The ghd air Boutique

ghd launches the ghd air Boutique; the world's first socially powered beauty experience featuring hair makeovers, model castings and a travelling airstream trailer kitted out with everything ghd!

It seems like only yesterday that I was getting excited for Vogue Fashion's Night Out last September and now, in a blink of an eye, it has come around again! On 6th September 2012, ghd will be opening their doors at Vogue Fashion's Night Out and welcoming keen fashionistas to their ghd air Boutique; the world’s first socially powered beauty experience. The power is at your fingertips as the ghd fans determine the next hairstyle and the next city-stop for the ghd air Boutique! First stop is London before the ghd travelling airstream trailer embarks on its ‘socially powered’ journey around the UK, destination unknown until their social media followers decide on its next location.

Pop along to experience the ultimate blow dry by a member of the ghd Style Team or strut your stuff in front of Select Model Management who has teamed up with ghd to discover the next budding, ghd model. A casting will take place at the ghd air Boutique on 6th September at Vogue Fashion's Night Out, with the ultimate winner being decided by...yes, you've guessed it, the social media fans via Facebook. Book a blow dry, find out more about the ghd Select Model competition or vote your city to be the next destination by visiting the ghd twitter and Facebook pages. 

Will you be popping along for a pamper at the ghd air Boutique?

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Ojon rare blend oil

Ojon Rare Blend Oil* - £29

- contains Ojon Oil, Rouge Oleifere, Tahitian Monoi Oil, Marula Oil, Kalahari Melon Oil, Kukui Oil and Ximenia Oil

- exclusively available from Harrods and launches nationwide on 1st October 2012

Apart from possibly being the prettiest hair product I have seen to date, Ojon’s new Rare Blend Oil is an exquisite multi-coloured fusion of seven natural oils sourced from all over the world, designed to tame frizz, provide intense hydration, boost shine and protect against heat damage. This oil is the epitome of a multi-use product with a plethora of benefits thanks to the exotic combination of seven-reparative oils from Central America, Africa, French Polynesia and Hawaii. Ojon’s Rare Blend Oil can be used as a protective treatment applied to damp hair or as a styling product to add a high gloss shine to your finished style.

This oil really is a miracle worker and is such a lovely to product to use. Simply shake well to combine the oils and then, once you have marvelled at its peachy-transformation, pour a few drops into the palm of your hands and work through your hair. Compared to the likes of Moroccan Oil for example, the consistency of this oil is a lot looser and you really only need a few drops otherwise it can weigh the hair down and make it look lank and greasy. It is dedicated to helping repair coarse, dehydrated and severely damaged hair and seals the hair cuticles to lock in vital moisture. I prefer using the Rare Blend Oil on wet hair before applying heat and consequently my hair feels amazing, so soft and relaxed. The fragrance of this oil is sweet, creamy and fresh with a blend of Tonka Bean, Cocoa Seed Butter and Bergamot, and lingers on the hair a little after you've applied it. I am not sure whether I love it more than my beloved Moroccan Oil but it certainly comes close and is a valued addition to my hair care collection. 

What hair oils are you loving at the moment?

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It Must be Love

Everyone loves a good wedding. But when it is one of your best friends getting married and the setting happens to be the most exquisite rustic Italian town in Tuscany, somehow a lovely day turns into the most incredible occasion ever. Last weekend Rob and I took a whistle-stop tour of Northern Italy, with a fleeting visit to Pisa, to share in Holly and Ben's very special, very Italian wedding. I joined Holly is the morning to style her hair for her and share in the excitement and prosecco of the morning's activity before joining the other guests to witness a beautiful ceremony which brought about tears and laughter in equal measures. The rest of the day and evening went by in a dream; a whirl of toasts, speeches, heart-shaped food, moonlight dancing and great music with Madness - It Must be Love being the song of the night! It was such a special day it is hard to put into words how wonderful it all was and I am thrilled I got lots of photographs so I can treasure the memories. Holly looked perfect, so serene and elegant as always and neither her nor Ben stop smiling from morning to night. It was a joy to see and we were just so happy to be able to share the occasion with them. It was truly the most beautiful wedding, blessed with the most charming backdrop of the Tuscan hills and cloudless skies. And yes, the Italians certainly know how to hold a good party!

