♥

For someone who runs a website like this one, I really am quite abysmal at getting my hair cut and maintained to a pleasing standard. Massages, exercise classes, buying my lunch and restaurant dinners seem to drain the majority of my “extra money”, while my hair gets left being swooped up in a simple high pony tail day after day, only occasionally being privy to a hair straightener.

This year, I’m determined to make an extra effort to have “babe hair” more often than not, so with that in mind I headed down to Element Aveda Concept Salon in Subiaco for a cut, colour, blowdry & style AKA a complete overhaul. I had a 60′s themed night out planned too, so I was especially excited to have my hair styled.

When I phoned up to book the appointment I was a bit nervous, as I always am with hairdressers, but the guy who answered the phone was great and managed to book me in with Bree, the Creative Director for my whole sesh. Note to the uninitiated: seeing the Creative Director usually costs a bit of extra moolah, luckily for me it was worth it in this case!

♥

With my long scraggly mop in tow, I was greeted with cups of Aveda tea (so yummy once you get used to the unique taste!), hand massages and the signature “blue oil massage”. Bree and I decided to go with a chestnut colour, which has the gentlest of red tints to it, similar to my own hair colour but just a bit more oomph. Love the colour, but next time I think I will be a little more daring!

♥

For the cut, I wanted quite a bit off, but still a longish side fringe and the ability to make it a lil wavy. Check, check, check. Bree delivered all this and more and was fun to talk to. I ended up with an Alexa Chung-esque long bob with waves which I digged, and she even gave me a mini lesson on how to create GHD waves on my own… which I’ll try soon!

The whole experience was about 2 & 1/2 hours, and everyone was super friendly, I was kept hydrated and…THERE WAS A PUG IN THE SALON!

This certainly was a plus for me as I am wild about pups.

♥

I purchased the Aveda Brilliant Hair Spray ($39.95) which makes hair super shiny, gives a medium hold & contains black tea, certified organic chamomile, aloe and more! I found it kept my waves in well throughout a night of 60′s dancing!

So without further words…

Tah dah. New hair.

The total cost for my wash, cut, colour, blowdry/style & Brilliant Shine Hairspray was $265.

I will definitely be back!

Element Aveda Concept Salon
17 Rokeby Rd Subiaco WA 6008
(08) 9382 3004

Do you like the short hair or the long hair?! Love to hear your thoughts!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

For the low-maintenance lady with a love of sun-kissed locks, balayage has been pretty hard to beat. A popular hair trend that has seen a slew of Erin Wasson hair doppelgangers emerging from salons since 2009, I too jumped on the band-wagon. But this summer, I wanted something different. I’ve seen another band-wagon travelling past, and I have jumped straight on. If balayage was the zeitgeist of a care-free summer beauty routine last year, this summer will see 90s style pastel pretty hair making a come back. You might have also seen it referred to as Ombre, from the French ‘to shade’. It’s basically a dip-dye effect where the hair is dyed from light to dark, or dark to light.

♥ Model Dree Hemingway

I decided to make the switch on a whim, and having heard wonderful things about King Street’s Head Studio, I book myself a last minute appointment. Having called at 10am, I manage to get myself down to their swanky studio by 10.45am. If I wasn’t thoroughly impressed already with their flexibility, Head Studio’s antique decadence leaves me feeling like I’ve entered the royal frontiers of Perth’s hair dressing salons. Perhaps not the place for those looking to relax, Head Studio feels a lot like a busy Northbridge café, with a playlist made in indie heaven (I believe I listened to Wolfmother’s first album) and a staff of very fashionable and talented young things. With some of the hair dressers responsible for the glorious manes of Perth’s Fashion Week, I know I’m in good hands.

♥ Model Charlotte Free

I’m greeted by two lovely ladies who escort me through as we discuss exactly what I want. I’m thinking more along the lines of a subtle hue a la models Charlotte Free and Dree Hemingway rather than My Little Pony, so we decide upon a tasteful and understated magenta. After a complimentary head and shoulder massage (bliss!), my colourist retouches my balayage so the magenta will come up brighter. After that’s developed and I’ve caught up on the latest Oyster magazine, we then get down to business. The magenta is actually a mixture of pink and blue mixed in with toner, and I’m told that sadly, will fade within a few washes.

