REVIEW: La Riche Directions Hair Dye

If you guys saw this post you will know I decided to put some Blue and Lavender through the ends of my hair for summer using the La Riche Directions Hair Dye. I thought I would write a review since it's now been a week and a half since I dyed my hair and I can tell you exactly what I think.

Just a quick round-up, I had bleached my hair before dying and it was a very orange toned blonde. The two dyes that I chose were Lavender, which is a gorgeous pinky-purple shade, and Neon Blue which is...neon blue. I left both dyes on for 30 minutes (the packaging says to leave it on for 20), but actually had to go over the lavender colour again as it didn't come out too well. The end result was this...

After one wash the colours had definitely faded and the blue dye had ran into the purple ends and made a mermaid green sort of colour which I didn't dislike but it did look a bit weird with my red toned roots. I actually went over the lavender yesterday and it didn't take very well despite leaving it on for an hour. The ends currently look like this.

  The colours are nowhere near as bright as I wanted them so I think I will be bleaching and toning the ends again soon to get the look I really want. Luckily the dyes are primarily made from Vegetable Oils so won't do too much damage to my hair on top of the bleach. 
Overall I would not recommend using these dyes unless you have extremely pale blonde hair. The orange tones in my hair allowed the blue to stay a strong colour, but the lavender was completely gone after one wash. The dyes retail for around £5 but you can get them on eBay for around £3. 

Duty Free? Yes Please

 Don't panic guys I didn't go overboard with the Duty Free Shopping at the airport two weeks ago, but I thought I would show you what bits I did pick up.

I actually only went to MAC because the artists weren't starting work until 6am at the other counters, and it was only 4am. MAC was the only place where I knew exactly what I wanted and needed so I didn't really need much help. Of course I picked up two lipsticks, Brave Red and Plumful (due to EssieButton), and also Face and Body Foundation just because I wanted a lighter coverage to use during the hotter weather (which now does not match my skin colour due to my tan).  

Above is just a swatch of Brave Red (L) and Plumful (R) in the sun because it shows their true colour. Both of the lipsticks are super creamy and moisturising on the lips and can both be really pigmented. Plumful is definitely more sheer but can easily be built up. 

Just some more swatches.

Are you guys going to be taking a list to Duty Free this summer? If so, i'd love to know what's on it!

FOTD: Summer Fresh Makeup

 

The weather is super hot today so I wanted to keep my makeup fairly minimal, and reduce the risk of my makeup melting down my face as soon as I step out the door. I went for this look which was super quick and very natural looking.

I used my Bourjour Happy Light Mattifying Primer just to keep the shine down throughout the day, and then put my Rimmel Match Perfection foundation over the top in a very light coverage. Of course I had to use my trusty 2True Pressed Powder to again minimise shine and just set my makeup for the whole day. Since its sunny I chose to use a very sparkly highlighter, and the winner was the highlight from my Sleek Contour Kit. For blush I didn't want to use a very bright colour so went with my Sleek Californ-IA bush palette which has 3 cream blushes. I used the shade OC which is super subtle on my skin but just makes my makeup look more natural. Of course the trusty Maybelline The Rocket was used on my lashes, and I don't know why but it seemed to give extra volume today which I loved! My all time favourite Sleek Brow Kit in Extra Dark was also used on my brows. I just find the powder lasts all day on my brows if I set them, which I did with some (Un)Clear Mascara from Collection.  Lastly to finish I used my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous. 

 

What are your favourite products to use in the heat?

Summer Hair Update

The past few weeks I have really been wanting a change and decided to change up my hair today. Since I have a super long summer ahead of me and no longer have school rules to think about, I decided to go crazy!

I have had this exact image bookmarked on my laptop for literally a year and I just think its so beautiful, so I tried to recreate it with the help of my friends. Obviously I knew it wouldn't come out exactly like this because there's no way my hair would get to such a pale lilac colour. 
On Tuesday I dyed my hair brown over my red, which didn't exactly work and there is still very much a red tint to my hair which is so annoying but I didn't want to damage it any further by re dying it. 
Anyway, today I had to bleach the ends, and I used the Jerome Russell Bblonde Maximum Lift Blonding Kit which was only £4.99 I believe. It worked fairly well but since my hair is red the colour it bleached to was very orange toned. The bleach was left on for 90 minutes, and my hair did feel slightly brittle after using it.   

