Neptune Planet Power

Outfit details: 

Leather Jacket - South Korean Boutique

Plaid Dress - ASOS

Beanie - H&M

Bag - Prozena Schouler

I know I may be late on the bandwagon for colored ombre locks, but Chloe Ting's pretty colored locks stirred something in my heart. I decided to utilize my bleached ends and play with a bit of semi-permanent hair color. At first, I thought I'd go for something purple but my hair isn't a light enough blonde for it show up unless I went for a deep purple. I hummed and hawwed over pinks but then I realized the answer was in front of me all along... Michiru Kaiou a.k.a Sailor Neptune, Outer Sailor Senshi of the Deep.

Why would this fictional & flawless anime character influence me so? Well, when I first started making websites at the tender age of 11, my first big project was a "shrine" website dedicated to Sailor Neptune, called Violin Tide. Maybe it was her mature demeanor, her violin prowess, her affinity for the sea, her pink lipgloss or her wavy, teal locks, but I wanted to BE her at the height of my Sailor Moon-loving days. Despite my adoration of her, turns out that I am really nothing like her. I'm really more of a Sailor Venus-type to be honest. (Let me know your favorite senshi in the comments below, plz!) Ahhh, but I couldn't deny my childhood dreams any longer when I saw a bottle of Bleach London "Washed-Up Mermaid" in Boots -- in lieu of getting a hot, blonde girlfriend or violin lessons, it was follicles for the win.

"Bow down to my fierceness."

I applied the blue-green dye all over my tresses, because I have highlights throughout my mane (up at the temple and obviously at the ends). The dye took to most of my hair but there were some sections that it didn't, but I kind of liked this effect. The dye showed itself best at the very tips which were the lightest blonde. I left the dye in for about 2 hours, instead of the prescribed 15 minutes. It turned out to be more of a pastel, seafoam green but I was pleased with the results. 

Here is my hair hot off the presses. To check out my hair before please take a look at my Power Lip post. I really liked how the color turned out, I've found that it looks best with my hair curled a la Sailor Neptune. Merely straightened, it looks a bit drab. And curly (check out what my pre-dyed curls look like here!).... it looks downright witchy, unfortunately. Sigh! Being that I do like to wear my hair in its natural state to preserve the health of my strands, this means that my teal hair will have to be ultimately temporary. But while it's here and fades into an even more pastel shade, let's say, "Neptune Planet Power Make-up!" and embrace our inner Sailor soldiers. 

Get our own bottle of Bleach London 'Washed Up Mermaid", here!

So readers, if you were going to dye your hair an unconventional shade, what would it be? Tell us in the comments!

The Curly Pledge

Siobhan's outfit: Tank top - Madewell, Loose Printed Trousers - Zara, 'Easy Does It' Flats - Chinese Laundry, Rings - River Island, Anklet & Necklace - Etsy, Tote Bag - Forever 21

Miriam's outfit: Speckled T-shirt - Topshop, Eagle necklace - Topshop, Basket bag - H&M, Gold Wedge Sandals - Office, Boyfriend Jeans - H&M

August 14th marks the world's first Wear Your Hair Curly Day and being naturally curly haired ladies, we had to jump on the bandwagon! For those with naturally straight strands, it may be a bit confusing as to why curly haired women would even need a day to wear their hair in their own natural state but anyone with curls, coils, or kinks knows that it's not so cut & dry. Many of us have made our straightening irons a psychological crutch during the 2000's (blame Gwyneth Paltrow) but recently curls have made a huge comeback and we think they are here to stay. Not just about a look, embracing one's curls is also about feeling confident in one's natural state which also may be a societal zeitgeist of the moment. Indeed in the past, we have reserved our curls for those close to us, but now we are more willing now to show our follicular versatility.

But maintaining pretty curls is a learning process and it took us years to refine. My hardest lesson was learned when at 8 years of age, I attempted to get rid of my frizzy halo by gleefully snipping off sections of my mane. My mother was suitably horrified and I'm just glad she didn't put me in a straight jacket. Anyway, here are our hard-earned tips. 

Miriam: 

•  I only comb my hair in the shower with my hair soaking wet. After my hair is fully detangled, I follow up with another rinse of water to encourage the curls clumping together. After squeezing out the excess water with a towel, I allow my hair to air dry. 
•  Since my hair is fine, I stay away from heavy styling products and simply apply Argan oil to moisturize my hair. 
•  Once a week I slather my hair with Argan oil and sleep it in overnight, washing it out the next morning. Argan oil is one of the only oils that can fully penetrate the hair shaft and moisturize the hair intensely. 
•  Up-dos and side-swept styles are my go-to show off my curls while also keeping them from going too Mrs. Rochester a la Jane Eyre. 

Siobhan: 

•  My hair drinks up conditioner, so I only use deep conditioner after I'm done shampooing with a sulfate-free shampoo. 
•  I also use a wide-tooth comb when my hair is wet, but not every day. Sometimes not detangling my hair allows my curls to better clump together and thereby reduce frizz. 
•  I apply a creamy leave-in conditioner (Mixed Chicks Leave-in Conditioner) and holding product (Tigi Curls Rock) in my very wet hair and then put my hair up in a towel to dry. 
•  I usually air dry but will use a diffuser on medium heat to speed the drying process. 
•  Never ever, ever allow a hair dresser use a razor to 'thin' your hair. Like punch them in the throat if they even suggest it. 

We challenge our dear readers to take the pledge as well and wear your hair curly tomorrow! By pledging your name on the Garnier Fructis website, you can also enter to win a trip to NYC and also send deserving girls to 'Rock Camp'. Sounds pretty rad to us. Happy curls!

She who wears the crown Pt.1

I am currently in the process of wedding planning (yay!) and I am pleased to say that I found "the dress." Finding it made me so happy, and so did the prospects of picking out accessories! Shoes, garters, veils, hair accessories -- I am so excited. I have been a big fan of the floral crown trend for awhile but I haven't found many chances to rock it in my everyday life. Thank goodness for wedding days and Renaissance festivals. This floral crown Abby Lee is wearing seems so perfectly bridal and trendy at the same time with the pastel hues. The search continues for my perfect one. 

Mythical Fringe

Yet again in the midst of a hair crisis, this time it�s as a result of happening upon a hornless unicorn whilst walking in the country � very jealous of its fantastic blunt fringe (having said that, some sort of hair adornment might have been nice) #unicorn #fringe #betterwithbling