The hair colouring number system

I always used to hate choosing a hair colour in a drug store, there was so many different makes, so many different colour numbers printed on the box, I never knew what the different was, and just used to pick one and hope for the best.

Fast forward a few years and I now understand, after asking my hair dresser what the different numbers symbolise..

First, the numbers range from 1 to 10, for example, 5

The first number (the 5) stands for the death of the colour you want,
The general rule is the higher the number the lighter the colour.

Number 10 - Very light blonde

Number 9 - Light blonde

Number 8 - Blonde

Number 7 - Dark blonde

Number 6 - Light brown

Number 5 - Brown

Number 4 - Dark brown

Number 3 - Darkest brown

Number 2 - Black brown

Number 1 - Black



I usually find that it helps to go one shade  lighter than you would like your hair, they usually come out a little darker than you anticipated in the first place.

I generally change my hair colour very often, I get bored so easily. I think the longest hair colour I have stayed is red, I felt it always looked so nice in my hair, I experimented a lot with different hair colours, but the best one I found for me was Vidal Sassoon - Dark intense red. I've just changed my hair back to brown, but I'm not loving the colour i've got on at the moment, so i'm sure I will change it in the next couple of weeks.


What are the best hair colourants you have tried?


x

Christmas Eve Boxes

I know it's only just November but I am one of those people who gets super excited about Christmas as soon as Halloween is over, This year there is a few more children in the family than the last couple of years and I want to make their Christmas a little more magical this year.

I've always loved christmas, my family have always gone all out, year after year, however, i've only just come across the idea of a Christmas Eve Box.

Firstly, the box itself, I've seen so many different ways to do this, I mean you can buy them but I think it makes it extra special if you make them yourself. Simply use a shoe box or a box big enough, either wrap it in Christmas paper or, what i'm going to do is wrap it in brown paper, and use paint to decorate the box and write the child's name on the box.

What to put in the box?

You can put anything you want into the box, it's a great idea because it can be made very individual and can differ from child to child, But i'm going to put in:

Pyjamas - The first must have for a snuggly christmas eve. Its a tradition in our family that we all buy the most Christmassy PJ's we can find and save them for Christmas Eve.

Christmas Activity Book - Something just to make sure that the children are 100% in the Christmas spirit (Also something to keep them entertained while your running around making sure everything is all set for the next day!)

A Christmas Book - The last thing they will do on Christmas eve is read a Christmas tale with you, something every child will love.

Reindeer Dust - Simple to make, Just add oats and glitter and wrap in a bag with ribbon. The oats will then sparkle and santa will see the way to your door.

A Christmas Film - You can't not what a Christmas film on Christmas eve, I always watch The Grinch and then Elf, Have done for years and think I always will do.

Cookies/Sweets - Perfect to eat while reading a book or watching a christmas film.

Santa's Magical Key - Let the child leave it out near mince pies, and a carrot for Rudolf. How else is santa going to get in and leave presents for the children?

Just a few idea's to make Christmas eve extra special for children, Are there any traditions/ things you do on Christmas eve? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading

x

Top Beauty Staples #1

           

I know, I know, I said I was going to blog more, and it's been about a month! This last month has flown by, I've just not had a lot of spare time, but i'm trying to manage my time better so hopefully more blog posts will be coming your way!

Anyway.. we seem to have strayed away from the topic of choice today, which is my top beauty products at the moment. There's quite a few, so this might be a bit of a long post, but because I haven't posted in a while it's not that bad (I hope).

The first product, is the Christian Dior Star Foundation - it's described as a brightening, weightless foundation, and that's just what it is!! I love this product, is so wearable, its a light to medium coverage, which is really buildable if you want something more full for evening wear. The colour selection is really good aswell, I believe there is 19 shades to choose from, it was a little pricey, it was £32.50 but I really think it is worth it. 

Secondly, the Wow skin Primer, By Seventeen - Now this is a 3 in 1 product, and I enjoy products which can be used in many different ways. It can be used as a highlighter, an illuminator with foundation and a primer. It's a really pigmented product and a little certainly goes along way, it has the most gorgeous pearly pink shade which just looks so lovely on the skin. I think this is now my third bottle and I would re-perchase it over and over again, and for £5.99 you can't really go wrong.

