A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Whilst in London last week, I trotted along to Gielly Green, a boutique hair and beauty salon located just off Baker Street hopeful that Shai Greenburg, co-founder and creative director would be the man to inject some life into my tired hair.

I’m finally past that awful ‘growing out’ stage and to get it there, I’d been dodging regular haircuts left, right and centre since Christmas.  I know you’re not supposed to but we all know how tempting it is to eschew the snip in favour of growing length more quickly!

It also doesn’t help that in general, I’m not the biggest fan of going to hair salons.  I’m not massively precious about my locks but I detest (in order of distaste):

1. Salon small-talk (going anywhere nice this Summer?)

2. Being made to feel like a reprobate for colouring my hair at home.

3. Having to coax recommendations out of nervous stylists about what they think I should do re: styling.  I’m paying them for their expertise right?  If a full fringe will make me look like a git, I want them to tell me!

Better tell you about Gielly Green then…

The salon is a chilled-out space with brown and cream accents, seating you could drift off in and one of the most comfortable hair-washing experiences (electric chairs sweetie!) I’ve ever had.

Prior to washing, Shai asked me to take my hair down from the bun I’d scraped it in and I momentarily panicked that he would admonish me for failing to remember to brush my hair that morning.  Passing no judgement (at least none that I could see), Shai felt my hair’s texture before recommending which products should be used for the wash.  It was a good example of the personalisation I felt was key to the salon experience.

Once seated at the workstation, I explained to Shai that I didn’t want to lose too much length because I like to wear my hair up but that my two main objectives were to restore health and incorporate some ‘kind’ of style without going too heavy on the layers.

Then came the dreaded moment as he lifted my slightly pathetic 4-stranded side fringe between his fingers.  I braced myself for the question that I still didn’t have the answer to…

“This fringe, it’s not really doing anything…” he said before continuing…

“Shall we make it a little thicker, more substantial?  I don’t want to go too thick, your hair is quite fine… but a little more depth would suit your face shape.”

“err yes, ok” I nodded.  OMG, that was easy – he *actually* considered what would suit both my hair AND face shape.  I heard birds singing and harps playing in the distance.

It made me bold… I pushed him a little on the thick fringe question.  Here stood a man, a professional who had just proven he had the cajones to TELL me, the customer what he would recommend.  I couldn’t resist…

“I do like the look of a heavy, straight fringe though…”

He smiled a little wryly but not unkindly, like he knew I was being mischievous and gently motioned how far back he felt he’d have to cut the hair for the thickness of fringe I desired, explaining that I would lose a lot of volume in the process but was happy to do so if I wanted.  I quickly dispelled the thick fringe idea and settled back into the chair like a good girl, finally confident that I had a considered answer to a question that had plagued me for months.

Shai is quick, his scissors moved over my hair in a blur… he doesn’t talk much, if at all when he’s working.  It was momentarily awkward as I wondered whether I should initiate a conversation before giving in to the silence and simply enjoying watching him work.

30 minutes later and we were done, I had beautifully feminine, soft, flippy hair that looked healthy and shiny!

The layers are perfect, I can still scrape my hair back into a ponytail without the need for hairgrips.  The ends feel lighter, less weighty and my fringe… although still not that Zooey Deschanel dream, is definitely serving more purpose than its first non-commital attempt with my last stylist.  A good, uplifting experience… and best of all, he didn’t mention my dodgy home-colouring once!

Prices start from £45 for a cut and finish with a junior stylist.  You can visit the Gielly Green website for more information, services and even book your appointment online.

* I was invited for a complimentary cut and finish as a guest of the salon

Hair dyes are taking the proverbial at the minute and I’m *this* far away from being brand loyal for once and going back to Superdrug for my essentials.

The reason I haven’t done so already is because I’m loving the (newish) mousse formula for a mess-free application.  I have previously reviewed the two other main contenders on the market if you’re interested in comparing.  Individually, I found them lacking… they had their strengths but also displayed weaknesses that I wouldn’t be able to overcome when it was time for a repurchase.