After a light trim, my hair is then dried and loosely curled with a GHD.

♥

The colour completely washed out after 3 washes, but my hair is notorious for being hard to maintain colour. I’m not too disappointed though – the staff were perfect conversationalists, and if you check in on Foursquare you get a free milkshake! I’ll definitely be back there soon!

Cost: $235 for cut/colour/blow dry

Web: www.headstudio.com.au

Salons:
PERTH SALON 08 9481 6464
64 King St, Perth CBD

SUCCESS SALON 08 9498 7577
Shop 20A, Gateway Shopping Centre, 816 Beeliar Drive, Success

ROCKINGHAM SALON 08 9527 1697
Shop 4/7 Railway Tce, Rockingham Beach

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/headstudio
Twitter: @headstudio

Pastel hair – 90s raver faux pas? Or fashion forward? What do you think?

Review by Camilla Peffer, pastel haired princess (for a brief time anyway) and curator of Cunning Copy.

Be well,

xoxo

♥

I had been thinking about getting hair extensions for a little while now. As a lot had changed in my life recently, so I decided new hair was just what the doctor ordered!

I went into Blackberries for Hair in East Perth and had a free consultation with the owner, Evadney, who has been specialising in hair extensions for over 30 years. During the consultation she explained the various ways she can apply the hair and what she recommends based on your hair type. I decided to have the microlink technique with Russian hair.

My hair was looking rather unintentionally balayaged, so she gave me the option to go to my regular hairdresser with the sample of the hair to get my hair a more uniform colour so the hair extensions would blend better.

Evadney applied the microlink hair extensions by separating my hair into even triangle sections with the same amount of hair she clamps onto it. She explained if not enough of your hair is used and then a hair extension is attached which is too heavy, it can lead to your hair getting pulled out, the hair extension falling out or even bald spots!

Lucky for me Evadney is a perfectionist. Once all the hair extensions were expertly put in, she cut and blended my natural hair seamlessly into my new long hair. The whole process took about 4 hours. During this time I had a great chat with Evadney, watched a man get dreads, read some new magazines and learnt how to look after my new hair.

I’m so happy with my new long beautiful hair. I walked out of Blackberries feeling great, confident and a little bit like Rapunzel…

Blackberries is offering an October special, $550 for 120 strands of Russian hair instead of the usual price of $990 which I was very happy to take them up on!

Blackberries for Hair
3/74 Corner of Wellington St & Bennett Street
East Perth
(08) 6161 1431

Review by Jana Tann, aka Rapunzel!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

I’m pregnant!!

Don’t get me wrong – we love hearing them from friends, then it’s all shrieks, hugs, and tears. But there’s one person we simply do not want to hear it from, and I’m pretty sure I can speak for the whole sisterhood here…your hairdresser.

Years of unflattering cuts, tragic colours, and massively botched home attempts, litters a rite of passage to be endured until you find, THE ONE. So when your hairdresser enthusiastically declares her impending motherhood, I understand that it takes all your strength not to pick up the buzz razor and fashion a reverse Mohawk through the centre of her perfectly sculpted bob.

Word of warning, if you’re a hairdresser about to make a life changing announcement, please don’t be offended if your clients don’t share your enthusiasm, it’s just that we know our life is about to become ruled by our fickle follicles.

When my last hairdresser drifted off into oblivion, I found myself skulking back to a major corporate salon I’d used years ago in the nineties, Maurice Mead Subiaco.

