Poolside Pubes

We have seen the last of our summer holiday season; with the last few days of the summer holidays dwindling before the back to school September sadness. But for women this season has been the hardest few months to maintain your beauty regime hair wise. Every female has no doubt suffered at the hands of a wax strip, pair of tweezers or thread, primping and prepping themselves prior to their holiday to ensure not a stray hair is in sight.

Miley Cyrus flaunted a hirsute underarm fighting for her feminist belief, she even dyed it red to attract even more attention and in an attempt to rid the taboo and stigma around body hair. Other a- listers such as Julia Roberts did the same but Miley has swiftly removed the hair.

But, my point is why are women so hair conscious, especially on holiday, and men are not? Men can lay sprawled out on a sun lounger in their budgie smugglers with pubes awry, their “snail trail” obviously protruding and even an immensely hairy back (admittedly not all men), whilst there is pressure from society and the media for women to have to endure hair removal at a cost prior to their holidays and maintain a trim body hair. But why?

Pubes by the poolside are not the done nor seen thing for women. Society and the media have pushed us to believe that god help you if you did let your bush loose and visible to all when sunbathing. So, every year and every holiday season females venture to their trusty beauticians to opt for a hair removal of their underarms, eyebrows, legs and nether regions all in preparation for their hols, to save the hassle of shaving, but also, to spare the embarrassment of others seeing you bare all with all your hairs and graces awry. This does not necessarily mean that everything goes but every female will tame their hair for their holidays in some shape or form: whether it’s your DIY hair removal wax strips, shaving, threading, laser treatment, waxing and all the playful shapes you can possibly imagine from bald eagle, to Brazilian to a simple neat tidy shape up, a landing strip – you name it there’s a term for the design you want – but there is no denying that hair removal is top of the to do list for every female prior to their holiday.

Why is there such a stigma around pubic hair? I for one am not hair’s biggest fan – hair in general – I am terrible with with the head on my hair in terms of styling it (my limits stretch to a normal classic plait and even that isn’t the nearest), my eyebrows have remained the same shape for years and require little plucking, however I am an advocate of smooth hair free legs and equally neat and tidy bikini area, but the expense, the pressure and the demand to maintain such neatness is something men will not know. I have never gone on holiday without a bikini wax, nor will I, but why I won’t dare to is something engrained in me. But why? And by who? Booking my beauty appointment is something I don’t think twice about doing before a holiday, because they (beauticians) say it lasts longer than waxing, which it does and it is better for you (arguably), but I do enjoy the carefree hair free holiday outcome. But it doesn’t actually last the entire summer, and prior to your wax works session you fear wearing shorts because of how bad “down there” could be and you don’t want to run the risk of others getting a glimpse. Yet men do not ever have this fear.

Some may deem the hair free female as abiding to misogyny and the unrealistic perspective of women projected on men of glamour models with the perfectly proportioned body, who have neat or hair-free nether regions. But the fur-free feline can also be a nod to feminism (arguably- well I’d like tho think so), women are in charge of our bodies, and despite the media’s views on how a woman should be and look like, ultimately us women make the decision, and I take pride in primping myself and I honestly do feel empowered, and more confident when hair free.

I have put it down to society and the pressures on women to have the perfect “porn star designer vagina” that has pressured women into going to the expense and pain of hair removal that now a tamed and trimmed downstairs is in fact expected.

Will this stigma ever go? If women stop maintaining their hair, pubic hair in particular, what will happen? And why can men get away with more grotesque hairy bodies?

M x

Ombré Nails

We have had ombré hair, we have even dabbled with ombré lips but now an even simpler ombré experiment to trial is ombré nails.

The definition for ‘Ombré’  is: “having tones of colour that shade into each other, graduating from light to dark.”

Simply, but effective AND fashionable!

Whether you fancy a rocket ice lolly multicoloured ombré nail, a sunset shaded nail or even wish to stick to one colour and have that single hue in ombré tone, there will be a shade to suit everyone- I promise. 

