OOTD: Misguided

A fun little outfit from last Saturday. This crop and midi pencil skirt were from Nicole for Misguided, but they still stock many similar versions!

 Similar set from Misguided here and here.

For the hair I used Babyliss Curl Secret. I took small sections to create the curls in alternate directions. I then let them set for about half an hour while I did my makeup. After the curls had thoroughly cooled I brushed through them with my hands and a smoothing brush to loosen them and give them a lot more volume and movement.

Review: Look Fantastic 1st Birthday Beauty Box

Look Fantastic are currently running a special 1st Birthday promotion where you can receive a FREE September Beauty Box worth £55 when you spend £55 or more! Usually their boxes are between £11.25 and £15 depending on your chosen subscription.

I was sent one of their Birthday boxes to review and was impressed to see it was packed full of products!

The box I received contained:

• Phyto - Phytokeratine Extreme (leave in conditioner)
• Tan Worx - Tan Maintainer
• Codage - Creme Gommante
• Sebastian Penetraitt shampoo and conditioner 
•  Bliss - Fabulous Foaming Face Wash
• Caudalie - Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
• Caudalie - Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum

I'm really looking forward to trying these out, especially the Phyto conditioner formulated for dry hair as my hair is in deep need of moisture!

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? What do you think of Look Fantastic's offering?

Magdalene May Ball 2015

Last week the hubby and I attended the Magdalene College White Tie May Ball in Cambridge. If you have been reading my blog for a while you will see these posts pop up every two years. I love sharing these experiences with you all, especially when there is an opportunity to dress up! It’s funny to think that this year will be 10 years since we matriculated and here we are back again still feeling (and behaving) like teenagers.

Rather than going for a traditional ball gown (I wore a pretty big MaxMara number to the last one) I decided to switch it up with something a little more sleek and form fitting.

The India dress from Forever Unique was on sale in two different colours (purple version from ASOS here). However, as I wore a purple one shouldered gown (from Coast) four years ago I decided to try the emerald green. I absolutely loved the heavy embellishment on the sleeve of this dress and its overall shape.

Of course the material of these types of dresses is always quite thin so you can see every contour, making a tactical choice of underwear a must!

For makeup I did a very simple smokey eye using the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. I made sure that the look lasted all night by using a really long lasting foundation (Mac Studio Fix) and setting it all carefully with powder (I used a combination of MAC MSF natural and ELF Mineral Glow powder). I finished the look off with false lashes from Eyelure (Cheryl Girls Night style).

 

For hair I used the Babyliss wide barrel tong (Glamour Waves) to create large curls. I then clipped the bottom sections while getting ready to ensure they had more texture and gently curled the top section at the end so it looked smooth and sleek.

It was a wonderful night of champagne, street food, music and dancing with the Fratellis performing.

We bumped into so many alumni from our university days and it was really fun catching up with them all!

I made it from sunset to sunrise! Hopefully we will be back in 2017!!

Review: Hair is Fabric HIF Cleansing Conditioners

As my hair has been long and coloured for many years I am always on the lookout for gentler ways of washing it to ensure it doesn’t become dry and frizzy. I am a big fan of cleansing conditioners as they don’t strip your hair of natural oils, so when I was offered the new HIF (Hair is Fabric) range to review I jumped at the opportunity.

Hair really is like fabric. It’s made up of dead cells that can’t be repaired. The most effective way of achieving healthy hair is simply by preventing it’s fibre from being damaged in the first place. HIF is designed to be akin to dry cleaning for hair….only with water!

 

The HIF range of 15 Cleansing Conditioners has been formulated to fully cleanse using Fractionated Cleansing Particles that do not strip the natural oils from the hair and scalp. The unique particles bind only to dirt and leave the hair fabric alone. This allows for all impurities to be fully removed and rinsed away without stripping or damaging the hair.

A first-ever Fabric Depositing Technology has also been included to deliver next-generation active ingredients effectively to the deepest parts of the hair. This technology is used in the textile world to deposit dyes into fabrics and stop them from being rinsed away through consistent washing. Most haircare products target only the cuticle, leaving a superficial healthy look, but no long-term benefits. HIF’s delivery technology allows actives to remain anchored to the cuticle, even through washing, thus facilitating the penetration of ingredients into the deepest parts of the hair. Thanks to nourishing and conditioning ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Exotic Oils and Precious Rock extracts hair will become stronger, shinier and smoother with each and every wash.

Unlike most cleansing conditioners, which do not foam, HIF offers an exaggerated foaming feeling by creating a unique fake foam (in seven of its formulations).

