighter & some of the chunkier brassy sections towards the roots have gone cooler, however the ends are still quite yellow. I don't mind it so much though as I think it adds dimension. It's also left my hair quite glossy and feeling rather soft which is a bonus.

Maybe in a couple of weeks I will give it another bash using up whats left on the tips! 

Has anybody got any advice on maintaining blonde hair?

Take care 

Steph

xxx

Book Club - The Girl With All The Gifts

Hello Hello!

 A little late to the party as usual, Apologies!

Now, a while back the lovely Frankie from Fashion Dough took to twitter to ask if there were any bloggers who would like to be involved in a book club. Reading is right up my street so it was a big yes please! from me. 

The first book which was chosen is definitely something I wouldn't of picked for my weekend getaway but, oh my, how glad I am that I was given the chance to branch out a bit! 

The girl with all the gifts - M.R. Carey 

" Original, Thrilling and powerful"

"A Great read that takes hold of you and doesn't let go"

Scary, tense and fast-paced...but with a heart-warming tenderness"

It's difficult to say too much about the plot without totally giving the story away but the book revolves around a few key characters who are living amongst a zombie apocalypse. I'm quite partial to a good zombie movie or series - The Walking Dead, World War Z - you get the gist, but I hadn't read anything with a zombie plot before. 

The mysterious summary doesn't give the game up either so when I began reading, I was non the wiser for a few chapters. 

I won't go into the story line incase you are the type of person who doesn't like spoilers (You've already had quite a big one!) however, if you would like to know you can find a bit more of a synopsis at Fashion Dough, Cuteek, or Saloca in Wonderland. 

What appealed to me was how M.R. Carey managed to focus on the changing relationships of the main characters without losing all the gore and destruction which you would normally expect from a zombie thriller. In my opinion this made the plot more intriguing. 

I think this book would appeal to both genders - Chris was requesting regular updates as he was interested in how the adventure was unfolding, while I was more absorbed with how the characters were changing towards each other.

To conclude: I would recommend this book to a friend. I found it had me gripped and I was desperate to see how it would unfold. Don't let the Z-word put you off like it probably would of me, the plot has more dimensions than simply a group of people trying to not get eaten! 

I'm really looking forward to get cracking on the next book - The Abomination by Jonathan Holt. In fact while the tail end of hurricane Bertha is expected over the West-Midlands, I can't think of a better time to start. *Ignoring all the acupuncture textbooks starting at me*

Take Care 

Steph 

xxx

Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Brick 'Bronze'

Can we just take a moment to admire this beauty...

Bronze Shimmer Brick £32.50

I picked this up when returning back from my summer holiday in Tunisia last month and have been using it everyday since. The shimmery little compact contains 4 shades of bronze with a bar of highlighter. 

Due to the shimmer it isn't suitable for contouring, so I have been dusting the 5 shades over the top of my cheek bones after applying my 'stay by me' blush by mac. The top bar is perfect for highlighting underneath groomed eyebrows. The versatility of this product is something I love, as the bars could be applied as eyeshadows when used separately to get a lovely bronze smokey look. The subtle glitter isn't overpowering and provides a summery fresh glow. 

Mini Face Blender Brush

I paid a little extra to get the compact with a mini face blender brush by Bobbi Brown which is so soft. It compliments the bronzing brick perfectly, creating a soft blend of colour in all the right places.  I haven't experienced any shedding of the brush - but I don't know that 5 weeks is sufficient use to comment on that aspect. 

I have found the staying power to depend on what base I've applied onto - a wash of bronze is still present after a hard days graft on the days I needed a little extra coverage and used something like Chanel Vitalumiere in the mornings. On the days where I can get away with just a light BB cream I have found that the colour isn't really visible when returning from work, but a majority of my make-up has melted off by then anyway!

Swatch - 1 swipe not blended 

Due to its fragile nature I don't think I would dream of putting this in my handbag for retouches. I even packed it with cotton wool inside when taking away for a weekend break recently (Maybe a bit OTT but there we go). It comes in the famous chic black packaging with a large mirror which is always helpful.

 I am naturally a very pale person but have been wearing a tan since returning to England - I could envisage this being a little dark for my natural skintone. I think for that reason I may be tempted to purchase the Rose Shimmer Brick in anticipation for Winter months where my gruelling tanning regime can be overlooked. 

This brick has won an array of awards over the past couple of years and I can certainly see why. I really love using this Shimmer Brick and it has definitely encouraged me to explore the different colours. If anyone has any recommendations for a fairer skin let me know!

Take Care

 Steph

xxx

Summer Apricot Wishlist

 Hello Everybody!

I thought I would share some of the bits I've been lusting after for the Summer months. I wanted to share my style a little bit as I love to read other posts similar. 

