Hair | Girl Gloss

Oct 17, 2012

Seven Must See London Beauty and Shopping Locations

October 17, 2012 By Carleenp 3 Comments

Traveling to London? It is a wonderful city for shopping and salon services! Check out these seven must see stops for all things in makeup, hair and beauty.

Photo credit: Screens Project-London Flickr Creative Commons

(1) Fenwick describes itself as the UK’s most exciting department store. Fenwick began as a hair accessories boutique, and is now a full department store featuring luxury goods. It is an especially good stop for shoes, handbags, and exclusive cosmetic lines. For luxury shopping at it best, make it a stop on your beauty and fashion shopping tour.

(2) Harrods is another top department store worthy of any shopping trip experience. With seven floors of luxury goods, you could spend all day, and easily spend a small fortune in one location. This is the go-to place for all of the top luxury brands.

(3) Need a new cut or style? When it comes to finding hairdressers in London, there are many great ones to choose from. From celebrity and television favorite Andrew Barton to Daniel Hersheson, a favorite of Vogue staffers, you can find a top notch cut or style for your days and nights out visiting the city. Some salons also use salon appointment software for easy scheduling, or simply ring them up and book your appointment.

(4) Check out Spa London for good values with a full menu of services. This full service spa offers everything from standard treatments to pools and steam rooms. With its extensive selection of items, it is a great choice if you want to be able to get a variety of services or just plain can’t decide what you want. There is something there for everyone.

(5) As a runner up to Spa London, if you likes pools and baths, try the Porchester Spa, which also offers affordable basic services and a great selection of pools and baths. This is the perfect place for all of you Turkish bath lovers, but you can also get an affordable massage while you are there too.

(6) Get chic nail art done at the trendy WAH Nails salon. The salon specializes in nail art and, with locations in TopShop stores, they are easy to find and are also affordable. Indeed, some credit WAH with making nail art into the current trend that it is today. While at TopShop, also do some shopping for affordable and highly on-trend clothes.

(7) Boots on Oxford Street is a must do affordable beauty stop in London. this large store is perfect for stocking up on all of your favorite Boots skin care items and cosmetics. Aside from their own line of products, Boots sells the popular Models Own nail polish line and the truly wonderful Soap and Glory line of skin and bath products. I particularly love Soap and Glory hand cream!

Disclosure: This is an advertorial.

Disclosures: Girl Gloss at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Coulter

Filed Under: Bling, Color, Fashion, Hair, Shopping lists, Spa Tagged With: Beauty, Hair, London, Nails, Shopping, Spa

Aug 31, 2012

Hair Extensions: Tips to make them Last

August 31, 2012 By Carleenp 2 Comments

To get the most out of your head extensions, you need to use your head, when you stop laughing over that one; there are some serious ways to look after your extensions. There are also some very important things to avoid doing if you want your extensions to behave properly. There is a misconception that the best extensions cost hundreds of pounds, but there are many good extension pieces cost much less than £100. If you treat them properly, they will be the best value you will ever buy.

Treat Your Extensions as Well as Your Hair

This may seem an obvious part of wearing hair extensions, but you would be surprised how many people wear extensions out on the weekend and then forget about them until the next time they want to wear them. By giving the hair extension a deep conditioning, you can maintain the hairpiece and massively improve its lifespan. A deep conditioning on a weekly basis will restore the moisture that is lost even when you are not wearing the hair. Washing long hair extensions should be done in a downward motion to help avoid tangles and knotting.

Brushing and Styling

Hair extensions are the same as the hair on your head and this means that they are prone to the same damage and breakages as you natural hair. Combing or brushing the hair is an essential part of the maintenance, and using straighteners or colours is going to hurt the hair over time. You may not be able to purchase the exact colour extension to match your own hair, so consider which you would prefer to colour. Colouring both is the only real way of making sure both your natural hair and the extension matches.

What to Avoid with a Passion

The days of multi-coloured hair extensions were short lived and they are long gone. Never wear a colour that is so different to your natural hair that the extension stands out a mile. Bright, multiple colours may be okay for a teenager to wear to a party for the night, but they will only look ridiculous on an adult trying to improve their appearance. If you want to look good, choose to go with the best product you can realistically afford. If spend less means buying a shorter extension, then this is the way to go. Nothing is worse than spending your money and not feeling happy with the result.

One of the most popular hair extensions of today are the Brazilian knot hair extension which can add glamour, sophistication and turn heads at the same time.

Filed Under: Hair Tagged With: Hair

Jul 6, 2012

Don’t Let Your Hair and Makeup Age You

July 6, 2012 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

As we age, our hair and skin changes and I’m not just talking about gray strands and wrinkles. Avoiding some common mistakes can help take years off your appearance.
Hair Color

Because our complexions lose some color as we mature, we should make sure our hair color is richer.Choosing a color that is too dark will make your wrinkles stand out even more by casting dark shadows on your skin. Dark hair also causes scalp to show through more prominently if you have thinning hair.Minimize this by going a little lighter than your natural color. The other extreme, a color that is too light will also age you because it causes your complexion to look too washed out. Red hair is hard to pull off on women with mature skin because it highlights age spots, blotchiness and sallow complexions. Look for colors with golden tones, like a honey blond.

Bangs Before Botox

Just because you are over 40, doesn’t mean you have to cut off all your hair. 40 is the new 30 after all. Consider whether your long hair is healthy and shiny looking. If your hair looks dry and frazzled, you should be doing some serious deep conditioning, or give up and cut some of it off. Bangs are one thing that can quickly take years off your face. Long, side swept bangs look great on just about everyone and do a lot to cover the lines on your forehead.

Cake is for Birthdays

Don’t make the mistake of pancaking on makeup to cover wrinkles and sun spots. In fact, as you age, you risk looking even older by using makeup that will settle into lines, in colors that make you look pasty and pale. Visit a makeup counter where an expert can find you a slightly warmer or deeper color than you have always used. Always make sure your skin is moisturized before applying makeup and if you don’t use one, consider trying a primer. Primers are usually a silicone based product that makes your skin smooth, fills tiny lines and provides a perfect surface for your makeup.

Avoid traditional concealer and use a highlighter, which contains minerals that diffuse light. Go easier on the blush, poorly placed it can make your face look gaunt.

Lip Service

If you must wear lipstick, use a lip pencil in the same color to help avoid lipstick bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth. Buy a lipstick brush to apply lipstick rather than applying it straight from the tube. A more youthful look will always be a light colored gloss. Dark colors on lips will look harsh and make you appear older so if you refuse to give up red, find a sheer one.

Windows To Your Soul

The delicate skin around your eyes ends up looking crepey with too much makeup. Use a small amount of primer and then choose colors that cancel red and yellow tones, like sage. Avoid cream eyeshadows, which build up in the creases.

Gloria Marquez is a mother and writer who works for Eco-Tools Makeup so she considers herself an expert on cosmetics. She often blogs about makeup and how to get the most out of your look.

Photo Credit: Lord_Henry