Chop, chop.

I hadn't, up to now, decided if I liked going to the hairdresser or not. Usually, I just get a trim and a box colour applied and it costs no more than a tenner, but now I've moved out into a university town, things are different. I had a little trim at one of the salon's on the high street and while the experience wasn't awful, it wasn't great either - five toddlers running around screaming while mums chatted was excruciating - if you know me, you know I hate children. I paid £14 for a basic trim and while that's not extortionate, I'm used to paying £5 for a 'proper' haircut and about £1 for a fringe trim or having one cut in, so it was a little painful.

My friend recommended me a new salon, though, and told me about the offer they were running - a wash, cut and blow dry for £17. I'd been really itching to change my hair for the longest time, so I jumped at the chance and had a fantastic experience! I was in and out in under half an hour, had a lovely woman do my hair and had quite a nice cup of coffee.

So I thought I'd pop up a picture along with some old ones of my hair through the years.

Half blonde and half bright red for my prom. I was about sixteen.

Seventeen. Still red. (Sorry it's sideways!)

Sideways again...sixteen, trying to lift the red out. I quite liked this.

A medium brown - still not covered all the red! About seventeen.

Shortly after falling into a vat of bleach...Eighteen.

It was supposed to be an ombre brown/blonde affair...still eighteen. (Room at uni)

Playing with a wig for Halloween and a lot of makeup. Still eighteen.

Nineteen! I learned to use my curling iron and added purple underneath!

A few weeks later, a dark brown. 

Aaaaaand my current hair. I'm working my way to an Uma Thurman Pulp Fiction look. Probably. 

Has your hair changed a lot over the years?

Date Night

Here's my beauty regime for when I have a hot date! This is usually a very rushed, toast-in-mouth kind of affair, because time-keeping and I are having a bit of a fall-out at the moment.

Showering is my favourite way to chill out. Boiling under water and scrubbing myself clean is like a therapy for me and it's a wonderful way to calm down and relax if I've had a hard or long day. If I have time, I'll do the sugar scrub that I talked about recently, and then I'll decide what I want to do with my hair. My hair is naturally very straight and very fine, but there's a lot of it, so it decides what it wants to do and won't listen to me. It takes strategic planning and an ambush mission. This time, I covered my hair root-to-tip in V05's Gloss Me Smoothly conditioner and shoved it up into a bun while I scrubbed my entire body with sugar and oil. It's an odd picture, but go with me!

Once out of the shower I used Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter over my skin and waited until my hair was about 80% dry before getting out my blowdryer and finishing the job. (Perfect opportunity to eat and catch up on Dexter!) I decided on full-on crazy ringlet curls, so the conditioner would help make them softer and glossier - it's hard to get good shine on blonde hair. Because my hair was such a mad statement, I went for very natural makeup with a nude lipstick from Revlon dabbed on five seconds before leaving the flat.

Here's a rough picture of what I looked like - I look so moody but I assure you I had a great time and my hair went down really well.

A Little Update

Hi! 

This is sort of a haul/things I did over the past few months...

I might have too many shoes! There are more in my wardrobe, but these are the prettiest. Various flats, two pairs of Converse, winter boots, Jeffrey Campbells and some Lita lookalikes.

New Zara bag (a loose Prada lookalike, I think) and Office flats. £10 in the sale online - way cheaper than the £28 I was looking at spending on similar leopard studded flats in Topshop.

I got dressed up all fancy and my flatmates got dressed up as hobos. Then we went to a bar.

I punched someone and broke my finger.

My university did a Harry Potter themed feast, complete with owl! 

It's a cape and I needed it. 

I turned 19!

SUGARY SWEET!

Hi!

Long time, no speak – I know. I’m sorry! University has been killing me. A little bit literally. So after finishing a short story, a commentary and a sociolinguistics portfolio, I finally returned to tumblr and stumbled upon a recipe for ‘silky summer legs’. I ummed and aahed for a bit then finally decided that I’d do it and have a bit of a pamper before a date night. I’ve just done it for the second time and I feel so sexy and can’t stop touching my legs! It’s not a well-known beauty tip, so I love it even more. It seems like every blog post about beauty tips is the same old conceal around your brows, layer lipstick and liner, line your upper waterline boredom. So here’s mine!

You’ll need:

• Any oil (about half a mugful). You can use olive oil (I did) or baby oil, coconut oil, almond oil…
• A handful or so of sugar
• A zesty fruit – lemon, lime or orange. I prefer orange because it doesn’t sting if you cut yourself shaving, but it’s up to you.
• 1 or 2 razors.

Here’s the guide:

·         Pour the oil into a bowl and add the sugar.
·         Cut the fruit in half and squeeze the juice in while mixing.
·         Jump in the shower. Shampoo and wash as normal.
·         Soak your legs for a while. Now might be a good time to coat your hair in conditioner.
·         Shave your legs – I used one razor per leg.
·         Rub some of the mixture onto your legs.
·         Rinse off and shave again! This is fab because I always miss a bit when shaving.
·         Rub again!
·         Use a mild soap (I use a Dove bar) to get all the excess oil off.
·         Use a light moisturiser and feel like a goddess.

This is safe to use everywhere you shave – your legs, your underarms, your forearms (if you do!). I would be very, very careful if you insist on using it anywhere else and not at all if you have sensitive skin.

