Review & Giveaway: Elchim 3900 Healthy Ionic Hairdryer

I love blowdrying other peoples hair. My own, it's a chore. I'm always on the lookout for a hairdryer that can speed up the drying process and give a great blowdry. And the Elchim 3900 Healthy Ionic Hairdryer (£59.95) exclusive to Salons Direct, may just be the saviour to styling.

The two speed, four heat and coldshot button are all pretty standard to hairdryers on the market today, but the promise of cutting drying time by 30% and nourishment and improving moisture is definitely something that gets my attention. Being the best seller worldwide for the past 30 years Elchim must be doing something right, and having used this hairdryer I have to say it really is a fantastic styling tool. It's very lightweight so would be great for salon use, or at home - and it's the quietest hairdryer I've ever used. Ever. So, the drying time, if you follow me on Instagram then you'll know aready. Under three minutes. That's some speedy drying right there.My hair may not be long but I have a lot of it.

And another really random point to make. The plug isn't bulky. If you use a plug that is perhaps behind a cabinet or table, it can be a right pain to get a chunky plug in the space. The plug on the Elchim 3900 is slim - it's the little things that really make something great.
If you'd like to win a Elchim 3900 Healthy Ionic Hairdryer, you've got lots of options below to enter, and I'll pick a winner in two weeks time. Good Luck!

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Trending 2015: The Low Ponytail

After gawping at the red carpet hair celebs have been showcasing at the recent Golden Globes, SAG's and NTA's there was a clear stand out trend. The simple ponytail.
Worn low and sleek, a whole host of celebs have chosen this for their style and it really works! I love how it can work on any length of hair, from long to short. One thing all the pony paraders had in common was a sleek, sharp look. Partings were either straight down the middle, or deep to the side, and hair was smoothed into the ponytail. Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon, and Lorde have all been spotted on the red carpet with the low-maintenance, high-impact style.

Low down on the low pony

- Decide on whether you are going for a middle parting, or deep side parting. Use a fine tooth comb to get a perfect line and part the hair straight down.
- If you have curly, or wavy hair, blowdry or straighten to give as smooth a finish as possible. This style really wows with straight hair
- Smooth hair using some product, I love Bed Head by TIGI Matte Manipulator for holding hair, and prefer a matte finish, or if you fancy giving hair a treat pop a couple of drops of serum (I really like the smell of the Aussie Dual Personality Style Shine & Coloured Hair one) and run over the hair downwards to the ends.
- Use a paddle brush, this Denman Porcupine Paddle Brush is great at getting a smooth shine and brush hair into a low ponytail that rests on the nape, or slightly higher if it feels more comfortable. 
- Secure with a clear elastic tie, and finish with some hairspray (my favourite at the moment? Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla - smells so good!)

Very wearable, and easy to do, and perfect for the rain/wind/snow/asshole weather we are having.

Can Head & Shoulders Help You?

Now I know it's not the most glamourous of topics, but I love giving advice, and if this blog can help one person with a hair problem then I've done something useful (like picking stuff up with my feet, whilst I think it's a skill, others just think it's because I have monkey feet) and if it's helped stop an itchy scalp then even better!

Tom has hair most women would be extremely jealous of (I am very jealous - even after cutting two and half inches off it, it's still well below his shoulders!) Thick, healthy looking and naturally dries straight. However, he was really struggling with an itchy scalp - which was driving him, and me nuts. I felt so bad as I could see how much it was getting to him, and even got to the point where he had abrasions on his scalp - running the risk of infection. We'd given LUSH products a go, which helped in the short term but weren't getting to the root of the problem. Then came Head & Shoulders.
Head & Shoulders has been around for over 50 years, marketed for those with problem scalps, and dandruff - it's always been there and long gone is the myth it strips hair of colour. It really doesn't, I use it and my colour is still there. Tom decided to give H&S a go, and I don't think he'll ever use anything else. I've even given it a go, and ladies that lack volume - this stuff gives hair bounce.

