Home Hair Colouring: How to?

In the interests of saving money (all the more for the shoe fund) I have spent the last couple of years dying my hair at home.

Actually my hubby has had the job of slathering on the permanent colour, since I'm not at all convinced I wouldn't get dye all over the bathroom if I tried to do it myself.

I've nearly always dyed my hair, from light blonde to a rich red, and more recently  its natural brunette.  But with greys coming through at the roots so fast I needed to re-colour after 5 weeks, £50 a time at the hair salon was too expensive.

In this time, of home hair colouring; at a more reasonable £6 a time; I have learnt a few key tips I thought I'd share:

1.  Always do a strand test

I know it's boring.  I know it's difficult to arrange to do and wait for the results and only then get cracking with your own colouring.  Particularly as, once you've opened the bottle for the strand test, you have to use the colour within 24 hours usually.

It's also a 'do as I say, not as I do' one, because I never, ever do the strand test. But that's only because my mother's been dying my hair various shades of orange since I was 13 years old*.

Even so, each brand is different, so you should really test each one before you try.  Please don't risk it, especially if you've never coloured your hair before

2. Don't stray too far from your natural shade when home colouring

In general, those with light, pale and freckled skin will suit cooler hair shades; from platinum blonde, through strawberry blondes to light browns.  Darker skin tones will be better able to pull off darker hair.

You need to factor that in when choosing a colour; along with the colour of your eyebrows.  If your hair is substantially darker than your eyebrows it can overpower them.  At the other extreme, very dark eyebrows will stand out a mile (particularly if not well groomed) if teamed with platinum blonde hair.  Unless you have aspirations to colour the eyebrows as well (not a good plan at home by the way) then don't go too far from your natural shades.

3.  Protect your clothes and any furniture

We do this process sat on the sofa in the lounge.  I cover one end of the sofa with an old, dark blue towel, specifically allocated to home colouring duties only.  It's now got some lovely staining on it!

I also change into old clothes that I don't mind getting stained and place another old towel around my shoulders.

I keep meaning to invest in one of those capes that they make you wear at the salon, but just don't seem to get around to it.

4.  Protect your glasses

I wear glasses.  If I start colouring my hair without putting contact lenses in, I suddenly find that I am sat there, with nothing to do, for 40 minutes whilst the colour works it's magic.  Often I want to read, or watch the TV.  But I can't put my glasses on for fear of staining their arms.

The solution?  Take 2 plastic sandwich bags (or nappy bags), and place them over each arm.  Secure with sandwich bag ties.  It's not a handsome look; but you've got purple (it always seems to be purple) gunk all over your head, a towel wrapped around you and your scruffy clothes on.  Good looks are not on the agenda at this point.

5.  Get rid of any staining at the temples quickly

When you've applied the colour (obviously following the instructions on the box to the letter) and have waited the requisite length of time, you will need to rinse it off.  HOWEVER, if you have the colour on your forehead and around your temples you need to pause for a moment for this little task to stop the colour staining your skin in those areas.

I may seem to go off track here, but stay with me.

You know you can use a ball of blu-tack to get other remnants of blu-tack off a wall without scraping?  You simply press the ball against the scrap and it sticks and pulls off the scrap.

Well, hair colour works the same way.  If you get some around the edge of your temples, you can, whilst wearing your plastic gloves (obviously), rub that area of skin gently with the colour that's on your hair.  Give the area a little massage.  Then you can rinse off the colour and the colour should pull any staining off the skin.

It won't necessarily have got it all off, but it will have taken most and loosened the rest.  So when you've finished rinsing the hair and shampooed with a mild shampoo (children's shampoos are good after colouring as they are nice and mild and don't try and strip the colour back out!), you can then rub any remaining staining on the skin with a wet wipe.

Yes, those wet wipes come in handy for all sorts of things.

If you don't get the staining off with the wipe now, you may be stuck with it for a while, so scrub any reluctant bits hard!

I hope that was helpful.  Good luck!  



*She'd like to claim it was red, but my school colleagues would disagree.  And did.  Ruthlessly.

Eat your way to healthy hair!

