Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Have you ever had a bad experience at a hair salon?


Have you ever had a bad experience at a hair salon?



If you live in the UK, you have probably noticed that as it has been unusually hot lately so I thought it was the perfect time to refresh my very thick hair that was getting more and more difficult to tie and tame lately.

I have always had my hair very long but decided to change 2 years ago for a more modern yet classic feel.
Always been to the same hair salon group the last 2 years since they've always understood what I wanted...until yesterday...

The bob has been a favourite lately ...

...however, I wanted something different with less hair around the face and ears, a diagonal fringe and volume at the back since I am not very fond of my head shape and profile....( yes...we all have a few things we don't like in us...grumble mumble and super big sigh...).

At the salon, I insisted the hair had to be long at the back so I can bring it back under my ears for a  great camouflage softer effect on my (lack of ) jaw line.

When I was saying volume at the back, I had something like this in mind...

...with a bit more length along the neck. for the "soft effect" around the ears...

Since I am no hair expert, I showed two pictures in a magasine I was carrying in my bag to the stylist so she could see the fringe movement , the round the ear thing and the volume at the back : one on long hair, the other one on short hair. Never did she offer to give me a hair style magasine for a more accurate example.
" You need a bob if you want to attach your hair up" she said.
" No!not a bob...I don't want to attach my hair either!I would like my hair shorter around the ears and long at the back. I need volume at the back" I replied and showed again the picture with long hair ( for the volume) and the one with short hair ( for the around the ears effect). 

So then she sits and starts cutting. I feel relieved since she starts the usual casual conversation. She has understood . Then, I notice that she is cutting EXTREMELY and DANGEROUSLY short...which I tell her straight away but she keeps on doing it.
" I really need to have it long at the back" I insist.
" But it is going to be longer than what I am supposed to do anyway" she replies.

I knew something had gone wrong and I could feel that little ball of fear and stress growing in me. Little did she seem to hear when I was talking about length or only was she starting to argue with me until she showed the picture with the very short hair....

" It is going to be a bit longer than this" she said showing the picture of the magasine...

She was giving me the short hair cut which I had used to try to explain....she hadn't listened to a word I had said nor seemed to understand...only copying the Anne Hathaway tom boy-ish haircut style.

"How do I cut your fringe?" she asked.
" No...leave it as it is please, the rest will grow back" I said coldly.
" And by the way...when you want longer at the back...it IS a bob..." she threw this at my face with such coldness. She knew what she was doing...she knew...She never offered to explain nor demonstrate. She went for the short hair cut knowing I wanted them long...

I have no idea how I have managed to live the salon without letting the French fury come out of me. I chose to keep the British stiff upper lip which proves that I am doing as the Romans in Rome, right?

Today, only a ton of water and spray managed to make me happy-ish as it gave me a jazz style look a bit Josephine Baker like.

But with the heat, my frizzy hair didn't give a stuff about water and spray...

My oh my...hadn't been so miserable for a long time...I know it will sound completely childish since I have had (we all have) to face REAL problems in  life but I cannot get over it. Not yet.

Now it is going to be months having to face the world with an embarrassing haircut. I feel like I have been stolen all my confidence in a few snips.

Do you think I will get used to it since we are little creatures of habit?
Has this ever happened to you?
Any solution would be welcome as well.
Thanks!

Bye for now.
Patricia. x

UPDATE: It has been 2 weeks since my hair was cut and I still feel traumatised by this experience. I spoke to the salon's manager who was offering not real help and I had to ask for my money back which was done on the spot. 
Not happy at all.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Summer favourites: perfume,lips and nails

Hi everyone!

The heat wave has taken us by surprise in the UK and we don't miss a chance to stay ( reasonably) in the sun and adapt some of our beauty products for this season.
When it comes to SPF, do not forget to reapply during the day for a better sun protection.

In the Summer, we like to switch to fresher fragrances and here are my favourites.

Miss Dior Cherie is an  fragrance which has been changed a couple of years ago. I love Miss Dior Le Parfum in the Winter but Miss Dior Cherie is nowhere to be found anymore and I am not sure why. Anyway,I absolutely love this one and will keep my bottle as I believe it is now collectible . It is incredibly feminine with floral touches and a hit of sweetness. 

No 5 Eau Premiere really took me by surprise! I wear the iconic fragrance No 5 from time to time in the colder seasons but the modern formula has kept the floral tones of the legendary perfume with a touch of je ne sais quoi which makes it more crisp and fresh. Absolutely perfect for the Summer.

Colonia is a true classic and elegant cologne which gives you an instant fresh and "clean" feel with its Italian citrus notes, the bergamot touch combined with the classic lavender. I also love the sleek Art Deco look of the bottle which makes it stand out of my perfume collection.

3 by Sisley is the one I like applying first thing in the morning , after the shower, just before doing my makeup ( yes...exactly in this order....). The freshness of the eau de toilette gently stimulates my senses ( it takes me ages to wake up since I am not a morning person) and the elegant and light feel of  vanilla and benjamin  makes me feel sooooooooooooooooooooooooo feminine!


When it comes to lips and nails, I like pinks and corals.
As you can see, I tend to pick up similar shades and I NEVER finish my lipsticks. Do you?

I find Dior, Chanel and Sisley lipsticks well pigmented and they don't dry out my lips.
For a better result, it is important to gently exfoliate your lips and moisturize them. When the lips are chipped, the pigment highlights the chip and it doesn't look smooth so, make sure not to forget this step if you want to go for a bright colour and make your lips pop. 

