My Dollydagger Photoshoot

You may have noticed that I haven't said very much about my Dollydagger photoshoot, but finally the time has come where I can reveal all! I have been a very busy bee over the last few weeks, as I have also been writing a piece for Dolly's Diary, the blog on the Dollydagger website. If you would like to check it out, all you have to do is click here! Don't forget to take a look at their gorgeous selection of clothes!

I am increasingly amazed by the number of comments and compliments that the photos are receiving  on the Dollydagger Facebook page. I really recommend you check the album 'Hannah's first shoot' out, there are a few more here from behind the scenes. It is absolutely unbelievable that it is my face  in all those amazing pictures!

I just wanted to give all of my blog readers a little insider information about how the talented stylists, Simon Webster and Alessia Mancini, created the look.

The gorgeous lipstick (that lasted all day after only one application and a sandwich!) was a mixture of two MAC classics. Russian Red was applied to my entire lips, gradually building it up to increase the intensity and staying power of the lipstick. To give it an extra special kick, a little Ladydanger was added, and blended, to the centre of my lips which made them appear even fuller than usual! My skin was made to look absolutely flawless by another MAC product, their Studio Fix Foundation. This foundation had quite a full coverage, but felt so light and also lasted all day on my combination skin. Definitely some make up wishlists here, roll on payday so I can run down to MAC!

My hair was prepped by using fantastic Bumble & Bumble products. Simon is an expert on the benefits of all these, and they really delivered too, as my hair was still perfect by the day after! It was then pin curled, and when they cooled completely, the pins were very carefully removed. Whilst it would be very easy to panic at the tight 1800's esque curls, some gentle brushing out with a boar brush calms everything down and you have gorgeous curls before you know it. My hair was then pinned behind my left ear, with the curls peeping out below it. All that was required throughout the day was some quick backcombing and I was good to go!

I am now going to stock up on these products and get practising, I am determined to try and look half as good in real life now!

Hope you enjoy the pictures,

 

Hannah xxx

Day 12- A Very Busy but Fun Day!

Hello everyone!

So you may or may not have seen, but this morning I tweeted this picture to giveaway my location...

I have been at Bexhill De La War Pavilion for (drumroll please!) my first Dollydagger photoshoot! We were incredibly lucky to get amazing weather, despite the bitter cold, Mr Sunshine definitely came out to light everything up. We were joined by super stylists Simon and Hannah from Simon Webster hair, make up by Alessia Mancini and our photographer was Toby Amies. My partner in crime for the modelling was the gorgeous Esme Callaghan who looked absolutely stunning!

We had twenty odd dresses ahead of us to model but we did in fine form, and even braved the sea breeze for some outdoor shots! Pictures will be all over the website, www.dollydagger.co.uk soon and I am so so excited to see them.

A sneak peek of two of todays shots are available on Dollydagger's instagram or twitter pages!

And here I am getting my hair prepared to be set into beautiful curls!

Very excitingly, I will also soon be posting a little bit on the Dollydagger website! Please keep your eye out for a full lowdown of todays shoot on there as it will be going up very shortly. For more behind the scenes pictures, please follow @dollydagger_ on twitter!

 

So that is my twelve days of Christmas over! How quickly has that gone! I have enjoyed writing all these posts so much, and have been surprised to learn a bit about myself too. I have definitely learnt what subjects I am more knowledgeable and passionate about, but also what it is that you all like to read. I do intend to keep posting very regularly so don't worry, I won't be disappearing yet!

 

With lots of love from a tired but happy Hannah

 

xxx

Day 7! Bath Time

Hello everyone!

So tonight I have decided to give myself a very long pamper session with some of my favourite products. It has been a rather long week and I wanted to refresh myself ready for tomorrow, as it is the regional Christmas Do tomorrow night, fun fun fun!

I generally find it best to give my hair a day or two of wear before styling it. Freshly washed hair that is as thick as mine is a nightmare to try to style in any vintage fashion when it is all fly-away, so the tiniest bit of wear gives some staying power. Here below are my favourite hair products at the moment...

I use the Bumble and Bumble Colour Minded Shampoo to look after my colour and keep my hair in the best condition possible. I am quite conscious of the effect that lots of colouring can have on your hair, this is part of the reason I choose to spend a little more money and get my hair coloured professionally as they use higher quality ingredients and apply the products properly. These two products come at quite a high price (£20-£25 each) however they require about 1/3 as much as a cheaper brand, and also prolong your colour for longer. I like to think this is justification! You can purchase from online beauty brands such as Active Beauty, Look Fantastic or Feel Unique, which generally have free UK delivery. I do know that bigger Boots stores stock them, I got mine directly from Simon Webster Hair who has a range and the expertise to recommend the best product for your needs.

