DIY OMBRE BALAYAGE

Aloha.

Just a sneaky update this morning;

I gots myself some new hair. Okay, well it's the same hair, however it's taken a bit of a beating with a good few bleach sessions the last couple of weeks. 

I've been lusting after the ever-popular ombre balayage look and you all know how indecisive I can be.. Three months ago I had plum hair, two days later it was dark brown, then ombre, then dark again.

ugh, will I ever be happy?

After spending hours on end trolling through social media sites to find the 'perfect' look, I decided that I'd give balayage a go myself.

Disclaimer; I have ombre'd my hair myself before, but never have I tried balayage, so I figured "how hard could it be?!"

So, what's balayage I hear you ask? It's basically hair painting. Yep, that's right. You literally paint different strands of hair to create a natural, sunkissed look. It's a lot less subtle than highlights, but just adds some dimension to a normal head of colour.

Here is the finished look:

I don't think that I did too bad (trying not to blow my own trumpet!)

xxxx

FIVE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND: SWITCH UP YOUR HAIR

1. BALAYAGE OR OMBRE;

One of the quickest and easiest way to freshen up your look over Christmas. 

Ombre is the gradual lightness from roots to ends whereas balayage tends to begin with an ombre effect, but then has highlights running through the lengths, creating a somewhat natural, sunkissed look.

Yep, you can get this professionally done at your local salon, but if you're on a budget (I mean, it is Christmas after all) then grab a box dye and give it a whirl yourself. 

I promise it's pretty fool-proof!

My favourites are:

 L'oreal Wild Ombre Kit £7.49

BLEACH DIY Dip Dye Kit £7

BLEACH Balayage Beach Lights £7

2. CUT IT SHORT;

Now this is one that I would probably recommend you visiting a salon for unless you are super-brave (which, admittedly I once did).. Go SHORT!

I absolutely love seeing an angular bob; they're sassy, chic and so stylish, although they are pretty high maintenance so this is probably not for you girls who like to roll out of bed and be ready in 5 minutes! Another downside- it's winter, so invest in a chunky knit scarf to keep that bare neck toasty.

If you don't see what I mean, pleaaase go onto Pinterest and type in 'medium bob'. 

You'll soon be itching to grab those scissors! 

3. GO A LITTLE CRAZY WITH PASTEL;

Strangely, I think that this is the only trend that I've not tried, but one that I so wish that I could pull off. You've got the entire colour spectrum out there, so go wild!

Take a look at the BLEACH London range here. 

4. GIVE IT SOME TLC;

Chuck on a store-bought mask or make your own and shiny, healthy hair will be yours...

My fave store-bought masks;

Ojon Damage Reverse Mask £34.50

John Frieda Full Repair Damage Mask £6.25

 

A couple of home-remedies;

Avocado flesh & a tablespoon of honey; leave for 20 minutes and rinse off.

Three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil & two eggs; leave to 20 minutes and rinse off.

5. GIVE A FRINGE A GO;

Cut one in yourself or, again, nip to your local salon for a couple of quid and ask for a fringe putting in. Now, this depends on how brave you are feeling- are you going for a cute side bangs or a bold full front fringe. Either way, it'll spruce up your 'do with minimal effort!

So, what are you thinking of doing?

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH MCBUSTED // CAPITAL EXPOSED

Okay, a little bit of a different post here today, but it's something that was so fun and different that I figured it deserved a mention.

So last week, I bagged myself tickets to the Capital Dino & Pete exposed with McBusted show. Basically, it's a live radio show where McBusted join them, play games, do interviews and perform live to a small audience in a secret location.. Sounds cool, right? 

We arrived at 6.30am (early, right?) and unfortunately spent an age queuing and waiting to get inside the venue. Now, me being me, I was tired and hungry, having skipped breakfast, and noticed that James had a heap of croissants next to him, so I tweeted them for a croissant. After a number of exchanged tweets, Matt eventually threw me a croissant.. I didn't actually catch it, but it's my new claim to fame.. 'Aren't you the croissant girl?'

