WOW Haircare Colour Security

   

Summer sun, sweat, swimming, styling ...

All these Summer factors can cause your dyed hair to look patchy, washy and dry, so it's important to find products that help prevent such damage and keep your colour looking fresh. 

This current heat wave, as temporary as it may be, has created the perfect conditions in which to test the Colour Wow Colour Security Shampoo and Conditioner that I was sent. 

Now I've been dying my hair purple for a good few months, using Directions vegetable dye, and as much as I adore the colour it does start to fade after two weeks or so, and to a sludgy, murky bluey green. 

I started using these products after having recently dyed my hair, just before the fading stage, and the effects have really surprised me. 

Before I go on to describe the effects, I'll say now that yes my hair did fade. Most certainly not as quickly as before, but it still faded. I do not interpret this as meaning that these products haven't done the job, as what I'll tell you in a second will prove that. The purple that I used when I first dyed my hair this colour had very strong blue undertones, meaning that's the colour that's been absorbed the most by my bleached hair, so the purple, being the weakest tone, will always fade from my hair, and I don't think that can be prevented in anyway, only prolonged. 

So, as I said before, my hair would usually fade to a swampy blue-green tone that was gross. I just wanted to re-dye over it as quickly as possible. Since using these products however, the purple has faded to reveal a vibrant aqua with subtle streaks of green that give my hair a two-tone look. The vibrancy really is amazing. I've had so many people gawp in awe at my hair, and they're so surprised when I tell them that this is a fade. 

So above are two pictures from my Instagram showing the colour my hair was just before it started to fade, and the colour that it is at the moment. I haven't dyed my hair in between. 

Hopefully from this you can see the vibrancy I'm talking about. I'm so surprised with this outcome, and I know it's down to these products because I haven't changed anything else in my hair care routine, and haven't changed the dye that I'm using either. 

Because of this, even though my hair colour changes, I can go a lot longer before re-dying because I love this blue shade so much. 

Based on the results I've experienced, I think it's easy to assume that if you use a colour that doesn't fade out as quickly as mine, the products will work wonders on its vibrancy and longevity. 

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Alice's Adventures Underground - A Showcase in the Capabilities of the Imagination

'If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?'

I had my first immersive theatre experience about a year and a half ago when the Iris Theatre put on a production of Alice in Wonderland at St Paul's Church in Covent Garden. With the grounds transformed into magical rose gardens and opportunities to play croquet with the Queen of Hearts, my introduction to immersive theatre was one that has stayed with me ever since. 

Since then, immersive theatre has become a new creative trend, with a variety of theatre companies encouraging people to experience theatre in a new way; a way that actually immerses you in the production as the plot unfolds around you. The brilliant thing about this new form of theatre is the creative possibilities are endless. The fourth wall is well and truly knocked down. 

As some of you may already be aware, I'm obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, and even though I'd seen an immersive theatre production of the tale before, I was intrigued to see how this production differed in its interpretation and presentation. 

This particular production was called Alice's Adventures Underground and was put together by theatre group Les Enfants Terribles . Set in the underground vaults of Waterloo, this particular production had a macabre, Tim Burton vibe to it which I adored. 

In the lead up to the event, everything is kept very hush hush. It's hard to know what to expect, but the secrecy ensures that every minute of the experience is a wonderful surprise. 

Groups enter the vaults at timed intervals, and what looks like an old theatre hall with vintage shabby red theatre seats has been turned into a bar serving Wonderland themed cocktails for those waiting to enter. It is here that you hand over your bags to the cloakroom - another step to ensure the secrecy of the event is maintained. Pictures are only allowed to be taken in this room and the Wonderland Bar at the end (hence the small amount of pictures). 

Even if I was allowed to take pictures throughout the event, I wouldn't have, and if I did, I most certainly wouldn't share them online. Why? Because this an event that has to be seen personally to be believed. Even describing it wouldn't do it justice. The attention to detail in each of the sets and costumes as well as the new, refreshing way in which this classic tale has been presented  completely exceeded my expectations. 

It is a perfect example of the capabilities of the imagination. Once immersed in the performance, you completely forget your reality (in an underground vault with a bunch of actors on a Wednesday night in Waterloo) and your only concerns are who painted the roses red? Will it be off with your head? 

There is never a lull in wow moments. You can't possibly predict where the story will take you and who you'll meet along the way; will you play flamingo croquet with the Queen of Hearts, or hear the Mock Turtle sing? Every time you go through another door into another part of the story, you'll struggle not to be distracted and in awe of how real Wonderland feels. 

