Essence Absolue.......Absolutely essential!

Now, I don't normally talk hair, but I have to make an exception for the most beautiful feeling, most beautiful smelling, most beautiful looking hair oil by Shu Uemura. Yes, the same Shu Uemura who does make up also does haircare and just as beautifully!

All the products in the haircare ranges are lovely, but product of the week has to be the Essence Absolue Hair Oil. In its simple and elegant bottle, Essence Absolue not only conditions and nourishes the hair, it also a heat protector and protects from harmful UV rays. One of the main ingredients is camellia oil, which is intensely moisturising and good for all hair types, including Afro hair! And on the beauty front its also good for your nails and skin.

Tip - use on dry hair before washing and it leaves hair beautifully conditioned and nourished! Use again on wet hair before blow drying to add lustre and seal shine.

At around £40, Essence Absolue is an absolute must have on any bathroom shelf.

Beyond Beauty

If this isn't one step too far then I don't know what is. I like at home beauty kits and products as much as the next diva, but words failed me when I stumbled upon a bit about vagina dyeing on handbag.com. Yes, you heard (rather read) there are products out there you can use to dye your vagina AND they come in 4 different shades AND they are retailed for you to use at HOME!

According to the e-tailer, My New Pink Button, one of their little pots of varying shades of pink can really restore the the youthfulness to your labia - improving its pinkness and tone. Although, I first thought this was funny, there really is a serious element to it as its sold as an anti ageing product. I didn't really know that the vagina lost its tone and colour as women got older. Did you?

The dyes themselves which are still awaiting patent licences are all named after Hollywood sex kittens like Marilyn and Bettie and promises that with their use you can improve the va va voom in your sex life. But would dyeing your vagina really give you more punani power in the bedroom? I think not.......

I have met some seriously age conscious women and this sort of product would be right up their 'ohhh is that another fine line?' street. It preys on insecurities and body hang ups, which lets face it, we all have. And not to mention, surely painting a chemical dye on your coochie has to be dangerous. Isn't it enough that we already have cosmetic vaginal rejuvenation surgery where for a price you can make down there look smaller,tighter and prettier. Not forgetting a favouriette of the blue world, anal bleaching.

Vaginal dyeing is a lot extreme and one step too far for me in such a delicate place. Maybe I'm not brave enough, but I'd hazard a bet that most of us would rather leave our pink buttons as they are, thank you very much.

The Nail Refurb!

I am champion of natural nail! That is not to say that I don't like extensions, but with everything there's a time and place!

Come forward Mrs X who's been a fan of acrylic for years and finally decided she's had enough and picked them all off causing sever damage and trauma to her natural nails underneath!

Product of the week - Leighton Denny Renovate - saved her!

Like a home refurbishment or renovation, Renovate which is infused with rich avocado and rice bran oil helps to nourish and smooth out the nail to stop dryness, peeling and flaking.

It come with a simple 2 sided buffer and a high impact intense vitamin E cream to be massaged into the nails to return them to their former glory.

Used regularly it eases the damage from the nail and encourage stronger and healthier nail growth and combined with a good nail care regime, it works wonders on tired extension damaged nails!

Does it matte-r?

You've all probably heard about matte nail polish as it been around for a little while. I think its either you like it or dislike it.....I for one was more the latter.

I just wasn't sure about it as in my head nothing beats long shiny nails, but I tried the Leighton Denny Make it Matter top coat the other day, and whilst I still wasn't bowled over, I could start to see why people like it.

Its fun, its different, its light hearted and you can stand out with it. Its like a 2 fingers up to the establishment of traditional shiny nail polish and though I can't see all of my clients wearing it, I'll certainly be experimenting more with it and seeing whether it does matte-r!

A v. Fishy Pedicure!

A very fishy pedicure has been making waves in Asia and some parts of America and may soon be coming to the UK and I for one cannot wait to try it out! (I'm already on the waiting list) Its even made it way on to an Ugly Betty episode.

The Fish pedicure has been around since about 2008, but it must have stayed underwater...oops! undercover, till now. Now there is a waiting list to have one. Aqua Sheko, are set to be the first to offer Londoners the Fish Pedicure in a swish spa in Kensington.

Quite simply it involves placing your feet in tank of warm water which holds the fish. These Garra Rufa fish (technical name) are toothless and they nibble away at dead skin while leaving healthy skin untouched and can nibble away for anything up to thirty minutes depending on how much dry skin there is. They also secrete an enzyme which encourages skin regeneration - meaning brand new baby soft skin. You really couldn't ask for more!

It all sounds intimidating and it probably isn't for the fainthearted, but those who have tried it have nothing but praise for it. Word of warning though, you should always have a standard pedicure after, so that your feet can be properly cleaned.

Think of those calluses and cracked heels.....tempted??? Its worth a go, at least!

The Nail Detox

This week a client said to me - 'I want to give me nails a rest, a bit of a breather, so I don't want any polish.'

She was right and wrong at the same time. In my book after months of wearing our favourite rouge noires and other dark polishes, now is the perfect time to give nails a breather and allow them to develop strength in time for the on slaught of fabulous summer colours which are about to hit the shelves. 

But at the same time its important to wear polish to protect the nails from everyday bumps and knocks! In comes in the NAIL DETOX.... just like the one we promise ourselves after the Christmas binge!

The nail detox simply consists of removing any old polish using a good polish remover that re-balances moisture on nail and works on removing staining. Leighton Denny Brilliance Nail Polish Remover does a fantastic job.

Massage a good nail and cuticle oil into the nail and surround to moisture and hydrate. OPI Avoplex cuticle oil is award winning and so is Solar Oil be Creative Nail Designs (CND) and that is all there is to know!

Follow this up with a light buff to smooth the refine and smooth the surface of the nail. Again Leighton has out hearts with his Trio Buffer which is in one word amazing and really does bring out the shine in your nails!

Now polish with a shield, this will keep your nails well looked after and infuse the nail plate with proteins to keep the strong and healthy. OPI's Nail Envy is fantastic for this and if you're already a well manicured gal, you can use the Nail Envy Maintenance polish and this maintains your already perfect talons! Creative Nail Designs have Toughen Up, which strengthen the nails and also acts as a base coat. Essie has a 3 step programme starting of with Millionails which fortifies the nail.

Keep the detox going for at least a month. If you must wear polish go for a light shade with less chance of staining. Soon you'll have healthily balanced nails ready to sport the shocking brights or pretty pastel colours that are hot off the catwalk!