Lady from a tramp

GHD Style & Protect set

2012-03-15T08:00:00.000Z

Hello lovelies,

I'm one of those seemingly rare breed of women that don't own GHDs and truth be known, I have no interest in owning a pair of actual GHD irons. That said, I have heard nothing but good things from the outset about the GHD range of hair care products.

I have been taking a few products for a test drive of late and the verdict is back - brilliant!

In a boxed set - The Style & Protect gift set (£39), I have been trying the Final Shine finishing spray and the Straight & Smooth spray as well as a lovely huge paddle brush and 2 sectioning clips which never come in wrong do they? The box itself is nice and sturdy so it will be handy for storing things in once I have used the products up!

The Final Shine (RRP £9.95) finishing / glossing spray is my favourite. As a blonde, due to the pigmentation in my hair, I will never get that sparkly shine a brunette would. This is due to the make up of the hair. No product can change this. What this glossing spray does do is enhance a multi faceted dimension to the hair, especially on my dry ends, making it look healthy and vibrant without adding glitter to give shimmer.

The product is neither greasy or heavy like some can be. It takes a lot to over do this and as a result you don't have to worry about that dreadful dull greasy dirty feel you can sometimes get with other sprays. Top this soft delicate spray off with a lovely scent that isn't over powering then you have a winner!

The included brush gives me the odd flyaway and static attack just after washing so the Final Shine spray really calms them back down. The paddle brush, which retails for £20 on it's own is a little over priced for it's quality, but when included in this great value set, it is a great tool to keep in your arsenal for the perfect brush blow drying long hair and regular brushing of thick hair.

These days, I only use my Babyliss big hair on my hair and as naughty as it is, I don't use heat protection whilst using it as my hair is about 90% dry by the time I use the tool. I always use protection when curling or straightening so to give this spray, the Straight & Smooth Spray (RRP £12.95), a run for its money, I have been straightening and waving my hair a lot. The GHD spray leaves hair slinky soft and thankfully it doesn't have that horrible sticky / crispy feeling I have experienced with a lot of high street heat protection sprays. Because I don't use heat spray as regularly as most other woman I haven't noticed any improvements in the condition of my hair as a result of using the spray. This certainly isn't a negative reflection of the product but more indicative of my lack of heat tool styling.

One thing I have noticed is the lack of sticky feeling while hot styling my hair which is a huge bonus. I hate that horrid sticky clag that some heat protectors have. I think that’s because they have a touch of hold to them, they feel like you've oversprayed with hairspray! Not pleasant!

With these 2 products, combined with the brush and sturdy sectioning clips, you have a great supplementary gift set to accompany not only a set of GHD irons but any straighteners or curling wand. I would love to give this as a gift to someone who is just starting out with straighteners or couldn't afford the GHD irons but still wanted a little piece of GHD magic in their life.

I am won over on the GHD hair care range and I can't wait to try more… I have even found myself looking at the GHD wide irons online… I know I know… I'm a traitor to my Corioliss red leopard irons!

Are you a GHD girl? Have you tried the hair care range?

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

2012-03-13T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

As some of you may have spied on Twitter, I have been very excited of late as I am the current blogger of the month in Pure Beauty magazine.

Yes, I have followed in the footsteps of some lovely bloggers such as Sarah from I am Fabulicious and Fee from Make up Savvy, and have appeared in print.

I am quite chuffed with it!

You can click the picture and it will take you off to the online issue of Pure Beauty. I'm on page 64.

I have been printed in various forms over the years on various topics as well as having work published in collective books. Writing is a passion of mine and blogging isn't the end of my writing work.

I share a page with Newby Hands, how awesome is that?

The lovely people from Avéne have also kindly supplied a competition prize for me to give away to mark my magazine feature and that Pure Beauty's favourite post was about Avéne.

Keep your eyes peeled for the competition

Don't forget you can follow me via Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin, GFC and Hello Cotton - I hope you follow me and come say Hi!

What Katie Did

2012-03-11T20:04:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

Hope you have had a good weekend?

Handbag lipstick collection, BM lipgloss in Jewel - my lips but better, AMAZING Clutterfly Lady Luck clips, My retro swallow pendant, Cheap & cheerful spring coat, My beautiful husband driving my car, Wallington National Trust house, Sundays make up taken in the car, Little bit of Las Vegas wherever I go, The super pretty view from my village - I live in the middle of the countryside!

Hope you all have a good week ahead.

What I'm wearing today

2012-03-10T10:11:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies,

Here's a little outfit of the day for you. I know I know, I said i'd start showing me actually wearing the outfit but I haven't yet got round to sorting out a fantastic spot to take the pictures with the tripod and timer. Maybe that will be my Saturday afternoon mission?