The collection includes:

·         Hydration Support

·         Intensive Detox

·         Colour Support

·         Volume Support

·         Straight HairSupport

·         Curly Hair Support

·         Anti-Frizz Support

·         Growth Support

·         Anti-Aging Support

·         Black Hue Support

·         Red Hue Support

·         Brunette Hue Support

·         Blonde Hue Support

·         Silver Hue Support

·         Anti-Brass Support

I love that the range has so many different formulations so you can really target your hair’s needs. I chose the Red Hue Support (as red is the most tricky colour to maintain) and Anti-Frizz Support to try to keep my hair under control during these humid Summer days. These cleansing conditioners do not foam, but feel very rich and creamy. Personally, I don’t mind the lack of foam as I simply wet my hair, massage the conditioner through and leave it for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

The Red Hue Support was very red when it came out of the tube. As my hair is long I felt like I had to use a lot to saturate the hair on my first wash, but this may be a testament to how dehydrated my hair was as it seemed to suck up all the product. It did take a while to rinse out the conditioner as it is very pigmented and I did feel that some deposits were left on my hair so it felt a little heavier than usual, but the colour looked visibly better. The next time I used it I applied less to the root area and this prevented my hair from being weighed down, but still gave the benefits of hydration and kept my colour vibrant.

The Anti-Frizz Support is a slightly lighter formulation, while still being moisturising and caring for the hair. Once again I concentrated it on my mid lengths and ends and it rinsed out well leaving my hair soft and smooth with a really long-lasting scent.

The HIF range is available through the Deciem webiste here and on www.victoriahealth.com  priced at £20-50. You can get 15% OFF using my discount code NORTHAMERICA15. Enjoy! x

Review: Ojon Rare Blend Tamer Wand

With the constantly unpredictable weather we have been having good hair days have been few and far between. Whether due to static, wind or humidity my hair has definitely been a challenge! I normally like to use as little product as I can on my hair, but having recently discovered the Ojon Rare Blend Tamer Wand I have been so impressed that it has immediately become a handbag essential.

This handy little frizz fix is perfect for on the go to smooth flyaways, baby hairs and split ends. With it's spooly it distributes just the right amount of product to secure the hair without leaving it feeling oily or too stiff. I also love the fact that it applies so quickly and effortlessly with the applicator, keeping your hand clean, so you don't have to fuss about with oils, serums or sprays.

The Ojon Rare Blend Tamer Wand can be purchased for £12.50 here.

Review: New Liz Earle Haircare

For the past few weeks I have had the pleasure of trialling Liz Earle's new and improved haircare range*. While haircare has been part of Liz Earle's line for some time it has recently been reformulated and revamped (after one of the key ingredients yangu oil was no longer available due to drought and poor harvests). The new Botanical Shine range has been formulated using Kalahari melon oil, which promises a host of benefits including being light, super hydrating and protecting from heat damage.

 

As before the range has one Botanical Shine Shampoo for all hair types, three conditioners (fine/ oily, normal, dry/ damaged hair) and a nourishing hair oil.

The shampoo is definitely my favourite part of the range as it is super soft, feels lovely to use and smells wonderful. It doesn't strip the hair of moisture and leaves my scalp feeling comfortable. A little goes a long way and rather than adding more product you just need to keep adding water to create a lovely, rich lather, despite it being SLS free.

I have tried all the conditioners and I am a fan of the new formulation. It's not a major change, but they do feel a little more creamy than I remember. As well as the Kalahari melon oil these conditioners contain a blend of meadowfoam oil with extracts of apple and orange to boost shine.

I am usually drawn to the heaviest and richest conditioner I can find as my hair is long, colour treated and has a lot of texture, but I think that these are so hydrating that even the 'normal hair' formula is enough to keep my hair smooth. I love the fact that they are silicone free and rinse out well so my hair is left swishy and soft, but still feels clean with no product build up.

The new Botanical Shine Nourishing Hair Oil contains a beautiful blend of oils, while still feeling light and non greasy. Just one pump is enough to add some smoothness and shine to my hair. I have mainly used it on the mid lengths and ends of towel dried hair and have found that it reduces blow drying time, but it is also light enough to be used to tame frizz or flyaways or condition parched ends when the hair is dry. Unfortunately this oil does have some silicones, so I thought it would be fair to post the ingredients below...

I know I have raved about Liz Earle's skincare throughout the many years of this blog, but I am happy to say that her haircare also does not disappoint! Phew!

Have you tried the new Liz Earle Haircare range? Do you think the new formulations have made a big difference?

Review: Invisibobble

If I am totally honest having seen Invisibobble* pop up all over the internet I didn't at first understand the appeal! Every time I saw them they reminded me of telephone wires! However, after being sent some to try I have to say I have totally changed my mind and I just can't get enough of them. I have a couple in my handbag at all times, in my bathroom and dressing table and a special section for them in my gym bag.

