GUEST POST - Home Deco - Wishlist For A Mini Office

Today we have the lovely Hannah guest posting on my blog.  Hannah is the wonderful lady who is responsible for my blog header!... Over to you Hannah!

Hey Everyone,

When Rachel asked me to guest post on her blog I of course jumped at the chance. Recently I've been thinking a lot about turning an empty corner of my bedroom into a mini office. I'm currently blogging from my sofa or bed (not exactly the most creative or best places to blog). I don't have room anywhere else, and I thought turning that corner of the room into my blogging center would be a great idea. So here's my Office Wishlist:

1. Desk:

This Ikea desk is perfect for the small space I have for my mini office. I choose to keep it white as my room is white, and I'm really liking Home Decor that's white with a pop of colour added through accessories at the moment. You can find this desk HERE! 

2. Cushion:

I chose this cushion to put onto the white desk chair I chose. It adds a more comfy feel to the clinical white, and I chose this one because it reminds me of home and makes me happy. This cushion is from Debenhams and you can find it HERE!  

3. Oh My Deer Print:

I thought a print would brighten up the space and add in more colour. I was looking for an inspirational print but when I saw this I thought it was too cute not to add to this wishlist! You can find it HERE! 

4. Candle:

I think a candle is always something lovely to have in an office to give off a scent and also look pretty. I'm very picky about scents I'm not really fan of most scents either flowery, spicey, or pretty much the majority of scents on the market. I prefer fresh scents like beach walk from Yankee Candle which you can find HERE! 

5. Desk Lamp:

Everyone needs some sort of lighting in their office. I chose this lamp as it is a easy to use adjustable lamp, so great for a desk. It is from Ikea so also really affordable which always helps, you can find it HERE! 

6. Cardboard Letters:

I really want some Letters to use as book ends for all my blogging inspirational books. I would love to get A and Z for the alphabet. I would either paint or get some cool wrapping paper to cover them in! You can find them HERE! 

7. White Swivel Chair:

I think a swivel chair is a necessity for a desk, for all those moments when your bored and spinning around on a chair can give a bit of inspiration. I like this one because it fits in with the desk, it's from Ikea and you can find it HERE! 

8. Magazine Storage Basket:

I find magazines great for keeping up with trends and really inspiring for blog posts, so I like to keep a few of my old favorites and current ones for when I'm feeling stuck in a rut! I think this storage basket is great for keeping them tidy but in keeping with the decor! 

HERE! 

What would you include in your Office? 

Thanks so much to Rachel for having me as a Guest on her lovely blog! 

GUEST POST - Colour on Friday Gone by Monday.

The dip dye has made a big impact within the world of hair and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. Summer 2013 has seen the trend becoming even bigger news with everyone adding a stroke of colour to their summer dip dye locks. However, colouring ones hair blues, purples and pinks is not always a realistic and practical commitment that many are happy to make to their hair (consider the startled looks around the office on Monday morning as you stroll in with bubblegum pink tips). It was therefore, only a matter of time before a temporary version was created; all hail the hair chalk! Hair chalking has become a hair sensation, allowing you to show off electric blue locks one night and then return to your original colour the next day. It has particularly become a popular purchase for many festival goers, looking to achieve a quirky look for the weekend. Think of all the fun and creative things you can try out on your hair without any of the, possibly not so sensible, commitments.

What to use?

There are a few different options out there to try for temporarily giving yourself a colourful dip dye look. These include the hair chalk, the hair shadow and the comb in hair colour and all with their own pros and cons...

I have tried colouring my tips with the comb in hair colour http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/pink-comb-in-temporary-hair-dye/invt/5763400303222/ and the hair chalk and have experienced quite different results. For me, the hair chalk won hands down compared to the comb in hair colour. Unlike the hair chalk, the comb in colour is a wet gel like consistency that you need to allow time to dry before you can head out. The drying time for me took around half an hour to 45 minutes and I was stuck sitting around in a towel as I feared the wet colour could stain the white dress I planned to wear. Once dried, it did provide a subtle light pink colouring to my tips, i think however this was helped by my already light blonde hair, my darker haired friend did not have such great success! The hair chalking, however, was a much more simple and effective way to add a temporary colourful dip dye look to your hair, no matter the colour of your hair. On that note, I am therefore going to share a few useful tips for trying out hair chalking. Let’s get colouring!

Top Tips for Successfully Chalking Your Hair:

• All you will need is your chosen hair chalk, a water bottle, a towel and protective gloves. Be careful to lay something down when applying the chalk, it can get a little messy!
• If your hair colour is anything other than blonde you will have to wet the area being coloured first. The water will help the colour to attach to your hair. The wetter the hair, the deeper the colour
• If you are blonde however, applying water first will mean the colour will stay on your hair for a longer period of time. If you want coloured tips but for one night only miss out adding water first.
• Choose semi thick strands of hair, twist the hair and chalk in a downward motion. Twisting the hair as you colour will make the chalk release more pigment and will therefore create a stronger colour
• If you have wet the hair first, just add a little extra time to allow the hair to dry, I would recommend letting the water dry naturally.
• Once dry, you can go over the colour with a straightening iron or curling tong to better seal in the colour.

Know the Best Colours for Your Hair:

Redheads – Be aware that certain colours will change when on your hair, for example colouring it yellow may come out more as an orange. Purples and greens are the best colour choices for this hair colour.

Black hair – Those with black hair need to invest in bright vibrant shades, cobalt blues and shocking pinks are an awesome dip dye contrast. Think of Jessie J for inspiration!

Brunettes – Depending on the shade, brunettes can get away with almost any colour. The lighter your hair the more intense the colour.

Blondes - And for the lucky people with blonde hair, the world is your oyster and you can try out just about any colour you so wish. A nice idea is to also try more than one colour on each strand to create a tie-dyed look, start with the lighter colour at the top of the strand going into a darker colour by the tip. Lauren Conrad once mastered this tie-dyed look with hair chalk brilliantly.

 

Considering chalking it up? Check out http://www.haircolorchalk.com/Default.asp and http://hairchalking.net/ for a great colourful range of hair chalks.

There you have my top tips for creating a hair chalk success, i hope you have all been inspired to get creative with your hair! If you want some more chalking inspiration check out our Pinterest http://pinterest.com/appointedd/chalk-it-up/ and facebook page for some colourful looks https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.390308461075103.1073741836.278318852274065&type=1


Bio:

Leah Hutcheon is the founder of appointedd.com, a brand new site where you can book salons and spas online, 24/7. She was recently featured in the BBC documentary, The Entrepreneurs. Appointedd also features salon reviews and has a hair and beauty blog, appointedd.com/blog.

May GlossyBox - What did I find?

So the postman has just been with my May Glossybox - super quick delivery yet again.  Whenever my Glossybox arrives I am always full of anticipation as to what I am going to find within my box.  Naturally if you havent got your box yet and don't want to know what is inside, click away now.

So opening the outer box inside I found the lovely dusty pink box that we have all come to love and like getting.  Now this month it is the 2nd Birthday for Glossybox, so I have my hopes up for some pretty fantastic and something a little unexpected maybe?  Well this is what I got:

I love the Neon Pink Ribbon and the wrapping paper inside this box, so we are off to a good start!

Now the contents:

Givency Noir Courute Mascara - it is in a sachet so this had me intrigued until I opened it to find a miniscule version - said to be a multi-tasker that creates instant volume, length and curl and using an active complex bunch of ingredients it is said to nourish your lashes too... Hmm.... this would cost £22.50 full size price.

Caudalie Divine Oil comes next and it is inside a 15ml glass bottle which costs £4.05 should you wish to buy it.  This Divine Oil is said to be the "Ultimate beauty Elixir for your body, face and hair" and after using it will turn me into a Caudalie Convert.  It can be used on the body, face, hair and nail or added to a hot bath and even used as a massage oil.

Premae Harmony Balm  - said to be a skin protector and primer leaving you with a silky, dewy finish.  It uses antiseptic lemongrass and aloe vera to soothe breakouts and reduce excess oil.  A full size tub of this at 30ml will cost you £26.50, the tub in the Glossybox is a 10ml tub

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics - Formerly known as BM apparently.  This is said to be a new product and a multi-tasking one at that.  It is a Prime and Create Mixing Medium which is an addition to Kimberley Wyatt (Formerly of the Pussycat Dolls) collection and it can be used as a primer to give that matte, shine free base for make-up or mix it with foundation for an air-brush effect or with blushers, bronzers to create a creme tint or even eye shadow pigments to create liquid eye-liner.  This is a 2.5g product within the box and to purchase it is £20 for 20g

Finally we have (yet another) Nails Inc mini - Portobello is mine, eye-catching Neon Shade named after one of London's most popular roads.

