Like I just stepped out of a salon...

My hair has been straddling the fine line between long/lush and long/stripper for a while. In 2008 I started growing it for my wedding last year & just never really stopped. The shortest layers were past my chin & at the back it was below my bra strap. I quite liked it, but it was unmanageable, uninspiring & unflattering. But I was struggling to let go and have been thinking about getting it cut for months, without ever picking up the phone & booking an appointment.

(don't ask...)

After a desperate plea on Twitter, Rainbow Rooms International swooped in & offered to rescue me from barnet despair. I was booked in with the lovely Leo (more on him later...) the very next day for a complete overhaul. Rainbow Rooms was founded in 1979, with the first salon on Glasgow's famous shopping mecca, Buchanan Street. Since then, the brand has grown & grown, with a full in-house range of haircare products, 2 teaching academies and salons across the west of Scotland. The salons are known for luxury, relaxation & fabulous customer service, not to mention the highly talented & friendly staff.

Despite the reputation, I still took the stairs up to the salon with some trepidation; I kind of still wanted to keep all my hair and was reluctantly resigning myself gradually to knowing that really, it had to go. I also HATE going to new hairdressers. Hate. It. I mean, who feels comfortable going somewhere new where all the girls always look amazing and you have to have a wet head? Come on people, I am not alone, am I? But I was greeted by a receptionist with a mega-watt smile oozing friendliness and I immediately felt at ease. I was seated to await my fate.

A moment later, Leo was by my side, introducing himself, taking a seat & getting comfy for a very thorough consultation. One of my most hated stylist tactics is when they stand behind you, grabbing hair, throwing it around, eyeing up where they can cut off 2 feet, when all you've asked for is a trim... Anyway, I digress. Leo asked what I was thinking, I gave him a bit of uhmm'ing & ahh'ing before reaching for the pile of photos I'd taken with me. Leo then briefed me on what he thought would be right, before discussing my face shape, hair condition & potential treatments. Before long, we were finishing each other sentences & the rest as they say, is history...

During the consultation, I was asked how I style my hair (I don't), how long I spend styling in the morning (uhhh 3 seconds?), what products I used (£2 hair masque from Aldi - Leon just about threw me out) and what I wanted out of my cut (hair I don't have to style for more than 3 seconds, but which looks fabulous darling). Leo correctly assessed my hair as verging on traumatised from it's treatment over the last year and when I told him the last time it was cut was January, I think a little bit of him died inside. We discussed the treatments I would have; a shiatsu head massage to open up the hair shafts, allowing the conditioning treatment to fulfil it's conditiony destiny & really sink in, for a deep revival of my poor straw hair (a special thank you to Ellie, a firecracker cheerleader who gave me an amazing massage!)

Right, this was me before!

Over the next hour & a half, my hair was chopped, snipped and conditioned all the while enjoying the very friendly banter & admiring Leo's tattoos. I didn't think the day could get any better. Then Leo whispered to Ellie "bring out the O"... If you follow me on Twitter, you'll probably have heard me lament more than once about my inner turmoil about buying an O without trying it first. I think I probably cracked a window with my excited squeals. And it was amazing.

And this is the end result!!

I'm so pleased. I asked for soft, blended movement without harsh lines, for a fringe that could be flexible in style and a cut that I can easily blow-dry without minimal effort. And it's exactly what I got. Amazing. I seriously am still skipping inside with how happy I am with my hair. Love it.

This is the man himself. (How hot?!)

I left the salon, bouncing down the street with a serious spring in my step. Leo said his aim was to make me feel amazing & I did! And so did these 2 ladies. Annie (left) has been coming to RRI for a while and on this visit had brought her sister Flora to experience the magic touch. I caught up with them as we left the salon at the same time & they were more than happy to give the salon 4 giant thumbs ups!

So, I am in love with Leo & I will now be travelling 3 hours south to get my hair done. Or I will bribe him to open a salon in Aberdeen...

What do you think? Have you been to one of their salons? Is Leo your hairdresser? (if so, step away bitch - he's mine!) A massive thanks to Leo & Rainbow Rooms for having me & putting a smile back on my face!

A x

NOM!

I am a secret stalker of food blogs. I live vicariously through other people's amazing recipes, drooling over their amazing gastro-creations, whilst eating my wheat-free rice crackers & peanut butter (*sad face*).

One of my absolute favourite blogs is written by Amy Jones at She Cooks, She Eats. Amy is an 'amateur' cook, specialising in customising recipes so they are lean; perfect for those of us on the Super Fit Sunday journey! Until today, I have just been gleaning little hints & tips from her blog but hadn't actually cooked a full recipe. But this Cauliflower Fritters recipe caught my eye today & since I was at home, thought I'd spend my evening cooking for my lovely husband (in the vain hope he'd spot how amazing it is to come home to a lovely home cooked meal & 'let me' quit work!)

