Best Benefit - Christmas Present

Hello Chicas!!!

I hope you all had a splendid Chirstmas!  I had a lovely time back in my home time with my family - and even though it was me who ended up cooking lots of the Christmas dinner, everybody seemed to enjoy it!

Below is what my darling sister got me - the best of benefit as she knows I'm a sucker for all things Bene!

It's pint sized versions of their number one products and though I've tried them all before I'm super excited to have this as their small enough to go in my handbag to carry everywhere with me!

It features:

1) Benefit POREfessional - I love this mattifying primer
2) They're real Mascara - fantastic separating mascara that comes out in the blackest of blacks
3) Hoola Bronzer - SO happy to have this as it's my number one personally as it has zero shimmer and comes out beautifully natural but gives a real sun kissed glow
3) Cheek stain - honestly - I hate this...nothing personal but I really hate all cheek stains as their come out unevenly and un naturally
4) Bo-ing concealer - perfect for under eyes and contouring, I didn't have this so mega pleased to see this one!
5)High Beam highlighter - LOVE this gives such a beautiful glow on the cheeks

On the whole , i love 5 of the 6 which isn't bad at all! So thankful to have received it as it is just full of goodies!

Did you ugys get anything nice this Christmas?? Let me know!!
xxxFiocco Bianco xxx

The Vintage Cosmetic Company - False Eyelashes

 Hey Dolls!

I've had the pleasure of trying out a fairly new UK brand of false eyelashes by the Vintage Cosmetic Company.  They have beautifully packaged products in bright pastel colours and a fun sense of identity naming all their different styles of eyelashes with a different girls name, Betty, Connie, Gracie, Kitty and Nancy.

But, it's not just a pretty package, the lashes themselves are absolutely fabulous.

Me, wearing the Gracie pair of The Vintage Cosmetic Company lashes

The reason why I prefer The Vintage Cosmetic Company lashes (link) to other false lashes (*cough* eyelure) are for a couple of reasons.

1) I am in love with the various styles.  The choice of lashes is more natural and more flattering.  The various styles aim to accentuate your lashes rather than give you a ridiculous transvestite set of falsies.  As you can see in the picture of me above wearing 'Gracie' the look is delicate yet feminine.

2.)These are re-useable and after taking them off they look just as good as new whereas other brands become spidery and don't look half as good for the second application.

3.) The glue holds much better meaning that you have great looking lashes all night without them creeping off at the end of the night.

As you can see they also do tweezers and a few makeup brushes which I can't wait to try out as I was so impressed my the falsies.

All lashes are available from www.thevitagecosmeticcompany.co.uk or Boots and retail for £6.00.

*gifted lashes

Gift ideas for HER featuring Victoria's Secret

Any of you guys out there struggling to get that special girl in your life something special??  Or maybe you just have a close relationship with your girl friends and want to get them something they'll love this Christmas? Or maybe you just want to treat yourself to some Victoria's Secret's treasures

Here are a couple of simple gift ideas for her which are absolutely fool proof and come from Victoria's Secret.

Victoria's Secret, known for their beautiful Angels has quality behind all the marketing.  The briefs are well made and fit beautifully making them well worth the extra few pounds.

Victoria's Secret Gift Ideas for Her

Victoria's Secret Wonder Wish Sheer Love

VIctoria's Secret Dark Blue Lace Briefs

I fell in love with these Victoria Secret dark lace full briefs - sexy but subtle and so comfortable!  It is so worth having that special pair of underwear that fits so well but makes you look like the goddess you are!

Next up, is the Wonder Wish gift set complete with fragrance, body moisturizer and shower gel.  The fragrance is to die for, and it's even started to replace my normal perfumes.  The same goes for the body moisturizer and shower gel.  It says it's white cotton flavor, but to me it's more like melon, really sweet and moreish!

All of these items are available on line at www.victoriassecret.com or from any of their branches!

And if you're not getting it for somebody else, it's a great treat to yourself!!!

