BACK TO BASICS – HOW TO WASH YOUR HAIR

(You could stop giggling now, you’d be surprised at how many people still don’t do it right!)

Step 1 – Wet hair (I’m cringing because it’s so obvious!!)  The water temperature should not be too hot.  ALWAYS try to use a shower head, you’ll struggle to get your hair squeaky clean washing your hair in a bath.  (Bad hair day cause  #1!)

Step 2 – Pour a SMALL amount (50p size for medium length) of shampoo in to your palm, work it through your hands like a moisturiser, then apply it EVENLY through your hair and scalp, using your fingers to work it through in circular motions.

Step 3 – Rinse, and repeat step 2.  This is important – the first shampoo gets the dirt out, the second wash makes the shampoo’s active ingredients work.  You’ll also notice that if you use small amounts twice, you’ll do better than using one big blob.

Step 4 – Rinse, and TOWEL DRY your hair by blotting – not rubbing – with a towel.  This step is often left out, but you’ll notice the difference, as the conditioner will now be less diluted when applies.

Step 5 – Work a small amount (£1 size for medium length hair) of conditioner through your hands, and apply it to the midlengths and ends ONLY.  Your scalp produces its own oils, what I normally suggest to clients is to apply conditioner on the ‘ponytail’ part of the hair.  You might see a massive change in flat hair if you do it this way!  You could also gently run a comb through your hair, as the conditioner will make it easier to comb.  Try to leave it on for a few minutes.  This would also be the time you would use a hair mask/treatment once a week, or as suggested by your stylist.

Step 6 – Rinse out thoroughly, until you feel that squeaky clean feeling.  Try to do the final rinse with cooler water for extra shine.  Then towel dry again by blotting your hair with a towel.  For longer hair, try gently squeezing the hair with the towel.  I flinch whenever I see people vigorously rubbing their hair!  Your hair is at its most vulnerable when it’s wet, and rubbing it is just going to damage it.

It sounds like a lot of effort, but soon it will become second nature.  I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences after trying this!

Now I need your input.  Feel free to comment on topics you’d like me to blog about.  I’m planning to cover common problems, styling tips, product suggestions, but it’s great to hear what people really struggle with!

I wanted to keep the first one simple, so I started out with a soft smoky eye.  This could obviously be altered to suit your taste, in terms of colour, etc, but here goes!

• (Not shown)  Start off by using a primer on your eyelid to make the eyeshadows last.  I’ve used Mac’s Painterly Paint pot, a soft pinky beige shade.
• Apply your chosen eyeshadow (I’ve used MAC Copperplate) with a flat eyeshadow brush, pushing it on to the eyelid up to the crease, focusing on the outer two-thirds of your lid.
• Then comes the fun bit – blending.  With a soft fluffy brush, use a wiper-motion to blend the top of that line of eyeshadow on your crease into your browbone.  The trick is to not go over the eyeshadow itself on the lid, you just want to soften any hard line.  Don’t press it too hard, you need quite a light touch.
• Very important: open your eyes and look straight-on in a mirror.  For this look, you must be able to see a little bit of the smoke above your crease with your eye open.  Switch between your flat brush to pack more colour, and alternate with the fluffy brush to blend it in.   Carry on with this until you’ve reached the desired depth of colour. The higher you go, the more dramatic the effect.
• Line your upper lid with a black shadow (MAC Carbon) with a small angled brush, keeping the intensity of colour at the lash root, flicking the brush upwards to soften the line.  Keep the line thicker on the outer corner to not close the eye up too much.
• Softly line the lower lid (again,focusing on the outer corner to keep the look ‘open’) with eyeshadow left over on the flat brush, curl your lashes, add mascara, and just like that, you have your smoky eye!

You could then continue by adding shimmer on top, or lining the inner rim of your eye with a black eyeliner pencil for drama.

Have fun with the look, experiment with different eyeshadow finishes and colours.

Would love to hear your feedback!!

If you’re not a long-haired girl, and never will be, don’t be tempted in growing your hair because it’s ‘expected’ of a bride to have long hair.  With a bit of product, and a few tools, there’s no need to feel that there’s nothing you could do with short hair!  I know there’s not a lot of inspirational pictures for short-haired brides in wedding magazines and the like, so hopefully this could help some cropped beauties!

Eliza Cummings via Fashion Gone Rogue

For the bolder bride, why not try a quiff?  After using mousse for hold and volume (try Redken’s Guts 10), lift the roots with a round brush.  Use a curling iron to add more movement if your hair needs it, make sure the sides and back lies flat.  Set the look with hairspray or a strong hold gel, depending on your hair.

Scarlett Johansson via Fashion Gone Rogue

For a more subtle, sleeker look, use a soft blowdry gel like Redken’s Velvet Gelatine in damp hair, blowdry with a paddle brush, keeping the sides and back sleek, and manipulate the fringe to the side.  Set with a light hairspray.

