The mane event

If my mother taught me anything, it's the importance of a blow-dry. I have incredibly straight, flat hair, so I learned young to master my brush-work to add volume, bounce and shape.

Since I moved to mid-length a couple of years back, I've been on the search for the perfect brush, and I've finally found it courtesy of the lovely people at Denman.

After trying natural bristles, aero brushes, paddle brushes, synthetic brushes and everything in-between, I was sent the Headhugger DHH3 and can't believe I didn't go with industry fave Denman sooner. Here, in pictures, is my first bash at this brilliant brush:






After a 20-minute blow-dry, hair really did have the bounce, extreme shine and shape you usually only get from a pro, and I'd say I'm only an 8/10 when it comes to amateur styling skills.

The brush is also pretty lightweight, which makes it good for beginners, and I found it's almost impossible to tangle your hair in - I'm usually a bugger for doing that!

A small note on the products I use; I have a strange hair type - a hell of a lot of very fine hair - which is prone to being greasy, flat, and any extra product tends to weigh it down. I'm, therefore, fiercely loyal to Aussie Mega shampoo, which cleans the hair and leaves a nice fresh mane.
For the same reasons, I never use conditioner in the shower, but spritz Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance through the ends for protection and added shine without weight. I then use a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray as a styling product - when it's blow dried through your hair it adds thickness, volume and the more 'mussed up' effect I usually strive for.

What's your hair routine?
P.S - Apologies for the cheeky drying rack that creeped in the pics - I realised way too late it was still out - oops!

Palaver-doxal

Non-nail-fans turn away now, things are about to get serious. I purchased Chanel's Paradoxal, but not before some serious umm-ing and ah-ing.
You see, I'd popped along to Selfridges to give it a whirl, fell in love instantly, and wasted no time in buying that baby before it had chance to sell out.
I continued on my shopping way, fully intending this to be my only splurge while helping your friend and mine Beth buy a new wardrobe for the brand-new job of her dreams. We all know how that worked out.
But, imagine my surprise upon venturing into Topshop Oxford Circus that Barry M has a new shade also - Dusky Mauve. How did I not know about this? It's an absolute blatant rip-off of Paradoxal and the most accurate polish dupe I've ever seen. I was in turmoil. Do I keep my wonderful Chanel or return it unopened and plump for the purse-friendly polish by Bargainistas' fave Barry?

 In the end I couldn't face the no-doubt haughty reaction of the Chanel girls upon my trying to explain why I would buy a nail polish one day and return it the next - I image their regular customers don't have to worry about such minor burdens as buyers' remorse.
But Beth picked up the Barry M and we set about seeing just how accurate the pair are on the nail by wearing one each. First, the Paradoxal - two coats plus Seche Vite.

Look at the gleam; look at the glisten; look at that amazing shade of mauve that goes with everything from nudes to rust, blues to pinks, black brown and white. I adore it.
Now for the Barry M, two coats, again with Seche Vite.

Look at the gleam; look at the glisten; look at that amazing shade of mauve that goes with everything from nudes to rust, blues to pinks, black brown and white.Yep, the difference is imperceptable. I'd say the Chanel is easier to apply, and a little more robust with only two coats, but the shade is exactly the same, and they both have that fabulous glisten that's seen best in natural daylight. With the naked eye, they look less sparkly than the above flash pics suggest.
When I didn't use the flash you couldn't see the glisten at all. Here are those for comparison. The naked eye sees something in between the above and below images. (Sorry, this polish is famously hard to capture on camera!) Chanel first, then Barry M:

So. Do I wish I'd gone for Barry M? My bank balance would say yes. But actually, it's so rare I ever own a designer original, I feel justified in going to the source for this shade. It truly is an innovative colour in the nails market, developed with care, research, experience and attention by Chanel. So it feels right to pay more for their dedication to creating new trends in nail colour.
Does that mean I won't recommend the Barry M to everyone I meet? Hell no! This almost exact dupe is a mere fifth of the Chanel Paradoxal price, and let's face it, Chanel probably doesn't need your £16.50. But for me, it's nice to know I have something a little special in my beauty repertoire, and for that reason Chanel's Paradoxal will be my go-to shade for Autumn.
If you managed to get to the end of this essay, well done! You get to find out early that I'll be giving away a bottle of the Barry M version in an up-coming comp, so stay tuned!

Greasy dreadlocks be gone...

I've spoken before of my love for Batiste - seriously, it's an addiction - so I was excited to receive a sample of Batiste Nude.

It's a more eco-friendly option from the dry shampoo experts: 100% natural, fragrance free and without a spray application. I was keen to see if it lived up to the rest of the range.

My first thought was that it's a little tricky to apply. The spray gives a pretty even coverage, whereas the nozzle on this makes it a bit more difficult to target the roots without a stubborn white scalp effect... until I tried the palm technique. This natural powder's pretty silky, so you can rub some into your hands and then rub it into your hair, and it works really well.

It also feels like you get more in the bottle with this baby. It's a 50g powder compared to 150ml in the can, but I reckon you spray half in the air with the canister, so this should last much longer (I currently average a can every two weeks on the spray formula).

Some dry shampoos I've used only last about 4 hours before the grease returns, but this different formula was still long-lasting, and there's the added bonus of knowing you're using a chemical-free formula.

Overall I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. If you have the time to apply more strategically, the benefits of Nude outweigh the pitfalls of its nozzle. But, unfortunately for Nude I'm a girl on the go.

That said, it's great to have a more environmentally concious option on the market.

Eco-warriers, go forth and dryify! 

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Let me share a secret - I don't wash my hair every day. I made a discovery that changed my life. Batiste Dry Shampoo.

Now, I know this won't be a revellation to many of you - it's not as if this brand hasn't been around for a while. And they've recently expanded the range to add new scents and colour-specific sprays, so plenty of people must be enjoying their product, but I'd just like to add my two-penneth.

My mane has its pros and cons - it's naturally very shiny (I don't even use conditioner, as it just makes it limp) but shiny hair is often oily hair, and for that reason I was tied to the hairdryer. Until I discovered this.

I was dubious at first - how can a spray just magic away the grease? But it does, and it lasts all day long. You just spray it on the roots, brush it out, and your hair really is fuller, more volumised and looks really clean!

I started with Tropical after sniffing them all in Boots (I regularly get told off for this). Now, Batiste are a little vague when it comes to the actual smells, but this is definitely coconut and I often get compliments on it.

Next I tried Blush - this is a girly, flowery, perfumey scent. Not my fave, but perfectly lovely.

Original is pretty dull. It kind of just smells... cold? But it's great if you already wear a strong scent and don't want anything to interfere with it.

Then things got exciting! Boho, Diva and coloured sprays - I've nearly tried them all!

Boho smells orangey, while Diva smells a little bit like impulse, or a deoderant. But brunette is chocolately and lovely and avoids those pesky white patches you get if you don't brush it out properly.

The other benefit of Batiste is you can use it to add volume to clean hair when doing plaits, pleats, messy buns or up-dos. If you haven't tried it already, it's about £3. The only drawback is the cans don't last that long - I go through about one every two weeks, but then I use it every other day.

P.S - never buy the Tony and Guy dry shampoo. It hardly cleans your hair, lasts about two hours and costs almost £7! The only plus point is it smells like Gucci Rush.

Do you guys use any other dry shampoos?