Kisses Fiocco Bianco xxx

I met X factor star Hannah Barrett!

I'm not sure if this is really worth chronicling as a post on mt beauty blog, but I met the fantastic Hannah Barrett from X factor at a celebrity meet and greet! She is absolutely hilarious in real life and so so nice! 

As it was a work event I had to dress smart so I've just got on a half sleeve and knee length black Max Mara dress with silk round collar and elasticated waist band. But I much preferred Hannah's cool baseball jacket!

I work for a beauty brand so I had to have pretty flawless makeup which stayed in place which I did with Benefit porefessional.  I also straightened my hair and kept it sleek with Elnett hair spray.  

It was a great event and I can't wait to go to another one!!

Lots of Love

Fiocco Bianco

xx

What to buy HIM for Christmas from Bonobos

I have a fair few men to buy for at Christmas and this is totally out of my territory.  I have no problem at all buying for women - I just go to any beauty department and fill my basket with treasures for hair and beauty.  This trick doesn't work so well for guys, unfortunately.  Not that these places don't have grooming products for men, but the ones I know get by on just shower gel and a toothbrush.

But, I have discovered a beautiful website called Bonobos (link) which is dedicated to helping  women like me and you find the perfect gifts for the men in our lives.

I love things that you don't find on the high street.  Fashion should be individual and all of their items are beautifully made an unique.  I can't wait to get my hands on the Camden Tweed Jacket (link) which is perfect for keeping that guy in your life looking on trend in a style that both you and he appreciate!

Camden Tweed Jacket (link)

I think this would go beautifully with a cable knit sweater.  And if you're going for a cable knit it has to be comfortable.  This is why the perfect Christmas gift would be Bonobos' Italian Cashmere Monticello sweater  ( link).  I love the warm Camel shade which would match beautifully with the tweed jacket above.

The Monticello Cable knit jumper from Bonobos

There's so much to choose from  but I love this site's quality and originality  Make sure you pay them a visit if you're having troubles finding the perfect gift for that special someone as it really has blown me away with its choices this Christmas!

Find them here: www.bonobos.com

Fiocco Bianco xx

ASOS midi Bodycon dress for the Christmas Party OOTD

Why Hello my Lovely Ladies!

It's that Christmas Party time of year and me and my friends decided to hold our own Christmas Party and booked a delicious meal at Central and Co in Soho.

Somehow, all my friends managed to co-ordinate in Monochrome outfits but I went for a more festive, Burgundy midi bodycon dress by Club L available from ASOS (available here).

It's half price and so is now an absolute bargain at just £10.00 and I would recommend you all to get your hands on one as I think its covers you up but makes the most of your figure.  And all this without breaking the bank!

ASOS midi bodycon dress by Club L - available here

I think its absolutely perfect for the Christmas part season as it's a fun step away from the LBD.  Because if you can't wear Burgundy at Christmas when can you!?  It's super comfortable and I love that it has half sleeves and goes down to the knees.  I matched it with black suede ankle boots and a leather jacket.

Will you be getting your hands on this little gem for Christmas? I'm now tempted to get it in other colours....this midi bodycon dress really has impressed!

Lots of love!!

Fiocco Bianco xxxx

YSL Makeup of the Day

Merry Christmas my Beauties!

Here is my makeup of the day!  They're a mix of my favorite items all from YSL and all would make great stocking fillers this Christmas for the girls.  I like to keep to a theme and these all look beautiful with their golden packaging to make for great presents.

Lips - YSL Golden Gloss 15 (link) which contains real pieces of gold and I've chosen a deep raspberry shade (can there be anything more festive!?)

Base - YSL Youth Liberator Serum (link) just a drop of this lets your foundation sit perfectly whilst providing great anit ageing effects

Highlighter YSL touche eclat 2.5 (link) under the eyes and on the arch of the eyebrows and a touch on the top of the cheeks to highlight

Foundation YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation B50 (link) a light foundation that provides great coverage without being greasy.  A definite must for every single girl ever.  Comes in a tonne of shades.

