Hair | Straightening with the InStyler

Hi lovelies! So my hair has changed quite a bit over the course of this blog. From very short, to blue, to pink, I am a floozy when it comes to styles. Now that my hair's a little longer I've really been enjoying wearing it straight. What I've been using for this is an InStyler. 

Hair | Crown Braid

Hello lovelies! So after having short hair for quite some time I have really been enjoying being able to play around with plaited hairstyles. I learnt to braid by playing hair dresser to my younger sister. I've been loving this hairstyle to keep my hair out of my face during long uni days. And you don't have to worry about any tension headaches. 

Recipe | Sweet Potato Fries

Hi lovelies! So just because I don't think I've mentioned it enough in recent posts I am currently in the midst of university exams. As a result everything I've been cooking has been really quick and simple. These chunky sweet potato fries make a great side dish, or just to share with friends. 

Recipe | Chickpea, Spinach and Tomato Stew

Hi lovelies! Recently I have been loving watching Estee and Aslan's vlogs, especially Aslan's cooking series. This particular recipe was for a chickpea dish with a tomato sauce base. I thought it looked perfect for a drizzly day here in Australia so I decided to give it a shot. You can watch Aslan's video here. 

Recipe | Bacon, Leek & Feta Frittata

Hi lovelies! I have been all about quick and easy meals of late. I had some eggs that needed using up and so I knocked up a quick frittata which has been making for a super quick lunch or breakfast. 

Recipe | Carrot and Turmeric Soup

Hi lovelies! I am in love with soup at the moment and have been loving experimenting in the kitchen. This recipe is courtesy of the lovely Madeleine Shaw and it's made for a delicious lunch the past couple of weeks. You can find the original recipe here.

Recipe | Weekday Pasta

 Hi lovelies! I haven't talked about it much on the blog, but I have a very active job. What with running up and down stairs and long shifts I've been finding I need quite a bit of fuel to get me through the day. I've been experimenting with pasta recipes that are quick to make on a weeknight and then take the leftovers to work the next day. 

About Face | Satin Taupe

Hi lovelies! Back when I first became interested in the whole beauty side of things, all that anyone could talk about was Mac. Now my skin is extremely sensitive and does not get along at all well with their skin products, however over the years I have built up a stash of eyeshadows. And lipsticks, but I think it's more than a stash of those. 

Recipe | Warm Chicken Pesto Salad

Hi lovelies! Sorry it's been awhile in between posts. I've been moving house and have been internetless. I made this salad for dinner a couple of nights back and it was a really tasty, fresh and satisfying feed. Thought I'd post it up because I tend to prefer salads in the warmer weather. 

About Face | The 5 Product Face

Hi lovelies! I am a big lover of music festivals. Recently this has been my go-to face to last through the long and sweaty days. Personally I can't think of much worse than sitting in a camping chair trying to apply my usual routine with a tiny compact mirror. For festival days (and nights) I opt for a five product face that only uses one brush. 

DIY | Pink Party

Fudge Paintbox in Pretty Flamingo (available here)

Hi lovelies! So the big reveal! After teasing you with mention of it in the last few posts here is my pink hair in all its glory. The only reason I didn't post this tutorial is that I wanted to get an idea of how the colour would wash and if I'd notice any fading. 

I'm pretty happy with the results so I thought I would should you how I did it, as well as giving some tips I figured out for when I re-dye it. I didn't want the colour super intense all over, so I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 

I used a semi-permanent dye from Fudge and sadly it has washed out very, very quickly. If you're wanting to achieve a similar look in your own hair, I would advise pre-bleached hair to put the colour over. Personally I'm not brave enough to bleach my own hair so I choose to get mine done professionally and then pop the colour over the top. 

The look I was going for was a kind of pink ombre effect. In order to get this I mixed about a third of the bottle in with some conditioner (any kind will work) and covered all my hair with this. The directions on the bottle recommend leaving the dye on for 30 minutes, however as it is a semi-permanent dye it's fine to leave it on for longer. I left this initial colour on for 1 hour. 

Rather than rinsing out the colour I then took some dye undiluted and ran it through the ends of my hair. After leaving the colour on for another 30 minutes I rinsed everything out. 

You can see the end result up above. For a first attempt I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out. As I mentioned though the colour has faded very quickly. Next time I dye my hair I will be leaving the colour to develop for an even longer time. 

Besides the quick fade time I am loving have brightly coloured hair. My only problem is deciding on what colour to dye next? I'm looking into Manic Panic as they have fantastic reviews, but if you're looking for a cheap and quick colour fix the fudge dyes are excellent. 

What colour should I try next? 

Jess xx

The Mix | Seasalt Sprays

From L to R: Fudge Sea Salt Spray, Lee Stafford Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray, Frederick Fekkai Marine Summer Hair

I went through a phase in my teenage years of desperately trying to get my hair to go against its natural state. I spent several years trying to achieve sleek, smooth, shiny hair that was just never meant to be. Perhaps it was the alliteration that attracted me to the concept? Or perhaps it was watching numerous girls getting weaves on America's Next Top Model?

About Face | Pretty in Pink

Hi lovelies! I don't think pink has ever been my favourite colour, yet here I am with a face of make up in entirely pink shades. Recently I have been skipping the smokey eyes and liner in favour of quick and long-lasting. For a girl who loves her eyeliner it's been a nice change, and I'm loving the extra time in bed. 

Erin and I were both slightly obsessed with tracking down the new shades of the 24 hour Colour Tattoo eyeshadows from Maybelline. I ended up in far too many Pricelines that day but the eyeshadow was worth it. It's a frosted pink (swatch far left) that makes for a quick fix in the mornings and pairs perfectly with my Sleek blusher in Pixie Pink (swatch in middle). Above I paired it with a warm brown in the crease for a look that's done in minutes. All it needs it a quick coat of mascara.

How-To | Temporary Hair Chalk

 Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you'll have noticed that temporary hair colour has been a big trend recently. Many a hair care company have been releasing coloured chalk promising vibrant, temporary colour. However, these retail upwards of $10 for one colour. Having a strict uniform code I didn't want to sink a lot of money into something I could only use infrequently. Thankfully eBay came to my rescue where you can pick up a pack starting from $2.99. 

I couldn't find the exact pack I used, but they all work in much the same way. Find out how they work best after the jump.