A great way to start the day......

I haven't done a post about food or recipes for a long long time, now I know none of the above require cooking & skill, but theres something fun about slicing & dicing & having different variations of the same thing for breakfast. I made a pact with myself that in a last ditch attempt to make more of an effort with my diet I would HAVE to eat the dreaded first meal....breakfast. Something I can never be bothered to do & would happily have someone else make me (like my good friend Mcdonalds) .  I figured if I took a photo of it every day (when I was off work) then I would simply have to make an effort because the OCD freak that I am I can't bare horrid & messy photographs that lets be honest look uninviting & crap. I started my week with boring old Shreddies then got more creative as the week went on, rummaging in the long forgotten breakfast cupboard & finding weetabix to make interesting as well as filling. I can see this being a weekly occurrence because knowing I was going to create a blog post has spurred me on & made me actually look forward to the early mornings. It's definitely given me more energy & made me snack a hella lot less so it's a good thing. The noisy side of me loves to see what other people are eating & cooking, I like it because not only am I curious but it also inspires & motivates me to get of my bum & not reach for the boring Belvita Breakfast Biscuits everyday. So heres to next weeks breakfast post.......

Topshop wants......

Haydon ripped jeans, Folk Panel Shirt, Nail polish in Collegiate, Spot Print Shirt, Ripple Skinny Strap Heels  , Double Strap Sandals, Matte Nail polish in Tabasco Trouble & Nail polish in Buff 

So I think it's fair to say Topshop is by far my favourite shop & I haven't posted a "want" list for a while. I can't think of anything more visually pleasing that a collection of gorgeous items from Topshop that I can't wait to get my mitts on! Granted none of these pieces go together, but I have a wardrobe full of perfect items to accompany them. 

• At my last count I own five...yes FIVE pairs of Topshop jeans, mainly from the Jamie range but these ripped Haydon jeans and the bomb! I can see them now styled with a ribbed crop top or a loose fitted deep white vneck. There something about ripped jeans & a basic tee that I just adore! 
• Moving on to the folk print panel shirt, it's so silky & beautiful & think this is such a versatile piece, it can be worn in summer or winter. I love the blue pattern almost reminding me of a collection of china plates my Nan has! I think style with skinny black jeans or even if I dare white (what am I thinking?!) jeans. 
• Next this little boxy polkadot shirt, I love the little crop and love how boxy it is, I do have a confession to make I already have it in black but I'm desperate to bump up my monochrome range...monochrome in patterns that is. 
• A classic strappy black sandals....who doesn't need a variation of this in their wardrobe?! You find me who doesn't need it & I'll convince them otherwise! It's so classic & the fact it has three straps add that little something to a normal plain sandal. I love them & at £55 they have stole my heart!
• Birkenstocks....birkenstock....birkenstocks. None definitely the more I say I still can't get used to it. I thought these were hideous when I first saw them & granted they ARE hideous but there's something about them that I like, I don't know if the simplicity (I'm a sucker for the basic) or if it's just how darn comfortable they are! Also H&M are doing a fantastic little spin on them at the mo as are New Look.
• Finally Topshop Nail polish....need I say anymore really? Fantastic quality, excellent range of colours & very durable. Granted it won't replace my love for China Glaze but it does come close!

A pop of fuchsia.....

Now I have a monochrome heart & a monochrome wardrobe to match but I can't resist a cheeky pop of colour, especially something as striking at a neon fuchsia. Whether it be in the shoes or clutch or something as simple as a flash of colour on the lips with a nude eye. I just can't resist! I normally avoid colour like the plague but it seems my black & white heart is giving in to some colour after all. 

I've even been extremely tempted to give hair chalk to try for the days where things seem a bit boring & need brightening up. I think an all black outfit can look even more pulled together with simple accessories in pops of colour, yes I'm one of those sad people that plans an outfit first & then the finer detail such as how i'll wear my hair & even what colour will be on my nails, I'm a sucker for details....& yes that applies in all aspects of my life, you'll find lots of little candle & ornament displays around my house. I can feel more colour inspired posts coming along, I love looking at photos for inspiration. 

PS...All photos are from Pinterest, you can find me on there my username is sosofee.

Everything L'oreal....

