WANDer Lust

Of all the items I hound in the beauty industry, Mascara is perhaps the one I usually find much of a muchness. Looking back, there was one mascara I was obsessed with to the point of promotion (i.e. making everyone try it, buy it, love it) and it was Fresh SUPERNOVA Mascara.

My best bud and I discovered Fresh when we were living in New York at the tender age of 18. We were in Barney's and happened to be shown through the brand by one of it's founders Alina Roytberg. We were each given a makeover and absolutely loved the results. Even though we were 18, we both usually detested the results of a makeover, so this was a totally new experience. I seem to remember parting with several hundred dollars in exchange for several bags full of their divine products (most of which lasted well over a year).

Back to the SUPERNOVA Mascara. What I loved about it was that it gave my lashes the False-Yet-Natural look that I love. It opened up my eyes and gave the lashes a heavy curly, thick fringe of sooty shiny blackest black. I got so many people hooked on it which was quite hard as it was so expensive!

Money situations are usually my direction turner in the way in which I discover products. When times are hard, I automatically find myself in Superdrug re-familiarising myself with the high-street brands that are so hard to test. Most of the time you just have to go ahead and buy the untested vacuum sealed packet and hope for the best.

Other discoveries happen through lack of material. I found myself without my make-up bag on a trip up to Nottingham last year. How I had forgotten it still remains a mystery, but I'm really pleased I did. I ended up having to borrow the lovely Imogen's mascara. She had Max Factor's False Lash Effect with the new territory for me, rubbery brush. I don't know why I'd always been reluctant to try the new breed of mascara with the rubbery brush. Most probably, the fact that I'm so nostalgic. Yes, even for a mascara brush. I know how sad that sounds, don't worry...

So this Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara made my eyes look so damn pretty, I couldn't quite believe it. They turned my eyes from slightly oblique set, to a dreamy almond-esque shape I didn't know was ever an option! And yes, they looked FYN (Fake-Yet-Natural), just how I like them.

Oddly enough, I didn't actually end up buying my own until about 7 months later as I had an Esteé Lauder one that just wouldn't frigging well end. It's taken me a long time to cotton on to how brilliant Max Factor's mascaras are but I'm secretly glad that this opens up a whole new brand to fall in love with.

INSPIRATION: BARBARA PALVIN

PHOTOS: TRENDLAND

Alpaca, Fur and Leather, always go together...

Damn it's cold!! Even sealed into my flat, it's still and cold. Even with the heating on. Even under a duvet. But not, with two hot water bottles on the go. One at the feet and one in my arms...an addictive combination to say the least.

Another addictive combination being my Official Uniform of Outside. Topshop leather jacket, cloaked in a MaxMara alpaca coat with Norwegian fox hood. For those upset at that last bit, I must add that this type of fur is not endangered and eating cod fish fingers is actually worse for your conscience...and not nearly as warming.

Photos: Daryl Fox-Huxley

MINI ME: my cousin Robyn

My uncle Dwayne and aunty Kim's gorgeous little girl Robyn asked to have her hair done like mine and so my aunty Kim obliged and this is the outcome....it's too adorable...

HIGH BARNET - Big Hair Icons

Yes, I know, I'm biased because I have big hair. I used to hate it but now I really love it and think EVERYONE should enjoy it at least once! It's leonine, striking, glorious, grand and a kind of fertile endowment...

Some of my favourite Big Hair Icons & Pictures:

Lisa Bonet

Dolly Parton

Claudia Cardinale

Brigitte Bardot

Betty Page

Stevie Nicks

Cindy Wilson

Priscilla Presley

Joan Jett

Kelly Le Brock

Kelis

Erykah Badu

Raquel Welch

WAH NAILS

There's nothing like a belated birthday present. Just when you think the birthday wishes are long gone, and other people birthday's are coming thick and fast...a gorgeous friend declares that they'd like o treat you to something you mentioned, as a belated birthday gift!!! WOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!!! Or should I say WAH-HAAAAAAAAA!!

Off Nayla and I went to WAH Nails in Dalston to 'get our nails did'. It was an absolutely glorious friday lunchtime. Crisp air, sunshine, blue skies and to top it off, the super girlie treat of nail art application.

We chatted the hind legs off each other, laughted, complimented one another and indulged in self-deprecation. Perfect. The lovely lady who did our nails is called Zarra and I will definitely ask for her, next time I go. There WILL be a next time...my nails (shallow as it may sound) give me instant pleasure when I wake up and look at them. They're so fun...and so far (4 days in), they've not even chipped. So satisfying.

