High and Dry

High and Dry..

Dolly Parton was once quoted as saying, "The higher the hair, the closer to god". It is a motto close to my heart. Perhaps a little TOO close. You see, my penchant for daily blow drying (I have a quiff to maintain) and dalliances with peroxide mean that recently, I've been waking up looking less like Mad Men's Don Draper and more like Don King.

The Dream

The Reality

Thankfully, Trevor Sorbie came to the rescue (not literally but one can dream), thanks to the launch of his Frizz Free range. The business of frizz is a serious one (well maybe not as important as global warming - but all things are relative) and can be caused by humidity, rain, pollution and (ahem) over-styling. The range promises to lock in moisture and "keep bad hair days at bay". I managed to get my mitts on the Shampoo (pictured above) and Smoothing Spray.

The Shampoo contains Cocamide DEA, the surfactant properties of which cleanse the hair, removing oils, environmental grime and product build up, leaving hair fresh and clean. It also imparts shine and bounce. I love that the products feature styling tips, in this case "Blow dry your hair as soon as you have washed it, the quicker it goes from wet to dry the easier it is to control the frizz."

I followed said advice and low and behold, my hair was heaps smoother. In fact, my straight-talking friend Chris even complimented me at dinner, saying my hair looked "great" and "less bushy" and wanted to know if I'd had a hair cut since we last caught up over breakfast. Unfortunately, this was followed by something along the lines of "well we did meet pretty early so maybe you didn't have as much time". Can you believe the cheek of it? As if I'd ever leave the house without immaculately styled hair and a perfectly applied face. Naturally, I raised a heavily-botoxed brow. Ok, I'm joking on the botox front (nature has been kind) but if looks could kill, there would have been medics on site faster than you could say "frenemy".

The Smoothing Spray has also helped my hair make the transition from "bush" to "swoosh". I spray it onto damp hair and blow dry with a small round bristle brush, using the narrow nozzle on my hairdryer to smooth the hair cuticle for a super-smooth and glossy finish.

It contains Hydrogenated Castor Oil, rich in Vitamin E, minerals and proteins. It is also known to boost hair growth and for its antibacterial and anti-fungicidal properties.

It also contains Wheat Proteins, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, to help strengthen damaged hair, whilst making it shinier and easier to manage.

Products:

Frizz Free Shampoo - £5.29

Frizz Free Smoothing Spray - £5.99

Stockists:

www.boots.com

www.trevorsorbie.com

Blonde Ambition

Blonde Ambition..

Drastically changing your hair colour can signal many things, a new start, recent trauma or perhaps some sort of crisis. I opted to go from brunette to blonde a month ago because for me, it signalled a rebirth of sorts. I had a deeply traumatic year last year. I was coming to terms with my beloved mother's terminal cancer diagnosis (something I'm still struggling with) and suffered terrible health problems of my own that resulted in me being attached to several machines due to total renal failure, nearly having my legs amputated and being hospitalised for two months. My recovery is on-going but in a nut shell, I was out of action for close to a year. I suffered deep depression, I couldn't work, I couldn't write. It was a very dark time.

They do say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - and as trite as those words can sound, this has certainly been my personal experience. I emerged from the trials and tribulations of the last year, stronger, wiser, more resilient, more focused and with greater empathy and compassion for the world around me. It's not that I was a cold-hearted fashion bitch before, more that nearly losing everything, my life included, gave me a renewed sense of perspective on pretty much everything. I was forced to audit my life and question what I needed, what I wanted, what was staying - and what had to go. 

To celebrate my life MOT and phoenix-like rebirth from the ashes of the previous year, I decided I wanted to bleach my hair. Significantly. I literally woke up one morning and decided that I wanted to hit the (peroxide) bottle in a BIG way and look like Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner. I'm not the kind of person who does anything by halves. It's always "go hard or go home". No subtle highlights, balayage or ombre for me. I wanted 80's-style white blonde hair. I set about scouring the internet for reference images, with Rutger as my starting point. These are some of the cool cats who made it onto my inspiration board:

Rutger Hauer

Madonna

Robyn

Billy Idol

Luke Worrall

With a visual idea of what I wanted to achieve saved on my desktop, I set about researching the practicalities (i.e. trawling You Tube for hair bleaching tutorials). I discovered a rather fine Miss Kendra Beasley. I'm mixed race (Ethiopian mother, Scottish Father) and this chick had a similar skin tone, hair length and texture. She explained the process really well, touching on everything from the products needed to the developing time and aftercare etc.

