Roll Up, Roll Up!

Happy Sunny Sunday Girls, 

Today's short and sweet post is about another one of my Amazon research buys, the Babyliss Hot Rollers. After using them on a few clients this week, and myself a few weeks ago, I had to share how great they are with you all.

It seems rollers have become a bit of a trend, especially following on from celebs from reality tv shows using them. After seeing so many posts on social media it seemed nothing really could give more bounce and natural looking volume than rollers, so I wanted to do lots of research before investing in any. 

Although the 'sleep in' rollers were tempting for my lazy self, after watching countless Youtube videos, reading Amazon reviews, and googling like crazy, I decided to give Babyliss Thermo Ceramic Rollers a try. They were an absolute bargain (£30 on Amazon), what did I have to lose?!

I plug in the roller heater for about fifteen minutes before I use them, although I think the warm up time is actually only a few minutes. I section parts of hair into the rollers and leave them in for 20 minutes at a minimum, usually I can leave them in whilst doing my make-up in the meantime. The results are bouncy and effortless hair that looks like quite an expensive blow-dry. 

What's not to love? 

End result when used on blow-dried
hair

The set comes with all the necessary equipment including the rollers, heater and clips to hold the rollers in place. The different sized barrels are useful, and I tend to use the larger rollers on the top section of my hair, and use the smaller ones on the bottom layer for the best effect. For added styling I sometimes go over my curls with my Bombay Hair 25mm (from the 5 in 1 range) wand. 

Taking into consideration a blow dry can cost £30 if going to a hairdresser, this is a great at home alternative and also a great addition to any hair stylists kit. It is simple and easy to use and also effective for such a small price. 

I may do a video tutorial on how I use these tools if readers find it useful, so let me know if that's what you would like to see and I will give it a go. 

Do you have a go to styling tip that give you the celeb factor? 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

There is No 'I' in Team

Hey Guys, 

A bit of a short but personal post today, about my journey of becoming a hair and make up professional. Some of you may remember the controversial post I wrote in regards to a fashion show I worked at about a year ago, for which got me a bit of stick (and that was me holding back and being polite) . I have always been one to speak my mind, and since that blog post I have been very careful about who I choose to work with, be it paid or for publicity, nothing will compromise my self worth. 

Working on hair for one of the
Ms Curvaceous finalists.
Photography by Wolf Media

Although I have started my own business as a freelance hair and make-up artist, I know a lot of my bookings, connections and so on would not be achieved without opportunities from working with others. The hair and makeup industry survives from word of mouth and recommendations so it's always been important for me to connect with others who are on the same wavelength and path as me. Since the incident a year ago I have worked with some amazing, motivating individuals including Shaneen and Hayley from Breathe Happiness, the team I worked with at Luton Fashion Week and very recently all of the creative individuals working and showcasing at Ms Curvaceous UK. 

My previous post had a lot of individuals responding to me with ‘thats the industry, you have to be thick skinned' . I agree you must be thick skinned, but that doesn’t mean allowing your hard work and professionalism to be slated, I disagree that that is what the industry is made of, and this year and these people have proved that theory for me. I have made some great connections over the past year, mainly women like myself who are working hard and are dedicated towards their passion, whether it be hair, makeup, photography, styling or blogging. 

Ms Curvaceous was a particularly eye opening experience for me, I have never met so much positive energy and motivation in one room. The hair and make-up artists, models, photographers and organisers got to know each other, swapped contacts and have even been in touch to work with each other again. Something which can be classified as rare as many individuals are out for themselves (so it seems). The back stage teams at many events rarely get coverage or appreciation but my social media has been absolutely bombarded (in a good way) since last week with pictures, comments and all around motivation!

Ms Curvaceous Glam Squad
Photography by Wolf Media

I hope to do many more projects like this in the future, because its shows the power over unhealthy competitiveness, jealousy and sabotage against one another in an industry where every creative individual is trying to reach their goal and shine through. For those of you setting up your own business, I advise you to be careful of the projects and ‘opportunities’ you choose, and don’t let someone think THEY are doing YOU a favour, especially in situations where you may be working for free or portfolio building. 

