Leonor Greyl

With humble beginnings in a single Paris salon and with more than 45 years in the business of haircare Leonor Greyl is definitely a brand that has stood the test of time! Specialising in hair treatments using only high-quality, environmentally-safe, natural ingredients like honey, bamboo, sunflower, and chamomile with blends of delicate aromas and plant extracts, Leonor Greyl products give hair brilliance, glamour, beauty…and most importantly health!

In fact it was the first brand to incorporate essential vitamins like A and E in their shampoos. Their signature, vitamin-rich Wheat Germ Oil was the first oil developed that foams on contact with water to revitalize limp hair, purify oily scalps, and fight the effects of environmental factors on hair health. Where a harsh, chemical treatment for dandruff was the norm, Leonor Greyl was the first to formulate a coal tar-free dandruff shampoo, gentle enough for everyday use. The main ingredient used was propolis - a powerful, natural antibiotic, that is a resin gathered by bees from tree bark and leaves.

Leonor Greyl is popular with hair stylists and celebs alike, so much so that it was recently used in a number of gorgeous red carpet looks, such as Samantha Barks' chic updo and Jennifer Lawrence's Bafta style. To help create these styles Johnnie Sapong, coiffure extraordinaire, has put together a how to guide that's super easy to follow:

Leonor Greyl products used to create the look above:

E'CLAT NATUREL, LAIT LUMINESCENCE, GEL A LA KERATINE, HUILE SECRET DE BEAUTE, SERUM DE SOIE, LAQUE SOUPLE.

1) Apply Lait Luminescence to dry hair layering on Serum de Soie for an extra soft, nourished feel. Using a paddle brush, dry in the product into hair using a hairdryer with a nozzle attachment.

2) Once product is fully absorbed, use a tooth brush and gently brush hair back sleek and smooth. Pull hair into a ponytail and fast with elastic. Smooth over Huile Secret de Beaute over the tail.

3) To create the bun(chignon) split the ponytail in two and create a rope braid to wrap around the base to create the bun(chignon).

4) Twist the ponytail, then pin into a bun. Finish the look using Laque Souple, lock down any fly-
away using Gel a la Keratine mixed with Ecat Naturel which can be applied using a tint brush for an accurate application.


When asked what his celeb clients think of LG products Johnnie told us that they 'love the feeling of lg products! They feel like its giving good nourishment for the hair at the same time as not over loading with silicones, the fragrance and how it works on hair, they have a love for the Leonor Greyl products.'

Have you ever tried any Leonor Greyl products? I was recently sent the hair oil (Huile de Palme) and have loved using it as a deep conditioning product prior to shampooing. It provides great hydration for my over processed hair and smells great too!

*This is a sponsored post*

One year ago...

He asked and I said YES! 

 If only every other question was so simple to answer...

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend my lovelies! xxx

Bikram Yoga with Always Infinity

As the evenings start to get shorter and colder the temptation of a scenic jog in the park begins to wane and all manner of excuses begin to take shape! One of the most common is of course when you are not quite feeling your best during that time of the month. Besides wanting to curl up on the sofa and eat ice cream there is always the worry of not quite being able to feel confident whether you are throwing yourself around Pineapple Studios or mentally hitting the Olympic velodrome in your early morning spin class.

To make sure us ladies can no longer use these excuses Always have been hard at work creating the new generation of pad and the most exciting Always innovation to hit the market for over 20 years. The Always Infinity is the only pad made from a liquid foam to absorb liquid that moulds to your body (like memory foam) so you barely feel it, and then reverts back to its original shape with almost no bunching.

To put this to the test I was challenged to a Hot Bikram Yoga class. If 90 minutes of sweat, heat and contortion couldn’t tell me whether the claims were true, I don’t know what could!

As I’m not naturally a very bendy person I did find the class very challenging! As well as being very hot and humid the bikram studio was completely packed so that mats were laid out side by side. It took all my concentration to make sure I didn’t topple over on anyone as my head quickly began to swim... and spin. The one thing that I wasn’t worried about was the protection that the Always Infinity was giving me. The new pads are super thin and very comfortable, but despite this they can absorb up to 10 times their weight. I barely even noticed them and despite the array of circus like poses everything stayed in its place with no mishaps.

I guess I can never use this as an excuse ever again and will have to invent more imaginative ways of getting out of going to the gym from now on!


For more information you can check out the Always website here. And if you want to put the new Always Infinity to the test yourself just let me know in the comments below as I will be giving away a box this week!

*This is a sponsored post*

D&M Wedding

I just wanted to take a little moment to share with you some photos from one of my best friends' weddings in the beautiful French countryside this July. As so many of you have been asking me about wedding preparation I thought that you would enjoy these photos and if not for inspiration, then purely for the beautiful imagery.

 The reception venue was an old Abbey set in the French countryside near Versaille.

 Getting ready in the bridal suite... I did my own and bridesmaids' makeup :).

 Something blue? Louboutins of course!