You can experiment in various ways with colours, with various hues, and with the direction of ombré; you can lighten the nail towards the tip of your nail, to the cuticle, outwards, to one side, and even ombré inwards.

How to ombré:

1) Pick the colours you wish to use for your nail art, whether that is a deep red, then various lighter hues of that shade, or whether that is a deep red, coral. Orange, peach, yellow and a slight touch of white for the sunset look, and include a clear base coat and gel finish for after.

2) File, and trim your nails to the shape you prefer, and slightly push down the cuticles to accentuate the length of your tallens.

3) Apply one layer of a nude or clear base coat, and wait for that to dry.  This acts as a blank converse and permits a smooth application of the nail varnish.

4). Work from light to dark, to prevent the darker shades bleeding into other nail varnishes, and to ensure that you do achieve a more distinctive ombré effect by incorporating the lighter contrasting colour. So paint your whole nail in the lighter colour (for the ombré effect toward the tip of the nail)

Continue to apply a layer of each coloured nail varnish but stopping a bit shorter than before to achieve the gradient.

TIP: if your ombré nail is looking more staggered and less blended, lightly dab a cotton bud into nail varnish remover so the cotton doesn’t catch and smudge onto your nail, and simply blend the colours together.

5). Once all the colours have been applied, and the darkest colour reaches your cuticle, wait for your nails to dry.

6). Once they are dry, apply the clear gel finish effect. And voila!

For those who have a steadier hand and less patience, use the corner of the nail brush and instead of painting your entire nail each time, lightly dab each coloured varnish on your nail in the direction you wish to go, softly flicking the brush away and continue to lightly dab and continue this process for each consecutive shade after that, which is another technique will also achieve an ombré look.  However, by lightly dotting your nails to cover the sections of the nail you want in that colour you may result in areas of your nails appearing like little blobs, and it could leave a less smoother finish.

BUT, for an even simpler technique…

 

Follow steps 1 and 2 (above), once you have selected the colours you wish to use, and the order, cut a small rectangular segment of sponge and paint it in the order and shape of your ombré effect, then quickly apply that onto your nail like a transfer.  Use a cotton bud dipped in nail varnish remover to remove any excess varnish around your nail.  Apply the gel finish and simply easy (if perhaps slightly messy) slick ombré application.

Experiment away!

M x

Get Zoe Kravitz’s Beauty Look

Zoe Kravitz at the Elle Style Awards flaunted a gothic glam beauty look with her long braided locks and dark shaded eye makeup. It is safe to say that Zoe has gone from a timid teen to a wild glam rockstar, following closely in her father’s footsteps (minus the exposing catastrophe).

One thing we can always associate with Zoe is that her make up is always fairly understated, with her emphasis beauty wise on either the eyes, or lips. By only focusing on one area acts to achieve an understated look, fitting for her laid back rockstar air she has.

How do you get Zoe’s laid back glam rock look?

Focus mainly on the eyes.

• Sleek black eyeliner.With a steady hand use Colorsport Rapid Lash Gro eyeliner and make one sweeping stroke across the edge of your top eyelid, as close to your lashes as possible, with the thickness of the line depending on your personal preference. This eyeliner is doubly effective, not only does it assist the growth of your eyelashes but it also acts as a very efficient black liquid eyeliner with a fine brush to help create the perfect line ONLY on the top lid.
• Soft kohl eyeliner.

  

With the soft eye pencil Rimmel’s Soft Kohl Eyeliner in Stormy Grey sketchily trace under the lower lid, and using the soft sponge to smudge it so as not to create a sharp and drastic line effect like the top edge, this works as a smoky smudge effect, and also creates the rockstar look of ‘I’m wearing last night’s make up’ look. Simply smudge the soft kohl pencil from half way of your lower lid out to the very edge and a few millimetres outside of your eye, to accentuate the eye area. The risk with wearing eyeliner on the top and bottom eyelids is that it gives the impression of small squinting eyes, which we do not want, and Zoe does not have, therefore a softer eyeliner approach to the lower lid will draw a contrast to the whiteness in your eyes and the extension of the line to the outer edge of your eyes will create the illusion of bigger eyes.