The Mary-Lou Manzier By The Balm - Now I don't know where to start with this product, it is my Holy Grail, it's my everything (a little extreme I know), no but seriously, I don't think I could be without this now. I use it as a highlighter and an eyeshadow. It leaves the most beautiful gold shimmer anywhere you place it on your face. I honestly think it's the best highlighter i've ever used and I don't know if there is something that will ever replace it. Its £17.50 but I really do think it's worth every penny.

I'm really into eye makeup at the moment, and trying out all different eye primers and eyeshadows, this was when I came across my next product, The Maybelline Color Tattoo - This stuff is just to die for, I think I have about 5 different colours and I want them all. It's great to create part of a dramatic eye look, or just on it's own over the lid, I think they retail for around the £5 mark, which is super cheap.

I majorly love bold lip colours, I've lost count how many different shades of red I have, but my absolute favourite is the Rimmel 107 Lipstick By Kate Moss - This is prefect for this time of year, it just adds so much to a make up look, and it's lasting power is pretty good too. It's £5.50 which I think for a lipstick is so affordable, I rarely re-perchace lipsticks because there is always so many I want to try, But this has been in my make up bag since I can ever remember and as soon as I run out I buy another straight away.

The Benefit Brow Zings - Now for an eye brow product this is a little pricey, It's £24.50..But it's so worth it. They seem to last forever, i've had mine for ages now, to the part where i'm thinking of chucking it and re-perchasing another one. I simply love it, it just gives your brows something extra. Defiantly worth a purchase. 

The Seventeen Nail Polishes - Now I have really short nails, I can never let them grow, But I love long nails, so I use glue on nails, perfect! The Seventeen nail polishes are so cheap and they last on the nails, I especially love the quick dry ones, but the Gel ones are also pretty difficult to beat!

Much to my hate, make up can't be worn forever, we eventually get to the end of the way where we have to take it off, and I have found two products which are really quick and easy to use and take off every single bit of make up. The first is the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - I simply love this and don't know if I will ever use anything else to take my face off with. The second product is the L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - this stuff takes away the majority of my eye make up in one swipe and i always wear liquid liner, heaps of mascara and plenty of eye shadow, Both these products are so in expensive but do the nest job at taking off make up. I'm not one that wants to spend ages taking my make up off, I like it to be a quick process.

Have you tried any of these products? Or have any of your own which you swear by? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Hayley x

Life lessons i've learnt

Although i'm only in my early 20s, there are a few things I have learnt so far..


Don't compare yourself to others;
Everyone is at different points in their life, for one person something might just come at the right time and for another person it might not be the right time for a few months or even years. Being you is the best person you can be.


You have to step out of your comfort zone;
This is a lesson i've only recently learnt, but it's true. Stepping out of your comfort zone may be daunting, but at some point in your life you will have to do it and probably more than once. The more you worry and think about it the worst it will be. So just get on with it and it will feel great afterwards.


There is always going to be people who put you down;
Whether its friends, family or someone you barely know.Try and surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you, and people who will not put you down, but people who enjoy spending time with you.


Do what makes you happy;
I'm a firm believer that you must always do things that make you happy. if it doesn't make you happy then ask yourself why are you doing it? You are in charge of your own life and your own happiness so make sure you take part in things which will prolong your happiness.


You must work to live, not live to work;
Never a truer thing said.I don't want to be one of those people that looks back on their life and regrets not going to places or taking opportunities just because of work. Yes, you need to work but there is so much to see and do in the world that the correct balance needs to be found.


Never regret something that once made you smile;
At that time, even if it's different to the way you feel now, it was what you wanted and it made you happy. So never regret something you have done, only regret chances that you wish you had taken.


Be yourself;
There is no one else you should be, be yourself in all situations.





x

Everyday skin favourites

My skin has always been something that I have struggled with, be it on my face, arms, legs or anywhere else. I suffer really bad with eczema, Mainly in the creases in my legs and arms and on my wrists and hands. I also suffer with really dry skin on my face, my skin is also very sensitive. Because of this I have to be really careful with any products I use as I really don't want it to make my skin worse.

I was always forever changing up my skincare routine, trying all sorts of products, until I finally the products which work for me.

Firstly, I will start with what I use on my face. In the morning I wipe my face over with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (£4.99), now this product is seriously good for anyone who suffers with dry or sensitive skin, it contains no perfume and so does not irritate my skin at all.

I then use the Clinique 7 Day Scrum Cream (£19). Now until a couple of months ago this was a product I had heard little to nothing about, but most other daily exfoliators are too harsh for my skin. This product has small beads in and is a lovely creamy consistency, Its just right to use daily. My skin has a lovely glow to it once i've used this product, perfect to use before you do your make-up.

Now for days when make up is at a real minimum I just use the Garnier Micellar Water to take my make up off, but if i've got lots of eye make up on or I have use more than my normal amount of make up, when i'm ready to take it off I reach right to the Clinique 'Take the Day Off' cleansing balm (£22). Now this stuff is seriously amazing. You need the smallest amount and you just rub it into your skin, you can even use it on your eyes. Now this is a lovely creamy consistency and is really moisturising, just what you need to add a little something into your skin at night. It's the easiest to take off too, you just use a cotton pad or two. 

Now for the products I use on the other areas of my skin..

Now there is nothing more annoying than not being able to use many bubble bath products, most are just too harsh for my skin and leave it so dehydrated and sore. This was until I found the Aveeno bath and shower oil. Now this is a relatively new product on the market here in the UK but with many celebrity endorsements I thought I would give it ago, it's around £8 a bottle which really isn't a bad price. You just put around 2 tablespoons into the bath and it makes the water turn a cream colour and I'm going to be honest it doesn't have the best smell but it's not awful. It leaves your skin feeling so soft and moisturised, it really has changed my skin for the better. A plus side too is you can also use it in the shower!

Then for moisturising my skin daily I use the Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion (£5). This is just as brilliant as the shower and bath oil, it leaves my skin feeling moisturised all day after i've used it in the morning, along with the bath and shower oil my skin is 100% better than what it used to be. 

Is there any products you can recommend for someone who suffers with sore, dry irritated skin?

x

Lack of motivation..

At the beginning of the year I vowed to myself that this would be the year that I would finally start the long hard process of losing weight, for me a very touchy subject. I've always been unhappy with my weight, and at the start of the year I was doing great, I lost nearly 2 stone, and slowly I have given up and weigh practically what I did at the start of the year, something with has really unimpressed me.


I think the reason for this is my lack of motivation, at the start I always put my mind to it and but after a couple of months I get really bored with it and think 'oh, one won't hurt', yes it does. Because I always start at one, and then it just carries on.

I need to get my motivation back, Im so lucky enough to live by the sea, so walks are something i enjoy, so I'm going to attempt to walk more, its so beautiful where I live, and i'm not a gym sort of person, although my mum always says if you go the gym people won't look at you and think look how over weight she is, they will look and think good on her for doing something about it, but to be honest i'm embarrassed. 

I know no one is ever happy with their body and some people are happy to be a little bit bigger, but for me I hate it.

So with the warmer weather coming and a chance to utilise the things I have around me, i'm determined to shift this weight. It will take me a long time and I know it won't be easy but it's got to be done, and I've just got to keep in my head, if I don't do it now I never will.

I will keep you all informed of how I get on, what i've been eating and what exercise i've been doing.

x

Problems with sleep..

For as long as I can remember i've always had trouble sleeping, Over the years i've learnt a few tips which I find useful myself to help me achieve a couple more hours a night.

Firstly, Try and set yourself a regular bedtime, I found this hard at first, working in a restaurant I find it so difficult to switch off, especially after a busy night, so now I try and aim for a bedtime around half past 11 on a week night (Although this seems late to some people, I work weird shifts, so while your all finishing work between 5 and 6pm, I'm only then starting my shift!). A weekend is usually a little later, usually around 12 to half past  if i've had a late finish. The good thing about setting yourself a set time is that once you've been doing it for a few weeks your body starts to get used to it and you feel ready to go to bed at your set time.

secondly, Try not to nap in the daytime, this is a big thing for me, even though I finish later in the evening, I still try and aim to be up between 9 and half past (Otherwise I would never get anything done!), so if the evening before's shift has been busy I find myself feeling tired throughout the day. Thus making me want to nap, I try not to do so now, I have finally learnt over the years that a couple hours sleep in the day does not make it any easier to sleep at night, in fact in my case, incredibly hard. If I do really feel I need a nap I do so for no longer than 30-45 minutes.