After several hours, the show ended and I got the pleasure of meeting Dino and Pete whom my boyfriend listens to religiously (yes, I did cringily ask for a video from them directed towards my boyfriend..) but really, it was a wonderful morning and I feel privileged to be a part of it.

Did anyone else go to this? 

BANISH AUTUMN: HAPPY HAIR

This blustering weather can also take it's toll on your hair, making it dry, frizzy and making any split ends look 10 times worse than what they are.

Here are my top 3 products to help combat horrid hair:

£10.99 - available here

This stuff is Gods gift to all girls who look at their hair and realise how dry their ends are. You put a small amount of this balm onto the ends of your hair which turns the balm into a sort of oil, moisturising your locks and turning them silky soft.

£5.99 now £2.99 - available here

I like to use this conditioner when I'm in a rush and don't have time to wait for a mask to work it's magic. This Dove conditioner is a non-greasy, dry oil product so it definitely replenishes hair just in 3 minutes. I love to whack this on, do my thaaang and rinse it off just before I'm about to jump out of the shower to get the best benefits.

£6.29 - available here

I like to use this once a week as it leaves my hair looking like I've just got back from the salon; full, healthy and glowing. Love this mask!

How do you keep your hair tip-top shape?

 

xox

HALLOWEEN: LEOPARD MAKEUP

MEOW!

A quick guide on how to get this cute kitty makeup. 

Could probably have added a few steps between the 3rd and 4th tile, however I tend to get carried away!

Hope you like this one- let me know if you try any of these tutorials myself by tagging me on Instagram: @tangledinbeauty

 

xox

BANISH AUTUMN: HAPPY BODY

There's nothing quite like getting out the bath and slathering on that moisturiser..

Oh wait. I hate doing that, but in these winter months, it's an essential part to keeping up your silky, smooth limbs!

Here are my 3 top picks for these coming winter months:

£11 - available here

This smells gorgeous- nice and fresh, like a summery fruit salad. It sinks in very quickly, which is great for when you've just jumped out of the shower and it's too cold to sit around waiting for the lotion to sink in! I love the fact that this smells delicious on your skin all day - I always get asked what perfume I'm wearing and honestly, this is the thing! 

£7.50 - available here

Throughout summer, this is my staple for my legs- it's light, it's fresh and it makes my legs look naturally sun-kissed, which I obviously love, but I have seemingly re-kindled my love for it over the past few weeks. I find that the colder the weather is, the harder it is to keep my fake tan looking fresh. Well, a quick slap of this underneath my chosen tan and all seems well- and then when my tan is on it's last legs, I lather this on top and it makes it look like a fresh, dewy tan.

£10 - available here

The best thing about this moisturiser is the pump. I don't know why, but pumps make me feel happy. They're clean and simple, not to mention hygienic. This one in particular smells delicious and doesn't leave me looking for another application come noon.

How do you keep your body hydrated throughout this season?

 

xxx

HALLOWEEN: PRETTY FAWN MAKEUP

Good morning friends.

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought that it would be a perfect time to share some makeup tutorials with you all.

The first on my list is this fawn tutorial; I've seen it clogging up my Pinterest and Instagram for months and have been dying to have a go so with nothing on my schedule this afternoon, I figured that I'd have a crack at it.

I love the way that the nose, lips and eyebrows went; they remind me just of a cute little fawn, however the eyes (I tried to recreate someone else's idea- clearly didn't pay off). I would have liked to make them smaller and more dainty, however there's another 11 days until Halloween so there's plenty of time to perfect it!

I know that Halloween is all about the scary, the gory and the down-right terrifying, but I have a party this year that is more "for the kids" (isn't that what we always say?) and I wanted something that wasn't going to give them nightmares!

How do you like it?

Keep an eye out for the rest of my tutorials- I promise to include a couple of scarier ones!

xxx

BANISH AUTUMN: HAPPY SKIN

So we all know that this time of year can cause havoc with our skin, heaven knows that I do - I've only just got used to catering for summer skin (where does summer go?!).