Which meant I was pretty excited to see a new mousse formula on the shelves when I trotted back to the chemist for a replacement.

L’Oreal Sublime Mousse in #40 Pure Dark Brown caught my attention in an instant.  I was practically clapping like a seal as my eyes drifted over the wonderfully ashy-looking shades in the range.  Ashy suits me well, red tones make my face look even pinker and as Summer approaches, I can do without the permanent flushed look.

Application was good, though I was a little disappointed to see the usual (too big) plastic gloves included.  I’ve been spoilt by the proper latex ones John Frieda’s product provided!  The instructions were precise and clear and didn’t incorrectly tell me to ‘shake the bottle’ as I experienced with the Clairol either…. so far, so good.

30 minutes of developing time later, at least it covers the greys….

Let’s just say… I’ve been using anti-dandruff shampoo daily in an attempt to fade it.

Not only that but the colour is leaching as a semi-permanent might.  How do I know this?  My white 500 thread count Egyptian Cotton pillowcase tells me so.  Yeah, I’m ecstatic about that one.

L’Oreal Sublime Mousse Hair Colour is available to buy from most usual stockists inc. Boots priced at around £6.99

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What are your preferred hair colourants at the moment?

It’s all go over at Batiste towers this week…

BIGGER CANS!

They’ve listened to the fans and SUPERSIZED three of the most popular fragrances.

Original, Blush and Tropical scents can now be purchased in 400ml cans… that’s double the size of the standard versions and promises to deliver around 20 applications.

The new size cans will retail at £4.99 each which I’m assured, represents a saving of almost 17% if you opt for the larger size over the 200ml version.

NEW PACKAGING!

Even the original sizes are getting a makeover.  The 150ml cans will be increasing to 200ml as standard which does mean a slight price hike, but from my quick maths this is fairly in line with the increase in volume rather than a sneaky way to squeeze more pennies from us.  Cynical? Moi?

If you’re unsure what to look out for next time you go shopping… here’s a visual of the new packaging changes.  Can you spot your usual fragrance?

NEW PRODUCT!

Finally…

Batiste have introduced another new product to the ever-expanding range…

XXL Volume promises to “provide a volumising makeover to help transform dull or limp hair into big and bouncy locks“.  I achieve a fair volume boost from the original range but will be interested to see how this aids in wrangling my flat locks into big, pouffy hair styles!

Batiste XXL Volume retails at £3.99 for 200ml and will be available from Superdrug, Boots, Sainsbury’s and Independent Pharmacies from June.

Phew! I think they need a nice cup of tea and a lie down!

I’m introducing a new segment to the blog called The Cutting Room Floor which will include various hair-related releases, snippets and bits and bobs that have caught my eye.

I’m definitely no hair expert and am forever throwing various products at my barnet in an attempt to undo the damage that regular colouring wreaks upon it but like most, I dream of soft, silky locks that reflect mirror shine *wistful sigh*.

This month I’ve been thinking about…

1. The John Frieda Live Hair Academy is the brand’s first online ‘show’ and will be streamed on May 27th at 1pm.  The hour long segment will be showing you how to achieve the hottest summer hair styles, how to best use the John Frieda products and sharing the techniques you need to know so you can achieve salon results at home.

They’re looking for participants including models and contributors who have specific hair-related questions they can answer live on the show! Want to get involved? All the details are on the John Frieda facebook page.

2. Stone Bridge Hair Accessories have caught my eye with this beautiful handmade Poppies Silk Scarf Headband.  The bold print screams Summer and I love the idea of “cheating” the silk scarf look with an easy-to-wear headband alternative.  A quick browse around their site leaves me wanting to play with a hundred different updos!

3. The eye-catching Macadamia Natural Oil range contains a blend of sought-after Argan and Macadamia Oils and is available in a ‘healing’ treatment, shampoo, conditioner and repair masque.  My dry hair loves treatment oils and visibly improves with regular use so I’m tempted to give this natural range a whirl.  Have you tried it yet?

