Have Yourself a Merry Little Manicure

 Festive nails courtesy of Prettly

             After a grueling week, I finished my final exams at university this past Friday (hoorah!). I dashed out of my last exam to be greeted by my light at the end of the tunnel, which came in the form of Prettly. Prettly is a new beauty technology startup in London where you receive a lot of bang for your buck. They offer services such as manicures, pedicures (both Shellac and classic), hair, and make-up…all delivered straight to your doorstep, your office, or another location of your choice!

             While it can be said that most women love a good pampering session, looking good takes time (take note, boys!) and sometimes that’s time that we simply don’t have. Prettly works under the premise of convenience. Founder and CEO of Prettly.com, Rhea Papanicolaou-Frangista, comments that “anything from ordering groceries to taxis can now be done with a tap of the phone.” Papanicolaou-Frangista and Co-Founder and Head of Marketing, Farrah Hamid, discovered a gap in London for women’s beauty needs, and then they filled it.

My friend receiving her pedicure

             Prettly’s mobile-friendly website couldn’t be more simple to use and it caters to the busy lifestyles and schedules of women on the go. All you need to do is first create an account on Prettly.com, and then through a series of quick steps, you select the treatment(s) of your choice, the date, your beauty professional, and the time. From there, you whip out the plastic and pay for your treatment(s) without having to worry about it on the day.

             I opted for a Shellac manicure and a classic pedicure, while my friend chose a Christmas-themed pedicure. Beauty treatments don’t have to be a solitary activity, but they can be a fun, relaxing hangout for you and a friend. In a typical nail salon setting, however, this usually means you aren’t able to sit together, which means no talking either! What’s the point of a good girly catch up without the gossip?! When my friend arrived at my flat, she came toting wine and sweet treats to celebrate the end of the semester. With winter starting to stretch its frosty wings, Prettly provides the perfect solution for not wanting to brave the cold, or even trade your pajamas for clothes…

My friend's mistle-"toes"

             I was very impressed with Prettly’s efficiency and coordination. Before my appointment, I received a reminder email and text and our lovely beauty professional, Nicoleta Rambu, arrived ten minutes before her scheduled appointment time. Prettly’s beauty professionals are vetted and tested by the team beforehand. They are then rated and reviewed by the customers after each treatment, which maintains the high quality standard.

             Rambu brought a carryall with wheels, which held all of her products and supplies, including a blowup basin in which to soak our feet. All I needed to provide were towels while Rambu provided the rest from her Mary Poppins bag! My friend and I were given the ultimate luxury experience as we simultaneously sipped wine while resting on the comfortable chairs in my flat, our nails primped to perfection, and our final exams far from our minds.

Nicoleta Rambu, our Prettly beauty professional, and my Rudolph red nose nails

             Rambu was amiable from the start and really helpful, giving my friend and me tips throughout. What I liked the most about Rambu was that she took her time and actually ended up staying with us for around four hours!  She showed me multiple shades of red and let me test each one out before making a decision. The type of red, whether cherry or more along the orange spectrum, is very important you know! Rambu only left when she was (and we were) completely happy with the results. By the end of the appointment, Rambu was laughing and joking along with us in our silly antics and I’m certain it’s not the last I’ll be seeing of her!

             Prettly has very generously offered a 10 percent discount off your first treatment with them if you email bookings@prettly.com with the code PRETTLY-FOR-LDN-DREAM in the subject line. Treat yourselves this Christmas! Get started on Prettly's website here. 

Ho, ho, ho: 'tis the season to be jolly!

Bloggers Fashion Week: Where the Virtual Embraces the Actual

             Move over London Fashion Week. There’s a newcomer on the catwalk that goes by the name of Bloggers Fashion Week. Establishing itself for the first time this March and hosted by Bloggers Love, which organizes events for bloggers, you are sure to catch this three-day event on every blogger’s hot list. Just the place to put a face to a blog, The Penthouse in Leicester Square designated its seventh and eighth floors to the blogger sphere. The to-die-for London skyline featured the electric blue London Eye overseeing the proceedings.  

