Monday 22 April 2013

Bun Fun with Lauren


Long before the days of Jessica Biel and Elle Macpherson, my hair idol was Mrs Parsley, my kindergarten teacher. I lusted after her style; a wide, large dome of hair which sat solidly upon her crown. Nothing moved it, not even a day of chasing children around the classroom, bobbing and weaving around tiny tearaways. God knows, I tried to recreate the look at home, but my Mother’s hair brushing technique left a lot to be desired, and I eventually decided that it wasn't worth the tears. Over twenty years later, I have finally discovered a solution; Lauren’s Hair Bun. I've used spongy hair buns before, the simplicity of forming a ponytail, wrapping it around the mesh doughnut and pinning has saved me precious bed minutes before the morning tube/work dash. I have to say, the size of this one intimidated me at first. It comes in two sizes, one large, and the other massive. The one I’m experimenting with here is the smaller of the two. Obviously it required more pins than usual, and my finer-haired contemporaries may struggle with finding enough strands to cover it. If you’re short on hair, I would suggest clip-in extensions before the bun application. It’s not exactly a ‘popping down the shops’ sort of style (unless, like its inventor, the shops are in Romford) but would allow for a dramatic entrance to any evening soiree. Audrey Hepburn glamour can be yours for just £9.95. Get your Big Bun here.

I practiced using the bun on my friend Jo, here are the results:















Sunday 21 April 2013

Happy Birthday Cath Kidston!


I have always claimed I was born to be driven and last Wednesday, FINALLY, someone took notice. A car collected me from work and whipped me over to Cath Kidston head office in Latimer Road. Cath’s CafĂ© had been transformed into a blogger-friendly paradise, with the brand’s birthday book, ‘Coming up Roses’ being supported with more pretty florals, 50’s prints and polka dots than you could shake a stick at. 

Delicious cocktails and tasty bowl food was flowing, and after watching the Coming up Roses video, we selected a Cath Kidston mug and learnt how to make special birthday candles with Jessie Warren. I made mine in a red and white dotty mug and a sweet little pale blue egg cup. As our candles cooled in night, we donned our stripy aprons and moved on to cupcake icing with star baker Lily Vanilli. It was great to learn top tips from one of the best cake makers and decorators in Britain! We were soon ‘coming up roses’ ourselves; iced ones, mainly. Crystallising pansies was fun and we soon had some tasty looking creations to take home (in lovely Cath Kidston tins, no less). There was something for everyone in the new Cath collection; if you’re not a fan of florals, the vintage red and white dots print is a great alternative.

The ‘Coming up Roses’ book explains all about the history of Cath Kidston and how the brand grew to the print powerhouse it is today. I was beyond impressed with the mini TV tucked inside our Coming up Roses shopper goodie bag; for a luddite like me, it was exciting to glimpse the future of advertising! I was the last one to have a Discman, but I like to think I have been one of the first to watch something on a teeny tiny TV. The gadget shows the Coming up Roses video. 

This was a fabulous event to mark a long and illustrious history, Cath fans rejoice; there are some exciting new products to get your mitts on, I think this blooming marvellous brand will be celebrating many more happy birthdays to come. 

#CK20yrs 











































Wednesday 10 April 2013

Swimwear Ready?


Don’t let this weather fool you; summer is coming. This year, I refuse to be caught unaware; my hairy pallid flesh will not be shocked into display prematurely. From this moment onward, I am perma-buffing, tanning and yes, dieting a bit, to ensure that when the time comes, I will be my version of beach-ready. The Shellac pedicure is booked and the initial highlights have been painted in. Normally, I would leave purchasing a bikini until the last possible moment, in the vain hope that I will drop inches and potentially even cup sizes. The truth is I have been exactly the same size (12) and cup size (34DD) since about the age of 15. The level of toning may vary (none-average-fair), but the dress size and general shape rarely does. This time, I’m accepting things early, and intend to pour these curves into something new and delicious from Freya. The brand served me well last year, and I’m looking forward to some new two-pieces from the glamorous new range, superbly displayed in this, their new Santorini-based shoot.

www.freyalingerie.com/



Thursday 4 April 2013

label.m Resurrection Style Dust

Resurrection Style Dust has had a make-over! This magic powder is the best thing for adding volume to your hair. The formula has now been redefined with finer particles, and now there’s a brunette version too. I love sprinkling this into my roots and then backcombing the crown a bit to instantly pump up a wilting style with an invisible finish. Liquid mousses are slightly ‘old hat’ now, and if you’re looking for a more natural, easily absorbed, non-sticky alternative, I couldn't recommend these new products enough.

Available online, in specially appointed label.m salons, TONI&GUY and essensuals worldwide.



I experimented with the new Resurrection Dust on my friend Becky's hair. I started by crimping the roots, then sprinkled the product and backcombed.







And I used the brunette version with the same technique. I curled the ends a bit afterwards too: