Lee Stafford Hair Growth UPDATE.

So it's been a week & a half since I started washing my hair with the range and I am loving it!
My hair is a light, caramel brown and the moment and my natural hair colour is very dark so my regrowth is super noticeable! I have noticed a huge difference in the rate my roots are coming through.

My hair also feels in much better condition generally which is a massive bonus for me. My only gripe is that I feel the treatment seems to weigh my hair down even when I overly rinse it to ensure there is no product left.

So far so good, I will let you know how I get on!!


x

Skin care regime...(kind of!)

Excuse the poor excuse of a photo! My phone is charging so had to use my webcam and this is the result...oops!

I've never had a skincare routine but luckily I have never had any drastic skin care problems either. However, recently I noticed my skin had taken a turn for the worse so I decided to do something about it!

I'm not going to claim to have perfect skin now, in fact it is far from it but it has really improved! I am definitely no skin care expert, nothing I am using is expensive or high end but it is really working for me and that's all that matters.

I used to use face wipes to take my make up off at the end of the day (massive no-no I know!) but now I use Botanics Cleansing Foam Wash. I apply it all over my face at night and I then brush my teeth. By the time I've done my teeth the wash has worked its magic and I wash it off to clean skin! I wear quite a lot of mascara so sometimes have to do a second round on my eyes but it does not irritate my eye area at all which is brilliant.

I then use Johnsons Face Care Night Oil Balancing Gel Cream All Over. This makes my skin so so SO soft and smooth and it just melts into my face. Once this has sunk in I use...SUDOCREM. Sudocrem is a antiseptic healing cream most commonly used for nappy rash but it works wonders on spots! I tend to break out on my forehead and chin (my most oily areas) but a dab of sudocrem works wonders! even when my skin is clear I tend to dab a bit on my problem areas anyway out of habit!

In the morning I use Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean Deep Cleansing Milk. This is very gentle and leaves my skin feeling ultra clean. I prefer to use this on a clean base rather than to take make up off as it is less heavy duty. After this I use Ponds Cold Cream. THIS STUFF IS IMMENSE! I read in a magazine years ago that some celebrity or other swears by this cream so I bought some and it really is lovely. it is SO rich but sinks in beautifully and leaves a smooth, hydrated base ready for make up.

And that's it! As I said my routine is very quick, simple & effective. I have seen such a difference in my skin and it is looking so much better.

Anyone else prefer a no frills approach to skin care? or do you love high end lotions and potions? LET ME KNOW!

x

NEW SERIES REVIEW! LEE STAFFORD HAIR GROWTH TRIO.

I went into Boots today and bought these three little babies...

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment.

Thankfully professional haircare was on 3 for 2 so I got 1 free! The shampoo & conditioner are £6.99 and the treatment is £7.99.

I've bought a few tubs of the treatment in my time but never followed through with using it regularly or consistently so I thought I would buy the set and give it a proper go!

My hair is very heat damaged and over-coloured so could really do with some TLC. I'm 100% giving up dying it again until I get it back to a decent condition and length so figured these products may speed the process up again as I can not wait to dye my barnet!

After one use of the trio my hair immediately feels nourished and soft. My frazzled ends are also in much, MUCH better condition which I am overjoyed with. I shampooed then put the conditioner for 5 mins and then ended with the conditioner. the reviews on Boots website is promising but I am going to do a weekly update for you so watch this space...

Have you used the trio or any part of the set? let me know your thoughts! or if you've got any other 

miracle hair grow products please let me know as well.

If you want to know more about my hair story you can read my blog post right here and if you want to check out the Lee Stafford range you can on here. 

x

My home..

I moved out on the 1st Jan 2013 aged 21...I moved in with boyfriend into his house and we set about making it ours! 

Decorating was a lot of work but we are very pleased with the results although it is still a work in progress...

Dining room leading through to living room

dining room

living room

Wall quote in back room

Just a few photos from the downstairs of the house...

Me & my boyfriend LOVE New York and more than a few reference pop up throughout the house including a massive wall mural in our dining room!

Do you have your own place you've made your own? Or have you just styled your bedroom yourself? Share some photos and give us all some ideas!

x 

Review: Victoria's Secret PINK body mists

VICTORIA'S SECRET 

If you've read some other of my blog posts you may know I recently visited New York. (If you want to check out my post you can here!

Whilst there I had a little spend up in Victoria's Secret and 2 of the items I bought were these body mists...

pink jasmine lime body mist

"dive into spring break in a mix of juicy lime and jasmine petals"

THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! 

