Going For The Chop At A Salon With A Difference

After years of having long blonde hair, I've finally gone for the chop. I dabbled with a darker colour for a few months recently, but it did nothing for me (I looked a bit dead). That change didn't work out but I was getting bored of having the same style and was ready for something different. When I was younger I was really adventurous with my hair and thought nothing of switching things up regularly. In the space of a few years I had a blonde crop, a red bob and even waist length braids. Then I found a style I liked, and stuck with it. FOR YEARS. Yawn. 

So yeah, the other day I went for the chop.

After lots of recommendations from friends, I paid a visit to Kojo&Lee in Sheffield city centre. It's a hidden gem (literally), that has taken the traditional salon approach and turned it on its head. Currently there's no sign above the innocuous doorway, no sinks for hair washing and no colourist. It nails the minimalist shabby chic vibe, with gilded mirrors and a dark grey glazed cabinet adding a hint of faded glamour to bare walls and unsanded floorboards.

Nikki, a Toni and Guy trained stylist, set it up a few years ago and quickly realized that there was a market for a salon with a difference. Sometimes people find traditional salons intimidating, sometimes they're out of people's budgets. For me personally, I'm so over handing over large sums of money for a mediocre experience and a mediocre style. 

Kojo&Lee has taken off by word of mouth alone and that tells me all I need to know. People are obviously loving what Nikki offers. What struck me more than anything was that she really listened to me - what I wanted and, importantly, what I didn't want - and seemed to pay real care and attention to every snip. She styled it with my wavy hair type in mind, when so many other stylists try to straighten the life out of it. I'm thrilled with the finished result.

I didn't really know what to expect when I went in, but my visit to Kojo&Lee was honestly one of the most positive hairdressing experiences I've had. The best bit? It set me back only £20.00. Unique, affordable, quality hairdressing - what more can you ask for? 

Find out more about Kojo&Lee, including plans to add sinks and hire an experienced colourist at www.facebook.com/kojoandlee

Metallic make-up look using my favourite budget eyeshadow palette

Molten metallic eye look created using
Sleek's iDivine palette in Storm

I’d not long had Sleek’s iDivine palette in Storm when I blogged about it back in May. Whilst I liked it then, a true test of a product is how much use it gets after the initial New Purchase excitement has dissipated. A couples of months in, I still love it.

As is often the case with palettes, there are some colours that I’ve not used much but there are a few shades that I’ve been wearing almost every day – day and night. Molten and shimmery yet very wearable, individually they are gorgeous. Together they are the perfect trio:

Sand Storm: A gorgeous warm-toned gold. Often these type of shades can be too yellow which is hard to pull off, but this has a slight copperyness to it which makes it very flattering.

Thunder Storm: This pretty cool-toned gold suits most skin tones, and again, doesn't contain too much yellow.

Dust Storm: Rich and sumptuous, this is a warm-toned rust-bronze that will complement all eye colours, but it really makes blue eyes pop.

Combined with the matte Calm Before The Storm and Eye Of The Storm - neutral-toned nudes that are great for shading (and for eyebrows) - you can create numerous wearable looks for every day or for a special occasion using these five shades.

Here I've used them with some other fantastic drugstore products on my friend Grace to create what I think is the perfect look for these balmy summer evenings. Not only is it simple to achieve it's affordable too, with every product coming in at less than £10.00.

Before

After: Metallic eyes + nude peachy lips = gorgeous

Achieve the look

1. Start by applying a light wash of Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze across the eyelid. The colour won't end up showing through, but it acts as a fantastic base for powder shadows. Think of it as a (budget) coloured eye primer.

2. Next use the pale gold shade from the Storm palette, Thunderstorm, all over the eyelid.

3. Apply the warm gold shade, Sand Storm, to the outer third of the lid - blending upwards above the crease slightly.

4. Lightly apply the rust-bronze shade, Dust Storm, to the crease, blending well.

5. Next, take the same shade, Dust Storm, along the upper and lower lash line, building up until you get your desired level of colour.

6. Lastly, apply lashings of black mascara. I used my trusty Max Factor Masterpiece Max here after curling Grace's lashes.

7. The look is finished off with a combination of Calm Before The Storm and Eye Of The Storm on the brows, and a gentle wash of peach on the cheeks (Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet) and lips (Bourjois Rouge Edition in 17 Rose milesime).

You'd never know that every product used here cost
less than £10.00

This is a really achievable look for every budget and skin tone. In fact, Grace loved it so much she went out and bought pretty much everything I used the very next day!

Have you tried any of the other Sleek palettes? Are there any shades you can recommend?