After around a week of use, the itching had gone and the flakiness on his scalp had begun to clear. What I think it brilliant about Head & Shoulders is the fact it clears the symptoms as well as the causes. It doesn't mask them to make you able to cope with an itchy scalp, it eliminates the itchy scalp. He's been using the Itchy Scalp 2-in-1, and I've even given it a go and it's great. At £4.99 for 450ml, it's definitely worth the money - I've stocked up thanks to a 3 for £10 offer in Tesco recently.

Just counted back the amount of times I've said itchy scalp...it's made me itch! Ha!

Cervical Cancer Awareness Week #Smearforsmear

Been putting off that smear test for a while, or just too busy to book that appointment? 

Stop. Call your surgery and book your smear test. Nothing is more important than your health.

There are 1-in-5 of us that don't take up our appointment invitation, the rises to 1-in-3 between the ages of 25-29. And 8 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed daily in the UK. 

But, cervical cancer is on one of the few cancers that can be prevented! 

I've been talking about how important smear tests are for a while now, and after undergoing LLETZ treatment two years ago I cannot stress the need to make sure you book that appointment and get checked. Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has a great website with lots of information and advice - there is even an 'ask an expert' page where you can send questions (however silly) to someone who can give qualified expert advice. 

A smear test usually takes the same amount of time as queuing for petrol, or popping into the local cafe to pick up your lunch or morning coffee. It can be slightly uncomfortable, but there is no lasting pain and don't think the nurse is thinking anything about your fanny. She's seen hundreds - you are nothing special. I have a tilted cervix (around 30% of us ladies have this) which can make things a little more difficult for the nurse to take the sample of cells - and even this didn't mean it was painful. Go into the smear feeling calm, take some deep breathes in and out and even pop on your favourite music or podcast whilst having the sample taken - but it only takes a couple of minutes so don't settle down for a GoT marathon. 

You can do your bit to raise awareness this week by putting your #smearforsmear selfie on social media, and texting 'CCPW01 £3' to 70070. 

Work: Braided Bride

Have I mentioned I love doing wedding hair. I do, it's true.

I get such a great feeling from making a bride feel amazing - I know it's a really big deal on the day that a bride looks and feels wonderful, and that is my top priority. So far, so good...
I loved creating a relaxed, curled braid for Arlita on her wedding day. And the small flowers randomly placed through really helped to give it a bohemian, casual look.

Photo: Summer Lily Studio Photography

2015 is filling nicely with weddings, shoots and lots of exciting things for me and my hairstyling - and I can't wait. If you'd like to take a look at my work, you can! Either by my website or Facebook page. Feel free to get in touch if you are a bride looking for a hairstylist. I promise to make you laugh on the big day and hopefully put your nerves at ease.

Hope you don't mind me sharing my work with you all!

NTA's 2015: The Hair

Celebrating the moments that make us laugh, cry and gasp, the NTA's bring out soaplands finest - along with some of the not so fine for a night of awards and applause. I, as always, was watching the red carpet for all the celebrity hair...and have to say I was a little underwhelmed.
Maybe it's because my red carpet favourite, Fearne Cotton wasn't there, or maybe because looking at some celebs I just felt the hair wasn't finished to the standard of what you'd see on the BAFTA red carpet, or earlier this month, the Golden Globes. Apart from a few who caught my eye.
The main standout trend was definitely sleek and simple. Sam Friars, Pixie Lott, Alesha Dixon (ENNNNTAAAARRRR!) and Mel B all going for a off the face, slicked back look. I love how this works so well against the dresses worn. Paired with a chunky necklace or big pair of earrings it gives high impact glamour. Extra hair points to Pixie Lott who had gold leaf on her parting. LOVE this!

Special mention to Christine Bleakley, and Amanda Holden who both looked beautiful. Christine went for a vintage look with waves near the hairline and the rest of hair worked into a messy up do, and Amanda Holden had stylist Christian Vermaak on hand to create a stunning low ponytail with pieces to frame her face.

My favourite of the evening was winner of the newcomer award Maddy Hill, who looked A-List with a swept back, soft up do. Everything from the hair, to her nails was just perfect. Red carpet A+.