It's often been said that the appearance of your hair has the most impact on your overall look.  You've only got to watch a couple of make-over shows to notice that no amount of make-up will compensate for a poor, unhealthy looking barnet.

So what can you do to maximise your chances of having healthy, glossy hair?

Look to your diet and eat your way to healthy hair.  All you mummies out there will know that the body is very good at getting nutrients to the important places first.  When you are pregnant, and so nauseous you can barely eat, it's easy to worry about the baby getting the nutrients it needs.  But it's likely they are getting plenty - it's just you, your poor body, that is usually second in the pecking order.  Your body is pretty clever at prioritising!

Similarly the nutrients you take in will go first and foremost to the vital organs.  And unfortunately for our appearance, our hair is a long way down the list.  So if your diet is lacking, your hair will certainly be loosing out.  It'll be dry and slow to grow, just like a plant starved of water and food.

If you are eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables - come on, you know the score - then you are giving your hair the best chance to grow at it's maximum speed, and be strong and healthy.

And what if you are doing all that, and still have problems?  Maybe these tips will help.

Dull hair?

If your hair is really dull it is most likely to be caused by chemical processes like bleaching.  The dullness is a result of the cuticle on the hair lifting, instead of lying flat.  However, if you haven't processed your hair, you may have a lack of protein in your diet.  Try gradually increasing the level of protein you eat (lean meat, poultry, fish, seeds, pulses, nuts and dairy products).  Don't do it too fast though.  Hair only grows at around 14mm a month (when supplied with appropriate nutrients) and so any changes due to dietary changes won't be noticeable for a good three months.

Thinning hair?
This can be caused by an iron deficiency.  Iron is found primarily in red meat and green vegetables and you need roughly 14mg per day.

Also, be aware of any supplements you are taking.  If they cumulatively result in a high Vitamin A intake, this can also cause thinning hair and too much Vitamin A is toxic.  Try and achieve the nutrients required through an increase in fruit and vegetable intake rather than via supplements if you can.

Suddenly oily hair?
If you have always had slightly oily hair, then it is genetically determined and you can't do much about it.  But if it suddenly turns oily check your spice intake.  Foods that make you sweat, like hot curries, similarly cause increases in oil levels on your scalp - which sweats too!

Dry hair?
Is your hair normally flyaway and frizzy?  This is often due to an essential fatty acid deficiency.  Eating nuts, seeds and, of course, oily fish, will help.  These foods will also provide the proteins needed to keep the hair glossy. 

I hope those tips help.  But don't forget the all important cut.  A good cut can camouflage a multitude of sins!


For 5 quick beauty tips for busy women click here.
For our quick 'jargon' buster - what ingredients are in my skin care products and what do they do? click here.

Wedding Shoes.... and shopping with the Cheeky Monkeys!

Firstly I would like to apologise for my disappearance for the last 10 days.  I have been involved in one of those seemingly neverending whirlwinds of work, chores, notenoughsleep, food shopping, cooking, Christmas shopping, eating, work, chores.....

And, more excitingly, in the middle of it all, my sister got married this week.  My 2 girls were both bridesmaids (oh my, could they be any cuter?!) And I was the Matron of Honour.  Luckily I have a very good relationship with my sister, meaning that she didn't feel the need to publicly embarrass me by insisting I wear some hideous bridesmaid blamange.  Since, as previous posts would no doubt have suggested, I am somewhat lacking in sartorial elegance, I therefore had to have more than one shopping trip with both my sister and my mum, in which a variety of dresses, from traditional tent, to modern mini, were tried on. It was great fun and we found a beautiful navy empire line that looked divine.  My problem was then obvious.   Shoes.

Since we've established I have a large collection of shoes, it came as a surprise to discover that I had nothing, and I do mean nothing, that would go with this dress.  Navy shoes don't particularly feature in my wardrobe, and the one pair that I did have were summer wedges.  It just didn't work.  So I went on more shopping trips, one particular Saturday trying on every Navy pair of shoes that the shops in Meadowhall stock.   And as, inevitably is the case in this modern world, I gave up and ended up buying a pair on ebay for £11.

So.  It's the week before the wedding.  I've had my final dress fitting, and so the length of the dress is now based on my new shoes.  The Bride seems relaxed.  Everything is all ready.  I decide to pop my new shoes on, to try them out.  Wear them in a bit.