• Pearlescent eyeshadow.

Use either a white eyeliner or a pearlescent shaded eyeshadow, such as Revlon’s Colour stay eyeshadow in Bone or Oyster. With a fine brush lightly trace the outer edge of your top eyeliner (you may need to re-apply the black eyeliner on the top lid), and follow the line all across the eye, adding more eyeshadow in the inner corner of the eye and dragging out to the outer eye and blending slightly upwards so as not to create too harsh a white line. By contrasting the black block eyeliner with the light eyeshadow creates a bolder and sharper eyeliner, and acts to highlight the eye area so it is not too gothic. Splash on a few lashings of mascara and you are ready to go.

Extra Zoe Kravitz beauty tips:

Zoe Kravitz appears to go au natural and never obviously wears foundation or face products other than eye or lip products, due to her caramel complexion.

But for those who may feel bare without any foundation or blusher, lightly dust a bronzer, try Rimmel’s Sun-bronze for a light tan dusting, to emulate the actress’s complexion.

To highlight your features like Zoe, dot Benefit’s Sun beam down your nose, a little across your cheekbones and above your brow, to create an ‘A’ shape, and blend in. This will highlight your features and streamline your face too. It will also aid the natural sunkissed complexion. However, put the highlighter on and wait for it to settle into your pores before applying the bronzer.

Lastly, your lips. Zoe has opted for nude au natural lips, so you can simply dab a nourishing lip balm onto your lips with a beauty essential such as Carmex, or try a nude matte finish lipstick from Mac’s new Matte Lipstick Collection in a brown/nude shade, try The Matte Lip in ‘Whirl’. For not such an obvious application, apply the lipstick to your finger first, then lightly dab along your lips until you are happy that you have enough coverage, then blot.

M x

Herve Leger Boss and His Misogynistic Onslaught!

The luxury designer brand Herve Leger renowned, for their iconic body contouring dresses worn by numerous A-listers, and now infamous for the uninhibited and offensive words of Managing Director Patrick Couderc.

The signature figure hugging dress with a bandage style contouring design has been worn by celebrities from Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Michelle Rodriguez, Victoria Beckham and many more, which many females admire. The designer’s signature dress snowballed, and turned into a fashion frenzy with many high street shops mimicking the flattering design so that women who may not be able to spare around £1,300 for a dress, will be able to get designer style at a fraction of the price, and feel fantastic on a night out.

                                    

As always young females aspire to look like famous people and celebrity icons, and we undoubtedly hark after their wardrobe and admire their style, and consequently try to emulate it ourselves. Nothing wrong in that, right? Wrong!

According to Mr Couderc, there is. Patrick Couderc has recently admitted that the signature style dress is to fit a certain female, attacking a large population of women in its wake. Who knew there was a set quota to wear one item?

The criteria to wear the dress (according to Patrick Couderc) is the following:

• A slim petite frame, no lumps and bumps.
• No flat chests. As he states that ‘voluptuous women’ and women with ‘very prominent hips and a very flat chest’ must not wear the item.
• Not suitable for ‘committed lesbians’. Couderc is of the very stereotypical and highly offensive homosexual belief that lesbians prefer to be ‘butch and leisurely’. (I think I heard your jaw hit the floor).
• No older women, as he states that older women’s ‘cleavage is about two inches too low because you are 55 and it’s time that you should not display everything like you’re 23.’
• No visible underwear, and you are not too wear underwear too small, so no panty lines.
• You must be of a certain class. Supposedly Couderc will not give dresses to anyone if they are not of a sufficient class.

Couderc clearly has no filter (or heart)!

I don’t know about you, but that checklist sounds like something Regina George would write in ‘The Burn Book’ in Mean Girls.