I've copied her video below:

Armed with a shopping list, I headed to my local Sally Hair & Beauty to purchase these essentials:

Brush For Tinting

Core Tint Bowl Black

Salon Services Peroxide Creme 9% 30Vol

L'Oreal Quick Blue High Performance Powder Lightener

Wella Color Fresh Silver - Violet 0.6

Silverising Shampoo

I've experimented with my hair numerous times throughout the wilder phases of my late teens through to my early 20's. I've had a hot pink stripe, I've had beach-chic mahogany highlights (courtesy of Paul Edmonds in Knightsbridge - probably my best professional dye job to date). But no hair colour odyssey is complete without a few disasters. Mine was when I had a badger-style mohican (shaved black sides and a longer ivory blonde section down the middle). Apart from looking like I had road kill on my head, like all novices, I had thought it a good idea to get my hair cut then tackle the bleaching by myself. I bleached the central section several times, hadn't bothered doing my research and hadn't taken care to deeply condition it. One day, as I was blow-drying my mohawk, a large section at the front broke off in my hand. Even my adorable hairdresser couldn't salvage the situation, so I had to shave it all off and start again. Needless to say, this time around, I knew I had to be careful unless I wanted to end up "doing a Britney" again.

With my road kill faux pas ever present in my mind, I raided my beauty cupboard for a deep-conditioning hair mask. Thankfully, I had the privilege of having lunch with the lovely Lee Stafford at the Sanderson some time ago, courtesy of NBPR. I was given an abundance of hair treats, one of them being this wonder product:

Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Treatment

This minimised any hair breakage and has totally changed the texture of my heavily processed hair. I use it as an overnight treatment at least once a week, generally more as I tend to blow dry my hair most days, which combined with the bleaching process tends to leave my hair frizzy and brittle. This makes my hair softer, smoother and much easier to manage. It smells yummy too. 

If I'm feeling especially indulgent, I'll mix it with a multi-purpose beauty oil, massaging it into my scalp and through the hair, paying close attention to the ends, leaving it overnight and shampooing it out in the morning.

I'm fond of The Body Shop Shea Beautifying Oil as a generic option:

Or the NARS Monoi Body Glow II for a luxury option:

Both smell heavenly (but not so strong that they battle with your favourite perfume or cologne) and can be used on the body, face, hair and nails. They are fantastic beauty all-rounders and a total "must" for your beauty cabinet. They make great bath oils too, or do what I do and massage them into damp skin post shower to seal in moisture for silky-soft skin.

It took me two days and around three bleaching, toning and deep-conditioning processes to achieve my desired level of lightening (devoid of the brassiness that can come with the bleaching process). I was so pleased with my new look that I posted a picture of my new "do" on Facebook (as you do) and my timeline went CRAZY. People were loving my new look. Including my friend, the super-talented fashion photographer James Burton (of James Burton Photography). He invited me over to his place in Fulham to celebrate Fashion Mister Version 2.0 and we spent a few hours chilling, catching up about life, lust and creative projects. He also wanted to give some equipment a test run (no - not like that LOL) and offered to take some new head shots of me. Did I mention that when we met up, he turned up looking super-duper-fly on a skateboard? Too cool for school and more than a little awkward. I had a huge thing for skater boys when I was younger, I still think they are pretty hot. 

My blog and social media platforms were in need of a refresh, so of course I graciously obliged to his offer of taking my picture. I mean come on, if you have the option of taking an awful selfie or having a photographic genius work his magic, you are going to choose the latter, you'd be mad not to. Being the bloke he is, I had already received a text from James instructing me with what to wear. We're generally on the same page creatively so I'd already planned on doing the whole skinny jeans, t-shirt and vintage black leather Harley Davidson motorcycle jacket combo. But I nearly died when he produced a pair of fingerless black leather gloves, as I ended up looking like a carbon copy of the inspiration pic of Billy Idol that had found it's way onto my mood board. Spooky!

After a few hours, some cigarettes, heaps of direction and some gentle encouragement from James (I'm used to being the boss on set), we ended up with some amazing images. It was weird posing with no music, so during the process I grabbed my iPhone and cranked up Billy Idol's Rebel Yell and Kim Wilde's Kids in America to help me get into my groove.

A big shout out to James' Ware Bear who kindly agreed to pose with me in the last shot:

I was so pleased with our creative collaboration (especially when James told me I required minimal retouching). It went down a treat with my friends (the pics got bundles of likes and comments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). I'm now affectionately called "Blondie" by friends and family and have been compared to Grace Jones. Fierce!

