Dying my hair silver - L'Oreal Smartbond at Regis Hair Salons!

I've not been the kindest to my hair over the years. I've experimented with a lot of colours - from peroxide blonde to XXL black, and bright red to DIY ombre. You may have seen recently that I made the brave plunge to dye my hair pink. It was something I had always wanted to do, and I am glad that I have ticked that one off the bucket list as it was definitely fun while it lasted, but after a few weeks I decided that I wanted to a more wearable hair colour again.

Around the time I was wandering how on earth I would get the pink out of my hair (silly me for leaving the product on for 45 minutes instead of the suggested 15 minutes, not one for following the rules), I was invited by Regis Hair Salon to try out their new Smartbond treatment*. I had never heard of this specific treatment before, but I was definitely intrigued as the treatment sounds like it would allow me to continue experimenting with hair colours, whilst protecting my hair in the process.

Prior to the colour treatment and Smartbond itself, I had to pop into the salon for a skin test and colour consultation with my hairdresser. You will need to have a skin test beforehand if you would like a Smartbond treatment, and a colour consultantion with the stylist just means that you can both prepare for your appointment beforehand.

This new three-part treatment, Smartbond, has been scientifically designed to protect the bonds in your hair, allowing the stylist to prevent the usual damage that is caused during a colouring service. The treatment, similar to Olaplex, can be easily fitted into your normal colour service. You can see from the photo below that I still had quite a bit of pink left in my hair so I was really curious as to how the condition of my hair would feel after it had been stripped of pink and dyed silver again.

The three steps of the treatment are as follows:

Step 1. Your hairdresser will mix the first treatment in with your hair dye colour or bleach. This will protect and strengthen your hair while the colour itself starts to develop. I had originally thought that this treatment was just for bleached hair, but after discussing with my hairdresser, it can be used on all dyed hair - light or dark!

Step 2. Next, your hairdresser will rinse the colour or bleach from your hair, and apply a pre-shampoo treatment. This will totally rinse away any chemical residue, which could weaken your hair if left.

Step 3. The final step of the treatment is where you take the matter into your own hands and it is to be completed at home. It is a conditioning treatment that you can use weekly to continuously strengthen the fibres of your hair in-between salon visits.

The treatment itself is super affordable. It is an additional £5 when you are already having a colour treatment at a Regis Hair Salon, or it is £15 to have the treatment alone. Time wise, the only waiting around was for ten minutes once the pre-shampoo treatment was applied, but after getting a full head of highlights for many years, I'm used to waiting around a lot longer than that for my hair! 

My fabulous hairdresser added a blue toner to my hair once my full head of highlights and Smartbond treatment had been completed. I didn't even have a haircut and the condition of my hair felt the best it had felt in weeks. I had my hair blow dried and straightened a little, and I cannot believe how soft it immediately felt without even adding any argan oil. All in all, I am very pleased with the results of my Smartbond treatment experience and I have been using my Step 3 product every few washes to keep my hair feeling healthy before my next dye.

As you can see, after a few washes the blue toner had been rinsed from my hair (as toners usually do), and a lovely silvery colour was left. I would definitely pay the £5 to have this treatment again next time I get my hair dyed. For such a small amount of money you can definitely feel the difference in your hair, and I'm going to be taking note to see if my hair grows as it seems to have come to a halt since I've been bleaching it. You can read more about Smartbond Colour Bonding here.

*This post has not been sponsored, but I was given a complimentary colour dye & Smartbond treatment courtesy of Regis Salons.

Thank you for reading :)
Had you heard of this treatment before?

Would you consider getting this treatment next time you have your hair dyed?

Love Dani x

Personalised little instagram magnets from Sticky9!