Mascara YSL Baby Doll (link) a deep black mascara that creates long elegant lashes.

Eyebrow pencil YSL glazed brown eyebrow pencil (link).  Defines the eyebrows to frame the face.  Creates beautifully defined brows.

Makeup of the Day by YSL - featuring golden gloss 15 (link)

And there we have it - the YSL makeup look of the day featuring Golden Gloss 15.  Be sure to treat a lucky lady in your life to one of these....even if it is yourself!!

Lots of Love

Fiocco Bianco xxxxxxx

WIN £1000 of Damaris Lingerie this Christmas!

Do you want to win £1,000 worth of Damaris lingerie? 

This luxurious lingerie brand is gifting over £1000 of Damaris Lingerie to its lucky winners this Christmas!  You will can win this amazing prize by just entering their social media competition just by commenting on THIS post from the 1st of December to the 20th of December.  

Damaris will choose at random one entry as the winner of £1,000 worth of Damaris lingerie of the 20th of December from all of their social media entries. It gets even better - Damaris will also choose a further 5 lucky runner-ups to receive £100 worth ofDamaris lingerie! So there are lots of chances to win! The Winners will be notified on the 20th of December. It is up to the winners to reply with their wish list straight away, so that the items can get delivered just in time for Christmas.

Damaris Knicker Bocker Glory - comment below for a chance to win £1000 of their lingerie

Damaris Raspberry Ripple - comment on the post for a chance to win £1000 of their lingerie

Some more details about this fabulous competition and how to win 

***You Must COMMENT on this blog post and let me know which social media channels you've used to publicise the Damaris Christmas competition e.g. Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and link to your account.  There is one entry per form channel per person and spammers / robots will be discounted. ***

Get your friends to enter too, as the more people who enter and leave a comment with their relevant links on my blog , the more chances you have of winning the £1000 worth of lingerie.   As a blogger, I am in the chance to win £500 worth of lingerie too! The blogger with the most reader entrants wins this prize so enter via as many channels as you can with a link to your account so it can be verified!

(Please note, best efforts will get you your prize in time for Xmas - but post is unreliable! Full details of terms and conditions can be found on www.damaris.co.uk)

Need some Help? - 

• Facebook - Follow Damaris (Mimi-Holliday) and share something you like on your timeline from the Damaris page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Holliday/111856215570884 

• Twitter - Follow https://twitter.com/TheMimiHolliday and tweet '@TheMimiHolliday I have entered the competition #MimiKissmas @fioccobianco'

• Instagram - Follow Damaris (mimiholliday) and Regram something you like from the Damaris Instagram http://instagram.com/mimiholliday  

  

So my beautiful girlies, get commenting!!! I look forward to reading all of your comments after you have entered this amazing competition! Please share this fantastic competition with all your friends and family and get entering. Remeber to leave a comment on this blog to validate your entry and to say which form of social media you used to enter!! 

Remember, the more social media channels you use, the more likely that £1000 will be yours!!!So tweet and post away! 

Good Luck my gorgeous people, and get commenting to WIN £1000 of luxury lingerie

x

PS.  Damaris will also be offering from the 1st of December free delivery worldwide* and a promotion of getting £100 free when you spend £300 or more in one transaction! (See the Damaris website for full details and terms and conditions www.damaris.co.uk. 

BIG HAIR - Batiste XXL Dry Shampoo vs Plumping powder

Hey my lovely ladies, 

I love big hair, and getting into the Christmas Season, the bigger the better!  To achieve the big volumous hair look, I used to back-comb a bit with some hair spray, but that can leave you a bit sitcky and crispy in the morning.  This is why I've started to achieve big hair with dry shampoo, which leaves your hair refreshed and looking good in the morning.

Batiste have launched their XXL range including plumping powder and dry shampoo.   I decided to try them out to see which was better for super huge hair!

