I couldn’t resist sharing some of my Cannes experiences with you all. It all happened last minute thanks to the film below which Life Up! made for the 48 Hour Film Project, but my boyfriend and I simply couldn’t pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity to get passes for the festival.
We wandered around for the first day in awe of everything we saw. There were hundreds of stands promoting what must have been thousand of feature films, from every genre and country you could think of. Covering three floors of a building and about a mile of coastline, the tents and portakabins brimmed with tired but still eager film makers, producers, writers and actors from every corner of the world. We made our way onto the beach and observed the festival from a distance which looked like a bustling village within the city.
We ate out twice a day, as our accommodation was 20 minutes away by train and the food in Cannes was cheap and easily accessible. I imagines long queues and terrible fast food as the city struggled to cope with the 40,000 people who descend everyday. Little did I know the French have been thriving in this festival for 60 odd years and have seemingly unlimited resources when it comes to delivering fresh local produce in beautiful restaurants. We always found the service to be friendly and fast, and of course the food itself was to die for. I was all over the croissants, goats cheese salads and fresh bread. The cheapest thing to get was pizza which was always thin, crispy and less than 10 Euros.
Obviously the dress code for the red carpet was strictly black tie, but day to day most people were rocking their own version of Riviera chic. I floated about comfortably in a black maxi dress or skirt, with two blazers on rotation to make it a little smarter and cover my shoulders from the sun. Add sunglasses and some people double take thinking you might be a celebrity! On the last day, my wonderful boyfriend Joe asked me to marry him and I said yes. What a magical way to end the trip of a lifetime. I celebrated by finally getting one toe on the red carpet and with some champers on the flight home courtesy of some lovely fellow passengers.
After the popularity of my Bleach London Shampoo post I thought it might be worthwhile reviewing another silver shampoo which I have been reaching for regularly. This Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo was recommended by a friend and also by the lovely Kate at gh0stparties who both have luscious ash blonde hair, so I just had to give it a go.
I searched online and managed to get this 300ml tube for under £10 on Ebay, conveniently delivered to my door without having to visit a salon or department store. After feeling quite pleased with my Bleach London Shampoo I wasn’t expecting this one to be any better or different. However, I was amazed at the results I got from this product after the very first wash.
The shampoo itself is dark purple (hide your white goods!), and on application creates a lovely lather which you don’t always get with toning products. I used my usual conditioner, but when I came to style my hair it was noticeably softer and I can only put that down to the Fudge shampoo. Hydration is fantastic, but the real point here is to dull down brassy tones ain’t it? Well I can tell you that I have been using this every other day for 5 weeks and my hair is probably more ashy now than the day I came out of the salon!
My colour feels refreshed after every wash, looks brighter and cleaner as well and soft and shiny. Can a bleach blonde lady ask for anything more?
If you enjoyed this post please take a moment to vote for my blog in the UK Bloggers Awards 2014 by following the link below.
If you’re looking for a high protein, paleo friendly brownie recipe then mosey on by, cause this ain’t for you! At this time of year we are often tempted with desserts and cookies at every corner, and normally I would dive right in only worrying briefly about the weight gain. But recently I have started to notice that my body reacts quite badly to cheap bread, pasta, cous cous and various other forms of food. So in an attempt to save myself a few stomach aches I made some gluten free brownie for dessert on Christmas Day. They are however, laced with lots of sugar. And they taste bloody lovely.
I made these with a recipe I found online and simply substituted the flour for coconut flour and it worked perfectly! There was a hint of coconut flavouring but I think I only noticed that because I knew it was in there, no one else commented on it. They were very chewy, similar to those freshly baked cookies you get from the bakery section at the supermarket, and really quite addictive. They kept in an airtight tub for about 4 days.
Ingredients:
300g granulated sugar
150g unsalted butter
110g cocoa powder or hot chocolate
pinch of salt
vanilla extract
2 eggs
120g coconut flour
Method:
Heat the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Mix in the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Mix in the vanilla extract then whisk in the eggs one at a time until combined. Gradually beat in the coconut flour until the mixture is smooth and free from lumps. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour in the mixture decorating with pecans if you wish (really just for cosmetic purposes!). Bake at 160c in the middle of a preheated over for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool fully before cutting otherwise it will be a messy disaster. This makes about 16 squares. Enjoy!