Agyness Deyn

For a bit of a tousled look, roughdry your hair using your fingers only.  Again, use straighteners to add movement if your hair is super straight, then use the magically wonderful POWDER.PUFF by Kevin Murphy on your roots for a gritty volume that will last all day – perfect for fine hair!  Just ruffle your roots when you need extra volume, et voilà!

Charlize Theron

If you have slightly longer hair, try glamorous waves.  My personal preference would be more worn-in and tousled than Charlize’s. For a great video to show you how you can create this, click HERE.

Color.Bug, via refinery29.com

I know the dip-dye effect will probably be on it’s way out at some point, but why not have fun with your hair on the day?  Even if it’s just for the reception?  Another Kevin Murphy product, COLOR.BUG is perfect for this, just make sure you cover your dress before you apply, and it’s not advisable for high necklines.  It looks fabulous on all hair colours, and washes out immediately.

Hope this have inspired some of you, feel free to ask me for any hair/make-up related advice on twitter!

We’ve had so many wonderful comments on Kirsty Mitchell’s White Queen pictures in Wonderland, and I thought I’d share some of the behind the scenes pictures of the hair and make-up.

Please click HERE for more pictures, and a description on how everything else was made.

The Queen’s hair and make-up was heavily based on Elizabeth 1, the look had to be very sculpted, regal, and intricate to echo the rest of her outfit (made by the photographer herself!)

Here was the main make-up influence:  

The hair took many days of playing around to figure out what would work best, the texture had to be intricate, but after having a go at plaiting, the hair just didn’t seem right.  I remembered doing a basket weave on hair years ago, and after a whole afternoon of work, here are the results: (pardon the picture quality!)

Hair detail

Mock-up of hair

The hairpieces had to be positioned onto model Ashley’s head on the day, after I made small pincurls in her fringe.  You could also see the base of the make-up here:

I then built up the make-up with deeper colours and added more contrast to keep the look dramatic.  Ashley has the most amazing icy blue eyes, and they just popped against the white liner (MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Pure White) and deeper, earthier shading (MAC Eyeshadow in Copperplate).  She is quite fair, but I wanted to make her skin paler by mixing white body paint into a light foundation.

The hair had to look quite frosted, and I remember using a LOT of white hairspray to get the texture and colour right.  I used a lot of padding to bulk out the hairpieces as her hair was quite short, then wedged the crown in the middle.

It was an amazing experience creating this look, especially since it has been so much work to get everything ready for the shoot (the costume and props took months to create!)  The pressure was most definitely on for the hair and make-up to be spot-on.

(cue dodgy picture circa 2003, I’m the startled-bird-looking one on the right)

So you’ve decided to go for it and spruce things up a bit.  Now here’s what you do:

• Go to someone you can trust.  When in doubt, have a blowdry/trim with them first, if you’ve never been the stylist before.  COMMUNICATION is almost more important than the cut or colour itself, if this is lost on either side, this will not turn out pretty.

• He/she might be the lead colourist/stylist of XYZ salon, but if they’re going be intimidating, they might do something you will regret.  Listen to them (they are the professionals, still) but don’t allow yourself to be bullied into anything.  If they say a fringe will bring out your eyes, let them know if you hate having hair in your face, for instance.

• So you’ve got your tattered picture of Rock Star/Screen Starlet in your purse.  No, you don’t look like her, but you want HER HAIR. But you don’t have her hair, or anything like it.  Be realistic.

• Having said that, bring pictures.  References of your dream look on different people will narrow things down for the stylist (who knew there’s a million versions of chestnut brown?) I’ve had it happen so many times where a client might say bright red, but mean auburn/ginger/bordeaux/fire engine/strawberry.  Pictures make a stylist’s life so much easier, but it’s also easier to suggest an alternative if they know it’s not going to work.

• Your lifestyle is of crucial importance.  How much time are you willing to spend on your hair every morning, and will your new style accommodate for lazy days too?  Let them show you how to style your hair on a daily basis, but also how to style it for a night out.

• On that note, also take into consideration how often you would need to recolour your hair.  There are small tricks your colourist might suggest to make the regrowth seem less obvious.  Also keep in mind that sometimes it might take up to 6 months for you to reach your target shade.  Be open to that!!

• Use the right products!!!  I can not stress this enough!  If you consider that hair consists mainly of keratin and other proteins, and colouring your hair will remove some the protein, you need to get that back in your hair!!  It all depends on the service you have, but my favourite hair saviour has to be Redken’s Extreme Range

• When you come for your colour appointment, wear clothes that make you feel good and represent your style, but try to keep the colours neutral.  Black is a good option.  Same goes with make-up, try not to use too many colours. Say for instance you’re used to wearing gold on your eyes, and you go for an ash blonde colour, the colours will clash if you look in the mirror.  Same goes for cool make-up/warm hair colours.  Your stylist should suggest colours that will work in the future, and what colours to avoid.  Lighter hair sometimes mean you could get away with less make-up, while darker hair might need a heavier hand in terms of colour.  Everyone’s different, though.