Batiste XXL Plumping powder vs dry shampoo

Winner - Batiste XXL Dry Shampoo (link) - I love this as it is an easy spray that cleans your greasy hair whilst adding some va va voom.  It is a very light formula that blends into your hair easily with no white patches.  Also, in the morning you can't feel that it was there, but does give you the volume you need when you add it which lasts all night.

Loser - Batiste XXL Plumping powder (link)  - technically, this gave a lot more volume.  So if your looking for the biggest hair then I would reccomend this.  However, as formulas go, I prefer the Dry Shampoo spray as it is lighter than the powder.  This powder provides more oomph but you can feel it in your hair the next day which is why it didn't win the battle for me!

But, if you're looking for big hair this Christmas, be sure to try one of these Batiste  XXL out, as its a great way to add volume with none of the stickiness of hair spray!!

The RRP is £3.99 and is available from Boots and Superdrug.

*PR Sample

Top Tips for Clear Skin this Christmas

Good Morning Ladies!

I hope you're all enjoying black Friday?  Ahead of us we have the first real Christmas weekend ahead of us! I can't wait to go to Southbank Christmas Market and try out the Stollen and Mulled wines!

However, all that sugar and alcohol can reaaaaally take its toll on your skin over the Christmas period.  The number of times I've got to Christmas day red and spotty is ridiculous.  Over the last couple of years I've learnt a few tricks of how to look after it despite the Christmas party period giving it a beating!

My top tips are:

1.) Take off your makeup NO MATTER WHAT in the evenings.  No excuses.  Doesn't matter how tired you are or if its 5am make sure you at least grab a makeup wipe.

2.) Exfoliate with a light exfoliating cream wash in the mornings (I'm currently loving Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant).  This will really get rid of any grease and dirt that you didn't manage to get rid of the night before.  Follow with a light moisturizer.

3.) Try and drink a smoothie every day if possible! Those antioxidents will attack those pesky free radicals which wreak havoc on your skin!  Make sure it is 100% fruit and not full of artificial flavorings and additives.

4.) Hide any signs of the night before with a primer under your foundation.  It means that by the end of the day no tell tale red blotchy skin will be shining through!

Enjoy perfect skin this Christmas!!!

Lots of love

Fiocco Bianco xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

OOTD H&M Chiffon Blouse for the Christmas season!

Hello my gorgeous ladies!

Have you guys ever found an item of clothing and ended buying it in all the available shades? I tend to do this mostly with jeans, but I've discovered a stunning chiffon shirt by H&M (link) and ended up buying it in most of the colours I could find!  It's a bargain at 14.99 and perfect for work, play and CHRISTMAS depending on how you wear it.

I love this Charcoal grey colour for this H&M chiffon shirt as it off sets the pearl buttons beautifully and is my favorite of the collection.  What are you favorite colours for this Christmas?

H&M Chiffon Shirt (link)

I love matching it with jeans, but it looks great with a form long black skirt for work like you can see in the pictures below.  If you can get near an H&M try it on cause it really does look fab on.  I bought it in different sizes too, with a white one in two dress sizes bigger for that over sizeed sexy white shirt look!

So here's my OOTD, a little formal as it was for an event but I like the look :)

I think this is a great piece for the christmas period because it is relaxed and elegant and makes a nice change to wearing a dress.  What do you think of it??

What will be your favorite piece this Xmas??? xxxx fiocco bianco

Dazzle this Christmas with Dower & Hall's Rose Gold Jewellery

This Christmas' must have jewellery has to be rose gold.  It's the perfect match with that LBD as it will glam it up for Christmas and keep it bang on trend.  I've already purchased my LBD, it's a lace loose fitting dress by Biba and with its 3/4 sleeves there's the perfect excuse for a chunky rose gold accessories.

As you guys know my favourite British jewelery brand is Dower & Hall.  I've been obsessing over their rose gold accessories so I thought I would share it with you guys as they make the perfect gifts this Christmas and woulds make any LBD Dazzle this Christmas.