4. Brocato’s CurlInterrupted Keratin Smoothing System is the the first non-toxic hair smoothing system, completely free from Formaldehyde, Thio and Sodium Hydroxide and with the added benefit of only a 24hr wait before you can wash and style your hair as normal (compared to the usual 72hrs).

I was put off keratin straightening treatments last year when reports of health concerns surrounding the possible release of unsafe levels of formaldehyde went into overload but it’s good to see there are healthier options available!  For further details call 08705 561 929.

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How’s your hair today?  Mine is in desperate need of a bucket hat!

…or hairy wimps, we can be passive or active about this… I don’t care whose voice we use.

I was bullied into this purchase by the good folks on Twitter who told me that if I didn’t buy one, my first born would hate me forever.

Always open to a bit of parenting guilt, I went for the black.  If in doubt, always buy something in black I say!

It arrived a few days later, looking all sleek and shiny and I couldn’t wait to put it to the test.

Now, to be fair… I don’t have particularly tangly hair.  Nowadays it’s a lot finer that it used to be and I don’t have to do that whole “clench it at the roots” thing to reduce pulling and pain.

My first impressions of the Tangle Teezer are that it’s a lot lighter than I anticipated and to be blunt, it’s a lot ‘cheaper’ feeling too.

I’m used to paying out for a Mason Pearson and was hoping that this would be the brush that would help extend the last bit of life left in mine.  In other words, I wanted the Tangle Teezer to be my workhorse… and the Mason Pearson to be my finisher!

The Tangle Teezer feels quite rough around the edges… construction is fully plastic and it is literally quite ‘rough around the edges’ with bits of plastic that catch on your skin.

On a more positive note, Mr. L has told me in no uncertain terms that if I can’t find it, it’s because he’s stolen it to scratch his head with which means that my MP is off the hook.  Anyone who owns a Tangle Teezer will understand what I mean when I say that the plastic bristles (I know that’s an oxymoron) really reach through your hair and give your scalp a great ‘brush’.

Another problem I have with the Tangle Teezer is it’s tendency to fly out of my hand mid brush… this thing needs rubber grips on the handle like I need an Apple Martini… i.e. now.

I would imagine that if your hair is thicker, this would be even more of an issue because of the additional pressure one would have to apply to draw the brush through the hair.

It fits nicely in the palm, even in my small hands though it would be far too cumbersome for a child to hold.  I believe they have a flowerpot designed Tangle Teezer especially for small hands!

So… overall… I’m torn.

It does exactly what it’s supposed to, I can’t fault it on it’s detangling abilities on my fine hair.  The teeth work through my hair like a hot knife through butter.

But having said this, I still think it’s over-rated and overpriced.  It feels cheap (but isn’t) and it’s quite poorly designed.  I can’t even carry it around in my bag because the prongs look like they would bend out of shape if I blew on them too hard… but perhaps their flexibility is part of the reason it detangles so painlessly?

Would I purchase it again?  No… but that doesn’t mean I regret my purchase either.

The Tangle Teezer is priced at around £10 and available online and instore at Boots.

Although ‘officially’ past that awkward inbetween length, my hair still feels very much like it’s making me endure the teenage years.  Up until 18 months ago, I’d had long hair my entire adult life… but along came a baby and with her; dribble, snot, vomit and spitup – most of which used to end up coating my locks.

I’d like to say that I’ve loved having short hair, I know that in theory… a neat, slightly-angled bob has always suited my round face better than heavy curtains that hang down either side of my hamster cheeks… but theory is called theory because it’s the opposite of practice.

I simply haven’t had the patience, inclination or time to style my short hair and stop it from looking untamed.  I’ve spent the last 18 months with what amounts to a bad hair day.  My feelings on this were hugely reinforced on Saturday when I attached the human hair extensions that I was sent by Halo Hair Extensions.

I’m a total hair extension n00b and have never considered myself a hair extension kinda girl.  I opened the package… looked blankly at the strands of hair infront of me and quite honestly thought “what the hell did I go and agree to give my feedback on these for?”  Curiosity would be the honest answer to that question.

