WHAT I BOUGHT TODAY

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BEAUTY

[BEAUTY] New Hair by Sassoon

May 15, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 12 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, hair, LIFESTYLE, treatment, vidal sassoon

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In the weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited for a cut, colour and treatment at the Sassoon Salon South Molton Street.

For you guys who have have been following me for a while, know that every time I go to the hairdressers (notably here and here) – I have the constant dilemma of either going back to my natural colour (dark brown), or go even lighter. Each time I chicken out, keeping it quite similar (caramel tones), with just subtle enhancements and length. This time however – I wanted a bit more of a radical change – or rather, my hair needed a big chop (sadly – but much necessary).

Firstly, let me tell you how fabulous this salon is. Located on one of my favourite streets in London, South Molton Street, just off Bond Street – this unassuming salon is a bustling two-storey haven. Granted, I chose an appointment at possibly their busiest time of the week – midday on Saturday – I was met with a big smile, with friendly, professional and relaxed staff. I was fortunate enough to have my colour with the lovely Neville (a Sassoon employee for over 10 years!) – who after meeting with me for a skin test prior to the appointment, had already decided for an ‘Allesandra Ambrosio’ colour on me (if only).

The gorgeous Laura was cutting my hair, and after consulting with both of them about the cut – we all agreed that my hair was in really bad condition, and needed quite a lot chopped off. I breathed in… and agreed. They were never pushy – just explaining the benefits of a thorough hair cut (rather than the regular trims that I normally get – which they surprisingly said were pretty much pointless; good to know!). I liked their honesty, and felt completely in safe hands and in ease throughout the whole process – which is very important at any salon (no rushed or forced decisions).

Let the treatment begin!

Before…

Lifeless with broken ends.

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In progress…

In the chair with Neville working his magic (god – I look like a scarecrow here). He lightened the whole hair and roots (no bleach) – adding one colour all over, called ‘biscuit’, then he put on a toner, to take away the orange/red tones.

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The cut…

After the colour, it was Laura’s turn to work her magic on me. The first thing she asked me to do was to stand up – while doing the initial shaping. One word: precision. This girl didn’t miss a single hair, and was precise to a point. Granted, it was short –  a lot shorter than I would have liked it – but my hair feels a-mazing and super healthy. And – it’s already grown a bit since Saturday!

Result…

Lighter, shorter and thicker! Love it.

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The colour in this picture doesn’t really show how light it actually is (especially on the top), so I snapped some more pictures the days after, as seen below.

Hope you like it!

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Picture below taken from my Instagram @anneliwillis

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As an extra treat – they supplied me with the below products by Sassoon – which they used on my hair during the treatment. Shampoo, conditioner, treatment (this stuff is sooo good), a leave-in-conditioner, and a very useful travel set.

In other words, the perfect Saturday…

Thank you to team Sassoon Salon South Molton Street!

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[BEAUTY] Holiday Essentials: Thalgo & Malin+Goetz

May 1, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 6 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, essentials, Holiday, malin+goetz, sun, thalgo, travelling

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Thalgo Hydra Soothing Lotion (£25), Thalgo Age Defence Sun Lotion Spf15 (£25), Thalgo Age Defence Sun Cream SPF 30 (£22.50) & Malin+Goetz Essential Travel Kit (£19). 

In preparation for my holiday tomorrow, I’ve got some new holiday essentials from Thalgo and Malin+Goetz. The older I get, the more aware I am of my skin and it’s exposure under the sun (not so much back in the day when I was living in Australia, hardly wearing sun lotion – BIG mistake). Even though I’ve  got slight sun damage from all my years travelling and living abroad in sunny Barcelona – it’s never not too late to invest in proper sun care.

Thalgo, is a great brand which works well with my skin, so I was curios to try out their sun care range! I have opted for SPF30 for my face and SPF15 on my body, although I might bring along some higher factor for my body – all depending on the weather.

Something I’ve always been after, is a small travel kit containing all your necessary products… Welcome Malin+Goetz Essential Travel Kit - you are exactly what I was after. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, body cream and face cream. Yes, just about everything I need for a weekend trip!

