Beauty

GOING BLONDER THE NATURAL WAY

SEAWEED AMMONIA-FREE HIGHLIGHTS

Seaweed used to lighten your hair? Something a bit witchery about that surely? Nothing short of ingenious I say. The trouble with being blonde is that traditional highlighting bleaches can make your dry, brittle or even give you hair breakage. When you are looking for blonde highlights or to be all over blonde you want that hair to shine and look healthy and nourished. In the words of Hair Organics Salon:

Our Seaweed powder combined with our Fruitoxy booster allows just small and even bursts of oxygen to be released that lighten your hair as light as required, whilst fruit oils deeply moisturise and nourish your hair often leaving it in better condition than before the process. We believe that you will notice a big difference to your highlights in that they will have a glossy shine which cannot be achieved with traditional bleaching techniques.

BEFORE

Styled by the London rain…

AFTER

Styled by Matus !

Hair Organics got two London locations, Putney and Notting Hill with amazing team of hair stylists and colourists. I am into natural products so these guys tick all of my boxes. Even their hand wash in the bathroom is eco conscious and SLS free. But the best are the staff – always welcoming and ready for a challenge. My frizzy hair is no easy feat! Matus hails from Slovakia and brings his European flair and fun personality as well as expertise. My hair was transformed with a combination of balayage and highlights (and several cups of green tea to keep me awake after a night shift working at the hospital).

The price list for Putney salon is a bit different to the Notting Hill branch so please check it out . They also sell their award-winning hair care range to maximize after care. It is no wonder this salon won Green Salon of the Year award!

Going blonder the natural way leaves hair in superb condition and shine.

Thank you, Hair Organics!

MY SEMI-PERMANENT BROW JOURNEY

I have always envied the likes of Cara Delevigne for her beautiful thick brows. I have been filling in mine with pencils, powders and gels for years. Basically my eyebrows have been a total work of fiction.

After a careful consideration and a thorough research, I have received a consult and a patch test by Jessica Abbott. I was afraid of scarring or a botched permanent tattoo. This is why choosing Jessica was so important to me as she has 15 years of experience. She also trains future artists which is a testament in itself.

There are different types of brows you can choose – Powder, Invisi, Hair Stroke or a Combined. Together we decided on combining above techniques (Combined) to achieve natural yet visible results.

Does it hurt?

The area is thoroughly numbed with a cream (no injections or anything scary) and the treatment feels more tickly than anything else. I could barely feel the first pass. On the second pass the skin is little bit more sensitive so I felt it tiny bit but not painful I promise.

Jessica is highly skilled but also heaps of fun. I love her bubbly personality and positive outlook on life. This is why you must check out her Instagram – Jessica posts before and after photos of her clients as well as documenting fun with her staff.

How long before brows are healed?

Everyone is different but it took me about 10 days. The skin feels a bit dry and tight and then it starts to peel off to reveal the desired colour. At first the colour appears 50% darker (on my way home I thought what the heck did I just do to myself). With the grand reveal I could see it was all worth it! A top up follows roughly 6-12 weeks later just to see if anything needs tweaking.

How long does it last?

This depends on your lifestyle – sun exposure, age etc..I expect mine to stay for about 2 years.

How much does it cost?

The price list and other treatments are here

This is the talented and very lovely Jessica Abbott.

To join her waiting list for her gorgeous Kent clinic (near Canterbury) :

07889 628 359

MY VANITY TABLE

I love vanity tables. There is something so feminine and personal about them – the perfumes we choose to wear and trinkets to display. Mine is a combination of family photographs, fragrances, make-up, jewellery, the odd crystal, lingerie, cinema tickets and few sentimental things.

My vintage chest of drawers is from Ebay and the mirror is from my local charity shop (when it comes to an upgrade, I will go for a huge Hollywood mirror with millions of bulbs). The boudoir stool is from George at Asda and I love that it has a storage for my hair styling tools and sex toys. It is surprisingly sturdy, comfortable and looks super cute.

I also adore my SAY SOMETHING IN FRENCH trinket dish from Hotel Magique for Anthropologie – £ 12. But my favourites are my family photographs – a wedding photo of my grandparents, a photo booth snap of my brother and a photographic evidence that my mother was (is) a hot and effortlessly stylish babe. The white angel candle was a gift from her (because I am such an angel -not).

I am renting a cute little flat in the coastal Westgate-on-Sea after turning my back on London. Since it is a rental, I can’t really paint or change anything. I decided to jazz up my plain walls with a tinsel curtain aka party wall. This is self-adhesive and takes a minute to put up. It certainly kissed a lot of glam into my bedroom.

I am into pearls, hoop earrings and statement rings. I do love obnoxious trophy earrings though (sorry, earlobes). The clear sparkly necklace hung over the mirror frame belonged to my maternal granny. I often wear it stacked up on my wrist as a layered bracelet.

..and the glow up post tinsel wall. Get yours here

To cover the nasty office-feel grey carpet, I have invested into super soft plush boho style rug. And when the days are not-so-sunny, I got a tripod ring light. It is super handy for shooting content and gives that perky skin glow. And of course, I had to add some green plants. They are an affordable way how to add a touch of nature into any living space. I also got a lovely selection of candles, but they now live in the sitting room and near my bathtub. I will also share my favourite fragrances with you soon and my lingerie drawer (I am a *little bit* obsessed with pretty smalls!).

I am still on a hunt for the perfect curtains but for now I am enjoying my sea views like an unlimited food buffet. What a starved Londoner after living in a damp basement in Angel & Islington!

OLVERUM BODY POLISH

I am a loyal devotee to body scrubs, but I had no idea one could be this special. And it is not ‘just a scrub’ – this is an Olverum Body Polish. And I like Olverum products just like I like starting my sentences with an and.

