Brooklyn based brand amika now available in professional salons and online in the UK.

Founded in 2007 and just launching into the UK.  Amika brings it’s range of professional hair care products for self – expression, hair rebellion, encouraging creativity, against conformity and of course healthier looking hair. The vibrancy signature pattern runs though out the brand line. Which is far from mundane or boring, it’s the kind of product you want to display in your bathroom.

Creative Director Vita Raykhman designed the custom made designs that are separated into nine collections,  Curl, Repair, Colour, Blonde, Smooth, Texture, Volume and Hold.  Each has a distinctive colour scheme so easy to identify for the buyer.

Apparently the naming of each product goes through strict staff approval who happen to be self confessed beauty junkies.  Normcore ( signature shampoo and conditioner), Burst your Brass  (blonde haircare range),  and The Wizzard ( detangling primer) this is one brand that believes in a totally individual version of beauty and it’s message is of positivity and inclusion.  86% of it’s team are female with 57% in senior management roles.

Ingredients include the “Super Fruit” Sea Buckthorn Berry, Native to Serbia (known as Obliphica) grows in the harshest environmental conditions on Earth so fortify’s itself with powerful nutrients. Sea Buckthorn Berry contains Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9, as well as a powerful concentration of vitamin C, and over 190 biologically active compounds that work to nourish and protect the hair. Each product has been infused with the signature amika fragrance—an intoxicating blend of warm vanilla, fresh citrus and spicy sweet clover.

Available in amika salons nationwide, online www.feelunique.com  www.birchbox.co.uk
Follow: @amika_uk on instagram and facebook.

Award winning hair straighteners from Cloud Nine and the “Teal Ticket Campaign” giveaway for Spring 2018.

After seeing one of my Aunties (who happened to be a professional dancer with Len Goodman way back in the day)  iron her hair over brown paper on the ironing board.  I tend to think hair straighteners are a great invention.  Award winning Cloud Nine Hair creator Robert Powls ( who previously founded GHD) established Cloud Nine in 2009 and created a unique range of hair products and accessories that won’t damage your hair. These hair straighteners vary in size and heat depending on your hair type.Buying one of these Straighteners (Original, Wide and Touch)  from now until 31st April 2018. Cloud Nine will be giving away a secret TEAL TICKET to customers where prizes can be won from £1000 worth of hair tools to a free 200ml Magical Potion worth £20.  Just make sure sure buy from salons, online or approved Cloud Nine Retailers.

Cloud Nine goes ‘Back To Basics’ for Spring 2018. The premium hair styling brand is celebrating its ‘kind to hair’ award winning product range of Straightening Irons with a huge product giveaway campaign – the Teal Ticket Campaign.  

Just click on the link to find the right one for you..  Compare Hair Straightners   

For stockists & further Info click on the link..

 CloudNineHair 

Achieving the Emma Roberts Red Carpet Oscar look 2017.

Emma Roberts Vintage Armani dress, hair and make-up certainly won my vote at the Oscars 2017. Whether you’re getting married or going to a very special event, you’ll need the right make-up products to get you started.

It all starts with the foundation base which needs to be long wearing and long lasting. These are my recommendations that I’ve used myself.

Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Maximum Cover foundation offers longevity and a velvet/matte finish, there’s a lighter version Double Wear Light Stay in Place Make-up SPF10.  For a Liquid photo finish   SmashBox Studio Skin 15 hour Wear Hydrating Foundation, and lastly for a natural healthy translucent effect (old favourite,)  Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation Stick. ( This one is oil based)

Some of my brow recommendations include Benefit Brow collection, Body Shop, and Eylure.

For the eyes you’ll need some real definition for the camera. False lashes are the easiest way to create this effect. These are some of the affordable brands that are easy to apply and wear, Ardell  (including Press On Lash), Kiss, Eylure.  I’m also a big fan of long wear gel eyeliners and most of the brands offer this type of product. Here’s a few brands depending on your budget,  Lauder, Body Shop, MAC, Maybelline, Bobbi Brown.

The quickest and most effective way of using colour on the cheeks and eyes is to use products that will cover both.  Try the  Smashbox LA Nights Blush & Highlight Palette, Origins Pinch your cheeks, Nude by Nature Bonzing Compacts. they will all do the trick and save you money on eye shadows.