Despite Patrick Couderc having committed nearly every sort of ‘-ism’ offence, I am surprised there has not been a question of his position as the boss of the designer brand.

It is understandable that during the design process of new garments the designer will undoubtedly have a type of muse in mind, such as a businesswoman or a young teen – a target market. However, Couderc has taken this target audience to the extreme, and has been overly detailed of his musein terms of exact weight, body frame, social status, and age, thus expelling most types of women from wearing the item.

With Couderc’s attack in mind, there is no doubt why there has been a surge in females dieting, and a heightened awareness of one’s body image.

What I do question though is why has there not been an uproar to this yet? Couderc has tainted and brought down the reputation of the luxury brand through the representative’s offensive remarks, but what will be done? Of course, people will buy into the luxury brand but what does this say about other luxury brands? Do they too envisage their new garments on a stick thin, busty, petite, aristocratic woman, rather than a 50 year old mum of three with a curvaceous body who is taller than your average female? What gives Couderc the right to not allow certain women the dress? Surely, if you can afford the item, it is yours, and more importantly, the main shopping principle is that if the item makes you feel good then buy it. Right?

What I also question is Couderc’s unrelenting verbal diarrhoea, his insulting and degrading remarks about women, and his misogynistic and homophobic view about women. If he believes that only one type of woman (lesbians excluded, in his opinion) should wear Herve Leger’s designs, does he too believe that the entire population of women should follow and morph into the designer directors archetype of a woman? That any woman that may want a day wearing granny pants, which the seam may slightly show through even a pair of jeans, be looked at in disgust? No. Couderc’s extremely idealised view of women that no woman is allowed to have a minor flaw- not a stray hair, nor a slight panty line on show, let alone (god help you) a little bump or ‘food baby’ (which is clearly not present in the advertisement below, which appears like the model is breathing in to emphasise her slender frame), is unrealistic and a derrogative perception of women. But what does this say about the perception of women, still?

I fear that those who idolise designer brands will be blinkered into this same belief about women, and even worse, I fear that Couderc and his extremely open views will permit other men to so openly comment about women and women’s shapes.

I personally find Couderc’s comment extremely objectifying and degrading about women, critically observing our body shape and status; I was, and still am, mortified by the comments Patrick Couderc made.

What are your thoughts?

M x

(Also on The News Hub)

FKA TWIGS: Formerly Known As… Our New Beauty-inspo

Singer songwriter and R Patz’s fiance FKA Twigs is renowned for her bold beauty and signature slicked down baby hair in swirly patterns, which is a massive throwback to the Black history Beauty days (and ignites a whiff of nostalgia for me, reminding me of Christina Aguilera and Lil Kim’s hit ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ music vid and Chilli from TLC -slight tangent).

The musician born Tahliah Debrett Barnett who has adopted her nickname ‘The Twig’, because of her cracking joints as her musical stage name, frequently experiments with make-up and is the front line of new beauty trends and facial body art. Her Latina/Jamaican descent giving her the perfect bronzed complexion, permits her to pull off any beauty trend possible.

My favourite FKA Twigs is the look on her Genius album cover (right),  which is suitable for the final summer weeks ahead and adaptable to suit all skin tones is her blazon beauty. This look is a signature pillar box red lipstick, a natural bronzed complexion, with burnt amber eyeshadow, classic black simplistic mascara and a sleek eyebrow.

The products you need to achieve the FKA Twigs beauty look:

1). The red lip

No make-up bag is complete with a classic rouge. Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘Red Carpet Red’ Matte Revolution Lipstick is the one for you. The matte effect enables the colour to last longer, yet it is not too matte that the colour pigment seeps into the cracks of dry lips. To get the full ‘POW’ of any red, cover your lips with a concealer or foundation to match your skin tone, which will act as a blank canvas to apply the colour on top.

2) The burnt orange eyeshadow.

