After months of research I finally bit the bullet & booked in for my 12 week blow dry. I have held off writing my blog post for awhile so I could really live with it & let you know my honest opinion.
What I learnt while trawling through the web was that there are many different products on the available on the market. Now all I had to do was find one that I liked the sound of with good reviews online & a hair salon I trusted to do the treatment.
I was torn between Dylan Bradshaw, Pink Hairdressing and my hairdresser Fusion in Dun Laoghaire. And I decided to go with the place I trust, Fusion.
On the days leading up to my appointment I left my hair to dry naturally with no product & naturally with some mousse to show how sometime I wear it wavy.
Left - Hair left to dry naturally, no product - Right Hair left to dry naturally with mousse
The Process
The first step in the process is to have your hair washed with a special shampoo which opens the hair follicles so that it can hold the Keratin. Then your hair is fully blow dried.
The Keratin is then put in, your hair is separated and it is put in like a full head of colour. Your hair feels wet again with the product, then you are left for approx 20 mins with designer plastic cap on!!!
Left - Hair with Keratin in it - Right Keratin left in for 20 mins with plastic cap
After the 20 mins, your hair is blow dried again and then the Keratin is sealed into the hair by using a special flat iron that reaches temperatures of 450°.
Keratin dried into my hair - already looks incredibly shiny & straight
For the next 72 hours I had to leave the Keratin in my hair, not clip it back, tie it up or even put it behind my ear… As I wash my hair every second day this was pure torcher… by Day 3 it was disgustingly greasey & Day 4 was unbearable…
Fusion are the only hairdressers in my research that invite you back to the salon to have the product washed out after the 72 hours, really nice touch. I was practically banging their door down at 9am to let me in to have it washed out.
By 9.30 I had gloriously shiny, soft, straight, non frizzy hair… just what I wanted.
Finished results
The treatment in Fusion costs between €200 - €250 depending on length and thickness of your hair. The price includes the special Keratin Complex Shampoo & Conditioner and the complimentary blow dry to wash out the product after the 72 hours.
Having lived with the 12 Week Blow Dry for 2 weeks I have found my hair is definitely softer, it blow drys in less time & I can leave my house without running my GHD through it.
However, my hair is not as I expected it to be after the process. I cannot leave it to try naturally, it still looks like an unruly mess as in Photo 1. For nights out or when I have something on I still use my GHD.
Maybe my hair wasn’t frizzy enough in the first place to need a 12 week blow dry… maybe it didn’t work to its full potential in my hair… who knows but ladies, my advice would be save your cash! It’s not cheap treatment and I don’t feel I’ve had value for money with my hair type.
Unfortunately I will have to pack my GHD for my holidays
Fusion Hairdressing, 53A Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin TEL: 01 284 5016
Gelish is the latest range of 3 week manicures to arrive in Dublin, I was dying to try it out. There seems to be a much wider selection of colours than Shellac range.
I went to my much loved Carter Beauty in Blackrock for my treatment. I opted for a classic French polish. It looked fab, it was much shiner than usual nail polish and went on in about 45 mins.
The nails were still thin and looked very natural however by Day 4 the edges had started to lift on two of the nails. I happened to be calling into the salon for my tanning before going to London on Monday so the girls offered to redo the nails… I declined at first but then said why not.
(please excuse the scankie tan finger)
On Friday morning, Day 9 the only nails that weren’t lifting were the ones that we redone last Sunday. I couldn’t be bothered with them so peeled them all off. Probably not the best for my nails but I was at my desk in work.
I now just have a strengthener on them & plan to paint them with my Chanel Particuliére tonight before bed.
I did love the nails but 3 week manicure it wasn’t!
Has anyone else had it done? I have only heard good stories from others so maybe I was just unlucky.
Would I give it another go…. maybe but not for my holidays next month like I’d planned.
In case you didn’t have a chance to check out Carter Beauty’s Spring Pamper Package they are now offering a fantastic Summer deal. A microdermabrasion diamond extract facial, a back peel using a strawberry scrub, eyebrow tidy with choice of wax or tweeze, followed by a cucumber & mint pedicure and a file, buff & polish for your fingers and all for only €99.
Marissa & I met recently when I became a regular in the salon and she invited me in for the Summer Package. I had been looking forward to my pamper evening for weeks and it just happened to be the night of my first WW weigh in so it was a lovely treat.
I was greeted by the lovely Laura in the salon who brought me through the package as I had a few questions. Laura knew her stuff and explained everything step by step. I also loved the fact that Laura was my therapist for the full 2.5 hours I was in the salon.
We started with the back scrub and it was lovely. I wouldn’t have said my back was a particular problem area however over the last few weeks I’ve had some spots that have actually hurt me so perfect timing for the scrub. I asked Laura if she could think of any reason why these would start, probably my addiction to fake tan we decided and also it’s very hard to exfoliate your own back!
