Blonde ambition with Charlie Miller

Within two weeks, Charlie Miller have completely transformed my hair from a boring shade of brunette to a white blonde. After just two salon visits I've been transformed by the amazing Hayley at the South St Andrews Street salon and I won't be going back to brunette any time soon. Every salon visit consisted of Smart Bonding to ensure my hair stayed strong and healthy during the bleaching process. Every salon visit also consisted of a gin & tonic, a head massage and an overall luxury experience in one of Scotlands top salons. 

After first having smart bonding done to my brunette locks I went into the salon to start the blonde process with Hayley. I have very thick hair so after applying a crazy amounts of highlights we waited to see how light my hair would go. 

The colour lifted even more than she expected and I walked out of the salon with nearly white blonde hair. I went back yesterday for more smart bonding and to have some final highlights done and the final result can be seen below. I can't recommend the Charlie Miller salons enough, and of course Hayley at South St Andrews Street who having been with them for 9 years is a Charlie Miller veteran. 

With 5 beautiful salons across Edinburgh and experienced technicians you can trust I won't be going anywhere else in future. 

You can book a consultation or appointment with Charlie Miller via the website or check out their Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Bringing my hair back to life with Charlie Miller Hairdressing

I've had quite the hair journey. Naturally, I have thick hair, it's very curly and growing up my mum would comb it everyday before school and it would hurt so much my eyes would water. By the age of 11 I my hair was very long, and looking back probably the best it ever looked. Then came a disastrous turn of events when my mum suggested I get a bob. I was 11 at the time and for some reason I went along with her idea that it would be "a change" and "something fun". I'll admit, when I left the hairdressers that day I felt fab with my new bob, but good things don't last forever, or in my case, not even a few days.

Shortly after my hair transformation I go swimming with my school (I'm still 11 here remember).  This was when I realised what a massive mistake we had made. 

Short curly hair + chlorine = not cute.

My hair got even shorter when the water hit it and seeing as I didn't have a live in hair stylist or even a pair of straighteners at the time I was stuck with very short and very curly hair. I'd post a picture but I've burned them all. 

Fast forward 5 years and I'm 16, my hair is finally long and is pretty healthy. Of course I decided to change all of that by going peroxide blonde, all in one sitting, at a not so decent hair salon. It was pretty yellow in colour and half of my hair had to be chopped off because the bleach had totally killed it. Don't get me wrong though I loved being blonde, I genuinely think I was more craic when I was blonde and I look back on that summer very fondly. I went back to brown in September under peer pressure from my family and wasn't half as fun anymore.

Fast forward 2 more years and my hair hadn't grown as much as I'd liked. It fell just past my shoulders and was my boring brown colour so I decided I wanted to try bonded extensions. I did a collaboration with Great Lengths and had them in for nearly 6 months. I absolutely loved them, they were easy to manage, never fell out and gave me some confidence back. When I had the extensions out my hair had grown quite a bit which I was delighted about and it also felt good to have my own head of hair again.

Wearing Great Lengths extensions

Present day and my hair is a decent length and I hope is in decent condition, it probably needed cut a long time ago but I will admit I've neglected it. However that is about to change! With Lost Village Festival under two weeks away I decided that I wanted a big change. The festival is full of style and character and I have been getting a bit bored of myself. So, Charlie Miller hairdressing and myself are doing a collaboration on my "Blonde Ambition". I will be going back to my fun, full of craic blonde self but it will be done properly, in a fabulous salon with stylists that know their stuff. I popped into Charlie Miller on South St Andrews Street today to start of the process and I had the L’Oréal  Smartbond process applied to my hair.

Basically what smartbond does is it targets weaker parts of the hair bond to strengthen and limit stress to keep the bond in tact. It improves the overall finish of your hair colour as this will take more evenly and it also reconstructs the weak ion bonds to reverse the feel of damaged hair. It won't affect the colour I will have put on as it adapts to it without affecting the lift or tone at all. 

Smartbond is added to your colour when mixed and applied as normal. This colour is processed for the usual time. When the colour is ready to come off the hair is rinsed without shampoo and towel dried. Smartbond is applied as a pre-shampoo all over and left on for 10 minutes. This is then rinsed and shampoo and conditioner is applied as normal.