For the rich velvet lipstick finish these would certianly be on my wish list, Lipstick Queen’s Red Sinner, Boujois Rouge Velvet Lipstick Red, Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick , Dior’s Satin and Matte Finish.

To finish your look fully you will need to choose hair styling products that will smooth and mold the hair into place. Try  72 Hair Blow Dry Cream  it’s a styling hair cream that will suit all hair types and available nationwide.  Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm  have also had rave reviews. Finally to set your hair gently into place electirc’s  C7e.Spray.  is a wonder product. I’ve used this on many occasions and it doesn’t leave a sticky residue on the hair and very easy to brush out.

THE NEW COLLECTION from #LYPSYL2016

A day of press and bloggers dropping by the @artistresidence  in Pimlico for the relaunch of LYPSYL. It was very welcoming with treats from  @Electric_London hair company and facial reflexology treatments with @facereflexology   I’m not a beauty/make-up interventionist (permanent make-up ) type of person and i’ll always seek a natural option or remedie for relaxation and well being. To be honest i’m not a fan of facials and tend to avoid them at all costs. Although saying that i highly recommend a reflexology facial treatment from a reputable practitioner. If you want to induce the sense of well being and balance the body, book one today.

Established 1891 Lypsyl’s seven lightly scented SPF 15 balms include Strawberry and Pomegranate, Cherry and Almond, Mint and Fennel, Cucumber and Aloe, Coconut and Almond, The Original flavour and SPF 50 and my absolute favourite.

LYPSYL

They say Eat it.. Wear It.. Swear By It..Vita Coco Coconut Oil 100% Raw, Organic & Extra Virgin Cold Pressed..

The first time i found Extra Virgin 100% Cold Pressed Organic Vita Coco Coconut Oil happened to be in a goodie bag given out at Kinky Octopus press event in Soho around the corner from Berwick Street Market London  .  In true Brasilian party style we were offered Caipirinha’s,  Pão de queijo, some of my favourite Brasilian food & drink… On display were beautiful colourful wrist bands  “Lembrança do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia”   which refers to the good life…these wrist bands are very synonymous with Bahia Brasil and is the backdrop of a place that’s full of culture, creativity and immense colour.

I finally got round to opening the jar and instinctively applied it to my face before reading the label, and then felt horrified when i discovered it was used for cooking, baking & frying. Thankfully  it went on to say, “Goes beyond the call of beauty as a moisturizer and hair conditioner,” and spread it on your toast! Really! 🙂

Lots of people around the world have used coconut oil for many years, countries such as Indonesia, Australia, Philippines, Caribbean, India…. It can be used to soothe, calm and hydrate the skin & hair all in one go including offering an anti – bacterial agent for wounds and sunburn. Massage into the hair & scalp helping those affected by a dry scalp & dandruff. As an insect repellent just add a little peppermint oil which keeps away the bugs.  Then there’s the cooking element to add to the endless list of benefits…There’s only one precaution to using this product and that’s NOT to sit directly in the sun without any UV sun protection. You will burn no matter how much melanin pigment you have in your skin. Protecting yourself from direct sunlight is very important to very healthy skin long-term.

I really enjoy using this product and know many people who love it too….as the saying goes ( sent to me by the PR) Eat it. Wear It. Swear By It.

Have a look online Vita Coco Coconut Oil..

Vita Coco Coconut Oil is available at Amazon, Boots, Holland & Barrett, Ocado.com, Selfridges, Tesco, Urban Outfitters & Wholefoods.

Available in three sizes: 250ml & 500ml glass jars, 750ml PET jar. RRPs:  250ml from £5.99,  500ml from £9.99 & 750ml from £14.50

Glamorous BARDOU express hair & beauty a big hit with Grazia Magazine.

For London Fashion Week BARDOU POP up salon was certainly a big hit with top fashion and beauty bloggers at the Library private members club in St Martins Lane WC1. I had the chance to try the hair products for myself.  I’m really loving the Dry Shampoo which removes and freshens oily hair while adding extra body making your last hair wash last a little bit longer ( big fan of dry shampoo). The shampoo and conditioner helps to revitalize, soften and smooth the hair by making it soft and silky. The finishing mist helps to keep everything naturally in place. Grazia magazine voted Bardou hair products the best in the UK.