If you've been following my blog for a little while now, you'll know I'm an absolute sucker for anything personalised with my instagram photographs. I have a whole wall in my room full of instagram polaroid prints and I've eaten many a personalised photo cake, so when I was asked by Sticky9 if I'd like some of my instagram photographs printed onto magnets for my fridge, I couldn't say no! I picked a few favourite images - some of my family and friends, some of my puppies and some cute quotes.

Sticky9 set of 9 magnets - £9.99*

As soon as they arrived, I was in love. They're the perfect size and really good quality. The colours are nice and bright, and they'll be the perfect little addition to my kitchen! I already can't wait to order some more as I want my fridge to be full of them eventually! They also ship worldwide for free so they're the loveliest gift for yourself or a loved one! :)

 

They really brighten up a boring, white fridge! I'm planning to order some for my mum's birthday as I know she'd love some photo additions in her new home too! :) When they first come, they're stuck together in a big square so it's up to you if you want to rip them up into three rows, or all into separate squares... either way they look fabulous! If you're interested in getting some for yourself, you can get 15% off your first Sticky9 order with the code 'FRIENDVXQ9' :)

Last minute, I actually realised that I could also have these in my bedroom - they work so perfectly on the edge of my radiator! Sticky9 actually also sell photo prints, stickers and iPhone cases, so I'll probably be making another order sometime soon - I'll definitely be buying some more magnets as they're so cute!

Thanks for reading :)

I'm over at @floraldanielle on instagram if you'd like to follow!

Don't forget you can get 15% off your first Sticky9 order with the code 'FRIENDVXQ9' :)

Love Dani :)

x

Gift ideas for a girly girl: Sass & Belle!

For a floral and shabby chic lover like myself, Sass and Belle is the perfect store. They sell everything from biscuit cushions to unicorn ring holders, and they're all at reasonable prices so they are the perfect place to look for Christmas gifts and stocking fillers! You can find them online at Sass and Belle, or you can find them in their little shop in London! I was lucky enough to get asked to review a few bits from their shop, and I will definitely be adding their pieces into my future wishlists as there is so many lovely bits I'm lusting over! :)

Sass & Belle 'Enjoy the little things' plaque - £3.45*

I wasn't actually sure what would be sent over to me, so you can really tell that the lovely people over at Sass and Belle took their time to look over my blog and see what I was into as they've managed to find goodies exactly to my taste! I love a good inspirational quote (I'm constantly pinning them over on Pinterest), and I'm currently turning my sisters old bedroom into a studio which will be full of inspirational quotes on the wall, including this cute little sign! :)

Sass & Belle 'Do what you love every day' Tin - £3.25*

 

 Another inspirational quote in the same style as the plaque, but this was in the form of a little trinket box. I was thinking about using it to store all the buttons I seem to have collected over my years at uni, but at the moment it's being used to store my favourite rings! It makes the perfect little addition to my desk and it makes me smile when I see it :)

 

Sass & Belle vintage floral spring notebook - £3.25*

Lastly but definitely not least, is this cute little floral notebook! As a blogger, you are always jotting down blog post ideas, things to buy yourself and the dates of meet ups so this is just perfect! I love the pink colour scheme and the floral print, and at such a cheap price it's the perfect gift for any girl! I've already added it to my handbag so I'm excited to start using it :)

Thank you so much for all my lovely goodies Sass & Belle! I will probably be doing a wishlist post just of items from their shop as there really is so many that I'd like - especially all their Christmas decorations on the site right now!

Thank you for reading :)

Which is your favourite item in this post?
Would you buy your friends Christmas pressies from Sass & Belle?
Love Dani :)

x

Gift ideas: Pearl Divine triple rainbow quartz crystal necklace! :)

 When it comes to jewellery, I love to buy from an independent handmade brand. I am absolutely obsessed with silver jewellery and especially any that have quartz and crystals involved! Pearl Divine is a mix of the two things I have just mentioned above - handmade and crystals galore! When I was given the opportunity to review one of their necklaces, I jumped at the chance... just look how gorgeous this necklace is!