Rose Gold Double Cuff, Twinkle ring with rose quartz and heart shaped studs by D&H

Because of the high neckline of the dress and 3.4 sleeves, the perfect statement piece would be an oversized Dower and Hall double Cuff (link).  This piece is definitely on my Christmas Wish List as it is so simple yet so glam at the same time.

To compliment the  double cuff, accessorize it with a matching rose gold ring.  I love the Dower and Hall Twinkle rinf (link) because of the detailing on the metal and the choice of coloured stones so you can accessorize your Christmas outfit perfectly.  As I'm crazy for nude colours this season rose quartz wowed me straight away, but there's a range of precious stones for you to pick and choose. For just £75.00 its an accessory that you can match with anything.

Last of all, these cute little rose gold heart shaped studs (link).  They finish off accessorizing the LBD perfectly and add that perfect finishing touch.  At £38.00 they would also make a great Christmas gift for any girl wanting a bit of festive dazzle!

So that's how I would add some dazzle to my LBD this Christmas! Hope you guys enjoyed and enjoy the Christmas season! x x x

Dermalogica Review from Beauty900

 

 

Hi Ladies!

 

You guys know that I'm a sucker for skin care products as I really think having clear skin can transform you, bringing out your natrual beauty.  And even if you wear makeup, it looks so much sleeker and sophisticated on smooth clear skin. Additionally, now my 25th birthday is creeping up, products with an anti ageing slant are a must!!

 

I was lucky enough to try some Dermalogica minatures from Beauty900 including the AGEsmart range and their esteemed daily microfoliant to review.   As I previously had never used Dermalogica but had always heard so so much about them so I couldn't wait to try them out. 

 

 Out of the products below, I have to say, I was completely blown away by one of them.  The Daily Microfoliant.

This is a white powder that turns into a microfoliant cream upon contact with water.  I love this idea as it is a great space saver and you can make the product as thick or thin as you like.

 

1. The granules were the perfect size, not too small that it doesn't feel like its working, and not so large that feels sore rubbing it in.  After rubbing the product on in circular motions, I then just simply rinsed it off.  My skin felt instantly smoother and my pores felt minimilised.  I completely 100% reccommend this Dermalogica Microfoliant and would definitely purchase one in the future.
2. Now with my cleansed and exfoliated face I put on Dermalogica's Power Firm.   This had immediate effects where my skin felt much smoother and firmer.  There was a slight tingling sensation so I really could feel the product working.  This is great for women in their 20s/30s who need a small amount of tightening and firming to get that youthfulness back.
3. To finish off my skin care regime I put on the moisturiser Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF30.  This had a great non oily feel to it and really smoothed my skin and made it feel silky smooth.  I liked its thick texture and only a small amount went a long way.
4. The agesmart skin perfect primer was a great way to then prep my skin for makeup as it had a lovely natural skin coloured tone.

After this regime my skin looked much more flawless, smoother and mattified.  My honest review is that all of these products did what they said they would do and left fantastic results. But, if you had to choose just one, I would advise the dauly microfolient!

All products available from www.beauty900.co.uk

*Sponsored Post

Designer Ray Bans (and others) for a fraction of the price from eywearbrands!

Glasses are an accessory, but unfortunately for the likes of short sighted folks like me, they're also a necessity.  But glasses can work wonders on your outfit, and can transform your look adding anything from sophistication to edginess! It all depends on what kind of look your going for.

And glasses don't come cheap.  Even going down to specsavers for their offer of 2for1 for £69 is still pretty costly considering the disgusting choice on offer.  This is why I thought I'd share with my speccy followers  a little miracle site which offers designer glasses for a fraction of the price.  I managed to bag a stunning pair of Ray Bans that are to die for!

