2011 was a year where money mattered more. The prosperous noughties where credit was available on tap, and the value of a two up two down became higher than that of Downton Abbey seemed a distant memory. So naturally, as the discount army moved in, we welcomed it with open arms. Those big red glossy stickers denoting sales of 70% off were just too good to pass by; even though you’ve never actually worn those shoes…yet.

I am not disputing the value of discounts and deals per se. I will hold up my hand and say that I have spent countless hours on comparison websites quibbling over savings on the latest toaster. But there are some things that I don’t believe should be compromised. For me, that’s my investment in beauty pampering; whether it be for vanity, relaxation or having a moment of ‘me time’ in the hustle and bustle of life. In-salon pampering is the necessary indulgence of modern women.

We all know that discounts on these treatments are two a penny. But working in the industry and experiencing the good the bad and the downright ugly in my plight for beautyifcation, I am sworn to a theory bestowed to me by my 90’s mobile hairdresser (that had an uncanny ability to turn me into Katherine Zeta Jones. So in my eyes, his words were gospel):”if you use £3 conditioner, you’ll have £3 hair”. Applying this to the discount trend within salons and spas, you have a recipe for a less than impressive experience.

It’s no new concept to believe you only get what you pay for. In times of hardship people naturally look to get more for less, but at what cost? There’s no doubt that this year is going to be a tight squeeze and the over indulgence of noughties is still a long way away. But it’s about quality, not quantity. And above all, it’s about trust. Maybe you just can’t afford to indulge the way you used to in the salon? But wouldn’t you rather treat yourself less often in a salon that knows about how frizzy your fringe gets if it isn’t blow dried straight from the sink? Wouldn’t you rather have someone that you can trust to make the judgement on your latest beauty whims?

I predict 2012 to be a year of discount fatigue. Don’t treat your hair like your groceries. The beautification of you is not something to be sniffed at. We all have a long year ahead. Let’s embrace it and put our best blow dries forward.

Lookfantastic salon group was founded in 1979 and takes pride in regular training of its stylists and team members. If you experience discount fatigue then call one of our salons for a free consultation.

We may only be two months in to the New Year but statistics show that nearly all of our resolutions have been ditched, deserted and cast aside in the face of depleting bank balances and the January blues. The media is full of dreary economic speculations, our kitchens are full of festive related Credit Card bills and above all, it’s cold…

The great news is, the ‘lipstick effect’ is in full swing and women everywhere are once again putting plans for a new kitchen on the back burner and spending time on small (sometimes secret) pampering luxuries. The ‘lipstick effect’ is no new innovation. Women have been splurging on cosmetics when times were tough since the 30s, when a new lippy was the brave face of all beautyistas during The Great Depression and a (deep crimson) stiff upper lip was a virtue.

But for 2012, the ‘lipstick effect’ has taken a favourable turn. While it has always given us the nod to splash out on (more) pampering cosmetics in all shapes and sizes (hot stone massage anyone?) the arrival of the new Nail Art trend has taken this ‘right to pamper’ to an all new level…

Lips may be bound to the usual array of rouge, pink and plums, but nails have broken out of the peachy-pink shackles and invaded our beauty counters with an abundance of bold, brash and downright daring hues. What’s more, unlike lipstick, there’s an unspoken rule to nail art creations – nothing needs to match. From a set of the brightest cobalt blues, to accent fingers (paint your wedding ring finger a secondary colour) and full on leopard print patterns, the possibilities are endless. For many of us French Manicure loving ladies, nail art is a daunting prospect, so to see you through this new adaptation with glamorous ease, I have compiled my two top nail art tips.

