THC days 3&4

Day 4

                                                               

                                                                    Day 3                                                                

There are two things I am very much aware of.
1. I missed yesterday and
2. These are two hideous photos, but in my defence I have taken both this photos at work when the students are working, so if I 
                                              posed for them I would look like an idiot.

Sooo the challenge is going well. 4 days, 4 different do's although I find myself slightly troubled about tomorrow because I have packed in so much gel and hairspray to do todays topknot that I can't image what I could do with it tomorrow that would be different. I am also going out tomorrow night so it has to look ok for a night out. If I was a teenager I would be saying FML right now.

I am thinking about my challenge for next week. Any ideas?

On another note, I walked around the shops this afternoon wearing a I LOVE HARRY badge that Indi put on me this morning. And there I was thinking people were look at my fab topknot.

" I thought I was the only Harry in your life. Who is that chap?"

                                                

Here is a pic of Harry- What's not to love?

THC day 2

In my mind my hair looked like this.

In my mind today my hair looked the pic on the left, but there is no photo  because I am having a icky day and I forgot to take it this morning. I just tried then and I looked so revolting it is going to wherever photos go to die, but today I went for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills hair. 
I just got the curling iron (or is it wand?? what do the cool kids call it these days?) put in a few random curls holding it vertically. Don't shake them out and give it a good spritz of hairspray. If your hair is fine like mine hold up sections and spray to give it some volume. The less you touch your hair the better. 
It didn't hold well today because my bad mood scared the curls away. Only joking, because I had no product in my hair like mousse it had no real grip. Like me today.

In reality it was probably more like this

A Weekly hair challenge

Day 1- Basic Emma Hair

I am doing a bit of a challenge this week and seeing if I can go a whole working week without washing my hair- and I have to wear it differently every day. This really is a challenge because
1. I go running every morning and my hair gets sweaty and
2. I only wear my hair 3 ways.

To explain why I am doing this challenge it is because I hate washing and drying my hair, mornings are crazy in our house and also because my hair is put through so much I am surprised I have any.

So I kicked it all off this morning and I washed my hair with John Frieda Frizz Ease shampoo and conditioner (go here for info) and then put some Frizz ease serum (it needs to be put on when your hair is soaking wet so keep it by the shower). I am using this because they had a pack at the Chemist Warehouse and it was cheap. It then half air dried while I fed the animals, made the lunches and breakfast yelled at Indi to eat her breakfast and watched the One Direction interview on Sunrise.
I finished it off with the hairdryer and a big round brush and ran the straightener over it.

The photo is a bit dodge because I took it a bit later on in the day so my makeup is looking a little bit tired. It is also after I had taught my Year 9's and no one should be judged on how they look after teach year 9's. I am however wearing my MAC soar lipliner with some Burts Bees Sweet Violet tinted lip balm over the top. That stuff is the bomb, and I have it in a few other colours. It makes your lips feel amazing.

I bought some new perfume!

Cate and Si

I know I am supposed to be on a self imposed budget, but yesterday whilst I was waiting for my cousin for our lunch date- which turned into an early dinner at Jamies Kitchen (yum by the way), I wondered through Myer, bought myself a replacement MAC lipliner in Soar (I lost mine somewhere between Saturday night and Tuesday night) and walked straight into Cate Blanchett.

Well ok it was a poster of Cate Blanchett but she was advertising the new Giorgio Armani perfume Si. The very same one I got a sample of last week and have been wearing everyday. I tried to find a way to buy it but my googling was fruitless and I couldn't find it's release date anywhere so I could only assume it was fate that lead me in the direction of Cate. In Myer.

Now the reason it is significant that I bought perfume is because I am headachy. And perfumes give me headaches. In fact I had to quit my job at Estee Lauder because I would finish every shift with a migraine. I actually think it was the smell of Arden's Red Door that did the damage but that's another story.

So when I find a fragrance I like and don't get a headache from I have to buy it. So Si now has pride of place on my dressing table, next to the bottles of Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle, Tresor in Love, Chloe and Hello Kitty (that's not mine but I have taught India that even a 7 year old needs a signature scent). The interesting thing is that the girl at Myer told me that they made the perfume to compete with Coco Mademoiselle.

Click on the link below for the in-depth explanation, which makes it sounds like a wine, but to me it just smells yummy.

Here is the lipliner if you are interested.
A nice natural colour, good with a clear gloss or balm
or goes under any colour lipstick.

The "smart" explanation

An open memo to Kate (sorry Katherine) Middleton

Hi Kate,

Sausage Rolls anyone?

