Tag Archives: Hair

Hair by Joël Benjamin

Posted on by

hair by joelHair styling is getting more radical and more creative every season. At the moment everyone from celebs to catwalk designers are obsessed with braiding and plaits. Despite my short hair I was determined to try out one of Joël Benjamin’s innovative hair styles incorporating a quirky braid.

Joël Benjamin trained as a hairstylist at We are Cut and Aveda Institute and has always had a keen interest in braiding. Noticing the trend he set up solo to offer creative styles to individuals. He is highly regarded in the field and offer creates styles for weddings and fashion events.

He fiddled and fumbled with my tresses, until an idea came into his mind. Picking up clips and brushes and hair spray he worked meticulously and expertly, moving my hair in a way I didn’t know was possible. Joël decided on a french plait for the back of my hair, joining into a backcombed messy bun. It was a sophisticated but casual look, which I loved.

I visited Joël during his short residency at Shoreditch’s favourite beauty venue, Cheeky at Barber and Parlour. Hopefully he will be popping up at another London salon soon, but until then you can book a private styling appointment and he will gladly come to you.

See more of Joël’s creations and book an appointment here.

Charles Worthington Salon, Covent Garden

Posted on by

Charles Worthington is a brand I have noticed on the shelves of Boots for years, though I have never been fortunate enough to experience the company’s expertise in the salon, until now. Of the salons in London and New York, the most unique is found in Covent Garden, located inside a characterful Georgian townhouse, and spread across five floors. This is the home of Charles Worthington and is designed to make customers feel at ease while they have their tresses transformed.

Guests are invited to relax in the elegant Drawing Room before taking their seat in the ‘cut and colour zone’. Once settled hot or chilled drinks are delivered along with little bites of the softest sweetest lemon drizzle cake.

I was lucky to be in the capable hands of Katie Allan, a colour expert at Charles Worthington. I met her prior to my appointment and we discussed shades of blonde, techniques of highlighting and the use of warm and cool tones to colour hair. It was a technical education for me, and helped us discover together what would look best. She also patch tested the dye on my skin to check there was no reaction.

We decided on natural warm highlights, fading gently to create that sun-worn look. Katie and I chatted away as she worked systematically through my layers. Katie sent me off to have the dye washed out, and noticing my sensitive scalp instructed her colleague to include a moisture-boosting Kerastase treatment during the cleanse. It was divine, soothing and nourishing my head.

Next up was a much needed trim with the lovely Yanna Hogan. I was having so much fun hearing all about life at the salon that I barely noticed my hair change in length. Sharper and straighter, the cut was just what I needed. It felt and looked much better. Yanna carefully illustrated how to give my hair movement and shape using the straighteners that I have at home.

Since visiting the Charles Worthington salon, I have had numerous comments on my hair style and colour. The cut is fresher and sassier and the colour complements my skin tone, a shade brighter for the summer months. I couldn’t be happier with my makeover and highly recommend this boutique salon for all your hair needs!

More information and book an appointment here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 267

Posted on by

Every summer I compile a list of my favourite summer beauty products. A heat wave is still causing temperatures to soar across Europe, and it is essential to use the appropriate lotions to sooth and protect your skin. Here are my pick of the bunch, great for using at home or on holiday.

Davines

Davines is a family-owned, sustainable haircare brand from Italy now distributed to 70 countries. I have experienced the products in several high-end salons and was impressed with the immediate effects and delicious scent. The Dede range is ideal for daily use, the shampoo and conditioner are both light and softening perfect for breezy summer hair. The hair mist adds moisture without weighing down the hair, I found it was good for my very fine hair.

ESPA

The ESPA Optimal Body Triserum is an indulgent nourishing product to firm and smooth the skin. It has a range of interesting natural ingredients including turmeric root which helps to even skin-tone and pigmentation. I loved the easy-to-use spray function so you can spritz your body all over after a shower. In the heat I found it could be used instead of moisturiser, but in winter you may wish to use it as an addition to give a richer coverage. This product ensures skin stays supple and soft even in the harshest weather conditions.

JurliqueThe natural Jurlique products always make me feel healthy and fresh.  When I am away on beach holidays I can’t bear to clog up my face with heavy products. This Rosewater Balancing Mist is the perfect solution to hydrate and wake-up the skin, just spray over your face in the morning and evening. A lovely product to pair with the spray is the Rose Silk Finishing Powder this light, translucent powder will give a light and natural coverage. I particularly liked that it removed the shine of my skin, and yet you couldn’t notice I was wearing make-up. Both products smell divine with a floral rose scent.

perriconePerricone MD is one of my favourite skincare brands. The products are results driven and the effects on the skin are amazing. For summer the duo of Hypoallergic Gentle Cleanser and Nourishing Moisturiser is good to thoroughly clean and moisterise whilst also brightening and softening the skin. Both products are particularly good for weather-worn dry skin with natural oils like Olive Polyphenols giving essential moisture back and repairing sun damaged skin. The Perricone products are also great for anti-aging thanks to the deep hydration.

KiYoKo

KIYOKO is a new lifestyle brand that represents purity, quality and design. This stylish silver tube of lib balm is 100% natural and is the perfect companion to keep in your bag throughout the summer months. I find even the tiniest amount of the balm intensely hydrates my lips and leaves them soft and silky so they don’t crack.

thalgo

Thalgo uses marine ingredients to create its products. The Hydra Marine 24h cream is a blissfully light daily moisturiser which adds a dewy glow to any skin tone. For an extra boost in summer try the Ocea Sun supplement capsules. These have powerful nutrients that will give the skin a radiant vibrancy in the summer months and replenish vitamins that are lost from sun exposure. I will be taking them religiously on my holiday next month.

Radical

As the name suggests Radical skincare encourages radical results for your skin. After a few uses of the the Hydrating Cleanser and Peptide Antioxidant Serum I noticed dramatic changes to my skin. My skin tone was more even and looked brighter. The serum is specially designed to eradicate or lessen signs of aging, giving greater skin clarity and reducing the number of wrinkles. I find that these two products are the ideal routine for before bed cleansing and moisterising, so that when I wake up my skin looks fresher and brighter despite how sleepy I am!