Pictured here are three things I find particularly useful for styling my hair. You will see more of these tomorrow, Loreal Elnett hairspray, Avon heat protector and the Tangle Teezer which is amazing for getting knots out of my hair!

I also then gave my skin a pamper to get it refreshed and looking healthy and dewy. I have been using four of these for well over a year and keep coming back to them as they give me wonderful results. I highly recommend them to you!

 

The green tube in the back left is my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish. I can't recommend this cleanser more, and you can read all about it and Liz's background in the book from my other post here. It comes with full instructions for how to use it to get the best results and really is excellent for cleaning and looking after your skin 100%.

The next step in my cleanse, tone and moisturise routine is the darker green tub to the right of the Liz Earle tube. This is Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega Mushroom Skin Relief treatment lotion. If my skin is ever inflamed or irritable, a small wipe of this across my face soon calms things down and brings everything back to normal. I use it as a toner as it is specifically designed for sensitive and redress prone skin, which mine really can be. I do find that a collaboration of the right products does reduce this irritability, however these products actually go further and improve my skin.

My final step is the purple pot in the bottom right. This is Neal's Yard Remedies Frankincense Hydrating Cream which I use as a moisturiser. This keeps my skin from being dry and doesn't over hydrate it either. This is quite pricey at around £23 but again lasts for ages and really does work a treat. I got my first pot of this in November 2011 on my very first visit to Brighton so this brings back some nice memories too!

I think the key to all of these products is following the recommended instructions and using all of them in moderation. Whilst it feels very indulgent to cover your face in moisturiser, this is not going to help matters and will only block your pores and unfortunately make things worse. If your skin is dry, as is so common at this time of year, give it a gentle exfoliate with Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant face mask (leave on for around 20-25 mins), followed by a light application of moisturiser.

Also in the picture are two new finds- Avene Gentle Eye Make Up Remover (I am still to be decided on this one) and La Roche Posay Targeted Breakout Protector which I love. I have recently suffered from some spots that just don't seem to budge, but a few nights of applying this has cleared them up so I am a very happy customer! Both are available from Boots for around £10. Do any of you know any better eye make up removers? I think I need a more oil based one as this really struggles to remove my long lasting eyeliner :(

I finally wanted to add that all of these products are being recommended wholeheartedly to you, by me! I am not sponsored in any way and would definitely tell you not to buy something if I found fit to. All of these products I have searched the market for and have been using for over a year so would definitely recommend trying them if you are searching for a new product to help your skin or hair this Christmas.

On that note, I had better get this face mask rinsed off and hair washed!

With lots of love,

Hannah xxx



New Hair Time!

Hello again!

Last Thursday I took myself down to the fabulous Simon Webster Hair on Gardener Street down the North Lanes. I needed a new colour as my ginger was fading quickly and I was almost back to blonde!

The lovely Alice does my hair and I couldn't recommend her more. She really listens to what you want and works with you to get the best result. I am of the opinion that they are the trained stylists so I often ask for her opinion for what style or colour she thinks I should go for. She really analyses your hair and plays around with it to make sure that you get the cut or colour to suit you. The prices are incredibly reasonable for the service and style you receive in there, and the complimentary cup of tea or glass of wine!

I am quite daring with my hair and since taking the plunge and going ginger, I love being a redhead! It does take quite a lot of upkeep but is so worth it for the fabulous colour. This time I went for a bit of a change, a darker red and then got a blonde streak underneath some of my fringe. I love it!

They also stock Bumble & Bumble products which smell delicious and work wonders. I purchased their Colour Minded Shampoo on Simon and Alices recommendation. This is Sulphate Free, and learnt that it is the sulphates in shampoos that strip the colour from your hair. Whilst it is a little more expensive at £23, it really does look after your colour and hair condition and you don't need to use as much at all as some of the cheaper brands.

Whilst you can get colour protect brands for much cheaper from Boots or Superdrug, they don't do as well for your hair and you will end up having to get your hair coloured in much quicker time. I just feel this is a big part of my vintage look that I really want to look after.

Any more redheads out there? Do you recommend any particular colour protect products? I would love to hear from you!

Much love,

Hannah xxx