Drum role pleaaaase ....... www.eyewearbrands.com

Ray Bans from www.eyewearbrands.com

I found on this marvelous website a ton of designer brands for under £50. I myself purchased authentic Ray Bans, complete with case, prescription lenses, anti glare, anti scratch FREE p&p and all for £45.  Shockingly good right?

Mine are sold out, but I love these Ray Ban Wayfarers for £79 and I have a feeling I may have to treat myself to them too...a girls gotta see right!?

I hope you guys find yourself a perfect pair off this site which will help you to transform your look and boost your confidence.

Anyways, spread the love

Fiocco Bianco

P.S not a sponsored post, I am just crazy for a great deal xxx

Chanel Nude Nail Polishes

I'm a sucker for nude nail polishes.  I love that their elegance and yet if they chip you can barely notice - in fact, anything that makes you look fab and is low maintenance is always a winner in my books!  A natural, nude manicure always looks stylish and bang on trend no matter what your're wearing or what the season.  It is so worth investing in a Chanel nude nail polish, as I really believe it can be worn for any occasion!

For nude nail polishes, there  is a reason I love Chanel and it's not just down to their flawless packaging. I feel like they get their tones that perfect shade which make your nails look immaculate, healthy and beautiful.  Other brands have shades which are either a bit too mat making you look ill, or too transparent and lack giving you that peachy sheen.

Currently, I'm loving Chanel's Fiamme Rose 87, an almost mink nude shade. This is a beautiful colour whether worn as two coats or by itself.  It's a creamy, minky tone which adds a really elegant tone to your nails.

My other top Chanel nude is Tenderesse 507 which is slightly more pink than  the Fiamme Rose.  It provides a more glossy colour and is perhaps more natural looking.  Both these shades having amazing staying power and easy application.  A lot of high end nail polishes have the selling points of easy application and staying power, but where they lose out to Chanel, is on their poor colour choice for nude manicures.

Fashion Alert! Christmas Wish List

Hello my beauties!!

Christmas is creeping up on us and its getting colder too, so here's my fashion Christmas Wish List, which is just full of gorgeous winter warmers!

I've been dying to get my hands on this outfit for a while, and I've finally put together perfect combination.  It's completely on trend as making sure to keep you warm this Winter!  The following look great together as an outfit, or are perfect as well as stand alone pieces and it's all drawn together by one fantastic bag!  I love how you can mix and match these items with anything in your wardrobe and it will always look fantastic!

It was inspired by John Lewis' "The Fashion Edit" as their French Connection Weave Clutch looks Divine to match with any Winter look!

French Connection Weave Clutch

This bag would look so good with so many outfits, but the following is what I would really love to wear it with this Christmas! So let me introduce you to my Winter Warmers Guide!

First up is this gorgeous Mango Combi Leather Jacket (RRP £114.99).  This jacket is bang on trend and I just love the detailing on the sleeves.  And because it's 100% leather it will keep you snug as a bug.

I think it would look great matched with this cute checked shirt, also by Mango (RRP £34.99) but to be honest, I think the leather jacket would go with just about anything! To complete the outfit, I've gone for these Superfit Skinny Jeans (£38.00) as they're super slimming and will look fab with this outfit!

Last of all, but probably the most important thing on the wish list are the boots.  It is so important to have a great pair of boots of Winter to keep the rain and snow out, keep you warm and comfortable AND to make your outfit perfect.  You can't go wrong with these Leather Ankle Boots by Bertie (£115.00).  I'm dying to get them and they are right up there on my Christmas Wish List!!!

And that's it!  I hope you guys like my Christmas List! What's on yours?????

xxxxx

All items available from www.johnlewis.com
*Sponsored post

The Benefits of Samples Sales - Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation

This is a post that I've been umming and ahhing about for a while.  It's about sample sales.  Because, lets face it, it is a bit embarrassing to post about cheap products that you've managed to get  your hands on!