Look online for products, hair & beauty services and to see generally what everyone else is saying.  This brand certainly has a big following for many good reasons. Bardou. 

NEW Vidal Sassoon’s INFRA RADIANCE HOT AIR STYLER creates smooth, full volume curls.

Vidal Sassoon’s latest addition to their Infra Radiance range with the Hot Air Styler £34.99,  creates curls and volume by an easy to use round brush and hair dryer all in one. The gentle infra red heat helps to reduce frizz by keeping the moisture within the hair so creating smoothness, real shine and bounce.

Available in September 2015 from Boots, Tesco & Asda £34.99  and would make the perfect Christmas Present.

Introducing easilocks new 3-in-1 HairHero that curls, waves and straightens the hair.

Think I’ve used so many different types of hair gadgets over the years and each of them bring their usefulness and style to the hair. I have the straightest hair that was ever invented and was interested to see if my hair would curl easily after watching hairdresser Lucie King  use the 3-in-1 Hair Hero. Well i can say it absolutely does and lasted two days!  So if you’re needing a straighter for curly or afro hair, need some waves or curls then this is the perfect hair styling accessory.  These images were taken in the penthouse suite at the Sanderson Hotel and Binky Felstead Made in Chelsea star having her hair lightly curled endorsing #easilockshairhero.  Have a look at the companies profile easilocks.com hairdressing brushes and real hair extensions.

CHANEL’S 2015/16 Cruise show trends in hair & make-up.

Images by Benoît Peverelli.

These backstage hair and make-up scenes were taken at the Seoul-based 2015/16 Cruise collection show.  The hair designed and created by hairdresser  Sam McKnight and make-up designed for CHANEL by make-up artist Tom Pecheux.

Session hair stylist Sam McKnight created large plaits made with colour contrasting synthetic hair smoothed over with bees wax with large hair accessories.  The idea was originally sent to him by designer Karl Lagerfeld based around Korean nobility.  The make-up created and designed by Tom Pecheux using false lashes on the top and bottom, pencilled in a stronger brow, added a soft muted blush, and then to finish an added matte lip colour/pencil with a coral/pink finish.

After the skin had been prepared with Hydra Beauty,  these were the make-up items used for the show.

CHANEL Makeup: 

THE COMPLEXION  VITALUMIERE AQUA Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Make up SPF15
 ECLAT LUMIERE Highlighter Face Pen
         CORRECTEUR PERFECTION Long Lasting Concealer
                  POUDRE UNIVERSELLE LIBRE Natural Finish Loose Powder
LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Sheer Colour SPF15

THE EYES OMBRE ESSENTELLE “Twilight” N°89 Single Eye shadow (Not available in the UK market)
LES 4 OMBRES “Tissé Jazz” Quadra Eyeshadow  Collection Blue Rhythm (2015)
LE CRAYON YEUX  “Noir Black” N°01
LE VOLUME ULTRA-NOIR DE CHANEL “Noir Khôl”  N°90 – Collection Blue Rhythm (2015)
CRAYON SOURCILS Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil

THE CHEEKS  LES BEIGES Stick Belle Mine Naturelle “Blush N°21” – Collection Les Beiges (2015)
               
THE LIPS  ROUGE ALLURE VELVET “L’Éclatante” N°42 Matte Intense Lip Colour
LE CRAYON LEVRES “Fuschia” N°55 Lip Pencil

THE NAILS LE VERNIS “Fortissimo”  N°681 **- Collection Blue Rhythm (2015)

2015-16 Cruise Show Make-up CHANEL © CHANEL 2015

Batiste dry shampoo collaborates with international, double-platinum award winning artist Ella Henderson.

I grew up using Batiste dry shampoo and it works a treat to revamp your hair adding a bit of body to the roots at the same time.  So I’m very happy to write something about this collaboration, and to add we’re off to the Sanderson with IamTheClothesHorse Leroy Dawkins  @clotheshorse90  for this launch along with health & beauty journo Eva Gizowska. The International campaign kicks off today 13th April with TV advertising featuring Ella’s latest single, Mirror Man.  Batiste Dry Shampoo.