Crown Jewels

Inspired by international SS13/14 opulent tones and fabric finishes, ghd has released their new Jewel Collection: limited edition designs of the ghd V gold classic styler, which comes with a jewel tone ghd paddle brush, and the ghd air hairdryer, in rich metallic finishes. 

Inspired by opulent tones and fabric finishes, the deep metallic trimmings of the ghd Jewel Collection feature vibrant season hues of striking blue sapphire and alluring purple amethyst. 

The ghd Jewel Collection is available from approved ghd salons and www.ghdhair.com/au from mid June.

My Week

It’s been a full on week, with yummy treats, acrobatic shoots and thoughts of next summer!

Ruby & Liam Spring/Summer 2013 Preview

What do we have to look forward to next summer? Ruby promises Italian seaside inspiration with playful prints and nautical colours, as well as soft mints, lilacs and floral prints. Liam draws inspiration from Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children, with lightweight silks and lace, eye-catching paisley jacquard and bold greens blues and purples. Set to arrive in stores mid-July. Visit www.rubynz.com

 

Little Bird Unbakery

This is an old favourite of mine and one I frequent a fair bit whenever I’m in Kingsland. Everything is raw, vegan, gluten free and free of refined sugar. They do great smoothies, inventive lunches and delicious cakes and slices. Eat in or takeaway. The lemon slice is a must.

Me with Kathryn Wilson (image courtesy of thread.co.nz)

Showroom 22 Spring/Summer Preview

I attended next season’s preview from the likes of I Love Ugly, Adidas, Glassons, Ingrid Starnes, Juliette Hogan, Kingan Jones, Kathryn Wilson and more. The makeup was really fresh and uncomplicated, with an emphasis on beautiful highlights. Hurry up summer!

 

Shoot for Chaos & Harmony

I was on hair & makeup for Chaos & Harmony’s Spring/Summer 2014 shoot, which took place at the Dust Palace (an amazing training space for trapeze and aerial artists). The shoes were stunning, of course, and between touch ups I even had a go on the ropes. www.chaosandharmony.co.nz

 

Golden Yogi

A new Yoga studio has just opened up on Barry’s Point Rd in Takapuna. with over 40 classes they offer 16 different styles of yoga from babies and teens, pregnancy, Yin, Vinyasa, Kundalini and much more. It’s a beautiful space to practice yoga and until Sunday all classes are the cost of a gold coin. Well worth a trip over the bridge. for class times visit www.goldenyogi.co.nz

Sugar, Spice & All Things Nice

There is no more welcoming smell than fresh home baking. Unfortunately, since going Paleo, there isn’t much baking to be had in my home these days. Fortunately I have found a way around this: gorgeous scented things!

CURTIS & CLARKE Gingerbread Range

CURTIS & CLARKE (with their Sugar & Spice range of diffusers, candles and soaps) have restored the lack of deliciousness in my house with the sweet scent of Vanilla and spicy aromatic Gingerbread, to their Sugar & Spice range. The gingerbread (warm spicy ginger with a hint of cinnamon) actually smells like the real deal. I’ve since put the diffuser in my makeup studio and just about everyone comments on it.

CURTIS & CLARKE Vanilla Range

The Vanilla is a bit more traditional, with notes of maple and butterscotch. Each of the scents feature in three key products: triple-milled soap, an aromatic candle and an aromatic diffuser.

www.pacificaskincare.co.nz/curtis_and_clark

A NEW ERA IN HAIR STYLING

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the ghd eclipse, hosted by Showroom 22 at the Hilton's Bellini Bar.

A product more than three years in the making, the new stylers claim to be able to cope with any hair type in one stroke and achieve longer-lasting results all by themselves. No blowdrying, no product (save for a heat protectant), no fuss. 

The crux of the innovation is the patented tri-zone technology - a new generation of styling technology that uses six sensors (three in each plate) to ensure no heat loss during styling and an even distribution of heat when and where its required. This also ensures you get the optimum heat of 185 degrees at all times, which has been proven as the ideal temperature for best results.

Louise Sangster - Creme/Girlfriend and myself at the launch

So what do these innovations mean? You can take larger (and less precise sections) at a time, plus you only need to go through each section once. So you’re able to style faster with an improved finish and longer-lasting results. Sounds good so far. But the best news comes for people with completely unruly hair. 

Because the body of the stylers remains cool to the touch, it’s safer and easier to get right to the root of the hair to tame those annoying curly baby hairs without the risk of burning yourself. Plus the hair cools down faster, which helps to set the style how you want it to stay - great news for curl enthusiasts.

half the models hair was tamed using ghd eclipse

So is it worth the upgrade? For hair stylists or those with difficult hair types I would say this is worth looking into. It copes far better with a wider range of hair types and the styles last much longer. Fine hair, for example, which is notoriously prone to dropping curl quickly, holds the style (seriously, I tried this on my friend who has super fine hair and the curl held, no product). However, perhaps even more amazing is its use on thick frizzy african-american type hair, which ordinarily would need blow drying before running the ghds through. The eclipse can tackle this in one stroke, no problem. 

If you have a difficult hair type (fine, frizzy, thick, super curly) or you find your style just doesn’t last, then this is the styler for you. If you are blessed with easy hair then there’s great news for you too, as the ghd IV and ghd gold stylers are here to stay. So there’s a styler to suit all needs (and budgets).

ghd eclipse is available from April and retails for $350.