To get the colours on the bottom I used the La Riche Directions hair dye in Lavender and Neon Blue. These dyes were ridiculously cheap and really didn't make my hair feel too damaged which I liked. They are semi-permanent so I will have to go over them soon but I love how they turned out.

Doesn't quite look like my hairspiration picture but I still bloody love it and it looks quite Katy Perry-esque.

 Have you guys done anything crazy to your hair for summer? 

What's In My Makeup Bag : Holiday Edition

Do not fear everyone, I am not one of those girls who goes to the beach with an entire face full of makeup and false lashes etc, but I cannot stand going without any makeup at all. For the beach I will literally just  wear some waterproof mascara, and in the evenings I do tend to wear slightly more makeup just as its nice to dress up a little for dinner.  

In terms of base I have packed my Bourjous Happy Light Matte Primer. I think the Happy Light will come in handy for making my makeup stay in place in the evenings and just keeping shine at bay. Next up I packed my Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer in Shade 3 (all time favourite how could I not?!) which is just a super light feeling concealer but with a fair amount of coverage. My under eye circles are horrific but its not due to lack of sleep or anything, its a hereditary thing that runs in my family and its such a pain, most concealers don't even cover them but this one does a fairly good job. This, along with all the base products, will only be used in the evenings and on the day I am flying back. The fourth product I have packed is my 2True Pressed Powder, a must for me as the weather over there is around 36 degrees so I will be super oily.  In terms of foundation I think I may have gone slightly overboard considering I am hoping to buy MAC Face and Body at the airport...oops. Anyhow I have packed my L'oreal True Match. L'oreal True Match had to come with me because its just such a great all rounder in terms of foundation and makes my skin look flawless. Also the shade I have is slightly darker than my natural colour so will work so much better with my tan.
The other face products I am taking with me are my Sleek Contour Kit, mainly for the highlighter, and also this Sleek Californ-ia blush palette. It has three gorgeous cream blushes in so this saves on space (I am also very indecisive). 

Onto Eyes and the most important pack was the Collection Killer Curves waterproof mascara. I have to wear mascara on holiday, my eyelashes are just so short and straight and I cannot be dealing with that. I haven't actually tried this mascara before but I am hoping it will be okay! Eyelash Curlers are also a must and these are just packed my Primark Eyelash Curlers which are really good considering the price. My MAC Palette is also coming with me (in bubble wrap don't worry!) and my MUA Undressed Palette. I don't really have single eyeshadows and I am intending to buy a few eyeshadows for my MAC palette at Duty Free so it seems like a good idea to bring the palette with me. Also the MUA Undressed Palette has pretty much every colour I would use in it and isn't too heavy. Soft Ocre Paintpot by MAC is also coming as its the most perfect base and truly neutralises my lids and makes my eyeshadow stay on for the longest time. As a fan of winged liner, I of course have to pack my L'oreal Superliner (by far the easiest liner to use). 

Then lastly my Sleek Eyebrow Kit, as the powder in this stays on forever, and my Collection Clear Mascara which I use to set my brows into place. 

Brushes are such a pain to transport but I am taking my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, Blush Brush and two of the Duo-Fibre collection brushes. I also have just a small fluffy brush for eyeshadow and my ELF Eyeliner Brush that I use for my eyebrows and also this small angled brush. I also have a lip brush and my Real Techniques Concealer Brush, as well as my ELF Kabuki. 

Last but not least lips! This was the category I had the most trouble narrowing down as I have far too many products to choose from. If there was no weight limit I would pack them all but I feel that clothes and shoes are slightly more of a necessity. I have packed my Rimmel Kate Moss in 08 which is a slightly pinky nude which would go well with a slightly bolder eye, my MAC Toying Around which is from the Playland collection, Rimmel Apocolips in Big Bang, Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Striking Spectaculaire and lastly my Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in In Love With Ginger. I need choice okay people don't judge!
I hope you enjoyed reading about what I am taking in my makeup bag on my holiday and I will see you when I get back in a week!