Fashion Faux Pas

A few years back, I wrote a piece for my local newspaper, The Evening Echo, about the pitfalls of beauty and fashion when you're disabled. After a day in Lakeside today, I've found some more issues I thought I'd share with you.

Fear of the lost ring - I've lost 20+lb's on Slimming world and my engagement ring has become dangerously loose! Due to Cerebral Palsy on my left side, I can't feel my hand, so if I lost my ring, or a bracelet I wouldn't know unless I purposely checked - the horror! So now whilst pushing myself around New Look, Mike looks after the ring.

Boredom - I texted my wedding make-up artist, Faye, to ask advice on good skin care yesterday, I'm very slack when it comes to beauty products and daily rituals. Today's shopping trip reminded me of a conversation I'd had with Faye about what makeup and hair I wanted for the wedding. I became irrationally excited during this conversation as I struggle to do hair and makeup in day to day life, with one fully functioning hand. My hair is either in a ponytail or poker straight and I wear the same 5 makeup products every.single.day. So having the luxury of a hair and makeup artist for the wedding day is a real treat!

Lusting for footwear - I've mentioned my croissant shaped foot, countless times on this blog and vlog, as well as causing horrendous pain, my bloomin' foot also mean's I cannot wear beautiful shoes. I spent today drooling over heels, pumps and wedges but this is probably great for my back account because if I could wear shoes there would be an entire room in the house dedicated to them!

Wheelchair Faux Pas - When I ordered my wheelchair, 5 years ago, I requested it to be the colour of Cadbury's purple - it arrived pink! But whether it's pink or purple, it just doesn't go with all my outfits! Next time I'll order a sleek black chair - black goes with everything!

Until Next Wednesday!
L xxx

In case you didn't see last week's vlog see the video below, if you can't see a video click here.

Vidal Sassoon - Salonist - Review

I was asked to try Vidal Sassoons new hair colouring project Salonist, in association with Super Savvy Me.

Ten years ago, I dyed my hair bright red, although unintentional it became my “thing”. Towards the end of my twenties, I took it upon myself to look/act more mature, so I went for sleek black bob. Although I love my bob, my life in general became crazy and far too serious, my Mike joked that my old red hair held my superpowers!

So when I volunteered to dye my hair any colour (except blonde – have you seen my eye brows?) Super Savvy sent me two brunette colourants, a blonde and a glorious red. I posted all the colours on my social media. After all the votes it was decided that I would become a red head once more!

The colours I was sent from SuperSavvyMe 

I hit a snag early on, there was no way any colour was going to cover the black lengths of my hair, so I began the process of stripping my hair. The first lot only made my roots ginger, the second try made my roots blonde and the third set, that I left off my roots left my hair lighter brown but still very dark.

Strip One...

Strip two...

Strip three...

This was a three day process; my pain was through the roof – all in the name of vanity! On day three I just decided to go for it.

The Vidal Sassoon Salonist hair dye works on the bases that our hair roots colour differently to the lengths. So first I covered my roots, I tried using the root brush that came with the kit, but only being able to use one hand fully, I ended up using my fingers, I then added the colour serum meant for the rest of my hair. There was plenty of product to cover my shoulder length do, the Salonist kit didn't have an over powering smell like my similar products do and the colourant was easy to apply.

The Salonist Kit

No, I'm not naked!

I clipped up my hair and covered my head in a carrier bag (Superdrug if you must know!) and waited....

I got in the shower to remove the product, it looked as though I’d recreated the shower scene from the movie Psycho, but it didn’t take long, I then coated my hair in the Salonist conditioner which smelt lovely.

Even though my hair was wet (and therefore darker) I could see that the colour had struggled to cover the lengths of my hair. After I dried it, I had red roots, darker red mid hair and very dark ends eek! BUT I liked it! It looks as though I’d had an ombre treatment but the wrong way around, plus I’ve had three strangers asked me when I had it done!

Post dye roots

 So I’m now semi red head! As my hair grows, I’ll continue to dying it using Vidal Sassoons Salonist as the colour is a lovely warm red and despite all the stripping and dying me hair is glossy and soft!

All in all, I highly recommend Salonist, despite the multi red colours this was my fault not Vidal Sassoons. I will continue to apply my hair, using my fingers rather than the bowl and brush, I’ll probably keep those and use them for paint pots/brushes for my nieces’ and nephews art project –  yet another bonus!

Thanks to Super Savvy Me and Vidal Sassoon for the chance to get back my super powers!

L x

Be:Fit London

Some of you may remember that last year I went to The Vitality Show. For those who don’t; The Vitality Show is a women’s health and fitness festival, where you can buy and try new and innovative beauty, fitness and health products. Watch or participate in exercise classes, listen to experts and celebrities do talks on everything women related; from sex, weight, nutrition and illness. Plus you can indulge in massages, manicures and facials. A fabulous girl’s day out.

This year the festival has been renamed Be:FitLondon, and my third time visiting. I always come home, happy, relaxed and with a lot of new goodies to try! Last year alone I had a facial, bought new candles, had a hand massage, and bought an array of new snacks and drinks to try. I bought several cosmetics too but the amazing thing about this festival is that all the vendors treat Be:Fit customers to discounts and marked down goodie bags with a ton of samples!!