Try and tire yourself out in the daytime. I rarely have time at the weekends to do any form of exercise (in between split shifts and uni work, and of course that sunday roast!!) So between monday to friday I try and do some, even if it is just a walk along the beach. I find the fresh air really does help you sleep that evening.

Don't use your phone for 30 minutes prior to going to bed. I never really believed this one to work, after countless searches on 'how to sleep better' or 'how to sleep for longer' so many articles suggested this. I tried it for a couple of weeks, at first it didn't make much difference, but now I swear by it. I think it is to do with the lights and various other things, but try this for a couple of weeks and you should see a difference.

A big part of not sleeping well is having to get up in the mornings, If I don't feel i've had enough sleep I used to always try and push it so I got that extra 5 minutes in bed, which actually only made you feel worse than better. But here is a few things I have learnt that has helped me get up in the morning.

The first one is not a surprise but don't have your alarm on your bedside table. If it's next to you you can easily hit the snooze button, but if it's on the authorised of the room you have to get out of bed to turn it off (even if you don't want too).

I find that one of the best things to keep me up in the morning is having a glass of cold water as soon as you wake up, as you sleep you don't have a chance to hydrate yourself throughout the night, a glass of cold water (even better with a slice of lemon) really wakes me up and makes me feel refreshed.

and finally...

Don't close your curtain's all the way. This honestly is the best thing I changed to help me get up in the morning. When the light shines through your curtain your body automatically knows it's time to get up, and it makes you feel a lot less tired too! 

Are there anyways that help you sleep? Let me know.


x

Dublin

I've just been to Dublin and I absolutely loved it. I have been before so I know the places to go and the different things you can go and see.

We first went to the Guinness factory;

I did do it last year so I knew what to expect, but it was just as good as it was last time. It was only €18 admission, which has gone up since last year, but overall I don't think that is a bad price, you do get to enjoy a pint of Guinness  with that swell, which you can either pour yourself and learn how to pour a proper pint of Guinness or get it up stairs from the Gravity bar. 

There are several different floors, as you go through them, they go through the ingredients used, you get to try a sample of Guinness and they teach you how you should drink it.

The last floor is the best, it's the gravity bar, the walls are all glass and because it's so high up you can see out through the whole of Dublin, and there are little notes on the walls telling you about different buildings you can see, and what they are.


On another day while I was in Dublin, we visited a sea side town call Howth, it was lovely, just like being at home because I live in a sea side town now. You can walk all along the pier and the views are beautiful..

As you can see from the pictures, Howth was absolutely lovely, I would visit again. We ended the day with some cocktails in a little pub looking out along the coast, such a lovely relaxing day!

We did try to get to the Jameson factory but we hadn't booked online as the next tour wasn't for a couple of hours and it would mean we wouldn't have the chance to do the other things we wanted to do.

Other places visited;

Hard rock Cafe - Dublin Centre - We had drinks and some lunch here, the food was really nice.

Wrights bar and cafe - Swords - A lovely place for food and drinks, they always have a DJ on through out the week, so if you are staying in the area its a must.

Empire - Swords - The place for cocktails - Between 7 and 10pm cocktails are 2 for €10. Which is a really good price because drinks can be expensive in Dublin. Apparently the food is good here too, although I didn't get a chance to try it.

Sorry i've not posted much lately, there's been so much going on with uni and then going away, but I will post a lot more now i'm back. 

Also let me know if there is any other places I should visit next time I go!

x

Introduction

Hi guys!

This is going to be a little introduction so you can see what you can expect from me in term of blog posts.

Firstly, this blog is going to become my weight loss diary, after struggling for many years with my weight and after many fad diets, I have set myself a challenge! I am determined to get the weight off. I have given myself a year to get down to 11 stone. I started dieting on January the 2nd, which means i've been doing it just over a month, and i've lost a stone and 2 lbs so far. 

Before i'd started dieting I'd come to terms with the idea that i'd always be overweight and just kept eating and drinking what I wanted too. It wasn't until I found myself finding excuses, as to why I couldn't go for nights out with my friends, or why I didn't want to do many other things. The reason was because I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed because I never had any nice clothes to wear, I would get out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs, it just couldn't carry on. So i made an oath to myself, I would finally loose this weight and be happy that I could finally do all the things I wanted to when I get down to my goal weight. 