Have you found yourself in a similar situation within your creative industry? 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Koko's Christmas Giftlist

Happy Wednesday Folks, 

Its the time of year where the last minute panic of Christmas presents takes place (especially for the males) so I decided to put together a suggested gift list for all the lovely ladies who love make up and beauty. Boys I hope your reading... I have saved you hours of time and effort! 

I have broken down my top picks into categories to fit every girls taste and every gift givers budget.

Something Special (£50-£200)

For that special person, the sister who always goes the extra mile  for you, the girlfriend you want to spoil, or just to say thanks to your mum for everything she does.  

Source:
http://www.ghdhair.com/hair-straighteners/
ghd-rose-gold-deluxe-set

GHD Rose Gold Deluxe Set 

£195.00

This was on my wish list this year, thanks to my lovely mum I was able to get it as a slightly early Christmas Present. This gift would make any girly girl ridiculously happy on Christmas day. 

GHD is the most well known hair appliance brand, and this range oozes beauty. It comes with both the GHD V hair straightener in rose gold; which straightens, curls and flicks hair and the the black and rose gold GHD Air hairdryer. I have tried this hairdryer before, the results are so amazing you will never want to go back to any old hairdryer, it reduces the time needed to straighten and smoothes hair like a dream. 

Source:
http://www.beautybay.com/accessories/
zoeva/rosegoldenbrushset/

Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Gift Set

£56.95

Not only are Zoeva brushes great quality for any make up fanatic, rose gold is SO in right now (can't you tell I just love the trend). The recipient will instantly fall in love with this, even if it was not on their list. This beautiful set includes the following brushes : 

106 Powder Brush

102 Silk Finish Brush

110 Face Shape Brush

127 Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush

142 Concealer Buffer

227 Soft Definer

231 Petite Crease Brush

317 Wing Liner Brush

Source:
http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/
the-bombshell-gift-box.html

Charlotte Tilbury 'The Bombshell '

£145.00 

For every females inner glamour girl this set is a must have, it is perfect for a festive season party look. 

Charlotte Tilbury is the queen of high end make up products and gets it right every time. Out of all the sets she has released, this one is my favourite because the products create a classic look. Every girl should master this trend to get heads turning on a night out. 

The set includes the following products: 

Colour Chameleon - Amber Haze (Eyeshadow Pencil) 
The Feline Flick - Panther (Eye Liner) 
Full Fat Lashes – Glossy Black (Mascara) 
Cheek to Chic – Sex On Fire (Blusher) 
Lip Cheat – Kiss ‘N’ Tell (Lip Liner) 
K.I.S.S.I.N.G – So Marilyn (Lipstick) 
Lip Lustre – Red Vixen (Lip Gloss) 
Complimentary Make Up Bag & Gift Box

Source:
http://www.selfridges.com/en/yves-saint-laurent-limited-
edition-la-laque-nail-varnish-24-
piece-collection_456-84033258-TGB23159/

YSL La Laque Collections

These nail colour sets are exclusive to Selfridges, I have found myself gazing at them in absolute awe. Then again my justification for spending £405.00 on nail products is limited, however the La laque nail varnish trio is a lovely and more affordable treat and a great gift for a girl who loves to have her nails done. 

La Laque Couture

£405.00 

24 shades to compliment any girls wardrobe all year around.

Source: http://www.selfridges.com/en/
yves-saint-laurent-la-laque-nail-varnish-trio
_456-84033258-TGB23160/

La Laque Nail Varnish Trio

£55.00 

The set includes three festive colours; white, glitter gold and reflective bronze in the following shades:

Blanc Symbolist

Bronze Aztec 

Feuille D'Or

Just Because... (£50-£70)

These are great smaller gift ideas or to add as part of a bigger gift. 

