Going back to nail basics...

In 2014 I dabbled into the world of acrylic nails and I loved it. For anyone in Cardiff I would recommend Storm Hair and Nails. Michelle is incredible and creates some amazing designs which I would happily have done all the time. However, 2015 is the year that Matt and I start to save up for a house and we want to do this in the quickest time possible - I really want a garden! Anywho, this means that all unnecessary spending has to stop and that means my nails :(.

This coupled with my regular volunteering at the dogs home means that my nails aren't in the best condition at the moment, so I have decided to go back to basics. Yes, this means BOY NAILS for a short (I hope it's going to be short) period of time. 

I've clipped them all back and squared them off and will keep doing this until all the damage has gone. I can feel a little ridge about half way up my nail where I've had the gels on so I'm going to use this as a benchmark. 

Of course this doesn't mean that I'm basing the condition of my nails on applying nail envy, I know it's down to diet too, which I'm working on. But this blog is about cosmetics!! I also picked up a glass nail file because they are supposed to be better for your nails. I wouldn't want to comment on that yet, but the sound does go through me more than a normal nail file and I get horrendous goosebumps when filing my nails now. 

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Hair decisions...

Currently I am between the dilemma of do I grow my hair or cut a good few inches off..? I've been in this stage of thinking for about a year, probably even longer and all the time I haven't cut my hair the realisation is that it still hasn't grown. I look back at photos from years ago, made easier thanks to that timehop app and my hair looks longer back then! It's so frustrating. 

 My hair has been through a lot in that time, geez this sounds emotional, but the amount of bleach and dye that has been slapped on it, I'm surprised I have any left. Before October this year I was hell bent on getting my hair to the whitest white, which obviously means loads and loads of bleach. I did love it though and my hair only went lighter on my holiday to Egypt. I didn't think it was in too bad condition either, considering what I'd put it through. However, in a massive balls-up at a local salon (I still haven't decided if I want to blog about it or not yet) I ended up dark brown. Dark brown to cover what they had turned me into. Two weeks in the sun, followed by two sets of hair dye in less than 24 hours really left my hair a little, well, f*cked.  

These photos were taken last year at a Paul Mitchell event (I want to type Phil Mitchell each time and I haven't even watched Eastenders for years!!) which took place in St David's hotel. It had been a good couple of months since the disaster and as you can see a lot of the brown had faded. You can even see the darker bits where brown was basically put over brown to cover up the mistake. Fast forward even more months and my hair colour is just all over the place, dark roots, orangey/blonde and brown through the ends. It's lifeless, dull and I hate it. But I'm too scared to have it all chopped off.

Luckily at the event we were gifted shampoo to match what was going on with our hair. I did show the girls at the event what happened with my hair and they were so shocked, I did get major hair sympathy - thanks girls!! The thickening shampoo was mine, I promise not just because it smells gorgeous, but to thicken up my lifeless hair and add some volume. The summary on the website describes this as the "Energising Body Builder" - something I try to be in the gym, but it's a fairly accurate description. The scent is like a really uplifting hit, which would be awesome if I showered in the mornings, but I don't because I like my sleep. Honestly, my hair does feel different when I use these two.. whether it looks different is another story because since I've started using these there has been so much wind around that I get volume that way! They are more money than I would like to spend on shampoo so I'm trying to use them twice a week and alternate with a cheaper alternative. 

The other weapon in my belt has been the Dove leave in conditioner and care spray. This is amazing value for money, I've had this for a couple of months now and there is barely a dent (if you can dent a liquid) in the amount in the bottle. Bought purely on recommendation from Leanne there isn't a hair wash that goes by where I don't use this. My hair is just SO SOFT after blowdrying and it's not all fluffy either. The spray gives a pretty good straightening effect, although this might be my "I need to take extra care of my hair" moment. 

Question is, what do I do now?
Leave it, cut it, trim it, dye it, lighten it, darken it, side fringe, full fringe - help!!

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Week #2 & #3

Whilst being completely stuffed up with the worst cold I have ever experienced these past two weeks all my focus went on just getting up to go to work, not a blog post was to be seen. I think I've even consumed a whole Boots load of cold and flu remedies. But rather than show a photo of some paracetamol I thought I would start with Basil and Rocky.

Yesterday Matt and I got given a fancy coffee pot and today I have been enjoying the best tasting home brewed coffee I have ever drank. But who knew that you had to store the coffee in the freezer?

My cactus garden is coming along nicely. One of them almost needed to be binned but I *think* I have managed to revive it. One day I am going to research into each type that I own and find some types that I really want to get.

We picked up some new fish for our aquarium because I had decided there wasn't enough colour. We have plenty of silver, black and even white fish, we needed some orange. The breed we went for were Swordtails and above shows the really clear difference between male and females. The males have the longer tail. They are known to breed well too, a couple of the females are even showing signs of being pregnant.

Meet Mouse.
He's been mine for a couple of months now and I thought it was time to introduce you to him. He's from a rescue and is a long haired black syrian. A hamster type that has been my "dream hamster" since I started keeping them. I was far too excited to see him on the rescues facebook page! Hopefully I can get some good photos of him because his fur is just adorable. He has a really long grey skirt and is a general fluff ball. Mouse is just so hard to photograph. 

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Week #1

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that jazz. I really hope you had a good one, mine was fairly busy and I didn't get as many lie ins as I would have liked. However I was spoilt again and I spoilt the ones that I love, which I am ever grateful for. 

I bought a selfie stick months ago before everyone, I think they actually serve a purpose despite the only selfie I've taken with it is in front of my Christmas Tree and wearing my Christmas jumper. I'm hoping that when I start going to safari parks this year I can get some really good photos. Saying that, my iphone seems to be loosing memory space without me even downloading apps or taking photos -can anyone help?!

My cactus garden is growing and I am loving having green in the flat that doesn't die. I picked this one up at a local garden centre and he (yes, I've named him a he) looks like he's having a bad hair day. 

This week marked Basil and Rocky's first "Gotcha day!" and I honestly can't believe I have had them for a year already. Time has flown by. They get on my nerves, they are stupidly messy but I love them and wouldn't be without them. Ever. Sadly just before Christmas 4 of my hamsters died and now I am left with 3. Maybe I should do an update post on my animals? 

You can still find me at Cardiff Dogs Home on weekends where I am usually covered in dog hair and have a massive grin on my face. I have so much fun down there and have learnt loads. Of course there is the heart breaking side of things and I am less naive about the workings of a council pound now. However, I've met some great people, one of which owns this awesome Gecko. 

On Saturday I went to visit a dog who has a special place in my heart, Harry. Harry was a dog at Cardiff Dogs Home and if I could have adopted him (didn't live in a flat, work and he wouldn't give Matt an asthma attack everytime he walked in the room) he would be mine. Anyway, he's now got a family all of his own and they are awesome, the three of them fit perfectly together and I was invited over to see how he was getting on. Walking in Harry greeted me like an old friend and I almost cried. His owners said they hadn't seen him greet anyone like that before, his paws were up in my shoulders when I bent down and he nuzzled into my face. We played with some toys I'd bought him for Christmas and it really made every time I've cried at the dogs home worth it. 

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