But here we go!  I was at one of my favorite little boutique makeup shops in Italy (if you get the chance to go there its called Via Mancini 55) where the lovely owner does some great sample sales so you can 'try before you buy'.  I snapped up this Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation for a bargain.  These sorts of sample sales are great because it is a great way of trying out an expensive product to see if you like it.

Review

Unfortunately though, this Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation wasn't for me.  The coverage was too heavy, the colour was far too orange and it was extremely drying to the skin.  Surprisingly, this Chanel foundation goes thick and clumpy in the bottle very quickly and as for the finished result: I looked far to caked in makeup and it wasn't natural.  

But do you know what, I'm still happy I bought it as it meant I didn't fork out on the real thing!

Have you guys ever had a great or terrible makeup find in one of these sorts of sample sales? Let me know!

Fyi....My firm favorite in the foundation world remains YVES SAINT LAURENT teint touch eclat!

One of the problems of being a makeup junkie

Hello my Lovlies!

I have a small confession - I am a huge makeup junkie - and theres nothing that makes me as mad as expensive makeup that has nasty packaging. The number of times I've bought products or brands purely because of their products.  Chanel is my personal favorite as it looks just as sleek and new after 6 months just by giving the packaging a once over with a makeup wipe.  On the other hand, you have NARS - I love their products, but man I can't stand the rubber packaging which gets so dirty.

So here's where the extent of my snobbery can be seen - with YSL. I love their sleek look perspex plastic and gold lids with their trademark label.  Unfortunately though, after a few months of rough and tumble in my makeup bag they can end up looking like the one on the right!  And I can't bare it.  It's kills my soul.  And it means I purchase new ones!

The nasty chipped gold lid looks so cheap even though it was 75% full! I felt like I was forced to buy a new one just so it had that beautiful new feel again.  There's no point having a beautiful YSL lipgloss if it ends up looking like like the one one on the right... I mean come on!

Are you girls with me on this one, or am I completely unreasonable!?!?!  I mean it's still 3/4 full but I can't stand its nasty appearance!  

Oh dear - I need a life. But hopefully you makeup junkies understand!

x
xx fiocco bianco
x

Saturday Night Special: great back-combed hair with Denman

Waheey! So Saturday Night is here! Are you lovely ladies up to anything nice?

This evening I'm going to a club  in Chelsea.  There will be a lot of glammed up people there so I want to make sure my hair looks its best!  I'll be going for the back combed look as it's a great way of adding fun and volume to your locks.

I've had a few emails requesting how I do it, so here's a simple guide using my must have tools from Denman and Elnett:

You will need:

•  Denman Large Porcupine Grooming Brush (D81L)
•  Denman Dressing out brush (D91)
•  Elnett Satin Extra Strength Hair Spray
• Elnett Heat protect Spray (straight)

Preparation

I think back-combing hair looks fab on freshly washed hair.  Try not to do it on greasy hair otherwise it can look slightly tramp!

1. Shampoo and condition your hair (I like Aveda's Smooth Infusions range (see post) which smooths and protects)
2. Protect your hair before blow drying with Elnett's heat protect spray.  There is absolutely no excuse not to protect your hair when all it takes is a spritz of this lovely smelling product, as not doing so leads to severely damaged dry hair.
3. If your hair is naturally smooth, then leave it be and go to the next stage. If (like me) the thought of leaving the house straight after a blow dry scares you, then run your straighteners quickly through it. Don't worry, it's still protected by the Elnett spray.

The Back combing

1. Brush through with a Denman porpupine brush (or similar). This lightweight brush is great for adding shine and conditioning the hair as well as smoothing out tangles.
2. Use the plastic pin on the  Denman dressing out brush to divide your hair  into two halves, about 2 inches below your natural parting and clip the top half up.
3. Taking an inch strand at a time, use the other end of the dressing out brush to gently back comb four or five times.  *You only need to back comb from about 2 inches from the root upwards.
4. Straight after back combing one strand, set it with a spritz of Elnett hair spray and move to the next strand.
5. After this half had been back combed. Unclip your hair and let it fall in to it's natural parting.  In the same way as previously, take one inch strand from either side of your parting and repeat the process and set with hair spray.
6. Use your fingers to gently run through your hair and push it upwards in order to achieve optimum  volume!