Today Mr Tramp and I are off out for the day. I want to flex my photography fingers so we are going to be visiting a local stately home (I'm in the NT!) and have a lovely walk in the countryside.

I had planned on wearing my ASOS boots but given that I'll be walking a fair way, i've swapped them out for my Lola ballet flats. My trust Nica Jethro tote completes the look.

Not the most coordinated of outfits but it will keep my nice and warm and I just had to have an excuse to show off my lovely new coat. I'd been looking for something a bit more formal without being a thick winter coat or a blazer so I think this has struck the perfect balance. It looks very smart buttoned up but open, it looks perfectly casual with jeans. For a mere £25 from Asda it's a bargain. A very nice, smaller sized bargain!

I wanted to look a little bit smarter than I usually would for a Saturday as we plan on going somewhere a little bit special for lunch... I have some good news to celebrate and as I don't drink... a nice lunch is much preferred over a night out. I will be sharing my good news with you all VERY soon, I promise.

Colour block formal mac - £25 - Asda
Inspire 34in Bootcut dark denim jeans - £11.99 - New Look
Sienna Couture Star Print top - £30 - Style369.com
Miss KG Lola ballet flats - £30 - Asos.com
Aliya leather boot - £85 - Asos.com
Nica Jethro Tote

What are you doing today and what are you wearing?

Support the GFC-less bloggers

2012-03-08T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

As some of you may have noticed, GFC has been removed from all non-blogger blogs. Whilst this probably doesn't apply to most people, just think of all those poor folk using Word Press et al.

No more GFC widget to follow, no more favourite blogs cropping up in your blogger dashboard.. just radio silence.

Today, across the blogosphere, we are all making a stand.

So please, go to the link - http://twitter.com/lipglossiping/goodbye-gfc/members or follow the #goodbyGFC hash tag on Twitter to keep an eye on the situation.

MUA Out there plumping lip glosses

2012-03-07T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

There's been a bit of MUA love going on on my website of late hasn’t there?

Always keen to show you don't have to pay £20 for a lippie to be on trend, MUA is a great gateway brand. Easing new starters in at affordable prices and giving us 'old hands' a cheap outlet to buy that lipstick or eyeshadow you REALLY want to wear but would only wear once and can't justify £20 on it. Know what I mean?

The thing that stands out about MUA, other than the price, is the quality. Consistently reliable and pigmented all for the measly £1 + they charge! Who can argue with that eh?

Today I wanted to show you their Out There plumping glosses as I think they're a bit special.

MUA Out There gloss in Sienna

We all know that must plumping glosses give that prickly, tingly feeling as they plump. To a lot of people who are unfamiliar with this it can be distressing and uncomfortable. Lord, I remember the first time I used my beloved DuWop venom years ago… I actually thought I was dying! No one warned me! Yes folks, I'm a drama queen!

The MUA Out There glosses aren't gloopy at all and have more of a creamy gloss texture to them when applying them which means you get better pigmentation and coverage on the lips.

The tingle effect is super minimal and very gentle. It even feels quite pleasant! In return you are treated to a plumped up, glossy pout with a gorgeous sheen of colour!

I have this gloss in both the pink (Shocking Pink) and coral (Sienna) and I absolutely love them both but I think I prefer this coral orange one as it suits my skintone a little more.

Sienna has a very subtle golden shimmer to it, not sure how well it's picked up by the camera but it is lovely.

The only downside to the gloss, in my humble opinion, is the tube. It's very long and thin which makes the wand applicator rather long and spindley. I found it harder to control application using this wand than any other. Certainly will take some getting used to.

The Out There glosses are priced at £2 and you can either buy them online HERE on the MUA website or instore in Superdrug.

Have you tried the Out There lipglosses? Do you share my love of MUA?

Fit Not Fat - Gym Routine

2012-03-06T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

Thought I'd do a little update to my series. You all know I'm on a diet and I'm doing VERY well, exceptionally well considering actually I've only been following it for 8 weeks.

I have dropped dress sizes and have been complimented on the changes. I personally can't notice them yet but when people do, I can't complain!

I am a firm believer of changing your lifestyle will result in longer lasting results rather than these "quick gains" such as diet tablets or shake supplemented meals. Everyone I know who has tried them have piled the weight back on with vengence! Thankfully when I lost 6stone to get married, I haven't put it all back on so there's proof you can keep it off!

Anyways, a few people have asked what my exercise plan is so I thought I'd share it with you. It is totally prescriptive to me and possibly not even the best of what I should be doing but I came up with it with a dear friend who just happens to be a personal trainer and i'm happy with it for the time being.

I go to the gym 5 days a week and then do home exercise on the 6th day and have an try to have an active day out of the house on the 7th.

