Magdalene May Ball 2013

With a full time job and a wedding to save up for it's not often these days that I get to have a really extravagant night out. However, the fiance and I decided that this year we would once again return to the Magdalene May Ball and indulge in some nostalgia.

I chose a black MaxMara Pianoforte ball gown that has been hanging in my wardrobe for the last 10 years! The last time I wore this I was 16! It was a special gift from my mama to wear for my first ever ball at school and having carefully preserved it for a decade I decided that this would be the perfect time to revive it. The dress itself is pretty simple as it is made up of layers of black material. The netting underskirt really gives it the vavavoom, however it can feel a little overwhelming so I tied the belt in a kimono style (tying it around twice with a bow at the front) to add some definition to my waist.

I paired it with simple black heels that had soft feather detailing to match my feathery ASOS bag. I also kept jewelery very minimal as such a classic dress requires very little. I finished off the outfit with a simple diamond tennis bracelet and long Swarovski crystal earrings.

 

For my hair I used my trusty Babyliss rollers. I decided on a half up, half down style to ensure my hair stayed in place all night and secured it at the back with a beautiful silver feather comb the fiance got me for Christmas. When it came to makeup  I reverted to form with a silver and black smokey eye topped with false lashes. 

We had such a fabulous night! Though I didn't quite make it all the way to the survivors photo at 7am, especially after being at work during the day, I am so happy we took a little time out of our busy schedules to sample all the delights that were on offer!

As much as I love having a career I do sometimes miss those carefree student days! Going back to work felt very sombre the next day. Oh well, time to look forward to 2015! xxx

1 Minute Hair Tutorial using 1 Minute Wonder Ampoules

So with the weather being its usual horrendous self I thought that the second instalment of the 1 minute hair tutorials should be completely rain and wind proof!

As before I prepped my hair with the Pantene 1 Minute Wonder Ampoules to ensure my coloured hair looked super healthy and had some added gloss. I tied the hair up into a tight ponytail, using a soft bristle brush to give it a sleek look. I then put a generic brown hair doughnut on the ponytail and twisted the hair around it in one direction covering the entire thing.

I then used the ends to wrap around the bottom of the doughnut and secured any strays with brown bobby pins. I finished off with a good spritz of Pantene's Style & Protect hairspray to keep hair in place. This is such an easy style to wear as it stays put all day with no effort. Let the weather do its worst!

If you try this out do let me know how it goes! I would love to hear your feedback :).

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Our Engagement Party and Amazing Cakes!

On the 1st of June the fiance and I hosted a much belated celebration of our engagement with our closest friends and our families. It was a wonderful evening and while I was having far too much fun catching up with everyone to take many photos I did want to share some pictures from the night and also give a special mention to some of our amazing suppliers :).

You all know I love any excuse to dress up, so while the Mr kept it pretty casual I decided to wear something a little more adventurous. I chose the Talia dress from the Hobbs limited edition Invitation collection with matching shoes. It's a nifty little corset number with a very voluminous skirt that really reminds me of the shape of Vivienne Westwood dresses, which I adore. I paired it with a white L.K Benett chiffon petal bag.

As the dress was already quite a statement I kept my hair simple by curling it with Babyliss hot rollers and brushing through the hair with a soft Denman brush to create loose, soft, shiny curls. For the makeup I went for a silver and grey smokey eye to complement the dress.

I chose the Blanchard Room of the Hollywood Arms as the venue for its amazing decor and it did not disappoint! All our guests loved it and I must say that the staff were outstanding on the night, making sure everyone had plenty of bubbles in their glasses until the early hours ;).

Since we are not getting married till next July we wanted to give our guests a little taste of what to expect next year and decided to order a cake as a sweet finishing touch to the evening. I am a huge dessert fan and loved the idea of having a cupcake cake for our guests to enjoy. After getting quotes from a few suppliers I chose the Chelsea Cake Company. Nessie was an absolute sweetheart in creating the perfect cake for us and it's just so lovely to work with someone who is incredibly passionate about their business. I highly recommend you check her website out for wedding, party or celebration cakes as she does some incredible designs using only the best organic ingredients.