Source:
http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/
product/2325/
32022/Makeup/
Cheeks/Shimmer-Brick/
Shimmer-Brick-Compact--Copper-Diamond/
FH14/index.tmpl#i.1ar0my2wc3dywy

Bobbi Brown Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick

£35.00 

If you know the Bobbi Brown collections well you will know the shimmer brick is one of the most amazing and essential additions to any girls make up bag, so what better over the festive season than this new copper diamond shimmer brick?  This is a great highlighting product, and Bobbi's shimmer bricks are always a people pleaser, you just can't go wrong! 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

£45.00 

This is a great gift for any girl; whether she likes subtle and natural every day make up, or is just a make up junkie. The most amazing part of this unique palette is that it actually smells like chocolate- make up AND chocolate you say? What more could a girl want?!

I am aware Too Faced is releasing its new Semi Sweet Chocolate palette on the 15th December, however I am not sure if this launch will be exclusive to Sephora, or also be available within the UK. 

Source:
http://www.theperfumebaseline.com/
female-perfume/black-orchid-tom-ford/

Tom Ford- Black Orchid

Price begins at £46.50 for 30ml

I first came across this amazing fragrance from my manager, once she shared the secret with me I HAD to try it at the airport on my way back from holiday. Although it doesn't come cheap, I will guarantee the scent of this is worth every penny spent. 

The scent is a combination of luxury florals and fruits, and is so beautifully distinctive it will get people talking as you walk past. 

Stocking Fillers and Secret Santa (£15-£40)

Beauty essentials any girl would love to receive...

Source:
http://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/
anastasia-beverly-hills-dipbrow-pomade.html

Anastasia Dipbrow Promade

£15.00 

This is the revolution in eyebrow products. Since I have got my hands on this I will never turn back, and neither will any blogger you come across. This is the best eyebrow product on the market, no matter what your eyebrow shape or shade. 

Source:
http://www.beautyblender.co.uk/
product/beautyblender_classic/

The Beauty Blender

£16.00 

I shamefully only just received my first beauty blender, and all I can say is I can't believe it took me this long. 

The beauty blender is a sponge like tool which blends foundation and concealer effortlessly for a flawless finish. 

If you girls don't have one of these in your make up bag, please send a hint to get one for Christmas- I promise you won't regret it! 

Source:
http://www.selfridges.com/
en/tom-ford-lip-color_450-3001058-LIPCOLOR/

Tom Ford lipstick

£37.00 

There has been a big trend on Tom Ford lipsticks, I did not quite understand it until I tried one for myself. Oh gosh, I want them all! 

These are slightly on the expensive side for a lippie, but make amazing gifts to treat someone special. I recommend a shade which can be worn both day and night to get the most wear and money out of the product, I opted for 'Casablanca.' 

Source: http://www.boots.com/en/
Essie-Winter-Baby-Its-Cold-Outside-Quad-Box_1636143/

Essie Baby its Cold Outside Quad

£24.99 

I love loVE LOVE Essie nail varnishes. Anyone who knows me well knows my obsession for nail colour. These polishes are great value for the price they come at and are available in a massive variety of colours. I find they stay on well with a good top coat (I use Seche Vite). 

Each season a gift set is available, this winter the set includes: 

Mademoiselle : the most classic grown up pink 

Chinchilly: sleek granite grey

Toggle to the top : sparkling crushed garnet red

Belugaria : highly textured matte black

So those are my top recommendations guys and girls... 

Are you are struggling with beauty related gift ideas?

I am always here to help and give me opinions so leave a message and I will try my best to advise you, in the mean time happy holidays... 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Grow Baby Grow!

Hey All, 

Its been a while since my last blog post, as I browsed Amazon this morning I was reminded to write a post about my newest miracle routine. Some of you may have read the post some time ago about my hair growth journey. Since Spring especially I have noticed a huge difference, and I wanted to share my progress. 