I am so glad I bought these the smell is beautiful. it's quite heavy but so fresh at the same time. The lime is the more prominent of the scents but the jasmine adds a lovely undertone. The lasting power isn't brilliant as they are only mists but because the scent is so heavenly I actually enjoy topping it up!

pink coconut mango body mist

"soak up spring break in a blend of sea mango and island coconut"

This is one is just as amazing! 

It can only be described as a holiday in a bottle. I think these are brilliant for adding some scent to your hair or on fabrics (All my scarves smell amazing as they've always drenched in perfume) but they don't linger on the skin very long.

These are priced at $18 each but I got them in a bundle with another item (review coming soon!) and paid $30 for 3 items. I know the VS's based in the UK do very similar deals and scents!

Have you got a favourite VS scent?

Let me know!

x

Tattoos!!

I LOVE TATTOOS!!!!!!!!!!

If I was a boy I would definitely be completely covered in tattoos! At the moment I have three but wants loads and loads. I'm constantly trying to pluck up the courage to get a sleeve. I really love Sallie Axl. check her out on here. She is amazing! 

Here are my tattoos...

rose - back of neck

This is the first tattoo I got...I think I was 19. I walked in to the tattoo shop on a whim and it my favourite tatt! It really hurt! 

Karma (in Sanskrit) on my wrist

I LOVE THIS TATTOO. I am a massive believer in what goes around comes around. If you're not a nice person I definitely think your behaviour will find a way to come back to you. Everyone has been a victim of someone not being very nice to them and this is just my little reminder that they'll get what's coming ;)

heart - behind my ear

I got this done with a friend and it is super cute! Took literally five seconds and I always forget I have it!

Have you got any tattoos? Or just an admirer? Check out tattoosforgirls on Instagram if you're a user for some really beautiful and inspiring tattoos!

x

My ever changing hair story...

^^^ I definitely do this!

I lasted 17 years without dying my hair and then BAM! as soon as I first ventured into the world of colour there was no stopping me.

Let me talk you through some of my hair story...

top left to right...

This photo is from 2010! My hair was nice and long *sob* and had a plum tint to it. To be fair it doesn't really relate well in the photo so sorry! I had this colour for a long time, mainly because this was before the days of colour B4/strippers etc and when my dark roots came through it was the only thing to do!

This photo is from late last year. I absolutely loved the dip dye/ombre trend and had it for about 6 months. I had my chopped off beginning of 2012 and hated it (still do) so have definitely been using colour to make myself like my hair a bit more. 

This was also last year, love this honey/golden colour! I dyed my hair a light brown to blend my brown and blonde ends and after a holiday in Tunisia the sun turned it this colour. 

I have been this colour a LOT! I do like being a red head but where I am soooo dark naturally, when my roots come through it looks horrendous. I went Rihanna red this year as well very briefly but the fade was just way too much maintenance for me!

This is as close to my natural hair colour as I could find. Love this, glossy, dark & long! I know dark hair suits me the most but it doesn't stop me straying!

GINGER!!! I actually loved being a ginge although it made me look soooo washed out. I really love the auburn/ginger look and may well embrace it again when my hair is in better condition.

Dark & short...I had a funny five minutes in Jan 2012 and went and had my frazzled ends chopped off and it hasn't really grown since :( it does look super healthy here but I wish I never did it.

Golden brown again...this was taken Summer 2011. again, I'd been on a hot holiday (Magaluf...classy bird!) and the sun lightened it a lot. I think this colour looks so lovely with a tan!

Auburn...my hair was lovely and long here and the red faded to a deep auburn. I LOVE Maria Fowler's (Ex Towie) hair colour and this colour reminds me of her.

Have you had any wild colours in your hair? Let me know & share some photos with me. I dye my hair a lot although I am trying to leave it alone to restore the condition so am always looking for hair treatments etc so please link me to any reviews that you may have done!

x

Crep Check

I am ever so slightly obsessed with trainers so thought I would dedicate a whole post to some of my favourite pairs....
Even thought trainers in all shapes and sizes are super popular now with girls I probably wear them more than most and consider myself a bit of a fanatic so here's a peek into my collection. Any questions about any of the pairs just leave a comment.

I would like to point out at this stage that I have very small feet (size 2-3) so some of my pairs will be from kids/youth/junior ranges. Just in case any of you with normal sized feet can't find a pair I've included!

from top left across...

Converse Canvas White High Tops - Purchased for an absolute bargain price in New York last year! An old favourite; goes with everything from dresses to jeans and will be a pair I repurchase again and again as they like all Converse, they are timeless!

Black Slip On Vans - A recent but long awaited addition to my collection! These shoes make me a very happy bunny indeed. Also bought from New York for a steal at $35!! These are from the kids section but they definitely do an adult version too. Can't wait for the weather to get a bit warmer so I can wear these.

