GEMSMAQUILLAGE

NEW HAIR! EXTENSION PROFESSIONAL AND FOUR LONDON

gemsmaquillage — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:57:37 +0000

If you saw my excited Instagrams yesterday you will be well aware that I spent yesterday in the hands of Louise Bailey, the founder and director of Extension Professional. I first heard about Louise from my lovely friend and fellow blogger Ree, who had a couple of rows of extensions in her (already lovely) hair. Every time I saw Ree I was amazed by the quality and I’ve spent many an evening browsing the amazing before and after photos on their Facebook page. I felt like I was in very safe hands, as Louise specialises in extensions that blend seamlessly through the hair and cuts the hair afterwards to taper out at the ends as natural hair would, no blocky stringy extensions! The hair used is high quality Indian temple hair which means it is ethically sourced. Pilgrims travel to donate their hair in Hindu tradition and the money from the sale of it is fed back into the temple and the local community.

Before my extensions I had my washed out colour (see here) refreshed and darkened by the amazing Jenny from FOUR London. Yesterday was honestly the best salon experience I’ve ever had, everything from the atmosphere of the salon, the attentive and friendly stylists and the end result were top notch. Louise works alongside the FOUR stylists who are great at colour, and the whole time I felt totally at ease chatting away with no awkwardness, no miscommunication and no worries. They also have great snacks, which is a bonus. I always find it difficult to explain exactly what shade of brunette I like which usually results in me doing it myself at home, but Jenny knew straight away what I meant by a really rich brown, dark but not black in the light, not too warm and brassy but not too icy and flat either. She did an amazing job! Louise matched me to two shades of extensions, one darker and one slightly lighter, to both break up the colour and also ensure that any fading in my natural hair would be accounted for.

Initially I thought I only wanted my hair to be a couple of inches longer, but once Louise put the hair extensions in we didn’t end up cutting them too short simply because I thought the hair was so beautiful and soft and I fell in love with the length, after all once you cut it you cut it! We agreed that I would go home and curl it and see how I felt and then I can pop back for Louise to trim more off if I need to, which I might end up doing at some point. I’m channeling Rapunzel at the moment which for someone who has been trying to grow their hair forever is a lot of fun but I might have a couple of inches off to make it more manageable as time goes on. Louise has a strong client base of celebrities like Ellie Goulding, Caroline Flack, Vanessa White from The Saturdays, Josie Gibson and Stacey Solomon and her results speak for themselves with her clients raving about her work. She’s so easy to talk to and friendly which is one of the most important things for me when it comes to having a good stylist. They might be fantastic at doing hair but if there is no relationship there how can you ever expect to get the results you want? Salons can be an intimidating place and I’ve been to so many stylists who either boss you around completely or fail to advise you. Louise made sure I was getting what I wanted with no pressure, but was also great at giving me her opinion and expertise when I asked which was the perfect balance.

I loved having the extensions cut and finished by Louise because as she put it yesterday, installing extensions and then letting someone else cut them is like starting a painting and letting someone else finish your masterpiece. She has a lot of pride in her system and work and I’m delighted with the results. These extensions differ to other systems as they use a keratin and polymer bond that locks around the hair, and doesn’t mix into it. This means that removal (if done correctly and by Louise or her team) will leave your hair just as healthy as when you started. There’s even a video here of Big Brother star Josie having hers removed to show the zero damage. The bonds themselves are incredibly flat which allows them to sit against the head and not look bulky. My extensions should last about three months with the correct aftercare.

I will of course keep you updated on how I’m getting on with them and let you know what happens after the removal stage. You can find out more information about Louise Bailey here, Extension Professional here, and FOUR London here, I can’t recommend Jenny highly enough if you are looking for colour. As I mentioned, Louise is the founder and director of Extension Professional and is now offering hair extension training courses in London - one of only three courses in London with HABIA accreditation. She also offers volume-only extensions and prices start at £500.