             Blogging starts with a passion that gradually builds up a following, which is further perpetuated by networking. There are hundreds of blogs run by individuals teeming with talent and diverse interests, but sometimes it can be hard to reach out when we are restricted by our computer screens. That is why it is highly advantageous to connect with fellow bloggers whenever the opportunity presents itself.

             Bloggers Fashion Week started with a “summer garden chic” dress code, bloggers boutique, and multi-brand and highlight fashion shows. The models of the multi-brand fashion show were styled by bloggers, while the highlight fashion show featured one retailer/designer. We were spoiled for choice as we perused various designers and their fashion mediums. A tradeoff was available from Swap In The City if we wished to exchange some of our previously worn, but well-kept clothing items with other bloggers. The assembled guests were then allocated seats to have a good look at what trends we should be adopting now, with brand Reiss stealing the show.

Guirado Design scarves

Rachel Black Millinery; how sweet are those bow hats?!

Tutti Rouge lingerie

Olivia Cox, presenter of Bloggers Fashion Week

I am experiencing severe separation anxiety from this eye-popping Reiss suit

             Unfortunately, I was unable to make the next day’s festivities, where “mad hatters tea party chic” was the sartorial suggestion. A blogging master class was held to help bloggers up the ante on their skills, alongside more fashion shows - with the attention placed on Debenhams and Specsavers.

             However, on day three I travelled in style by way of a streamlined, glossy black Mercedes-Benz to celebrate the triumph of Bloggers Fashion Week as it wound down. The complimentary ride came courtesy of Bloggers Love and Uber, a company that allows you to order a car directly from your mobile. Hey, the life of a blogger is hard.

             “All black city chic,” my style go-to, was a no-brainer as I lost myself amongst a sea of other sharply and well turned out bloggers. I made a beeline for the bloggers beauty bar, where I joined a long line of eager ladies waiting to get their nails beautified and accessorized. With the London sunshine holding up recently, I had an assortment of Easter egg pastels to choose from, selecting a seafoam green polish with a classic black and white houndstooth accent for my ring fingers. The manicurist must have seen dozens of nails that day and I applaud her skills, finishing off faultless paint jobs and requested designs in about 15 minutes.

             Umberto Giannini, Sleep-In Rollers, Bravura London, Vita Liberata (live tanning area), Headmasters (blow dry bar), and Lash Perfect (lash bar) were amongst the brands that had set up shop for the evening. The perks of this were definitely not limited to the goodie bags we received with samples, but representatives were more than happy to explain all about their products, providing us with expert tips and tricks.

             Umberto Giannini has a wide range of hair products, one such being the Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray from the Glam Hair collection, which smells amazing! I have previously tried salt spray from VO5 and Label.m and I am a huge fan of the look it achieves, so I have decided to do a mini product review of Umberto Giannini’s, which can be bought at any Boots store for about six pounds. The great thing about salt spray is that it’s incredibly simple to use and it gives hair a matte texture while creating sexy beach waves that every girl wants to master. 

             Let me just start off by saying that I have very fine, straight hair and I am not exactly adept at using a curling iron, but I love wavy or curly hair! Hence, I am always looking for shortcuts on how to fake my way there. No one has ample amounts of time in the morning to waste on doing their hair, so just follow these four simple steps and I guarantee you’ll have "the look that says you haven't tried, you just are this gorgeous," as the packaging suggests.

Step 1. Spray Umberto Giannini's Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray generously in damp or dry hair and secure in a bun before bedtime.

Step 2. When you wake up in the morning, lean your head forward and shake your hair out after undoing your bun.

Step 3. Voilà! Perfectly tousled beach waves.

Step 4. Style as desired. I always find myself reaching for a hat to add the finishing touch.

             Before being hit with a double whammy of highlight fashion shows from Gerda Truubon and Girl Meets Dress, I played around in the giant photo booth that was clearly a big hit with everyone and an ingenious icebreaker. We all fought our way into the booth once, twice, even three times to pose with assorted props, joined by our new blogger friends. Then, all that was left to do was to sit back and enjoy the show as the DJ pounded the bass while the models pounded the catwalk.

