Basic Business

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After being asked multiple times on Instagram & over email about my hair, beauty & make up routines, I decided to post a little feature about them on the blog. Aside from the Clinique items, I don't spend a whole lot of money on specific name brands, merely using a mix of basics that seem to work with my hair type, skin type & most of all, lifestyle.

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HAIR

As I don't have particularly thick hair, my sleek, poker-straight strands are cut into a blunt "bob" style every 3 or 4 weeks for wash & wear ease. I find that Pantene Pro V Shampoo & Conditioner - the "Always Smooth" option - works well when used every second (or third) day, depending on temperature. A little trick that I've learnt is to use less conditioner when washing hair more often in the warmer months & to leave it coating the hair for up to twice as long when the weather is cool & humidity is low. 

I don't blow dry or "style" my hair with straighteners, curlers, crimpers or hair dryers; instead brushing it when wet with a Du Boa brush. I choose this particular brand because of the soft-bristles that don't tear at the roots of the hair or scratch the scalp, even when removing tangles. If I want a more pronounced 1960s style "flick" to the strands around my face, I will sometimes use a Lady Jayne styling brush to cajole the hair into position.

TEETH

My mouth care routine is simple - I use Oral B floss to remove any food particles from between my teeth, brush twice a day (or more) with Colgate Total toothpaste, as I prefer the taste to other brands & finish with a swig of Sensodyne alcohol-free mouthwash. When it comes to toothbrushes, I like the old school kind with a large, soft, full head of bristles & Oral B makes a fabulous trio pack in retro designs, pictured above.

SKIN

When it comes to my face, I use a Clinique soap bar to remove oil & then moisturise with the Dramatically Different Moisturising Cream. If I happen to have a break-out, I dab on Clean & Clear's Fast Clearing Spot Gel throughout the day until it diminishes; a ritual that has worked for me since high school. 

When it comes to my body, I wash with a Sorbolene soap bar, as well as use it to replenish the moisture when shaving with an old school Gillette unisex razor. I'm no good with those "new fandangled" swivel headed women's razors; I always seem to cut myself. I then coat my legs liberally in Redwin sorbolene cream; my arms in Lanate Body cream (it diminishes my keratosis pilaris condition) & my hands in QV hand cream. In the cooler months, my hands get extremely dry, so I slather them in Vaseline (petroleum jelly) & wear cotton gloves to bed.

Finally, I use Rexona crystal roll-on deodorant & sprinkle myself liberally with Johnson's Baby Powder - I love the clean, fresh smell - & spritz myself with my "signature" scent, Calvin Klein Euphoria perfume.

BEAUTY

Admittedly, I am quite the novice when it comes to make up as I hardly wear any if it isn't a special occasion. I merely cover any blemishes with Clinique concealer, rub on some Australis coloured eye shadow (chosen depending on my outfit or mood), swipe on some Clinique mascara - the only kind that doesn't leave me with itchy, red eyes - & paint on some lipstick. When it comes to lipstick, my two favourite brands are Revlon for vibrant reds & Rimmel London (the Kate Moss kind) for sassy pinks. 

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Have You Met Bob?

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Dress: Gift (from Italy)

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Let's talk about my hair. I have had a few emails asking what products I use when washing it - Pantene Pro V Shampoo & Conditioner - & what implements I use to style it - none, wash & wear is all I can handle & some days I even have issues PARTING it correctly! - so I thought I would do a little post, post-haircut...

My cap of hair (it's not really thick enough or wild enough to call it a "mane" or "mop") has pretty much been the bane of my existence ever since I was a small child & couldn't wear the scrunchies we made at Girls' Brigade because they kept on falling out. It's extremely fine & poker-straight, much to the chagrin of my hairdresser Sue, who spends ages snipping away until my fringe - complete with "cowlick" - is as straight as possible. 

It's also extremely soft, which has led to few humorous incidents with members of the public who ask if they can touch it (!) to see what it feels like, including one particularly bizarre occurrence when a middle-aged businessman who was behind me on the escalator at a department store in the city actually lent forward & SNIFFED it, audibly. If my mother hadn't been a few steps behind him & had actually witnessed it, I would have thought I was dreaming! 

As styling goes, luckily I'm a fan of short hair (as a general rule, I think thin hair often looks thicker when kept cropped & angled around the face) & take inspiration from the "bob" styles of both 1920s flappers such as actresses Louise Brooks & Ruth Weyher & 1960s mods/beatniks such as fashion designer Mary Quant, featured below:

Louise Brooks (1906-1985) 

was an American dancer & actress, who was noted for popularising the "bob" haircut. Best known for her leading roles in 3 European movies - Pandora's Box (1929), Diary of a Lost Girl (1929) & Prix de Beaute (1930) - she starred in a total of 17 silent films & 8 "talkies" before retiring in 1935. 

"A well dressed woman, even though her purse if painfully empty, can conquer the world."

Ruth Weyher (1901-1983)

was a German film actress of the silent era. She appeared in 48 films between 1920 & 1930, but is best known for her role as a femme fatale in the 1926 film, Secrets of a Soul.

Mary Quant OBE (1934-)

is a British fashion designer & icon. An instrumental figure in the 1960s London-based Mod  movement, she is credited with the creation of both miniskirts & hotpants & the popularisation of "street" fashion as a representation of "youth culture." 

"The fashionable woman wears clothes. The clothes don't wear her."

"Fashion is not frivolous. It is part of being alive today."

The above picture shows Mary Quant having her hair cut into a sharp style by visionary British-born hairstylist Vidal Sassoon. Credited with creating some of the most iconic hairstyles of the "Swinging Sixties," Sassoon revolutionised the hairdressing industry with his precise, geometric cuts & chic "swingy" bobs, freeing women from the stiff up-dos of the 1950s. The pair became great friends & collaborators, with Mary famously telling him: 

 "I made the clothes, but you put the top on."