My long term go-to salon is Belfast's Vintage Rocks Hair Parlour. When Michael was a toddler he used to bring his own G-tech sweeper with him and brush up all the hair. With this year being so hectic, I hadn't had a chance to visit in months, so my hair had grown really long and definitely needed a makeover.

This is the 'before'. A home ombre job which wasn't too terrible, but that has roughed up the texture of the hair. Unstraightened this is the nightmare I'm faced with.

I'd been watching a lot of MTV's Laguna Beach and The Hills recently and was totally sold on the over the top 90s' style dramatic highlights.

What I love about going to Clare at Vintage Rocks is she will always try to do what you actually want. If I approached another hairdresser and asked for 'un-natural looking, 90s' mega highlights please' they'd probably assume to themselves I'd end up happier if they made them more natural and go ahead and do that. Clare will listen to what you want, should it be shaved sides with leopard print, or pink roots and blue ends, and if she can do it, she'll do it, and it'll look good too.

On a similar note Clare isn't one of those heart stopping hairdressers who you ask to take an inch off and ten seconds later they've chopped about six inches off and you're getting a lecture about the ends being split. No, you're in safe hands with Clare and you'll never leave Vintage Rocks in tears!

So somehow, from dark brown roots with bleached ombre ends, Clare got my hair in one highlighting & toning step to an all over even effect. It's exactly how I wanted it, as usual!

My hair being the straightest it will probably ever be

Vintage Rocks is pretty much your default destination in Northern Ireland for cool colours too. They are weird colour experts, so visit their website and send them an email if you want to chat rainbow hair ideas.

Brides to be, check out their gallery and ask about trial dos in the salon.

I started my drop a jean size challenge last Monday, with the intentions of sticking to The New You Plan diet a bit longer (see here for their drop a jean size journal should you want to do the same).

M&S Feta & Olive Side Salad : Lidl Salmon with Dill Dressing

I've lots going on at the moment, real life important stuff, so I'm not in the headspace to stick to New You 100%. When you are paying for a special diet, there isn't much point doing it by halves, you waste time and money, so I've bowed out of their Secret Slimmers' Facebook support group for now, but I promise I will be back!

I was 9 days into my drop a jean size, which finishes this coming Monday, and I think I can still do it. I'm definitely shrinking and even though I tried that M&S pizza last night to review it, I only had one slice and a big salad.

Lunch today is smoked salmon and dill from Lidl with salad. There's feta in the salad so it isn't mega healthy, but it could be worse. I'll let you know if I can fit my size 12 M&S boot cut jeans on Monday then!

You saw my post yesterday about the giant Revolution 100 shade, £12 eyeshadow palette. It's class and my shadow I used today is a shimmery nude, a cream light brown and a glittery dark brown. I've been trying out different brushes, and got a Revolution blending brush to try to get the effect below. I still need some practice, don't I??

I also got the Revolution Kajal eyeliner crayon which I've owned before, despite my makeup immaturity! My Ballyholme friend Arlene has posted me one of these a couple of years ago, and I found I was able to apply it easily to my lower eyeliner waterline with ease. It's huge crayoness with soft texture, combined with its £2 price tags makes it a good eyeliner for novices or wobbly handed girlies like I was/am!

It doesn't claim to be waterproof, but it does say smudge proof and it's never let me down, or bled down into my wrinkles.

I also got a trio of Revolution Amazing Lipsticks that Superdrug didn't have in stock. I need to try them on properly to see which ones work. Under lightbulb lighting, late last night, the darkest one looked a little bit too gothy, but I'll show you soon.

Lastly, a shout out to my readers, I need some help. I have very thick, long hair, which has been treated with bleach to achieve a lighter effect at the ends. I use John Frieda cream serum, as the oily one I don't like, plus a balm type serum of the same range that I apply AFTER the hair is dry too. I use a good quality shampoo and use Aussie 3 Min Miracle Conditioner on my hair EVERY DAY when I wash it. I also straighten it with GHDs. But it's STILL frizzy.

Has anyone any secret products they can recommend? Is Mane & Tail worth the price tag? Talk to me on @rudedoodle on Twitter or Instagram and help me out!