JustFab blogger event

event
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A few weeks ago I attended the JustFab blogger event to preview their latest styles.
You might have seen their ads on TV,  but in case you’re unfamiliar with the brand here’s a quick run-down: JustFab is an online boutique where everything is £35. You become a member with the hope that you will buy one item per month. But if you don’t make a purchase you can roll it over to the next month. Full details can be seen here.
JustFab2My favourite item was these jewel green court shoes from the new Luxe range. I also loved this Gatsby-inspired clutch bag with art deco details.
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These burgandy leather Hinton boots are also from the brand's Luxe range. But the website isn't all about shoes and bags, they have a great range of jewellery styles too.
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At the blogger event we also got a demonstration from artist Boyarde who paints on bags and shoes and has previoulsy worked with Charlotte Olympia. Made in Chelsea's Rosie Fortescue also popped in for a peek at the new bags on offer.
After the event, I chose the Azra booties* with gold detailing from JustFab. I wore them to my work Christmas party with a velvet dress but I'm planning on wearing them with jeans in the day too.
The idea of joining a sort of subscription fashion service had never really appealed to me – I like to shop where and when I please – but I was delighted by the preview of goodies the brand has to offer.
If you can bear to click through the pages of 6-inch platform pumps there are some real hidden gems and something to suit all styles.

How we spent the first day of the year...

days out
Ok so technically it's the second day of the year but we all know January 1st is a complete write off. Especially after the particularly booze and kebab-filled evening we had to send off 2013 and welcome 2014 into our garlic mayonnaisey arms. We ate Dominos. We watched three episodes of Sherlock in a row. We revelled in the joy of not leaving the house for over 24 hours.
P1022027But now most people are back in work, so it was finally time to make the most of my last couple of days off and get on with life. So today was about CULTURE. Well, that and tuna baguettes from Pret.
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Me and Kate headed to the V&A in South Ken to fill our eyes with old stuff, pretty stuff and weird stuff.
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Coat: Céline
Scarf: Forever 21
Breton top: Muji
Jeans: Topshop
Trainers: Nike Air
And now a word about my lovely new shoes... I haven't taken these kicks off my feet since I got back to London from Christmas in Wales. They might make me look small but I'm so much speedier in them than my usual heeled ankle boots! They are beyond comfy.
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My favourite thing we saw all day was this Japanese picture called Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre from 1844. The giant skeleton is like something from a scary dream.
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Kate liked this lion. We were a bit concerned that his ribs were sticking out. He could probably do with her Pret special of a tuna baguette AND cheesey croissant. Mmmm hmmm.
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This is Medusa getting her head cut off. OUCH.P1022039 
We wandered outside because I thought I saw a dragon in the courtyard. But it was just a load of rocks around a pond. But then I thought maybe that's just how dragons disguise themselves in the wild. As piles of jagged rocks.P1022040
THE END

Redken Fashion Waves 07 Texturizing Sea Spray Review

beauty
Redken Fashion Waves 07 Texturizing Sea Spray
Redken Fashion Waves 07 Texturizing Sea Spray* @ The Salon Look

I have a natural wave in my hair so I'm always on the lookout for products that promise to tease out that shape while adding texture. I've tried sea sprays before that promise to add texture with varying levels of success but there's always been a huge downfall with these types of products... stickiness. If there's one thing I can't stand in my hair it's icky stickiness. No matter how good my hair looks I still want it to be soft and touchable.
So I was a little dubious when I started shaking up this bottle ready to spray on my freshly washed and blow-dried hair. Would it leave my hair feeling icky and sticky until I could wash it again? Thankfully not. This spray adds a dry texture that you can scrunch and rub through your locks to add that lovely bed-head-style grit to your hair without leaving it sticky. I didn't even need to wash my hands after using it. It was that un-sticky. It also smells really really good.
I used the spray on freshly washed and blow-dried hair and it added a nice bit of texture and movement. It doesn't make your hair quite as wavy as other products I've tried, but I just love the texture and feel of the dry spray. It would also be great for prepping the hair to give it a bit of grip before attempting an up-do or messy topknot. All in all a great product that I'll certainly be adding to my regular hair arsenal!

Hair care specialists, The Salon Look are currently running a Moroccan Oil Competition. All you need to do is create a new account with them and you'll be entered straight into a free prize draw to win a 5-night stay in Marrakech. Click here to enter.

Fossil's London Flagship Store blogger event

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Fossil's revamped London Flagship Store on Oxford Street opened last week and I got a sneak peek at all the goodies on sale at their blogger event. My favourite purses were these luxurious Hair Calf wallets. The Memoir Flap Checkbook (£69) comes in leopard print and the The Erin Tab Clutch (£55) in a versatile Dalmatian print.
These Sydney Frame Coin snap-shut purses (£29) and cute penguin print Bifold purses (£19) also caught my eye. They'd make perfect Christmas presents!
We snacked on cake-pops and drank yummy mojitos as we perused the store.
We also had a go at creating our own wrist parties using Fossil watches and bracelets. I found these lovely Hair Calf bracelets to match the wallets. Meanwhile, Emily found this adorable pencil charm to make her charm bracelet.
Fossil also have a whole wall of Christmas-themed tins for you to choose from which would make lovely keepsakes. All that talk of presents and gifting has put me in the mood for Christmas shopping already!

