Smokey amber haze, a little danger this evening and some gun powder flowers dancing in the smoked out sky, bonfire night in the UK is one of my favourite nights! Autumn is already an awesome time, with comfort food, cosy fires and colour pallets, but to me bonfire night is a rebellious celebration of colours and sound. Vibrant and dazzling, the smell of gun powder in the air is always an Autmunal crowd pleaser.
While I love big displays, that provide that shock and awe factor, I really find comfort in small gatherings with family and friends. It’s probably that inner introvert in me, but there’s jus something about the heat from a bonfire in the cold night that feels electric to me.
A blazing fire, roaring high up into the dark night sky, with music playing and of course some autumnal drinks to sip on while you watch the sky light up, is undoubtably a fiery experience.
Seeing as it was bonfire night, I decided to have a ‘Sophie’s Back in Business Party’ and I thought I’d blog about it because I thought it was such a cute idea, having a bonfire to end old ways, and to mark the start of a new chapter in my life. The idea was put to me by my business mentor, after a pretty rocky couple of years. She told me to have a little party, so that I could put the past behind me and have a fresh new start. It was such a cathartic release of all my emotions.
Usually, I’m the type of woman who just powers through things, I like to stay as busy as I physically can, but last year I wasn’t able to focus the way I usually do. So this bonfire to end old ways was a perfect celebration of raw excitement for the possibilities ahead, on my little wellness journey. It was a pagan type of Autumn fun and I can’t iterate enough, how much I enjoyed my little Bonfire party.
The past couple of months however, I have stepped up to the mark again and I feel like I am back with a big bang. I’ve got a new business mentor, a new Pinterest strategy and my energy is restored- I’m raring to go and more determined to succeed than ever.
I had no idea that taking a chance to invest in myself and starting a business would take me on such a journey. In time I started to realise that most of the work on my business couldn’t actually improve until I worked on myself. I had a lot of wounds to heal on my journey and this was what was holding me back! Until I worked on myself, my business had to kind of wait for me to catch up.
One of the little things I did at my bonfire party was to look at all the little things that I had achieved since I began, even the small things which I didn’t really see were achievements. I wrote them on a board so that I could see them visually. It was great doing this with the people closest to me because they were able to share little things that I had missed.
Afterwards I wrote a list of all the thoughts that I felt were holding me back and I burned it in the bonfire. This was a really therapeutic exercise. I’d really recommend this one!
While I still stayed productive last year, I just wasn’t my usual creative and happy self. So last night, to mark the end of the bad times, I had a bonfire to end the old ways. We laughed about the good times, set off fireworks, burned a bonfire and sang songs. I woke up feeling empowered and ready for my new start!
It was just the most perfect night, and it felt so good to finally take the night off and really let my hair down. It was much needed! Never underestimate the power of taking some time off!
Vintage Eyeliner and a Purple Haze
So you’ll know by now if you follow my blog that I love my vintage styles. To read how I style my vintage looks click here. I love pairing embroidered shirts with flared sleeve and 60s style eyeliner but with my hair still smelling like a bonfire I decided to try some new hair products.
As a bleach blonde I’ve got a lot of hair damage and the heat from the bonfire probably hasn’t helped. I’m always looking for products to both protect, repair and strengthen my hair.
I also use a toner for brassiness and purple shampoos, so I wanted to review some products from Bleach London because I haven’t reviewed any beauty stuff in ages. Now that I’m back I thought it would be a good place to start. Bleach London is always my go to brand when I bleach my hair. I have really dark hair naturally so their bleach formula works really well for me. I thought I would try some of their other products for a change. I got this silver shampoo which I was really excited about. It’s great to top up your toner a couple of weeks after you’ve dyed it!
Then, I got this hydrating hair mask by Bleach London, it’s called the reincarnation mask so I thought it was so fitting! It is nutrient rich and it helps to improve elasticity in the hair. I applied it overnight two days before I bleached my hair. This was to strengthen my hair before applying bleach to my roots. I also like to let natural oils build up on my hair before bleaching it, just to add some extra protection to my hair. It definitely has restorative qualities and I got a total of three full hair applications for medium length hair out of one tube. I got one tube for £11 on Amazon.
Next I got this Champagne Super Toner, which I found on Amazon. I think I picked this for the name more than the colour if I’m being honest. A little nod to Oasis, it had me at the packaging. However, I know that you should never judge a book by it’s cover.
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova
A champagne supernova in the skyWake up the dawn and ask her why
Oasis, Champagne Supernova
A dreamer dreams she never dies
Wipe that tear away now from your eye
Slowly walkin’ down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
It’s a little more golden than my usual shade so I was in two minds on whether to try it. I like icy whites and greys usually, so I was a little apprehensive about the colour at first, but seeing as I bought it and I was ready for a fresh start, I went for it.
I would recommend leaving this toner on for the full application time, it’s not as strong as some of the other toners I have tried, but that’s not a bad thing. It didn’t leave the parts of my hair that were damaged the most, stained purple like some other brands that I’ve tried.
It did leave my hair nice and soft and gave me an even coverage, as some of the toners I’ve tried can leave my hair little patchy, with some parts remaining thirst quenched! So it is definitely moisturising. It’s also one of the better scented toners that I have used.
After I had washed off my toner, I applied the reincarnation mask and left this on my hair for an hour. You don’t have to leave it on for this long, but I wanted my hair to get a deep moisturising treatment after applying bleach to it.
The results gave me a salon finished colour, and I’m really happy with the results! My toner lasted the average time, around two weeks before it needed a top up, but I used the silver shampoo instead.
This stuff is great for hair damage and it even survived the bonfire heat! I can apply the hair mask twice weekly without it getting greasy. It combats split ends and leaves my hair feeling like hair again. It also works out at so much cheaper than visiting the hair dressers.
After an amazing night and some pampering this morning I am now chilling in a Vitamin C brightening mask. Remember when you could have hangovers and wake up looking fresh? No matter, thank goodness for brightening masks! The Bonfire has definitely left my face a little sore and in need of some TLC.
I’m so happy to be back! If you’ve been through a down time recently I’d recommend a back to you party, some TLC and some new hair!
🖤
Soph.
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