Hope this was useful! Have a great Saturday night girlies - photos of my hair from tonight will be up in a blog soon to follow!  xx x x

PR samples: 

*Denman Large Grooming Brush retails at £12.47 available from online or Boots, Superdrug, Asda and John Lewis

*Denman Dressing out brush retails at £2.87 available from online or Boots, Superdrug, Asda and John Lewis

Disappointing results from Ombre Dip Dye by L'oreal

Hi my Lovlies!

I've been away in Italy all this week, it was soo good to be back by the sea and eating lots of delicious creamy croissants!!! I also went to Sephora and had a crazy haul - you'll be seeing lots of it in the upcoming posts!  But, today is all about the results I had from L'oreal Paris Ombre Range - retailing at £6.99 it's their first dip dye kit.

I'm going to put it out there - was was hugely disappointed by this Ombre dye kit.  I couldn't see much of a result except for an orange tinge on my hair and it being left completely dry and crispy - far from the cool dip dyed look it promised  -  months of restoring it back to health with Aveda were ruined in seconds.

When I've dip dyed my hair in the past, I've not used a kit, but lightened it with lightening powder and then put on a ash gray blonde on top to give it a natural blonde sun kissed look.  Where this L'oreal Ombre kit goes wrong is that it just pulls the natural colour out of your own hair, without putting a nice blonde shade on top of it after.  This kit would be so much better if there was a second stage, whereby you apply a  blonde dye to the post lightened hair.

This way, hair could look healthy and beautifully sunkissed in the blonde shade you want.  NOT just an orange, damaged version of your own hair which is the sad reality!  I'll leave you with the pictures so you can judge for yourselves!

Have you guys tried it?? How were your results, I'm hoping they were much better than mine, let me know!!!!
xxxxx fiocco bianco xxxxxx

Exciting, Ethical & Luxury Beauty Brand MYDDFAI

Morning ladies, 

As you probably know, I've spent the last couple of years living in Italy.  This gave me a thirst for products which exuded luxury and artisanship.  Of course I'm wheeled in my the big names that you see so often on the shelves, but what really gets me excited, is products that have been produced laboriously by hand. So let me introduce you to MYDDFAI, the Welsh, luxury ethical cosmetics brand.

This Welsh luxury ethical cosmetic brand, Myddfai, creates beaaautifully delicious spa / luxury bathroom products. Based in Carmarthenshire, they manufacture luxury cosmetics with the aim of improving the lives of the people in the community throuogh involving them and using local sourced natural products.

I love how special these products make me feel, as I know I am one of just a few lucky people who know about them. Best of all, they're not just locally made, but they are paraben and cruelty free.  I think these would make the perfect gift at Christmas to a mum, friend or sister, as they ooze luxury and make you feel pampered.  

 Their Mountain Dew Whipped Shea butter is to die for - it has an almost sugary texture under it warms on your hands and body then melts in.  The fragrance is a secret - but I'm sure it comes from the mountain dew which  every morning at 4.am they collect after a jaunt up the local mountain!  I mean  really, can you get any more spoiled than that?

I also got given some delicious little hand and shower creams which like the shea butter ooze luxury and melt into the skin.

The star of the show was Myddfai's creamy whipped shea butter made form real mountain dew!

 I honestly honestly honestly am crazy about these products by Myddfai.  Yes they are a PR sample, but I don't care, they are EXTRAORDINARY. And I would love you guys to check them out as they deserve it both on quality and ethics.

So please take a look at their site: http://www.myddfai.com/Bath-and-Body/Myddfai-Toiletries-Range

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Lots of love,

Fiocco Bianco x x x x

*PR Samples BUT WILL DEFINITELY REPURCHASE :)