Even though my hair has plenty of its own curl and texture the moment I tie it up it tends to get a massive kink where the hair tie was. I find this incredibly annoying as my hair is long and heavy so if I tie it up loosely to try and prevent kinks it just doesn't stay. I don't like to wash my hair more than every 3 days, but I am a regular gym goer and definitely can't work out (or sleep) without making sure that every strand is out of my face.

The Invisibobble has been a life saver as it really doesn't leave my hair kinky, even when I loop it around a few times to make sure it stays. It's also great for tying up a bun as it doesn't kink the ends, but holds the bun comfortably. The curls in the Invisibobble provide some extra grip so that they don't slide out of my hair, despite being super smooth. They also don't get tangled and are super easy to remove as there is no glue or metal connectors like in regular hair ties! I just love them and totally see what all the fuss is about!

For me the fact that Invisibobble works so well totally outweighs the aesthetic aspect. However, if you are not a huge fan of how they look you can always try to go for a clear one or one that's close to your hair colour!

Looking through their website I have also found lots of really fun hair tutorials, which I think are definitely worth checking out!

Have you tried Invisibobble? What do you think of them? I can't believe how quickly they converted me and I can't wait to try out more styles using them!

OOTD: Easter

 

 Dress: Whistles (on sale on Asos)

Shoes: Melissa

Bag: Chanel

Hair: curled in small sections using the Babyliss Curling Wand Pro

I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter break!

OOTD: A little Alexander McQueen...

Many of you have messaged me to request a few more OOTD posts in addition to the myriad of stream of consciousness photos I upload on my Instagram (@NatalyaFGM). So, I thought I would start with this fun one from last year on my Birthday! Since I'm not getting any younger I thought I would put together something a little more different to celebrate turning 25... again ;p.

It all started with the dress! I spotted this Alexander McQueen envelope dress in an outlet mall near Florence of all places. Despite it being heavily discounted I needed some convincing as I didn't think it was particularly flattering (there are about 600 folds of fabric at the waist, enough to make a tent), but in the end I decided that it was a piece of art worth investing in!

A few months later I still hadn't found an occasion to wear my first Alexander McQueen purchase. It was a little too short and eye catching for a wedding and the UK was getting colder by the second!

In the meantime I had come across these fabulous Carvela Kurt Geiger Gylda lace ups that I like to think of as a grown up gladiator. With their sharp high heel and cut outs the hubby instantly got excited and offered to purchase them for my Birthday. He rarely has any opinion on shoes, other than ranting that I have far too many (which is true), but given his enthusiasm I knew these must be pretty special.

So when my Birthday finally came around at the end of October I decided that it was time to try out the two most adventurous items in my wardrobe... despite the cold and rain! As Miley so wisely put it... it's our party and we can do what we want!

Browgraphy at Browhaus

Like many a teenager I was guilty of over plucking in my school days, but since realising that my natural shape suits me best I have kept my brows pretty low maintenance. Other than occasionally removing strays ‘outside the lines’ and filling in sparse areas with a brow powder I rarely give my eye brows much attention. Though having found my shape I am also hesitant to take any unnecessary chances in the hands of those who think less is more. With eyebrows… more is always more!

Before: filled in with brow powder, but not as neat as I would like!

 

However, when I was offered the chance to try out one of Browhaus’ signature Browgraphy eyebrow treatments I was really excited to have the full works! Having visited Browhaus before for a little tint and eyelash extensions I knew they were very professional, well trained and above all experienced. When I saw the perfectly groomed and full brows of the lovely therapist coming towards me I knew I would be in safe hands and had no fears.

After assessing my eyebrows we decided to make them a little neater, enhance their shape and add a bit of colour. My brows are naturally much lighter than my natural hair colour and because I dye my hair I usually powder them to add depth. My therapist therefore mixed a rich brown colour that was a little darker than my brow hairs, but still soft enough so as not to look harsh against my pale skin. She then set about threading the brows. I haven’t had a huge amount of experience with threading and while I absolutely loved the clean looking result I did find the experience painful, though fortunately it was over quickly. I would definitely do it again, but I would struggle to be in public as my eyes were watering so much. I always see people in shops/ shopping centres having their brows done and I am a little envious of their pain threshold. I can barely pluck one brow hair without bringing on the full water works. Does anyone else have this reflex?

 After: No makeup on brow area, about 3 hours after treatment.

Following the threading my therapist used tweezers for ultimate precision to remove any remaining stray hairs. She then also trimmed a few hairs that were not quite standing to attention. My brows were then dyed, which took just minutes. As I have many very light and fine hairs around my brows I absolutely loved the results after the dye was wiped off. The blonde hairs at the top of my brow now became visible as part of my eyebrow and gave the arch an extra little lift. The result was very subtle, but really helped with the symmetry of my brows and enhanced their shape.