Don’t Run Before You Can Walk

If you have made the conscious decision to experiment with fun and flirty nails, the worst thing you can do is research the internet. It will only end in disaster. These women have been mastering the art of drawing landscape paintings on their pinkies way before nail art hit the mainstream. Their ability to video blog about their creations (whilst bringing up children and baking bespoke wedding cakes) will make you feel inadequate. If you are a nail art beginner, or just simple lass that wants a little luxe in her next manicure, stick to single colours. lookfantastic Brighton, Hove and Worthing sell a vast array of colour pop nails for you to dabble in that will propel you to centre stage (even in the board room). If you are feeling brave, add a second tonal colour to your wedding ring finger to show you’ve still got that edge…

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

They say that a craftsman shouldn’t blame his tools, but I’ll stick my neck out on this one and say that the tools are the name of the nail art game. Before you even begin to think about putting that canary yellow on your fingers make sure you are armed with the following essentials: A hard working base coat to prevent your nails discolouring (try the Jessica Base Coat lookfantastic Brighton, Hove and Worthing). A good quality cuticle remover to stop the colour spreading onto your skin (if you haven’t one to hand, both lookfantastic Brighton, Hove and Worthing offer manicures from £10.50). Some pointed cotton wool buds to correct mistakes and lastly a super shiny top coat to ensure your look stays put all week (try the Jessica Top Coat, lookfantastic Brighton, Hove and Worthing).

Above all, have fun and be daring with your nails. At least next time you read about the countries doom and gloom, you can do so with an upbeat perfect ten!

Nuts, Chocolate, Cheese, crisps and dips and all the beverages you can find….. Sound familiar? It does to me, as that basically describes my life over Christmas! I do like how at Christmas all the healthy eating rules you’ve been so incredibly strict with over the past year just fly out the window. My favorite night this festive break was sitting down with my mum to watch Great Expectations and the new Ab Fab and we just ate as much cheese as we possibly could – not exactly healthy, especially after the colossal Christmas dinner a few days before.

Anyway, if you’re like me and have over indulged this Christmas, what effect has it had on the health of your hair? It is true that you are what you eat so an unhealthy diet does equal unhealthy hair and whilst I can’t deny that a good product is a must have, sometimes you have to start at the root cause of unhealthy hair no matter how expensive and superior the product.

So, in saying this, I caught up with Lynn Elliott, Senior Style Director of lookfantastic Brighton who specialises in promoting strong, healthy hair. She had the following tips to help get your hair back to being ‘health-tastic’ this new year:

1. Firstly and simply, drink enough water. This is one of the best ways to detox as it flushes away impurities.
2. Cut out or cut back on caffeine and alcohol, due to the amount of toxins and the dehydrating effect it has on your hair.
3. Make sure you get enough vitamins as your hair only gets the nutrients that are left over once the rest of your body is done. Eating foods rich in iron and zinc is good. Iron can be found in foods such as, dark green leafy vegetables, red meat, cereals, beans and nuts. Zinc can be found in foods such as lima beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds, meat, brown rice and salmon.
4. Taking vitamin supplements are a good way to ensure your hair gets what it needs. Philip Kingsley make a nutritional supplement called PK4 Hair. It is fortified with amino acids that are the building blocks of the protein Keratin, which hair is made up of. PK4 Hair enhances the production of Keratin helping your hair grow stronger and fuller.

Once you are getting the right vitamins and nutrients the next step is to ensure you are using products which aid the health of your hair:

My nails keep splitting what should I do?

Use a moisturising nail polish remover and give your nail a break before applying new nail polish. Alternatively pop into the salon so we can assess the nail plate and surrounding skin and recommend the best course of action for you.

How do you prevent nail polish from chipping?

Painting the ends of your nails with the colour will delay chipping because it seals the ends, where the nails will chip first. Also, always use basecoat and top coat.

How do I tackle combination skin?

Generally combination skin is oily in some areas and dry in others. Keep your cleanser, exfoliator and moisturiser suited to the oily parts and use different masques and serums on different parts of your skin. Masques are fantastic for treating oily and dry skin as you can apply different masques on your oily and dry areas.

As a guy, is it important to look after my skin?

Absolutely! A mans skin can be as in as much need of attention as a woman’s – it can suffer a lot from exposure to the elements and a busy lifestyle isn’t always skin friendly. Facials will keep on top of all that damage and as they’re also extremely relaxing, there’s no reason not too.

What is the best moisturiser for winter damaged dry skin?

Dermalogica’s super rich repair is perfect for this type of skin complaint. It’s super concentrated, great for boosting collagen and protecting your natural barrier.

What is the quickest way to clear teenage breakouts?

