FOLLICLES

Sweet Sixteen Minus Six: Elemis Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt

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The criteria for choosing the ten out of sixteen all-time faves was: do I wish I had it on me, right this second, away from home? Number 5 fits that guideline like a glove — a deliciously fragrant and indulgent and luxurious glove…

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Here is my recipe for the perfect home-spa experience: Elemis Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt.

That’s it. That’s all you need.

I’m delighted to be able to make this recommendation in typed-out words, because confidence in my articulation abilities takes a terrible dip when I try to speak the word ‘frangipani’; ‘monoi’ is not so bad, but following hard on the heels of the preceding fail, it just makes the whole situation worse that it needs to be.

mmm elemis{I say fraangeepannee, as opposed to the more American way, which because of the longer, fancy ‘a’ sounds, would be frahhhhngeepahhhhhnee. Both sound equally awkward to me, in my actual voice.}

Linguistics aside, this stuff is the stuff of dreams. Fill your bathroom sink with hot water. Set the bottle — the lovely smoked glass bottle — in the water so that the solid material within softens into a luscious oil. Run a bath. You could even run the bath and meltify the Melt in the tub! Whatever: at some stage, shake in a few {million} drops. Enter; recline; relax.

Dunk your head under the water, then proceed to shake a few {million} drops of the Fraheheheheh on your head. Massage into your scalp. Sigh with pleasure.

Language, and pronunciation therefore, will cease to be an issue.

Get out of the bath before you, yourself melt. Shake the previously recommended number of drops of oil on your wet skin, massage. Pat yourself dry with a towel. Maybe rinse your hair out if you’re going out that evening — although why you would is utterly beyond my comprehension. You’ve just given yourself an amazingly self-nurturing treat! Stay home! Put your feet up! Get someone to make you your tea!

The only caution I have is that I’ve heard from pals who are as in the know as I, that the Fraheheheheh yokie can tend to discolour white toweling robes. Not that you’re not going to wrap yourself up in one regardless, but know that you may have to give it a spin in the washing machine sometime after your Melt event. Or you may close your eyes to this, because your robe is going to smell gorgeous — almost as gorgeous as you do.

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€32/£29.70/$50.00

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THAW and Nioxin: Scalps are the New Black

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Did you know? Scalps are totally the New Black. I’ve been trying out a whole buncha products that target the roots of the hair, and I must say, The Hair has been, overall, pretty happy about it.

THAWTHAW = Thinning Hair Awareness Week, and Nioxin and the Institute of Trichologists have teamed up to expand our awareness of this issue. Now, okay, you may look at my head and wonder What’s she care? but in this, I am all about prevention — as opposed to my coming very late to the eye cream party, for example. I got my hair from my dad’s side of the family, which is the way it works, I think? While he hasn’t gone  bald, his hair has thinned. Sure it’s a by-product of aging, but if I start now, I could possibly add on another decade of thick, healthy hair.

^^That’s my wishful thinking, anyway. Who knows? In twenty years, Science may have figured out a way to non-invasively recreate the hair we had when we were twenty. Or is that what is more commonly known as a ‘wig’?

Anyway: when I went to get my colour done — no, not done, created — with Andrew at Mane Salon, he was already talking to me about scalps. He recommended that I try Nioxin’s Scalp Renew Dermabrasion Treatment, an in-salon facial for yer head. I was happily given that opportunity last month, and let me tell you, it puts the ‘treat’ into ‘treatment’.

I got did at Wella Professional in D8. Clarie Doyle, the Field Technical Trainer for the studio, took care of me before, during, and after the treatment. CLAIRE IMAGEWith thirteen years of experience in haircare and styling, including long-term gigs with Dylan Bradshaw and Foundations, I couldn’t have been in better hands.

Claire hopes that THAW, as an event, will ‘give people who suffer with thinning hair, or scalp concerns, the confidence to take the steps they need to get help for fragile hair and problem scalps. Many solutions currently on the market are either drug-based, or look to camouflage the issue. Nioxin aims to take a skin-care inspired approach to create thicker, fuller looking hair.’