Then we moved on to the microdermabrasion facial. I had no idea what this would in tale. I had a imagined the usual deep cleansing facial I would have usually opted for with a special sort of mask, however I was wrong. My skin was cleansed and then Laura showed me the magic machine which does all the hard work! It’s like a small torch (with no light!) that has teeny tiny diamonds, when placed on your face it there is a small feeling of suction & it makes a funny popping noise as it is moved around your face. It is manoeuvred twice around the face, changing to a smaller head for in around the noise and chin which are prone to congestion. Afterwards a lovely cool face mask was put on for 10 mins. It was very pleasant & my skin feels softer & may even look brighter today.
Then a quick eyebrow tidy & we were ready to go out to the comfy big pedicure areas in the salon.
As one who doesn’t like people touching my feet, I did warn Laura I may jump a bit but decided to give it a go and she was very gentle with me. After a nice soak, my toenails were given a cut & tidy, including pushing back the cuticles & a quick file (I HATE that part, hurts my teeth!), I had a lovely cucumber and mint scrub & massage & then my favourite bit, the painting. I love doing bright, strong colours on my toes for Summer but when I get them done I nearly always opt for a French polish, I know a professional pedicure will last much longer than mine & the French polish just goes with everything!
I must mention that Carter Beauty have wide a range of nail polish brands to choose from including OPI, Jessica & China Glaze. While my tootsies dried we finished the package with a file, buff & polish. I chose OPI, Black Cherry Chutney for my hands, its very similar to OPI Lincoln Park After Dark which I have at home.
How did I feel about the package overall? For €99 it’s everything you need before your holidays or to prepare your skin for the ‘actual’ nice weather we’re having here. My only negative is down to personal choice, I’m not sure I would choose the microdermabrasion facial over my regular deep cleanse, with extraction facial. I can still see some blackheads on my chin & cheeks that I would have hoped would have disappeared but for €99 I would thoroughly recommend it, sure a mani & pedi could cost you that in some places!
The original reason I began going to Carter Beauty is because of their special offer on spray tans, now they are only giving me more reasons to go back… From these fantastic package offers to their latest Gelish 3 week manicure for only €30, if you haven’t heard of it or don’t know what the hell I’m talking about have a look at this short video;
All I can say is make sure you book in advance & see you there!
Carter Beauty, 40 Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, TEL: 01 210 3624
For those of you that don’t follow me on Twitter you won’t know but it was my boyfriend Brian’s 25th birthday on Friday. We had a fantastic BBQ on Saturday to celebrate.
I had to show you guys the cake I got made for him.
It is a MacBook Pro cake with figures of myself, Brian and our dog Muffin!
MacBook Pro Cake
I was so delighted with how it turned out. Geraldine from cakemyday.ie was so helpful & a pleasure to deal with. Not only did the cake look amazing, it was the best cake I have ever tasted (sorry Mum!). I find with icing cakes they can be overly sweet however it was absolutely gorgeous. The chocolate sponge was delicious and to confirm everyone else’s opinion there was none left after the party! Not even enough for my parents!
I did however manage to save the figures from the cake which are now sitting on a shelf in the office at the moment.
So to anyone looking to have a cake made, drop Geraldine a line on 086 8372795 or geraldine@cakemyday.ie tell her Lee sent you!
The Make Your Own Havaianas booth arrived instore in BT2 Grafton Street on Friday 4th June.
I had absolutely no intention of going to town on Friday until the Vodafone Ireland StreetUp in Dakota was announced. I needed that Swarm badge! So on my way to Dakota by the law’s of physics, well kinda, not really… I couldn’t pass by the door of BT2 knowing the Havaianas Bar had arrived… now that would be rude!
So in I went and this is what I saw! (Apologies for photo quality, I only had my iPhone with me)
As you can see from the photos, there is a fantastic range of colours to choose from.
I went in with the plan to purchase pink ones, surprise surprise… However after chatting to the very helpful lady, and because I already have a purple pair from last year that I would go for a neutral look with some pink bling
I was a little disappointed with the choice of pins / badges. The lettering is quite boring, its a simple lower case font on a black background so I decided against getting any of those. I opted for a clear bling star on one, & a clear bling heart on the other, nice & girlie with a signature pink Swarovski in each.
I <3 them, I was showing them off in Dakota on Friday night and I wore them at the weekend non stop (yes, even in the rain!)
At first I found them not quite as comfy as my purple pair however I manoeuvred the straps and I am much happier. There was a tiny piece on the left strap that was digging in to my tootsie so I filed it with a nail file gently and it worked!
The price: so they start at €25, my sole & strap came to €30 which included one of the pins, then I added another pin €2, and the Swarovski pins were €3 each so total was €38… Considering they cost €30 with no bling I’m pretty happy with the price.
All in all I say is get to BT2 Grafton Street asap & make your own! The booth is there for the full month of June.
When I was asked to review L’onglex many months ago I said no problem but I didn’t know the brand…
How wrong was I!? The signature pink bottle with purple lid, it had been a household staple in our bathroom cabinet, and I am guessing not just in my family home however I never knew the name.