Hot Pink Converse Canvas High Tops - Bought specifically to wear in the Summer when I will hopefully have a bit more of a tan! I see a lot of girls rocking the baby pink high tops but as of yet haven't seen anyone in the bright pinks so let's hope it stays that way! I do like to be a bit different...

Neon Pink Nikes - Love love LOVE these trainers. Bought in America (can you see a theme emerging  here?) last year and have not seen a single other soul in them which is a result! I feel a bit like big foot in them as they are a 3.5 which is a half a size up than I normally wear but the shop didn't have a 3 and I was determined to have them :)

Maroon Canvas Converse Lows - My friend had these and I just had to copy her as I absolutely love this colour at the moment. Worn them a lot and they're beginning to get a bit grubby but can definitely see myself replacing them with a fresh pair as I really do like them a lot.

All Black Converse High Tops - These were a present from my boyfriend and they were a very good present at that! Worn them a lot and still look in top condition (black wears so much better than most other colours). Usually rock these with frilly ankle socks as pictured! I'm going to get a bit creative and apply some crystals to the front rubber part so watch this space...

Neon Adidas - Another present from my boyfriend! These were a present at the beginning of the year for my birthday. I'd never seen them before and fell in love when I opened the box. As I've mentioned I like being a bit different and these definitely fit the bill. These again are from a kids range and haven't seen any from an adidas adult range unfortunately so anyone who does not have pixie feet could miss out.

Converse All White Leather High Tops & Converse Navy Leather High Tops - I have wanted the all white leather ones for over a year now and when I went to buy them the navy ones were sitting next to them and I couldn't resist! Am going to try my hardest not to wear the white ones until summer to keep them fresh but knowing me they'll be worn in about a weeks time! 

All White Converse Lows With Crystals - My boyfriend came up trumps yet again with these little beauts. These were  a Christmas 2012 present and I was chuffed! My boyfriend loves trainers as much as me so I knew I would be getting a pair for christmas and he did amazingly well with these. He bought me a crystallising kit as well so I can do my own! Top marks.

Pink Nike Suede Blazers - I wanted  a pair of these for such a long time but was debating between the lows and high tops. I finally bought these on a whim and I am so glad I chose these as I hear the high tops aren't as comfy! 

Leopard Print High Tops With Studs - These are from Primark would you believe! I have a few non-branded trainers such as these because sometimes shops do come up trumps and surprise me with a fresh pair! I don't wear these a lot purely because I know they won't last long but they really spruce up a plan outfit and they were a bargain at £12!

Keep a look out on my blog as I will be compiling a wish list of trainers I hope to purchase throughout the year! I also sell a lot of trainers (and clothes actually) on eBay to make room for more so follow me on twitter @SophieJHines as I normally sent a tweet when I'm listing.

Let me know your favourite pair of trainers you own and if my post has inspired you to buy a new pair let me know which ones!

x

Concrete Jungle

The city that never sleeps

I got back from New York this morning & felt massively inspired for my first post to be about my favourite place in the world. I have been fortunate enough to visit NYC twice and can see myself going back time and time again! 

3 reasons

1. It feels like home! How many times have you watched a film and the skyline has accompanied the opening credits? How many shots of the city were featured in Friends and Sex and the City? As soon as you step foot out of the airport and you see a yellow cab you immediately are hit with a sense of familiarity alongside the mad excitement that obviously comes from being in a new country. New York is a 6-7 hour plan journey from London but feels like home to me.

2. The FOOD! I generally eat pretty well but my massive weakness in life is CHOCOLATE! So when I am in New York I stock up on all the scrummy stuff we don't get in the UK. To be fair, since Hershey's bought Cadburys we have seen an increase in the American chocolate on offer over here but there are some gems still only up for grabs on the over side of the pond. I will include some photos in this post for you to drool over.

3. T R A I N E R S. My major passion in life has got to be trainers! I own over 20 pairs and the collection just keeps on growing. New York has a lot of trainer shops to feed my addiction and the best part is that the prices are either the same in dollars that they are in sterling (which means HELLO DISCOUNT as the exchange rate is generally 1.6 on a good day) or CHEAPER! This year when I went I bought 6 pairs home with me so I am a very happy bunny indeed. (I have a blog post on my trainer collection so if you're likeminded check it out!)

NYC 2013 SNAPS

(check out my instagram sophiejanehines for lots more)

me & my boyfriend one rainy evening in Times Square

The Rockefeller by night

Little old me in Times Square

little selection!

Yellow school buses in Central Park

If this has inspired you and you want to see some other cool photos of NYC and you're on instagram have a look at why_i_love_new_york_city.

Also listen to this!

Have any of you visited New York or has another city stolen your heart? Let me know and share some photos!

x