Why Use Kerastase?!

Some of you may have heard of this brand of hair care and some of you may have avoided it, but let me tell you if you have used it you will never put anything else on your hair! Here's a bit of information about the brand. Kerastase is French as you may have guessed and used to be sold only in pharmacy's. The reason for this is that all of the shampoos, conditioners and all of the treatments are actually medicated unlike any other brands- which is why there so amazing. Kerastase is developed by L'oreal and was established in 1964. The brand is so special and so vast because Kerastase believe 'every person is unique, each hair type has its own particular needs. For these reasons Kérastase has developed a collection of personalized hair care products that target individual needs and desires.'

I know that it seems overwhelming to find the right products for you because they are all written in French and there are literally millions of products for every type of hair. That's where I come in!

I will take you through a few of my favorite products and ones for the most common hair problems.

Resistance 'The Green Range'

This range is for hair that is on its last legs, usually blonde hair that has had too much bleach or hair that has been aged through heat, colour and constant styling. This is for weak hair that has been damaged from within.

You need this range if the following applies to you:

1. You straighten or put heat through your hair most days
2. You cant seem to get a comb through your hair from root to tip
3. Your hair snaps of or looks very split and dry
4. Your very light or have bleached hair
5. You colour ALL of your hair (not just the roots) more than once every 8 weeks

If you said yes to most of these you need this range for your hair.

Protein is the main ingredient it gets right into your cortex (middle of your hair) and strengthens it from within.

This is ideal for knackerd hair, I would recommend...

Shampoo- Bain De Force

Conditioner/ Treatment- Ciment Anti- Usure

Heat Protector- Ciment Thermique

If you would like something a bit more intense you can use the 'age recharge' mask this is idea for thick damaged hair.

Nutritive 'The Orange And Cream Range'

This range is especially designed for hair that is dry to very dry, course or rebellious hair.
This is a fairly heavy range so, unless you have thick hair it will weigh you're hair down- do not worry as Kerastase is so specific it's thought about everyone and therefor come up with a system for most of it's ranges that includes fine hair as well as thick hair.

On the shampoos, conditioners, masks and treatments there is a number 1,2 and 3 this is to show how intense and heavy the treatment is. So if you want to go for a light shampoo and a heavy conditioner you could use a 1 and a 3. Its so simple!

So if the following applies to your hair you need this range:

1. Your hair feels dry to the touch
2. You struggle to maintain your hair
3. Your hair looks fluffy and dry when you try and style it
4. You struggle to comb your ends through
5. Your hair is lacking shine

If yes, you definitely need this range. I would recommend for thick hair:

Shampoo- Bain Satin 1 or 2

Conditioner- Masque intense 1 or 2

Heat protector- Nectar Thermique

If you have fine hair and need to use this range I would recommend:

Shampoo- Bain Satin 1

Conditioner- Lait Vital or Masque Intense Finns

Heat Protector- Sublimateur Jour

Reflection ('The Pink Range')

This range is specially designed for coloured hair, hair that lacks shine and hair that is washed a lot.

This keeps your colour locked in and is perfect for thick or fine sensitized hair.

You need this if:

1. Your hair lacks shine
2. Your hair is coloured
3. Your hair feels a little dry or damaged from the colour you use
4. Your colour seems to last only a few weeks
5. Your hair looks dull and lifeless

If yes here's what I recommend for thick hair:

Shampoo- Bain Miroir 2

Conditioner- Masque Croma Reflect or Masque Chroma Riche

Heat Protector- Chroma Thermique

If your hair is fine and you need this range use:

Shampoo- Bain Miroir 1

Conditioner- Lait Chroma Reflect

Heat Protector- Chroma Thermique

If you actually have a scalp or specific hair problem no worries, Kerastase cater for this too.

They have a rage for specific problems even ones that are not common and they really do work as they are medicated.

Specifique

Have greasy hair but dry ends? No problem just use:

Shampoo- Bain Divilant or Bain Clarifiant
This starts working after the first was I noticed a difference straight away as I have this problem!

Have a tight scalp and dandruff? You will be pleased to know Bain Gommage Cheveux Secs works an absolute treat! Say 'bye bye' to flakey dry scalp in no time at all!

If your experiencing hair loss maybe after a baby or if your thinning don't panick! Kerastase have a solution for this too and it's called Bain Prevention GL.