Here are my top 3 picks for keeping your skin hydrated this autumn:

ORIGINAL SERUM £24.99 - available here

This has literally been my savior for the past couple of months. You put this on underneath your chosen moisturiser and it literally hydrates your skin like nothing else. I love that the tiniest bit goes a long, long way and this is definitely worth the slightly costly price tag.

MOISTURE BOOST SHEET MASKS £19,99 for 4 - available here

These are fantastic! They are so moist and have tonnes of product on them which makes them literally the best sheet masks that I've ever tried. Leave them on for as long as you can and then rub the remainder of the serum into your skin- your face will feel like nothing you've ever felt before.

£23 - available here

This is my go-to moisturiser for these darky, moody mornings. It instantly refreshes my skin, making it look and feel awake and leaves me with a healthy glow for the rest of the day. I love the zesty smell of this cream; it makes me want to eat it all up (but please don't!)

£16 - available here

I love how plump my skin is after using this and to say that it's been a staple in my evening skincare routine for roughly 5 months now, I still have roughly a quarter of the pot left.This makes my skin feel like heaven, especially when put on thick and left to sink in. Definitely a product that I can't wait to repurchase!

How is your Autumn skincare? Is there anything else that I should try?

xox

NAILS INC: CLASSY FLORALS

USED FOR THIS LOOK:

Base polish: A & E base coat

Base colour: Colville Mews

Petals of flowers: Floral Street

Center of flowers: Carnaby Street

So for this week's nails, I fancied something quite girly and intricate yet something that still looks chic for work and doesn't clash with my chosen outfits.

I saw something similar to this design on Pinterest (of course- where else do you find fetching nail designs, right?!) - I think it was in relation to a Marc Jacobs campaign and I immediately knew that this was the look that I was having this week!

I took the above picture earlier on today whilst out with my family,  so it's not the most professional of shots, however I am sure that you get the gist.

How do you like my mani this week?

xox

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING...

// candy floss @ outdoor cinema // quick trip to Dublin // selfies,cocktails & clubbing //

// cheeky new purse // out for breakfast // pre-flight selfie // blogging sesh with breakfast in bed // finally being able to wrap up // happiness is chocolate.. //

// freshly dyed hair // first Christmas display // DIY ripped jeans // new nails // 

// lasheslasheslashes // car selfie // sissy selfie // hello October //

Has your last two-weeks been this selfie-central? jeez, someone take my front camera off me.

xox

THREE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

1. CUTE UP YOUR HOUSE/BEDROOM/OFFICE SPACE:

I love HomeSense at the moment; it's jam-packed with stylish, kitch pieces that are gonna cute your home up and make it all homely ready for the quick-coming dark nights.
Find your nearest store here.

2. CLEAR OUT YOUR BAG:

Now, you may be one of those super-organised, clean-freak (sorry, I'm just NOT one of those), so I have to literally dedicate an hour each week (read that as month because I'm lazy and forgetful) where I clear out the sweet wrappers, scrunched up paper, lipstick lids and crumbs (ew) from out of my bag. I also make sure that my diary is set out for the week, giving myself a couple of tasks to do e.g. Make sure to book ___. This keeps me going and ensures that I'm half as organised as everyone else!

3. CATCH UP ON ANY MISSED PROGRAMS:

What else are weekends good for?!

This weekend I recommend Gogglebox, X-Factor, Corrie and Don't Tell The Bride.

What are you doing this weekend?

MY GO-TO FALL MAKEUP LOOK

Fall is my ultimate favourite time of year; the cosy scarves, dark mornings and early nights, deep shades of lipstick and fluffy jumpers.

So today, I thought that I'd share my go-to fall makeup look. This is so simple because there is nothing worse than having to get up super-early (when it's still dark on) just to slap your makeup on.