Keep the skin clean and don’t pick it. Dermalogica’s Clean Start Range is brilliant for teenage skin and from only £12 they are must haves if you suffer breakouts.

I would like to buy a facial but I would like a back massage as well is that possible?

Yes it is. We can combine the two together to give you the ultimate treatment of your choice.

I would like an eyebrow shape but I react to the wax?

That is not a problem, we also offer threading which uses cotton, or we can tweeze them. Either way there will be no product on the skin, therefore free from reaction.

I notice you now use Decleor in your Brighton salon.  Why would I use Decleor over a high street product?

Decleor is 100% Natural, 100% Pure, 100% Alcohol free, 100% preservative free and contains 100% A1 Aromatherapy oils.

How can I stop getting orange palms when I self tan at home?

Always moisturise your hands before you start or wear a mitt to apply the self tanning cream. Once you have finished wash your hands in cold water and dry well.

Me and my friend want a pamper day?

We offer lots of pamper packages including – facials, massage, manicure, pedicures, waxing, tinting, lunch and most importantly… fizzy!!

So, after speaking with the lookfantastic team on this matter, I have prepared some top tips. One thing to remember though is the DIY blow dry is something that requires practice, patience and time but by following these steps I think we’ll all be well on our way to DIY hairstyle central in no time.

1. Use a professional shampoo and conditioner

Using professional products such as Redken, Kerastase or Philip Kingsley ensures there is no excess residue left on the hair to weigh it down.

2. Pre-dry your hair

Don’t blow dry your hair when it’s soaking wet as this exposes your hair to unnecessary heat as well as taking a lot of time. Make sure you towel dry your hair but do so gently without rubbing as this will damage and break the strands.

3. Select the right brush

Choose the right brush for the type of hair you have and type of look you want to create.

For volume and curl go for a barrel brush. Depending on how long your hair is depends on the size of the barrel. Long hair = bigger barrel and shorter hair = smaller barrel. More volume = bigger barrel. Tighter curls = smaller barrel.

For a straight and sleek look choose a paddle brush and for big waves and flicks an oval brush works well.

Your stylist will be able to help you decide which brush works best with your hair and style if you are unsure.

4. The technique

Firstly detangle your towel dried hair with a wide tooth comb. Then apply your chosen product, my favourite is Redken Spray Starch 15, which is a heat protector and styling spray in one! Quickly dry the roots, upside down using a medium heat then a low heat to create lift.

Now you are ready to start styling, but remember this is the part that requires practice so don’t give up if it doesn’t work first time round.

Split your hair into 3-4 sections at the back and 2 sections at the sides. Clip all sections back apart from one.

Next take your first section of hair. If you are aiming for a smooth and sleek look you need to put your paddle brush underneath your hair and starting at the root, point the dryer nozzle downwards and move both the brush and hairdryer down the hair shaft. Replicate this until the hair is dry, then repeat using cold air to seal the style.

To create big bouncy waves take your first section of hair and starting at the bottom wrap the hair around the brush, then take your hairdryer, point the nozzle downwards and pull the brush down. If you angle the brush as you move it down, that will give extra texture to the curls. Replicate until the hair is dry and then repeat with cold air.

Apply this technique to all sections of the hair, then fix with a finishing spray or wax. I recommend Redken Wax Blast 10 to give body and texture.

Top tip 1 – Using a medium/high heat opens up the hair cuticle which allows for styling so it’s important to blast the hair with cold air once the hair is nearly dry to seal the cuticle making the style hold.

Top Tip 2 – Point the hairdryer downwards, never up, to help eliminate frizz.

Top Tip 3 – Do not shake the hairdryer as this has no effect, can tangle the hair and make hair look frizzy.

This time of year, let’s face it, is busy! No matter how prepared we are (starting Christmas shopping in the January sales), its always busy busy busy. Work parties, family gatherings, old university friend get togethers plus there always seems to be a wedding – none of which you can say no to without that hideous sinking guilty feeling. So inevitably you say yes to everything and end up squeezing what you’d normally do in 6 months into 4 short weeks. Oh, and let’s not forget work and our daily chores.