Nessie also made some adorable wedding themed cookies for guests to take away with them! They were just as yummy as they look.

After the party we carried on the celebration at Embargos, although not all of our guests made it that far ;p. Fingers crossed I will be able to make the wedding go as smoothly! xxx

1 Minute Wonder Ampoules and Quick Hair Tutorial!

As much as I love a luxurious pamper session, sometimes you need a quick beauty fix to get you looking your best and out of the door in minutes. This is why I love Pantene's new 1 Minute Wonder Ampoules. These little pods contain the highest concentration of conditioning actives from Pantene and are proven to leave coloured hair even stronger against styling damage than virgin hair in just one minute!

The whole Pantene Pro-V Strength and Shine range is designed to make coloured hair up to 70% shinier and stronger as its protein protection formula helps rebuild the protective outer layer that is damaged during colouring. As I have been dying my hair (on and off) since the age of 16 I was excited to try it to see if it would bring some lustre to my parched locks!

As timing is off the essence I thought I would share with you a really quick up-do that can be done in less than one minute! This style is so easy to do and is perfect for days when you want to get your hair up with minimal effort, but you want it to look a little more special. You could easily wear this on 2nd/ 3rd day hair and it would be perfect for festivals too!

To prepare the hair I used the Pantene Strength and Shine shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair, as well as the 1 Minute Wonder Ampoules.

The only accessory you need for this style is a hairband. I have chosen one with a little bit of sparkle to add some interest and texture. Once the hairband is on (with the stretchy side underneath your hair) all you have to do is take large sections of hair and twist them around the elastic portion of the band at the nape of your neck. I used one large section followed by 4 smaller sections, twisting them while weaving them in and out of the band and the hair already tucked in. I then fixed the hair in place with some Style and Protect hairspray. It's as easy as that!

I hope you like this super easy up-do style and please do check back for another 1 minute tutorial in the next few days!

*This is a sponsored post.*

Boots Camp Party Wrap Up

Thank you so much to all of you who joined us for the Boots Camp twitter party on Wednesday! We do hope that you had fun. Please do pop over to Boots here to check out more tips and tricks and if you missed out on the party you can check out the highlights below or click here for the storify page:

 

Thank you my lovelies :). xxx

   

Invisalign - Update

Having now moved on to my third set of trays I thought that this would be the perfect time to update you all on my Invisalign progress!

(With flash)

Tray1:

My first appointment to fit the trays was very speedy. I was shown how to insert the trays properly to ensure they were perfectly in place and also how to remove them, which is the somewhat tricky part! Though the trays fit very snugly to my teeth they did not put too much pressure on them and I didn’t feel any pain at all. After a few tries I was able to get the trays in and out in seconds, though be aware that you have to hook them from the back on both sides, which is not the most attractive action. I was under the impression that they could be removed from the front (like a mouth guard) but in fact this could warp the trays so it is recommended you start from the back and work your way forward and inside out when trying to loosen them.

Apart from the strange sensation of having something in your mouth I didn’t find the trays uncomfortable. Though for the first two days there was a little bit of irritation on my lower gum I didn’t develop any ulcers and it went away pretty quickly. My mouth is quite sensitive so I was actually surprised that they didn’t cause any issues.

My main concern with the trays was that I did have a little bit of a lisp when I was speaking. As long as I remembered to over-enunciate my speech was fine, but when I started talking and forgot about the trays I did have a few awkward moments of not being able to speak properly. I am generally quite a self conscious person, and though most people didn’t notice the difference in either my speech or the appearance of my teeth, I did find it a little frustrating. Though to be perfectly honest I think people didn’t actually notice my teeth, but saw me ‘playing’ with them (not literally, but when something feels strange in your mouth you inevitably end up investigating it with your tongue). The dentist told me that most people’s speech adapts in about 1-2 weeks, though I felt like it took me a little longer (about 3 weeks) before my incessant chatter went back to normal.