Nayla's AZTECMy POW

Calligraphy Nib Necklaces go with Stationary Phases

I am having another stationary phase. Every so often, like the week before term starts again at school, I wander into a graphics/ art store (Cass Art, Berwick Street this time), and leave with a new kit of stationary. It's soooo exciting to get the bits home and lay them out on my big wooden desk, inspecting them all before I take them out of their packaging. I like to read all the blurb first. Then look for a place on the desk. Then open and arrange.

Of course the arrangement is nowhere to be seen once I've started a project...it's a flurry of glitter glue, calligraphy pens, violet ink wells, paint brushes, hand made paper, watercolour pencils and sharpenings.

Whilst looking up calligraphy fonts, I came across this necklace and promptly started salivating. It's by Erica Weiner.

LIZ KNIGHTLEY

This model looks like Liz Hurley and Keira Knightley...

Left and right, respectively!

LOVE the look...

Model: Barbora Vesela

Photo: Zoe Zimmer

Masque Nada

I absolutely love a good hair mask. The right one can transform the way you feel about your hair. My hair starts out as what I would call 'Classic Black & White Mixed Race Hair'. Key characteristics are:

* Volume - it gets bigger and bigger each day

to the point where it's inflation is actually indicating for me to wash it.

* Dryness - matte and raw looking

* Ringlets and frizz combo

I used to really detest my hair. I lusted after straight hair-styles that seemed to frame the face, rather than waft around it unpredictably. I'd go to clubs and people would say "Wow, your hair's so cool!" then promptly ruffle it with their sweaty palm, as if I were someone's dog. I never took this as a compliment at the time. I was firmly in that 'Straight Corner', dreaming about the day I would be rich enough to have it blow-dried once a week. Maybe one day I could graduate to a fringe! Something like my beautiful friend, the Life Coach, Melissa de Lisle:

Deary me...Anyway, I have always been into 'hair packs' as we used to call them. The first one I ever tried was most probably the V05 Hot Oil Treatment. I used to use at least two of those babies, before shampooing it out reluctantly. The Body Shop became the go-to place for products during my teens. Then John Freida's Frizz Ease came out and although I hated the word 'Frizz' on my hair products, I bought the whole set. Shampoo, Conditioner, Serum, Deep Hair treatment and so on. I used them religiously, but ultimately didn't know how to style my hair, so swept it into it's usual wet, serum-saturated bun, satisfied that the front of my head wasn't frizzy. A result for a spotty, chubby, 14 year old me.

Years later I was experimenting with my hair and various products and hit the bingo. I finally created a frizz-less, curly, mane of glossy hair that had weight, swish and bounce.

The styling is never that perfect if I don't use a wonderful mask beforehand, to seal in the moisture.

A good hair mask gets the styling process off to a fabulous start. A longer lasting style, shininess and a lot less frizz.

Here are some examples of my hair when the whole hair mask thing is going well!

Now for the products I LOVE!

1. Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask £22.85 for 250ml at HQ Hair

If you're a beauty junky, you may have noticed that a walloping great hunk of cash has been invested into the advertising for their products. I have yet to open a magazine without seeing it. The packaging is luxurious, tropical and classy. The smell of this thick whipped product, reminds me of the smell of products designed for Afro hair. For me this is a comforting smell that reminds me of growing up with my beautiful aunties who are all close in age to me. The product is really sensational. You don't need to heat-wrap your hair to activate it at all. It's on after a towel-dry for as long as you've got and washed out thoroughly, you'll see the change. It's brilliant.

2. [A'Kin] Ginkgo & Jojoba Intensive Moisture Vitamin Masque £7.49 for 150ml at Boots

This is the one I recently tested. I really love it! Which is great, because it's cheaper than the Moroccanoil. It smells divine. The tube packaging is brilliant too, because it's so easy to overdo the application amount when you scoop out of the tub packaging of the Moroccanoil.

A'Kin is an Australian brand. If you look on the back of their herby packaging, you'll see a little 'AUSTRALIAN MADE AND OWNED' near the bottom. I can't resist saying this in a 'FOUR X' accent when I read it, but really the genius is that their products are paraben and sulfate free. I bought their Lavender Body Wash in the summer and it was the only product I was allowed to use at the Secret Garden Party solar-powered showers, as it was fully biodegradable! I used the gel as my face and body was throughout the festival and it was delicious. This brand is going places, mate!

3. Aussie 3 minute Miracle 'Luscious Long' Deep Treatment £2.99 for 250ml at Superdrug

Cheap, brilliant, smells good and lasts a long time. It's almost too easy for me to buy this all the time. I have to get my feelers out and try new stuff, however this is always in my bathroom. It's there in case something runs out. It's there in case a friend needs a treatment while they're staying with me and it's there because I love it's quick results. There's money off at Superdrug now, so buy yourself several bottles to keep around.