My very first fritter batch, browning away nicely! (I'd actually bought enough for 2 lots, as I fully expected for it to go wrong!).

My warm pepper relish! This made the house smell AMAZING! I'd recommend having it simmering away if you are trying to sell your house!!

Knowing husband would not appreciate a full veggie meal, I whizzed up some of Amy's chicken skewers & salad, served with the pepper relish & fritters. How good does this look?!!

The fritters tasted absolute gorgeous - I love feta cheese & the flavour is so mild once they are cooked. The pepper relish was sticky, sweet & had a spicy little kick from the chilli peppers. Yum!!

What Friday night dinner would be complete without a sweet little treat? Amy's Super Speedy Eton Mess went down a treat, was quick, easy & fairly guilt free thanks to the Activia yoghurt instead of the double cream.

So all in all, a success!! Husband was delighted and we both had very full tummies! The fritter recipe made 12 & I only managed 2. There is a little tub of relish left over in the fridge too, for eating tomorrow!

Amy's recipes are so easy to follow & her writing style makes cooking whilst reading fun & interesting. I am an appalling, appalling cook, but I am fabulous at following instructions (ask anyone who knows me & they'll tell you my number 1 skill is assembling Ikea furniture). The fact I managed to pull this off with no disasters at all is testament!

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Swatches

I wish someone had told me it was Chanel week on BBB; I would have dressed up!

Lets turn our attention to Chanel Illusion D'Ombre. Described as long-wearing luminous colours, I was dubious at first after being very unimpressed with my first swatching session on Friday. I went back on Sunday however & was completely blown away by both of these shades Mirifique & Epatant. (I have since been back & purchased Emerveille, don't tell anyone...)

I suppose they could be compared to the Armani Eyes To Kill Intense shadows, but they do feel a bit different. The Armani shadows still have an element of powderyness to them; although the Chanel pots look crumbly, they are almost gel like in texture. This is, apparently, thanks to the unique silicone base - helping them glide on beautifully & of course last for hours & hours & hours (and hours).

These finger-tip amounts are all you need to completely cover an entire lid. The pigmentation is high & true. The glitter stays put & I experienced no drop-out when I wore Mirifique in this FOTD...

And finally! No crappy little sponge applicators in sight. Chanel have included (for your £22.50!) a compact little spatula shaped brush, which is perfect for covering the entire lid & creating a gorgeous cat eye, or for creating a lovely sharp line.

LOVE!

FOTD Feat. Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Mirifique

I was going to post full review pics up of these first, but I loved today's makeup so much, I thought I'd get an FOTD up asap! I tweeted this morning about my 'disco goth' look, which was completely inappropriate for the office, but it was my first day back after my wee trip to hospital, so thought I'd glam it up!

I had checked these out on Friday & my gut reaction was that the black was too sparkly, the white too cheap, the plums too meh but after going back in on Sunday, a bit more relaxed & swatching properly, I have completely changed my mind. Mirifique is gorgeous. These swatches were taken at about 6pm, a good 8 or 9hrs after applying my makeup. Apart from a little creasing just around my crease, this stuff did not budge. Glossy, wet-look lids anyone?

I topped my moody rocking look off with some skull studs from Talullah Tu.

The Chanel Illusion D'Ombre pots are available from £22.50 each. Thoughts? Have you already snapped up your favourite shades?

Christian Louboutin Book

This will be my payday purchase even though technicallly, technically it wont count until October as it is on pre-order only at the mo...

"This stunning volume, with a fanciful and intricate pop-up, an elaborate foldout cover, and dramatic still-life photography, evokes the artistry and theatricality of Louboutin's shoe designs...

...The book is divided into six chapters. The first chapter covers Louboutin's biography, his start as a designer from his work for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent to his first boutique in 1992, and his early creations and influences illustrated with many never-seen-before photos from his personal archives; chapter two features the Louboutin boutiques around the world showcasing the varied and extravagant interior designs and displays; chapter three is "20 years of design" and highlights his shoe designs from over the years with all-new still-life photography, as well as editorial art; chapter four features the spectacular interiors of Louboutin's homes in Paris and Luxor, Egypt, and behind-the-scenes shots from his studios and workshops; chapter five focuses on his creative collaborations with David Lynch, of a series called "Fetish," of limited-edition shoes by Louboutin and limited-edition photos by Lynch; chapter six is a complete catalogue raisonne of his work, with photos of all 120 shoe designs." (Amazon 2011)

You can currently pre-order on a variety of sites - Amazon so far being the best value with approx £40 off the RRP. The only problem is, I want the cover pictured above, with the pink shoes & the photo on Amazon has a grey shoe. Hmmmm quandry indeed.

In celebration of this fabulous, fabulous book that will be gracing my yet-to-be-discovered-perfect-coffee-table, here are some of my top Louby picks...

(I tried these on this store in Vegas. They are NOT comfy, but sooo pretty!)