Bargain eyeshadow palette

For £7.99, you could be forgiven for having low expectations of the Sleek iDivine Storm palette, but here's one product that under-promises and over-delivers. 

Sleek iDivine Storm Palette offers 12 shimmery and matte shades

Appropriately sleek packaging

L-R: Sand Storm, Snow Storm, Calm Before The Storm, Thunder Storm, Perfect Storm, Firestorm

L-R: Dust Storm, Gathering Storm, Storm Cloud, Electric Storm, Eye Of The Storm, Blackout

Shade range

Well, there's a gorgeous mix of twelve shimmery and matte shades, from pale gold through to deepest black. One of the great things about palettes is that the colours have been pre-selected for you so you know they'll work well together and there are endless possibilities for colour combinations here. Of course, each colour can be worn alone too. Each of them is very wearable. The golden and darker shades will suit most skin tones, whilst the pinkier colours will look amazing on darker, Asian and black skin tones. 

Pigmentation

The shadows in the Storm palette, for the most part, are really well pigmented. The pale shimmery shade, Snow Storm, hasn't shown up well in the pictures but it actually applies beautifully on the eye. The darker shimmery shades, including Sand Storm, Dust Storm and Storm Cloud, are amazingly well pigmented. The two paler matte shades, Calm Before The Storm and Eye Of The Storm, don't fare as well on the pigment front, but they are still good for shading in the crease and they work perfectly well as eyebrow colours. The darkest matte shade, Blackout, is super pigmented. In fact, I had trouble getting it off my arm after swatching.

Wear time

Speaking of staying power, I find these shadows work best with a primer underneath. But then so do all eyeshadows on me. I got a good nine hours wear out of them, with only some fading as the day wore on. Without primer, it was more like six hours wear time - still pretty good considering the price. 

Blendability

One thing to note is how soft the shadows are. Whilst this makes blending a breeze, it does result in some drop down. I found it best to tap any excess off the brush and blend the colour into the back of my hand before applying to the eye to minimise drop down.

Packaging

This palette really is sleek by name and sleek by nature. It's small enough to be easily transportable and comes with a decent mirror inside. The double ended foam applicator isn't something which I'd use as I prefer to use a brush, but it could be good for emergencies I guess.

Dupes

It would be rude to mention this palette without drawing comparisons with its pricier cousins in the Urban Decay Naked range. Along with Mac, Urban Decay eyeshadows have been my favourites for years because I really rate their staying power, pigmentation and amazing choice of shades. Whilst the Sleek shadows aren't quite in their league, and the colours not exact matches for the Naked palettes, they give them a damn good run for their money. The Naked palette is £37.00. The Sleek palette is £7.99. 'nuff said.

Verdict

I've been seriously impressed with the Sleek iDivine Storm palette. It offers a gorgeous colour selection and outstanding quality and value for the price. There are 16 other palettes in the iDivine range and I can't wait to give them a go. I picked mine up from Superdrug where there's currently a 3 for 2 offer on.

Sleek iDivine in Storm | £7.99  

Budget Beauty #5 | Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo

Many people have cottoned on to the wonders of dry shampoo for its ability to eek out another day between washes, and I've included the Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo in my list of budget favourites because it's a hard working multi-tasker that offers great value for money.

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo | £2.99 | Widely available

 Yes, things can get a bit powdery if you don't rub it in well, and premium brands' dry shampoo offerings are a tad more refined, but Batiste's tropical scent is just the ticket when your locks are on the turn. It's also great for giving texture to freshly washed hair in need of a boost, and for adding grip in preparation for up-dos.

At a bargainous £2.99, it's definitely worth having a bottle in your grease-busting, volume-inducing armour.

The brand has also released versions for different hair colours - red, blonde, brunette and dark - which I've heard very good things about and these may go some way to diminishing the powdery effect. My current bottle is on its last legs so I'll be giving the blonde one a go next time me-thinks.

What are your favourite budget beauty products?

Budget Beauty #4 | Cotton Flannels

Soaked in icy cold water for a morning pick-me-up and steaming hot at the end of the day, the humble cotton flannel has been a revelation since I introduced it into my skincare regime a couple of months ago.

Cotton flannels | £1.50 | Primark

Skin is left feeling super clean when used to wipe away cream or oil cleanser and they make light work of removing stubborn eye make up. At £1.50 for a pack of three in Primark and widely available elsewhere, you can quickly acquire a plentiful stockpile. 

A grubby flannel equals a grubby face though, so don't be tempted to re-use each one more than twice. I use a fresh flannel each morning and pop it in the laundry basket after cleansing in the evening. 