♥

Perhaps it was a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder but I was thrilled with the service. Not only were the magazines post World War II, I was given a cup of tea and placed in front of a television showing the latest fashions, then given a head massage to die for. The act of hair washing reached a whole new level when, lying back on a black leather vibrating massage chair, the apprentice worked his magic for a good 15 minutes, all the while checking on my personal level of pressure, bliss. Numb beyond belief I watched on as my stylist, Ailsa, retrieved my card and identified the colours that had worked best for me in the past then listened to what I wanted. Not only that, she checked regularly to make sure I was happy. In the end I left the salon relaxed and feeling very special. While it was a lot dearer than my previous stylist, I’d almost pay double just for the head massage, but don’t tell them that.

Maurice Meade Subiaco
9/127 Rokeby Road, SUBIACO WA 6008
Salon is located on Barker Rd

PH: (08) 9381 6447
Web: http://www.mauricemeade.com.au

Review by Glennys Marsdon – author, blogger, consumer behaviourist who’s spent a lifetime researching why we do what we do, but still hasn’t worked out Hollywood tap.

Be well,

xoxo

I LOVE themed parties! Give me an excuse to get into costume and play a character for the night and I will be there with bells on; and in this case Swarovski crystals as well.

On this occasion the theme for the party was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The look I wanted to go for was an “ethereal woodland fairy”, much like the mischievous characters from Shakespeare’s play.

I designed the outfit myself. The top was made out of a satin and organza skirt that I shredded into panels and draped strategically over my torso, leaving my back and most of my midriff bare. The flowing, long, white skirt complimented the baby pink top and I painted my toenails with a shimmering polish and went barefoot.

For my hair and make-up, I called in the professionals.

Slajana Spaseski is the founder and owner of the Perth based business, Make-up by Design. She arrived at my house equipped to completely transform me, and efficiently went about turning my bathroom into a salon.

♥ Slaj gives me the tip “during the day it’s always best to work in a room that has natural light”.

Julia before makeup.

Julia after makeup.

Over the next 3 hours, we planned and executed the complex transformation as you can see from the before and after photos. Slaj deftly moved from product to product and so I asked her to give me a rundown of just how she created this design.

Here is a step by step guide you can follow yourself:

Base

♥ Always begin with a clean canvas (baby wipes are best to clean the face because make up wipes often leave an oily residue which can make the base unstable).

♥ Apply a primer to the skin with a foundation brush. The primer will prep the skin for the foundation and will also make it last longer. I used Jemma Kidd Primer. It has light reflecting particles in it which give the skin a youthful glow.

♥ Next I applied Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (Available online at StrawberryNet) all over the face.


Cheekbones

♥ Julia is naturally gifted with very chiselled cheekbones (thanks Slaj) and so I merely accentuated them by using a peach powder blush on the apples of her cheek.

♥ Then, from my Smashbox Contouring Palette I used the darkest colour powder in the hollow of her cheek and my Smashbox Mosaic Highlighter Palette to accentuate the cheek bone.


The Eyes, Eyebrows and the Mask

♥ I began by lightly dusting the entire eye area, up to the mid forehead, with a baby pink loose pigment.
♥ I then drew in the cat eye with a M.A.C eye crayon, extending the wing to the temple.

♥ The eyelashes were then curled using a heated eyelash curler (I loved this! I am going to pick one up from Priceline for about $12, much nicer than the old school eyelash curler!), following by lashings of black mascara.

♥ I applied false eyelashes with a pair of tweezers and Duo Glue.

Benefit – Brows a Go-Go!

♥ While we were waiting for the glue to dry, I gave Julia her dramatic eyebrows using my Benefit Brow Kit . I used the eyebrow wax to set the hairs into place and plot the desired shape. When I was happy with the shape, I accentuated the brows using the darker brow powder applied with a 266 Mac Eyebrow Brush.
♥ The mask was given some depth by drawing in both silver and black streaks using Kryolan paint.
♥ I then glued Swarovski crystals randomly within the mask using Kryolan Spirit Gum.

♥ The feathers were glued on the outer corners of the eyes using spirit gum to accentuate the winged eye make-up.

Lips
♥ The lips were lined with a neutral pink lip liner by Napoleon and filled in with a shimmer lip gloss by Modelco .

The tool kit!

Hair
♥ The hair was roughly blow dried and lightly sprayed with hair spray. Each section of hair was sprayed again prior to rolling with with Babyliss hot-rollers.