As this is a birthday box there is something extra - a matchbox styled box of mini nail-files which I love.  These can quite easily be shoved into your handbags and are so useful to have.  The packaging matches the wrapping paper from within the box and the nail files match the ribbon - cute!

So there you have it - the May Glossybox - what do you think?

Unusually balanced - that's me!!

Unlike most people, I am quite new to the Balance Me range, until this particular product I was yet to actually try something from the range, despite seeing them everywhere.

Radiance Face oil tells you that it will "enhance skins natural lustre" and that it is 100% natural.  I also like that on the back of the box, as shown below you can read the following - "smooth away the years with our highly emollient, 100% natural face oil.  Skin lacking in lustre is enhanced with a rich, replenishing blend of naturally active and smoothing ingredients. Don't be afraid to use this if your skin is prone to congestion as oil on oil is extremely balancing, hydrating and comfortable to wear".

That little blurb on its own answered the question for me as to whether or not having combination skin; leading more to the oily side would work well with this oil.  Never in my life have I used a product like this on my skin, more through fear of expecting to turn into a bottle of vegetable oil and making my skin super shiny, however until you try it I guess you just never know.

Inside the box I was surprised to find how lovely the glass bottle looked, the oil itself is almost orange and reminded me a little bit of some extra virgin olive oil that I have in my cupboard.  This 30ml bottle comes complete with a little pipette that you use to dispense the oil onto your hands. The reason you drop it onto your hands is because your body's natural temperature helps to warm up the oil as the 'directions' show on the side of the box, which again you can see in the picture below. 

I like how clear the directions of use are and that it explains fully how to use this oil to get the full benefits such as massaging in circular motions and words such as toxins, circulation and boost cell renewal all catch the eye and attention as you read.

When you first apply this to your face, I was surprised, infact I was so surprised at how non-greasy it felt.  I had been expecting to find a mini oil slick on the palms of my hands but quite the opposite, as soon as you apply to your face it has absorbed itself in double quick time leaving nothing behind except glowing skin that was silky smooth to the touch. My skin hasn't broken out in any spots, it doesn't irritate my skin nor make it itchy, all of which has slightly surprised me, again having never used oil on combination skin I was waiting for something to go wrong - it didn't.  Usually around the time of my monthly visit I sometimes get one or two spots around my chin which annoy me because I'm not used to having them, using this product they didn't even make an appearance, again another thumbs up from me.

All of the ingredients within this oil are natural and you have no less than 8 base oils which includes:

• Amazonian Buriti Nut, Cameilla and Rosehip Oil all of which work to reduce redness and address uneven skin tones and minimise the visible signs of scarring. 
• Add to that Yarrow, Benzoin and Roman Camomile which work together to create a highly moisturising effect.  
• You will also find Sweet Almond Oil which smells divine and again helps to keep your skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturised and finally there is grape seed oil, again an ingredient that works with the other 7 and again has moisturising properties for the skin.

When I use this oil, I tend to use it first thing in the morning after getting out of the shower and before I go to bed having removed all my make-up and the days dirt and grime and before I add any extra moisturiser even though some days I feel as though my skin is not in need of anything else.  The smell is perhaps the one thing I'm not too keen on, I had hoped the sweet almond oil would be the dominant fragrance within this product but what you get is something quite herb like, and it isn't off-putting in any way and wouldn't stop me from using it.

This product retails at £30 for a 30ml bottle from the Balance Me website which isn't cheap but when you are only using 3 - 4 drops per day, it is certainly going to last quite a while.  I have no hesitations when it comes to recommending this facial oil, I love how it makes my skin feel, I love the pipette application because it is so different to the products I would usually use and makes applying it a little lore fun. A great face oil that does leave your skin feeling soft and smooth to the touch whilst leaving your skin glowing.  For me this would be a definite re-purchase.

Which balance me products do you use?

Have you tried any face oils?