First things first, did they even match my hair?  I held them up alongside my mane and Mr. L answered in the affirmative.  Obviously, you don’t trust a man’s opinion on such important matters so I hot-footed it to the bathroom and checked for myself.   I was sent this set in darkest brown and it’s a damn decent match to the ends of my hair… no ombre here (apart from the overprocessing I’ve done to my self).

I spread the 8 piece set out on the bed infront of me, marvelling at how the softness put my own to shame and wondering if the coarseness of my rough locks would look odd in comparison to the pieces I was about to “install”.

The set I received contained: 2 pieces of hair which are 8” wide (with 3 clips), 2 pieces which are 6” wide (with 2 clips) and 4 pieces which are 2” wide (with 1 clip).

I started with the widest pieces at the back, parting my hair horizontally with a rat-tailed comb and clipping them to my own hair.  I’m rubbish at describing things like this, if you’re as clueless as I was, I suggest that you go and watch one of the how-to videos on their website for more insight and tips into how they actually attach.

Once in, they felt secure and I was able to brush through gently with my hairbrush to blend my hair with the extensions.  It frankly felt amazing to have such thick, luxurious feeling hair… what a confidence boost.  I admittedly spent the entire day asking my husband if he could see the clips (he didn’t once say yes) but perhaps that kind of confidence in wear will come with time.

Wanna see how they look?  Bear in mind that this was my very first attempt at putting them in and they literally took me 5 minutes from start to finish.  I’m so impressed with how ‘usable’ they are, I really thought I’d struggle and turn the air blue trying to get them in but I didn’t enconter a single problem.

Things I’d do differently next time…

I can see a ‘shelf’ at the back and I appreciate now that I should have included the other 3-clip piece that I left on the bed thinking that I ‘didn’t need it’.

I’d contemplate trimming them just a touch to get rid of any wispiness from the ends.

This is a real glowing review, I’m struggling to find fault with the product (and I always like to find at least a little fault!)… so I will have to be pernickity and state that I did have to spend a good 10 minutes ‘picking’ bits of fluff/tacky glue out of some of the wefts.

But that’s my only negative experience with these clip-in hair extensions from Halo Hair.  Even the £39 price tag is reasonable… you could pay that easily for a decent haircut round my way.  I wish I’d tried them sooner, I just didn’t realise how easy they would be to put in.

Do you wear hair extensions?  Any tricks or tips to share?

The thought of dying my hair is genuinely one of the dreariest prospects I encounter every couple of months but for me and my grey hairs, it’s a necessary evil.  It smells, it stains and it’s a downright chore.

When I first heard about the new foam hair dyes entering the market late last year, I thought “oh hai new gimmick, I’m still going to hate using you”.  I was right.  Just not entirely…

The first one I tried was the John Frieda Precision Foam Colour* which retails at around £9.99.

It’s more money than I normally pay for a home colourant but I’m sure it’s one of those that will eternally be on special offer somewhere.  Having said that, it’s freakin’ fantastic.  It dispenses a rich, creamy foam from start to finish with crystal clear instructions, great packaging (and awesome gloves that fit properly!)

You can tell when thought and careful planning has gone into the details… and here, the quality is apparent even down to the fact that the dye wipes off skin beautifully without compromising on potency!

However…

The available shades for brunettes suck.  They’re all fairly warm-toned and if you’re a pink-faced girl with a penchant for ashy tones, this isn’t good news.  Would I buy it again?  Only if I want gingery grey bits when the dye fades.  So, um… probably not.

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The second one I tried (and I’m sat here with freshly dyed hair now) is the Clairol Nice n’ Easy Colour Blend Foam* which normally retails at a more palatable £6.99.

Props to Clairol for a stonking range of shade availability.  Everything from cool to warm tones, darkest to lightest… However, I got beef with this brand.

The instructions included in the box are terrible and led me to over-mix the formula thus producing crappy foam.  The instructions state: “Shake bottle until completely mixed”.