July 2014

January 2014

It has taken some commitment but my routine now consists of: 

• Not straighening my hair for work
• Limiting the use of hair tools on weekends unless necessary
• Massaging Hair Stimulant Oil (from Amazon) in my hair once a week
• Massaging Coconut Oil in my hair once a week
• Washing my hair with Mane and Tail Shampoo and a deep 1 minute conditioner twice a week

I have followed this routine RELIGIOUSLY, and I have to say the rate at which my hair is growing is beyond amazing. I have always relied on my hair extensions for both volume and length, and my hair is now the same length as them... bye bye extensions! The fullness of my hair is also unbelievable, it looks so full and healthy after years of my hair falling out and being so limp. 

I have only had two trims between May 2014 and this year, and sorry but I personally don’t believe in the “trim every 6 weeks” rule, I have followed it for years and my hair has never changed in its length or form. I believe if you keep damage to a limitation it is possible to get away with not having a trim, and to be fair I am not one of those who is bothered by a few split ends. 

So lets look into the details behind some of my “miracle” products. 

Hair Stimulant Oil 

I first purchased this in April, it smells great and I have used many oils in my time but I really felt this one has worked the best. It is reasonably priced (around £5 on amazon) and a little goes a long way. I used this once a week and massage it into my scalp especially, and also the ends of my hair. I leave it in overnight (or longer if I am not out on a weekend) and wash it out the next day. It also washes out really easily which I have found not all oils do. I wash my hair twice a week, so I alternate this oil with Coconut once a week. 

Mane and Tail Shampoo and Conditioner

I have read SO many reviews on this stuff that I felt like I HAD to try it at least. I will never look back. As weird as it is that this product can be used on horses, this is the holy grail solution to healthy hair growth. I could not believe how thick and long my hair has become since I began to use this. My hair feels and looks healthier, even without using any further styling products after. The shampoo is a slightly odd texture, but neither the shampoo or conditioner smell bad- which is fine. It is worth it once hair is dry, I also like to follow up with my new favourite deep conditioner... 

Garnier Ultimate Blends 1 Minute Conditioner

In the past I mentioned the L’oreal 1 minute conditioner, I saw this one on offer and thought it was worth a try. It contains coconut oil and is great for damaged hair. I put this in and rinse out with cold water, and even when my hair is wet the tangles are minimal. I love this conditioner and it really tames my hair from any frizz when I allow it to dry naturally or with a hair dryer. 

So now I don’t straighten my hair for work, how do I make myself look socially acceptable and not homeless with my untamed hair?

These Umberto Giannini curling products work WONDERS...

I use the Flirty Curls Scrunching Jelly the day I have washed my hair in the morning. I am lucky enough to have a 30 minute drive to work, so by the time I get in, my hair is nice and dry. For those of you who aren't as fortunate, I suggest washing your hair the night before and using this, however allowing it to dry naturally is the trick for me. Only a small amount (the size of a 2p is sufficient) is needed otherwise hair feels a little on the crunchy side. The next day my curls are usually still tamed, but at times I use the Natural Curls Styling Spray which can be used on dry hair. 

This allows me to look a little presentable at least, and try and keep the damage in my hair through heated tools at a minimum. 

So there it is guys, after about 4 years of looking for a miracle, I feel like I have found the solution for me... have a try and let me know how you get along. 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Now You See It, Now You Don't

Hey guys, so seeing as I have decided to only blog about items I think are worth talking about I have decided to use my time to cover a topic which is slightly embarrassing for some, but something that is so common amongst females and an experience worth sharing. 

I recently decided to have laser on my face to get rid of some unwanted hair, I did my research and went for a few consultations with many salons only offering IPL. I am Asian, therefore I have medium tone skin and dark coarse hairs which can be a bit obvious and embarrassing if you don't remove them appropriately. I was sick of my Sunday hair removed routine, and decided to take the plunge and go for it. 

A friend of mine has recently opened a skin clinic in St Albans, so I went along for a consultation. The Skin Shop and Clinic was great, made me feel comfortable, explained all the details and I had a little patch test. Jane (my laser consultant) also explained the different types of laser and what works best with my hair type and skin combination, something not many other places did as they were more fixitated on getting me to book in a session with them instead. 