Photo booth fun

             Business cards were exchanged and friendships were formed, making the blogging world all that little bit less lonely. Bloggers Fashion Week was a resounding success, so you had better get blogging if you want to attend the next one! I have been blogging for almost a year now, but the road has in no way been a predictable or boring one! Blogging comes with its ups and downs, but Bloggers Fashion Week left me on a very, very big high.

The Girl Meets Dress duo

I could not get enough of these bold chain-focused dresses from Gerda Truubon

             To learn more about Bloggers Love and get involved, check them out here. For your own lavish Uber experience, sign up here. Explore Reiss here and Umberto Giannini here. Be inspired by Girl Meets Dress here and Gerda Truubon here. For directions on how to find The Penthouse, see here. 

Receiving My (Very Fashionable) Red Bull Wings

             We are soon to enter the February edition of London Fashion Week as Cupid draws his arrow on February 14th, making the event the sweetest and most stylish Valentine that you have ever had. Until its end on the 18th, London Fashion Week promises to be perpetually high-paced and fully charged. This is why a pre-Fashion Week pampering is an essential calm before the storm, and what better place to hold such an event than Red Bull Studios? We all know that a few of their energy drinks will be replacing our typical accessories as an outfit staple during the hectic comings and goings of the week.

             Hosted by The Show Space, a production company that focuses on events management, fashion show production, and casting and scouting, the Re-Treat all-day event on the 3rd and 4th of February proved to spoil and pamper us to perfection. The staff was friendly and attentive and director Nikki Sheldon was darting around in true professional form to both oversee the event and offer warm greetings. Elemis, ORLY, Browhaus, Sleep MakeUP, SP Men, SP Luxe, Nioxin, and Sebastian Professional all offered complimentary beauty treatments for guests. French Connection was also displaying their new fashion and home wear ranges and a digital photo booth served as a fun distraction, silly props optional!

Photo courtesy of The Show Space 

             During the event, I acquired a luscious goodie bag full of survival items and various vouchers to help soften the blow of a stressful week, containing absolute must-haves. I later received a Sleek MakeUP treasure trove of gems to experiment with and some Scaramouche and Fandango products for “the man in my life!”

             The Red Bull smoothie bar serving raspberry and blackcurrant and mango flavors plus an energy kick was enough to make me believe that Red Bull really does give you “wings!” There was no shortage of food nibbles and we were all very well looked after with pastries, popcorn, and later on, pizza. The relaxing atmosphere accomplished what it set out to achieve with its laid-back and breezy vibe and softly flowing conversation.

Photo courtesy of The Show Space

             I had booked myself in for an Elemis Stress Away shoulder and back massage, which was heavenly and left me floating my way over to the Sleek MakeUP counter for an eyebrow master class. There, the very lovely Olivia helped to straighten out my eyebrow ineptitude as she showed me the basics of filling them in to best flatter my face shape.

Photo courtesy of The Show Space

Showing off my impeccable eyebrows thanks to Olivia of Sleek MakeUP

             A select gathering, invitees were permitted to come and go as they pleased. After pre-arranged treatments, we were welcomed to stay a while longer and mingle with the rest of the group, cheekily grabbing a few Red Bulls or taking advantage of the ping pong table. The trendy milieu was devoted to its assembled guests through and through, and in turn, those guests were very grateful (myself included)!

Photo courtesy of The Show Space

             After speaking with a few of the models, staff, and representatives of the brands, I was able to connect with them outside the reigns of London Fashion Week and talk to them solely as people who were just as down to earth as the rest of us. London Fashion Week need not be about the superficiality that is aimed at us through media and news reports, but more about the subtle undertones of everyone bonding through a shared love of fashion. Therein lies the genuine source of what brings us together, but more importantly, keeps us together.

Photo courtesy of The Show Space

             I would like to give a big thank you to Nikki Sheldon for allowing me the opportunity to attend this event. Visit The Show Space website here, and for more information regarding London Fashion Week, see here. To read about my experience from London Fashion Week last September, have a look here, and for London Fashion Weekend, here.  

Photo courtesy of The Show Space