TV Presenter Kirsty Gallacher, Olympic Cyclist Victoria Pendleton, Athlete Denise Lewis and model Jodie Kidd are this year’s Ambassadors, exciting and inspiring these are well worth attending!

Insanity, Nike and Reebok are holding fitness classes alongside yoga & Bootcamp sessions plus a Beyonce Workout class – who wouldn’t want a body like Mrs Carter?

Be:Fit Vendors this year include, Better you, the natural food/supplement company, Lorna Jane – the Australian work out clothing brand, Harper's Bazaar magazine are joining in and the awesome Less Bounce bra company too. To see a full list of vendors go here!

I’m visiting on Saturday 29^th, so, if you see a dark hair girl in a pink wheelchair holding a ton of bags and a huge grin – that’ll be me, come say Hi!

L x

Rimmel Stay Matte Challenge

I am not a Beauty Blogger, I enjoy dolling myself up, but I spend many an afternoon asking my Beauty consultant a.k.a my younger sister Nicola, what I should; wear, spray, lather and slap on!

When I was an accepted as a tester for Rimmels Stay Matte Challenge Nicola was having to ask my opinion – a first!

#StayMatteChallenge



I love BB Creams, I currently use Rimmels 9 in 1 Skin Perfecting Super Make up. BB Creams are lighter than foundation and double as a moisturiser, toner and concealer all in one.

My sample of Rimmels Stay Matte Mousse Foundation (100 Ivory) arrived on a stressful day when a relative was taken into hospital for a serious condition. When I’m stressed I rub my forehand, hand over my mouth, and frequently rub my temples. The Stay Matte Foundation stayed in place and as you can see from the grid photo it lasted very well!

Before, during and last thing at night!

 

Applying the foundation was very easy. You don’t need a lot for full coverage, I started with pea size blobs on the back of my hand, but it was too much think of petite pour sized bead instead.

On the third day of my Stay Matte Challenge I went on a boat trip on the Medway River, a beautiful day but we all know sun and water aren’t great for that flawless look we all aim for. But again the foundation stayed in place... here you can see lady muck a.k.a Me, looking windswept yet still fabulous!

Windswept and interesting

 



On the 6^th night of my Rimmel challenge I went to a leaving do! Two of my friends were moving to Beijing in China for a year to teach English, so in typical English style we all met at our local for beer, chips and lots of banter. I was stopped several times by friends as well as strangers commenting on how flawless my skin looked! I was feeling rather chuffed!

Emotional Goodbyes



So, at the end of my week, have I converted back to full foundation? – In a short answer No. I loved Rimmels Stay Matte mousse, it gave me great coverage and brilliant shine control, and I will definitely be using it for events, nights out and high stress occasions. It was long lasting without feeling too heavy and saved the effort of using concealer and my highlighter. I do prefer Rimmels BB cream for everyday use but Stay Matte will be a staple for my make up bag!

L x

 

Shall I grow my monobrow?

Mike’s back tomorrow, he’s only been gone a fortnight but I’m as excited as ever!

I have this ritual that I clean the house, cook a requested meal and make sure that I’m plucked, dyed, shaved, buffed and painted to perfection, so he comes home and thinks “yeah there’s a reason I keep coming back”. Some of you may think this is very 1950’s housewife but I do not care!

Today is eyebrows, moustache and nails; tomorrow morning will be dedicated to the rest. It’s hard work maintaining this bod especially when throwing up in between!

Cupcake Nails by my Sister Nicola

Don’t get me wrong I do all of the above even when Mike’s away I’m not some Neanderthal woman all stubble and split ends and I certainly don’t work hard on my appearance just for Mike; it’s mainly for me and my self confidence.

Self confidence is such a delicate thing, mine especially, I spend a silly amount time doing my face and hair every morning because people still comment that “you look nice for someone in that (wheelchair)” or “Wow your quite pretty for disabled person” or my utter favourite being when a young lad kissed his teeth and declared that I was “a fit unable”.

It’s not as if us disabled folk think “Oh well, my legs are buggered so I’ll let my monobrow grow out!”

On Friday alone night I’d borrowed my sister Nicola’s curlers to only look like an electrocuted scarecrow in search of those wavy effortless curls my sister sports... effortless my arse!

But imagine being a celebrity all that attention on your hair colour and size of your thighs, my internal critic is enough let alone other people printing my flaws.

One of my favourite bloggers the Beautiful Betty Bee wrote a wonderful piece on the Daily Mail Newspapers’ abuse of Clare Richards (a la’ Steps) and her weight Read here. The piece got me thinking; we (not just women, society) beat ourselves up too much in the quest to look fabulous, but how many of us truly believe in our own fabulous-ness? Betty has started a campaign to get her readers to submit their most treasured outfit that makes them feel like a goddess see/like/submit here!!

I was looking through the 1000+ photos of me on Facebook and although I agree I scrub up well and am looking good after following Weight Watchers (1 ½ loss maintained 1/2 st more to lose but I’ll tackle that when I’m fit and able or is that a “fit and able unable?” according to my admirer!) but I’ve never truely felt stunning and I wish I had done or at least thought to myself “damn girl you’re hot!” and actually believed it, sad isn’t it?

But just how do we boost self confidence? Tips please?? Recommended reading material? Until then I’m off to ponder this over a tub of Jolene.

L x