Transformation tuesday

  

What better time is there for a few improvements than when we're all stuck in our houses with nothing better to do? That was certainly my ethos when I went looking for a new teeth whitening kit anyway. I've always known about the high profile ones of course (having seen many an influencer and celebrity endorse them) but I've always been reluctant to spend very much on it. But the saying buy it cheap buy it twice is most definitely true as I've tried loads of different cheapo stuff from superdrug (gels, teeth whitening strips and UV light stuff) and nothing worked so I thought it was finally time to invest. HiSmile not only had thousands of 5 star reviews, but they were also offering 20% off so I bought their kit, which is normally £49.99. I was impressed with the packaging and feel of the product and it was very easy to use (lots of clear instructions and tips etc). You use it for 10 minutes a night for 6 nights in a row and then after you've completed the kit, you buy more refill gels and do one top-up session every week or two. I noticed it was a cut above the cheaper versions I'd tried in little details like the fact it has line markers to tell you exactly where to put the gel and the fact that the UV light automatically goes off after the 10 minutes is up. I'm still not at the hollywood white I want but I have to say that I can definitely notice a difference! And the brand has certainly earned my faith in them so I've just bought their day and night toothpastes and a refill pack of the gels. Plus it may be more expensive than bog-standard toothpaste or whitening strips but it's still hardly bank breaking and nowhere near as expensive as a professional whitening. All in all, I'd definitely recommend.

Another transformation that this lockdown gives us time for is home transformations! Obviously, I only moved into my house 6 months ago, so it's hardly ready for a renovation or any major clear-out projects. But, having only moved into it 6 months ago means that there's still bits I haven't got round to yet, including putting up a fairy light curtain (that I bought months ago) and putting up some mirrors and photo frames (that my friends bought me nearly a year ago). You'd think both of those were pretty simple tasks right? WRONG. I banged the first nail into the wall for my fairy light curtain and managed to go straight through a wire and tripped the electrics in my house. In fact, I later found out that I'd managed to go straight through the earth wire, so I'm kind of lucky I didn't electrocute myself or set my house on fire (neither would've been ideal tbh). Luckily, though we be but far apart, my dad (and a qualified electrician) were only a phone call away and the wires were repaired and I was able to continue with my little DIY project. And despite the drama, I'm super happy with it! My living room so far only had the options of either the big light (which has 6 light bulbs, so it's pretty bright) or the lamp near my window. So in an evening, the big light is too bright and the little lamp is too dark. But with my brand spanking new fairy light curtain, the lighting is at goldilocks level - just right. As for the mirror and the photo frames? They went up with considerably less drama or theatrics and really finish off my hallway nicely.

I haven't had my hair its natural colour since I was maybe 12 years old (no exaggeration), so you can imagine my disgust at how much of my roots had grown through. Normally, my mum is my highly qualified, highly skilled and highly appreciated hairdresser, who has successfully mastered home balayage over the last year or so that I've been having my hair dark on the top and rose gold on the bottom (rose gold that eventually fades back to leftover bleach). I'm pretty sure the last time she did it was October and while it generally lasts pretty well, the roots were getting too much. Roots with balayage equalling traffic cone hair? It's a no from me. And besides, I felt like something different anyway. Preferably I wanted to go lighter but then I remembered how high maintenance light hair is, how damaging it is and how long it's taken me to get to this length after lots of bleach-related breakages and thought better of it. So I was over dark, avoiding light and that led me to red. I didn't want out-and-out Rihanna-red (reminds me too much of being a teenager) so after scrolling through a few options online, I settled for this medium burgundy. If anyone else is planning a lockdown hair makeover then I'd recommend eBay for hair dye - they're still offering fast delivery but find the colour/brand you want elsewhere and then search by exact term so you know you're getting a product you can trust. I have to admit that I was nervous about dyeing my own hair (with the lockdown rendering my mum's skills unreachable) but it went pretty well and I managed not to get any on my bathroom or accidentally dye my neck or anything. The secret to a good home dye is to put a shower cap on once you've applied it all. And thanks to a running joke with my dad from when I was younger, I have plenty of disposable shower caps that he's nicked from hotel rooms for me. Final verdict? Very happy with the colour! It's brighter than I intended and has certainly taken quite bright on the roots but I'm a big fan and happy for the change.