All of these are designed for people with specific hair problems and I have used Bain Divilant so I know for definite it works a treat!

Kerastase have many more hair ranges but these are just a few I think will be helpful to you.
The brand is fairly priced I think some on the higher side but its worth every penny as it works so well and there are so many different things you can you they really tailor make it for your hair.
Shampoos range from £10- £15
Treatments and conditioners range from £15- £20
Tubs and masks range from £20- £27

Take a look on the Kerastase website for more info at http://www.kerastase.co.uk/ 

Your can also buy Kerastase from  HQ hair online or Amazon or even Ebay.

You can mix and match the ranges however I would just stick to one if you want to see amazing results fast!

I hope this helps ladies don't be afraid to ask me any questions!

Tazzi xoxoxo

 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere

When I found out Chanel were replacing this for Pro Lumiere I was gutted....I still am. 
Pro Lumiere was a staple product in my kit. For those of you who didn't try it - you missed out BIG time. My second thought after being gutted was a little excited. The visual looked incredible and beauty bloggers everywhere were hyping it up.


To start with - I haven't bought it. The kind sales associate in Harvey Nichols gave me two sample sachets (which was about a weeks worth for me) Please take note of this as a week isn't that long to be sampling a foundation but I will be as honest and fair as I can.


Pros 
-It smells nice
-The coverage is good
-The shade range is fantastic.
-It has great staying power


Now onto the 'Cons'


FYI my skin is combination/oily and I was given shade B40 (which I am wearing in the photo) I had read previous posts on how you need to REALLY moisturise your skin before applying this. I applied all my lotions and potions and although I really love how it has great coverage it just hated my skin -I almost felt like it was 'rejecting' it. It just didn't sit very well and I felt it didn't blend in. I used three different brushes over the period of the week, changed moisturiser's and used face masks etc but alas still no good. The foundation made my face appear really 'cakey' and I looked incredibly dry - it clung to all the bits I didn't want it to and felt really self conscious when wearing it. What really surprised me was that I LOVE Matte Lumiere which obviously is for the customers who want a matte finish or have oily/combination skin so thought this would be slightly similar. 
I can imagine this would look amazing on someone other than myself with a different skin type - I would even possibly consider trying it again in a few months but for now I'm happy I didn't spend the £36 on it for to just be sat in my make up drawer. 


I would advise anyone wishing to buy this to ask for a sample at your local counter!


Marni xo

Winter Skin Saviours

Hello! :)


I don't know about you but I am super excited for these up and coming spring and summer months! There are spring colours everywhere you go - Topshop looks like a 1950's sweet shop and I want everything!
But lets not get ahead of ourselves too quickly. In the lead up to spring we should all be prepping our skin ready to reveal ourselves for the hotter months - and here are a few of my top tips and products I think you would all love..


After all who wants to be wearing Estee Lauder Double Wear in July when you could be wearing the likes of the light Chanel vitalumiere aqua? 


My skin is particually dry at the moment, so after cleansing the face use a facial oil to really target dryness. My go - to product is MAC 'Care blends essential oil' in Grapefruit and Chamomile. At £14.00 this really works a treat, it contains natural ingredients that heal, soothe, regenerate and calm the skin. I really massage this in before applying my moisturiser and it feels very luxurious and makes the skin look more 'expensive'.

I can't strop spritizing my skin with MAC Mineralize charged water. Since it launched earlier last month people have been non stop talking about it. If you have FIX + you will love this. This is a hydrating mist that enhances makeup, I use it after I have applied my Care Blend oil and after all my makeup is applied. This can also be used throughout the day if you feel your makeup is slipping or fading and it re-touches it. I also advise my clients to use it when they are travelling abroad on the plane to add moisture. So what's the difference between this and FIX + ? Well it is definitely dewier, it also contains green tea and citrus scents and is £15.00.

Origins 'Make A Difference skin rejuvenating treatment' is a product I only recently bought but I can honestly say a truley amazing one. At the time of purchase my skin wasn't dry like it is now. For you combination/oily gal's out there - this is great for you.

They make two versions of this. A gel formula and normal cream formula. The cream formula is more suited to people with dry skins and the gel for more combination/oily. A lot of people with oily/combination skin don't realise that their skin can get dehydrated just like someone with dry skin. This can be applied twice daily and helps to 're build' the skin barrier. Origins describe it suitable for 'wrinkled, weathered, potentially leathered skin' After a few weeks of using it my skin feels and looks back on track and I have noticed a dramatic difference of the once red areas disappearing.