The newly re branded L’onglex is not only in funky pretty bottles but compared to my Star Nails Nail Polish remover it ranks miles above…
Firstly. the product, even with deep reds & dark blue polishes it removes the colour effortlessly without bleeding on the skin around your nails. It is available with & without Acetone. I am currently using the one with Acetone & I will definitely repurchase.
Secondly packaging, what’s not to love, it’s either pretty and pink, or purple for the Acetone free option. They also have a clever strip down the side of the bottle so you can see how much product is left
I also love the brand that L’Onglex is building, from their funky blog which is regularly updated with top tips, new beauty products & the search for the perfect nail polishes.
L’Onglex are using social media too, very prominent on Facebook & Twitter and even include this information on their packaging which was something I hadn’t seen before.
So ladies, if you haven’t tried it, make sure you pick up a bottle or two the next time your in Dunnes, Superquinn or even Spar.
The Body Shop sent me an email that caught my attention that’s for sure, their press release for Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist.
Deep Sleep, Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist
Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist, which encourages restful sleep.
A quick-drying mist-spray, Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist contains a soothing concoction of camomile, jujube date, geranium, juniper and patchouli essential oils. Applied to the pillow or body, the mist employs special encapsulation technology that allows bursts of active fragrance to be released throughout the night to aid more fulfilling sleep.
Developed over several years, Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist was tested by people who suffer from sleep deprivation, aiding our understanding of the issue. The research suggested that the Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist has helped even the worst insomniacs enjoy a blissful night of undisturbed sleep. And while our Sleep Survey revealed that tossing and turning all night long is the most frustrating aspect of being kept awake, this can actually enhance the product’s performance when it’s sprayed on pillows and sheets, as moving around on the bed helps release the bursts of active fragrance.
Our Community Trade camomile essential oil from Norfolk, England, is supplied by our expert Community Trade suppliers Norfolk Essential Oils. We use their high quality oil throughout our Deep Sleep Wellbeing range.
With one sold every minute Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist is proving a big hit in bedrooms all round the world.
Luckily, I don’t have trouble sleeping however as Mummy Kutner does she decided to try the new product, so here she is making her review debut!
My daughter Lee asked me to try out the new Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow and Body Mist as I have trouble sleeping.
I found it had a lovely smell and I did find it helped me to relax before I went to sleep.
It was very pleasant to use and I would recommend anyone with trouble sleeping to give it a try.
One of my favourite products which I constantly repurchase is L’Oreal Dermo-Expertise Gentle Eye Make-up Remover.
L’Oréal Dermo Expertise Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, enriched with Pro Vitamin, gently yet thoroughly removes all traces of eye make up. It’s refreshing and non irritant formula is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
I rarely leave the house without eyeliner & mascara so a good remover is a must.
I grab a large oval cotton pad and pull it in two pieces, it’s not me being scabby (well maybe a lil bit )I find using a whole pad just wastes the product and there is no need.
A few wipes of the pad and your make up is gone and your eyes feel nice & refreshed.
I have previously tried Lancome Bi Facil and hated it. It’s advertised as non-greasey however it’s the greasiest consistancy I’ve every experienced on my eyes. I think I just binned the bottle as I don’t think I would give it to anyone to try. Very disappointing for such a high end brand and price.
With L’Oreal the packaging is nothing special but who cares, the price is fantastic, €2.95 in Tesco and just found out it’s on special for €1.96 until 13th April. I used to pay over €5 for it until the recession prices came in so that is one good part of the current economic climate, my grocery bill is way down!
My one gripe is… still after my shower in the morning, more mascara / eyeliner comes out & leaves me with panda eyes, no matter how much I scrub before bed the night before… So another wipe of my L’oreal and I’m good to go.
Does anyone have an eye make up remover that doesn’t require panda eye removal the next morning? Or does such a product exsist…
I have been meaning to write the post for months but something else always comes up.
When I was in Cannes for work in October last year I had the pleasure of meeting Smashbox’s International Director of Make Up Artistry, Daniel Chavez and we talked make up for quite awhile.
Luckily enough for me he introduced me to Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I <3 it.
Don’t know how I managed before I found it! Well I do, I dabbled in Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer (which I found quite greasy).
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
With Smashbox Photo Finish Primer the application was simple and effective. I find my foundation goes on smoothly and lasts much longer on days I use the primer than days I don’t.
My one issue is the pump or lack there of a normal looking pump. Smashbox say: ” In a new square airless pump for freshness to the last drop”. What I found…. I couldn’t et the product out of the container. The consistancy is that of a gel so an air pump that stopped working meant there was no hope I could get the product out even by removing the pump lid.
What to do? Well there was 95% of the product left so I wasn’t gonna let it go, not my new found “must have” product. I brought it into my nearest Smashbox counter and explain the issue and the girl on the spot offered a replacement. Wow, fab customer service but it lead me to wonder… was it a common fault or was I just unlucky.
Either way I am very happy with my new primer and will be keeping Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer as a staple in my makeup routine.
Have you guys tried it? Anybody else had pump issues?