First up, I'll cleanse my face using Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance just to rid of any dirt that I have mysteriously gathered during the night and then I'll use my wonderful Hydraluron gel all over my face and then I'll quickly slap the Soap and Glory Wish Upon A Jar on top.

My skin feels super plump and moisturised by this stage, so I know that my go-to foundation isn't going to stick to any dry patches. 

Now, this is where I'll apply the infamous Collection Concealer in shade 02 onto my dark circles and over any pesky spots that have popped up. After this, I go straight in with my BareMinerals READY foundation in R350 all over the face and then I'll add a quick sweep of Mac Mineralise in shade Soft and Gentle over the 'shadows' of my face just to create some depth.

Then I'll quickly fill in my brows using the new Rimmel Brow This Way and I'll use the Maybelline 24 Hr Tattoo in Eternal Gold all over the eye, including the inner corner and the lower lash line just to create a glowing, just-woke-up look that accentuates my huge blue eyes. 

After sweeping a couple of  layers of Lancome Doll Eyes mascara over my lashes, the look is almost complete.

By now, I've usually completely ran out of time and am applying my lippy as I'm running out of the door, so I've been sticking to my Chanel Levres Scintillantes in Savage Grace as it's so easy to use without a mirror, however if I do have a spare 5 minutes, I use my Collection Gothic Glam in shade 03  to get the vampy-berry-shade that is so 'in' at this time of the year!

How do you like this look? 

THE BODY SHOP WISHLIST

Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil £16

Honey Bronze Shimmering Lip Balm £6

English Dawn White Gardenia Fragrance Mist £7.50

Coconut Body Butter £13

Big and Curvy Mascara £10

I love the Body Shop- I think that this was one of the first shops that spurred my obsession with health and beauty. I used to go to the Body Shop on a weekly basis, spending my pocket money on the infamous body butter and body mists.

Over the years, I've somewhat forgot about the Body Shop and I really do regret this.

There is something about their products that I love; either the quality, the way that their scents last all day regardless of what product it is, or maybe it's the variation of products that they have to offer.

I've rekindled my love for this shop over the past week and the above products are just a few of the beauties that I can't wait to get my paws on.

Do you shop at the Body Shop?

HOW TO DO: FLORAL NAILS

How do you like today's tutorial?

xo

RELAXING ADVENTURE TO CORNWALL

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Why can I never pack light? Seriously, I took enough clothes to stay a month.

2. Cute little pub in Padstow. 3. St Ives beach. 4. After calling him Alfie all day & wondering why he was ignoring me, I found out that his name was actually Archie. Oops.

5. mum & dad being "so angry". 6. Newquay beach. 7 & 8. selfie selfie.

9. Beauty on the beach. 10. Peanut Butter Cup ice cream on the beach, omg.

11. the feeling of sand between your toes <3 12. pretty new floral crown.

Cornwall is never somewhere that has appealed to us as a family holiday- yeah, it's beautiful and all but we tend to take the UK for granted & flee to other countries in search of good food, awesome weather, picturesque beaches and tasty cocktails.

After losing someone very dear to us all just recently, we decided that we would honour her memories and spend the week in Cornwall, which was one of her all-time favourite places. Looking back now, I can totally see why.

I thank her for my new discovery of the classy, totally non-tacky British sea side (and apologise for assuming that all seaside towns were as chavtastic as Skeg-vegas.. my bad!)

We couldn't have wished for better weather whilst we were down there; not a spot of rain and near-constant sunshine and warm evenings- perfect for sitting on the veranda, being taught how to play Blackjack!

xo

AUTUMN CITY BREAK: WHAT TO WEAR

In just a couple of days, I'll be in Dublin; sat watching a band, drinking Guinness (probably not, actually) and having a jolly time.

So here is what I intend on wearing this weekend, switching up the top and converse with a cute blouse and some black wedges for evening times. 

How do you like it?

HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY TO TANGLEDINBEAUTY

Wow, how fast did this year go, right?

I remember starting this blog last September, sad to say bye to my old domain but excited to say hello to a new one, the anticipation of "are my old followers going to switch to my new blog or will I be blogging to myself?'. 

