Bumble and Bumble Quenching Shampoo & Conditioner

I don't know why, but this winter has played utter havoc with my hair. It hasn't even been that cold, but it has been chronically dry for weeks now and styling was verging on a total impossibility, due to the fly-away-ness of it.

The perms I have to add texture & body obviously dry my hair to a certain extent, but that's always been manageable. Recently, I've been finding it harder to form 'natural' curls, with the perm just looking frizzy and if I left it straight, it would be sticking to my face & generally just being a big ol' ball of static. It was getting so bad, I was using a giant blob of intensive hair masks each day instead of a regular conditioner, just to try & keep it under control!

I wouldn't normally spend £45 on shampoo & conditioner but I was desperate! My hairdresser used to use Bumble & Bumble and my hair always looked incredible, so when I was in John Lewis the other day, I bit the bullet & picked up the Quenching range.

When I smelled it in the shop, I was not impressed, but once it was on my noggin, the smell was light, fresh; a bit apple-y without a fruity chemical overload like Herbal Essences.

From the first use, my hair has been transformed. Unlike other 'intense' products I've used, my hair still blow-dries full of body and doesn't freak out when I take my red-hot GHDs to it, to smooth the ends. Perfect! My only concern is that I will not be able to live without these 2 little bottles from now on & it will cost me a fortune!

I struggled to find a UK Bumble & Bumble site, which is why the link is to the US, but it is available in-store at John Lewis.

GHD Scarlet Collection

Christmas came a day early in the BBB household when I collected this from the post office depot, delivered from the lovely peeps at GHD HQ.

This the latest Classic Styler from the GHD Scarlet Collection. The styler is the Gold Classic but with gorgeous red plates (which are sparkly!).

The collection comes in a beautiful art-deco inspired box with a gorgeous red satin carry-case and heat mat. There are also 2 clips included for when you're styling away!

One of the first things I noticed when I took mine out the box was how light it was. I thought it was something I was just imagining, but then weighed it against my old stylers (which are a good 5 years old) and there was a noticeable difference. Then, I read the back of the box and whaddya know? This is their 'lighter body' model! So, in summary, these stylers are light!

As someone who mostly uses their stylers to create curls, I was really pleased to see how curved the barrel is, allowing the hair to glide through. The edge of the plates is quite rounded too and I've noticed that these don't create that line where you first apply them, before pulling them through. Will be particular good for those who use straighteners on their fringe.

Most noticeable was how cool the outer casing remains whilst I'm using them. Curling requires a lot of handling of the area around the plates and husband is used to me squeaking F%*K@NG OWWW on a regular basis when I'm doing my hair. But these were cool and a pleasure to use.

If you are sitting with a pile of Christmas Cash, wondering what to spend it all on, then I wouldn't hesitate to highly recommend a pair of these. This collection is £129 and with free delivery.

I will have a video up in time for New Year's Eve, demo-ing how to achieve the perfect GHD curl. In the meantime, I'm going back to my dressing table to admire them. Look... how pretty!

These were sent for review purposes, but all opinions are my own

Merry Christmas from Beauty Blogging Blonde

Festive Nails - Essie 'A Cut Above'

It's Christmas Eve! The next 3 or 4 days will be a constant merry-go-round of visiting, drinking, eating and general merriment and I always find at this time of year, nails need to scream PARTY but be very low maintenance.

Gorgeous nails (in my book) are one of the ultimate accessories, meaning my outfits can be a bit more low-key, but I still feel a bit glam. I've had this beautiful gem of a polish in my store for about a month, but this is the first time I've tried it out and what better time to start!

This is 3 coats over bare nails. I was going to put a base colour under but when I tested it out, it looked so pretty & delicate on it's own I decided just to go with it. I'm surprised at how smooth it has dried and I haven't bothered with a top coat. The best thing is if it chips slightly over the next few days, it will be disguised and I can get through the party season without fretting!