Swatches on my ( olive) skin.

Since we all have different natural lip pigmentation, the lipsticks won't look the same on you or me. My lips are rather beige and purple-ish. Make sure you try it on before buying.


My two favourite lip pencils: Phyto lip perfect by Sisley in Rose Passion and Chanel gorgeous pink Rubellite.
It helps get more definition and help the lipstick last a bit longer. I mix them with differnt shades for different finishes. I haven't swatched the results but play around and layer and see what you like.
The Phyto Lip Perfect by Sisley is extremely soft on the lips. The application is a real delight! It is my favourite of the two to be honest with you.


Favourite nail polishes and gels: Chanel, Essie, CND Shellac and OPI. I still stick to pinks and corals as you can see. With nail polishes, you can layer shades as well for different effects. Some work better than others so, once again, do not forget to play around. 

Here are the swatches for you!


Whatever you apply, do not forget to apply cuticule oil to help strenghen your nail matrix and have beautiful nails all year long. You will also notice that they tend to grow quicker in the Summer dur to the natural vitamins given by the sunshine.

So, voila! 

And you?
What are your Summer favourites?

Patricia.x

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Dior Rosy Tan 754 swatch





Swatch in the sun
You can see that 1,2 and 3 are more silky whereas 4 and 5 are the "glittery" shades.


Swatch in day light




Lip gloss

Here is the whole video with the application step by step. I mainly use my fingures and a smokey eye brush by Laura Mercier.
I hope you will like it.



The final look.
I find it very natural yet sophisticated.


Friday, July 18, 2014

Dior Boutique in Covent Garden and the exclusive Dior palette

Yesterday I was on a quest! 
I was determined to find a treasure, something that I couldn't find where I work.
Something special.

I jumped on a train to Charring Cross and walked to the wonderful Covent Garden since this is probably one of my favourite places in the world ( apart from my home) as you can find ANYTHING there!


You will still find fresh flowers, excellent food, enjoy a drink and very exclusive stores.
Lately, it seems that the old market has become a niche for high end brands which are developing more and more there.
Chanel, Burberry and even Penhaligon's has a new door there!
I was in awe with the delightful window dedicated to ballet.


I bought a couple of rose macaroons at Laduree and could resist to pick a new Sonny Angel that has dedicated this special collection to the French renown name of Patisserie.

 You just pick a box and what is inside is a suprise. I got the " Macaron Chocolat" .

Then, I arrived there!
And as you can see, two of the biggest names of fashion and beauty have literally chosen to be neighbours in Covent Garden .


For some reasons, the Dior boutique seemed to be calling me. Was it the colours? The busy atmosphere inside?

I started having a close look at the windows and my oh my...they are absolutely magnificent!
Two massive handbags entirely made with lipsticks of iconic shades: 999 and 775.





Then a massive bottle of the eternal Miss Dior made of PLENTY of the inimitable fragrance bottles 




Simlpy magic don't you think?

Then of course I entered, and the boutique inside was equally divine as the outside.






They have exclusive polish shades in the boutique.

The Dior nail bar



Then I was greeted by a ( VERY BEAUTIFUL) young woman who is a Colour Specialist in the Dior boutique. We had a really nice chat as I was looking at the beautiful Summer palettes and then I saw my "treasure" : the exclusive Dior palette COVENT GARDEN !

It comes in a gorgeous silver compact. It is quite heavy in the hand , and such a beautiful and luxurious object!

Inside, on the left the eye shadow in the shape of the famous " pied de poule " pattern by Dior.
It is a combination of silver and black. On the right, the ldelicate pink gloss.
The finish of this object is delightful and I am almost afraid to use it!

on the eyes




The packaging comes in a silver box with the name of the palette on it.
What a treasure when you love Dior AND Covent Garden as I do!

Here is the lip gloss swatch

It is slightly pink and has silver glitter in it which makes your lips plump and reflects the light .



Then, Teresa ( the lovely Colour Specialist) introduced me to the Diorshow Brow Styler.
She was a real angel and offered to take pictures for the blog. I have to confess that I was REALLY IMPRESSED by the result .
You know, most of the time, when people do my brows they always make me look like Serge Lama....

 But after she used it on me, I loved the natural effect it had on me!
I like my brows to be a bit thick but there are quite a few gaps here and there to fill in.
This magical wand just did the job!
Teresa explained that this shade is a universal one that suits most skin tones and hair colour. She also specified that it isn't always the best for Chinese or Japanese as it doesn't seem to combine well with the skin pigmentation for some reason.

Then we looked at the lipsticks and I fell in love with the gorgeous coral pink "Mazette" number 028.


I was also given a few samples ...OMG!!! I was deligted and cannot wait to swatch these for you. I have taken a pic next to my lipstick so you can see the size of the samples.

The mini eye shadow palette is Rosy Tan 754 , Dior Addict lip gloss Diablotine 643 and  Dior Addict IT-Lash

On my way back, had a pink lemonade ( Oh SO girly!) and a good magazine

Treasures found today

Look with lipstick  Mazette  and neutral eyes

Look using the palette only ( mixed black and silver on the eyes + a touch of black under and outer corner)


Look with mixed shades (as above) with Mazette lipstick





And voila!
I will definitely try the other palette very soon and will post it on my Youtube channel.

Bye for now!

Patricia. x