Essay Procrastination - Colour B4 Review

I have naturally dark hair, probably one shade off black. I've dyed it every colour under the yellow sun. Apart from blonde. I would never do blonde. However much Agyness Deyn/ Taylor Momsen make me think it might be a good idea.

Around six months ago, despite my mother's warnings, I dyed my hair jet black without realising that you can't simply dye over it, but you have to wait for it to grow out. This was a problem as my hair is no longer the short pixie cut it was when I dyed it on a weekly basis.

The black hair suited me fine with my stupidly pale complexion and permanently red lips, but after a while I got very bored with the sleek and harsh styling that matches the colour and craved some natural brown curls. After one awful mistake where I managed to dye only my roots red and leave the rest of it as dark as ever I consulted various salons, only to find out that the colour stripping process was not recommended because of the damage to the hair, and the very student unfriendly price.

So imagine my surprise when my sister strolled along and told me that for only £12.99 I could literally go back to my roots. She showed me the Colour B4 product and I was, like many people I have spoken to about this, very skeptical. But I really had no other choice. The first obstacle was actually finding it. I went to some of the smallest and largest branches of Boots in central London but couldn't find it anywhere. So I went online and ordered it there, and Boots' courier delivery meant that it arrived the next day.



So, straight away, when I really should have been revising I wrapped myself up in a binbag and headed to the bathroom to undye my hair, with the help of my oh-so-heterosexual boyfriend. The first thing that struck me was the smell. The worst smell you can possibly imagine to come out of a bottle, and not something you would ever smother your scalp in unless you were truly desperate. Which I was. The worst thing was that the instructions specifically state that there should be no breeze, so we couldn't even open the window to stop the awful suffocation.

In total the process took about 45 minutes, with several repetitions of the covering, waiting, washing, and by the end of it I felt like an asphyxiated prune. But the relief when I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was still on my head, and the joy when I plucked out a hair and held it to the light to see the unfamiliar brown shining back at me made the entire experience worthwhile. Before and after pictures as promised:

BEFORE
ATFER

I dried my hair and left it tousled and hanging casually around my shoulders, happy to finally look relaxed, and hugely shocked at how well the product had worked! The final result is a bit patchy due to my period of gingerness before I went to the dark side. I think I'll leave it like this for now, but the instructions state that it can be dyed immediately.

So for those of you stuck in an unhappy and dark h-area (couldn't resist, sorry), finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Jessica Wilde

Essay Procrastination- Grace Kelly Style Revival

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time. The world of Grace Kelly just seems so elegant, so effortlessly stylish and so gorgeously feminine, that I have been hankering after a Doctor Who-esque time machine to transport me to the 1950s and preferably straight to Kelly’s wardrobe. With just over a week until the V&A unveils its collection of the style icon’s most memorable outfits, it is only right to devote a little space to the most stylish woman to grace our screens.



Looking back at Kelly’s most celebrated films, such as High Society and To Catch a Thief, it is undeniable that her outfits have experienced a renaissance on this season’s catwalks. Sporting a super stylish safari look, complete with sandy Capri pants and elegantly tailored shirt, cinched in with a rustic leather belt, Kelly embraces the casual femininity that is central to today’s trends.



Undoubtedly Grace Kelly has set the tone for today’s feminine Americano look, whether it’s classic tailoring or casually belted shirt dresses, all impeccably accessorised with head scarves and up-to-the-minute over-sized handbags.

With the enviable ability to jump from utility chick to Grecian goddess, Kelly brings sexy Hollywood glamour to our screens in a matter of minutes. Even after her acting days were over at the tender age of 26, Grace continued to set a precedent in the style stakes, making appearances in Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent haute couture gowns, to name but a few.



At least we’ll get the chance to relive Kelly’s remarkable on-screen career, not to mention her inspirational on-screen attire at the V&A from the 17th April. I’ll be donning my leather gloves and oh-so-Grace Kelly sunnies to go and drool over one of the world’s most wanted wardrobes. You never know, it could well inspire your summer season style...

Miss Bentley

Spotted outside Koko





Olivia Basic ~ 1st Year ~ History and Russian

We love this because ~ The retro print coat stands out against pretty much anything, and it compliments the colour of the dress perfectly. Coat removed and the sparkle from the sequinned jacket makes the dress party-appropriate, whilst the classic hairstyle and deep red lips maintain the ladylike vintage essence at the heart of the outfit.

Student Budget - Million Dollar Face

So the title of this post may perhaps appear slightly oxymoronic to you. How can I be advising you on ways to spend your student loan wisely and be telling you to go for a Million Dollar Face?

Allow me to explain. We all want to look good pretty much all of the time. But with a student loan to live off of and no time (desire) to get a job, constantly updating the wardrobe from shops other than Primark is only a distant fantasy. So how am I suggesting that one look consistently stylish and well-put-together without the luxury of never repeating an outfit? Simply keep your make-up fashionable. And that doesn't mean following the latest trend of that lipstick or this eye liner, instead it means the trend that is always in: being beautiful.

I don't mean to sound cheesy/clichéd/patronising here. I am simply pleading with the girls who will happily spend £50 a pop on a high-street item they will end up hating after three wears but won't part with more than a miserly fiver on the cosmetics they will cover their face in every day for several months, believing that clothes are less transient than a flawless face. Girls in question, please rethink! Do you choose your facebook profile picture because your outfit looks best in it, or because your face looks pretty? Obviously the former is a consideration, but I'm not sure you'd select a photo where your new jacket looks glorious but your face looks like a Victor Frankenstein creation.

Good quality make up is a worthy investment. On the whole, buying premium or even high end brands over the cheapest option means that the make up will be more luxurious for your skin, easier to put on and last much longer (which, if I was pushing it, I would say makes it more cost effective). There are always professionals on hand to ensure the right colours for your complexion and the right products for the skin type; a personalised service to help create your very own flawless face.

Whilst the effect of new make up may not be as immediately noticeable as a new outfit, you'll receive almost confused subtle compliments: "you look healthy", "did you do something to your hair?", "did you get a facelift?" etc. And imagine the joy when someone states "I love your new lipstick", and you can reply with a flick of the hair, a cheeky grin and a simple "Thanks Darling, it's Chanel".



Yes, not only is designer make up a good quality investment for your face, but it's also a great way to release some of the tense desires for more expensive high end items. So I'll probably never have a 2.55, but my entire make up bag is filled with Chanel. Coco practically designed my face.



Don't forget that clothing trends aren't the only ones in the designer world that we long for. Remember Chanel's Jade nail polish that sent the world on a wild beauty chase? And then next season it was their Particulaire shade? If we'd only known how 'in' they'd be, those designer trends could have been on our fingers at the same time as our icons for a fraction of the price of the new must-have bag. If you want to get ahead, Chanel's most recent shows used the pastel pink limited edition sister shade of last year's Jade, called Jade Rose. Get polishing.

When the next installment of the loan comes through, rather than rush straight to Topshop, why not hop on a bus to Oxford Street and wander into any department store that takes your fancy. On the ground floor you will be greeted by lavish scent of beauty and plenty of trained lovelies to help you find the look that suits you. So your outfit might only have cost £20 from a tiny little charity shop, but luckily your face is worth millions.


Jessica Wilde ~ @littlemisswilde