I am usually at the gym for around 90 minutes which includes changing and winding down time too.

Recumbent bike - 10 miles - setting 4 - I use the recumbent bike to warm up and raise my heart rate. I find this a better way, for me, to warm up as I find running or stepping straight away to be too jarring after spending 10hrs sitting at a desk. I can however jog 5k without dying.

Vertical stepper - 300m - setting 5 - I get this over and done with as soon as possible as it really knackers me out, I don't like it but it's certainly showing on the tone of my thighs. No pain no gain!

Cross Trainer - 2 mile - stride 23 - I use this to jog without any strain on my knees and switch between forwards and backwards motion and alternate including the arm movements and not for a variety.

Seated leg presses - 50lb - 10 minutes - I am trying to strengthen and condition my knees after years of injury and I am finding these presses to be really helping. I don't count how many reps I do but I spend a good 10 minutes doing these.

Chest press - 22lb - 5 minutes - Ever keen to toning up the arms this is am area I'm trying to work on

Shoulder press - 22lb - 5 minutes - This is hard work!

Lateral pull down - 44lb - 5 minutes - I oddly find this one the easiest of all the upper body work out. Apparently this means I have a strong back... and feeble arms!

I then cool off with 14 minutes on the toning tables, 2 tables at 7 minutes each. I actually look forward to this part as it's a nice relaxing period and I either read a little or catch up on business emails in peace and quiet via my phone!

I don't use the rowing machine at the gym as I find it hurts my lower back which is very tempremental at the best of times. I do however try to do a gentle rowing session at home on my rowing machine if I cannot make it to the gym. Failing that, day 6 is always Zumba or Personal Training session.

The 7th day is usually a walk in the country side or along the beach.

I could probably do a lot more high intensity but for my current lifestyle and personal issues, I am more than happy with my regime and it is really showing in my general fitness and tone of my body.

Do you go to the gym or have an at home fitness regime? Tell me your routine, I'm interested to find out

Shimmer Twins false lashes

2012-03-05T08:00:00.000Z

Hello lovelies,

How's about these for snazzy lashes eh?

Shimmer Twins treasure lashes, available from ASOS & Urban Outfitters, are totally glitzy, glam and out there. I don't think I could get away with wearing them for a meal with husband but for a party or big night out, I'll definitely be showcasing these bad boys!

The Shimmer Twins lashes are the lash of choice on the X factor tour, the lovely Jaime Winstone and Caroline Flack.

Amelia Lily wearing purple hearts

Caroline Flack in gold stars

Jaime Winstone in red hearts

The Jekyll Chunky Glitter lashes are my favourite. Silver, Square and very "Gaga-ish". They are something I can definitely see her wearing, even Ke$ha would love these! All the lashes are bold and very definitely a statement piece but they don't ever look like cheap chatty fancy dress lashes. You know like some highstreet coloured "wild" lashes do. These are just awesome.

Whilst these lashes do run heavier than your usual ones, they aren't over bearingly heavy and for a night out, for short wear they are totally managable. I did make sure I carried a tube of glue just in case though.

On ASOS at present, you can get some amazing black and silver star lashes. I think I'll have to have some of those too!

Do you like dramatic party eyes or are these a bit OTT? Do you want to see some pictures of them on my eyes?

What Katie Did

2012-03-04T19:50:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies,

Another week and we are just dipping our toes in to March! Blimey!

Been an odd week in Tramp Towers.. first of all we have had lovely spring weather during the week then yesterday it was torrential rain and now today it's been snowing! Madness!

I'll do the week in pictures just below but I will tell you a funny tale... 5 days a week I go to my local gym and do 90 mins hard work.. on Friday night, not looking my best after the session and a long week of work.. who did I bump in to handing my locker key in? Lauren Luke. And to make matters worse in my red sweaty state I stopped to chat... I only realised how rough I looked when I got in the car and saw myself in the mirror - bloody hell!

On with the show....

I bought myself the infamous New Look inspire bird print dress. It was reduced to £12 so it would be rude not to! It's so flattering to my shape. Just need to remember to wear it for work now the nicer weather is coming!

This is the patterned dress from the new Gok Wan collection for Sainsburys. Nice on the hanger but I found the fitment, quality and cost of the collection to be a bit out of whack this time round. You can read what Kathryn of Miss Kathryns Misstakes thinks of the range and the exact same dress here

Saturday saw an impromptu trip to my city, Durham, with the lovely Daniella of Madame G's Lifestyle. We took a trip to my favourite little vintage & retro boutique called Scarlet Ribbons and I just couldn't resist buying yet more cute jewellery. I seem to be a sucker for bird / swallow prints at the minute which is pretty ironic as I am bat shit scared of birds... despite having 2 tattoo'd across my back!!