FKA Twigs opts for an all over eyelid burnt orange/amber shade that is slightly metallic. This hue is suitable for the sun kissed skin we are all sporting from these summer days, therefore it is the perfect eyeshadow shade for now. Opt for Nars’ Meditaranee Duo Eyeshadow, use the paler shade for directly onto your eyebrow bone, and apply the amber metallic shade over your eyelid as well as in the corner of your eye too. This will act as a highlighter and give that little ‘glint’ to your eye. Follow this with a few lashings of an ultra black lash lengthening mascara (but not so it is clumpy) to embody your inner FKA Twigs.

3). The sleek eyebrow.

We have seen a huge surge in large bushy eyebrows, so for those who are blessed with fuller brows, and even those who may have slightly over plucked this beauty tip will help you (minus the need to draw on your eyebrows to create a fuller brow). Simply get a clear eyebrow brush (Maybelline Brow Drama Brow Mascara in Soft brown) or even a clear mascara (Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear) and lightly brush it over your brows with an upward movement to push your eyebrow hairs upwards. This immediately gives the impression of bigger fuller brows. This is perfect for summer as it is not always easy to maintain a symmetrical pencilled brow every day in sweltering heat, so this beauty tip is fully sweat proof and fully effective.

M x

Crazy for Curls

Let’s not beat around the bush – pun intended- we are all familiar with the film Curly Sue, an archetypal character that all young curly haired girls would associate themselves with purely on their hair type, but this year’s Met Gala and Cannes Film Festival proves that the ’50s Hollywood deep set sleek waves are back.

As Wedding season is approaching, as are a lot of Summer Balls, there is only one hairdo for you.  Channel your inner Jessica Rabbit (or the more preferable comparison Blake Lively) to get the deep set waves like Amal Clooney and Charlize Theron at the Met Gala, and Selma Hayek at the Cannes Film Festival with their sleek deep set waves that all follow the glossy neat wave throughout their locks, which will instantly give your friends major hair envy.

To create this sleek style use GHD Curling wand and twist small sections of your hair around the tong all following the same direction, so that your entire head is laden with ringlets.  Yes, this may seem crazy but this is GHD Styling expert’s top tip- there is a method in what seems like madness.  Once your hair has completely been curled you then brush out the curls, add a light hair serum (which is optional depending on how sleek you want your style), this will loosen your curls but enable them to collect in the wave-like formation.  Sweep your hair all over to one side and voila…. red carpet ready!

However, it is the summer, and we females do not always want to be swamped by hair.  So, if that is the case, you can still channel this 50s uber glamorous style but opt for an up do; it is still keeping with the trend but adding a twist, which is what the twenty first century is about, right?  Look to Charlize Theron who did just that, she has the sleek deep set 50’s waves but loosely tie up your hair in a low loose bun at the lower base of the back of your head.  Or look to the one and only Queen B who turned heads at this year’s Met Gala (minus the lift wars) and once your hair is fully tonged and brushed out. Collect your hair in a tight, slicked back ponytail, this way you still feel like a fierce female yet remaining col in the summer heat when all hair types have a tendency to frizz.

For an even looser curl, brush out the curls a tad more or opt for TRESemme’s Heated rollers, which you can leave in for as long as you want and opt for big or smaller rollers depending on how tight you want your curl, also what can determine the tightness of your curl is how long you leave the rollers in for; for some with thick hair that has a tendency to make a hairstyle drop out quicker, then leave the rollers in for slightly longer, however if you have thin hair and only want loose curly waves, then leave in for a short time. Heated rollers still bring that fun glamorous bounce to your locks, but ensuring that they the curls are not just-so.

If however, you wish to opt for a day time curl then do as I do, and as your hair is drying leave it tied up quite tight in your towel to let it dry; you can be painting your fingernails, applying your make-up, simply reading your book and taking some down time just to let your hair dry, once your hair has dried they will have a loose yet natural looking curly wave.  To ensure that your curl doesn’t drop out during the day you can quickly whip your hair up in a tight bun held together with a crocodile clip, then once you let your luscious locks down and have that L’Oréal moment and you have everyone wishing they knew your curly hair secrets.