I love Origins and their products are always a huge hit with me. They also have a few other products in the 'Make a Difference' range including a night and hand cream. At £32.00 it is a lot more than you average Nivea but for a high end moisturiser it's worth every penny and would recommend if you want a luxury product that does what it says. 

A lip balm is definitely something most people would never spend this amount of money on. It took me a long time to part with my money (many sample pots later) I finally gave in after becoming like a drug addict trying to go 'cold turkey' without it.

£40.00 later and this is true love. Creme De La Mer products are the creme de la creme of the beauty world. Beauty editors rave about them and some of my mums friends have skin's like a movie star. The counters in department stores have pretty fish tanks filled with beautiful tropical fish and yes I would pay £250 for a 30ml cream when I start getting wrinkles. It's probably the fish tank and price thing but I just BELIEVE in these products. When I apply this it lasts all day. It smells divine - peppermint or something minty like that and my bf even loves it! 

So the big question. Why would i buy this over a £1.00 pot of Vaseline ? This is the only product that really gets rid of all my flaky, dry, chapped 'snake' looking bits on my lips that NO amount of Vaseline can repair! It contains all the 'La Mer' important ingredients and prevents further damage. The packaging is gorgeous and I always feel very proud pulling it out of my handbag on the daily tube commute. My advice? Get samples of this before you jump into buying it and you will soon realise why I would justify £40.00 for a lip balm!

Do you have any skin saviours that you use to prepare you for the hotter months? 

Marni xoxo

Collection 2000 Cream puff

Hi Ladies! Last weekend I popped into Boots for a quick browse with a friend and I am so glad I did! We both ended up leaving with two out of the three new Collection 2000 cream puff lip colours. 

To start off with - I love the packaging. It's very girly and simple to use. It has a sponge applicator which is velvety soft when applied onto the lips and frankly, any lipstick/balm that isn't applied with fingers unhygenicially from the pot makes me a fan. 


For me the texture of this product is an overall winner. When applied it stays matte and almost drys which allows it to stay on ALOT longer than your regular MAC Creamsheen or YSL Rouge Volupt. I have been wearing both shades every day since and my lips haven't dried out which was my instant concern when I bought them. The two I bought screamed 'spring' to me. You can apply one coat and they look very pretty - 'just bitten' esque then, the more you build up the stronger it looks. I love how they make my lips look full and plump - Lana Del Ray's beautiful lips spring to mind.




 I am the proud owner of the pink (left)- 'Cotton Candy' and the coral (right) - 'Fairy Cake'. The shade I didn't buy was a nude that didn't float my boat. Both colours also look amazing blended together! The pink in the photo is actually a lot softer in person!


I really adore these lipcreme's, the colours are so unusual and I know I will be wearing them all summer. You can purchase them on offer for a limited time at your local
Boots store for '2 for £5' otherwise they are £2.99 each.


So if you can't quite face the lip injections yet go and buy!!

Marni xoxo

Another nail polish post!

I know the last post I blogged about was my 'Top 5' nail polishes but this needs a mention! There is always a huge hype whenever a new Chanel collection is launched. Particually with the nail polishes.

Chanel's new SS/12 collection didn't disappoint! The collection is based on all the new spring colours (greens, oranges, baby pinks etc - see my trends post below for more info) I have a lot of dupes for the collection in my kit already but what stuck out most to me was the nail laquer 'April'. I have never seen a colour like it so this is quite hard to describe but I would say it is a 'port, red wine shade with a little pink'. I have been wearing it for three days so far and no chips! It applies like a dream and dry's very quickly! I love this shade and have had lots of compliments! The other two l/e colours were 'May' and 'June' a pastel baby pink and a beautiful tangerine shade.

Don't start panicking that it will be sold out at your local counter yet, because the lovely lady at Chanel in Harvey Nichols informed me it will be staying in the nail laquer family forever! *yay*

Whilst I was there I cheekily asked for a sample of the new foundation 'Perfect Lumiere' having used pro Lumiere in my kit I was very dissapointed Chanel discontinued it. I have heard negative reviews on the new formula, so I will keep you all up to date on Twitter and maybe do a review on here.