Emma White Turle, top make-up artist and Beauty Editor for Schon! Magazine, liked my photo on Twitter. I got the thumbs up from fashion legend Donovan Pascal, super-stylist, original creative force behind the Religion label and founder of Idol. I even got approached on The Tube by a chick who wanted to know how she could get my look. Not bad for a day's work and thanks in no small part, to the kindness (and photographic wizardry) of my mate James.

Products:

Brush For Tinting - £2.27

Core Tint Bowl Black - £2.99

Salon Services Peroxide Creme 9% 30Vol - £5.99

L'Oreal Quick Blue High Performance Powder Lightener - $19.71

Wella Color Fresh Silver Violet 0.6 - £8.95

Silverising Shampoo - £6.95

Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Treatment - £10.99

The Body Shop Shea Beautifying Oil - £9.00

NARS Monoi Body Glow II - £44.00

Stockists:

Sally Hair & Beauty Supplies

www.sallyexpress.com

Lee Stafford

www.boots.com

The Body Shop

www.thebodyshop.co.uk

NARS

www.narscosmetics.co.uk

A Walk on the Wilde Side

A Walk on the Wilde Side..

Is it just me or is pregnancy really working for Olivia Wilde? Positively glowing at the 86th annual Academy Awards, she proved, along with fellow actress Kerry Washington that a baby bump was the most coveted accessory on the red carpet. Wearing a black Valentino Pre-Fall 2014 halter neck gown, complimented by a tousled chignon and simple statement jewellery, she looked like a modern day Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

A REVLON Global Brand Ambassador, even Wilde's 60's-inspired makeup was reminiscent of Hepburn's, down to the glowing skin, sculpted brows, kitten flick eyeliner and peach-hued nude lip. Vintage Hollywood glamour never dates, like the old adage states "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". 

Celebrity Makeup Artist, Melanie Inglessis created a classic French look for Wilde with a sharp cat eye and dewy skin.

"We wanted the look to be simple and classic, says Inglessis, "I created a very precise eye that makes a statement but still works well with her fresh skin and light peach lips."

Inglessis used the following products for Olivia's red carpet look:

Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer

Revlon PhotoReady Makeup in Nude

Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Illuminator in Bare Light

Revlon ColorStay Shadow Links in Taupe (NEW March 2014)

Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Eyeliner in Cleopatra

- This product wasn't actually listed by Revlon but if you look closely at the photo of Olivia, you'll see that there is some subtle highlighting happening underneath her feline flick, where a subtle white line has been drawn to create a beautiful graphic effect. I suggest using the black end of this double-ended eyeliner to tight-line the upper lash line, gently filling in between the lashes to add depth. Use the white end to draw a fine line underneath the outer edge of the feline flick.

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara

- Olivia looks like she might be wearing falsies. I suggest curling lashes and either applying a set of flared false lashes or applying individual false lashes at the outer edges to enhance the feline shape, finishing with a coat or two of mascara to finish the look. Eyelure and MAC offer a great selection.

Revlon Brow Fantasy (NEW March 2014)

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Complex

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink Cognito

Revlon suggests Revlon Nail Enamel in Pink Nude to complete the look

Products:

Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer - £11.99

Revlon PhotoReady Makeup in Nude - £12.99

Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Illuminator in Bare Light - £11.99

Revlon ColorStay Shadow Links in Taupe (NEW March 2014) - £2.99

Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Eyeliner in Cleopatra - £5.99

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black - £6.99

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara - £9.99

Revlon Brow Fantasy (NEW March 2014) - £6.99

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Complex - £7.99

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink Cognito - £7.49

Revlon Nail Enamel in Pink Nude - £6.49

Stockists:

www.boots.com

When Life Gives You Lemons

When Life Gives You Lemons..

Ever the optimist, I'm a firm believer that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade (or pancakes given that Shrove Tuesday is upon us). If the prospect of carbs fills you with calorific dread, fear not, you can still be "mellow yellow" thanks to the ever-so-zesty folk at Lush, purveyors of ethical, cruelty-free, fresh handmade cosmetics (that also happen to smell rather heavenly if I don't mind saying so myself).

Here's a trio of products that are guaranteed to make you heart "zing":

London has been a wee bit nippy of late and I find myself turning to the creme de la creme of creams to keep peeling cuticles at bay. As a make-up artist, it's of supreme importance that my hands and fingernails look immaculate (after all, what client wants grubby mitts touching their beautiful visage?)