As my skin is very sensitive I have to be honest and admit that it did look quite red for about 3 hours after and there were a few sore areas, but this was completely expected. As with all hair removal treatments I have learned to do them in the evening as my skin always reacts so I was not at all surprised. The following morning the area was absolutely fine and I was very happy to be able to save a few precious seconds getting ready by skipping brow products as my eyebrows no longer needed any maintenance.

 After: the following day with no brow makeup

Overall I was very happy with the results. My brows looked clean, polished and very neat without being overdone or too striking. I would definitely recommend the Browgraphy service at Browhaus for anyone looking to groom their brows – whether you are confused about what shape would suit you best or are suffering from patchy areas the combination of threading, tweezing and dye makes sure that the hairs that need to be seen are enhanced and those that need to be hidden are quickly and efficiently removed. I will definitely be going back in the future!

OOTD: Cobalt and Pearls

Today's post is a little OOTD that I wore to a 30th birthday party a few weeks ago.  

Crop top and skirt: Nicole for Misguided (now on sale!), Pearl 'halo': Zara

I used the Babyliss conical wand to create lots of curls and added a little pearl headpiece that I absolutely adore. It's a little Grecian, a little bling and really unusual.

I know that the crop top trend has been done to infinity, but as long as the sun is shining I will be wearing it to show off the last remnants of my honeymoon tan, which is fading fast.

 I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! xxx

Envy Dual Fix 12 Hair Treatment Review

As the warmer months (it’s deceptive to refer to it as Summer in freezing London at the moment) have progressed I have noticed the condition of my hair deteriorate. Prior to my wedding I tried to keep it healthy by reducing heat styling and the frequency with which I was colouring it. I have to say that since then I haven’t really gone back to my hair destroying ways, and other than a little rough blow dry and the odd tong I have mostly left it to its own devices. Sadly, this hasn’t helped as my hair has become really dry and even more unruly and I have noticed a lot more split ends than usual!

Prior to taking the scissors to it in a more drastic approach I thought I would try out the Envy Dual Fix 12 treatment that promises to improve the condition of your hair and help blow dry and styling results. It delivers a high impact paraben-free blend of hydrolysed silk proteins and keratin amino acids with 12 incredible benefits for smoother, glossier hair that’s easier to manage. It aims to target damaged areas and attract moisture to give you instant and long lasting results.

This treatment can be used in two ways. I went for the intensive option which involves application of the mousse from roots to ends onto dry unwashed hair. I then rough dried my hair with a hairdryer. Following this I rinsed, shampooed (twice) and conditioned as normal. Alternatively for regular use you can shampoo your hair, rinse, apply the foam generously to wet hair, leave for 1 minute, rinse and condition as normal.

The foam texture makes the treatment very easy to apply as it doesn’t drip or leave your hair soaking wet. I did find this took a little bit of time for my long hair and I felt like I was using a lot of product, but as usual foams tend to be a little deceptive in that afterwards a quick shake of the bottle revealed plenty of product left.

Overall, I am really pleased with the results of this treatment. Unlike many oil based deep conditioning treatments I have used in the past the Envy DualFix 12 hasn’t left my hair feeling lank and heavy and instead it feels bouncy and light with a little more gloss and life. The split ends are obviously still present, but as the overall texture of my hair has improved they are definitely less noticeable and my hair feels and looks much less brittle. I usually blow dry just the front section and while my hair had not been participating very well in this with frizz and flyaways all around this morning’s efforts were rewarded with groomed and shiny locks. Success!

I wouldn’t say this treatment is too intensive and being light I could see it working really well on thinner hair that can be prone to product build up. I sometimes prefer a richer deep conditioning mask as my hair is pretty dry, but I liked the fact that this one was so easy to use and didn’t require endless shampooing to remove product. I plan to continue to use it regularly alongside my normal shampoo and conditioner and look forward to seeing how the condition of my hair improves with further applications!

Have you ever tried Envy Dual Fix 12 Treatment? What did you think of it? Do you have any hair treatments you love and could recommend?

OOTD: Dinner Date

Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a lovely long weekend and enjoying a few hard earned days off work :). I just wanted to do a quick fashion post with an outfit I wore for a dinner date with my hubby (to be).

 Jumpsuit: Miss Selfridge (£59 here), Shoes: River Island (a few years ago), Bracelet: Disney Couture (similar here)

I love the statement necklace that comes as part of this jumpsuit. It just makes dressing that much more effortless! It is also removable if you wanted to wear your own, or wear it alone with a different outfit.

To show off the detailing I put my hair up in a little chignon, though I definitely need a little more practice in doing this. Does anyone have any tips?

Have a lovely Easter! xxx