I will do a more indepth review / post on Scarlet Ribbons very soon though as they definitely deserve some extra love!

You can spy my amazing Jonathan Ward candle there too!

Just next door to Scarlet Ribbons is the amazing vintage boutique called Ding Dong. I've passed this before but never actually been inside. I normally go to Durham on a Sunday and a lot of things are sadly closed. Their window display is worth a look on its own!

It's an Aladdins cave of wonder and absolute gems, from shoes, jewellery, fur coats, hats and bags. We spent ages in there marvelling at the little finds. Daniella even picked up a beautiful beaded evening dress for £25 which is a steal!

Just check out their bags!

Any shop with a bag like this is fine by me!

To round off our girly day out we headed for lunch and drinkies for a natter!

And the gorgeous Daniella herself....

So, this has been my week in pictures.

In the next few weeks I have a very special trip to London on the cards with Kathryn and 2 very exciting openings of local Simply Be stores. Fun fun fun!

How was your week? Are you excited for the start of spring?

Shapely ladies with Rigby & Peller

2012-03-01T08:03:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies

Every woman, at some point in her life, will require shapewear. Whether it's to hoist her boobs up in her best frock, smooth out those lines under a wedding dress or buy the perfect VPL-free body for under some skintight trousers, it's all shapewear.

I've shared my love of Rigby & Peller before and their latest shapewear offerings are divine.

Thanks to my ongoing (and did I mention successful?) diet, I'm focusing more on the cut and shape of my clothes, lusting after dresses. Of course some shapewear will be imperative to get the best lines possible out of my new figure and tailored dresses.

Naturally Rigby & Peller is always the first place to look!

At Rigby & Peller we are renowned worldwide for our exquisite lingerie. Styling the female form is our forte. With expertly fitted pieces that will enhance every shape, we asked five Rigby & Peller Lingerie Stylists to take a break from the fitting room to reveal how the right lingerie solutions can create the perfect silhouette irrelevant of size. Our Creative Director, Nicky Clayton, talks through their individual looks and how their stunning assets have been accentuated with pieces from Rigby & Peller's latest collections.

My favourites would have to be the Spanx camisole, slip dress, Miracle Suit high waisted briefs and the Marie Jo Laventure full briefs.

Do you have a favourite piece of shapewear that you can rely on to make you feel awesome?

MUA 3 in 1 Contour Pen

2012-02-28T08:00:00.000Z

Hello lovelies,

Today I want to show you my latest eye product love. It's the MUA 3 in 1 Countour Pen.

I'm not a fan of wearing every day eyeliner as I always associate it with going out so when I do wear it during the day, I like my application to be fast, minimal and effortless. This is were the contour pen excels!

Using the flat, thin side to the nib, it literally takes 1 second to draw a lovely black, pigmented swoosh along my lash line. Long lasting, jet black and soft to apply. It's great if you aren't very steady using a gel liner and brush or don't like the hard feeling of a traditional kohl.

Using the thicker side you can quickly apply a thicker black line or even colour your full lid for the perfect inky base to a smokey eye. It acts like a coloured primer to help your powders stick. Another great use of it!

The 3rd way I have been enjoying using the contour pen is for cut creases. On a morning I don't have time to perfect and blend blend blend with my brushes so I have been running a quick cut crease with the pen and then using a brush to blend that out. Done properly it is a great easy time saver!

The 3 in 1 contour pens come in a variety of shades. I have blue and black and they are both just as lovely as each other. I definitely think I'll have to buy more! I just wish they made one in the right colour for my eyebrows as I think this would be great for lightly filling in brows!

Another consistently good product from MUA. Their quality certainly speaks louder than their bargain price point (MUA starts from £1)

You can buy the MUA 3 in 1 Contour Pen in the following ways :

Superdrug in store - £1.50

MUA website - £1.50

Have you tried MUA? What is your favourite product? Mine has to be their £1 lipstick in Nectar!

Celebrity ‘Steppers' go crazy during Fairtrade Fortnight (27 February to 11 March 2012)

2012-02-26T16:29:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies,

As the country counts down to Fairtrade Fortnight (27 February – 11 March), a series of hilarious, celebrity- films will be hitting the web on YouTube this week to encourage the public to take 1.5 million steps for Fairtrade in 2012.

Celebrity Steppers include Alistair McGowan, Jessica Hynes, Simon Webbe, Francesca ‘Cheska’ Hull, Kate Walsh, Natalie Pinkham, Di Dougherty, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova, Will Clarke and Louisa Lytton.

Through the ‘Take A Step for Fairtrade’ campaign, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to see more individuals and businesses buying and selling Fairtrade products in the UK, The public are being asked to think about what they can do every day, every week or every month throughout 2012 and take a step to make a difference to the lives of farmers in the developing world who produce the products they buy.