I know you and I don't see eye to eye on many of your choices, especially that black eyeliner thing you have going on. It is fine for now but give it a few years and it is going to make you look old sister! I just think it is about time you gave your hair a little snip.
It is getting scary long and they way it is curling into that weird sausage thing at the end makes me thing that either your hairdresser is on holidays and you have to get the curling wand out yourself, or little baby George spewed on you at the last minute and you had to do a quick change and the "do" just didn't get "did" properly.

You don't want to be that weird old lady that has the same hairdo she has had for the last 50 years. You are more than your hair girlfriend!

Give my love to William, tell Harry he is a spunk and can you ask Granny Elizabeth what she keeps in that bag?

Em
xx

                                               

I'm not saying I'm cheap but...

Growing up as a teenager in the 80's I was the envy of most with my curly, frizzy hair that with a squirt of mousse (or studio line gel), a scrunch and a blast of the hairdryer my hair was perfection. For that brief amount of time my hair was easy. Fast forward to the rest of my life and the frizz and curl that mad it fashionable is now the bane of my life. My hair takes work, and when I say work I mean work.

Yep- the hair looked like this, and the colour was also like this, done by myself with some help from my mum using a frosting kit from Coles that came complete with a cap.

God I loved the 80's.

Luckily I am a bit of a wiz with my hair but I am still searching for the holy grail of hair serums. I like Moroccan Oil, in fact I like it a lot, but I kind of ran out and my local shopping centre doesn't have a hair place that stocks it, so I have been checking out the supermarket brands trying to find an option.

I have been using a Loreal one, whose names escapes me but on the weekend I read that the hairdresser to Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen uses Dove hair serum. So being the serum junkie I am (and also because the budget is still very tight coming off the Melbourne vacay) I bought some. and it is good. I think I like it. Maybe not Moroccan Oil, but price wise it is pretty damn good. So it is a big thumbs up from me.

A little bit of oily goodness

Shall we talk undergarments??

No one wants a back view like this

Over the last week I have spend quite a bit of time at my son's school for Year 12 Graduation. I found myself in a situation where I realised a very strong need for a masterclass on the wonders of underwear. Ladies- nothing ages you faster than a lumpy bumpy butt.

Whilst I am a firm believer in " I can't see the back of my hair so it doesn't matter what it looks like"- the does not apply to you back-side. It DOES matter. I repeat it DOES matter. In this day and age there is no excuse for lumps and bumps and bulges that could be easily fixed by a nice pair of control underwear.

My  first introduction to control wear was Nancy Ganz (fancy pants). They looked like bicycle pants and made my butt look smooth. I am now a convert to Spanz. They are comfy, not too hot to wear and make your butt look FAB. They can be pricey but they are worth every cent. If you can't afford Spanx, or want to ease yourself gently into the world of really ugly underwear most chain stores have some cheaper options.  Please don't be put off by images of Brigit Jones wrestling with her big undies- in my experience unless you are in the cast of a Real Housewives of somewhere (or a Kardashian ) they really don't have to be that tight. Just be careful of the control pants "knicker style"- in my opinion they have a habit of climbing right up your bottom.  Which is never nice. I think the bicycle style is the most comfy.


And I can't believe I forgot to mention the best bit- all that tightening and firming means it makes the task of losing that last 5 kilos completely redundant, and that can only be a good thing. Now someone pass me a cupcake.

Packing

I am going away for a 5 day mini break to Melbourne. I am a great traveller, but a really crap packer. I start to think about the packing process about a week before I go, because I am determined that this will be the trip where I pack light and wear everything I take.
I have managed to get my make up and hair products down (this is a minor miracle but I have managed to get the essentials streamlined). I just cannot get the clothes thing under control.
There are too many variables when deciding what to wear. What is the weather going to be like?,What will I be doing ? Will I have to walk far? and of course there is my mood.
I am thinking I need options- so basic bottoms- leggings, jeans and shorts, a dress, t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, a jumper and a jacket. I think I will throw in a few scarves. Shoes-umm thongs or birkies (they are fashionable again remember), some ballet flats, and some "dinner shoes". I also am a big fan of singlets. They are a good stand by if the weather is coolish. Working in the Hills has taught me it is always about the layers
My running gear will also have to be thrown in.
There is also the option of buying stuff over there, which I always seem to forget. It is like I think I can only wear what I take.

This is where I am heading. Chuck in a chunky bit of neck bling and I think I am good.

Tomorrow If I can still function after my half marathon, I will give you a peak into the streamlined makeup.