So what do we do, what takes priority and how do we keep ourselves looking glamorous and great this winter in amongst our busy lives?

Well, I thought it would be handy to write about some top trendy hairstyles that are quick, simple and will leave you looking stunning this Christmas party season in no time at all…

Firstly, you can never go wrong with the Chignon, day or night, they are classic and beautiful and are probably one of the most versatile on trend up do’s. To achieve a Chignon simply pull your hair back into a pony tail, twizzle it round, fix into a spiral on top of your head with clips. Wear it sky high for that added bit of elegance in the evening or wear lower and add tousles for a more casual appearance.

Secondly, the pony tail, yes, we all remember it, haven’t worn it for a while but now it is back and bang on trend. This hairstyle couldn’t be simpler to achieve and is up there with the versatility and elegance of the chignon. Pull your hair back, smooth with a brush or leave tousled. The key thing to remember with a pony tail is to make sure you style the tail, don’t just stick it back and leave it. Either smooth down with your straighters or curl into gorgeous twists.

Thirdly, try a big blow dry, spend 20 minutes and either do it yourself at home if you can or pop to your salon and get your hair styled, plumped up and ready to rock. Go for the classic look with big smooth waves for your office party or ‘rock chick big’ for your Christmas Saturday girl’s night out.

Lastly, a Christmas hair style would not be complete without accessories so use what ever you like diamonds, feathers, flowers, scarves or even go all out with a tiara!

There you have it, four quick and simple ways to inject some style and glamour into your busy lives this winter.

Hasn’t it been mild for this time of year? Ok, it is starting to get colder now but I remember in Novembers past it being freezing. I’m sure from the beginning of November last year I was already wrapping up in my new snugly winter coat, ear muffs and I even think I had leggings on under my jeans! And now, I haven’t even bought a new winter coat for this year and I was happily still strolling around in my jacket and a little scarf at the end of November

Anyway, despite the very mild November, I think I can say with certainty that winter really is on its way, I’ll have to fork out for that coat and with the heating clunking back into action I’m starting to think about the affect it will have on my skin.

Every winter, we all have the same thing… the lips go first, then the hands, then before long the face. I’m in a position where I hear about top tips for keeping skin glowing and healthy from the lookfantastic beauty team and so I wanted to write about two facials that have been highly recommended to me that lock in moisture and stop skin dehydrating over the winter period:

The first facial is by Dermalogica.

‘For me it is my favourite treatment to perform’, explains Beauty Therapist Allie of lookfantastic Hove. ‘I have worked with Dermalogica many years and love it because of the results it promises. People lead really busy lives and unwinding takes time. This facial ensures you switch off completely for nearly two hours while re-hydrating and revitalising your skin. I really enjoy treating skin because I find a lot of people don’t know where to start with taking care of theirs and so I like being able to offer advice and information to all my clients’.

Allie explained to me how a Dermalogica beauty therapist will analyse your skin before carrying out any treatment, so they can see any problem areas and treat your skin with the appropriate products. Following the skin mapping analysis I was told that there is an intense but highly effective session of cleansing, exfoliating, steaming, massaging, masking and moisturising all with products tailored to your skin type.

The second facial is the Guinot Hydradermie 2 treatment.

This is a spectacular facial that uses mild electrotherapy to extract impurities and toxins that build up in the skin over time. The galvanic technology in this treatment helps push the serums deeper into the skin to give instant radiance. Hannah from lookfantastic Brighton told me that during the facial you also get a relaxing massage and a customised mask to boost the skin and leave the complexion balanced, healthy and glowing – sounds amazing!

Hannah tells me, ‘I personally love this facial as it’s rewarding to see immediate results from your clients skin after one treatment. And whilst relaxing, clients do receive a lot of information about their skin and products they can use at home to keep their skin looking soft and radiant throughout winter.’

So there you have it, two facials that promise to thoroughly hydrate your skin over winter. But, if you’re not the facials type, then drink plenty of water, take Evening Primrose Oil and cut back on the festive alcohol treats.

Fashion changes quickly for everyone and currently along with androgynous styles both the catwalk and Hollywood are going crazy over the ‘girlie’ look.

