Author: Samio

By Jamie Cowlishaw

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working with photographer Jamie Cowlishaw along with Hair & Makeup Artist Maxine Smith. It was my first test shoot of the year and so I could not wait to get behind the camera and get to work with this amazing creative team. It was the first time any of us had worked with one another but it didn’t take long for us to click and begin our creative minds flowing.

I took along a small selection of my own wardrobe and we began working our way through outfits, mixing up styles as we went. From relaxed and casual to strong and fierce, we captured a variety of looks and I’m really happy with the end results.

Samio x

February 17, 2014
Valentine’s Day Inspiration

I’m not usually an openly romantic person and the thought of being all soppy and seeing a mass amount of PDA kind of makes me feel sick. So as you can imagine, Valentines day isn’t the perfect occasion for me, however I can’t deny I do enjoy being treated and it can often be a good reminder to show your other half how much you appreciate and love them. So I’ve compiled a very small list of Valentine’s Day inspiration, either for the occasion or to buy as a gift.

LOVE Ice Cream Pink Pleated Cold Shoulder Dress

This dress is so cute. It would be perfect to wear for a Valentine’s date (if the weather permits) and it will be perfect to keep for summer too. It also comes in a darker pink as well as black which also look very chic.
(more…)

February 10, 2014
Jirano – Hair Care

Jane and Jedi, the founders behind HairCare brand Jirano were kind enough to send me a couple of their hair products to try out. The two products I recieved were Jirano’s Hair Masque and Intensive Hair Repair. The products are aimed at curly to Afro hair but claim to ‘moisturize, and tame, dry and frizzy hair’, so can be used on a number of hair types and textures.

The packaging of the products is simple yet smart and the tubs are made of a strong plastic with a metal lid. The hair products are paraben free as well as being free of synthetic oils and synthetic fragrances.

The first product I tried out was the Hair Masque – coconut and avocado infused. The hair masque is of a thick paste like consistency. The instructions on the tub instruct as follows ‘after washing apply to your hair. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse.’

I must admit I was slightly sceptical straight after first applying this product as it was thick and didn’t feel like it would soak easily into my hair. I followed the instructions and applied the products trying to spread it as evenly around my hair as possible. I didn’t use a huge amount of the product, I’d say around a small scoop full in my fingers. After applying I wrapped my hair up and left the masque on for 20 minutes as recommended.

When rinsing out the Hair Masque it felt as though some of the product was left on the hair. I was unsure whether to wash it out but I decided to just go with the instructions and rinse it out as much as possible. I applied a small amount of one of my regular leave in conditioners (and I mean a very small amount) and then dried my hair.

When drying my hair, my curls kept their natural coil (which is sometimes lost to frizz when using not much product) and the shine that my hair was left with was amazing. I was super impressed with this product and I loved it.

My hair was left looking and feeling great. I would say for my texture of hair and looser curl patterns, less of this product should be used as it is quite thick so not a lot is needed. I would imagine this product would also work wonders on super dry/frizzy hair and on more coarser Afro hair types. It is an ideal hair masque to use in these winter months when dry hair needs this moisture most.

The second product I tried was Intensive Hair Repair. It says ‘hydrate & mend dry hair – infused with coconut oil’. This product is of a runnier consistency, like that of a conditioner. The instructions on the tub say to ‘dampen hair & apply liberally. Wrap hair in shower cap for 30 minutes and rinse.’ I don’t have a shower cap so I just wrapped my hair in a towel.
Although it didn’t instruct to do so, I applied this product straight after washing, as my hair needed a wash.

When I came to rinse out the Intensive Hair Repair my hair was easy to comb through as it had soaked into the curls leaving them easier to manage.

I let my hair air dry until still slightly damp and then applied a small amount of my usual product, Macadamia Oil. Again I used way less Macadamia Oil than I usually would as I wanted to see best as I could the results from the Intensive Hair Repair. This time, instead of a wash and go I sectioned my hair into five braids ready to do a braid out the next day.