For me, my blog started off as being somewhere to vent my feelings. To get things, ideas, thoughts off my chest, to clear my head. Never would I have thought that people would be interested to read the small things that I had to say, so thank you to all that are reading this today, it really does mean a lot.

So here's to another year of talking crap, ranting on and generally waffling!

xxx

RIMMEL WONDER'FULL MASCARA REVIEW

''The secret weapon to full volume without clumps. The new formula with Argan Oil feels incredibly lightweight, soft and flexible for wonder'full volume that won't weigh you down.''

Okay, so I recently went along to an event that Rimmel were holding, where they told us about a few new products that they are launching; one of which was this new Wonder'full mascara.

I had heard absolute wonderful things about this and when they offered me a free tube of the stuff, I practically snatched their hands off (poor boy). 

I could not WAIT to use this the next morning after seeing such wonderful (get it, huh huh) results from a number of bloggers. Up I got, looking forward to having a lovely set of lashes for the day, but unfortunately this left my lashes lacklustre, barely defining my lashes. The more that I tried to put it, the less that seemed to be staying. I figured that I'd started it all wrong and gave up, going for my HG mascara to fix the problem that the Wonder'full had left.

Just after I had got ready, I hopped in the car with my sister to find that she had the most stunning, defined lashes that I'd seen in a long while, to which she explained 'omg, it's that new Rimmel mascara.. the Wonder'full'.

Baffled, the next morning I tried again.. And again the next day.. And also again. I wanted to love this mascara, but I just can't get it to work on my lashes. Maybe I have a funny formula? It does smell a little 'off', however my sister's smells identical, so I'm not too sure. Another downside to the mascara is that it leaves your lashes slightly greasy upon removal, making me feel somewhat dirty.. Not cool.

Anyway, in one of my crazy rushes to get ready for work, I left my mascara open one day and upon arriving home, I thought that I'd give it one more go, et voila the answer was there.

The formula was slightly too wet, so it was just slipping off my lashes and not gripping them in the slightest.

I now have a very lovely, slightly dry mascara that has become a staple in my daily routine.

This hasn't get knocked my HG L'oreal So Couture off the top spot yet, but good one Rimmel, I am definitely a fan!

THE TIME THAT I DECORATED MY BATHROOM

 

 // Rose Canvas -  Pound Stretcher// 

// Jug - Ikea // Flowers - TK Maxx // Toothbrush Holder (plant pot) - Ikea (of course) //

// Towels- Primark // Bathroom Cabinet - B & M // Bathroom Mirror - Pound Stretcher //

// Standing Heart Ornaments - B & M // Glass Bottle - Home Sense // Tulips - Ikea //

// Heart Quote Ornaments - B & M // 

L'OREAL PARIS MILLION LASHES SO COUTURE MASCARA

You may have seen that this mascara featured in my latest "Beauty Favourites" post (here for anyone who missed it) and damn, did it deserve to be there!

 

I've always been a huge fan of L'Oreal mascaras- my usual go-to being the Volume Million Lashes Excess, but being very impressed by the recent Miss Manga and the Mega Volume Collagene mascaras. 

I find that L'Oreal are spot-on when it comes to their mascaras; their formulas are never too runny, yet not too dry and they are so deeply pigmented that they absolutely kill any other mascaras in terms of defining the eyes. Their brushes are always so fabulously designed- they tend to grab each lash, defining, lengthening and curling them to perfection, they get so close to the base of the lashes that you don't need eyeliner, and they give the most volume and flutter-ey-ness to my lashes that no other mascara has come close to.

This mascara is no different to all of the factors that I listed above. 

I've never known a mascara to give my lashes such volume and make them flutter the way that this one does. Also, the formula makes my lashes so dark that it gives my eyes such depth and definition that I've been scrapping my eyeliner. The brush gives you just enough control to get to the very inner lashes too, which is definitely something that I look for in a mascara.