Lots of love to Holly & Ben x

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the accent nail

Bourjois 1 seconde nail polish* in 06 Rose Cupcake
Accessorize nail polish* in Dance

My nails of the day aren't that spectacular or groundbreaking to be honest, but definitely fun nonetheless! The accent nail is such a saving grace when you are torn between two colours and today it was tricky decision between the pretty rose-pink of Bourjois' 1 seconde polish and the vivid blue of Accessorize's nail colour in Dance. So I indulged in both! Each product give a stunning, flawless colour after two coats and dries to a lovely, smooth finish. The Accessorize polish was particularly impressive especially for a meagre £2.95 and the Bourjois number has a silicone-gel formula which means it is ultra-glossy and stays chip-free for an admirable length of time.

Do you like an accent nail?

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all my life

Jumper - Forever 21

Skirt - Vintage (Retro Rehab, Manchester)

I have fully been making the most of the recent sunny spells by whipping out the pastels and the florals and pretending that September isn't just around the corner! However, and I surprise myself when I say this, I am so excited for a/w fashion now and can't wait for luxe fabrics, darkened shades and layers. Lots of layers. I feel I am done with the soft hues and ditsy prints.

This is my outfit from yesterday which was spent with a spot of shopping and an obligatory Starbucks before spending the rest of the day over at my mum's having a belated birthday celebration for Rob. We ended up watching the highlights from the Leeds and Reading festivals and I was sucked into the sheer energy and passion of Foo Fighters' closing act. It reminded me how much I love Dave Grohl and how incredible they were when I saw them perform at V festival years and years ago. All My Life is currently on repeat as I type! Today we are spending time with friends, indulging in a pub lunch and making the most of this extra day off work. Don't you just love Bank Holidays?

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Essie - to buy or not to buy

Essie nail polish - to buy or not to buy
available from Boots

So it would seem that this is the week for purple nail varnishes on my blog, however this particular polish is right at the other end of the colour spectrum to Topshop's Wisdom which I featured earlier this week. I purchased Essie's To Buy or Not To Buy at the start of Summer and it has been my go-to pastel polish all season. It is a gorgeous lilac creme with tiny flecks of blue and silver glitter suspended in the polish. Sadly this lovely duo-chrome that shimmers in the bottle doesn't translate once you have applied the polish to your nails. It would have made this nail varnish extra special if the duo-chrome was visible on the nails but as it happens, To Buy or not To Buy is still a very nice colour and is lovely to apply.

What are you favourite Essie polishes?

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MAC Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel

MAC Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel - £17.50
"A bronzer that applies like liquid sun. Water-based, beautifully smooth to apply with added pearlized lustre."

MAC originally launched their lustre drops as a limited edition product when the Style Warriors collection was released back in Summer 2009 I believe. Now however they are very much a permanent feature in their mainline range and come in two luminous shades, Pink Rebel and Sun Rush. Pink Rebel is described as a blue pink with gold pearl and whereas I can concur with the gold pearl part, I don't think the colour is very bluey-pink toned at all. I see it more as a peachy-pink champagne shade and is definitely more of a highlighter than a bronzer. The purpose of lustre drops is very similar to that of Benefit's 'Beam' products; to give you that lit-from-within glow and add radiance and shimmer in an instance.

Pink Rebel is perfect for highlighting specific areas of the face or décolletage, but can also be mixed in with your foundation to give an all over glow. It has the ability to loosen particularly heavy foundations or give matte foundations a burst of dewiness. It may look small but this liquid highlighter is mighty and a little goes a long way. I like to dab a few blobs along my cheekbones and onto my brow bones and then gently blend in with my fingertips or my Real Techniques stippling brush. I must confess that I am usually more partial to powdered highlighters but I have really enjoyed using this product recently, especially over the summer months when I've been embracing a more dewy look.

What are your favourite liquid highlighters?

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Philips ReAura - update

Philips ReAura Laser Skin Rejuvenation* - £799
available from SpaceNK

It was just over four weeks ago that I embarked on my Philips ReAura Laser Skin Rejuvenation journey and I thought I would give you all a little update on how I am getting on with this device. If you aren’t au fait with the ReAura then you can read all the details on my first post here. The initial ReAura programme suggests using the device two times a week for a period of 8 weeks. Following that, they would expect you to be noticing some results; improvement in skin luminosity and firmness, a reduction in fine lines and a smoother, more radiant complexion. I am half way through the programme and it is very hard to gage if I can visibly see any improvements yet. I admitted from the start that my skin is by no means an extreme case and using the ReAura is more of a luxury than a necessity. Thankfully at the age of 26, I don’t have any fine lines or wrinkles and I believe my skin to be in good health. What the Philips ReAura could do for me however is boost the natural radiance of my skin (always a plus) and even out my skin tone and texture.