With Fairtrade every step counts. In Malawi, for example, sugar farmers earn an extra $60 for every tonne they sell on Fairtrade terms. As a result, farmers in Chinangwa village have been able to bring clean water and electricity to their homes, afford roofs for their houses and school fees for their children.

The more people that support Fairtrade, the more farmers and workers will be able to improve their lives through the better terms of trade it offers.

The Fairtrade Foundation encourages everyone to start their journey at www.fairtrade.org.uk/step

Will you be stepping for Fairtrade?

What Katie Did

2012-02-26T16:19:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

Have you all had a good week?

It's been a funny old one for me. Full of busy but not much to show for it, if you know what I mean?

Have I told you where I got the idea for What Katie Did from? No? There's a book called What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge about a mischievous tomboy called Katy. Sounds familiar right?

To quote the Wiki description :

Katy is a tall untidy tomboy, forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved.

This book and it's 2 follow ups has been on my bookshelf for nearly 29years and I just thought i'd share it with you, it's a bit of a running joke in the family, "What Katie Did" was always code for the calamities i'd gotten myself in to! HA!

Anyways... less of the lessons, more of the action eh!

I've been cracking on at the gym this week as usual, i'm doing 10 mile on the bike every day (I go 6 out of 7 days), 2 mile on the cross trainer and 200m on the vertical stepper < whatever that equates to but I tell you what, it not 'arf makes your bum cheeks ache!

Dropped another jeans size this week which is a huge boost. Still can't see much of a physical change in myself yet but everyone else can so I must be doing something right.

I have done lots of shopping this week even though I promised myself I wouldn't. Oops! Must be more restrained as I bought half my husbands 30th birthday present this week and the 2nd half will be next month. It's not until August but I like to get these things out the way. I can add to it as the months go by so that when it gets to the big day he'll be truly spoiled. We're actually going to New York for his 30th but we have decided to go in October rather than August so at least he has that to look forward to. The hotel is AMAZING, I can't wait!

Yesterday, in between doing some work for clients I managed to escape the house for a gorgeous little Italian lunch over looking Durham Cathedral, my home city that I am very proud of. It was nice to take time out to catch up properly and chat with Mr Tramp as it feels like I never see him! Of course while I was out I bought the 2nd Hunger Games book which I'm going to save for the gym and read a bit each day.

Oh, and my song of the week has to be the Gotye song 'Somebody I used to know'. It's beautiful and sounds a bit like Sting.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Let's catch up again next Sunday.

Ladies, keen your man in check with Bluebeards Revenge

2012-02-22T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies

My husband, Mr Tramp, is a Bluebeards man. He likes to feel a bit pirate-y when he has a shave thanks to their cute skull and cross bones designs. With that in mind, when Nick over at Bluebeards sent me a press release yesterday, I couldn't NOT post it.

Ladies... if you love your man.... help him "get to grips" with himself. For peace of mind AND health.

37,000 men are diagnosed each year with a male specific cancer yet a quarter of men still never check their testes

The Bluebeards Revenge iconic grooming brand have joined forces with charity Orchid and Rugby World Cup legend Phil “The Raging Bull” Vickery to launch an innovative campaign to educate men on the three uniquely male cancers.

With ‘in his face’ on-pack advice and information encouraging men to be aware of the early signs and symptoms of the three male specific cancers - testicular, penile and prostate, not only will your man have a great shave but he’ll receive potentially life-saving daily reminders to check himself out and seek advice from a GP as early as possible.

The campaign has been launched after a survey commissioned by Orchid revealed that three quarters of UK men (73%) recognise that a lump in the testes could be a sign of testicular cancer. However, as many as 25% still never check their testes and 50% of men would prefer their partner to check them rather than their GP. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer amongst young men aged 15-45 and if caught early enough it has a cure rate of over 95%.

The survey of 824 UK adults aged 16 and over, carried out by leading market research agency GfK NOP, also found that nearly one in three (30%) are not even aware they can check themselves for lumps. This is in stark contrast to women, who are more likely to take their health in their own hands - only 7% of them say they don’t check their breasts.

Phil said he was delighted to put his weight behind the campaign. The former England prop explained: “Male cancers don’t receive enough coverage and awareness and far too many men aren’t proactive enough in seeking help if they have any concerns. That’s why I’m backing Orchid’s awareness messages on The Bluebeards Revenge product range to promote life-saving checks and to encourage men to stand up and take action.”

Rebecca Porta, Chief Executive of Orchid, said: “We are delighted to be working with The Bluebeards Revenge for 2012. This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage men across the UK to take a pro-active approach to their health and general well-being whilst raising funds and awareness of Orchid and male cancer.”