 Pearl Divine Triple Rainbow Quartz Crystal necklace - £12.00*

I just cannot get over how gorgeous the colours are. In different lights, the necklace changes from green and blue, anywhere to purple and copper. I've only worn it a couple of times so far but both times I've received compliments. It's a really statement piece without being too big and bulky, and it really brightens up my mostly monochrome wardrobe! For a bargain price of only £12, it beats most retail store prices, and is so much more unique. You'll definitely be seeing this necklace in an outfit post again soon!

Gemma, a fellow blogger and the owner of Pearl Divine, is a really lovely lady too. She hand packaged my parcel in the prettiest pink paper with heart stickers and included a personal letter she had written for me, you don't get that kinda service on the high street!

Thanks for reading :)
Which is your favourite necklace on the Pearl Divine website?

You can also follow them on Twitter @shoppearldivine :)

Love Dani :)

x

Iconemesis - Fifi Lapin iPhone case :)

As a Fashion Design graduate and general lover of all things fashion and blogging, I've always been a big fan of Fifi Lapin. Even if you aren't quite sure what or who she is, I'm sure you'll recognise the quirky little illustrations of her. Fifi is a fictional rabbit who blogs herself illustrated in the latest catwalk looks. She's such a cutie with tall white ears and pink cheeks, and has been named the 'world's most stylish bunny' by Elle Magazine! :)

I actually featured this iPhone case in my massive birthday wishlist blog post last April, so when I was recently approached by Iconemesis to review one of their iPhone cases and I saw that they still had this case but in an iPhone 5 option, I just knew that I had to have it. They have quite a few Fifi cases on the site, but this one with her in 12 seperate outfits was my instant favourite :)

 Iconemesis Fifi Lapin iPhone 5 case - £19.99*

The print illustrations are of a really high quality and the finish is lovely and shiny. The case itself is really sturdy and I was surprised by how easy it was to remove from the iPhone as most cases seem to get stuck on! The 'iconemesis' font at the bottom is a lovely gold shade, I just generally love this iPhone case!

 

Thank you for reading :)
Have you ever bought a case from iconemesis?
Would you add this to your Christmas wishlist?
Love Dani :)

x

Dottie Rocks personalised 'Floral Danielle' pencils and prints :)

I've been super excited about writing this blog post since me and the lovely Karen from Dottie Rocks started exchanging emails a few months ago. Back then she was just about to move studio and I was just about to finish my final stretch of uni so we planned what we'd make but then didn't speak for a little while as we both had our separate busy times, then recently she emailed me to let me know that my little package was on the way to me and I was so excited to receive it!

 Dottie Rocks personalised pencils and prints*

Dottie Rocks is a gorgeous little online shop, who's stock is currently being sold here on Etsy, and specialises in personalised pencils and prints. I am such a girly girl when it comes to stationary and homeware, so I'm in love with everything in the store! It ranges from Bridget Jones quotes on pencils to Coco Chanel quotes printed with gold foil, and every other girly movie or show in between!

I am absolutely in love with these pencils! They remind me of primary school where everyone used to have them with their full names on, so to have pencils with my blog name on is so nice! The packaging was absolutely gorgeous too, I didn't want to take them out of it! When I move back home from uni, I'm gonna make my sister's old room into a studio for myself, and these will go so perfectly on the desk :). Even though there isn't an option for personalised pencils on their website, Karen is absolutely lovely and would definitely be able to make you a personalised set to buy, so give her an email if you're interested!

I was also given the option to have some personalised quotes made for my little studio room which I am so excited about. I'm planning to make it really girly with white walls and inspirational walls so these will go perfectly right in the middle! I'm absolutely obsessed with Pinterest at the moment, and I love all the inspirational quotes on there so I decided to pick two of my favourites for my prints. The quality of the prints are really good, printed on thick card, and the gold foil letters look so professional, they would be a lovely gift! I will definitely be doing a little studio blog post when it's finished so keep an eye out for these prints up in their new home :)

Thank you for reading :)
Which is your favourite from my little Dottie Rocks post?