M x

Kylie Jenner: Too Much, Too Young?

There has been an ongoing debate about Kylie Jenner and her plump pout; has she had surgery? Perhaps fillers? Is it due to her age that she is maturing and developing, so that is making her assets ever so fuller? Is she super skilled with a lip-liner to accentuate them so extremely that they look false? Or does she use a Benefit ‘Sexy Mother Pucker’ type lip plumping gloss, which slightly lessens the extremity of this situation? Although, we thought we had seen the end of this debate, it has been a discussion that has resurfaced as Kylie admitted that she has, at the age of 17 years old, had temporary lip fullers. We cannot help but think that Kylie has followed in surgery sovereign, her half-sister sister Kim West’s footsteps.

Now, it would be easy to delve into the why’s and the how’s, the further complexities and mysteries of Kylie’s ever-growing lips.  However, I want to know why there is such a surge of youngsters opting for surgery to alter their body.  Is it really the only way? Is it the society’s pressure? Is it social media’s strain to get the most likes on your Instagram? Or is it Kim K and her new book release ‘Selfish’ that has taken over the minds of young adults and mis-educated them about beauty and their aesthetic. It is undeniable that the younger generation do act older for their age, by looking up to sisters, friends, friends of sisters, or celebrities for inspiration and therefore acting older than their age and even looking older too.  Will this vicious cycle, that people copy older generations and that they continue to copy at a younger and younger and younger age, stop? When you are seventeen and you are opting for surgery and fillers, maybe? Surely, you must realise you are too young for surgery at the age of seventeen? Considering the legal drinking (alcohol) age in America is twenty-one.

I have heard from a lot of various sources that lots of young girls save, not necessarily for education and university, but for surgery – breast implants being the most common. However, where has this surge for surgery stemmed from?

Although the younger generation will always and have always urged to be older, and aspired to older role models and siblings; wishing they could go out and do what their siblings were doing, or wear the things that older people are wearing, be able to drink alcohol because their siblings could, because I admit I did when I was younger. I believe that a large responsibility is the ever powerful social media which allows celebrities, weight loss and dietary sites thrive, and to almost shove down the publics throat the “perfect” and “idealised” image of how one should look. However, for Kylie, she has both the fame and constantly being in the public eye surrounding the Kardashian-Jenner’s, social media AND her family, which surely culminates in her unconsciously being pressured into acting ahead of her time and succumbing to the idealised image of how one should look, even if that does mean facing the needles; considering her model sister Kendall is the face of numerous premium brands, mother Kris being the epitome of surgery, closely followed by half-sister Kimmy. Of course, everyone does have control over their own actions and the blame to undergo a form of surgery at a young age is your own decision, but you cannot help but think of additional factors that would subconsciously impact on one’s decision, which Kylie is so largely encompassed within.

At Paris fashion week Spring Summer 2015 we see Kim Kardashian and daughter North West ‘twinning’ in matching Givenchy black lace, sheer dresses. Let’s please take a minute to remind ourselves what made Kim infamous, therefore styling North in a dress to match Kim’s revealing outfit, there is no wonder why the feeling that young children nowadays are growing up faster, and arguably before their time. Moreover, growing up in circumstances like North (and even the Jenner sisters); with highly recognised parents, constantly in the public eye and then additionally around publicity and the affront of having to look flawless, is an issue Kanye has. Supposedly Kanye has argued with Kim over exposing their child on Instagram and other social media outlets, saying that this will not make her ‘normal’ and that it’ll transform North into a more conscious and posed child, instead of one that wants to run about and get messy.

So, what we have is that Kylie admires others around her and whether she has succumbed to pressure of society or believes that it is perfectly ‘normal’ to have some form of surgery as a teenager; seeing as Kim is more than happy to post on social network sites the aftermath of her red raw skin after a face treatment, will no doubt trigger a domino effect, with her admirers and fans also copying her – and so the cycle continues.