David Hildrew, Managing Director at The Bluebeards Revenge, added: “Our range is all about providing a great shave but we are also taking on the added responsibility of educating men on the early symptoms and signs of testicular, penile and prostate cancer. We are encouraging men to think inside their box.”

Formed in 1996 by former testicular cancer patient, Colin Osborne, Orchid is the only UK registered cancer charity to focus entirely on the male-specific cancers; prostate, penile and testicular.

They offer support and information to people affected by or interested in male cancer through a dedicated medical research programme, education and awareness campaigns and a range of support services.

Please circulate this to the men in your life. I have.

Hair Care Routine Part 2 - Shampoo

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

Here we have part 2 of my hair care routine mini series. Today we are on to Shampoos!

I usually have more than 1 shampoo on the go at any time because I like to mix and match. Mr Tramp gets the added luxury of using my shampoos (but he's not allowed to touch my coveted Touch of Silver!) so I like to try and balance out what the shampoos 'do' so that we're both suited.

I have always always prescribed to the school of thought that Shampoo = colour, Conditioner = texture. Whether red, brown blonde or natural, I always use a shampoo aimed to either protect colour or enhance natural colour. I find shampoos for thickening / frizz / damaged hair always too heavy and drying. I treat the condition of my hair with conditioner… which makes sense!

If I really need to tone down brassiness, such as when my darker blonde roots grow in or just after a dye, I use Touch of Silver twice a week brightening shampoo and I absolutely swear by this. I leave it on for 5 minutes and I can always count on it cooling my hair down. It's cheap as chips and after trying most blonde products on the high street, I always return to this. It is my absolute holy grail shampoo for blondes. No shadow of a doubt! I use this pretty much every time I wash my hair to be honest.

Green People Intensive Repair Shampoo. This is a lovely shampoo and it is SLS free - YAY! It doesn't lather very well at all which is to be expected so you have to be careful not to use too much but it leaves hair squeaky clean and doesn't irritate a delicate scalp.

SLS free Naked Care sensitive scalp Shampoo.This is the SLS free shampoo of choice in the Tramp Household. Great for itchy aggrevated scalps, I suffer eczema flare ups on my scalp from time to time so this is a god send.

Another firm favourite that is always in the house and is just a great, soft gentle shampoo is the Herbal Essence Hello Hydration shampoo. Smells gorgeous and is just great. Shame it is SLS laden

T/gel is another firm favourite, like the Naked, it's great for soothing scalp flare ups and keeping everything healthy. Certainly not one I could use every wash though.

And for an honourable mention... Not strictly a shampoo but I like to rotate the use of the La Riche Directions violet toner in to my routine, just after washing, leave it on for 15+ minutes, rinse and then condition. It is my absolute favourite for home toning. Fragrance free, free of most nasties and just effortless to use. I will do a full blog post on this very soon!

I have been using La Riche Directions for years, particularly all through my "hippy" years of rainbow hair. For anyone local to me, of a certain age... Baba Yaga in the Metro Centre was THE place to buy it!

What shampoos do you love? Any recommendations you could give me? Next up will be conditioners!

What Katie did....

2012-02-19T19:46:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

Slow week in Katieworld, few pictures, few words really.

Diet is coming along magnificently. The new black skinnies I bought are already too slack and uncomfortable so 3 cheers for buying more!

We went car shopping today and I picked out my new car so that's very exciting! You all know how involved I am in the motoring world so it's a pretty big deal!

In clockwise order....

Mr Tramp, beautifully bathed in sunlight. We went out for coffee today and he just looked extra scrummy in the harsh daylight. Simply stunning husband.

For as long as I can remember, I've always been told I have unusually coloured eyes. Personally, I think they're just blue and I know this pic and the evil flash washes them out but only Friday I had a debate with a colleague about whether I wore coloured lenses. Seeing as I was wearing my glasses at the time, it was pretty clear I wasnt wearing tinted corrective lenses too! Men! I do absolutely love the colour of my eyes though and always enhance them with make up. Looking a bit blood shot here after a very very long 18hr day.

After vowing not to do anything for V.Day, Mr Tramp so kindly came home with a cute card, big bunch of gorgeous red tulips (I really really dislike roses) and a candle, my absolutely favourite - Molton Brown Firefly Embers Forte Candela. I will no doubt be doing a review on it soon as it is amazing.

I received lots of hair goodies during the week and this GHD set is lovely. A review will most definitely be cropping up soon!

Finally, the work canteen jacket potato is an odd one but it symbolises support. I have an amazing Twitter network of girlies who are on the same diet journey as me and every day we like to chivvy each other along with support and comparing lunches and recipes. Probably a bit sad to outsiders but no doubt a godsend to us! So Helen, Michelle and Debbie... this spud is for you!