Another bonus of this wonderful mascara is that it smells absolutely divine! 

If I could bottle this smell, I would.

Here are my lashes with just one layer of this mascara on;

 

See how my eyes look defined, but not too heavy.

Has anyone tried this beauty yet?

WEEKLY ROUNDUP #3

1 new makeup brush pot. 2 cruisssing with mais.

3 selfie,selfie,selfie. 4 my burnt glove. 5 wrapped up nice & warm

6 outdoor cinema to watch Grease. 7 Jake had a hair cut.

Have you all had a nice week?

3 THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND: BANK HOLIDAY

 

 

 

1. OGGLE AT IAN SOMERHALDER

(just because he's ridiculously hot)
If you have nothing better to do, then just look through Google images at Ian.
It'll make your day.

 

2. WRAP UP WARM

Bank Holidays are notorious for their chilly weather and this one is no exception.
Typically the English weather is up and down.. One minute I'm popping my sunnies on, the next I'm getting torretial rain-ed on.
Wah, shouldn't these April showers have stopped in April?

 

3. HAVE A COCKTAIL FOR ME

unfortunately some of us have to work the entire weekend (me), so please, please have a mojito for me.

How are you spending your Bank Holiday?


HOW TO: REVAMP YOUR MANKY MANI

To me, white nails are chic, sophisticated and will match any outfit, but when I recently decided to take the plunge and get white stiletto-style acrylic nails, I hadn't any idea of the maintenance that they would require...

 

Unfortunately, after just two days of my lucious nails looking pristine and fresh, they started getting somewhat drab & un-polished; I had a number of dark spots scattered across them, (admittedly, these were most likely down to my excessive fake-tan obsession) they had yellowed and eventually, they had started to chip & crack.

Sad that I had another 3 weeks until pay day (we're not all rich, you know) and couldn't bear to part with yet more money to fix my talons, I decided to sort them out myself.

Now, this part was somewhat trial and error;

I was so bothered about covering the awful mess that I merely grabbed the nearest polish that I could find and slathered it on... 

There were many problems with this method, the main ones being;

a. The polish simply sank into the original chips and cracks, making an uneven, unpolished mess.

b. I'm an impatient plank, so I gave up on waiting for my polish to dry and went to bed. Little tip: dont.

I woke up with a neon orange blob on my forehead and another on my leg, and my nails, as you can imagine, were far from perfection!

c. I had hair, fluff and all crumbs (tramp.) stuck to my nails.

Realising that I couldn't leave the house with such an abomination on my claws, I decided to start a fresh.

At this point, I grabbed my most powerful nail polish remover.. 

Another little tip: dont.

Whilst it did take off all of my crumby nail polish, it also took off half of the acrylic whilst doing so. Damnnit.

This is where I took I step back and actually thought about what I was going to do.

#1 Use an acetone-free nail polish remover to get rid of any remaining polish that's on your nails.

Tip: Use a cotton bud to get right into the edges. You want a complete clean slate.

Also, grab a soft nail file and gently buff the nails so that your base is smooth and ridge-free.

#2 Decide what colour you're going for. For this mani, I chose to go for a bubblegum pink.

Tip: If you're as impatient as me, grab a quick-drying polish. My favourites are Rimmel 60 seconds.

#3 Grab a drink and put on a film- this way, you're not gonna get bored.

#4 Take a base coat and cover each nail. Wait until this is dry to the touch and then put two coats of your chosen polish on, again waiting until each coat is dry before starting the next.

#5 Use a top coat to seal the deal.

I tend to repeat this step a day later too, just to ensure that the polish doesn't chip.

Another tip; If you do have a white or very light coloured manicure, I have found that using an acetone-free nail polish remover very gently on a cotton pad will bring just the top coat off, taking all of the dingy, yellow state with it, meaning that all you have to replace is the top coat. Doing this twice a week keeps your mani fresh and ready to 

go, go, go!

So there we have it; a fresh mani that will take you up to your next trip to the salon.

Do you have any tips that you can share?