Bold, Bright & Blonde!

Due to the rapid change in weather (will we ever see Summer?!) , I've decided to do a post on brightening shampoos. My hair has been really dull and dark recently, and being a natural blonde i'm always looking forward to the Summer to get some rays through my hair. Unfortunately, British weather isn't looking too good recently and i've resorted to trying some colour enhancing shampoos, to give my hair the little lift it needs. I thought i'd share three of the shampoos that i've been using, and give them a quick review...

Bleach London : Silver Shampoo (£5.00)

After having been recommended this product from my housemate I had high hopes for this. I used it a few weeks ago when I was in desperate need of brightening my hair before my University Summer Ball. I used it 3 days straight, and left it in for 5 minutes before washing it out. It's great! I know it suggests using the product every other day, but I was on a tight schedule and decided to ignore the bottle (silly I know). Due to using it three days in a row my hair felt unhealthy and dry. Overall this is a super product, it's perfect for anyone looking to brighten their hair over a week-two week process.

Pro:Voke : Touch of Silver (£3.19)

Alike the previous product I had heard many people praise this shampoo, and decided to give it a go myself. I used this product over the Christmas period, and unfortunately didn't see any improvement in the colour or brightness of my hair. Although it's a great price, you're better off buying a good quality shampoo for a pound or two more. 

Charles Worthington : Violet Shampoo (£5.99)

I love this shampoo! Although it doesn't work as fast as Bleach London, it's perfect as a weekly shampoo. Unlike other brightening products it keeps your hair hydrated whilst also giving it that extra glow. 

WINNER: Charles Worthington! 

Hope this helps anyone looking to give their hair a sun-kissed glow.

K.

Blogging 101

So it's been two years since I started writing for all you beautiful people, and I've learnt a lot since I started back in 2014. For instance, there is often a big different between being an instagram star and being a blogger, although sometimes these can come hand-in-hand. Instagram stars can be the best people at faking a life which they wish they had, or as other people would like to call it, capturing beautiful pictures that enhance the presentation of their lifestyle experiences. Bloggers tend to be slightly more down to earth and know the struggle of writing for a specific audience and the attempts at keeping a audiences attention, whilst also writing about things that they are passionate about. So to celebrate my two years of writing I thought i'd share my blogger 'wisdom', although let's be honest, I haven't made it big and I am still no where near being an expert in the field, i'm still learning and hope to be learning for years to come. So here are some of my top tips for those of you who are maybe interested in writing a blog yourself, or are just curious about how we do it...

 1. Write because you enjoy it. 

2.Write things YOU are interested in, not just things you think an audience will like. 

 3. NEVER write, instagram or post just for the likes, if your hearts not in it, people will know. Many would disagree with me and suggest that you need to post a certain amount of pictures and blog posts, and that you should only ever do it at the prime liking and reading times. I mean this might help, but why function like a company when you're in fact a blog just writing to help readers and for your enjoyment.

4. Show your personality. I got this wrong for quite a long time, I chose to write and post anonymously. I was scared to post photos of myself, I didn't want people judging me from what I look like, and I definitely didn't want to seem vain. Someone once told me that for the reader to truly enjoy your work they need to identify with you and know your personality, and they weren't wrong! 

5. Have fun! If you're having fun this will project through your work, my best work is done when I am content, happy, excited and loving life! 

K.

Dressed for the Job

'Dress for the job you want, not the job you have'

I am a proud believer of dressing however you like and that you should be comfortable in what you're wearing. Unfortunately, many women are under pressure in today's society to dress in a certain way, both socially and in the workplace, this just isn't right. I'm not saying women solely judged by men, because in cases like this the main culprits are often in fact women themselves. Why are we so judgey? Why should we care how somebody else chooses to style their outfit? I take inspiration from the shows season-to-season, but I also believe that everyone has a unique style which in-turn compliments their personality. Use whichever stimulus you'd like, the high-street, the catwalk, other people... If you're confident then you're rocking it! Don't judge others, or you'll be judged back, and we all know we are highly capable of judging back. I've interned for a few publications, and I know there is nothing worse than walking into a room and feeling like everyone in it is staring you down, looking at your clothes and ultimately labelling you just because of an outfit choice, we all have bad days! But if you are looking for some SS16 fashion inso, here are my top picks...

BDG Slouchy Herringbone Button-Down Shirt

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/uk/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=5110582187602&category=NEW-IN-WOMENS-EU

Just Female Crop Denim Flares

http://www.asos.com/prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=5983592&CTARef=articlepage|Product3&featureref1=discover&featureref2=women&featureref3=article&featureref4=product3

Topshop Pleat Midi Skirt

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/clothing-427/skirts-449/petite-pleat-midi-skirt-5412629?bi=20&ps=20

ASOS Shirt Dress with Frill Detail in Stripe

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Shirt-Dress-with-Frill-Detail-in-Stripe/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=6222382&CTARef=asomShopLook&featureref1=discover&featureref2=feature&featureref3=asom&featureref4=product+via+gallery&featureref5=242945

H&M Ankle boots with wooden heels

http://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0367139001.html

Zara Leather Mule Shoes 

http://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/shoes/view-all/leather-mule-shoes-c719531p3393556.html


K.

Why Girls are Different

So, I know the title of this post is a bit ambiguous, and you are probably wondering what on earth i'm going to say. Is this going to be a feminist rant? Am I going to be discussing deep political issues? Well i'm afraid not, in fact this post is all about exercise and fitness, and until recently, everyone was pretty sure that both men and women should train the same. Some may still believe this, but after some discussion, research and observation I believe girls  should train differently to guys. We are different, no matter how you look at it we are biologically different, our physicality's, how we store more fat for reproduction, differences in hormones, our menstrual cycle, these are just a few. So why do we try and exercise  the same way? Here are the reasons that I think us girls should have a different gym routine to the lads...

1. Women are more capable of training with higher reps

 In Training, specifically weight training, female muscle fibres are more likely to be converted to type 1 fibres (slow yet long lasting) or aren't converted at all, whereas in men they generally change to type 2 (faster but don't last as long). Female type 1 fibres are also proportionally bigger than men's, and show a high resistance to fatigue. Therefore, women can often achieve more reps than men. 

2.Women have been shown to recover faster

Research has shown that women not only need less rest-time between sets, but also recover faster between workout sessions, and therefore are capable of training more often than men. This is because of oestrogen. This female hormone helps muscle repair, and protects muscles by reducing the damage being caused to them during exercise. We are also capable of having less rest in-between sets due to more type 1 fibres, as they have a higher resistance and are less prone to fatigue.  


3. Explosive training doesn't work as well e.g HIIT

As Previously explained, females are better at endurance work, and can work better at a consistent and achievable level over longer periods of time. Men on the other hand deal better with explosive training, due to having more type 2 fibres that are stronger, but don't last as long. It has also been proven that men create significantly more muscle when completing high intensity training than women.

4. The menstrual cycle 

Last but not least, the menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, we can't escape it and we all know we have that time of the month that affects our mood and body pretty damn significantly. It affects some more than others but for around 4-6 days we have our periods, and some may say that whilst exercising in this time, you should do less intense workouts and not push yourself too much. Other research suggests that women may be stronger and more durable during menstruation, this might be something you might like to experiment with if you're looking to hit some pbs!

So here's a short summary of what us gals should do differently... Train high reps 
Do more sets
Rest less time
Train more often
and work with your period!

I hope this helps out anyone looking to change their gym routine.


K.