Born Again Masque Kevin Murphy

Once a week I like to give my hair some sort of intense pampering treatment, I use heat on my hair pretty much everyday and although I religiously use heat protect sprays it can take it's toll. Recently I have been using the Kevin Murphy Born Again Masque, an ultra intense, rich masque designed to deeply penetrate the hair shaft providing nutrition, nourishment and fortifying the hair molecules.   

I apply this after using a detoxifying shampoo and massage it into my scalp right down to the ends of my hair, it says to leave for ten minutes so if you are having a real pamper session this is when you can pop the face mask on, lie back and relax. After washing this off, my hair feels a lot more nourished and I can really see a difference after blow drying.

I really recommend using this once a week for a little hair resurrection. Will you be adding Kevin Murphy's Born Again Masque into your pamper routine?

Available in Part One Boutique Hair Salon

The Statement Necklace

I love jewellery, from beautiful pearls and sparkly diamonds to outrageously bright costume jewellery. There is no better accessory than a huge statement necklace. They can turn the dullest of ensembles into something chic. This season I am loving tribal colours like burnt orange and turquoise with a mixture of old gold and silver. So many high street shops are loving this look right now but none quite like Topshop, bold, bright, stunning designs that are so eye-catching they really do make a statement!  

What's your favourite accessory this season?

Healthy Fruit Smoothie

Trying to get as much fruit and vegetables into your diet as possible can be difficult, and eating the same two pieces of fruit a day can get kinda boring. The easiest way i have found is to drink the stuff!! This year I bought myself my beloved juicer, you can put all sorts into this baby including spinach, beetroot, and celery (things I normally dislike) pop in a few oranges and apples and I promise you only ever taste the good stuff!

Another way of introducing more variety is smoothie making, who doesn't love smoothies! All you need is a cheap blender and your good to go. Here is a how to for a delicious, super healthy and easy smoothie:

This makes around four smoothies,
1 large handful of spinach leaves
2 handfuls of blueberries
300grms of strawberries
500ml of almond milk (unsweetened)
2 ripe bananas
8 ice cubes

Chop the bananas and take the tops of the strawberries, in the blender pour the almond milk then add the ice, followed by the berries, bananas and then spinach, pulse a few times and then turn the blender on to full power for about a minute. This results in a thick delicious smoothie that tastes divine... and it is packed full of goodness.

Give this a try!

Aloe Soothing Day and Night Cream

The Body shops Aloe Vera range is gorgeous, and the day and night creams are no exception. I have quite sensitive skin and am prone to a little redness if I use certain products so seeing 'for sensitive skin' on a label makes me very happy. I am a firm believer in moisturising both day and night to keep my skin looking nice and healthy.

I purchased the Aloe Soothing Day and Night creams a while ago now so they are certainly well tested, both are a very rich and creamy texture and when applied to the skin it skins in really well, the day cream is light and is great for applying after cleansing and before make up, keeping the skin hydrated all day. The night cream is a lot more intensive and really helps to restore the skins radiant glow, I apply this at the end of my bed time routine so it has all night to work its magic.

They come in 50ml pots and have lasted me a long while, I also think they are great value for money, the day cream is £10.00 and the night cream is £11.00. There is a whole Aloe Vera range available at The Body Shop so if you have sensitive skin then I really recommend taking a look at the website here.

Bumble and Bumble

I'm not great when it comes to haircare, I'm more of a wash and go girl, and my husband has no idea why I feel the need to spend all our pennies on 'hair stuff'  so Bumble and Bumble isn't a brand that usually makes it's way into my bathroom cupboard. 

After deciding the laziest look to create is a messy one I ordered the Bb Texture (un) dressing creme, that promises a undone yet done look as modeled by the sexy Guess models in the photo below. I went for the 60ml size as I like to try things out before splurging. This product gives lift, volume, texture and adds some grit to the hair. I apply this to damp hair and work it into my roots and mid-lengths before blow drying upside down for even more volume. This is definitely something I would re-purchase full size. 150ml retails at £22.00

Next up is the Bb Thickening hairspray 50ml which came free with this months Elle Magazine, this product promises a lot; it says it thickens and hold fly away locks, it contains wheat proteins that moisturise and condition, and honey extract repair split ends. From my extensive tests on this miniature I can say it does live up to my expectations, my hair looks a lot fuller and thicker after using this, and my ends look in a nicer condition after a few spritzes of this.The full size bottle of this is £21.50 for 250ml and I can see it lasting a good while as I only use a few pumps each time. 

The two volumizing products combined create that sexy bedhead look that holds all day.

Did you pick up this months Elle?

Bb Texture Hair (un)dressing Creme here.

Bb Thickening Hairspray here.

Frances Ha: My Thoughts

Frances Ha  

Frances is an aspiring 27 year old dancer living in new York City, She shares an apartment with best friend since college Sophie (friends describe them as 'a lesbian couple who don't have sex anymore') Suddenly things go wrong for Frances, she splits from her boyfriend because she doesn't want to move in with him. To make matters worse Sophie is moving in with her boyfriend Patch. Frances job as an apprentice dancer is not progressing as she would have hoped, struggling for money and finding the transition from leaving college to becoming a fully fledged adult difficult Frances finds herself at a crossroads. 

Frances Ha is a true return to form for Noah Baumbach. Since his brilliant biting comedy 'The Squid and the Whale' he has made a disappointing 'Margot at the Wedding' and 'Greenberg' which although was a decent picture it was hardly delivering on the promise of the squid and the whale. 

Frances is played by Baumbach's girlfriend Greta Gerwig and she is magnificent. It's a naturalistic performance from Gerwig, some have said they found Frances irritating but she is played with such charm and sincerity she is impossible to resist and there's a wonderful chemistry between her and Sophie played by Mickey Sumner daughter of Sting.

The film is shot in gorgeous black and white and being set in New York and the fact Baumbach is dating it's star it certaintly reminds you of Woody Allen era Manhatten. Also Baumbach is clearly a director inspired by French New Wave of the late fifties, early sixties. 

You will struggle to find a better film this year and you will leave the cinema with a smile on your face. Baumbach's previous films haven't had the heart or tender touch that this film has. The five minute montage of when Frances visits her parents in Sacramento with clips of her sharing ice cream sundaes and hanging Christmas lights is particulary charming and scenes with Frances dancing through the streets to David Bowie's Modern Love are a joy to watch.

A brilliant genuine heartfelt film which reminds you why we fell in love with Baumbach to begin with.