I had been given a sample of the 3 Part System. ‘The Cleanser removes follicle- clogging sebum and residues from the scalp and hair,’ Claire explains. ‘The Scalp Revitaliser is a lightweight conditioner that provides resilience and controls moisture balance, and the Scalp treatment, which contains antioxidants to provide a refreshed scalp environment,’

The last is a spray, and I was certain that it was going to weigh down my hair — after all, that’s where my hair gets greasiest, right? I duly tried it out, and found it to be only okay. Then I got my scalp dermabrased my Claire, and everything changed.

The treatment is applied by your salon professional: it feels cool on your head, but if you hold your hand close to it, it feels warm. Weird! Claire massaged it in, and left it for about ten, fifteen minutes. I got rinsed and shampooed, and blow dried, and honestly, my hair has never looked healthier — and my scalp has probably not been in such a pristine state since the day I was born.

In the following days, I went back to the 3 Part System, and the difference was noticeable in the extreme, soft-focus iPhonage notwithstanding.

NIOXIN IN ACTION

That’s with nothing but the scalp spray — no styling oil or gel or mousse or anything. As well as sprucing up my cranial skin, the treatment also gave my hair colour a new lease of life.

I am very conscious of my scalp, now, which is the point, and I’m hoping to feel the good effects of this for as long as I can. It’s been about a month now, at least, and I would dearly love to get another blast of dermabrasion sooner rather than later.

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Nioxin 3 Part System kits have an RRP of €33.99.

See nioxin.co.uk for stockists.

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There’s an excellent online diagnostic here — figure out which one of the six systems suits you.

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B&B! Q&A: Marie Reynolds

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IMG_0648‘Candles are a a symbol of peace and light in a dark situation. They are lit for remembrance and hope, and many believe lighting candles are an extension of prayer. They also act as a source of focus to clear the mind in meditation.’
— Marie Reynolds

And, in fairness, they are vital components of sexytimes. Reynolds is a celebrated facialist, noted for the breadth of her experience in the world of skincare. Her line of luxury massage  candles, MRL Aromawax, have so much going for them, that it behove us to go straight to the source to answer — ha, ha — some burning questions…

How long was the idea for the massage candles in the works?
I have used Soya wax for many years in treatment, but felt they lacked a certain joie de vive. I also wanted the benefits of soya and shea butter as a treatment to be brought to the masses.

What was the process from concept to execution?
I had been to a talk at the House of Lords on the importance of British brands, and wanted to focus on a brand that was ‘home grown’ and organic that could be used on the skin. I was originally going to start off with skin care, but the time scale to create, test and release such products was too long. So I used my knowledge with aromatherapy and skincare in the form of MRL Aromawax Candles.

Being a therapist I know how well soya can be used with other ingredients, like sea salt to be adapted in treatments for body scrubs, or mixed with therapeutic mud for body wraps. Soya has a complete amino acid complex so the candle bases are extremely hydrating and nourishing, as well as healing and softening. Added into the mix are specific blends for refreshing, stimulating or relaxing the senses.

What’s great about using the soya is that it turns the candle into massage oil! I love the idea that the candle is romantic on two levels! How does one best get the warmed wax out of the jar?
The wax itself can be used solid: just rub your finger around the top of the candle and apply as a solid perfume. I actually have a candle at my desk and scoop it out to massage in my hands. The most effective way is to remove the wax when the wick it lit with a wooden spatula.

Common sense says, blow out the candle first… but won’t that wreck the mood?
If you pour the wax it will cause smoking, which is not nice. We don’t want anyone choking in an intimate setting! Scoop the wax with a spatula!

Lush Locks

What gave you the idea for the Lush Locks Hair Treatment Candle, and what is the best way to use these?
Many therapists use warm oil for Indian Head massage, so Lush Locks was born! The wax, when melted, can be used as a massage medium, or used as a conditioning treatment overnight: simply massage into the hair from root to end and in the morning wash as normal. The oil can be used sparingly as a balm for dry ends. The aroma is Wild Neroli and Champa Flowers, so they smell divine!

I personally cannot imagine life without candles, and am always tempted to pack up a bunch of ’em when I go visiting… can you talk a bit about the Travel Aromawax collection? Did you find yourself abroad, experiencing a candle emergency???
Well, I am afraid I cannot take credit for the Travel Candles! They were initially developed as samples; my dear friend and PR, Shirley Dumhall, said they would be ideal for a travel candle, and they seem to be a great hit! Actually, many people like to try them as a set which is  a great idea, that way you get a taster of all the candles.