Kristen Stewart looks beautiful with her ever changing wistful hair, Rosie Huntington-Whitley has the pretty pink lips and the tousled locks and Diane Kruger looks chic with feline flicks.

Now, it’s easy to think that these gorgeous looks and hair styles are difficult to achieve for the, lets say, busy, 9-5 average Joe. Like many of us, you many think that celebrity hair can only be accomplished with the aid of your own beauty butler – tending to your every beauty need.

The good news? There’s a little secret to get you on the road to your own Hollywood hair with glamorous ease. It is of course, the three C’s – to Cut, to Colour and to Condition. With this in mind, we spoke to some of our top style directors from lookfantastic salons to get their recommendations on achieving the perfect three:

Trevor and Nicola from the lookfantastic salon in Brighton recommend the following top tips to get the perfect star stunning hair style with the use of Cut and Colour:

“It’s important that your hair stylist pays attention to what will work with your face shape and personal style. We all know what we want, but sometimes it’s nice to re-assess and chat through your ‘look objective’. Your consultation needs to be all about you and what works best with your natural look. It shouldn’t be about a new look that the stylist wants to try out, it should boil down to understanding you, listening to you and from that, creating a wearable style you can mimic back at home. This is what makes all the difference between a stylist that is right for you in the long run.”

Next we spoke to Senior Stylist, Laura from lookfantastic Hove who has her own essential steps to creating the perfect Condition for your hair:

“Always, always always get a treatment! I cannot stress enough how much this will change the feeling of your hair and how your hair falls. Treatments work by being absorbed into the hair fibre and sealed inside by the conditioner. This fills out your hair strands resulting in smoother and sleeker hair. There are always a large selection of treatments available in salons so you can choose the one that what works best with your hair.”

Taking all this into consideration, it’s actually quite reliving to know that at the centre of all these stars looks is something achievable! According to the experts from lookfantastic Salons, a great hair cut, well conditioned hair and a fabulous colour is simply all it takes to reach star studded glamour, and we think that is a favourable aspiration… after all, the powerful and elegant Christine Legarde once said ‘if your hair isn’t right, then your brain isn’t right!’

Top Trend – Add a metallic element to your hair, be it platinum, gold, silver or even steel, especially if you are blonde.

Working with the best hair and colouring artists around the UK, Amanda from lookfantastic Brighton’s salon tells us the in’s and outs of life as a Redken Artist…….

“Being an RA is a very fulfilling and motivating role, working with the best hair and colouring artists around the UK, I can say with certainty that I love it. An RA’s job is to attend and train on the Redken course days as well as partake in the Redken shows that happen in different locations around the UK.

So, what do I get up to on a Redken course day?…. Well, I begin the day around 8:00am, travelling to the venue, setting up the training room and Redkenising it to inspire the students.

The students start to arrive for coffee around 9:00am and I begin the course prompt at 9:30am, starting with some ice breakers so we can all get to know each other. The day is then filled by exchanging knowledge between myself and the students. RA’s inject plenty of fun and energy into the day which makes the Redken course so different to any other. I love this part of the job it’s fantastic motivation for me and feeds me with excitement and inspiration.

The course day finishes at around 5pm after the students share their inspiration of the day, their ‘AH HA’ moments and how they will use their new found knowledge in their salons in the future.

That’s me on a Redken course day, but as an RA you also get involved in the annual Redken shows and most recently I have taken part in The Redken Connects Tour 2011.

This tour happens at the beginning of each year, travelling to Dublin, Cardiff, Manchester and London. Redken Connects is an educational based show with live demonstrations on both small individual stages and a large catwalk style stage with appearances from Lee Stafford & Andrew Barton, to name but a few.

A lot goes into setting these shows up, the venues have to be completely ‘Redkenised’ with staging, lighting, sound and product displays. My job is to prepare the models and demos for the day.

Months before show day, the RA’s meet to decide the looks for the current year and how the show can best educate as many people as possible. These meetings are a lot of fun with a real family atmosphere and larger than life personalities. We all come together with one goal ‘Fun and Inspirational Education.’