Using the ReAura twice a week might not sound too taxing but I have occasionally missed a session and had to play catch-up the following week. I am only focussing the treatment on each side of my face which takes about twenty minutes in total. The forehead is definitely a no-go area for me for two reasons; a) because I have no issues with my forehead at all apart from it being slightly large and b) the ReAura likes plump, soft flesh and it is harder to glide over (and is slightly more painful) when used on bonier areas. However, it is important to remember though that the ReAura isn’t solely designed to be used on your face. In fact the list of areas you can use the device on is extensive, giving you the freedom to target more than one troublesome region at once. Hands, the décolletage or even random skin pigmentation on the rest of your body can all be subject to the ReAura laser!

So what I can report so far? Well my skin does feel different. This is a given really as the whole premise of the ReAura is to trigger the natural process of cell renewal, revealing fresh skin cells bursting with collagen and newness. It does feel like I have new skin…or at least endured a very thorough exfoliating treatment! With newer skin comes a softer, silkier feel to the face which ultimately leads to a smoother application of makeup to the skin. Being the makeup geek I am, this is one thing I noticed straight away and was very happy about. As for a boost of natural radiance or skin firmness, the jury is still out on that one. However I am only half way through my treatment so I will definitely update you again in another four weeks time to let you know my final thoughts.

Any questions at all, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.

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Topshop Nails in Wisdom

Topshop Nails in Wisdom £6

Topshop's makeup has slowly but surely infiltrated my own makeup collection over the last couple of months, and it is these dinky nail polishes I have to blame! It's clear that I can't resist the polka dots and huge range of varnishes on offer in a plethora of colours and finishes. I have always liked the frivolity of metallic nails and considering purple is big news this A/W, I decided to pick up this sweet, mauve polish in Wisdom.





The colour of this nail varnish is one of those tricky ones to capture on camera, let alone describe in words, as it is ever-changing and multi-dimensional in differing lights. The base is a silvery-mauve shade with very fine grey glitter running through it. It dries to a lovely high-shine, metallic finish and only requires two coats to be completely opaque. The consistency is surprisingly smooth and doesn't feel gritty at all or in need of a top coat. I like the coolness of this polish and it makes a pretty pedicure colour too!

Have you treated yourself to anything from the Topshop Nails range?

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FashionistA custom palette

FashionistA custom palette* - £5
Individual blushers, bronzers, eyeshadows* - £4, all available from Superdrug

There is something quite satisfying about creating your own bespoke makeup palette. The neat freak within me loves consolidating all my favourite, go-to shades into one palette, perfect for travelling and touch-ups on the go. The FashionistA’s custom palette comes in jet black or high-shine red and houses four individual products of your choice - complete with a good-sized mirror in the lid. I think these palettes are great fun and give you the freedom to pick and mix your products, combining eyeshadows, blushers and bronzers all in one compact place. Unlike other palettes that force you to have a separate palette for eye and cheek products, the uniform size of the products across the FashionistA range means you can literally have any combination you fancy. Plus you have the advantage of being able to flip the palette over and seeing the names of each shade underneath; often a flaw with other (ahem MAC) palettes!

The merged mono eyeshadows are new to the collection and come in six, multi-tonal shades. The consistency was surprisingly smooth and silky and very pigmented without being too glittery. The formula of these eyeshadows means they can be used wet or dry which is a nice touch and makes them perfect for an all over colour or a defined line. The eyeshadow featured in my palette is ‘Couture’ – a galaxy of copper browns and golds giving your lids a warm, earthy shimmer.

The mono blushers and bronzers are my favourite aspect from the collection and come in a variety of shades and finishes. There are three matte bronzers which are great for contouring and adding a touch of warmth, whereas the trio of merged bronzers give you a gorgeous glow and subtle shimmer. Described as complexion-enhancing essentials and named after fashion capitals of the world, the feel of thes products is satin-soft and can be mixed and blended together, to suit any style or mood. The beautiful blusher I have in my palette is ‘London’ and is a sweet medley of golden peach with shimmery pink laced through it. It is very pretty and smooth to apply and slightly reminds me of one of my all-time-favourite-blushers, Coralista from Benefit. The two bronzers, ‘Dubai’ and ‘Tokyo' are nice to have in your collection and are great for contouring and highlighting, but are a little small for achieving an all over colour. I also found the consistency of the bronzers a little chalkier than the other products, so I am definitely considering replacing them with the two other merged blushers from the FashionistA range as they look ridiculously pretty!

Are you are fan of customising your own palettes?

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