They rub my feet. 

Not a lot.  But they do.  Panic sets in.  I don't know what to do.  So I end up dragging my long-suffering hubby and both children for a trip to Meadowhall (A shopping mall in the Midlands) on a Sunday afternoon. In October.  When the Students are back and Christmas shopping has started in earnest.  It's packed.  5 shops in, and Cheeky Monkey No. 1 is flagging.  2 hours later, just as I decide to give up (hubby has suggested I wear the ebay shoes for the ceremony and pictures, and then quickly swop them for my sliver dancing shoes, and the plan, seen in light of the grumpy faces of my family, seems sound) I spotted New Look and, though Meadowhall New Look is not where you go if you want customer service (most of the staff there are under 18 and clearly not in the slightest bit interested in the customer's needs above their need to gossip)  I decided to give it a chance.

Turns out they had more than one pair in the Navy I wanted, lots that were two high, and 2 pairs that looked like they might just do the trick.  One of which they didn't have in my size, and the other was a 'wider fit' pair.  I bought the latter (can't go wrong for £20) figuring that, for one day, I'd prefer a 'wider fit' than a blister-covered heel.

I guess it wouldn't be me if there wasn't some sort of clothing dilemma!  I ended up swopping the New Look shoes for my silver dancing shoes after the photos anyway....That wider-fit made them too loose.

So what's the tip here then?  I guess it's simple.  Never, ever, wear new shoes for a wedding, unless they are Rainbow shoes (specifically designed for weddings - very very very comfortable).  And certainly don't wear £11 or £20 shoes without wearing them alot before hand. 

And never, ever, drag your family round the shops when there's pressure to find the perfect item.  It's not good for anyone.

It seems that parenting, more often than not, boils down to 'organisation' and 'preparation'.  Plan it.  Plan it early.  Because you just don't have the luxury of time on your side.

P.S.  The Bride looked absolutely beautiful.  Congratulations!

X Factor 2010 Style Madness!

Simon Cowell has spent a lot of time during the many series of X factor wittering on about whether contestants have 'their own style' and chastising those that he deems 'overstyled'.  Well forgive me for having to pull him up on this now; but has he seen what the X factor styling team have done to the final 12 contestants this year!?

Storm.  Now there's a character.  He can certain hold a tune.  And he definitely has his own style.  But whose idea was it to die his hair primary red for the live shows?  He now looks like any other wannabee trying to look different.  He's in the over 28 category, and I've now idea how old he is, but he is most certainly not 14 years old - the only age I feel that a male can get away with that hair colour.  If he had his own 'style' in the first place; why did they feel the need to turn him into something else?  Had he auditioned with that hair colour originally, our impression of him would have been completely different.  People do, after all, judge on looks before anything else.

And then there's Rebecca Ferguson.  She has, indeed, the most gorgeous voice.  A beautiful recording voice.  One of those voices that you know, regardless of the results of the show, that we'll hear again.  And she is pretty, vulnerable, shy and seems genuinely nice.  I love her look.  Or at least, I did.  What have they done to her!?  She suddenly looks bland and boring.....    

I get the feeling that the X Factor stylists think they are turning these 'rough around the edges' contestants into 'glamarous performers'.  Pity that's not what the show's about.  It's about finding something special.  Something different.  And, you would hope, nurturing that.  Seems that's not what it's about anymore.  It appears to be about finding something special, and then stamping it out and turning it into something that they 'think' is popular.  I'm annoyed about this because I feel that they are trying to tell me what I like by restyling them in this way.  What was wrong with the way they looked before?

And don't get me started on Matt Cardle.  The reason we all liked him was that, despite his claims to hate being a painter, he looked like one - you know - a little rough around the edges, and we liked that.  Why, oh why, did they need to cut off his hair?

OK, I'm done.  Honest. 

Tip for the day.... don't spend time, like me, watching these shows.  They just get annoying.  I'm sure it's an addiction.  To echo the words of the early 80s, ' turn off the television set, go out and do something less boring instead'.

Breeders do dress wierd....they have reason to.