Would you get some personalised blog pencils?

Love Dani :)

x

My new favourite handbag - the HanaRoo 'Sahara Dream' :)

Since dying my hair blonde, I had been on the look-out for a beige coloured bag to go with my new look. I've always loved the colour beige, especially on handbags (my best friend has the most GORGEOUS beige Mulberry bag) but I'd always felt that beige would look a little boring with my brown hair. So after taking the plunge, I needed to find a handbag to fit all of my needs. It needed to be big enough to carry all of my random junk on a daily basis, it has to be comfortable to carry and obviously I had to like the look of it! When I was contacted by the lovely ladies over at HanaRoo.co.uk about reviewing a handbag, I jumped at the chance and came across this beauty almost straight away - it must've been fate!

Hanaroo 'Sahara Dream' Bag - £30*

This bag is literally exactly what I had been looking for. The detailings on the buckle and hoops are more of a rose gold and the shape of the bag is so sophisticated - I undoubtedly think it looks a lot more expensive than it is! The bag doesn't have a zip to close it as I had been looking for, but it is definitely safe because the buckle requires being turned to unlock, and then you have to open the whole bag up which would be almost impossible when the bag is being worn. I have been wearing the bag with the long strap (which is also removable if that's not your thing) over my shoulder to make it more comfortable as I get a really bad back when I have bags on my lower arm for too long, but this has been really comfy to use and I have had many compliments so far!

You can see how many things I've managed to fit in this bag and that's not even on a day when I've stuffed it full! There is a zipped compartment for my iPhone and other valuables too. All in all, I really love this bag and I can see myself using this daily for a long while! I'm sure you'll see it in some outfit posts during the Summer as it will be perfect for all the fun picnics and riverside walks to be had! :)

Thanks for reading :)
Do you like the look of this HanaRoo bag?
Which is your current favourite hangbag?

Love Dani :)

x

Fake Tattoos nail and finger tattoos :)

 I'm eventually back to blogging about some beauty related products and I'm really excited about it! It's actually really frustrating to not have time to blog, especially when you love blogging and I've got loads of fab new bits to blog about! :) Today I'm gonna be talking about these nail tattoos from Fake Tattoos. I love having nice nails, but I'm not very good at nail art, so these are a fun, cheap alternative! When it comes to real tattoos too, I personally love them (I've only got one at the moment) and I plan to get loads now I've finished uni and actually have some money to spend on myself, but I think Fake Tattoos is a great idea to test out what size you would like your tattoo and positioning too, as it's a pretty permanent decision to make!

Fake Tattoos nail tattoos - £6* (Currently on sale for just £3.80!)

I was kindly sent these nail tattoos to try out from the lovely people over at Fake Tattoos. I didn't actually have any choice in which ones they sent to me so I think they picked pretty well to be honest - pastels and girly, very me indeed! I decided to test them out with some similar pastel colour nail varnishes too.

These pastel Models Own Hyper Gel nail varnishes are my current favourites at the moment, but you can read a full review of those here if you like :). They're really thick and easy to use in just one or two coats, and the colour shades are gorgeous!

These nail tattoos are actually ridiculously easy to use. You must make sure that your nails are clean even if they're painted and then cut out the desired tattoo. Take the plastic cover away slowly and press the tattoo onto the nail using a wet tissue or cloth. When you feel that the paper backing is sliding away you can slowly remove it and let the tattoo dry. Another thing to do to ensure that the tattoo stays is to paint it with a clear top coat afterwards.

The outline of the nail tattoo is almost unnoticeable once it has dried and I love how quick and easy they are to use. I'd love to try some out which have letters on so that I could spell out a word or something! They are very opaque which means that it doesn't actually matter which colour nail varnish is underneath because they will cover over any colour.

