Tag Archives: blog

Mother’s Day gifts Part 2

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Eloise again! So, as I was saying, we got Vivienne more than one gift this mother’s day (partially because it’s the last one we’ll spend with me living in this house, at least until university falls through and I have to move back in).

The other gift we got was from a lovely online store called T. H. Baker, who do really nice,
more upmarket pieces than I’m used to.

The necklace I chose for Vivienne was a rose gold chain, with a pearl and interlocking rose gold design. In a case of the overly-matching, this is because she recently got the rose gold iPhone 6, and we’re a colour very co-ordinated family. She’d also mentioned wanting more delicate jewellery, and I was happy to oblige.

I really loved this delicate necklace, not just because pearls are my favourite of all the gemstones, but also because I felt like it ticked all the boxes I could want.

T.H.Baker is a lovely store and I highly recommend it for all your gifting needs. Excellent delivery, too!

Mother’s Day gifts Part 1

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SO! Sunday 6th March. Mother’s Day. We’re not really all that big on gift giving in the powderpuffgirls household, but we (Eloise et al except Vivienne) decided that this year V deserved some pretty gifts – and Eloise had a bargain or two up her sleeve.

 TheJewelHut is a delightful site full of v v pretty things that made me extra happy, so I knew I could get something delightful.

I chose this, which is a beautiful heart shaped bead for the Pandora charm bracelet. This one is sort of an inside joke, because the script on the bead reads ‘first my mother/forever my friend’.
The sentiment is definitely meant, but it is a far cry from our usual taste – Vivienne is into very classic, art deco stuff, not so much syrupy-sweet messages.

HOWEVER. This bead is lovely, and she really wanted more metal beads for her bracelet, so I couldn’t resist this adorable charm!

The Jewel Hut (thejewelhut.co.uk) is a delightful online store that I highly recommend. Happy Mother’s Day!

Anna Sui: Fairy Dance

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Eloise here! Sorry for the long wait, but you know how the Christmas rush goes. Back unto the blogging breach once more… I have loved the Anna Sui fairy perfumes since I was a very tiny girl. Donkeys years ago, … Continue reading →

The Nail Bar – Chesterfield

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IMG_0769One thing I won’t shirk is decent manicure. I feel so much better when my nails are gorgeous! I am a happy regular at the Nail Bar, so please excuse this if it seems a little over the top. I have had my nails done here at what is now my nail bar of choice since 2012.

The salon is simply laid out in the New York style, and it’s a drop in. Appointments can be made, but most people don’t. One of the team gives you an idea of how long you will expect to wait, which is usually no more than 20 minutes.

Sarah and her Vietnamese team are fast, efficient, polite and very good at what they do. I have acrylic french tipped overlays on my naturally long nails with a glossy gel finish, but they offer every colour imaginable, with any length and any paint effects you can think of. You often start off with one tech preparing your nails before a more experienced tech shapes and finishes your nails. After they dry there is some mango scented hand cream next to the dryer, which is a nice touch.

My nails always last a very long time, and I’ve never had any issues with them breaking (as people often worry about with acrylics). The only reason I get them retouched as often as I do is because of how fast my nails grow, which is obviously no fault of the team.

I haven’t tried any other treatments that they offer but have seen someone get permanent eyebrow tattoos and they looked really natural. There isn’t a web site so I have added this link to their Google+ The Nail Bar so that you can find them easily.

Oh, and it’s educational – I have even learned a little about life in Vietnam and a couple of words of Vietnamese. Cam on Nail bar team! – Vivienne

nailbar

Klasse Spa – Barlborough

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Ok this is hard to post publicly on the net but I like to have a Hollywood wax. The full Monty, clean and silky smooth. Fortunately, I have now found a superb beautician, but I made the mistake of booking an appointment at the inaptly named Klasse Spa.

The staff are skittish and poorly trained. I had to chase up messages left on their voicemail to get the appointment in the first place, then they did not seem to have me booked in when I arrived.  The place itself feels unspalike as it is amongst some fairly new industrial buildings, but looked reasonably clean. Luckily I was not there to use the spa, as I have subsequently read some dire reviews on TripAdvisor!

The young beautician was pleasant enough and assured me that they had the best wax and would do a thorough treatment. As she started she told me about her boyfriend, then prattled on about a new machine that they had just got for spot fat reduction – an obvious sales pitch. As she told me to roll from one side to the other I was wary, as those of you who have this done will know it is usual to adopt a variety of positions to get a “clean sweep”. It was over quite quickly, and she had another abortive attempt at selling me sessions with the horrendously expensive fat dissolver thing before I scurried out.

When I got home, to my dismay I discovered that only the visible hairs had been removed; not a full Hollywood, despite assurances it would be. Agh. Very disappointing.

Somewhat generous Powderpuff Girls Rating X 

Geiko – Leamington Spa

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This modern, oriental inspired salon is in the town centre and I managed to get a last minute appointment with an intermediate stylist. geiko The salon has an opulent feel, and I was welcomed by the salon Director, Paula.

The friendly stylist I was allotted checked the feel as well as the look of my hair. She asked me what I would like, which is not something I am used to, but makes a lot of sense.

I was treated to a fabulous shampoo and long relaxing scalp massage, using Shu Uemura products containing bamboo. This left my hair feeling like silk and smelling of, well, what I imagine a summer meadow in the orient would smell like. Gorgeous!

My haircut was perfect. I rarely like the finish but this was glossy, faultless. Paula came over to check that I was happy and to give her approval. I felt that I was treated like a special guest, somehow, and walked out feeling head turningly stunning. Click Geiko to go to their website.

Powerpuff Girls Rating XXXXX .

Welcome to our beauty blog

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We love testing new beauty products, salons, clinics and nail bars. We will be posting our reviews as we try to find that special chemical X!

Our rating system goes from X to XXXXX as we discover the best beauty the UK has to offer.

We will start with the East Midlands, but will journey to South Yorkshire, London and Essex on our quest to find those ‘Xtra’ special products. We are ladies who love to travel; don’t be surprised where we end up!