When I took the braids out the next morning, I had intended to add more of my usual products to revitalise my curls but as I unravelled the plaits, my curls were bouncing back.

I was really pleasantly surprised with how good the Intensive Hair Repair had left my curls feeling. My hair felt so soft and was almost product free. Usually when I have this little product in my hair, it is so much more frizzier. There was some natural frizz to my hair but I quite liked it as it just gave my hair it’s natural look but still holding much of the coils.

I’m really pleased with the results after using these two Jirano products and I would definitely recommend them to anyone with dry or frizzy hair as they work wonders at rejuvenating curls and minimising frizz.

You can read Jane and Jedi’s story here http://www.jirano.com/our-story

Samio x

February 6, 2014
Another Afternoon At Richmond Tea Rooms

One of my best friends, Lydia is back over from Barcelona for the weekend, so yesterday I met up with her and her Mother for her belated Birthday Celebrations and went for tea and cake at one of my favourite places, Richmond Tea Rooms. This place has featured on my blog a few times now but I do always love taking friends along for their first visit. Lydia and her Mother loved their first visit to Richmond Tea Rooms and we had a lovely afternoon enjoying lunch, cake and wine whilst having a good catch up. We were seated in the far corner, under the mini marquee which is my favourite spot because you are able to look out onto the rest of the tea room whilst being costly secluded in your private corner.

Samio x

January 31, 2014
An Impromptu Day Out

Today began with an early morning gym session followed by a couple of castings in Salford Quays. My friend LBD had one of the same castings as me and so as we were in the area, after my second casting it spurred an impromptu day out at The Imperial War Museum. Before exploring the museum we went to a local cafe for a spot of lunch. We enjoyed falafel and humous toasties whilst catching up over numerous cups of coffee. The coffee had free refills, so being the coffee lovers we are we sure did make the most of it!
(more…)

January 30, 2014
Monochrome Sunday

Dress – Asos
Shoes – Zara
Necklace – Primark

Samio x

January 19, 2014
Tips To Help Beat January Blues

As we are often told, January is a depressing month, but it doesn’t have to be. Okay so Christmas is over and although I do miss that Merry festive time I don’t think I could eat another minced pie and I’ve had my fill of roast potatoes for a while. So in the mean time we have 2014 to focus on and if you are feeling down or need a little pick me up during this first month of the year, here are some of my tips to keeping happy and positive.

Unfortunately this isn’t a guaranteed happiness guide but these are just some of the things that I do and have tried that personally help me feel positive and happy and so some of these tips may help and work for you too.

Tip 1. Go Green
I’ve been starting my day with a green smoothie/juice for several months now. I call them green juices as I put a lot of veg in them which turns the drink green. I soon got use to the savoury taste (as apposed to sugar filled smoothies I’d previously drank) and now I rarely go a day without one. The energy boost the juices give me each morning are amazing and it’s a great way to make sure I get plenty of vitamins each day. In an average day the ingredients I will use are; 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 carrot, a quarter cup of raspberries, a hand full of curly kale and a sprinkling of linseed, topped up with water.

Tip 2. Exercise
Exercise is a great way to keep you feeling good. I try to exercise at least four times a week (when I’m being good). Over the holidays I did no exercise for over two weeks and along with all the food and drink, I started to feel bloated and sluggish. After only a week back at the gym after Christmas, I was feeling my energetic self again. I realise the gym isn’t for everyone and many people see it as a chore or boring but there are plenty or other ways to keep fit, such as partaking in local sports or even just simply going for long walks, which takes me onto my next tip…

Tip 3. Go on long walks
Okay so when it’s not pouring it down with rain (as it usually is here in the UK), going for a walk is a great way to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise at the same time. If you live somewhere sunny, then perfect for you (unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere too hot for walking). Recently we’ve had some clear days and even managed to see some blue skies. I love going for long walks when the air is still crisp but the sky is blue, as I find it really refreshing. Also when I’m stressed or need to think, I often find going on a long walk is a great way to clear the mind and leave me feeling reinvigorated.