I had a lot left over (I threw caution to the wind and didn’t measure the amounts) so I went a little overboard and sugared absolutely everywhere – even my feet!

I love this tip so much. It makes your skin softer, you smell good and it’s cheap, which is key when you’re on a student budget. I even borrowed some olive oil from my friend, so that was free! If you’re in the mood to pamper, you could paint your finger and toenails, too.

Let me know how you get on with this one! 

Jas x

Lips by Topshop

I have more Topshop lipsticks than I anticipated...I started out with beguiled, a dark purple, about two years ago when I wanted something dark and dramatic for the winter months. I loved the matte texture and the price wasn't so bad, so when I wanted a nude, I decided to try desert, which is a little too orange for my skin  tone, so I usually add a little of a pink/red lipstick to make it a strong coral colour.

 Desert - An orange toned nude.

Innocent - described a 'frosted lilac' - I like to blot this down to use as a nude/natural colour.

Beguiled - A lovely dark purple (maybe a dupe for mac's rebel) that's perfect for A/W.

 



For the price (about £8, though I believe that might go up) I think the quality's fair. I'm not a fan of the packaging - I think it's plain, rather than minimalistic, and I don't see a need to scream 'Topshop' on the front, which keeps it from feeling high-end and keeps it at a high-street product. I would recommend that you try on the lipstick before you buy, and not to buy online unless you've tried it on your lips in store. There are counters! Ask someone to help you! It's not a huge amount of money but it's substantial enough to feel a little pissed off about if you end up with the wrong tone of red for your skin.

Beguiled styled up for A/W

A hasty shot of 'Brighton Rock' - a gorgeous matte hot pink that's flattering on everyone. Definitely my favourite Topshop lipstick. 

Do you own any Topshop lipsticks? What do you think of them?

Keep Calm About Your Carry On

I like to travel light. I don't do bulky, heavy handbags or cross-body bags - I do backpacks. They add style, personality and they're easy to carry a lot of your stuff. I'm taking a backpack with me on the ferry to Paris, so it's essential that my bag is packed well (and carefully).

Here's how I broke mine down.

Only take what you'll use/need.

So good for A/W fashion ideas.

Such good style, and interesting stories throughout, too.

SPF 30, a mirror, a pill pot and extra paracetamol (for others, I'm not seriously injured), a lighter (for meeting people), first aid cream (burns, blisters, grazes...) and a watch. One was cut off the photo, but one is gold for gold jewellery and the other is silver for my silver jewellery. 

Actually, a lighter is something you should always carry, even if you don't smoke. Having a lighter meant I got to chat to loads of people at V festival earlier in the year and it got me to the front of the crowd for The Killers and Snow Patrol - the reasons I went. It was incredible, and all down to that trusty blue lighter you see before you! 

Sunglasses are perfect if you want to sneak a snooze or you don't feel like wearing eye makeup - if you sweep some tinted lip balm you'll look made up without even trying. A nail gives you something to do on the trip and if you catch a nail there's no need to worry. A hangnail definitely ruins my mood! It's also a good conversation-starter when someone asks for one - they will! And, lastly, your purse. Mine was from Primark and was the around the five pound mark - I have my eurohealth card and my passport with me at all times. It's something to consider when choosing a purse - how many cards can you fit in, is the change/note area secure and can you fit your passport in properly? It saves a lot of hassle and panic if you can keep it on your person, even if you don't think you'll need it. 

Finally, pack as lightly as possible. Take light food that can be shoved unceremoniously into corners of your bag and doesn't leave hard-to-dispose-of mess, unlike fruit. Things like boiled sweets, mints and breakfast bars are ideal for travel. Try to avoid crisps - they're noisy and some give you bad breath. Or they stink the car out...

What are your top tips for travel? 

Accessories!

I am not a big jewellery girl. It's just never been for me. I read once that Mary-Kate Olsen is all about the bling, but Ashley doesn't wear any, and I'm kind of the same way, except there is one thing I love - rings. Big chunky in-your-face rings. I love them, but I can only wear them for so long before I get annoyed...which is the same story with necklaces (they move and twist and argh!) and bracelets (have you ever tried to write wearing a bangle? not possible.) I just can't do it. Rings, though, are easy. They dress you up without getting in the way, so to show my appreciation, here are my 'rings of the moment'. They're all coming with me to France, just in case I am asked on a date or trip to the Eiffel Tower or I feel really super boring in my work outfit. Either way is cool by me!

Oh, look, I turned into Phoebe Buffay!

From left to right -

Big turquoise stone ring - vintage.

Slim purple stone ring - vintage.

Peace ring - Topshop.

Green gem ring - Topshop.

Belt ring - vintage.

Eye ring - Topshop.

Excuse My French, But I'm In France!

Welcome to my very first post!

My name is Jasmine, I'm eighteen, and this is what I'm taking on my (working) trip to Paris, France!
Firstly, shoes. I'm taking two pairs of ballet flats just because I love their simplicity and comfort. Perfect for work, as they're easy to walk in and wear, perfect for travel because you can just slip them off and perfect for lunch and dinner, because they're just so chic and elegant. There's something lovely about the idea of walking around such a beautiful city in simple, pretty shoes.

The ballerina flats were from Primark and Lilley, both costing less than £10, and the heels are by Footglove for less than £20. I love the second pair the most - the fronts give a little extra interest that I really love in my clothes.

Jasmine Jade