(no flash)

Tray 2:

After 2 weeks I went back to the dentist to have a check up and to have resin attachments fitted to my teeth. My trays were examined for any cracks to make sure I had been diligent in removing them properly and luckily (despite being rather chewed in the back due to grinding my teeth at night and general stress) I passed the test and was allowed to take my next 3 sets of trays home. I was surprised to see the extent of the discolouration in the trays compared to the new ones, but I was assured that this was completely normal. Nevertheless, I mentally made a note to try and brush the trays a little more often to ensure the remained nice and bright for longer.

The little resin brackets were then fitted to my teeth using UV light to set them in place. As they are tooth coloured they are mostly not noticeable, except for the one on my incisor which stuck out a lot more than I had imagined it would. As always I am brutally honest with you guys and I have to admit that this did make me feel a little disheartened about my decision to have Invisalign. Some people don’t need the brackets and everyone has individual shapes and placement, it was mainly bad luck that meant that the angle and size of mine was quite prominent, and made it look like my tooth was sticking out very strangely. Ultimately the main reason for the Invisalign was a cosmetic enhancement, so the fact that this bracket made my teeth look worse was a bit upsetting, especially as I had my engagement party coming up in a few weeks and really wanted to look my best.

The beauty with Invisalign is that you can remove the trays, so for special occasions you could go without for a short period of time. However, the brackets are permanent and (at least in my case) will be on my teeth for the rest of the treatment.

As the weeks have passed I have definitely got used to the attachments, but the one on my incisor is a little bit bothersome (mainly because it is visible when I smile, while the others are towards the back and hidden). Once again most people haven’t noticed, so vanity aside it really isn’t as prominent as I first thought.

I can readily admit that I am my own worst critic and always over analyse everything, whether that be aesthetically related or the decisions I have made. In the end I know the results will totally be worth it and a little tab on my tooth for a few months is hardly worth worrying about, but I want this review to be completely honest. This is a long term commitment, so it’s definitely worth thinking about every aspect!

Apologies for the rather graphic photo! Many of you have asked me to put up photos of what the Invisalign looks like close up. You can also clearly see the brackets stuck on to my incisor and back teeth.

Finally, I wanted to address how Invisalign has affected my daily lifestyle and I can confidently say that it hasn’t! Other than running off to the bathroom to take out my trays before every meal/ snack I really haven’t found it to be a burden at all. A few times I have had to plan ahead eg. if I have a work lunch I make sure to remove my trays while on my way there to avoid any embarrassment at the table, but other than that it has been pretty effortless. I have partied in Monaco, drank far too much at a day at the races, entertained work clients, smiled for hours at our engagement party, exercised, slept and attended numerous conferences and events all while wearing my Invisalign and most people were shocked when I told them about it. So much so that one of my friends saw my first review on this blog and actually e-mailed me to say that she was so surprised as she is normally very observant, but hadn’t noticed anything at all. Katie, I couldn’t have asked for a better endorsement than that ;p.

#Bootscamp!

Today is the day! From 1-2pm we will be chatting all things beauty at the Boots twitter party. Look out for the #bootscamp hashtag to win lots of goodies. We hope you can make it!

For hints, tricks, tips and offers to help you get out there this summer visit Boots Camp at boots.com/bootscamp. It’s tough to look great but Boots Camp can help: the place to find inspiration and advice to help you stay gorgeous and body confident this summer and it’s worth it! From make-up multi-taskers and getting luscious sun-ready hair, to keeping your holiday glow, Boots Camp is the ultimate summer destination!

Make sure you follow @perfectpolished and myself @NatalyaFGM as well as the experts. We can't wait to chat with you! xxx
 

Boots Camp Twitter Party!

Next week marks the launch of Boots Camp, a place to go to help you get ready to get out there this summer. Launching on Wednesday the 12th Boots Camp will be filled with inspiring hints, tips, tricks and offers categorized into six steps to help you make the most of summer.

To celebrate the launch and to get everyone involved I will be hosting a Twitter party from 1-2pm where you wil be able to join in and ask any questions you may have. There will also be experts on hand to share their tips and tricks! To join just follow me on twitter @NatalyaFGM and look out for the hashtag #bootscamp!

I hope you will be able to join us for some fun beauty chat next Wednesday!

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