Beauty Review: Perrie's Blush It! Little Mix by Collection

beauty
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Perrie's Blush It! by Collection*, £2.99 @ Superdrug & Boots

I may not be the perfect target market for the new Little Mix by Collection make up range. I know Perrie from Little Mix has lilac locks, sometimes wears something cute in tartan and she's engaged to Zayn from One Direction, but that's probably about as far as my knowledge on the pop icon goes. Screaming tween fan I am not.
Nevertheless,  I certainly am always in the market for a new hidden make up bargain and I won't let a little bit of cheesy pop-collab get in my way. So lets give this moderately-priced blush a go...

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The packaging is what you'd expect in this price bracket - nothing special - but it is functional and snaps shut well. When applied to the cheeks, the finished result is a lovely soft pink that is close to my usual MAC shade. What's more, it stayed all day without going blotchy or patchy.
So whether you're a Little Mix fan or not I'd definitely recommend this as a bargain drugstore blusher. Best of all it's great for carrying around in my makeup bag as there'll be no tears if it cracks or crumbles!

Debenhams Beauty Press Day

beauty
I popped along to the Debenhams Beauty Press Day tonight with my friend Jemma. We were greeted by a lovely bright pink and white room jam packed with the latest beauty goodies on offer at Debenhams.
After a quick whizz around the room with a PR we were left to our own devices to spritz, sniff and have a good old nose at everything on offer. 
One of my favourite things we saw were these adorable Nails Inc crackers, each containing a different nail polish. I'd much prefer to crack one of those over my turkey then end up with any more golf tees and mini sewing kits!
Continuing with the beauty/Christmas mash up theme was this AMAZING Benefit advent calendar (£50, available at Debenhams from 27th October). Miniature versions of Benefit champion products are ready and waiting behind those tempting little doors.
The other collection I'm dying to get my hands on is the latest colours from CK One. I've already tried their mascara and lipstick and I love love their innovative take on packaging and wearable colours. This sparkly eyeshadow palette looks perfect for the festive season!
When I got home I couldn't wait to pour the goody bag out on my bed and see what treasures I have to try! As you can see there are plenty of cult beauty products and jazzy new bits and bobs for me to sink my teeth into. Expect reviews up on the blog very soon...

Bleach London DIY Dip Dye: Review

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Bleach DIY Dip Dye
Bleach London DIY Dip Dye, £7 @ Boots
Bleach London White Toner, £7 @ Boots

 When I heard Bleach were releasing a series of home dye kits I couldn't wait to try them out. The very nature of dip dyed hair is for it to look undone, so why fork out over £100 at a salon to get that dyed-at-home look?
I've previously used Loreal bleach kits to achieve this look at home with the help of YouTube tutorials and other blogs. But I thought, why not hear what the experts at Bleach have to say...?

 When you open the kit you'll find:
  • 1 bottle of developing lotion
  • 2 x sachets of bleaching powder
  • 1 sachet of blending lotion
  • 1 conditioning repair mask
  • 1 tint brush
  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 pair of gloves
  • 1 instruction leaflet
Bleach DIY Dip Dye Opened

Preparation

To prepare the mixture you need to mix it all together in the mixing bowl. While it made me feel like a professional using a mixing bowl and tint brush to prepare the bleach, I found it quite hard to mix. After a few worrying moments and some vigorous mixing, the powder eventually disappeared into the lotion to create a smooth mixture, but having used other dyes, I missed the traditional shake bottle!

Application

The instructions told me to apply the bleach in inch-wide sections of hair using the tint brush. While dying the first strand I lost my patience and reverted to my usual fail safe dip dye method: dunk the bleach on the ends and using gloved hands, move the dye up on separate strands to create an even fade. There was also another unfamiliar process to tackle: the blending lotion which I had to massage onto the fade area. I don't know what it was supposed to do or how, but it smelled nice, which was a welcome respite from the overwhelming smell of bleach!

 Bleach DIY Dip Dye results

Result

The result was a well-mixed dip dye with a lovely golden colour. I had bought the Bleach White Toner to combat any brassiness but I'm really happy with the tone so I'll save it for a few weeks until the freshly dyed blonde starts to fade! I have very long hair so I only used the kit on the mid-length and upper sections on my hair - but it blended in nicely with my already dyed lower lengths of hair. I'd definitely recommend getting more than one pack if you need to dye long hair from scratch.

 Bleach Super Cool Colours
Bleach London Blullini Super Cool Colour, £5 @ Boots
Bleach London Parma Violets Super Cool Colour, £5 @ Boots

What's next?

Next I've got the Bleach Blullini and Parma Violets Super Cool Colours to try. I'm planning a blue into lilac fade on the ends of my dip dye. I might leave it a while before I take the plunge though!

Have you tried any of the new Bleach range? How did you get on? Let me know in the comments below!