Watch this…

Now, to my mind… “Shake bottle until completely mixed” is a truly rubbish way to communicate to your customers “give it three firm shakes and then leave it alone for 30 seconds”.  No?

I followed the pack instructions, held the bottle, closed my eyes and shook vigorously for about 10 seconds until I was convinced that the products would be nicely mixed.

The result was a runny foam that applied nothing like the creamy John Frieda formula.

This stuff also stains like a four year old running around with a plate of spaghetti.  As a home hair-dye veteran, I’m used to wiping the backs of my ears, that pesky patch where a strand inevitably drops onto your shoulder and the annoying bits on the temples where you want to cover the baby greys but not the skin.  I usually do a grand job of it too.

Unfortunately, I’m sat here now with pretty bad skin staining on my temples.  Do I risk applying a barrier cream and not getting the coverage I need on those greys?  I don’t know… All in all, it’s a disappointing performance from the Clairol.

I’m genuinely upset about this because the colour selection is fabulous, the end result is good (though not as glossy as the John Frieda) and in theory, I love the foam formula which makes it almost impossible to ‘miss’ bits.  I don’t have to faff about parting my hair to get into the roots… I just treat it like I’m shampooing with a creamy lather and the formula does all the hard work for me.  Foam hair dyes have truly been a revelation.

Not only that, but in both instances, the dye has rinsed down the plughole like a dream with the water running clear after only a minute or two at the most.

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Which should you buy then?

If you’re looking for red tones, buy the John Frieda and do it now, while it’s on offer.

If you’re wanting a cooler-toned shade… go for the Clairol but beware the misleading pack instructions and be sure to use a barrier cream such as vaseline on your hairline.

The future’s bright and it’s rather foamy.

*press samples

I’m not going to wrap this up in my usual 4348390 words incase I somehow lose the point of this post.  Let me simply tell you that I experienced a miracle this morning (yesterday morning by the time you’re reading this!).

I worked a blob of the new Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate through my hair last night after doing the usual shampoo/conditioner routine, left it on for 2/3 minutes and rinsed it out.  I went to bed with wet hair, fully expecting to regret my laziness the next morning and instead woke up to the softest, smoothest hair I can remember having.

The coarseness had completely disappeared and I was able to gather my hair into a smooth ponytail with ends so sleek that I couldn’t stop stroking them.

It’s now 13 hours later and my hair is sadly starting to feel a little more like it’s usual rough self so I’m not sold on Pantene’s claims of long-term effectiveness… still, even a full day of glossy locks has brightened my mood.  Yes, I’m as shallow as that last statment makes me appear.  I don’t care how it works (probably silicones, smoke and mirrors), I just care that it makes my hair (temporarily) very happy.

Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate should be available in your usual Pantene stockists now as part of the Pro-V Colour Protect range, it’s priced at £3.99 and I really recommend that you stop whatever it is you’re doing to go and buy some.

Earlier in the week, I whined about my inability to recreate a salon blowdry in the comfort of my own home and many of you shared my woes.

We all agreed that this seemingly simple styling step made a HUGE difference to how our hair looks and feels and a couple of you were kind enough to share some ah-mazing tips that I’ll be sure to follow up in my own retarded way.

I wanted to share with you the highlights from our blow dry discussion but if you haven’t read it… I urge you to go check out the full post.  Some of those tips are fabulous and I can’t do them justice here.  Go on, you might learn something!

You lot are brilliant.  Have a great weekend! xx

Have you seen the new Mark Hill hairstyling tools?  Take a walk on the wild side with me to check ’em out!

RAWR!

The striking animal-print inspired range goes by the name RAW and includes three hairstyling tools that wouldn’t look out of place in our Christmas stockings this year.  We need bigger stockings don’t we?

The real reason I’m showing you this range is because a little birdy told me that for one week only… the limited edition Mark Hill RAW Zebra Power Hairdryer is gonna be selling at LESS THAN HALF it’s usual retail price!

Usually priced at £59.99, from the 12th – 18th November, Boots will be selling this online and instore for a very tempting £24.99!  If you’re after a new hairdryer… I’d be all over this like a zebra-printed rash!