How does candlelight help our feelings of wellbeing?
It goes without saying that any setting — be it a spa, salon, hotel room, bedroom, bathroom – once lit with a candle or even better, ‘candles’, evokes a sense of relaxation this has an immediate impact on our stress levels, mentally, emotionally and physically. The fact that the Aromawax Candles tap into the sense of smell and touch are an added benefit.

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Marie Reynolds Aromawax Massage candles are priced as follows: 135g boxed candle is €40 (25 hours burning time); 50g Votive (10 hour burning time) is €11.50.

UPDATE! See here for a review of Lush Locks!

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See mrlcandles.com for more information.

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There is Nothing like a Scrub: My Four Faves

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Well… hmmm. Nope: nothing like a scrub from head to toe, upon return to to my Haven of Beauty after two weeks away.

I have been giving myself a good going over since I’ve been back, from my literal head to my literal toes.

Here is what we’ve got on the go at the mo:

THE LINEUP 2013That’s enough to keep me in posts for another week and half!

I have cut four products out of the herd, and have been happily exfoliating every day since Thursday. This may not be advisable! But I don’t care, I am intent upon sloughing off The Lag, straight down the drain.

FOUR FAVE SCRUBS

From left-ish:

>Lycon Pomegranate Sugar Scrub, from I don’t know where. It is spa-quality, and for a sugar scrub — which normally rolls right off your body, no matter how you try to prevent it — this is tops. The jelly-like base holds the scrub in perfect suspension, and it smooths over the skin with nary a grain lost.

>Oh, Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1, how happy I was to see you! Next time, I swear, I am bringing you along. There is nothing that you cannot do. To celebrate my return, I went hard-core and employed your masque-y qualities, and indulged in a thorough scrub once under the spray of the shower.

> This was a hard sell, initially, but now I am completely on the Redken Nature’s Rescue Refining Sea Polish. I use it before I shampoo, which may or may not be as directed — it still works a treat, and my hair is all the shinier for it.

>The classic for a reason: Dermalogica Microfoliant gently exfoliates, foams up into a cleanser-like consistency, and lasts forever and ever, amen.

Did reading this make you feel itchy? I feel all itchy now.

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Prices vary depending upon what your googling reaps. If anyone knows where that Lycon stuff came from, do let me know.

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Top Twelve of 2012: Lucky Number Thirteen

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I was just this second reviewing my list, and I gasped aloud: there is nothing on it to do with The Hair.

Scandalous!

HYDRATING STYLINGAnd then I remembered that I was in fact going to laud the seemingly implausible qualities of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream. So let’s just call this Lucky Number Thirteen, and then we’ll get on to the business of the rest of the list.

‘Seemingly implausible’ because, as the owner/operator of fine hair, the notion of putting anything as heavy as a styling cream on post-blow dried locks is like, why not just stick your head in a vat of goo?

As I reported here, I took the risk, and I have to say, the risk has paid off in spades since April. No matter that I use styling oil, and have gotten one of those Keratin hair dryers*, I still get flyaway strands that want to do what they do best, and flyaway. This tames them, and also imparts that signature Moroccanoil fragrance, which is powdery and clean, and one other thing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Possibly the thing itself from which Moroccanoil is made, like a nut or something?

Hang on.

Okay. I have plenty of stuff that has argan oil in it, and they don’t all smell like this. The Internet was sharing all kinds of links with itself when I Googled, but most of the links had to do with other products {reading is fundamental, mentallers} including the nut one, so clearly I was confused, too. We all get confused sometimes. Glass Petal Smoke — a site I will certainly be bookmarking — breaks it down to white amber and musk. I am huge fan of both, so there ya go.

So, two more things I couldn’t put my finger on. Also! Totally forgot to try it on damp hair, pre-blow, as I had vowed to do in the previous post. That will be top of my New Year’s Resolution List, right below ‘world peace.’

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*OMG Keratin blow dryer thing. Have you heard? I’ll be back with that anon.

Mane Salon: How to Achieve Hairvana

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Back in… hang on. Yeah, okay, it is totally understandable that I couldn’t place this particular event. It really could have been any time this year, because the weather has all been the same, and I guess many rooms of my Mind Palace classify information with attendant meteorological elements. Which, after all this time living here, you’d think was pointless in the extreme.