• Be open-minded.  Face it, your hair WILL look different when you walk out.  My personal rule is give your eyes three days to get used to it before you form an opinion.  Every time you walk past your reflection, you might be a bit startled, but prepare yourself for it.  People are sometimes ruthless, and especially those who aren’t used to change themselves, might be a bit shocked, or tell you they don’t like it.  Don’t let that affect you, YOU need to like it.

• If you’re still a bit apprehensive, do it in BABY STEPS.  Have a couple of slices put through in your dream colour, get used to it that way.  Or instead of chopping it all off, have a longer version of what you want instead.  Sometimes clients come back to me after a week, and say they’re ready to do the change!

• Remember this:  hair grows.  Although this shouldn’t be the reason why you’re doing it in the first place, after a few months, you could change it again!

I hope that this might help some of you! Feel free to add any personal experience in the comments, fire away with the questions.

Over two and a half years ago I’ve met someone who would become one of the most important people in my life.  Sitting in Kirsty Mitchell’s living room, she showed me the most beautiful bonkers moodboard and had even crazier ideas popping out of her mouth. I knew I’ve found a creative soulmate, and Wonderland was born. We truly are neighbours in lala-land.

This lady has been through so much in her life, being really ill herself and then having to lose her mother, who was her best friend.  She decided that she would do a series in tribute to the memory of her mother.  (Please read the wonderful interview at My Modern Metropolis, as well as her About section on her website for more about her background)

Working with her has really opened my eyes, and believe that all the fluffy ideas in my head could become reality.  Every time she comes up with a new idea with a spark in her eyes (‘I’m thinking of a teeny tiny girl sitting on top of a giant cake with colours bursting everywhere’ was one of the milder ones) I would have a silent giggle, because I knew that it would be a lot of work, but we WILL pull it off in the end.

Along with her long-suffering (new!) husband and a couple of close friends, we do pretty much everything ourselves.  Making props, painting trees (with not-toxic water-soluble paint, I might add!), getting up at the crack of dawn to help model Katie on to her stilts in the woods, her mixing batches of paint for the perfect colour, the list goes on and on!  Kirsty is the mastermind behind it all, and her background in costume and fashion design ensures that there’s always a way to make the seemingly impossible, possible.  Add to that her sheer determination, and her visions magically become reality.

I love this girl to bits, and I could not believe the response that Wonderland got (published globally, both online and in print), I’m so privileged and proud to be a part of it.  This has changed my life, my self-belief, my drive, and I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store!  She just quit her job as a full-time fashion designer for a well-known fashion brand, and this year there’ll be much more time to finish the series, promote it, and a lot of other exciting things…

The reason I chose today to write about Kirsty and Wonderland is that after ten months of not publishing ANYTHING, today will see the launch of new pictures.  Head over to her BLOG  for the story behind the new pictures, behind the scenes pictures and more.

Signing off with a few behind the scenes pictures of the Wonderland series, feel free to pop over to her Facebook page for more!

(Georgie likes to help)

You might remember my post on Jasmine Star’s Workshop a while ago.  It has since been published in the December/January issue of  Wedding Magazine, one of the biggest publications in the wedding industry.

Dashing Magazine is a brand new online magazine designed for the ‘stylish and spirited girl’, and is the brainchild of Fanni, Josie and Charley.  I was asked to do a sixties-inpired photoshoot with the Wonderwoman Emma Case, check out the story here (our shoot is on page 70 – 77)  Be sure to subscribe to the magazine, it’s full of beautiful content, and has such a fresh design, perfect for lunchtime reads!!!

Photography by Emma Case

See Hear, a program by the BBC focusing on the deaf community, did a feature on the amazing photographer, Ashton Jean-Pierre’s work.  Kat from Rock ‘n Roll Bride asked me to do her (and husband Gareth’s!) hair and make-up, as they were the models for the shoot.  Ashton mainly shoots in film, I simply love the raw quality of his work!   You could check out the full shoot here, and the program on BBC iPlayer here.

Photography:  Ashton  Jean Pierre

A while ago Penny from Tigerlily Weddings asked me if I’d like to become involved in a shoot she’s planning for Miss Bush Bridal, a fabulous bridal boutique in Surrey, to showcase the new Jenny Packham collection.  She wanted to do 5 looks, with an editorial edge to it (nothing frou-frou about this one!)  The beautiful dresses worked perfectly in this majestic setting, and Penny decided on a doll theme as inspiration.  Everyone on the team complemented each other’s style on the shoot, and it was such a pleasure to work on something that flows so well!