Now, I need to rush and pack my bags for my (way too early) flight to Croatia tomorrow morning! I hate to pack. It’s the worst part of the holiday. For someone who is super organised and efficient when it comes to just about everything in life – this is my one weakness. As I’m such a spontaneous dresser, and dress according to my mood – I am not one of those who likes to plan their outfits day by day in advance. I rather pack loads (way too many) options, and chop and change. Obviously, this has resulted in the past with a missing jacket, jumper, trouser to match a certain outfit etc., but it’s the way I do it. I do however have a few super cute outfit combos I intend to wear, which are all recent purchases (going on the blog as soon as I’m back). Can’t wait to show you!

As always, I am not disappearing completely – with daily posts scheduled in. See you on the other side!

[BEAUTY] Mavala ‘Mava-Flex’ Nail Serum

Apr 9, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 8 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, mavala, nail serum, nails

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‘Mava-Flex’ nail serum from Mavala, £16.

Sadly, I was not blessed with strong or long nails (ironically, I was born with too long nails and had to wear baby mittens the first few days!). Not the case now, that’s for sure. I have tried everything; tablets, strengthening nail polish, shellac… The latter, being the only thing that has remotely worked at first – only to go back to square one after removing the shellac, leaving my nails thinner and weaker.

So, I am on it again – and testing out the renowned nail brand, Mavala, nail serum ‘Mava-flex’. It’s a serum for the nails to moisturise and strengthen the nails, hopefully preventing flimsy and thin nails. It also contains calcium and Vitamin B – so fingers crossed, it will result in healthier nails, combined with regular care and love of course.

If any of my readers have any other tips to give me, I would love to hear from you!

A review will follow.

 

[BEAUTY] Perricone MD Deep Moisture Therapy

Mar 18, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 1 COMMENT❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, cream, deep moisture therapy, health, LIFESTYLE, perricone md

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Ok, I am officially obsessed with Perricone MD. And I won’t regret stating that it’s one of the best skin and beauty brand I have yet to have tried – and that is a big statement, considering I’ve only tried a few of their products (Cleansing Bar and No Concealer Concealer).

I just received their Deep Moisture Therapy day and night moisturiser (which is already a plus in my books; the less jars to bring with me when I’m on the go, the better). This antioxidant-based cream is “designed to relieve dry, flaky skin and minimises the appearance of imperfections and wrinkles, whilst nourishing, protecting and restoring.”

Just what my skin needs in this cold and damp weather, and especially after being in a building/moving/stressful environment where my current complexion is pretty dull and lifeless (paint and saw dust has never really done any wonders for my skin, funnily enough). I can’t wait to start using it!

As always, a review will follow. Get Perricone MD Deep Moisture Therapy here.

 

[REVIEW] Sophyto Organic Super Skin Concentrate

Mar 13, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 2 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, health, natural, planet organic, skincare, sophyto

Review from this post. 

Sophyto Organic Super Skin Concentrate, does everything it promises to do; nourish and protect environmentally stressed skin (effects from living in big cities since I was 19 yrs old).

This serum is so nice, I actually look forward to going to bed so I can moisturise with this gorgeous serum. Being free from artificial fragrance, colors, fillers and parabens – it doesn’t smell much other than a natural odour, which I love. It’s worked wonders for my skin, and it’s savoured it throughout the winter, when I normally get red patches from the cold and damp weather.

I have tried many serums in the past, and I must say, this one scores top marks for having a natural feel (it’s 100% certified gluten-free!) and for not leaving any greasy residue, which so many serums do. My skin is left soft and moisturised after every sleep (and it lasts long – I’ve still got some left!). Top marks from me!

Sophyto, £35.19 (for 30ml) from Planet Organic.

[REVIEW] Thalgo Oxygen 3-Defence Fluid SPF15

Feb 22, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY COMMENT ❤ HERE TAGS: BEAUTY, health, review, skincare, thalgo

Review from this post. 

I read that this ‘Anti-pollution’ moisturiser fluid “combats OCN pollution (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen) while recharging the skin with energy and radiance. Suffocated and dull skin is abolished in the place of a fresh-faced complexion with restored vitality and luminosity”. 