Whilst browsing in Boots the other day I seemed to get sucked in by the L'oreal stand, I got tempted by the good old Boots three for two & decided to pick up these little beauties. I absolutely have fallen in love with the L'oreal Telescopic mascara, I now understand the hype around this product! It's day become my daily go to mascara. It doesn't clump, you won't get icky fall out from it (ya know when half way through the day your mascara decided to crumble & end up under your eyes!) I also find it EXTREMELY easy to remove which is a major thing for me since I've lost many lashes thanks to Benefits They're Real mascara. The longevity of this product is fantastic & the wear is comfortable & doesn't feel scratchy, nor is it horrid to apply like some mascara that feel like they'll pull your eyelid off!  

Next I decides to pick up these pressed pigments, I've never seen/heard about these before but upon having a swatchfest there was no way I could leave them behind. They are very soft & buttery, They apply soft & delicately, they blend really well & the longevity is excellent. They are best applied with a damp brush but even without I didn't get any fall out. They have fast become a favourite & are an excellent bargain, they aren't scratchy or mega glittery like some pigments tend to be, they do have a slight shimmer but are more metallic than glittery. I think they are perfect to blend in to the crease of your eye with a matte base, or dusted in to the center of they eye. They are defiantly worth swatching & they seem to have a vast array of colours as well as the nude collection which did very much remind of shades from the Urban Decay Naked pallets. I will defiantly post a look that I've created with these little beauties. 

Silver hair, don't care.....

So I often get asked about my hair & it's upkeep, I've had blonde hair since I was little (bar the teenage years of experimentation & being every colour I could possibly think of, thankfully my hair forgave me!) this year I didn't want to be the normal boring shade of blonde I had been for god knows how long so I decided to go for a far lighter shade, I wanted my hair to be filled with grey & silvery tones. It's harder than you might think & requires a hella lot of upkeep, but I like it. I've experimented with many products from high end, to high street & I think I've finally found a combination my hair is happy with. 

• Firstly before I colour my hair I always allow six to eight weeks between colouring, this is because I have to use bleach/peroxide & the longer you can get away without using it the better (in my experience). Also before I dye my hair I use a good shampoo something that has the least amount of rubbish in such as Redken's Extreme shampoo, it promotes anti breakage & helps to strengthen your hair with is perfect for using before something as harsh as bleach. I only use a small amount of conditioner after shampooing too (normally the one that comes with the hair dye). 

• After I've done the above step I towel dry my hair & let it breath for about half an hour just so it's damp, then I mix up my hair dye, the product I've used exclusively (after many trials & tribulations) is L'oreal Preference colour in Stockholm, I apply this all to my roots first working from the back to front in small sections. Then whatevers left after I've done all of my regrowth I apply to the ends & I leave that on for forty minutes, I then wash all the product off & again leave my hair to air dry for half an hour then I apply the Live colour XXL toner in Icy Platinum & leave this on for half an hour again working from root to tip front to back. After this my hair normally is the perfect icy grey shade but if I feel it's not I will also use La Riche Directions White Toner for a further twenty minutes (this is vegetable based & will not damage your hair). After this my hair is the perfectly silvery tone, sometimes I alternate between the La Riche Directions white toner & Fudge hair colour conditioner treatment in the shade Blonde, I find both of these products work really well & I don't really have a preference to either or. 

• Upkeep & Maintenance; I normally wash my hair every two to three days & each time I wash my hair I mix & match between products, for instance one day I'll use the Redken Extreme shampoo & conditioner, the next time I'll use Pro-Voke Touch of silver weekly brightening shampoo/conditioner which really does brighten & can leave you with a slight lavender tint so be wary of the length you leave it on! I do also use a hair mask by Herbal Essences which is from the Bee Strong range, which is excellent & smells great!  I do also ALWAYS use a heat protector, I'm enjoying one by Tresemme from the Care & Protect range. Also after blow drying I always make sure I smooth in some Moroccan Oil which leaves my hair silky soft, shinny & strong, the one from L'oreal is also an excellent choice too & isn't as expensive but I would say the Moroccan Oil does last a long time. & there you have it! This is my guide to how I dye & maintain my hair, I can't promise that everything mentioned will work as well for you as it does for me, but honestly don't be afraid to experiment & chop & change things, some products work brilliantly together & some not so much, but you will find ones that work for you!