This was taken in summer 2012. It took me approximately 4 years to get my hair to this length after having is shoulder length for a few years as well as growing out a fringe. I had it like this for a year or so before I started to think maybe I should go short. This is my natural colour too. A little hint of ginger!
The photo above was taken in December 2012. After seeing these pictures I was adamant I was getting my hair cut short because it looked to limp and lifeless. My hair very thick, poker straight and supersoft. I dreamt of luscious, voluminous waves that I simple couldn’t create.
This picture above was when I went for the chop. I went for shoulder length but with long side shorter than the other. I would strongly recommend this style for anyone who is scared they will miss the length. It gives you a definite edgy ‘style’ without losing the feminine comfort of having hair falling round your face.
I finally went for the ‘big’ chop in summer 2013. I had absolutely no regrets and loved it from the second I saw it. I stuck to the asymmetric style which left me with a nice chunk of hair framing my face. This was me before a night out, although day to day I ended up tucking the longer section behind my ear.
A couple of weeks later I decided to go for the look I’d been dreaming of since 2012 and get the long side of my hair cut short. I think the hairdresser was worried but I was really happy with it. It definitely gives me more of a tomboy look, so I have had to reign in the old Primark men’s section shopping sprees (not joking). In this picture I had just bleached it at home. Not a good idea. I live with it like this for about 2 weeks before getting it done professionally.
I quickly got my hair bleached professionally and I was really happy with how it looked after that. Keeping it cool-toned was essential for me to I was always using my favourite toning products by Bleach London and Fudge. At this point I was a little sad to have cut off my long hair, but really only for a moment or two. But what’s done is done, hair will always grow back.
A few weeks after that I was totally sick of long section at the front and went and got all that chopped off too! I was starting to realise that having short hair would be higher maintenance that I first thought, because you need your hair cut more often to keep it in the desired style. With this in mind I told the hairdresser to go as short as she could to give me more time until my next appointment. She got the electric razor out and shaped the hairline round my neck beautifully. I couldn’t believe I’d gone from having mountains of hair to having it shaved at the back in no time at all!
If you are thinking about cutting your hair short I would recommend taking some time to think it over. Like I did, try an in-between style with one side shorter than the other to ease you into the lifestyle of a lady with shorter hair! Be prepared to wash and style your hair everyday, it doesn’t necessarily take more time to style longer hair.
Consider if it will suit your face shape. I have lost a lot of weight in the past 4 years and wouldn’t have felt confident with this haircut when I was heavier. Luckily I have quite small features and a pointy jawline which lend themselves to a shorter haircut.Try looking at photos and see what face shapes look good with the style you want. Ask your friends honest opinion, even your hairdresser too.
What do you think of my decision to get rid of my long hair?
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
I couldn’t resist sharing some of my Cannes experiences with you all. It all happened last minute thanks to the film below which Life Up! made for the 48 Hour Film Project, but my boyfriend and I simply couldn’t pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity to get passes for the festival.
We wandered around for the first day in awe of everything we saw. There were hundreds of stands promoting what must have been thousand of feature films, from every genre and country you could think of. Covering three floors of a building and about a mile of coastline, the tents and portakabins brimmed with tired but still eager film makers, producers, writers and actors from every corner of the world. We made our way onto the beach and observed the festival from a distance which looked like a bustling village within the city.
We ate out twice a day, as our accommodation was 20 minutes away by train and the food in Cannes was cheap and easily accessible. I imagines long queues and terrible fast food as the city struggled to cope with the 40,000 people who descend everyday. Little did I know the French have been thriving in this festival for 60 odd years and have seemingly unlimited resources when it comes to delivering fresh local produce in beautiful restaurants. We always found the service to be friendly and fast, and of course the food itself was to die for. I was all over the croissants, goats cheese salads and fresh bread. The cheapest thing to get was pizza which was always thin, crispy and less than 10 Euros.
Obviously the dress code for the red carpet was strictly black tie, but day to day most people were rocking their own version of Riviera chic. I floated about comfortably in a black maxi dress or skirt, with two blazers on rotation to make it a little smarter and cover my shoulders from the sun. Add sunglasses and some people double take thinking you might be a celebrity! On the last day, my wonderful boyfriend Joe asked me to marry him and I said yes. What a magical way to end the trip of a lifetime. I celebrated by finally getting one toe on the red carpet and with some champers on the flight home courtesy of some lovely fellow passengers.