Who do you think is to blame?

M x

(Post also featured on The News Hub!)

The Plait-form

The plait has taken the lead again…

Numerous A-listers from MIC’s Millie Mackintosh, Stephanie Pratt, to the Queen of A-listers Angelina Jolie, are sporting the plait in any which way possible. It seems that are many more ways to spice up your plait than just simply alternating the plait you use.

We once wished we were skilled enough to do a French plait, which we conquered, then we discovered the mermaid like fishtail plait, and we mastered that. We also experimented with whether to have plaited pig tails, or plaited fringes. But, just as you think you’ve exhausted very plait possible, along comes a new style.

Angelina and Millie have experimented with their plait by merging a plait in with an authentic hairstyle, to create a modern and innovative way to style your locks. Millie has opted for the traditional back plait, which is a smart but casual hair do, and she has sneakily added in a fishtail braid to show that she (or her hair stylist) can master two plaits – it is the hair do that copies the ‘double denim’ craze …plait paired/ plait². By interweaving a fishtail plait with a traditional hairdo, and therefore opting for two different types of plaits in one hairstyle creates a fun way to show you can experiment, and it helps to achieve a medley of sophistication, youth and fun. Similarly Angelina has merged a plaited bun with a beehive up do to show how you can make your plaits work the red carpet too.

Below are more plait-spirations:

If you want to keep it simple, add a sly fishtail plait when you wear your long tresses down, whether the body of your hair is straight, wave or curly, you can disguise your plait amongst your hair, so occasionally when you get that little glimpse it adds another dimension to your hairdo. However, if you feel like an odd plait in your hair is giving you a whiff of nostalgia and taking you back to your primary school days, then you can take this style a little further, like Millie, by weaving the plait in the body of your hair into an up do, whether a ponytail, half up/half down, a bun, or a plait that wraps around your head- whether just half of your head like a crown, or the entire of your head, or even into a larger classic plait- mix and match.

Whichever way you style it, plaits are definitely number one on our hairspiration podium this season; it is a hairdo that is a plait-form above the rest!

M x

Ice Ice Hair, Maybe? Grey Hair is Causing A Storm at Coachella

GREY HAIR IS CAUSING A STORM!

From Halle Berry, Kylie Jenner to Jourdan Dunn, the grey/ white hair with a hint of blue hair dye is the latest festival trend. Jourdan has opted for long soft grey hair, which verges on white, with a pale blue tinge, a hairspiration that must have come from no other than Storm played by Halle Berry in X-Men. Whilst, Kylie Jenner has yet again opted for a bolder aqua blue head. Both Jourdan and Kylie have opted for this new hairdo for the Coachella festival, but who would have thought that we would soon be CHOOSING to go grey before our time?

Why do the ice blue locks work for the summer season? Well now that spring is officially here and summer is on its way, we will not be feeling cold for long, and the revival of the grey hairstyle will not make us look like aged croons but in fact brighten up our appearance this season. The soft tones are appealing for the summer months as a light coiffeure with a golden glow and a few freckles is the perfect summer style (it will also give the illusion of an enhanced tan)- so why not brave the blue, or go for grey?

Yes it is quite bizarre that our biggest and vainest fear – spotting that dreaded grey hair – is the latest trend, and yes, you would be right in thinking that Kylie Jenner has already brought back this hairspo; so why is there such a hype and resurgence of the trend again? Well, as we know festival season is among us and Coachella is the ultimate catalyst to start the festival fever. With festivals comes a surge of glitter, crotchet, fringing, outstanding colours, and of course whacky hairstyles, therefore it seems like the most appropriate time to break the mould and revamp our locks. Festivals range from being a day long, to a few days, maybe perhaps a week (rarely), so being spontaneous with your hair is not a permanent change, which is the great thing.