♥ When the make-up was finally finished it was time to pull out the rollers.
Each section was carefully removed so as to not disturb the curl. Each individual curl was then sprayed to hold.

Body
♥ Julia’s body was bronzed and glowing thanks to the application of Chi Chi Solarium in a Bottle.

It was a wonderful experience to get pampered at home and Slaj was very conscious of the time and making sure that I was able to get dressed, have something to eat and take lots of fantastic photos before heading out. The look was very dramatic and caused quite a stir at the party.

♥

People were surprised at how completely unusual I looked. I have never had curly hair and so I was very excited to get the ringlets.

If you want to learn how to create theatrical or natural looks you can attend one of Slaj’s workshops. Find out more here: http://make-upbydesign.blogspot.com/

Make-up by Design is a completely mobile business so Slaj can come to your home or hotel to prepare you for a big event. She says that now is the busiest time of year with parties and weddings in the warm weather.

She does everything from weddings to photo shoots for clothing labels.

Check it out on Facebook or contact Slajana on: 0433967900 or Slajanamake-upbydesign@hotmail.com. She is on call 7 days a week.

Review by Julia Hern, personal trainer and event junkie who loves to swim, but doesn’t need water to make a splash!

Be well,

xoxo

Let me introduce Bee. She is 25, nutty, cat obsessed, and a genius with scissors.

Stepping into Bee’s salon, Peggy Sues, was a very different hair experience for me. Walking through Last Chance Studios, then through a kitchen and up a winding staircase (careful not to step on the sleeping kitty!) makes you feel as though you are visiting a friend, not a hairdresser which is always a good thing!

Once seated and robed Bee and I have a chat about what I want and within 5 minutes of talking we both come to a decision… Mermaid hair*. Otherwise known as hair with lots of layers, swish and length, mermaid hair is something I have always longed for and Bee is just as excited as I am about achieving it.

She gets straight into the washing and cutting, (no messing around here) and a short while later I am a very happy lady with pretty mermaid hair. We decided not to redo my balayage, as once the layers were cut in, the colour popped out any ways. This saved me from wrecking my hair with more dye and also saved my pennies! Bee even gave me a quick lesson on how to style my new do at home. Very nice.

If you are after a salon that is comfortable, kitsch, friendly and fun then Peggy Sues Is for you.

If you prefer mood music, cups of tea and white walls then look elsewhere. Bee was previously employed with Circles Subiaco and she charges extremely low prices for the level of expertise offered.

CASH TALK.

Student Cut+Blowdry- $50
Cut+Blowdry- $60
Mens – $25
Cut,Colour,Blowdry – from $150
Blowdry- $45
Hair Up – $80

(Prices current as of December 2010)

Review by the lovely fashion/beauty blogger April Rose.

Welcome to our BRAND NEW segment, where we will uncover for you all the secret tips & tricks that well-known and upcoming “Perthonalities” employ to keep them looking and feeling on top of the world (or Kings Park)!

If you have any suggestions for Perth based darlings you’d like us to interview, send through an e-mail and we’ll try and get them to shed some light on their health and beauty routines.

First up is Adriane Daff, actress and local pretty Perthie, she has worked in films, television and most recently two plays that received rave reviews, including “The Pride“.

Read on to see how she keeps looking great…

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine!

Trying to remember to cleanse, tone and moisturize. Trying to remember to put on sunscreen. Trying not to touch my face throughout the day. Trying to do at least some sort of exercise. Trying to drink as much water as I can. Trying to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Trying to eat apples. I would describe the whole routine as ‘trying’.

♥ Whats the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

IPL at The Beauty Gallery is pretty damn amazing. Mircrodermabrasion at the same place is also really good. And I like facials.