But don’t be thinking that it’s style over substance… read on for the hairdryer’s impressive specs…

[stextbox id=”custom” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]

Mark Hill Raw Zebra Power Hairdryer Technology:

~ Ion technology
~ Shine technology
~ 2000W

Get the Look:

~ Smooth
~ Reduce frizz

[/stextbox]

After your helpful tips on achieving the perfect blow dry the other day, I’m eyeing up that particularly narrow nozzle attachment thingy with a new found A-HA!

Tempted?

Um… yay!

“Talk about it Tuesday” is a complete excuse for me to ramble.  It’s actually 3.30am and I’m supposed to have gone to bed about 2 hours ago *whistling*… but I got sidetracked by some blogs, Amazon, JamieOliver.com (have I ever told you how much I love Jamie?) and then thought I’d better at least *attempt* to reply to some emails.

All that stopped abruptly when I caught sight of my hair on my way to the bathroom.  How can hair be both frizzy and flat at the same time?

I hinted last week at finding an amazing deep conditioner… and I’ve held off posting about it ‘cos I’m hesitating that perhaps that initial WOW has since morphed into more of a WUH sound.  I need to give it a bit longer… but anyway, I digress (it is 3.33am afterall)…

Hair…

My hair seems to benefit from a salon blow dry.  No, I mean REALLY benefit.  The hair shaft lays flat and smooth, I get volume at the roots and some beautiful separation and swishiness to the ends.

Which leads me to my Talk About It Tuesday question…

I own a hairdryer, I even own a brush…

WHY THE HELL CAN’T I RECREATE A SALON BLOW DRY AT HOME?

What is wrong with my spasmodic hands that stops me from being able to co-ordinate holding a brush and a hairdryer at the same time.  I may aswell have flippers instead of fingers.

I managed a 2:1 in Media & Cultural Studies (ok, admittedly… not *quite* rocket science), I totes bagged myself a freaking GENERAL anaesthetic during child birth and I can’t even remember the last time I washed up dishes by hand.

What I’m saying is… I’m a resourceful kinda girl.  So why is this simple act so completely out of my reach?

Can you achieve a salon finish at home?  Do you bother trying? Someone teach me the magic!

Pantene are introducing a new range to the UK market next week called Pantene Colour Protect.  It will come in two variants:  Pantene Colour Protect & Smooth and Pantene Colour Protect & Volume.

Designed to protect coloured hair from premature fading, it claims to achieve this by reducing hair porosity which over time can facilitate faster colour fade.  Coloured hair (by it’s very nature) is particularly vulnerable to damage from environmental factors and anyone who colours their hair should be looking to provide it with some extra protection from the rigours of styling.

Pantene Colour Protect & Smooth (priced from £2.19) is designed for coloured hair that is prone to frizzing… great for thicker hair types that want to protect their colour without compromising on the ability to perfect a sleek style.

Pantene Colour Protect & Volume (priced from £2.19) is designed for coloured hair that lacks volume.  That would be me (although, show me a rain cloud and I can frizz up with the best of them too!), ideal for finer hair that needs a lightweight formulation that will rinse quickly and cleanly.

The shampoo ingredients can be seen below (I know you savvy lot love to see a list!):

And the conditioner:

Alongside the shampoo/conditioners, Pantene will also be introducing 3 treatment products to the range:

~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect Colour Seal Concentrate (£3.99/58ml)
~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect 2 Minute Damage Rescue Treatment (£3.99/200ml)
~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect Instant Nourishing Shine Spray (£3.99/150ml)

I’m most interested by the Colour Seal Concentrate and Shine Spray… I love the idea of treatments that offer a boost to complement my current routine (which rather unglamourously is designed to protect my flakey scalp more than my colour).  Being able to mix and match in this way is like having the best of both worlds!

If you want the opportunity to get your hands on the new range before anyone else, be sure to follow PanteneUK on Twitter as they’ll be giving away 10 sets of the new range on Tuesday.