I was trying to visualise the Wella event that yielded me those RayBans, and I thought, Hmmm, this memory feels a bit chilly, but not exactly like winter. Crazy ol’ me, I tend to think of that as ‘March’.

Back in July, Wella took a rake of us beauty gals out to a fancy meal, to celebrate the launch of Illumina Color, which, if you are too busy to click through, is ‘a new range of natural looking hair colours that increases the level of light reflection and shine when the hair is dyed. We saw several representative treatments — blonde, red, brunette — and they were very, very Wow.’

In a bid for some of that Wow, I went to Mane Salon in The Grooming Rooms in South William Street, and took it for a spin.
Continue reading →

When All Else Fails: The Hair

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Highly recommended for my Irish readers: Leo Bancroft Ultimately Intense Deep Moisture Mask {€4.79}, available at Tesco.

I put some on my dry hair, and then used the accompanying Blissfully Bouncy Shampoo {€3: amazing}, and then used more mask because The Hair was still all atangle.

Would write more but off to go get more laserrrrrr — !

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Seriously, though, amazing value, and The Hair looks and feels really voluised and lush.

How’d It Do? RICH Hair Care

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I thought I wasn’t hungover, but I totally am. The fab new Shelbourne Spa is officially launched, and they did in style, as you can imagine.

The champagne was still being poured well after most of the crowd grabbed up their goodie bags and bolted. I can’t imagine why anybody ever left at all — I can’t believe I’m still not there, necking the Moët {which I had been tweeting as Möet all night; the shame!} There were also these amazing meat-on-sticks-things wrapped in cheese — wrapped in cheese — and medium-miniature lemon meringue pies.

Okay, so, it took me five tries to spell ‘meringue’. I really need to go have a lie down.

I used almost all the RICH products on my hair yesterday.

Yeesh, my hair is long!

I found that the Pure Luxury Intensive Shampoo was hard work to lather up — and I say this even knowing that big lather is meaningless. I loved the Pure Luxury Hair Repair Treatment, the scent off it was gorgeous. The Pure Luxury Silk Oil Serum should probably last me from now til Doomsday as a half of a pump was more than enough.

I wasn’t paying much attention when I went to spray on the Pure Luxury Maximum Brilliance Protect & Shine: it goes on very heavily if you are treating it like a hairspray. It’s more like a thing that you spray all into the air and then walk into it, so it settles gently on your ‘do?

The Pure Luxury Sure Hold Hairspray was grand, I don’t have great expectations when it comes to hair spray. This smelled good, which always helps.

I felt like my hair was smooth enough, and I was sorry I had scared myself as regards the gloss spray — I think in future, when I use it correctly, it will really pump up the shine.

I knew I wasn’t going to be bothered washing The Hair this morning, so I twisted it into a top knot to sleep, and reckoned I’d iron it out and lash on some of that mysterious Pure Luxury Intensive Treatment Cream, but when I took out the elastic, look what happened!

Big sexy bed head! I put some of the treatment cream on the ends to dial down the frizz. It didn’t really last the whole day — it might look better when I get me roots seen ta — but seriously crazy waves I couldn’t get if I tried.

In general, I am feeling positive about the RICH line! Now, time to fire up the electric underblanket and forget I even heard of French champagne.

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RICH haircare is available in all good chemists.

The Shelbourne Spa is really fab, follow them @shelbournespa

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You Don’t Have to be Rich to be RICH

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I bet you think you do, when you see a fancy box like this.

I really — really — want to see what’s inside.

{Well, hey, I was in the kitchen.}

Ah: happy family of hair products!

Prices range from €6.99 for the Pure Luxury Intensive Shampoo to €8.99 for the Pure Luxury Silk Oil Treatment, and €9.99 for the rest. That’s really good! And they are available in chemists!

The text promises me ‘unparalleled moisture, strength, and shine’, which is exciting. I admit I am not entirely sure what to do with the Pure Luxury Intensive Treatment Cream: it says to leave in the hair and style as usual… After drying? Maybe? Eh, I just fecked some on the ends of my dry, pre-washed hair, just for the craic. It smells gorgeous, and, well, rich.

We’ll see how we get on!

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