The best facials I’ve ever had in my life were at a place in the West Village in New York that I went to regularly up until about a year ago when I left America. My therapist was a very stern Eastern European lady (called something like Olga) and told me if I just drank more water and slept more it would make a huge difference. I wish I could go to her regularly. She was so matronly and matter of fact. I miss her.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

I trust anyone and everyone. I’m not too prescious about my hair (and maybe not too kind) but I feel like it’s the one thing that no matter what you do to it, it’ll always grow back. So you should dye it, cut it, do whatever you like to it because it’s only temporary. In saying that though nine times out of ten when I say to someone I love your hair they tell me they got it done at Head Studio.

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Visine eye drops. Eight dollars!

Juicy Tubes!

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Lancome juicy tubes, Aesop sunscreen, Dior Diorshow mascara.

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Sleep and water drinking! Just like Olga said! Boring. But it works, I think.

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

One day I would like to go to a really intense day spa that lasts for maybe a week and is in a really remote part of the world and you do things like immerse yourself in snow/steam in a sauna/roll around in honey/get blasted with a high pressure hose and eat only rice two times a day. Something really harsh, just to see if it works.

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you?

I’m not so good with routine, I find it really hard to get into good habits. Food both bores me and overwhelms me. I try to eat things that I know are good for me but more often than not I don’t care enough. I’m working on it.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

Again I’m really bad with routine so I go through phases of exercise but things I always find myself going back to are walking (because it doesn’t feel like you are exercising) swimming and yoga. I recently started Bikram Yoga which I like because its mental and physical. And very challenging.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

Not really, I’m pretty cynical and ignorant when it comes to alternative therapies (I’m sorry to say). I try to remember to take calcium tablets but that’s about it!

Thanks Adriane!

Do you like our new section?

Who would you most like to have reveal their beauty / health secrets?

Any questions for our actress friend?

Be well,

xoxo

When Skatt first opened a couple of years ago, I am sure I’m not alone when I say that I thought it was a bit of a gimmick. The bright pink, imposing building on a seemingly quiet, conservative Mount Hawthorn street screamed “different”.

However, I put my opinion on their choice of décor aside and went along to get the “Refresh Facial” which is $65 – on the cheaper side for a facial – which was the first positive.

When I arrived, I was taken through to a treatment room by the therapist. Unfortunately she didn’t tell me her name, and I forgot to ask at the end…must always remember to do this in future!

The treatment rooms at Skatt are located at the back of the building, the hair salon is at the front and is the first thing you see as you walk in.

The treatment room was fairly small but heated to a pleasant temperature and they had some ‘chillout’ music playing over the speakers which added to the atmosphere nicely.

The therapist began with a skin analysis which involved a magnifying light-dealy that she shone onto my skin. She talked me through some positive and negative points about my skin which I really liked, and she recommended ways in which I can improve the appearance of my skin.

The very best bit about all this was that she did not try to sell me anything! Skatt use Dermalogica products which I think is great – and even better that they don’t try to push them onto the clients as I believe that is the first way to turn off any clients from potentially returning in future. Other salons could do to take notice of this.

Next, my skin was cleansed twice, exfoliated, masqued and moisturised. On the website it states that extractions are included, but this was not part of my treatment – I suppose I just didn’t have anything to extract that day!

The entire facial took about 45 minutes and was of extremely high quality. I was so impressed by my therapist and her manner throughout the entire treatment, she had a slightly firm touch which I think is good in a facial and her hands were warm too which is always a plus!

The “Skattwalk”: a focal point of the salons

I have nothing but praise for Skatt and the team, in such a competitive market it is difficult to be outstanding however I believe this is exactly what they have achieved. I will definitely return and encourage anyone looking for a new beauty salon to do the same.

To add to the praise – a couple of weeks later I got a letter in the mail from Skatt containing a card for $40 off my next treatment! Fantastic – I’ll be heading back this week.

Skatt are located:

Mt. Hawthorn at 165 Scarborough Beach Road

Ph: (9443 6500)

Claremont at 52e Old Theatre Lane, Bayview Terrace

Ph: (9385 3123).

Web: http://www.skatt.com.au

By Amy – 20 year old face care novice who is now addicted to facials.