I ALWAYS have a wish list as long as both my arms so I could potentially end up bankrupting myself before long!

Firstly, I chose this Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmer Brick. I recently purchased the Bronzing Brick and have fallen in love. I plan to write my opinion on it soon but the fact this is always sold out (sob sob moan moan) speaks volumes really! I think the Nectar powder would create a perfect coral shade for Summer. 

Next up is this strappy pleat cami from Topshop. This looks like it would be easy to dress up or wear casually when the sun eventually decides to rear itself for longer than a day!

I've chosen to include the Charlotte Tilbury life changing lash curlers. I'm quite blessed in the eyelash department and don't always require curlers but I find them helpful when attempting to fake a 'great nights sleep' look. I love Charlotte Tilbury, she is so beautiful and uses make-up to accentuate features rather than cover up and fake a look which I think is a lovely philosophy! I also enjoy watching her work - she's got a great energy. Anyway these curlers are £18 and available here.

Next up - a Summer staple these high waisted denim shorts. Not much explanation required, perfect for casual sunny days 

As a lipstick/gloss/glass/product-in-general junkie I've included Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss to my wish list. I LOVE the non-sticky formula and am currently drooling over the shades Candlelight, Bellini, and Citrus.

I'm dreaming here basically but we can all dream right! Between saving for a mortgage and paying rent I can't imagine I shall end up owning this Mulberry Bayswater double zip tote anytime soon but I have popped it in there... just in case!

 I have definitely gravitated towards coral/nectar/apricot shades this Summer. I need to be careful I don't end up looking like a tangerine disco ball! 

Take care

Steph 

x

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

Hello Everyone!

Thanks to this month's Company magazine you can bag yourself a black or navy blue Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner for just £2 - winner! 

Now I have appalling vision and really struggle with the application of eyeliner, but I love a feline flick as much as the next girl so my quest to find the perfect tool has gone on for many years. Until now!

The liners themselves are a handy felt-tip like liquid pen which are easy to handle and pop into your handbag without the fuss of taking a brush or sharpener. 

Award winning skinny liquid eyeliner RRP £12

The nib allows you to create a thick or thin line depending on angle of application and the colour pay-off is quite intense. I have found the navy blue liner to be a little dry at the very tip, but the black one has worked like a dream.

The liner glides on smoothly thanks to the Sodium Hyaluronate ingredient, which is essentially a naturally occurring lubricant found all over the body. The lasting power amazed me when I found I still had two smudge free eyes after travelling for 10 hours when returning home from Tunisia this week - all my other make-up had near enough completely dissolved in the heat.

Black used in upper waterline 

Navy Blue 

Overall I'm really excited to try these and would definitely re-purchase in the future. In fact I'll probably just go and buy a few more copies of Company and keep them all stashed away!

Take Care

Steph 

x

Shopping Spree!

Hello everyone!

As I previously mentioned, I am a naturally inquisitive person. This means I love reading other blogs... and really enjoy haul posts. With that said I wanted to share a few of this weekends purchases. 

Myself and Chris took the 40 minute drive to the Bullring in Birmingham on Saturday - That place is seriously heaven for me, especially Selfridges and their new beauty hall. We have a holiday booked soon so obviously needed to get together the last few bits and I took this opportunity to pick up some new beauty items.

 Sleek Blush By 3 Palette in CALIFORN.I.A  

 Sleek Blush By 3 Palette in PINK LEMONADE

 Real Techniques Blusher Brush & Miracle Complexion Sponge

Topshop Lipstick in Charmed

Mac Sketch, Sumptuous Olive, Woodwinked 

We hit Primark fairly early and managed to avoid a huge crowd and I got some seriously cute dresses and shirts for my holiday (I didn't need them but I didn't tell Chris).

 Sorry for the picture heavy post! I really hope I'm not the only one who spreads out all new purchases and just admires them for ages - Chris thinks its strange.

Take Care

Steph

x

Here Goes Nothing...

Hello Everybody!

I'm taking the plunge into the world of blogging and already feel great! I've made the decision as I feel it is completely unfair of me to continue to bore everyone around me with my unhealthy obsession with all things beautiful (their loss).

Anyways, let me introduce myself! My name is Steph, I'm a 24 year old Physiotherapist from the West-Midlands and currently loving life. You can find me on twitter

https://twitter.com/bellamode24 and Instagram @bellamode24.

I have a passion for all things beauty, hair, fashion & Lifestyle... I'm also naturally inquisitive (nosey parker) so already love reading blogs alike. 

Here's a couple of photos of myself with my nearest and dearest - all heavily edited!

 Myself and Mother (Moomin)

 Me & Boyfriend Chris 

 Some of my besties friends

Gorgeous Nephew - He has my Heart 

Feel free to get in touch - I would love to hear off anybody who has stopped by!

Take Care

Steph 

x