Hey Blondie

Yes, I'm a brunette, but I've always had a thing for blondes! I imagine it is, in truth, more fun to be a blonde - in a hair sense anyway because you can endlessly tweak it. And tweak it. And tweak it... (my one tone black leaves a lot less room for change). I love the idea that you can change your tone seasonally or be more trend focussed and adapt yourself according to what struts down the runways.

Fun it may be, but of course you have to be able to get it right. A hair colour disaster is not at all desirable. I have a dear friend who loves to experiment with home colours and she has had lots of hits but definitely a few misses so what's important when it comes to choosing a home colour for blondes? (or indeed a salon one)

Well, I think you must look at your skin tone first. If you choose the wrong shade you will see that it doesn't make the most of your natural tone. It must complement or go! I love cool, ashy blondes for a high fashion look. It can be played up to great effect with dark smoky eyes or nude eyes and a blood red lip...but it works best on a slightly more sallow skin I think. Conversely, those paler skin tones can rock the ice queen look and go for platinum shades like the one above.

The most popular tones are the warmer, honey, gold tones as they look pretty and beachy and they are ultimately more wearable. They don't make a strong statement, they just work! I love the look of multi-tone hair which is harder to achieve yourself but if you feel creative and capable, you can get busy with some different shades and do a DIY Ombre effect with a darker blonde at the roots and paler tips. Go easy though... disasters are always lurking in the wings!

So here's to all the blondes, be they warm toned honeys, cool Nordic ice queens or platinum princesses.
Have fun with your hair, this brunette is slightly envious!
Have a look at this video from Garnier...it's a good roadmap on how to choose what products can help you find your best blonde.

*this is a sponsored post*

Smells Like Spring

Mmmm...I just got the Eau des Jardins shower gel and body lotion from Clarins. I love it's springy zesty-ness and mood lifting qualities. I have long been a devotee of the classic Eau Dynamisante so am eager to try this fragrance too. Judging by the loveliness of the the body lotion, I think the perfume will be a winner.
Have a read of this interesting review of it here...

{Wedding Wednesday} Crafty Confetti

Ooh! I spotted these confetti designs on Etsy and am pretty smitten. Aren't they a great idea!

I love the idea of mixing sheet music, beautiful words and maps... everything that's important.

Something blue?

You could mix up your favourite romantic book with your favourite songs...Aw!

Have a look at the store here...

Sisters

Life has been a whirlwind lately with my two little ladies. I'm enjoying them so much as well as being the most tired I have ever been in my whole life! I'm loving watching the beginnings of their bond - something I don't know about as I have a brother but no sister, so it's always been a connection that I am fascinated by...a friend who lives with you - what fun! These pictures make me think about their future together - they will look quite like the two above as they are the same colouring...Lu is dark and Anna is fair (so far). I will definitely be re-creating this shot in years to come!!

I love this one so much...companions out to play, out to discover, out to adventure (in cute dresses!)

And I really hope that this shot will be their future...I hope that they will be soul mates as well as sisters. Eachother's confidante and cheerleader. I hope they are friends as well as family because that is the best thing in the world...

'A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double'

 - Toni Morrison

(pics via Oh Joy, My Cakies & La Foudre)

Chanel's Got The Blues

Here are the new Chanel nail shades for Spring. A feast of blues designed by Peter Phillips as an homage to denim. In essence he is celebrating our eternal love affair with our jeans be they indigo skinnies, faded boyfriend baggies or turquoise crops. I'll be wearing Blue Boy, what do you think? Are they potential wait-list shades? Are you feeling the love?

(they launch in March)

Skin Saviour - Trilogy Nutrient Plus Serum

Now, I've only been using this for a week, so not the full month or so that is required to really test efficacy but I have to tell you about it... It's just fantastic so far!
I have been dipping my toe into the Trilogy brand and have great faith in their now famous Rosehip oil as one of the beauty industry's great multi-taskers, so I was eager to try one of their heavy hitters to see how good they are.
I believe in serums. They are definitely the step in a skincare regime that can make a marked difference to the overall appearance. Somehow all that moisturiser just doesn't do the job on it's own - it tends to stick to the surface, which is fine, but not great for getting in to the lower layers where cells are turning over, and need a little help to do that, the older we get.
So off I went with this little brown bottle, I've applied it morning and night for the past  six days and I am impressed. My skin was looking dull due to my 'new mum' tiredness and the de-hydration from the central heating so I needed to add to the nutrient levels. This Nutrient Plus Firming Serum is chock full of Hyaluronic acid which adds moisture, and licorice and mulberry extracts to brighten, tighten and lighten!
It genuinely does make my skin look brighter, there is a radiance and plumpness that was not there last week and, no, I haven't had any more sleep ( even less perhaps!).
At €29, it's pretty reasonable and doesn't come close to the bank-breaking prices of the Super Serums on the market, so I think it's well worth a try.

Dress Delights

Yep, I hate the standard wedding dress. Sounds a little harsh I know, but the older I get, the more drawn I am to the low-key, low-styled wedding. Why wear a 'bridal' dress at all, when there are lots of other options out there? Just a thought!

I love this dress by Serbian designer Mihano Momosa. (don't love the shoes or the makeup though!)

I think this is a version of the 'Pippa' but in a more figure hugging jersey material. I like the relaxed vibe to the hair and jewellery. Not too wedding-y!

What do you think? Would you go low key?