Autumn/Winter/Fall 2013/14 Beauty Trends - Part 1 - Jewel Toned Eyes

I love getting new season makeup inspiration direct from the Catwalks at the end of the proceeding season. I really love the darker shades that normally arrive with autumn and this season will not dissapoint, in addition there is the extra dash of sparkle that accomopanies the festive season. Perfection. In the next week or two I'll be featuring some of my favourite looks direct from the catwalks and some new season products that you can use to get the look. First up, Jewel Toned Eyes. 

This Screams Autumn/Winter and Glamour, Glamour, Glamour to me!

La Roche-Posay Serozinc Review is Here!

I came by this via the wonderful Expat Makeup Addict blog who in turn lead me onto Skin Care Goddess and all round witty lady Caroline Hirons. Caroline mentioned Serozinc on her blog way back in January and it is only last week that I trooped around the corner (such a distance!) to my nearest pharmacie to get my grubby little hands on a tin. It's a beautiful thing even to look at, the bright blue and it's clean white lines. I approve already!

Yours and Mine Favourite Cult Toner, Setozinc by La Roche-Posay

DIY Coconut Oil Hair Masque, Science and Why It's The Perfect Treatment Pre-Bleaching

Every Blog out there has extolled the virtues of coconut oil, we all know that it is cheap, readily available and makes your hair feel soft but do you know why that is? What is it exactly that coconut oil does?

Honey + Coconut Oil Vs Peroxide

The Background

Firstly the molecules in coconut oil are really small, which means that they can penetrate the hair very easily where it can nourish from within. The early science testing that took place in 2012 suggested that the hair can and does absorb up to 20% of it's weight in coconut oil. (Reference: Quantitative measurement of the penetration of coconut oil into human hair using radio-labeled coconut oil. JSCC, 2012, Vol 63.) If heat is applied this uptake can be even greater. So now we know that the hair can absorb the oil, but what does the oil do once it gets there?

NOTD Rant and Rave

Today I sat down to repaint my nails and it didn't quite go to plan, Read on to see why

OPI Party At My Cabana, Chanel Particuliere and my extremely(!) tatty Sally Hansen Hard As Nails

French Pharmacie Haul Part 2, Including La Roche-Posay Serozinc

I had a little time to kill pre-French class today so headed into one of the many pharmacies local to me, honestly the stereotype is true - there are at least two pharmacies on every darn street. These wonderful caverns of beauty goodies make me truly happy and I spent at least an hour in one of my favourites today. I came away with a really nice haul and unusually for me I came away with plenty of unresearched products, perhaps I should have learnt my lesson after my unresearched Phyto Haul, Here, but who cares - Take a look at these beauties.

Rene Furterer Colour Protect UV Spray, Klorane Mango Butter Conditioner, La Roche-Posay Serozinc, Uriage SPF 50+ Fluid, SLA Mother of Pearl Shadow, SLA Reflects Gold Glitter

DIY Dark Green With Gold Shimmer Frankenpolish

Monday is usually my Paint-My-Nails Day and whilst nail art is certainly not my strongest suit I still love to give it a go and try to mix things up on the nail front. Today I took that very literally and mixed two of my favourite shades - OPI in Glitzerland which is a pale gold/champagne and almost looks like a foil when dry and Illamasqua in Rampage which is a very shiny racing green. 

I shall call it Glitzer Rampage - Original Huh?

Phyto Plage Range Review - Sun, Sea and Sand Screen For Your Hair?

Having spent my summer in a significantly sunnier spot than London this year I really have noticed the sun damage to my hair. I am much drier than normal, my colour fades three times as fast and each time I re-dye my hair (no bleach involved - see here for how I do it) I end up a couple of shades lighter. I have a beautiful beach 20 minutes away from my door called Villefranche, take a peek, it's paradise for me but hell for my hair:

The Beautiful bay of Villefranhce Sur Mer.

I dutifully sit with at least my head and face under my beach brolly on our twice weekly visits but I simply can not resit the sea and despite my best efforts, my hair always ends up wet. I can't help it! The sea is just so good when it's 30 degrees plus and my poor, palest-girl-on-the-beach skin is feeling the heat. 

The Phyto Plage Range I purchased

So what does every good French girl do? Head to Le Pharmacie of course (For another post on the joys of the French Pharmacie head here). 

Old School Glamour MAC EOTD

Today I reached into the deep recesses of my make up draw and dug out some long lost friends. If you are anything like myself you will have at least two rainbows worth of eyeshadow colours but have a handful of absolute favourites, leaving some truly lovely products hiding in the darkness. Here are the pretties I used:

Selfridges Festival Beauty Box

How wonderful does this box of goodies from Selfridges look? 

There are enough cult brands in there to make a beauty blogger weep. It's chock full of fun products specifically themed around festival season 2013. And the cost for you to dip you toe into this hair chalking, lip tattooing, metallic finished world? £25. Yes Twenty Five of your English pounds. A bargain.

A completely "Wow" dress to inspire a summer make up!

Just take a look at this wedding dress that a florist has created! It's like a Flower Fairy bought to life, completely inspiring, in and English Rose Garden kinda way.

I am so into Greens on the eyes pinks for the rest of the face in summer, one colour I never try is lavender or violet, I think I have childhood memories of those cheap frosty purple eyeshadows everyone used to love - shudder.

Affinage B Red Review - One stop to red hair for brunettes!

One thing I get asked a lot about is my hair. A year ago I had never coloured my hair and here I am now with Fire-Engine Red hair - I still haven't had a salon colour. I took a deep breath, a lot of research and DIY'd myself to red hair heaven. The photo makes me look a bit darker than I am, and boy you should see the shine on my hair in the sun!

What I use is this little beauty - Affinage B Red in Red - original name huh? Saying that there are several colours in the range in varying degrees of rouge - Magenta is supposed to be lovely too. It's a high lift colour which means that in one step you can take your so-brown-it's-almost-black unprocessed hair and 35 minutes after you have applied this magic potion you can be the little-mermaid inspired red head of your dreams with out going bleach crazy.