You can see that I still had loads of the nail tattoos left to use for another time. You get 82 per pack, which is two pages full of nail tattoos to choose from! I would probably only use one or two at a time on a statement nail so these are definitely going to last me for a while!

My housemate and I actually tried them out on our skin to see if they would work as a 'fake tattoo' and they actually did! We even managed to fool people for a day or two that they were real tattoos so that was fun! :)

Thanks for reading :)
Do you like the look of these nail tattoos?

What do you usually do to your nails when you fancy a change?Love Dani :)

x

The perfect Sunday in...

I recently ordered myself these gorgeous candles from Flamingo Candles and I'm so happy that I did! I'd been following them on Twitter and instagram for a while now, and kept meaning to buy myself some but just never got around to it. The second term of third year was a pretty stressful one which included writing my dissertation, so I just decided to take the plunge and treat myself!

The two flavours of candle which I went for were Black Cherry Gluhwein (on the left) and Vanilla & Black Pepper. The scents are so strong and lovely! I love that the jars have a little screw lid on top which keeps all the smells inside and when you open them the gorgeous smells leaks out!

The scents are so strong and lovely! I love that the jars have a little screw lid on top which keeps all the smells inside and when you open them the gorgeous smells leaks out! Their packaging is gorgeous and I would definitely recommend them as an awesome gift for family and friends, especially someone who's moving to uni or into a new house!

I love the gorgeous little flamingo designs on the side and the lid of the candles. There are such a wide range of colours and scents that I will definitely be buying them again for myself and for presents! The next flavour scents on my wishlist are Candy Floss and Vanilla Milk Bottles, how yum do they sound?!

Overall I am really pleased with these candles and think they're definitely worth the price for the scents and the burning time. These two were the perfect little addition to my all white uni bedroom and hopefully these yummy scents will keep me sane during these last few weeks left at uni! :)

Thanks for reading :)
What's your favourite candle to burn?

Which flavour Flamingos Candle would you purchase?
Love Dani :)

x

Models Own Hyper Gel nails review and swatches! :)

I'd hear loads of good things about Models Own's new collection of nail varnishes called 'Hyper Gel's, so when they did a 50% off sale on the website to launch the products, I knew I needed to get my hands on a few of them! They're only £5 to begin with, so to get them for £2.50 each was a total bargain. I only bought my favourite 4 out of the 10 to choose from, but I went for the four I thought I would use the most. I bought a couple of other Model's Own goodies, but for now I'll leave those until another day!

I'm really happy with how the nail polish came out. The gel shine finish really does give off the professional look of a salon finish. All these colours are literally after only two coats and they are so thick. Perfect for if you're in a rush and only have a small amount of time to throw on some nail varnish.

 Models Own Hyper Gel in shade 'Red Lustre' - £5.00

I decided to go for a red shade as you literally can never have too many red nail polishes! I love having red lips and nails at the same time and I feel like it literally will go with any hair colour! It's a really glamorous pin-up style red and I can't wait to wear it out :)

Models Own Hyper Gel in shade 'Pink Veneer' - £5.00

I've recently dyed my hair blonder and it's made me realise I love pink again (oh dear!) but I thought I may as well treat myself to a girly pink shade of nail polish. I love the bubblegum/pastel pink colour of this nail varnish and I'm sure I will be getting lots of use out of it!

Models Own Hyper Gel in shade 'Naked Glow' - £5.00

I absolutely love this nude shade! I don't really own many natural coloured nail varnishes and I think this will look lovely with a simplistic monochrome outfit. It's a really lovely shade for Spring too actually and I'm sure I will get loads of use of it too!