After my smartbond application I had a blowdry ( and a gin and tonic ) with the very lovely Hayley at South St Andrews street and left the salon feeling very chilled and alot more glam. 

I'll be back at the salon on Wednesday to start the lightening process and I can't wait!

Uh Huh Honey

Playsuit Honeyz.com

Shoes Office

I'm finally back in Edinburgh and at home in Casa Billz.

I'll be back to work this evening after spending today having lunch in the flat and catching up with the girls. It feels like first year was a few weeks ago but I'm now nearly in third year and I don't know where the time is going. I've had an amazing summer, and I still have Lost Village festival to go to but It's hard to not feel like summer is running away from me.

The fringe is well underway and Adele, Chloe and I went to our first show last night. It was called Accidents Happen to Sasha Ellen. I was the one that choose it so if it wasn't great it was down to me, luckily it was hilarious and we were in stitches the whole time. I highly recommend it.

 The fringe shows go on well into the night so I'm hoping to go to some after work to make the most of it!

Corcaigh

Bodysuit- Topshop (now on sale!)

Trousers- Topshop

Vans- Office

I've just gotten back from spending 3 nights in Yaughal, County Cork and I'm subsequently now on a detox.  My mums family are from Cork and we go visit every summer to eat, drink (too much) and sing every night.

Just before Lewis and I left I picked up some things in Topshop that I can't afford but bought anyway including these amazing platform vans and the trousers in the pictures above. No regrets I love them both. Luckily we had amazing weather in Cork and soon we will be headed back to Edinburgh and will be met with the chaos of the fringe. This will be my first ever experience of the fringe and I can't wait to make the most of it and get to as many shows as possible. Especially now that my main gal Adele is back from America and also especially because uni is going to start up again soon.

Happy Fringe!

Shop the look:

Travel: Marbella

Marbella, a beautiful and well-known city in the south of Spain, is host to a whole array of relaxing, exciting and unforgettable experiences. A holiday here will only turn into repeat holidays, and then extended visits when you realize the wealth and breadth of what is on offer. Before you go, it’s wise to see what activities are available for you and your family. This article will give you but a taste of what you can expect and point you in the right (stylish) direction, but as with anywhere worth visiting, the adventure is yours to craft.

Luxury Yachts

The only way to fully experience the beauty of a location like this is to do it in style. Many people will spend a holiday on the beach viewing the ocean, and while that’s amazing when you’re in it, surely you’d like to explore the coast of Marbella with class? Luckily, the concierge staff at My Guide Marbella have on offer a thorough and reasonably priced luxury yacht experience.

 You’re able to take these yachts out anywhere from 4 to 8 hours (or longer,) offering boats sized 12 feet up to a massive 102ft. This final measurement allows you to take hundreds of people onto the boat with you, perfect if you’re planning a large family affair or celebration with your friends. You will be given an experienced captain who can help you navigate the luxury liner, and this takes the caring responsibility off your shoulders because operating the craft is in the hands of a professional. All you have to worry about it enjoying yourself.

Luxury Accommodation

Your accommodation matters. It gives you the anchor to your whole holiday, and if you’re unhappy with it, it cheapens the whole trip. A luxury apartment in Marbella is the natural remedy to this, and more. Not only do these beautiful apartment complex’s have tight security, but they offer all the mod cons (and more) of a top spec home. Why does taking a holiday mean you have to reduce your living standard? Surely it should be the opposite. These luxury apartments will provide you with the perfect zone to hang out in relax in a beautiful, clean, gorgeous location. Perfect to relax with your friends after a long day on the beach!

Benalmadena Marina Prison Island

Some people think that gorgeous Spanish cities are only good for great food and stunning beaches. That’s not true. If you’re feeling more adventurous, then take a trip to Prison Island, around thirty minutes from Marbella. You might have heard of the ‘escape room’ venue, which is growing in popularity thanks to the hilarious and enjoyable escapades you can get into. Prison Island is likened to the ultimate escape room, and it’s suitable for the whole family! Moving from cell to cell, your group will traverse the halls, solving puzzles to overcome the great Prison Island challenges. There are surprises in store, but in an effort to give you the full experience, we will let you find those yourself.

These tips will provide you with plenty of activities on top of your beach grazing, and should serve to help you find that beautiful accommodation you’ve dreamed of. Have a wonderful getaway!