A Sight to Behold

Dad wears glasses, so does mum, so it was pretty much a cert that my eyeballs would need some help along with the way. I've been wearing glasses or contacts since I was about 15 (15 years ago - Yikes!) and remember HATING wearing specs - so much so, my driving instructor used to go mad when he arrived for lessons and I wasn't wearing them...kind of helps seeing where you are driving.
Fast forward a few years, and I now tend to wear my glasses 50% of the time, with contacts helping me see the rest of the time. My latest pair of glasses are from Tesco and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the service and quality - and the price!

Tesco offer a buy one, get one free service, so I decided on two pairs the same. Might seem odd, but I don't really get on with prescription sunglasses, and loved the style I chose so wanted a back up pair. Thanks to the Clubcard Boost offer, I got £30 off so they only cost £65. I ordered on Friday 19th December in the evening, and got a text on the 23rd December to say they were ready for collection!

So if you are on the hunt for a new pair of specs, it's definitely worth having a look!

Hairgrowth in a bottle? HairREV Supplements

Having healthy hair is very much about diet as much as it is about the products you use. There are lots of supplements promising growth, and stronger hair but are they as helpful to hair as eating well and making sure you get vitamins and nutrients you need? 

I started taking my one month supply of HairREV* mid-November to see if it'd boost my hair. The supplement, which is free from harsh chemicals, but packed with vitamins promises to help hair become stronger and healthier, helping it to grow. Some of the key ingredients are Biotin, Calcium, Zinc and Folic Acid along with Vitamins B, A, C and D. Look out for a post soon on how certain vitamins help hair.

My first thought as I opened the bottle, was that the supplements had a VERY strong smell, and were quite large. I'm not too fussed about taking any size of tablet but I know some people struggle - you could break these up, or a big gulp of water usually washes them down okay. You need to take three tablets a day, so I had one with breakfast, lunch and dinner.  
I think supplements are a great way to boost your vitamin levels, especially if you are deficient is due to dietary requirements or illlness. I have to say I've noticed an improvement not only in my hair texture, and how it looks, but my skin too. It's looking a lot brighter and I'm suffering blemishes less. A months supply is £19.99, but if you buy in bulk, you get the supplements slightly cheaper. HairREV do recommend giving the supplements a real chance to help your hair by using for 12 weeks, but I started noticing results from the third week of taking them, as I had my haircut, I haven't noticed growth but my hair does seem thicker and I'm noticing less breakage and split ends.

 Definitely worth giving a go if you want to boost your intake of hair helping vitamins. 

Can Batiste Rescue Your Monday?

Apparently Monday 19th January is billed the most depressing day of the year. With payday a couple of weeks away and no sun in sight, it's not got the best start. Monday's are always an odd one with me, if I've had a manic weekend then it just blurs into the rest thanks to tiredness and a need for tea. Weekend full of fun and friends, then you've got some Monday blues right there my friend.

So if you think you need to be rescued, just tweet #BatisteSOS with the reason why you need a boost, making sure you tag @BatisteHair for the chance to win a Beauty Survival Kit. Remember, the competition goes live on Monday 19th January, don't worry about tweeting until then - your entries won't be counted otherwise!

New Year Restyle with Remington

I've made a little New Year resolution to style my hair differently at least once a week. It's far too easy for me to just grab a trusty tong and do scruffy waves, or straighteners and go sleek. My 'go-to' up do is a high, messy style. These three are often rotated through the week.

Whilst I giving others advice on how to wear their hair, and styling clients up - my own hair styling has stopped. So it's time to try a new style out. The Remington Your Style Styler* has three attachments that you can swap and change to create a variety of different styles. From body and volume with the 'hot brush' attachment to two different style of tong creating different types of curl.

I have to say, using the  hot brush attachment is my favourite option, it can help you fake a blowdry and create volume, it's also amazing for giving my 'almost fringe' shape and help it fall properly. I used this on the crown section of my hair to give it a boost, then used the conical wand attachment to loosely curl the section of hair I left down. Taking bigger sections of hair and curling - leaving the ends of hair, means I created a much more relaxed wave. I know some worry about using conical wands leaving too tight a curl in their hair but you can adapt to suit the style you want. I went for a simple half up style with volume, I tend to prefer looser, less structured styles, so this was a great, quick look to create for the weekend.