BLOGTOBER

It's 7 days into October (October??) and I've decided to jump onto Blogtober. Apparently the rules are you have to blog every day but I've always been a rule breaker* so I'm going to aim for 4 times a week.

(*In all honesty I haven't always been a rule breaker, I was the kind of kid who got 100% attendance certificates at school. Yes that kid. Ahem).

October feels like a new beginning for me. As well as the distinct change in the season, the end of September marked 7 months back in London and a visit to the Australian High Commission this week cemented my status as a former resident of Australia with no plans to return. Thanks to my wonderful family, friends old and new and some fortunate opportunities over the Summer, the transition up until now has been fairly smooth, so reaching October with my work contract about to conclude and no real plan I felt a bit like a high speed train slamming the brakes on at an unfamiliar station.

Yesterday however a really good (and wise) friend said to me "when nothing is certain anything is possible". Clearly the universe is trying to tell me something as this morning I opened an email from an acquaintance in Sydney with the very same words:

So this month I'm going to do my best to go against my natural instinct (panic, over analyse, plan, re-plan, panic) and try and go with the flow, embracing whatever happens next.

MY HAIR JOURNEY

Living in Sydney for the last 4 years it’s safe to say my hair hasn’t been a priority. With no afro hair salons in my immediate vicinity, few places to buy afro hair products and few afro hair ladies around to take inspiration from, I’ve just been relaxing my hair and getting the occasional hair cut but generally leaving it to do its own thing. Back in London and away from the beach-side lifestyle where chucking your hair up in a top knot and throwing on some cut off shorts and a tank is enough effort for pretty much the whole weekend, I’ve been inspired to upgrade my look.

I’ve been relaxing my hair since I was 10 or 11 when my Mum finally gave in and said I was old enough to have it done. Before that I remember sitting impatiently while my Mum painstakingly cornrowed my hair (my favourite hair style) or occasionally blow dried it straight for a special occasion, anything to tame my natural frizz which I hated. In my early 20s, sick of wrestling with hair straighteners (this was pre GHD days) I wore my hair in plaited extensions for a few months. It gave my hair a much needed break but I didn’t feel 100% myself. A few years later I went for a full head weave of long hair past my shoulders but I felt paranoid about how different I looked and just concluded weaves weren’t for me.

Several years later and things have changed so much in the world of black haircare, weaves look increasingly natural and #naturalhair has its own movement. After googling the shit out of terms like “lace frontal” and “versatile weave” and spending way too much time on urbanbushbabes I’ve decided the first step is to get my natural hair back to health after all those hot Aussie summers, so I’m committing to a few months of protective styles to get it on its way. Yes I am embracing the weave again.


L: Initial length and croydon facelift M: Initial length a few weeks on R: after the nail scisssors incident, feeling a bit more 'me' with a long bob (and a bit of a tan after the *cough* heatwave)

My first style was a full head sew-in with a lace closure. I bought the hair (Brazilian 12”) from a local shop near the hairdresser which I’ve since found out is a total no-no unless you really know what you’re looking for. The hair and cut was great to begin with (once I got over the first day or two of aching scalp) but the longer it stayed in the more difficult it became to maintain. The hair was easily tangled and shedding, which I’ve since learned is a sign of poor quality hair. I also got bored of the cut and ended up (look away hairdressers) giving myself a trim with nail scissors (!) after about 4 weeks.

Despite the ups and downs, when I took the weave out and washed and deep conditioned my own hair I couldn’t believe the difference. My hair had already grown over an inch in just under 8 weeks and the texture is so much smoother. I very nearly decided not to try another weave but figured if the results are this good after 8 weeks there is so much more to be gained.


L: Back in London after Sydney summer and backpacking around Vietnam with major breakage R: Post 8 week weave(apologies, when I took these pics they were never supposed to see the internet!)

This time I researched a better quality hair supplier and also looked for a hairdresser closer to home. I came across Pretty Crownsthrough my Sister and Hair by Ola through Shope Delano. This time I ordered Peruvian Loose Wave hair (12”) as I found with the straight hair it sometimes looked a little too perfect and I was spending a lot of time straightening it and then styling it into waves to get a more natural look. I also went for a much shorter cut more similar to the way I would normally wear my own hair and I am BEYOND pleased with the results. I have to say this is the first time I’ve had a weave where I still feel totally myself. In fact it looks so natural, I can’t believe I’m giving the game away by writing about it on the internet. Watch this space for more updates about my hair journey. I'd love to hear your hair stories and tips!


It's still mine because I paid for it.