This is an event suitable for such a wide variety of people, whether you want to go as a family, a group of friends or a couple, so if you're a theatre lover or you're just looking for something new, refreshing, and mind-blowing, I implore you to get tickets before they sell out, as it's only open for a limited time only. I guarantee by the end of it you'll be an immersive theatre convert! 

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Here Come's The Sun - OOTD

I know for a fact that I am not the only one who is over the moon to see the sun! 

Dress - Boohoo

Boots - Miss Selfridge 

Bag - F&F

Sunglasses - Camden Market

Necklace - Topshop 

Now that it's actually here, it's hard not to get carried away. The desire to dress yourself head-to-toe in full-on Summer attire is strong, but believe it or not we are still in that transitional stage. The sun is warm but the wind is bitter, and understanding how to dress in such weather is so difficult. 

My last transitional OOTD was a bit more A/W focused than this one, but as each week goes by, I feel like we can get a bit braver. The coats have been put away, and tights are not so much of a necessity anymore. 

This Boohoo dress has been one of my first SS15 wardrobe purchases. The 70s trend is at large right now,so Paisley is a staple print. The are so many colour combos to choose from, and I feel the blues and pinks in this particular print really compliment the array of colours in my hair right now. I love the cut of it too. The bell sleeves create a typical 70s silhouette, whilst the skater dress style keeps it modern. The square neckline is also really flattering. 

Because of the busy nature of the print, this is a piece that doesn't require too many accessories. I've just paired it with my Miss Selfridge knee high boots  (it's not that warm) to continue the retro look, my F&F bag, some Camden Market sunglasses and a delicate gold and semi-precious stone drop necklace from Topshop

Let's just hope the weather continues to get better. The Spring/Summer trends right now are on point!

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Magnitone - The 7 Day Challenge

So if you read my Blogger's Fashion Week with Bloggers Love post, you'd have seen that one of the amazing products I was gifted at the event was a Magnitone Lucid (Limited Edition by Pixie Lott) . 

If like me you read a lot of blogs, you would have heard amazing things about this product, which is why I was so stoked to get a chance to talk to the ladies behind the brand and find out what all the fuss was all about. Gina Akers was so lovely, and explained the science and technology behind the brand thoroughly. 

For some reason, I'd always imagined the bristles on the Magnitone products to be quite stiff, but I was so surprised at how soft and gentle they were on your skin. Gina gave us a demonstration and I was hooked instantly. 

My skin has been bugging me a lot recently. It can go from oily to dry very quickly, and I struggle to find products that don't clash with my skin's behavior. Recently, my T-Zone has been really dry, and no amount of exfoliating and moisturising seemed to solve the problem. This became a real pain when applying foundation, because no matter how good the quality of the foundation was, it would just cling to the dry patches and look awful. I was in a patchy-skin nightmare. 

I explained all of this to the girls at the Magnitone stand, and they explained that the Magnitone Lucid uses Active Electromagnetic Technology. What this basically means is that it sends electromagnetic vibrations into the skin which unclogs the pores, whilst at the same time sweeping away dry and dead skin cells. It also pulsates 10,000 times per minute. My bare hands and an exfoliating scrub just can't compete with that. 

So today is the 7th day that I've been using the Magnitone Lucid, and according to Magnitone's site, in that time I should have noticed a skin transformation. I thought this was codswallop at first, and that no way would I notice a drastic difference in such a short period of time. Especially considering you only use the product on your face for one minute, twice a day. 

BUT, I was well and truly wrong. The dry patches in my T-Zone have practically vanished, and my skin seems to have more life to it. It's dewy rather than greasy, and flushed with a natural glow rather than a matte dullness. The effects of the moisturising / toning products I've been applying to my skin for months are more noticeable and last longer too. As a result, my make-up sits better on my skin. If these are the results after only 7
 days, then I'm expecting things to only get better. 

It's not just the effects on the skin that are great about this product. A lot of thought has gone into the design to make it as easy and convenient as possible. It's entirely waterproof, allowing for use in the shower. Because of this, there are no insert points for a charger. Instead, the product charges through an electro-magnetic pod that's connected to the mains, allowing for the product to be used wirelessly once fully charged. 

My favourite feature however, is the bleeps that tell you when to move on to another area of your face. You're only meant to spend a minute using the product, starting on your forehead for 20 seconds, your cheeks for 10 seconds each, and your chin and nose for 20 seconds. The bleeps between each area mean you don't even have to pay attention to how long you're using it . After a minute's up, the product switches off automatically. Genius. 

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