By the same token, months of cold weather and central heating blazing indoors wreaks havoc on feet and elbows too. If fluctuations in temperature have left you with extremities drier than the Sahara, it's time to slather on Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, a veritable oasis of hydration. This multi-purpose moisturiser is so rich it could give Bill Gates a run for his money. With a fresh and invigorating citrus aroma, lemon oil is renowned for its skin-softening properties, traditionally used in the treatment of corns and callouses. A luxurious blend of Flaxseed, Castor Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Soya Oil and Organic Avocado combine to envelop skin in a silky cocoon of moisture. 

For a super-luxurious overnight treatment, thoroughly exfoliate hands and feet, rinse, towel dry then massage hands and feet with a generous layer before applying cotton gloves and socks. By morning you'll have skin as velvety-smooth as a Georgia Peach.

If you consider yourself a bit of a Modern Dandy or aspire to embody the hippy chic of Kate Hudson's character Penny Lane in Almost Famous, why not try Bohemian Soap? A deceptively simple yet potent blend of uplifting lemon oil combined with the humectant properties of glycerin. This palm-free soap offers gentle cleansing and is guaranteed to lift your spirits quicker than a session of Bikram Yoga in Primrose Hill. A must have for Bright Young Things everywhere, you just know the Bloomsbury Set would have approved.

Valentine's Day may be all but a distant memory but that doesn't excuse neglecting your pout. Maintain tantalisingly soft lips by gently exfoliating with Mint Julips Lip Scrub. The peppermint oil will get your lips tingling faster than a quick snog behind the bike shed while the sugar crystals gently exfoliate flaky skin. Jojoba and Tagetes Oil condition without leaving a greasy residue with the sweet scent of Limonene and Vanilla ensuring you'll be ready to pucker up should Cupid's arrow strike. Who needs Mistletoe?

Products

Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter - £6.50 for 50g

Bohemian Soap - £3.10 for 100g

Mint Julips Lip Scrub - £5.50 for 25g

Stockists

01202 668 545 / www.lush.co.uk

Leader of the Pack

Leader of the Pack..

Mud packs, face masks, whatever you want to call them, they're an essential part of my beauty / grooming regimen (we're talking at least once a week folks, more if I have events to attend or I'm being photographed). I have oily skin, the positive benefit being that oilier skins tend to look more youthful as they age, due to their increased moisture levels (more sebum if you want to go all scientific). I'm fastidious about caring for my skin, it's one of the many pearls of wisdom my mother instilled in me from a young age (aren't mothers fabulous?) This, combined with favourable genes, is probably why people often tell me they think I'm in my early 20's (I'm 32).

The negative aspects of an oily skin type is that they are more prone to shine (mirror face anyone?) and breakouts (I know, the mere mention of the word fills me with dread).

Thankfully, there are a host of clay-based (or charcoal in the case of Origins) face masks available to minimise our pores, regulate excess sebum and keep those dreaded blemishes at bay.

I've compiled a selection of my personal favourites below, at a selection of different price points. There is something here for everybody. 

In the shot at the top of the post, I'm wearing the Anthony Logistics Deep Cleansing Clay Mask. Note the fabulous monogrammed terry cloth bath robe embroidered with my initials "IB", a cherished Press gift. The shot above was taken after I'd used the mask (hence the dodgy barnet). I'm not wearing any make-up and I love the way it makes my skin glow. I've since hit the (peroxide) bottle, more of which in a subsequent post (and yes, blondes really do have more fun).

The Anthony Logistics Deep Cleansing Clay Mask has been part of my grooming kit since 2007. I love that the brand supports testicular cancer charities (beautiful and benevolent). I often switch to this deliciously-scented mask in colder weather as I find it hydrates as much as it deep cleanses. It contains a botanical blend of softening Apricot Kernel Oil, toning Calendula together with vitamins A, C and E (antioxidants are a must to protect against environmental aggressors and  free radical damage). At just £9.00 this little miracle-worker doesn't break the bank and is fantastic value for money. My only grievance is that the red clay is rather messy but if you rinse it off in the shower, this tends to minimise any issues.

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm obsessed with REN. When you're inundated with products it's easy to be a beauty slut and switch brands as often as you change your shoes. However, REN (meaning "Clean" in Swedish) is one brand I've remained loyal to. I've been using the range religiously for close to a decade.  The range is devoid of "skin nasties" such as parabens and SLS and the brand's ethics are in keeping with my "Neo-Hippy" principles. I'm especially keen on their serums, masks, moisturisers and body treatments, namely because a) in my experience they work and b) on the whole, they tend to smell absolutely heavenly, putting the "treat" into "treatment". 