Hannah Betts, columnist in The Times Magazine, this week points out that breeders, though clearly successful at procreation, aren't particularly known for their sartorial elegance. 

I had to giggle.  She's right.  This week, at the school gate, there's my tucked-in trousers and flats trying to be inconspicuous; my mate Jo, in her casuals (having done the usual parent thing and drank far too much wine on a rare night out the night before); Charlotte and Emily in their work gear, looking all smart and professional; numerous grandmas in knitted cardis; dads in football shirts and every other mum sporting leggings teamed with gladiator sandals in defiance against the autumn chill. 
But it is clear that parents, as a species, just don't do fashionable.  But then I got to thinking.  Fashionable by who's standards? Last week's Sunday Times Style magazine talks about fashion 'growing up', with more and more glossies opting to put women over 35 years on their covers, and advertisers selected the 'older women' in current campaigns (Reebok, Pringle).  But despite that article, the magazine itself is still full of features for current fashions modelled by girls who don't look over 20 years old.  And whilst fashion may be 'growing up' the clothes that are designed for women over 35 also come with an inflated price tag to match.  The advice is to splurge on investment pieces from Prada and Lanvin.  As a mum, with 2 toddlers, my response to this well meaning advice is "no chance".  I don't have the spare cash to blow it on designer pieces that are usually 'dry clean only' and do not respond well to having tomato sauce spilt down them.

I guess I'm looking for a glossy with models over 35 advertising clothes for the over 35s.  Somewhere I can find clothes to suit my generation, and still be, whilst perhaps unfashionable, still pretty yummy.  And, don't get me wrong; those parents in the school yard all look pretty yummy.  We just perhaps don't sign up to the experts view of fashion elegance!

The Bra Saga Continues........

Ok, so I´m resigned to the wierd hooks that we universally use to adjust our bras. But I´ve beaten them. Or they´ve beaten me. Depends on your point of view! I´m wearing standard bras, under little vests, with the halterneck dresses on top. It´s layering used to effect. And it´ll certainly do for now.

Or at least it would do. If it weren´t for the fact that my favourite two bras (same design, different colours, La Senza), hadn´t both decided to pop their respective wires out within a day of each other.

And before you say it... I know. I´ll just have to avoid wearing those underwired styles.

But I love those underwired styles. I only stayed out of those underwired styles for my two bouts of pregnancy and breastfeeding, just as recommended. And as soon as I could, I was back in them.

And why should I have to avoid them? Is it that difficult to design some that retain their wires for a certain guaranteed period. Perhaps they could sell them on that basis. You know..... like cars.... guaranteed for three years, or they´ll replace for free.

Maybe the world is against me wearing bras at all! I hope not. I´m not eighteen or a full-time dancer anymore!

My Bra is driving me crazy!

This week I have learnt that; in order to be a Yummy Mummy; a decent bra is paramount. I have bought a couple of new summer maxi dresses. Yes, I know. This is my pathetic attempt at being on-trend, and vaguely with-it, this summer.

My problem is simple. Both of these new purchases require non-standard bra fittings. I have a multiway bra, so I figured that this wouldn´t be a problem. I couldn´t have been more wrong.

Last time I used the bra in question it was in the usual style. So, last night, I´m sat there, one year old fidgetting next to me, trying to unhook one of the straps, in order to reattach it to the other strap, to create the halterneck.

Ten minutes it took me. Just to undo it. Another ten to ram it into the other slot. Only to discover, once I finally got the thing on, and thrown the dress over the top, that the dress I´d opted for actually wasn´t a proper halterneck, and had a partial back in it. I needed to adjust the straps again, to cross-over at the back. Ok, so that was my mistake. But being constantly distracted is a usual state of being for most mummys. So surely the bra should be designed with ease of use in mind?

More fiddling....

By this time, the one year old had had enough, was bored, and was trying to pull the bra out of my hands whilst I´m trying to fix the thing back together. That made it easier.....

My question today is this. Who invented those bra hooks that look like they will easily just slot in and out, but actually, because of the thickness of the material involved, and the extreme hook shape, require pliers just to get them on and off?

And in what world do yummy mummy´s actually have the time to be messing about with them?

It´s just a thought, but press-studs anyone?