Word to the wise: Using fabric conditioner in your wash removes the flannel's gentle exfoliating qualities so is best avoided.

What are your favourite budget beauty products?  

Budget Beauty #2 | Palmolive Milk and Honey Shower Gel

Moisturising and nourishing with a sweet, soothing scent and a rich lather, Palmolive Milk and Honey Shower Gel offers a little bit of soapy luxury for the grand total of £1.20. 

Palmolive Milk and Honey Shower Gel | From £1.20 | Widely available

Granted, the cheery packaging doesn't exactly look luxe, but as the saying goes, it's what's inside that counts and this stuff is mighty fine. I just really enjoy using it. Enough said.

What are your favourite budget beauty products? 

Budget Beauty #1 | Hask Argan Oil

Sometimes it's worth spending a few extra pennies, and sometimes it ain't. I've got plenty of time for pricier products which do what they promise on their (no doubt beautifully packaged) tins, but I've often been let down by their bold claims to revive my lacklustre locks or eradicate my ever increasing wrinkles.

Look, it's me!

 To coincide with the launch of my first column in Toast magazine, over the next five days I'll be sharing an extended version on The Beauty Scriptures. This month it's all about my tried and tested favourites which offer more bang for their buck. First up is a surprising little find from Primark...

The trend for serums has passed and oils are where it's at. As the owner of wayward puffy hair, this can only be good news. Previously underwhelmed by the over-hyped (and significantly pricier) Moroccanoil Light, I had low expectations of the Hask Argan Oil when I popped a bottle into my Primark basket a few months back. 

But seriously, it is one of the best hair products I've ever used. 

Hask Argan Oil | £2.50 | Primark

I'm a low maintenance girl when it comes to my locks, preferring to leave my hair to dry naturally for all but the most special of occasions. Unfortunately, the results can be wildly inconsistent. No longer. This £2.50 bottle of goodness produces smooth, shiny hair every time. And teeny though the bottle may be (18ml), I use a hefty glug on damp hair after every wash, then run a small amount through when it's dry to take away any remaining frizz and it lasts me about a month. 

If Primark ever discontinue it, I may cry.

So there we have it, the first of my five favourite budget beauties - what are yours? 

Lyn Harris Perfume Update

Earlier in the week I wrote a post about a Miller Harris diffusion line on sale for just £12.50 at Marks and Spencer. Since then, I may or may not (I may) have been back to M&S to bag La Poudree and La Rose from this soon to be deceased range. Oops.

La Poudree

La Poudree is a feminine, blousy fragrance with a distinctly old-fashioned feel. Old-fashioned in a good way. Glamorous old-fashioned. Initially powdery as the name suggests, it settles down to a soft sweet, vanilla scent. It's not a perfume I'd usually plump for, but it makes me feel pretty and girly and I'm surprised at how much I like it.

La Rose

I'm a granny at heart and it's a fact universally acknowledged that all good grannies love a rosy scent. Surprisingly though, this offering is not in the least bit grannyish, making it ideal for the non-granny contingent amongst you. Yes it's floral, but it's got a sharpness to it which keeps it feeling fresh and modern. Me likes. A lot.

Perfume alchemy

After spraying the testers before purchasing, I was left with La Poudree on my left wrist and La Rose on my right. It got me to thinking that the sweetness of the former would work well with the sharpness of the latter. So this morning, I layered the two scents together to see if my nose was onto something. It was. With a layer of La Rose atop a spritz of La Poudree I smelt absolutely bloomin' gorgeous. If I do say so myself. Best of all, my custom scent was still going strong a whole 9 hours later. Not even my favourite premium scents last that long. Very impressive.

For just £12.50, these fragrances offer superb quality at a knock down price. They're sold out online and likely to be discontinued, so grab a bottle in your local M&S while you still can.

Budget Beauty #3 | Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner

It was during a reading of Romeo and Juliet in Mrs Morgan's year 10 English class that I was first warned of my potential addiction to lip balm. My constant reapplication of some fruity concoction in a cute little pink pot was distracting, apparently. 

Fast forward fifteen years and Mrs Morgan has been proved right. I freak out slightly if I don't have lip balm on me at all times. And I can't sleep without a thick coating on my lips. Yes, I am an addict. 

Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner | £2.50 | Widely available

In an effort to feed my addiction I've tried many, many lip balms - so many sink in too quickly, some leave lips more parched - and I always come back to this one, the Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner. Perfunctory, with a slightly medicinal scent and a thick texture, it ain't glamorous and it doesn't come in a cute pink pot. It does however do a fine job of keeping dry lips moisturised. At £2.49, you can't say fairer than that.

What are your favourite budget beauty products?