What do you think of this colour?! Did you buy anything from the new collection?


Blog soon!


Marni xo xo

Natures Rescue

I first discovered this range whist working in a salon, a Redken representative came in to tell us about some new products. I have a very skeptical mind when it comes to hair products and I'm not easily won over.

What she was describing was not at all making me want to put these new products on my hair- but as the lady went on insisting we try them I thought what the hell!

Having put my trust in her I was thrilled with the results! This unique collection of products turned my hair around and I have honestly never felt such beautiful silky hair. It's called Natures Rescue and it comes in a special detox shampoo which retails for about £12.99, the sea polish which is £14.99 and the deep conditioner at £11.99. You can get them directly from Redken or from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/ If you want amazing hair you MUST use all 3 products.

Your average supermarket bought shampoo and conditioner is ladened with sodium sulphate (salt) which strips out your colour and drys out your hair. They are also full of silicone which over time builds up on your hair making it feel horrible, hard to brush and manage.

What the natures rescue shampoo does is wash away all of the built up product left on your hair from shop bought shampoos and conditioners. It gets rid of built up pollution from the atmosphere and it's sulfate and silicone free (so there's no way it can dry out your hair)

• Once you have shampooed your hair, thoroughly towel dry.

• Next use the sea polish. The sea polish is what I was most scepticle of.  It's like an exfoliator for the hair, it has natural pumis in it which gently exfoliates away impurities. Don't be scared to put this on your hair ladies. I know it sounds strange but it really works!

• Section off your hair in small amounts and rub through the sea polish. Do this till each section of your hair has been rubbed with it. Wash it out and your hair will feel amazingly silky!

• Towel dry and then use the deep conditioner. It contains Sea Algae, Soy Protein, Aloe Vera and Oceanic Calone all nature's cleansers which will leave your hair feeling beautifully cleansed. Leave in for 2-5 mins before washing out.

This system is perfect for someone with coloured hair, its also perfect for someone that has never used any thing but supermarket shampoos and conditioners.

I would difinitely recommend these 3 amazing products to anyone that struggles 1`to run a comb through there hair.

Until next time,
Love Tazzi xoxo

Beautiful Beach Waves

Summer is on it's way and there's nothing more gorgeous or in style than beach waves!
Marni and myself have been trying out all sorts of different hair stylers to see what's the best for you girlies to use.

Babyliss curling wand- This styler comes out on top creating stunning effortless curls/waves.

This amazing styler is 32-19mm and retails on Amazon for £19.99. Take a look at it on the Babyliss website http://www.babyliss.co.uk/stylers_2285u.html It has up to 25 heat settings ideal for total control and comes with a special protective heat matt to put it on.

Totally easy for ANYONE to use! Simply wrap the hair round the wand, wait about 30 seconds and release, leaving you with beautiful curls. This is perfect for the girls that haven't quite mastered the GHD curls!

Before you start make sure your hair is freshly washed and dry. DO NOT straighten your hair, this will make it really hard for your hair to curl. If you have frizzy hair or a natural wave you don't need to smooth it out as this will add texture. However, if you have very curly hair smooth it over with a round HT brush and a Parlux hair dryer for best results.

As Marni has natural ringlets this is exactly what I did to her hair before we got going.

Once your hair is ready, section as if you are going to straighten. Then depending on how bouncy you want your hair, take a section and wrap around the wand for 30 seconds then release.

Remember ladies the smaller the sections the more curley your hair will be! Here's what it should look like...

Keep going until you've finished all of the back section. You can hairspray each section as you go this will help to keep the curl in for longer.

When you get to the sides it's a really good tip to curl the hair away from you not inwards.

This makes the hair look more fuller and you can achieve Kim Kardashian waves in no time!

Once you've curled it all don't be scared give it a good shake, this will break the curls up and stop it from looking like that 'freshly tonged look!' Leaving you with natural beachy curls/waves!

Spray with hairspray and you should have a very quick gorgeous wavy style.

This is what it should look like at the end....

If you would like bigger bouncier waves/curls Babyliss also do a wave wand which is bigger in diameter which gives a bigger very natural wave.

It works the same as the curling wand you just wrap the hair around it! Go check it out... http://www.babyliss.co.uk/stylers_2286u.html

                                                      Hope this has been helpful girls!

                                                                    Love always,

                                                                    Tazzi xoxo