Easy styles for long hair...

I just received the following formspring question so although it's a bit of a re-hash of things I've featured before, I still think they're all very relevant!

"Please can you give me a few tips for quick and easy hair styles for long hair? Thanks."

My most recent discovery has been the fishtail plait, I realise it's been around for a while but I've only just been able to do it! Click here to see my proper post on it but plaits are still very now and even if it's not fishtail then a side plait looks gorgeous, and I personally I think the messier the better. This Miu Miu one uses extensions for the length and thickness, and also a middle parting, but I think a side parting (opposite side to where the plait falls) is a really wearable version of this. Try plaiting a nice printed scarf into it too, that always looks lovely. See here for the trend piece that featured Miu Miu and a few others...

Still going along the plaits line is the Hippy Hippy Chic post I did a while ago, have a look here but this is quite an easy look for long hair as seen below on the queen of hippy-chic - Pixie Lott. I wear it by scrunch-drying my hair to keep it's natural wave, and then take a plait from either side of my parting and secure at the back of my head. Little random plaits all the way through the hair works really well too.

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Another trend piece I did here was on buns, which again are still on-trend and really achievable, check that post out here; the image below is my favourite out of them and was from the Matthew Williamson show. This is easily created and works best with wet hair: Simply make a diagonal parting starting from where the centre of your eyebrow is to the back of the head on the other side under the ear, then make a ponytail in the centre of each section and secure tightly. Wrap both sections around each other and pin securely underneath, as well as anywhere it doesn't sit flat to the head.

So, I hope that's a few styles to keep you going, it is a bit of a re-hash but if you click on the label for hair tips or hair trends, you'll find a few there!

Ready, Get Set....Go!

I was lucky enough to meet celebrity make-up artist Dani Guinsberg the other week who showed me lots of clever highlighting and contouring tips and tricks, as well as the must-have products to create these (MAC Sculpt is a-ma-zing for contouring btw). One product she showed me was a professional make-up artist must-have but not available on the high street and that was Ben Nye’s Neutral Set Powder. I bought mine for £5.95 from screenface.com, a website for stage make-up artists but it is basically a completely translucent face powder to set make-up for theatre actors or those on long photo shoots and it works so well!

I was a bit worried as the powder is completely white, but when it’s on there really is no colour as so many make-up brands’ translucent powders do actually have a colour in them and they don’t work all that well at setting make-up for the whole day either. Dani told me that she uses this on brides all the time once she has finished their make-up as it really will last all day, is tear-proof for the ceremony and sweat-proof for when the newly-weds are strutting their thang on the dancefloor too!

So, she sold it so well to me that I just had to try it for myself and I love it! I still use my trusted Estée Lauder Doublewear foundation which never fails and always stays in place, but what I love the Neutral Set for is to keep the rest of my make-up on all day, especially concealer as I find this slips off so easily, but is great to set blusher and eyeshadow too! It’s also great for removing shine and keeping it at bay so for those who suffer from oiliness, a bit of this on in the morning should sort you out! It’s not the easiest to keep in your handbag all day though as the powder is in a sort of talcum powder type container that you tip onto the back of your hand and use a big powder brush to dust all over, but used well in the morning really should work!

Another tip she taught me, which I didn’t know but makes perfect sense now she’s said it, is to only apply powder on top of powder, or liquid on top of liquid for a seamless result. So, I use a liquid foundation and have then been applying a powder blusher/bronzer on top of this, but to make it look much more natural I should be either use a liquid blusher or bronzer OR apply a face powder over my liquid foundation to then be able to use other powder products on top! Liquid on top of powder works a bit easier than the other way round, but if you can use all the same then you should apparently.

Anyway, short but sweet post with a couple of tips thrown in the mix too!

Secret Beauty Verdict: This should be in your make-up bag along with all your other essentials – such a good price and will last ages!

Formspring question: Stretchmarks

"I'm bored because of stretch marks. I know they can't be removed forever but is there any good product that can improve the skin and make them disappear a little bit? thank u so much."

I know the feeling! I've found Bio Oil to work really well for mine, they don't disappear but they do get better the more you use it - it's also great for scars. The best thing to do for them is to keep the skin really well hydrated so drink lots of water and use a rich moisturiser or body oil on them regularly which should hopefully make them fade slightly. Sorry not to be of more help - they're tricky things to get rid of!!

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