Coming up....

In the next week... I have lots of exciting new posts to compile, I get my new phone on Tuesday (woo!), I have some very interesting meetings for bloggy things and most of all.. it's PAY DAY!

What have you done this week? Have you entered my Proactiv giveaway HERE?

OOTD - Casual Andorgyny

2012-02-18T11:21:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies

I know I promised I'd include some more OOTD posts with me actually wearing the clothes but by the time I get a chance to photograph my outfit, i've usually been in it up around 16hrs and I never look my best!

I'm a bad blogger I know, I shall try my best to add more real photos!

In the mean time, this is what I wore yesterday. I felt a bit boyish in my outift, with the tan brogues, boyfriend cut cardigan and my "Buddy Holly" Ray Ban glasses. With the cardigan buttoned up, I really did feel like I was channelling some kind of old school Teddy Boy and I loved it.

Thankfully as my diet is paying off so well, my shape is changing and I can see a marked improvement in how my existing clothes hang, which I love.

I was brave yesterday seeing as the temperatures in the N.E finally danced above 0, I wore my skinny jeans without socks and with my brogues which is a look I love. I'm not a fan of socks and winter shoes!

A really on trend, casual, comfy outfit for a long day at work.....

Black and White Peter Pan shirt - Previous seasons & from boutique in America
Black Skinny jeans - Tesco F+F
Black boyfriend cut cardigan - George at Asda
Tan leather brogues - handmade in Italy
Tan leather Nica tote bag (I love this bag!)

I would love to know what you think

Collection 2000 moves with the times?

2012-02-16T08:00:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies

When you ask a beauty blogger, what her concealer staple is, chances are she'll either say Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection or it will at least get an honourable mention.

For me, the brand is synonymous with on trendy, affordable, accessible high street make up. Not the most amazing packaging or innovations but consistent and it's a brand that's certainly standing the test of time well.

I remember back to being rather young and stocking up on Collection 2000 make up with pocket money in all shades of garish blue eye shadows and fuschia pink lipsticks ready to slap on together.

So no, as Collection 2000 nears it's 25th birthday, they are mixing things up a little... moving with the times... and dropping the 2000 to become Collection.

It certainly is a bold change and I think to the vast majority of people, it will always, always be Collection 2000 and will still get called that.

Younger people and new to make up will probably be none the wiser but for us die hards... Collection 2000 will forever live on... just probably not in the form of our Lasting Perfection as we all know the writing rubs off the tube quicker than a quick thing!

The new re-branded Collection 2000, I mean Collection products will be available in stores from March.

Will you be using the new name or will it forever be Collection 2000 to you?

Face to Face with Karl Lagerfeld

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies

Over on my new favourite Payday lust site, NET-A-PORTER, Karl Lagerfeld is hosting a series of self starring interviews to coincide with the recent launch of his diffusion line for the website, called Karl.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with Karl's recent comments about the wonderful Adele, you can't help but be transfixed by the masculine shapes and characteristic trademarks of Lagerfeld himself, namely the fingerless gloves and dark glasses.

I absolutely love the collar details. They'd look great with a plain dress or round neck tee.

You can watch the video below or check out the Karl section on net-a-porter.com

You can buy the Karl diffusion line over at net-a-porter HERE

Proactiv skin care launches in Boots

2012-02-15T12:00:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies,

It gives me great, great pleasure and excitement to share this news with you all!

If you remember my post HERE about the Proactiv moisturiser, you'll know how much I love it! With Katy Perry as a Proactiv spokeswoman, there's nothing not to love about the brand.

I always stock up with online orders for my Proactiv fixes but not any more!

As of yesterday, the Proactiv skin care kit will be now be stocked in 88 branches of Boots across the UK as well as on the boots.com website.

<<PICTURE>>

The Proactiv 3 step kit is £39.99 and contains the following

Renewing Cleanser 120ml - This mild formula gently cleanses while tiny beads exfoliate skin cells to help unclog pores by removing dirt and impurities to reveal clearer skin.
Revitalising Toner 120ml - Our gentle toner removes excess oil whilst natural botanicals soothe and soften your skin
Repairing Treatment 60ml - This specially formulated, light lotion penetrates your skin to help clear blemishes and to prevent further breakouts.

The ingredients in each step work together to cleanse the skin, help unclog pores and target the leading causes of breakouts.

When used all together, twice a day, the results are great.

As you all know, I'm a hypersensitive skin sufferer and Proactiv hasn't brought me out in allergies or reactions which if you are a fellow sufferer, will know it's a huge relief to know.

I absolutely love the 3 step kit, it's certainly a lot friendlier to my skin than the Clinique 3 step that's for sure!