This seductive newcomer quickly cast all my gritty oily scrubs aside. The luxe glass jar contains the best mixture of papaya enzyme, hydroclay and essential oils. I have used exfoliating papaya-based face masks in the past but never knew just how good a Fermented Papaya Enzyme would treat the skin on my body.

The dead dry skin cells get broken down without any harsh scrubbing. It feels like a relaxing massage. Even the delicate skin on my chest loves this which has been essential at removing sunscreen build up and other deep-set impurities. This is where Hydroclay comes to play. Paired up with Bamboo and Pumice, it means business but leaves skin satin soft. No oily residue or grease. Give me more, please.

I must tell you just how good this body polish smells. The Olverum alchemists had me at Bergamot and Ylang Ylang, but really got me hooked on the Grapefruit, Geranium and Rosemary spa-like aroma. I don’t even need a body lotion after this, and I love the subtle scent it kisses my skin with.

I also love knowing that I can recycle this glass pot (although I am keeping mine for storing hair grips). Olverum Body Polish is vegan and cruelty-free, free from artificial preservatives, fragrance and colourants, Silicone, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Sulphates, Phthalates, Parabens, Triclosan and animal derived ingredients.

Olverum Body Polish is part of my self-care ritual. I find the smell extremely comforting; my skin is buffed and shined yet soothed. If Olverum made scented cashmere shawls, this would be it.

Olverum Body Polish £38

TROPHY SKIN ULTRADERM MD – DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS’ BEST FRIEND

With the salons getting shut during the pandemic, we all turned to our home beauty treatments and face masks. I certainly missed my Botox and microdermabrasion. There is no amount of scrub that can mimic the wonders of deep exfoliation and creams to fake true radiance.

I am so excited to introduce you to my best kept secret, the Ultraderm MD by Trophy Skin 3-in-1 system. Fake no more and discover your best skin (you are welcome).

This white and rose gold beauty comes with all the tips, charger and a year’s supply of filters. There is a built-in mirror; the device looks more like a precious trinket box, promising magical skin. Yes, please!

When you turn on your machine, the mirror lights up and it produces gentle purring sound which means business but nothing too loud or intimidating.

So, what does this sleek in-home skincare gadget do?

UltradermMD exfoliates, extracts, polishes, brightens, tones and revitalizes your skin for an instantly softer, smoother complexion.

But I can say it does so much more – it will give you skin confidence like never before. And the power is literally at your fingertips.

My favourite part is that it buffed away dull and dry rough skin patches with minimal effort. The diamond tips (diamonds are a girls’ best friend after all) gently worked its way round my neglected face and I couldn’t help but tested it on my hands and elbows too. My chest got a good seeing to as I watched the filter filling up with dead skin cells. Deep exfoliation and improving skin radiance equals deep satisfaction in my books.

UltradermMD deserves all the praise in the world; my skin feels so smooth and soft (cannot stop touching my face!). Just one treatment was enough to see a difference (seriously). My make up goes on smoother too and I am slowly phasing out foundation. My skin is not to be hidden anymore now the texture is improving with each use. Clear, glowing complexion beats layers of make-up any day. Even my partner noticed a difference and asked to try it (I might be needing more filters soon!).

Another amazing feature of UltradermMD is the pore extraction function. My skin has been getting so clogged with pores becoming visible. The suction tip tackled my unsightly blackheads on the nose with ease. The well-lit magnifying mirror is perfect for this.

The touch screen allows you to choose the treatment mode between 3 different microdermabrasion modes, kinetic toning, or pore extraction.

I was afraid that the instructions were going to baffle me but even as a newbie, I was able to use the beginner setting that guided me step by step. The small screen shows each move clearly and there is a timer, so you don’t get carried away (easily done with rookie excitement).

I am very pale so my skin turns little bit pink after a treatment. But I promise there is zero pain and a lot of gain.

It is incredible to be able to have such a gadget at home. I used to pay so much money for my salon microdermabrasion treatments! Now I can do it at the comfort of my home. This is such a good investment.

In the (wise) words of Trophy Skin:

“Lustrous, youthful skin isn’t out of reach. It’s just below the surface, hidden by layers of dull and dead skin cells that build up over time. Firm lifted skin is also in your grasp with UltradermMD. This unique 3-in-1 system pampers your skin”.

I can honestly say that my skin has never felt THIS CLEAN and all without irritation or pain. This is a pleasant and results driven treatment that can be done from your sofa. It really doesn’t get better than UltradermMD 3-in-1 system.

Available from Current Body. Trophy Skin.co.uk and Amazon £160-250

LADY A – CBD

I am a huge fan of CBD oil, but I am also a brand and packaging snob. Lady A Anytime Tincture 750mg caught my eye; the luxe white bottle endorsed with a gold letter A screams premium. And the delicate orange flavour melts this tincture in my mouth without any bitterness. It is as smooth as the results. The drops deliver calmness and take the edge off my busy mornings and help me relax when going to sleep. Organic, vegan and gluten free, the tincture is a simple and effective way to add CBD to my daily wellness routine.

The handy 15ml bottle with a glass dropper fits into my coat pocket nicely too.

Lady A Anytime Tincture £60

Another amazing product from Lady A range is an Everyday Healing Balm that comes in a pretty glass jar.

I suffer from fibromyalgia which manifests itself with tension in my muscles and causes body pain and fatigue. This creamy 300mg CBD infused balm is heavenly. I rub it into my neck before going to bed. The soothing scent is a marriage of lemongrass and ginger. This magic potion gently warms up my skin and the CBD penetrates deep to target pain and tension. My sleep is deeper too. And of course, I add a drop of Anytime Tincture under my tongue for a double treat.

Lady A Everyday Healing Bal m £40