As we previously mentioned The John Frieda Salon in London had a front row seat at all the top Spring Summer shows and are kindly keeping us up to date on what’s hot and how to create the looks.

Fringes are still big for Spring Summer 2010 – side fringes and sweeping fringes, nothing too blunt – hairspray is not a factor in this look, it’s all about keeping the hair soft for spring.

To blow dry the perfect fringe, prepare the hair by washing. Then apply a frizz ease or hair serum for unruly hair or a volumising mousse for finer hair.  Also depending on the look you want to create or how you want your fringe to sit – to wet hair to achieve a sleek but loose fringe that is texturised but not too ‘finished’ looking.

When the hair is nearly dry, start blow-drying using a brush beginning with the front sections, treating the fringe as separate and sweeping it to the desired side. Direct the nozzle of your hairdryer downwards to smooth the cuticle flat along the hair shaft, and always blow-dry your hair against the direction it will ultimately fall so you achieve plenty of texture and root lift to the fringe.

Hey presto, you’ve got bangs!

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Summer is almost upon us and that means new hair trends have been appearing on all the catwalks.  The John Frieda Salon in London had a front row seat at all the top Spring Summer shows and noted some of the hotter trends emerging for 2010.  We’ll be bringing you their ‘How to’ create the most up to date hair trends over the coming weeks.

Spring and Summer has traditionally meant softer, more natural looks in both fashion and hair trends, and 2010 continues with this theme.  The trends emerging are a departure from the overdone structured styles of the Winter and festive seasons, with an emphasis on softer smoother hair, relaxed waves and fluid bobs as well as a return to plaits.

The experts at John Frieda begin with a lesson on plaits!  Heidi hi all

Braids are a big trend for this season as lots of different types of braids and ‘braid wrapping’ were done in the catwalk shows.

Firstly, prepare the hair by washing and use your preferred product, perhaps a hair serum, working into your hair while wet.

Blow dry the hair first smooth and sleek.  Direct the nozzle of your hairdryer downwards to smooth the cuticle flat along the hair shaft, and always blow-dry your hair against the direction it will ultimately fall.  Ensure all tangles have been brushed from your hair before beginning to create braids.

Part the hair down the middle, dividing the hair into two equal sections as if you were creating pigtails.  Clip one section up to keep it out of the way and using your fingers, divide into three equal sections, proceeding to braid it til the end.  Ensure the braids are pulled tightly so that the hair is neatly tucked into the length of the braid. Attach an elastic band to the end of the braid to secure in place.  Repeat the same steps with the other section of the hair, then twisting the braids around to the crown of the head.  The Braids can be brought up as close to the forehead or crown depending on the look you wish to achieve.

Finish with a spray of hair spray to give a glossy finish and ensure the braids hold in place.

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Right ladies, all you need to do is put aside 20 minutes for your at-home cardio circuit.  I’ve done it myself and believe me if you keep it up you will notice a difference, you may also want to have a resuscitation machine near-by…

Before you begin, I’m presuming you all know how to do jumping jacks… you may know them better as star jumps.  Squat-thrusts are pretty tough but my god will you see a difference in your bum, legs and thighs if you keep this up: from standing, crouch down, place palms on floor, jump legs back into full push-up position, then jump legs back to crouch pose and stand up. Repeat again. When marching really swing your arms and lift your knees up high, the quicker you get your heart rate going the better.

* March in place for 3 minutes (360 steps)

* 60 Jumping Jacks

* March 1 minute (120 steps)

* 60 Jumping Jacks

* March 1 minute

* 30 Squat-Thrusts

* March 1 minute

* 30 Squat-Thrusts

* March 1 minute

* 30 Squat-Thrusts

* March 1 minute

* 30 Squat-Thrusts

* March 1 minute

* 60 Jumping Jacks

* March 1 minute

* 60 Jumping Jacks

* March in place 2 minutes to cool down

I’m sure most of you have heard of spinning classes, the equivalent to Chinese torture on bikes, well this exercise has the same calorie burn and yet you can do it in the comfort of your own living room… what’s comfortable about it I don’t know.  Gotta get me one of these machines!

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Q: I keep getting spots on my cheeks, why is this and how can I prevent them?

A: One of the possibilities is your blusher!  Blushers may be the cause of the problem – the brush or the product itself.  This is especially true if they are underlying spots i.e. under the skin which would mean the pores are blocked from the product.  To begin with make sure you keep your brush clean so bacteria doesn’t build up, rinse it with warm water, then wrap it in a towel and leave it overnight in the hot press.  If this doesn’t help you may need to change your blusher as it may just disagree with your skin type, as cheeks are a very sensitive area.