The laser Jane recommended for me is called Saprano Ice. The laser is paired with a cooling process, so overall my sessions feel like she is rubbing a ice pack over my face, I rarely feel any heat and if and when I do I let her know and she will repeat the cooling process. I have never felt any pain during any of my sessions. 

Each of my sessions lasted from around 15-20 minutes. I started to see results within my 3rd session, and I have to admit there is a large amount of hair I havn't seen again since then. The one thing I know everyone dreads is the hair removal in between, yes I did have to shave, but my results started to show so quickly that I have actually only needed to do it 3 times or so over the period of 6 months. 

I can not vouch this particular laser would work for absolutely everyone, but if you can get a consultation for it and it's suitable for your skin and hair type I would definitely say its worth the money and to go for it. However there are a few things I would like to stress when thinking about getting laser done: 

Image Source: Orchid Spa website

• Don’t think the process is going to get rid of everything but have expectation that it will slow down growth. 

• There is a chance that hair which was less noticeable before will become more obvious as other areas clear. This has actually happened to me but I think its purely psychological. 

• Nothing is permanent and there is always a chance the hair may return, so think wisely before spending your money. 

I can not recommend both the Saprano Ice laser treatment and the skin shop and clinic enough. They have really helped with a slightly inconvenient and embarrassing problem and I can not believe the reduction in my hair. Although there is still some hair, I would predict about 90% reduction to before in the areas which I showed the most concern. The biggest downfall for me has been that I am noticing hair which I never did before,I am not sure if this is down to the hair removal in between or because some areas are so clear. As it is a costly process I really don’t want to part with the funding again, but I am pleased I have been able to banish the most troublesome areas. 

Have you had an experience with hair removal you would like to share? If so, post below! 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

f

Do Miracle Products Exist?

Bobbi Brown BB Cream 

£29  

Source: Bobbi Brown Website

Some of you may know from my previous posts that I am quite conscience of my skin following teenage acne, therefore I refuse to wear foundation on a daily basis. Until now the Laura Mercier oil free tinted moisturiser has been my daily choice of skin base, until I received a sample of the Bobbi Brown BB cream which I tested for a week and then decided to buy.  

I never did give in to the BB Cream phase, it all seemed like empty promises to me, and I have never come across a review that completely changed my perception of this. I still remain unconvinced that any BB Cream is the "miracle solution" but I have to say I have been quite pleased with the Bobbi Brown Product. 

I used the tester I received for a week in my day to day routine to see how it held up against my original skin routine. It can sometimes get anywhere between 10-14 hours within my day before I get a chance to remove my make up in the work week, at the end of the day my face is usually oily and my dry patches seem more obvious that usual. 

Apologies for the poor picture,
it was the only photo I could track where
I could show the use of the BB Cream
on my holiday. 

I noticed with the Bobbi Brown Bb Cream my face did not look oily at the end of the day, and my skin remained matte with maybe a slight shine at the most. The coverage is also good, I have red patches which are covered as well as evening my skin tone without looking like I am wearing anything.I don't like to feel like I am wearing much on my face during the week, so this product worked out great for me as it was light; the oil free part was a bonus! 

I decided to purchase the full size in time for my trip to India seeing as my tinted moisturiser was running low and following my recent laser treatment I was also in need of a high SPF product (this is SPF 35). This was the real test of the product, as I wanted to see if I would get the same level of result in 28 degrees and long days. 

Overall I found the product worked really well for about 6 hours in the day before needing a blot, or powder touch up. By the end of the day my skin was slightly greasy, but not anymore so than with my normal products, as well as some dry patches.  

I would recommend this product as a good day to day skin cover, however it is quite on the expensive side for a BB cream (£29) however it still works out cheaper than the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser, so I would be willing to repurchase until I come across something that might be more suited to my skin. 

Have you ever come across a product which really is a "miracle" cure? 

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others.