Needless to say, I had high expectations.  The consistency is quite runny (which is not necessarily a bad thing). I’ve been using it as a base underneath my regular face cream (which I was told to do). I don’t think the fluid itself would be rich enough for my skin during the winter months, however more than sufficient enough throughout the summer I would say. I love anything with SPF – as I am getting older, these things really matter (I only wish I was more conscious about it sooner – especially during my years of living in Barcelona!).

As I’ve been using the fluid as a combination with another moisturiser, it’s hard to notice it’s real effects. I can’t really fault it, as the consistency works great as a ‘primer’ underneath my moisturiser and it’s always left my skin hydrated. The fact that is ‘combats pollution’ is another bonus – and I can’t help notice that my skin is much brighter and smoother, versus last year. So to conclude, it works – but to get it’s full effects, I would use it during the summer months.  A perfect, lightweight moisturizer for a city girl.

 Thalgo Oxygen 3-Defence Fluid SPF 15, £43.85, from LookFantastic.com

 

[BEAUTY] Birchbox Beauty Box

Feb 11, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 6 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, birchbox, fragrance, LIFESTYLE, skin, subscriptions

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The Birchbox concept Try, Learn, Buy, is the perfect combination for any self confessed beauty junkie (hrm, moi!). You can subscribe to Birchbox on a monthly basis, and each month you will receive a box full of samples within grooming, beauty and lifestyle from various high-end brands. If you like any of the samples, you can buy the full-size version on-site and earn points with every purchase. For every 100 points, you redeem £10 in your account to spend in their shop.

One of these brilliant concepts where I’m like – why didn’t I think of this?

Birchbox, from £10 per month.

 

[BEAUTY] Haircut & Colour

Feb 6, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 9 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, colour, hair, hairdressers, new in, ombre, style

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1st Step: Added more blonde on the under layers (do you like the ‘pigtails’ in the first pic??).

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2nd Step: Filled in the roots with a darker brown and combed it into the light blonde.

3rd Step: Trimmed the ends.

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4th Step: Voila! All done. The result is a more smooth and clean gradient.

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When it comes to the ‘ombré’ hair trend (dark roots/light ends) which has been much hyped in the past year or so – I’ve kind of been rocking that for the last 6-months (non-intentionally; it was a case of giving my hair some rest from the colour/being too lazy to fill in the roots!). Now, the latest hair trend is all about ‘block’ colours – but who cares! I’ve found that this style suits me much better as I’m naturally darker – and it also saves me having to fill in my roots every other month.

However, I wanted to get it done properly (as it was never originally on purpose) by filling in and adding some more colour to the under layers of my hair. So when I was down in Brighton this weekend – I popped into Forde Hair, where my lovely and talented cousin works (this lady seriously works wonders with my hair!) – and the result is exactly what I was after. Hope you like it!

[BEAUTY] Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie

Jan 28, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 7 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, biolage, conditioner, haricare, inspiration, matrix, shampoo

matrix

My hair is a constant struggle – although I was blessed with strong and thick hair, I foolishly started colouring it when I was 14. I’ve had everything – purple (!), black, red (!), orange (!), various shades of brown and blonde. I have stuck with the caramel/blonde for the past 2-3 years (which is a long time for me) – and it’s what I feel the most comfortable with. Needless to say, my hair is a lot thinner and more fragile now, so it’s important I have good haircare. I was recommended this duo from Matrix, which is ultra hydrating and softening (and paraben free). I will let you know how I get on!

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On the subject of colouring – I’m on it again! With everything in life, I get easily bored and now I really want to enhance the blonde ends, either more brighter blonde, or a softer look. I’ve booked an appointment at the hairdressers this weekend, but I’m indecisive. What do you think? Go blonder, stay the same, or even – go darker?

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WHAT I BOUGHT TODAY
WHAT I BOUGHT TODAY © Anneli Willis 2013. All words and images on this blog are original content (unless otherwise stated). Please do not copy or otherwise reproduce any content without crediting and linking back to this blog. All rights reserved. Website layout and design by Robin Willis Borgen and Anneli Willis.

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