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THE O – CLOUD NINE

gemsmaquillage — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:51:24 +0000

Cloud Nine have been on my radar since I lived in Spain years ago and first relied on their Wide Irons to tame my hair in the humid heat of Valencia. (You can see a VERY rambly old video of me talking about it here - hopefully my camera quality has improved since then and I thankfully don’t beg you guys to believe me at the start of every video eh?) Although I still keep a pair of Wide Irons to hand I am definitely all about volume these days rather than pin straight hair and I’ve been using their Wand (review here) for waves since January now. Their set of rollers, the O, has been something I’ve admired from afar for a long while. Afar being the operative word because since my hair is not at a great length and I’m perpetually trying to grow it, I assumed my hair would shrink back on itself whilst doing it’s best mushroom impersonation and I wouldn’t get the effect I wanted from it.

Recently along with a group of bloggers, I headed over to a Cloud Nine event to learn more about their Know Your Hair, Love Your Hair campaign. I was asked beforehand if I would like to be an ambassador for my hair length/type, which really just involved being pampered and writing this post so of course I said yes. My stylist used the O to give me Adele-style tousled volume and I realised sheepishly that the O isn’t really about curls, but body, aka the love of my life. Now, there are no two ways about it, this is not a cheap set of rollers. Before I tried them out I wondered if they could be worth the price and what really set them apart from other sets. Honestly, if you are interested in these I would highly recommend finding a salon that uses them so you can play with them, have them used on your hair and see what you think. The technology they use and just small details about the experience you have using them are things that jump out at you when you experience them first hand. Before I moved to London I was a regular at the Andrew Collinge Salon in the Trafford Centre and I know they used them on clients there.

The rollers have a unique ‘pod’ that doesn’t actually get hot itself. It charges each roller in less than 4 seconds, and you hear a small whirring noise before the beeps and light tell you your roller is ready. My favourite part of the whole thing is the fact that the roller feels warm but not hot when you take it out. It continues to heat up as you put it into your hair so burned fingers are a thing of the past, and you have enough time to work it into your hair before it gets to it’s optimum temperature. The core of the roller has a little spot on it that turns red when it’s hot and fades back to black when it’s time for them to be removed. The end result, as shown in the photos, is luxurious sloaney hair that looks like you’ve had the blow dry to end all blow dries. Perfect for people who love volume but don’t know how to give themselves a salon do at home.

Like I said, they really have to be tried to be believed, and although they aren’t essential for everyone, anybody that likes a lot of volume and wants to save time will love these. You buy the rollers separately and I know my Mum (who has a graduated bob) would absolutely love the smaller ones. It takes a lot to make me feel like something is really special and I haven’t used a hair product like this.

Like I said, at £152 the O isn’t cheap, but I’ve bought sets of rollers for £80 that couldn’t be more different to this. I have the ultimate set which retails at £199.95 and is a good bet if you have hair my length as it comes with a variety of roller sizes. To create this look I used smaller rollers underneath and the biggest ones on top for maximum volume! It’s definitely an investment, but if it’s the sort of thing you’d use every day I really suggest having it used on you in a salon to see what the fuss is all about.

Have you tried The O at home or in a salon?

This post is sponsored as part of the Know Your Hair, Love Your Hair campaign.

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MANCHESTER LOWRY OUTLET FOOD FESTIVAL

gemsmaquillage — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:00:31 +0000

Last weekend we were homeward bound and back up North to visit family and friends. Although I love London it’s so vast and overwhelming that I really appreciate being back in Manchester when I go. It’s a perfectly sized city in my opinion, big enough to feel like a city with lots going on and small enough to let you bump into friends often and know your way around the entire place. One area that I haven’t spent a ton of time in but I love is the Salford Quays/Media City area. Recently developed, Media City is the home of the BBC as their well-documented migration to Manchester continues and it’s full of new apartments and developments.

Last weekend the Media City Piazza was taken over by the Manchester Food Festival. My boyfriend Matt is in a band called The Cape Race and they were asked to play so off we went for a day of music and food. I snapped some photos to share with you, chatted with friends, ate some almond-stuffed olives and rosemary fries, bumped into the lovely Boo who recently had a baby and looked far too much like a supermodel given that it’s been two weeks (or less?!) and enjoyed walking around the stalls particularly the Camp Cooks and the entertainers walking around. Celebrity chefs like Gino D’Acampo, James Martin and Paul Hollywood were also there giving food demos for just £7 and the event itself was completely free.