To help eleviate the spots, cleanse and exfoliate daily (with a light non-granular) exfoliator.  I recommend using the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant as it’s nice and gentle on the skin for everyday use.

If you are looking for a good blusher try Benefit or MAC, both great brands.   When applying your blusher, wipe the brush into the blusher gently, then tap the excess product off the brush and “pull a smile” and lightly sweep from the cheekbone to the apple of the cheek… aka the fat bits of cheek and back up.

See our previous posts on Professional Make-up Tips or Beauty on a Budget.

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Q: False Lashes – would you recommend the individual lashes or the strips?

A: I would definitely recommend the individual lashes as the strips can feel very heavy on your eyes, and they generally only last for one night.  Having said this if you are dead set on getting the strips I recommend getting the MAC ones as I have worn them before, and they did stay on for the full night and didn’t feel too heavy.

The individual lashes can last up to a week and depending on the length you like can look very natural or if you prefer can look very dramatic!   The individual lashes really give you that “full lash” look and can be tailored to suit your eyes unlike the strips.  Slightly longer lashes on the outer corners of your eyes graduating inwards with shorter lashes will give the best effect.

I do however recommend getting the lash remover – available from your nearest Salon Services, also some salons stock this too.  If you are doing a DIY job there may be a small bottle of lash remover in the pack.  When you want to take your lashes off just put some on a wet cotton disc and hold on the lashes for a few minutes, the lashes should just slide off.  If you don’t have lash remover, cover your lashes in vaseline before you go to bed and in the morning, just slide the lashes off.  NEVER try to pull the lashes off as you will end up pulling your natural ones out too!  It would be easier to have this done at a salon so shop around to get the type you want at a reasonable price, a lot of places charge ridiculous prices.  Warning – false lashes can be very addictive!

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Eyebrows frame the face and are one of our most defining features.  Avoid unflattering shapes and over-plucked brows with this step by step guide from Ireland’s top make-up artist Zoë Clark.

To shape your eyes and get the perfect arch, use the following guidelines:

1.  The innermost point of your brow should be over the inside corner of your eye.

2.  The arch of your brow (its highest point) should occur over the outside of the iris, (the coloured part) of your eye.

3.  Your brow should end on a diagonal from the outside of your nose just past the outside of your eye.

4.  Filling in your eyebrows is an easy way to polish your look and frame your entire face.  The easiest and most foolproof method for filling in your eyebrows is to use a powder, as pencils can often look too harsh (unless you have no hair where a pencil with powder is most effective).

You can use either a specific brow powder set or use a matte eye shadow to get the same results.  Choose a shade that is one to two full shades lighter than your eyebrow hair, as using the same shade can result in a darker more unnatural result.  Using an angled brush dip your brush into the powder and tap off any excess.  Start at the widest part of the brow, near the nose, and use short, feathery strokes to apply the powder filling in any gaps.  Eyebrows are not identical so simply use more powder where needed to make them as symmetrical as possible.  If you feel that you’ve made a mistake, erase with a clean, dry cotton bud and begin again.

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Q: Do you have any lifestyle tips for improving the condition of skin?

A: By looking after our bodies on the inside and protecting our skin on the outside, we can help to slow down the onset of skin ageing.

Diet plays a major role in preserving our skins youthful appearance, by eating the right foods rich in antioxidants they can minimize the damage caused to our skin cells by free radicals.

Regular exercise such as cycling or brisk walking stimulates blood flow in the whole body and re-oxygenates your organs giving you a fresh and healthy complexion. Always protect your skin from UV rays.

See our previous posts on Effects On The Skin From Mineral Deficiency and How Vitamin Deficiency Can Effect Your Skin for more information.

Our ask the expert question has been answered today by La Roche-Posay’s Training Manager, Janette Ryan.

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Well girls I know it’s January so the parties have run dry and all you want to do is snuggle up and be comfy. You can still look good while doing it and it’s important to do so! I have put together two simple but effective hairstyles to send you back to the office looking sexy and sophisticated even if you’re not feeling it..

1. Pull your hair into a low/high ponytail.
2. Wrap the ponytail around your hand and pull into a knot.
3. Leaving the ends loose, pin the knot in place around the edges.
4. Define the loose ends with wax and finish with hairspray.

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