Tip 4. Phone a friend
Two of my best friends live far away, the furthest living in Barcelona. So as you can imagine it’s not always easy to catch up, with our busy lives and the distance between us. Despite this I know that my best friends are only ever a phone or Skype call away. Catching up with my girlfriends is the perfect pick me up, I often I have a grin on my face for hours after our chats together have ended and I’ll still be giggling to myself at our silly conversations. Whether it’s catching up with a nearby friend over a coffee or speaking over the phone long distance, I can always rely on my best friends to put a smile on my face.

Tip 5. Have a hobby
It could be Wednesday night dance class, baking on a Saturday or putting an hour aside once a week to do that painting you’ve always wanted to do. Whatever your hobby is, make time for it, so that you can make time for you. Work and life can often take over and many of the interests you used to have can be forgotten. But remember the good things that make you smile and go do them.

Tip 6. Be productive
A new year can often be a fresh start and so if there’s something important you’ve been needing or wanting to do, then a good time to start getting it done is now. Rather than leaving what needs to be done till last minute or forever putting it off (something which I am often guilty of), you’ll feel much better if you start work on what you need to do, now rather than later. I was happy to finally get my bag site open last week and it’s shown me what I can do when I use my time productively. The process of the productivity might not always be fun and it might even be stressful but once it’s done you’ll be left feeling satisfied and happier.

Tip 7. Have a clear out
You may decide to make some extra cash with and eBay haul or do a good deed by giving a good chunk of your clothes to charity, either way a clear out is a great way to clear space and start fresh. I just recently did this and got rid of numerous items which I seemed to simply be hoarding. After being roofless with my clear out, not only did it leave me feeling refreshed It made plenty of space for more new clothes, hurrah! You know the saying, out with the old, in with the new.

Tip 8. Buy a new lipstick
So this tip seems really simple but it’s amazing what a bit of lippy can do. (For guys it could be buying a new grooming product, unless your a guy who wears lipstick of course). If you haven’t noticed already, I am lipstick obsessed. I love buying new lipsticks and I love trying out new shades. I am a strong believer of the positive effects that trying out a new look can do for your confidence and self esteem. A new lipstick shade alone can give you a completely different look and trying out a new colour is a great non permanent and inexpensive way to experiment.

Tip 9. Pamper yourself
I’m talking bubble bath, face mask, hair mask, nails, the works. Have a night in for you and make yourself feel and look fabulous. I find this especially important in winter months, when your skin and hair feels dryer and you feel like it’s been five years since you last saw sunshine (again if you live in a hot country, lucky for you). Pampering yourself is the perfect way to spend some me time. You could even make a night of it and get your friends over, or rope the other half in… How nice would a massage be after that bubble bath!

Tip 10. Make a plan
Having something to look forward to is a great way to keep you feeling positive. I love making plans, whether it be a girly night in, a weekend away with the boyfriend or a big trip abroad, making a plan to do something fun is always exciting. Even if you have to wait a while to do what you’ve planned, it can make you feel happier just thinking about what you’ve got to look forward to.

So these were my 10 Tips, I hope you can find some of them useful and helpful, now go forth and be happy! 😀

Samio x

January 17, 2014
Ciaté Very Colourfoil Manicure

In this post I will be showing you step by step the Ciaté Very Colourfoil Manicure and how it works.

This is the content of the box when opened. There is the base coat nail polish, the pack of Colourfoils and the glue to apply them. The kit also comes with a small leaflet on how to do each step.

I couldn’t work out what the transparent nail disc was for. The nails don’t seem to pull off the disc and they are all the same size, so they can’t be to stick on nails. Maybe I’m just being silly and it’s for something completely obvious, so if anyone could enlighten me, that would be great.

When you take the Colourfoils out of the pack you have an array of foil sheets in jazzy shades and metallics looking something like this (different packs vary).

Firstly apply the base coat. My pack came with shade Cream Soda, which I applied two coats of. I actually really like this shade on it’s own but anyway we’re here to do the Colourfoils so let’s continue…

Next it’s time to apply the Ciaté Foil Fix, or as I like to call it, glue.