 The gorgeous Caroline Castigliano dress (honeycomb) and veil with blusher (apologies for my ridiculously long arms ruining an otherwise perfect photo)!

 Confetti cannons!

 The wedding party (and me trying to hide the fact I'm as tall as the groom).

 The lake created such a stunning backdrop!

 Luke and I stealing a quick moment alone during the drinks reception.

 The wedding breakfast. The table numbers and place cards matching the laser cut invitations by Intricate Creations.

The cake was a custom creation by The Cake Parlour to match the lace in the wedding dress and shipped all the way from London!

Wishing all the best to my dear friends D and M in their future life together!!! 

 xxxxxxx

Eqvvs - Fit Not Thin!

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while already know that this year I have set myself some fitness goals that I am very determined to achieve. Of course a wedding dress is an unparalleled motivator, but I wanted to overhaul my body not for merely one day, but for the foreseeable future. Even though I have never been overweight I have found myself creeping upwards slowly over the last few years and sitting at my desk for 10 hours a day my fitness levels were truly despicable. After one speedy climb up the escalators at Piccadilly Circus left me feeling like my heart was going to fly out of my chest I knew the time had come to start investing in my health.

Having joined David Lloyd and tried all (yes all) of their classes and weekly sessions with one of their trainers I can definitely say that I have toned up and gained muscle, though not necessarily in the right places. My body fat has dropped by about 8% and I have lost 7kg, but have remained the same dress size. Being tall I can fluctuate a lot without really changing shape. I am undecided if this is a good thing (when I pile on the padding in the winter), or a bad thing (when I spend months burning it off and see little visible result). Even though clothes do feel better I have found inches have come off the areas where I didn’t mind them so much (I’m sure you can guess!). Going to the gym 3/4 times a week and keeping to a healthy eating plan has become somewhat a routine, but even though I am still trying out lots of different types of exercise my weight/ fitness has stalled for the last few months.

I was therefore very excited when Glossybox informed me that I had won their recent Twitter competition for 3 personal training sessions at the exclusive eqvvs studios in Knightsbridge. Having been a regular gym bunny since February I am still very much at the beginning of my fitness journey and am looking to learn as much as I can about different exercises and what I can push my body to do.

Eqvvs is situated in a little cul de sac near Harrods that gives it privacy and ambiguity, so it is no wonder it is such a favourite among celebs. The studio is equipped with all the latest equipment and despite being fairly small there are never more than 2 trainers/ clients working at the same time so there is plenty of space to work up a sweat. They have a number of private changing rooms with your own shower and sink, complete with fresh towels and Aromatherapy Associates toiletries (yes I am still a beauty blogger at heart so I notice these things). The sessions themselves are an hour long and completely dedicated to helping you achieve your goals at a pace and intensity that challenges, but does not make you dread your next visit. The trainers are so friendly, patient and knowledgeable that they spend every moment encouraging you, while checking your form and making sure you are doing the exercises correctly to get the full benefits. While my fitness level has improved there are still some areas that I really struggle with (core!) and the trainers were great at modifying exercises so that I could complete them and still feel a sense of achievement. I’m sure you guys know the feeling of when you try something new and completely bomb, the last thing you want is to be told to forget it and move on, because that will never help you learn. At eqvvs the treatment is so bespoke that you never feel like you have failed at anything. Even though some of the exercises we tried (eg. hanging knee hugs on the TRX) were far too advanced for my little muscles I felt like I was really progressing even being able to do a few in a slightly different position. A modified stance or hand grip could make all the difference so it is always worth finding out from a pro!

Both of the trainers I worked with (George and Miad) really made the sessions fun, but I knew that I was getting a really good workout all the way through, and even if I wasn’t sure my heart monitor reassured me I was ‘in the zone’.  They mixed up cardio with weights (machines, free weights and my own hefty body weight) to make sure each session gave a whole body workout and targeted major muscle groups to get those calories burning too. My favourite part of each hour was the last five minutes of stretching. I felt like it really helped both my recovery time and prevent soreness the next day as after they had stretched me out I was bouncing out of the studio full of energy. Sometimes you just need that little extra bit of help, especially when it came to realigning my back and shoulders!

Whether you are looking to shape up for a special occasion, have decided to overhaul your fitness or just fancy a change to your regular routine I would highly recommend looking into personal training at eqvvs. Their amazing service doesn’t come cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for and I have no doubt that you will notice the difference. Eqvvs also have a number of special packages available, such as a pre-wedding package (eqvvsONE), or a total body overhaul (eqvvsthree60) that will transform you in 6 weeks, as well as a nutritionist, physio and partnerships with many amazing suppliers.

Even after 3 sessions I can feel a difference and have started incorporating some of the exercises I have learned to target new muscles into my routines. I will definitely be going back to eqvvs in the final stretch before my wedding to make sure all those wobbly bits are banished, but I also hope that I will be able to use what I have learned to maintain a healthier way of life in the future!