Chanel Lumiere Scultpee De Chanel

I nipped to the Chanel counter the other day to re-purchase their amazing loose face powder Poudre Universelle Libre in Clair and whilst I was waiting on the Sales Assistant finding me one, this caught my eye.

The Lumiere Sculptee De Chanel is a compact highlighting powder that claims to light the face with "an ivory halo sprinkled with golden and pearly particles".

The compact on display looked fairly mundane, just like a block of peach powder. I was about to turn my nose up, when the SA presented a brand new one to me. The intricate design is gorgeous, apparently inspired by a baroque-esque belt worn by Coco Chanel. It is one of these things of beauty that I knew I was going to buy, before I'd even swatched it. I'm SUCH a sucker!

So anyway, I swatched the one on display and the payoff was a gorgeous satin peach that didn't look at all glittery. I gave a nod of the head to the SA and the deal was done. Imagine how disappointed I was when I got mine home to discover it was a block of silver glitter!! Noooooo! Once I'd calmed down, I realised it was just overspray and a few swipes of a brush soon got rid. I don't know why brands bother with overspray, it just annoys me.

Don't be put off by how glittery it looks - this was pre-overspray removal

Now it's back to it's normal peachy satin non-glitter state, I have been using this across my whole face, not just as a highlighting powder. In fact, as a highlighter it's pretty cack, as it doesn't have anywhere near enough glow. But as a face powder, it's bloody incredible!! I was a bit worried it would be too sparkly, but it just gives the skin that beautiful finish that you'd pay £££'s in microdermabrasion for.

For me, this is a massive win. Unfortunately, it seems it's limited edition as it's part of the christmas collection. I'm seriously considering a couple of back-ups. I think it was £41, but it's a fairly hefty size that should last a while. Anything that can have that effect on my skin is worth it!

Heeled Winter Boots

Living in the north of Scotland, footwear causes outfit dilemmas for a large proportion of the year, particularly in winter. It can be icy, wet and snowy all in one day and usually by about January I've given up trying to look stylish and resorted to my ski jacket, thermal leggings and hiking boots.

Heels are definitely not my thing when the temperature plummets (I am far too accident prone to risk it) but I do miss the height and spend a lot of winter feeling a bit frumpy in flat, functional boots. I think these are my winter-wooly saviour!!

These are so so comfy - I wore them to a job yesterday which included 6hrs driving & 5hrs on my feet and they were great. The heel is not too high so the balls of my feet weren't burning and I wasn't desperate to kick them off at the end of the day.

The sheepskin-esque lining goes down to the ankles and even though the foot section isn't lined, they are super cosy.

The sole has a kind of rubbery feel, so completely non-slip.

I have been wearing mine with my skinny jeans tucked it, with the tops of the boots just left to kind of do what they want. I'm looking forward to wearing them with thick tights and skirts too.

Just to prove how versatile they can be, this pic is of the boots plunged into a foot of snow! I went for a bit of a trek through Glenshee on my way home last night and stopped to take some pics. Clambering to get a good view & my boots kept my feet dry & warm. My socks weren't even the slightest bit damp!

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering where you can get your mitts on a pair! Soooo - these are from Primark & cost £18!!!! They had them in black and I think there was also blue. I think I'm going back for a black pair and possibly a back-up brown pair. Mine are a size 6 and fit perfectly, with a little room for extra thick wooly socks.

Party Nails

I'm back!! Not that I technically went anywhere, but boy have I been busy!! Work is off the chart at the moment, I've been squeezing in 3 Personal Training sessions a week at the gym, on top of my regular work outs and with Christmas coming, I've barely stopped for breath!

First Christmas party of the season was on Friday and to celebrate (and a chance to relax in my favourite city salon) I headed on over to Preen Beauty for a Bio Sculpture manicure with a twist! Check out my party nails!!

These were created by applying 2 coats of black gel, then pressing pink glitter on with the tip of a sponge. I went for 1 accent nail on each hand where the glitter was applied over and the rest of the nails have a graduated effect. Love!!