BEGINNING

I am so happy to be back in the blogosphere again! (I've been away so long, it took me 3 tries to spell blogosphere and it still doesn't look right). A lot has happened since I last properly posted, not least of which was moving 10,000 miles across the world to settle back in London and becoming an Auntie! The first few months back home have been unsettling, surprising and amazing in equal parts and not necessarily in that order. I've learnt so much about myself over the last few years living away from home but I keep circling back to the same thing. There is one passion that I have terribly neglected - The Internet.

Obviously I spend a vast amount of time (don't we all) mindlessly swiping Instagram and Twitter, refreshing Facebook and pinning recipes I'll probably never cook on Pinterest, but what I've really missed is writing, sharing and interacting with people online.

Of course I've come up with countless reasons why not to start blogging again (will anyone read it? What if someone I don't want to read it, reads it?) but the main hurdle has been the thought of not having enough time to keep it up. Then I listened to a couple of inspiring podcasts and came to the conclusion that *newsflash* it doesn't really matter.

It doesn't really matter whether I post once a week or once a month, what matters is I'm giving it a go and indulging one of the things I enjoy doing most. So here I am, until next time, whenever that may be.

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

STARTING OVER

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

WHERE I CAN BE FOUND...

MOST WANTED

I was quite satisfied with a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths and then this happened. Oh Isabel, why you do this?




Advanced apologies to my bank manager.

Available from Matchesfashion.com

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

#NOWPLAYING

I've been away again (2.5 weeks, 7 flights, 5 hotels, countless timezones) and there's an epic photo post in the making, but until then here's what I was listening to/shazaming/replaying on my way around the world.

Also, hello FASHION MONTH!











FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

MOST WANTED

I think I'm having a monochrome moment.





Clockwise from top left: High Neck Maxi Dress by Just Female,  Bikini by Triangl, Flatform Shoes by ASOS, Duster Coat by Topshop, Leather Dry Bag by KARA, Watch by Adidas, Trainers by Nike

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

TRAVEL DIARY: HONG KONG

In April I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong for work. I was travelling alone and whilst feeling a little daunted by the work I had to do, I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to explore a new city. Arriving in Hong Kong in the early evening, ‘fresh’ off a flight from London after a packed four days of work,I didn't expect to have the energy to explore but those neon lights and crazy streets had me hooked from the moment I arrived.

I stayed near Tsim Tsha Tsui, less than 5 mins walk from the famous Temple Street Markets where I ate for $10 on the first night - beer included. The number of foreign expats was immediately noticeable and I will be forever grateful to the kind French man who offered me a spare packet of tissues with the tip to carry them with me whilst visiting the local eateries where napkins are rarely a commodity!


Day one was spent at Sham Shui Po fabric markets, a much calmer experience than my previous fabric market trips in China. That evening I used Open Rice (the HK equivalent of Urbanspoon) to find somewhere to eat nearby, settling for Dimpal Fusion a western restaurant in Jordan.The row of chairs for waiting customers outside gave me hope that I was onto something good and I wasn't disappointed (least of all by the free baileys I received after paying the bill!).



Day two: After around 10 hours of work in my (unfortunately dimly lit) hotel room staring at a less than inspiring view, the majority of my work was done. I went for dinner at Din Tai Fung, a famous HK (and now worldwide) institution. Props to the kind waiter who explained dumpling etiquette to me whilst I sat at a round table full of locals.



After dinner I decided to check out the much talked about light show and all I'm going to say about that is there is probably a reason why it is the only permanent light show in the world(!). By now jet lag had caught up with me and I wasn't going to sleep any time soon. I took advantage of the free ferries on the eve of the labour day public holiday to take the short trip from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island to see the neon lights of Central and Soho.

Getting around Hong Kong solo was surprisingly easy with the simple metro system and ferries and on my final day I head back to Central to see the area by day and revisit my highlight - the largest outdoor escalator system in the world! I know it's a slightly strange thing to get excited about but even more so than visiting the famous landmarks in a city, it's finding the lesser known quirks and cultural differences that I really love about travelling. (You should have seen me when I discovered the underground travelator in Sydney).



Unfortunately I didn't have time to visit The Peak where I have heard you can see spectacular views of the city and harbour, but I was pretty enraptured by the view from Kowloon anyway.

Until next time HK.

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

SUNDAY BEST

The cool change is happening, there's a chill in the air and I can feel myself growing more productive as Summer fades away taking with it the guilty feeling I always have when the sun is shining and I don't spend the day outdoors. This Sunday I indulged some of my favourite passions, cooking and watching people cook (shout out Masterchef Australia) as well as embracing a new one - juicing. I don't need to tell you about the health benefits of juicing I'm sure, but more importantly, LOOK AT THE COLOURS. This weekends' recipe was orange (1), ruby grapefruit (1), carrot (1) beetroot (most of 1) and ginger (about 1"). Taste sensation and visual feast on the eyes. Day well spent indeed.







FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW ON PINTEREST | FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM