hair

So, I mentioned previously that when I went shopping on Monday I bought the L’Oreal Wild Ombre kit (No. 2) , and when I got back on Monday I convinced my nana to let me do it then. I was prepared to do it myself but she insisted on helping, and although I was there as cool as a cucumber, she was panicking a little in case anything went wrong I guess.

Anyway, the the brush that the kit comes with makes the application of the dye very easy, you just squeeze the mixed up solution onto the brush and spread it evenly through your hair from the desired level. I have mine from about just above chin level. Once we’d put as much dye as necessary all over my hair in a couple of layers, we left it to develop for about 45 minutes. The box said you can leave it anywhere from 25 – 45 minutes, so I decided to go for as long as possible. I’m really pleased with the results, the dye fades and doesn’t leave a harsh line, it looks more natural than some which is excellent. I was a little bit worried because as you might remember I dyed my hair red last year and it still has a slight red tinge from about half way down my head which I wondered whether it would turn the dip dying results more ginger than blonde. It does have a few coppery highlights in certain light which actually look quite nice so I’m pretty pleased. It looks like this…

A slight twist on the regular ‘What’s in my bag?’ posts! What are your favourite dance products?

Dance bags – top, Sansha; bottom, Capezio

These are my current favourite dance bags. I got them both from Move It back in March. They’re both really good sizes and they’re strong, perfect for carrying everything you might possibly need with you. I don’t travel lightly… I like to have everything I need and more, just in case, you know?

Scissors, safety pins and stick on velcro

These essentials came in very handy for my most recent exam… The velcro on my character skirt came off, but luckily I had spare to put on and save it! Safety pins are an essential whether it’s an exam or a show, you never know who’s going to need one. Having an assorted pack is also handy, then you’ve got every situation covered.

Foot essentials- Resistance Bands and Tennis Ball

Every dancer should own these. Resistance bands come in all different strengths and lengths and are so versatile they can be used in lots of different ways. They are brilliant for strengthening your feet and ankles for pointe work, and even professional ballerinas use them to warm up their feet. You can start with a low resistance one and move up the strengths as you build up your muscles. They can be purchased in any good sports shop or most dance shops, and even on ebay and amazon. You can also get them from your physio. Tennis balls or golf balls are often used by dancers to massage the arches in their feet and this can help with foot flexibility, but they can also be used to relieve tight muscles by rolling the ball around the affected area.

Wella hairspray, bobby pins, hair pins, headband, hair bands, bun doughnut

I love this hairspray, it’s great for keeping all those strays slicked back and holds your bun in place well, but it also brushes out very easily and doesn’t leave your hair hard or sticky afterwards. The bobby pins I have at the moment aren’t great, they have a kind of rough finish and really hurt to get in and out of my hair! The head band and bun doughnut are both from Claire’s, the headband is made out of a really soft stretchy fabric which would fit most heads and finishes off your look, or alternatively could be wrapped around your bun to give it extra staying power. The bun doughnut is great because unlike most, it has a popper, meaning you can undo it and wrap it around your ponytail and simply click it in place again. It’s a bit big for the length of my hair at the moment because it takes me ages to position my hair evenly around it so it’s all covered. I think the rest is pretty self explanatory.

Pink Plume Seamless Footed Ballet Tights

I’m on my fifth pair of these same tights now, I love them. They’re quite thin so you don’t get too hot in them, and although they can get laddered quite quickly if you’re not careful (long nails aren’t a good idea when putting them on – speaking from experience) but at £3.95 a pair they’re good value for money. In the future I’d like to try convertible tights.

Moving on to shoes…

Freed Classic Pointe Shoes – Size 4.5 XXX

These are my second pair of pointe shoes, my first were Freed Studio II’s, but they didn’t quite work out for whatever reason. They just didn’t work for me I guess. These fit my feet a lot better than the last pair but I’m still struggling a bit, I don’t know if it’s the shoes or me! I would like to try some different brands though as Freeds are the only ones I’ve tried on.

Katz Full Sole Satin Ballet Shoes

These are my old satin drawstring shoes, I think I had them for about 2 years hence the awful state they’re in… I do love these though, a classic full sole, single elastic pair of shoes.

So Danca Split Sole Canvas Ballet Shoes

I got these from a cute little ballet stall at Move It, and they are my first pair of canvas shoes, and the first time I’ve had split sole shoes. They’re a little tight in a size 4, so if I go for these again I’ll be sure to get a 5 or even a 4.5. I found they got dirty a lot quicker than the satin shoes do, but they’re stronger and haven’t got great big gaping fraying holes in them yet like satin ones would after 5 months no doubt.

Katz Low Heel Character Shoes Size 4

I’ve never had any other kind of character shoe in my life, I’ve only gotten through about 3 pairs in 10 years. These are great, they last ages and fit fine.

Katz Jazz Shoes Size 4

I’ve never had any other jazz shoe other than Katz either. I think I’ve had two pairs in the five or so years that I did modern, and that was only because I grew out of the first pair. These are brilliant, they’re very hard wearing.

PS. The photos were edited by my wonderful friend Maisie 🙂

Coming up… a ‘My Leotard Collection’ post!