This was the first time a food festival was held at the Lowry so keep your eyes out for the next one! I had a lot of fun.

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No7 YOUTHFUL CC CREAM

gemsmaquillage — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:12:42 +0000

I really hate to do this, but I’ve fallen in love with a product that won’t be out until July. I know, I’m sorry, but consider this warning to mark July in your calendar as the month of the CC cream. Normally if a product was launching so far away I would wait until nearer the time but I wore this and mentioned it in this video here (click through to see the product on my face in high def video) and had lots of questions from you guys. It was only when the press release came through a few days later that I realised the release date. A lot of you have been asking No7 staff who were none the wiser so I wanted to give you the info.

I know by now you’re all sick to death of BB this, CC that, and quite honestly most of the western BB creams are just glorified tinted moisturisers. One that I continue to be impressed by however is the No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream that I used last summer. I find most BB Creams greasy despite my dehydrated skin and yet this one was perfect. I loved the fact that it came in different shades and had two options for combination/oily and normal/dry skin types. Despite being more on the dry side I opted for the oily formula which worked out perfectly as it stayed put whilst still being light and moisturising and didn’t give me that sheen that can be mistaken for sweatiness when you’re on the tube at the end of the day. I still firmly believe it’s the best high street BB Cream and it’s affordable to boot.

Because I loved that so much I grinned like a maniac when I saw the Youthful CC Cream at a recent Boots press day. CC Creams are typically Colour Correction products and whilst the SPF does help prevent uneven pigmentation and the overall effect is brightening, I can’t help but feel like the name is on there to jump on the bandwagon a little bit. Having said that, this could be called the “bag of gravel” cream and I would happily slap it on my face because it is quite simply, a lovely product. Thicker than a BB cream and less tinted-moisturiser in formula, this blends in more like a cream foundation yet gives you a flawless and undetectable look. I used it in place of my moisturiser and I was shocked at how long it lasted, the finish, and just how much I liked my skin when this was on. This really does give your skin a youthful, even look without looking like a mask. I’m pleased to say No7 have pulled it out of the bag again this year.

The only drawback with the product is the shade. Whilst perfect for me anyone with a lighter skin tone may struggle to make this work, and very deep skintones will also likely have issues. It’s a shame because it really is fantastic, but if this doesn’t work for you shade-wise, there’s always the BB cream. They are both really lovely products and I feel the No7 BB Cream in particular doesn’t get as much praise as it deserves.

The No7 CC Cream will be on counters from July 2013 priced at £14.95. Have you tried the BB Cream? What did you think?

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HEALTHY DIY “STARBUCKS” VEGAN FRAPPE

gemsmaquillage — Sat, 11 May 2013 22:31:07 +0000

We all have a Starbucks order. My hot order is a soy chai latte and my cold order is a mocha light frap with peppermint syrup, no cream. It’s refreshing, it has caffeine and it tastes like an After Eight mint. Calorie wise it isn’t actually awful for you, but the Starbucks frapuccinos are made with syrups and all kinds of preservatives and sweeteners, not to mention they are a pretty costly habit, so I’ve been experimenting at home making alternatives with a healthier twist in my re-useable Starbucks tumbler. I’m convinced that 70% of our taste and enjoyment of food comes from how it’s presented to us and drinking from this genuinely makes me feel like I’m drinking a Starbucks. I know, I know, but it works.

The good thing about this is that it’s also vegan, and annoyingly for vegans one of the only things you can’t make a dairy-free zone at Starbucks are these kinds of drinks since they come to the coffee shop more or less pre-made. Here I’m using Kara coconut milk and my new love, Oatly pouring “cream” – you’ll be seeing this in more recipes to come. Watch the video below to find out how it’s made and if you’re looking for a similar drink but full of protein for after the gym, check out this video I made a while ago. Enjoy!

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