Festival Fun Hairspiration:

Glitter is bound to get in your hair at festivals (along with a lot of other things), so why not beat them to it and either opt for glitter or a hair glitter spray at the ends of your hair for that little subtle festival glam.

Hair chalks: There are easy ways to up the ante when it comes to hair dyes, and hair chalks are the best way for all. If you would like just a tad of colour in your locks, then chalks are great, and if you want a stronger more potent finish then you simply work the chalks harder in your hair. Simple! However, if you are feeling a little bit adventurous and feel like this festival season you need a drastic change, then I would advise girls to opt for a white/grey hair colour similar instead of peroxide or sandy beachwaves, and then if you wish you can add a pastel hair chalk to it, or numerous pastels colours to your hair.

Accessorise: we have seen a surge of flower power girls in past years, however this festival season it is time to move away from the fake daisy chains in your hair and opt for more sophisticated headpieces that resemble that of Cleopatra, or you can stick to kooky bandanas, and tie them around your head in various ways. Look to Jourdan Dunn for MORE trend inspiration, and match your bandana with your hair colour, for an innovative way to sport the co-ord trend. It is a retro and sneaky way to hide the fact you may not have washed your hair in a few days, plus the ‘90s trend is ‘in’ after all.

If you’re planning to swap your hairdo this festival season, I want to know (and see)!

M x

Titillated by Tattoo’s?

There is a sudden surge for tattoos; you either want one, or lust after one (or someone who has one…David Beckham). It is often said that tattoo’s are essentially a scar, as the majority of people simply go through a phase and regret getting that tattoo. The other fear is that tattoo’s supposedly lessen your employability rate. However, how does a temporary tattoo sound? Great, right?

The new tattoo craze brings a whiff of nostalgia along with it, as there is a surge on the high streets of temporary tattoos that you apply by dabbing a touch of water on the back of the temporary tattoo and peel away the paper, which is both easy to put on and come off, so there is no need to worry about being fired.

The Flash Tattoo’s and Lulu DK jewellery tattoo’s challenge the stereotype of tattoos, and brings a new dimension to being ‘inked’, as we can now opt for gilded temporary tattoos that resemble jewellery for a mere $25! ALERT: Flash Tattoo’s are now becoming the latest fashion accessory!

The Flash Tattoo’s range from small symbols; such as arrow markings and signs, which are suitable for those opting for a subtle tattoo trial, to elegantly written quotes, and more decorative designs that veer towards resembling artistic henna, tribal patterns and marking and even fashioning to be pieces of jewellery.

These trendy tats can be adorned anywhere, some opt to place them on the conventional tattoo place- the wrist, or the clavicle. Some Flash Tattoo’s can be decorated up the arm to appear like a stack of bracelets, around the neck and chest to appear like a necklace draping around your neck, or even around your ankle, you can chose to wear them ANYWHERE. So, be inventive and experiment with where you want your temporary tattoo, as there is no right or wrong way these can be worn.

The Flash Tattoo’s come in a traditional black colour, just so you can fool your friends and put their tattoo identification to the test! But, there is also the option of metallic colours (silver and gold) too, so you can look completely bejewelled- this tattoo-as-jewellery phenomenon, which enables slim gold strips to offer all the visual impact of a set of physical stacking rings. I have personally trialled and tested these Flash Tattoo’s and the gold printed tattoos are subtle yet effective as they are not as noticeable as the darker Flash Tattoos, and the golden hue blends with all skin tones.

Flash Tattoo’s are a great way for those heading to festivals next season, and for those who love to accessorise, as these are the alternative to rings and other jewellery which can occasionally be lost or fall off. Moreover, the primary unique selling point of the Flash Tattoo’s, is that it can help you decide if you truly want to get a permanent tattoo.

Why not try a mix and match of both the stencilled-on tattoo’s, with a few of your own favourite jewellery staples and put people to the test; an amalgamation of both will certainly enhance the illusion that all is real!

M x

@BovingdonMaisie