♥

Head Studio is located in the center of the Perth CBD, on King Street, which is renowned for being home to designer stores including Louis Vuitton, Wheels & Dollybaby and Tiffany… Perth’s own mini version of Rodeo Drive!

It would be easy to feel intimidated heading to a hair salon that rubs shoulders with these big names.

Head Studio proves nothing to worry about however, upon arrival the staff are all smiles and very welcoming. The interior is impressive: high ceilings and gorgeous wooden floors throughout, mixed with antique décor, candles and rose petals make this two-storey salon a contender for hairdresser heaven, accessibly.

There is also a little team of goldfish friends to look at!

It’s not just the visuals that impress either; Head Studio would need an extra salon dedicated to housing all the nominations and awards for excellence they’ve received! Check out the extensive awards list here.

My experience starts with relaxing on a red velvet vintage chair and a yummy T2 tea (Botanical) served in a cute teapot/cup combo with a tiny cookie.

The selection of reading material on display is very impressive, with a personal favourite of mine, Natalie Blooms Beauty in Bloom: A Collection of Beautiful Inspirations, on display, as well as many other lovely books and all the current high-end glossies.

My colourist Rachel meets me upstairs and expertly chooses a mix of two brown shades that she thinks will suit my look. It’s a chilly day, but the temperature is controlled so I’m feeling warm while I bliss out waiting for the colour to make friends with my locks.

When it’s time for the rinse out, a huge LCD screen is positioned in front of the basins and we make the executive decision to put on ‘White Men Can’t Jump’.

For some reason I couldn’t get comfortable in the chair, but I didn’t get any water in my ears which is a notorious problem for me, so overall the colour rinse / wash was positive.

Straight off a plane and back from a competition in Melbourne, my stylist today is Taryn and she has wonderful hair. Tick!

She does what I ask for and is really friendly, giving me plenty of advice and tips about how to style my hair along the way.

My very own hair.

To finish, she uses the GHD to style my hair in a way that is completely new to me, little waves all over (I’m sure there is a technical term for this … help me out!). I’m really happy with it as it looks cute!

Unfortunately I’ve been unable to replicate it at home despite her best teaching efforts.

Throughout my experience I was really looked after, I think I ended up having 2 cups of tea, an orange juice and a glass of water. Needless to say I needed to use their toilet and even the bathroom is great, with cute pictures and writing all over the walls.

I was recommended some products and purchased L’Oreal Tecniart Spray-Mousse, pre-blowdry application ensures great smooth volume.

I enjoyed my experience at Head Studio and wouldn’t hesitate to return. The atmosphere, service, knowledge and friendliness of the staff, coupled with all the little extras thrown in make this place a gem in the Perth hair & beauty industry.

A must try!

Head Studio Locations:

PERTH SALON

64 King St, Perth CBD 6000

SUCCESS SALON

Shop 20A, Gateway Shopping Centre,
816 Beeliar Drive, Success

ROCKINGHAM SALON

Shop 4/7 Railway Tce
Rockingham Beach WA 6168

All contact, booking & pricing details can be found on their website: http://www.headstudio.com.au

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ ♥ ♥

We’re pretty used to paying to keep ourselves looking and feeling great. Gym memberships, massages, yoga classes, personal trainers, haircuts, dancing, waxing, boot camps… the list goes on! It seems keeping fit and polished automatically comes at a price, and over time you could find your wallet mourning the loss of yet another $17 for an hours worth of movement or $100+ to be hair free for just a month.

Fear not my loves, while staying in shape, looking great and working towards optimum wellbeing are ENTIRELY worthwhile endeavours, they don’t have to be expensive if you don’t want them to be!

We’re here to shine some coin-saving lights in our new segment ‘Cheap / Free’! We’ll be highlighting fantastic places in Perth to participate in all things wellbeing related.

As always though, we’ll only be focusing on places that we think are high-quality and would personally recommend.

Stay tuned for our first article on a nifty little late night exercise spot in the Western Suburbs that just happens to be completely free… well I never!

Please share your tips for cheap / free health & beauty in Perth!

Be well

xoxo