Apply the glue in dots to the parts of the nail you want to foil to stick. Wait till the glue goes transparent to apply your first foil.

After applying and removing your first foil you are left with something like this. I found each foil was about enough to do each hand once.

Then repeat. Here I went for a metallic green for the second shade. I actually really liked the effect as it was at this point but as I wanted to see the full results using multiple shades, I decided to continue.

And another one… I repeated this until the nails were covered in the Colourfoil. Once I was done I cleaned up the Colourfoil from around the edges of the nails.

Here is the end result. I took this after having washed up (silly I know) and as you can see it has changed the texture of the foil a little. I think it has more of a scrunched up tinfoil look rather than a smooth tinfoil look as some of the foil did start to wash off as the glue underneath went a bit stringy. I think this could be prevented by applying a top coat when finished, which I did eventually do after I’d washed up. Ah well, you live and you learn.

Samio x

January 8, 2014
Shop Pearls & Lipstick

I’m happy to announce that my web-store, Pearls & Lipstick is now finally open!

Pearls & Lipstick sells faux leather clutch bags that I lovingly design and hand make.
You can see my latest creations and shop Pearls & Lipstick at www.pearlsandlipstick.co.uk.

Shipping Worldwide!

Lots more items will be coming soon so don’t forget to check back or keep updated by following the Pearls & Lipstick Twitter @Pearlslipstick and liking the Facebook page by clicking here. Also on Instagram @Bypearlsandlipstick

Samio x

January 7, 2014
Macadamia Natural Oil – My Curls Before & After

As you may know I love Macadamia hair products, so I was more than happy when I opened not one but five Macadamia hair kits, as presents off my Grandparents this Christmas.

My hair was over due a good treatment after all the styling over the holidays and I’d just ran out of my last Macadamia hair product, so this gift came at the perfect time.

In this post I’m going to show you my hair results after using the Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo (I forgot to get an individual shot of that bottle to add in further down this post), Macadamia Deep Repair Masque, Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment and Macadamia Leave In Cream, along with using their No Tangle brush.

This Macadamia No Tangle brush set is great for first time users as it comes with a mini 10ml bottle of the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment and a 15ml sachet of the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque. This is perfect for those who want to try the products before you buy the full sized bottles. Also I absolutely love this brush. I’m always adamant on using my Afro comb so I was surprised to see how well this brush worked on my curls.

I always brush my curls when wet, starting at the ends of my hair brushing down and in sections working my way up the hair, as to slowly detangle. I first used the No Tangle brush after I’d left the Deep Repair Masque on my hair. Before I was ready to wash the masque out, I combed through my hair with the No Tangle brush and the small flexible bristles worked through my curls really well.

This is my hair when I have just woken up. As you can see it is frizzy and the curls look less defined. (Also I was due a hair cut at the time when I took these pictures, so my hair needed particular TLC on the ends and was looking a bit dull.)

Firstly I wash my hair with the Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo, as the same with most shampoos, I apply to my hair when wet, massaging into the scalp through to the ends before rinsing.

I then use the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque. Applying when my hair is still wet I leave it on for five minutes. Before rinsing I comb through my hair with the No Tangle brush.

After fully rinsing my hair I then wrap my hair in a towel.

Whilst my hair is still damp, with my fingers I go through my hair with the Macadamia Leave In Cream. Once the product is evenly distributed through my hair, I then apply a small amount of the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment to my ends and then work it through my hair.

After letting my hair dry my curls are left looking and feeling healthier, not to mention smelling great! My natural coils are restored and my hair has a nice sheen to it without feeling oily or greasy. Macadamia Natural Oil hair products can be used on all hair types and they are definitely a favourite brand to use in mine.

To view my previous Macadamia Product Review (Using Flawless) click here.

To check out their site:
http://www.macadamiahair.co.uk
or
http://www.macadamiahair.com

Samio x

January 6, 2014