The problem with me is I'm lazy with food. It's so much easier to just grab something and eat it, or put something in the microwave. But I am lucky, I do love fruit and vegetables, I love fish and I can cook quite well. So now I don't buy crisps or chocolate or anything bad for me which I would eat that would stop me from loosing weight. I always make sure I have things in reach that if I am hungry I can snack on, Things like peppers and different types of fruit. 

This blog is going to be a place where I can track my weight loss, I can write healthy recipes and a place I can express myself. 

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope that other people can get the motivation they might need to do something similar to what i am doing.

Thanks for reading

x

Bloglovin

I would really love it if you guys could follow me on Bloglovin, all you have to do is click on the link below.

You can keep unto date with my posts then!





Thank you so much, Comment below with your blogs and I will have a look :)



x

LIFESTYLE: Top 5 boxsets..

Winter is terrible here, I live in a seaside town in Norfolk, Unless it's summer there's nothing to do, and it's so cold.

Rather than going out, I love to find a good boxset and cuddle up on the sofa and watch them.

Here are my Top 5;

1. Friends - I've loved friends for as long as I can remember, me and my best friend have seen every episode a million times (slight exaggeration). But it's something you can watch over and over. My favourite is the one with the cheesecake.

2. Breaking bad - I got onto the hype of Breaking Bad a little late, but I was obsessed as soon as I started watching it, I watched every season as quickly as I could and just couldn't stop watching them. I'm sad now it's over and looking for something to fill the gap, so if you know of any good boxsets, let me know!

3. Scandal - I was a little late on the bandwagon for scandal too, I was ill one day and it just happened to be on, now I cannot stop watching it, the third season has just started and it's better than ever!!

4. Orange is the new black - A Netflix favourite, watched the whole first season in one weekend, I haven't watched it in a little while because i've been catching up on my ultimate favourite boxset.

5. Pretty little liars - I've watched this since season 1 and I can honestly say it's my ultimate favourite. I'm completely obsessed with it, as soon as a new episode comes out I have to watch it straight away. I don't know what I will do when it ends.


What's your favourite boxset? Leave some comments below :)


x

Saturday lunches #1

On saturdays I usually work a split shift, I work in a restaurant in the town where I live, saturdays are our busiest days and so all I want is something quick and easy, which is also healthy and will keep me on track for my weight loss this week.

I cooked a Haddock Omelette with salad.

Ingredients:

100 grams of Smoked Haddock

2 eggs

1 teaspoon oil

Salad of choice, (I used gem lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, beetroot and spring onion)

Salt and pepper to season

How to cook;

1. Pre-heat oven to 180, once pre-heated add the Smoked Haddock (Should take around 10-15 minutes to cook)

2. Wash the salad, and cut up as needed, then place to one side.

3. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl, add a little salt and pepper.

4. Once the haddock is cooked, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan, and add the egg.

5. Once your omelette is cooked, add the haddock and serve!

(You could always add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for a little added flavour)

This is an easy meal to cook, it takes little to no time at all to cook, and it also taste's so good!

Enjoy!

x

Chilli tomato chicken, with courgette tagliatelle

A personal favourite of mine since, I've started dieting, I used to love pasta, but courgette tagliatelle is a healthy alternative.

(This recipe is enough to serve two people. Takes around 15-20 minutes).

Ingredients:
1/4 onion
Garlic Purée
1 red chilli
1 tin of tomatoes
4 mushrooms
2 courgettes
Tomato purée
200 grams of diced chicken breast
Salt and pepper to season
2 teaspoons of oil

Recipe:

1. Finely chop the onion, secondly, de-seed the chilli and chop finely and then chop the mushrooms, move to one side.
2. Peel the courgettes full length, carry on doing this until you reach the seeds in the middle of the courgette.
3. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a frying pan, then add a small amount go garlic purée and about a quarter of the chilli to the pan (If you prefer your meals with a little more spice, like I do, then add extra chilli, then add the chicken breast and the mushrooms,  and cook until golden brown.
4. Add the tomato purée and the tin of tomatoes to the chicken and cook until hot.
5. While the chicken and tomatoes are heating up, add a teaspoon of oil into a second frying pan, when hot, add a small amount of the garlic purée and then add the courgettes, fry for around 2-3 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste to the chicken and simply serve!

It's a simple dish, but one that I love cooking, and what's even better is it tastes good!!

x