Models Own Hyper Gel in shade 'White Light' - £5.00

I'd been after a white nail varnish for a while now so I was really happy that there was a bright white shade in the Hyper Gels range. I know to some people it'll look like I've just put tippex on my nails, but I really like that look! The white shade is actually the only one that I've had the chance to wear out yet, and I must admit that it did start to chip the next day BUT I do study a fashion course which requires me to be hands-on all day everyday... AND I didn't use a base coat or a top coat, so I'm definitely willing to give them another go as they're such gorgeous colours! :)

Thanks for reading :)

Which is your favourite shade out of the four I bought?

Do you own any of the Hyper Gel nail polishes?
Do you think I should do some more beauty posts on my blog?
Love Dani :)

x

What's been keeping my head warm this Winter?

Up until recently, I was never a hat person, but now I can't keep them off my head! Not too long ago I made the transition from dark brown to dark blonde, and next week I'm getting it lightened again to hopefully a lighter blonde! I feel that my hats just didn't look right when my hair was brown, they almost clashed in colour, but now my hairs a bit lighter, I love the way they look!

These are the two hats that I've been absolutely loving in this cold weather. You'd think that in late February it would start to warm up a bit, but it's still all about the fur coats, turtle necks and beanie hats for me at the moment!

Ragged Priest beanie hat - £15 (but now in the sale for £6!)

Britfash Laguna black and grey bobble hat - £24.99*

I've had my Ragged Priest beanie for a while now and it's my absolute favourite thing to pop onto my head before a cold day out. I love the simplistic font and colouring. It really does go with everything and it's an easy accessory to add with any outfit. I'm kinda gutted that it's gone so cheap in the sale now, but it's definitely had enough wear out of it to warrant the £15 so I don't mind too much!

The bobble hat was sent to me by a company called Britfash this Winter. They're a new company which describe themselves as the new online destination for both established and emerging British fashion brands. When they offered to send me a new hat I knew it would have to be this one! I had been on the lookout for a bobble hat for a while now as my housemate has one and it looks so cute on her! I love the simplistic black and grey colouring but I love that the bobble stands out too! Britfash are currently holding a giveaway to win this exact beanie right now, which you can enter here :)

What's been keeping your head warm this Winter?

Do you have an all-time favourite hat?
Love Dani :)

x

My new pink Bobble water bottle!

Ever since my best friend bought me a Brita Filtered Water Jug for uni, I've been obsessed with filtered water and can really taste the difference. I'll still drink water from the tap but I do prefer the taste of filtered water, especially if it's been kept in the fridge so is nice and cold! So when I heard that you could get the same effect but in a hand-held bottle for on the go, I knew I had to try it out! 

 Pink Bobble water bottle - £12.99*

I've been using my Bobble bottle daily ever since I received it and I literally love it! I got a bit of a shock the first time I washed it out as lots of black specs came out of the filter, but after reading the info that is what's supposed to happen the first time. There was a strange taste the first few times also, but after the filter being used fully it soon went. I can definitely taste the difference from drinking normal tap water compared to tap water that has been filtered through this bottle.

I feel that the pricing is really reasonable, and even though the filter needs to be changed once in a while, I have had mine for around 2 months and I don't feel like mine needs to be changed yet! Saying that though, you would end up saving money from all the singular bottled waters you buy instead! The company itself are very green thinking and hope that people will invest in a bottle you can keep refilling safely rather than buying many bottled waters which end up strangling our sea life and littering our sidewalks.

I love that there are so many fun colours to choose from, and the pink is definitely my favourite! I think the the bottle itself has a lovely design too! In general, I am very happy with my bobble bottle and I will continue to use it everyday, and replace the filters when need-be! The only downside I have found is that you can't gulp the water as it comes through quite slowly, but I can't complain because obviously the water is being filtered so it can't fly through really quickly otherwise it wouldn't be filtered properly! You can buy these bottles on Amazon, but make sure you check which bottle size you click on as my housemate accidentally ordered a teeny bottle!

Had you heard of a Bobble bottle before?
Would you buy yourself one?

Which colour would you pick for yourself?

Love Dani :)

x