The Dublin show went something like this:

Dublin 2011

8:00am – Travel to Gatwick for my flight to the heart of Emerald Island – Dublin.

10:00am – Met up with Sue Harrision a fellow RA for breakfast and a good chat about the day ahead. The nerves and excitement are starting to kick in!

12:00pm – Arrive at the Guinness Store House, start to set up ready for the show at 5:00pm. My first job was to meet Kelly Scott (RA) who I would be sharing the stage with. Our plan was to use colour demos to inspire the use of Shapes and Shadows (the theme for Redken Connects 2011). We sat in a very busy room of RA’s, all of us creating our looks. Our 6 demo mannequin heads had already been coloured so there was time for us to set up our flip charts, practise what will say and set up our area on stage before the doors open.

4:30pm – Time to be set up with our microphones ready for the live demos at 5:00pm when hairdressers from all over Ireland will arrive to see the show and support their fellow colleagues in the 2011 NYC Competition Regional Finals – a big congratulations to all those winners.

5:00pm – Begin our demos on stage

6:30pm – Finish our demos ready for the main stage show to start

9:30pm – Back on stage to finish our demos and to answer any questions

10:30pm – RA’s meet to debrief the day

11:00pm – Coach pick us up to take us to hotel

12:00pm – In bed, alarm set for 3:00am

3:30am – Taxi pick up to airport

6:00am – Flight back to Gatwick

9:00am – Arrive in Brighton

10:00am – Day in the salon begins

Working as an RA always puts a smile on my face that lasts for days and the motivation from these events lasts forever…!”

So when I was talking with the fabulous Allie in the Loft Retreat Beauty Salon at lookfantastic Hove I was fascinated when she told me about the new Caci Chroma Clear Facial.

I love my facials, I’ve been going to the same beautician once a month for the last 10 years, but I loved the sound of this new treatment that promises to be a deeply cleansing and toning facial. I had mentioned to Allie that I was conscious about some acne scarring on my cheeks, she said that it’s perfect for this sort of thing, so with my little sisters wedding fast approaching it was definitely worth a try. Especially if it’s good enough for the likes of Lisa Snowden and Coleen McLoughlin!

On the day of my appointment I was taken up to the Loft Retreat at lookfantastic Hove and was left to get myself ready for the facial to begin. The room was beautiful and luxurious with a real calming aura to it, I already felt relaxed – this is just what I needed.

Allie arrived and cleansed and prepped my skin, explaining step by step what she was about to do and why, which was such a pleasure. I have been to countless facials for over 10 years and I’ve never discussed the benefits so it was nice to understand exactly why the Caci Chroma Clear was going to benefit me.

Once my skin was ready Allie started work on the vacuum – the first step of the Caci Chroma Clear facial. I have to say it was a very strange sensation but very nice all the same. The suction on my skin made it feel so light and clean ready for step two, ‘the crystal blast’. This part can only be described as pleasantly scratchy, not at all painful but I did think that after the crystals had worked their magic my skin would be a bright red colour. I have to say, to my relief that it wasn’t at all, in fact it felt delightfully gorgeous and was glowing. I remember Allie saying that the crystal blast was ‘plumping out fine lines and wrinkles’ – excellent!

Following step two, Allie then applied the hydratone treatment mask to calm down and boost the skin with intensive hydration (this part can also be used as quick fix treatment on its own). The treatment was very cooling and refreshing; before finishing Allie worked the mask into my skin which was just lovely.

The Caci Chroma Clear facial was a pampering session of around an hour and once all the hard work was finished the results were instantly noticeable, in particular under my right eye I had a small scar which to me was visibly reduced. My skin was glowing, I had a smoother looking complexion; life was back in my cheeks.

As part of the package Allie gave me the hydratone treatment mask to use at home which I used at the end of the week (a day before the wedding as suggested by Allie). However, even without this treatment a week later my skin is still so smooth, with no breakouts so far!

Pleased with the results is an understatement, I am ecstatic and am already planning a course of Caci Chroma Clear Facials to work alongside my regular facial session. I see this treatment as an investment to keep my youthful looks and to be able to tell people I am 32 this year without BOTOX unlike many of the celebs out there.