Not only have I got this exciting news for you, I also have a complete kit to give away to one of my wonderful lucky readers! Ace eh!

All you need to do is follow the @beautinews twitter account and tweet the following, along with your answer to the question.

Katy Perry is a Proactiv spokeswoman and one of her slogans is "I'm not polite, I'm Proactiv. If you were a Proactiv spokesperson, what would your slogan be?

@beautinews @ladyfromatramp <<YOUR ANSWER>> #KatieKaty

Once you have tweeted your answer, please comment here with your answer and a link to your tweet.

To enter, you must be a follower of my blog AND the @beautinews Twitter account.

The Fine Print

* This giveaway is only open to Google Friend Connect public followers- New & Old (I do check!)
* I will remove any entries by Twitter or Blogger accounts created solely for entering competitions promoted via 'freebie' websites etc. This is at my sole discretion so please be aware.
* ONE entry comment per person please, any more will NOT be counted so make sure you leave all your details in the first comment (name, twitter + link to tweet)

* Not open internationally
* One winner will be selected by my choosing after the deadline
* The giveaway closes on Sunday 11th March at Midnight (GMT), so that gives you plenty of time! Any entries made after this time will not count
* Winner will be announced on this blog and contacted after dead line.
* The winner has 7 working days to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen at random. Winner must be happy to confidentially give me their address for posting the prize out.

A little love-y update

2012-02-14T19:26:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies

Despite us not celebrating Valentines Day... it was lovely to get home from work this evening to be presented with a gorgeous bunch of red Tulips ( I hate roses y'see!) and a very very sweet card with a little message inside.

Very unexpected, very grateful and VERY lucky to have such an amazing husband, regardless of the day.

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies,

It's that time of year, Valentines Day. I'm not a big fan of the day, despite being a very happily married lady... i'm just not the overly smushy type.. Don't like chocolate, flowers or teddies!

I do however love each and every one of my readers, followers and Twitter buddies so i'd like to wish you all a very happy Valentines Day. Whatever you will be doing and whoever it is with!

Much love x

She Said Beauty Box

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies

In recent news, a new beauty box is hitting the scenes and it's got me a little bit excited!

Not only does it undercut the competitors, they are currently offering a fab 25% off the box cost if you sign up before February 27th. You can also sign up for 3 or 6 month memberships.... that would be a great gift for Mams seeing as it's coming up to Mothers day!

You can sign up for She Said Beauty HERE

Just to sound a bit shallow here, the colour of the boxes is a beauty, it's almost that Tiffany blue colour and it matches my bedroom more than the Black / Pink combos elsewhere... see... I told you it was shallow.

What's the best thing about She Said Beauty boxes I hear you ask? Well the very lovely Fiona from www.makeupsavvy.co.uk is going to be the resident blogger for their website which is just awesome! Her first blog post is live now on the site and you can read this post from her blog about it too.

You can find out more info directly from the She Said Beauty website here - www.shesaidbeauty.com

What Katie Did

2012-02-12T10:43:00.001Z

Hello Lovelies

It's Sunday so that means only one thing.... What Katie Did.

I missed it last week as I was away so I've done 9 days rather than 7, I hope you don't mind!

Nothing much new to report this week, did some mammoth shopping in Harrods on Sunday as if money was going out of fashion (oops!) but other than that, just work work and more work.

This week has however seen me get my blue shiny stone aware at Slimming World, (15.5lb lost in 4 weeks), drop dress sizes, stock up on coloured skinny jeans, buy new Converse and loafers, replenish my Chanel stocks and spend an eventful weekend in London... thanks Snow!

Lots of exciting new things coming up on www.ladyfromatramp.co.uk as well as the introduction of Lady's Trampy Eats!

On with the pictures....

And i'll leave you with this, a big giant fruity Sunday cocktail!

Enjoy your week x

FEED ME!

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000Z

Hello Lovelies

As most of you know, I am currently following the Slimming World diet and it's been a pleasurable, super successful journey in my first 5 weeks (15lb!)

I've had a lot of interest and enthusiasm for my SW & Syn Free recipes and with great encouragement I have introduced a recipe website to document my delicious delights!

My recipe blog is called Lady's Trampy Eats and you can access it by either using the tab at the top of this page, or following my blog directly http://ladystrampyeats.blogspot.com

It would be great if you could give it a follow, circulate it around your SW buddies or just anyone you think would be interested.

I'd love to introduce guest posts and features from other lovely people on the same journey as me so if you would like to see your recipe featured or would like me to create a specific recipe then please do email me info@ladyfromatramp.co.uk

I hope you enjoy it, and I would like to think the following 3 lovelies... Michelle, Helen and Debbie