The REN Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask (try saying that in a hurry) pretty much delivers on its name. Minerals from French Clay draw out impurities and excess sebum, Proteins from Tropical Spirulina encourage cell renewal, while Essential Fatty Acids soften. It always leaves my complexion glowing, minimises the appearance of my pores (especially on my nose) and leaves my skin super-soft to the touch (always a bonus). I find the texture of this mask dryer than others and it doesn't spread as easily over the face, yet somehow it still works wonders. The only downside to this product is the scent (a tad on the clinical side for me) but it delivers on every other front so it definitely gets a "hero" rather than a "zero". At £18 I think it offers superb value, a little goes a long way, the pump action minimises mess and waste, the handy little cap stops the product from drying out and it seems to last for ages.

I've been using the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask since I discovered the brand in the 90's. I'm still using it more than a decade later which is testament to its efficacy. This mask not only deep-cleanses and keeps skin super matte, it's also like a face lift in a bottle. When it dries, I find it has a lifting effect on the skin (perfect to use before a special event or any instance that involves photographs). The Activated Charcoal works like a Dyson vacuum cleaner on your pores, while the China clay absorbs environmental pollutants. Lecithin dissolves impurities, leaving skin immaculately fresh and clean. At £22.00 it is neither cheap nor exorbitantly expensive but I do think it offers great value given the double-whammy of its combined aesthetic benefits.

There's a reason Yon-Ka Paris is beloved by Beauty Editors, yours truly and a veritable who's who of celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and Lucy Liu. I urge you to have one of their facials (as I did back in 2007, quite literally the best facial treatment I've ever had - and I've had a few). You can visit www.yonka.co.uk or www.yonka.com to find your nearest authorised Yon-Ka Centre. I find their range nothing short of miraculous and it's not often I say that about an entire product line (praise indeed). 

The 99% natural (and Paraben free) Yon-Ka Masque 103 clears and purifies the complexion with not one but three clays (they do say good things come in threes), a blend of Montmorillonite, Bentonite and Kaolin. Borneol performs the same function while essential oils of Sage, Soft Orange, Lemon and Lime tone and essential oils of Lavender, Geranium, Rosemary, Cypress and Thyme purify and balance. Marketing spiel aside, all you need to know is that this mask mattifies, minimises pores, treats blemishes, imparts a radiant glow and leaves skin feeling fabulous. Did I mention that the tantalising botanical scent is reminiscent of a leisurely Summer walk in Provence? The sweet smell of skin success. At £32 it isn't cheap but then neither is celebrity (looking) skin darlings.

On the Forbes Rich List end of the beauty spectrum we have Sisley's Creamy Mask With Tropical Resins. This falls into the category of products you'd find in the Financial Times How To Spend It section, in the pages of Vogue, or in the bathroom cabinet of an Oligarch's wife / mistress. Or a celebrity's for that matter (or in my case a very fortunate make-up artist and blogger who was sent one to trial). Sisley is without doubt an extremely high end, niche luxury brand but in fairness there is a reason many of their products win various Beauty Awards year after year. 

Personally, I often use a selection of their cleansers, toners, serums, creams and masks when I work on brides and celebrity clients because a) they give rapid visible results, b) smell gorgeous and c) it's important to me that I make these individuals feel incredibly special. The mask has a Kaolin Clay base which, like the others, gives skin a deep-clean and mattifies by absorbing excess sebum (do you see a pattern forming here?) In addition it contains the soothing benefits of Myrrh and Incense and the cleansing action of Benzoin (it seems the only things it lacks is some gold, a star, three kings and a child who would be king). 

Witty remarks aside, other active ingredients include Rosemary, Plantain, Burdock and Zinc (the latter being fantastic for treating blemishes), the astringent qualities of Iris and the hydrating properties of Plant Glycerin (a natural humectant). It does everything the others do, i.e. cleanse, treat and mattify but at £72 for 70ml the cost-per-wear works out at approximately £10 per use. I'd be more inclined to use it as an overnight targeted treatment on blemishes (it does do a fantastic job of calming redness and minimising spots).

Products

Anthony Logistics Deep Pore Cleansing Clay Mask - £9.00

REN Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask - £18.00

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask - £22.00

Yon-Ka Paris Masque 103 - £32.00

Sisley Creamy Mask With Tropical Resins - £72.00

Stockists

Anthony Logistics

www.mankind.co.uk

REN

www.renskincare.com

Origins

www.origins.co.uk

Yon-Ka Paris

www.yonkashop.co.uk

Sisley

www.selfridges.com