I was responsible for the hair on the shoot (see the full contributor list below)

Here’s how I created the looks:

For the Hippie Doll I firstly tonged the hair, then brushed it out with my fingers to create a ‘worn-in’ wave. 

I wanted to keep a bit of movement throughout the Sexy Doll’s hair, so I softly curled the ends,  then backcombed the crown area for volume.

For the Vintage Doll I first set the model’s hair in rollers, then ‘roped’ it, and pinned the ringlets in varying sizes for a softer feel.

The Rock Doll’s hair:  I shook out her Hippie Doll hair, backcombed the crown, brushed it over a hair rat (a hairpiece used to bulk out hair!) and pinned it into a bouffant.

The Audrey Doll’s hair was pinned up in a Breakfast in Tiffany’s styled updo, but I kept some texture in the look to keep it soft.

Please take a look at the full shoot on Love My Dress and the brilliant photographer, Eddie Judd’s blog.

Contributors:

Photography-  Eddie Judd Photography

Shoot design / styling & production Penny Cullen - Tigerlily Weddings

Hair - Elbie van Eeden

Make Up Artist - Ariane Jaksch

Dresses, shoes & Dressing team Miss Bush Bridal {Amy, Corinne, Janet, Marshy & Emma}

Venue – Laura Caudery from Fetcham Park

Accessories from Magpie Vintage, DC Bouquets, Polly Edwards and Gillian Million

Bridal flowers created by Wild About

The Cakes Rosalind Miller Cakes

Laser-cut flowers on the trees from stationers Cutture

rings by Jon Dibben

Shabby Chic boudoir dressing table, mirror & boudoir garden chair - Home & Pantry

Ribbons - Simply Ribbons

Balloons - Simply Balloons

A while ago I met up with Josie from Savoir Weddings, she had incredible ideas for a inspirational photoshoot and wanted me to get involved.  I left that Brixton Cafe inspired, that lady sure knows how to get that right!  In short, we were planning to do a romantic shoot with two girls, in a Marie Antoinette meets Jane Austen shoot, but without any clichéd macaron-scoffing-tea-drinking happenings.  We wanted to push the boundaries a bit, and I think everyone complemented each other beautifully!

Josie got a dream team involved (full list at the end of post) and one sunny morning in August we set off to Peckham Rye Park to do the shoot.  What started out as a idea over a bottle of cider, ended up being an amazing high-end shoot without any fluff, and I’m proud to share it with you! Everyone understood the brief perfectly, and I’m a very lucky girl to have worked with true professionals!

I have selected a few images of hair and make-up, but please click HERE and HERE for more!

Design concept, props and styling - Savoir Weddings

Photography - Sarah Gawler Photography

Hair & make up - Elbie van Eeden

Flowers - Pollen Nation

Dresses and veil - Sally Lacock

Props & styling – Emma La Haye

Models – Evie & Beth

Hair accessories & cuff - Flo & Percy

Cake - Restoration Cake

Cut outs and mask - Cutture

You know when life gets a bit overwhelming, and then suddenly you get that feeling that ‘everything’s going to be alright’?  See this as my most recent epiphany.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by like-minded mega-talented people.  Case in point:  the Feather Love workshop hosted by Noa Azoulay-Sclater, the beautifully-minded artist/photographer behind Feather Love.  With the help of Rock n Roll Bride and darling ‘I-hug-everyone-at-hello’ Emma Case who was a guest speaker, talking about her own journey and inspiration, this was a match made in wedding HEAVEN!!!  Oh, and it didn’t hurt that we had an amazing couple to shoot (Kat’s new intern, Roo, and her fiancé Lamb) and that it was held HERE

So I was responsible for the hair and make-up on the lovely Roo (who’s got amazing taste, I might add) and we also got to play a bit with Paperself Eyelashes  and shimmery gleamy bronzy eyeshadows. The idea was cult 70′s, I know Noa had a better ‘spirited’ description, and for the life of my I can’t remember it!  There were loads of taxidermy, fur, wild flowers… (again, my idea of heaven!) all supplied by the smart lady Amy of Little ‘a’.  Roo got to wear a dreamy vintage gown by Charlotte Casadejus (see more of her wedding dress shopping trip HERE).

A seriously felt so much at home, and everything Noa and Emma said resonated well with where I am at this very moment with my creative life, and how I should take it to the next level.  This included stopping and appreciating little things around you, and letting them inspire you.  ’Inspired by’ should not be  ’copying’, and learning how to use something subtle that has spoken to you, and be guided by that, the core, instead of doing the obvious.

Before I blabber on too much, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone involved, it was great to see old friends, and also to meet new ones.

Oh, and I’ll never look at hip hop in the same way.