Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

How I Switch Up My Look with SHOW DRY at London Fashion Week

When I travel to London Fashion Week I’m always working for the duration, that means I’m on duty for five full days and nights and in turn that results ins an overpacked suitcase that I usually need to sit on in order to close.  With that in mind, I need to meticulously plan every single item I take.  I plan two outfits per day, one for working shows and presentations, the other for partying on an evening.  Once I’ve done this, there’s little room for anything else.

I never, ever take any hair washing or styling equipment with me, not even so much as a hairbrush because space is precious and messy hair is cool.  So, how do I manage to stay looking awesome?  I always wash, tone and blowdry my hair the night before I travel, because I travel early, I get up and go, I don’t fiddle with it or restyle it, I literally get up and get out.  I wear that hair for the next three days, however it is when I wake up is how it is for the rest of the day, if it rains I might throw it up into a messy bun but I’m more likely to wear it messy topped off with a tifler.

Day three is where the magic happens.  I visit my favourite Notting Hill blowdry bar SHOW DRY who always look after me during Fashion Week and tend to my tresses.  They wash and prep my hair using products from the SHOW BEAUTY range (seriously, it’s worth it for the fragrance alone) and I usually opt for some sort of braid to keep my hair off my face and switch up my look for the remainder of the schedule.

Pixie Tenenbaum in the rain at London Fashion Week FW18

For the FW18 season day three brought with it hella bad weather.  The first day of bad weather for the whole of show season in fact, I’d been to the Paul Costelloe show that morning and been puddle dumped by a truck as I left The Waldorf Hotel so arrived at the salon in a fresh set of clothes but with gross and very wet hair.  After being greeted by Rihanna and given a bottle of San Pellegrino I felt decidedly less stressed.  She took me down to the back wash area downstairs which is dark shades of grey and black accented with gold, exactly like the bottles the SHOW BEAUTY products are so beautifully packaged inside.  We chatted about what sort of style I like, there have been some staffing changes at SHOW DRY so this is the first time Rihanna and I have met, I tell her that I’m an urban princess and “don’t want anything bridesmad-y or wedding guest-esque” she nods in agreement.

I usually plan exactly what I want in advance but this season’s schedule has been way too crazy to even remember my own name, so with that as her only brief, Rihanna gets to work blowdrying my over-processed hair.  To be totally honest, I pay little attention to what my Stylist does when i’m at SHOW DRY, I know I’m in good hands, the Notting Hill salon seems to just get it right without forcing their own opinions about what you should do with your hair.  For the duration of my appointment I sit and read the latest issue of Vogue on an iPad provided by the salon whilst they kindly charge my phone.

Engage Fembot mode

In 45 minutes I’m done.  Washed, blowdried, waved and braided.  In just 45 minutes my rain and puddle soaked hair has been transformed from resembling dull hessian curtains you might find in a nursing home, to bouncy FemBot-esque waves with twin split Dutch braids through the front.  Winning.  Despite leaving the salon looking freaking amazing, I hasten to add that it literally rained crazy heavy for the rest of the day.  I threw on a Baker Boy hat and popped the collar of my faux fur coat (which hasn’t looked the same since) and went on my merry way.

Basically the moral of the story is, pack heavy, ditch the styling equipment, rock messy hair for part one, hand part two over to a superfly blowdry bar like SHOW DRY and basque in how easy you made it for yourself.  Cheers SHOW DRY Notting Hill, same time next season.

Pixie xo

Categories: The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

SHOW BEAUTY BRAIDS BY SHOW DRY

You already know I’m a huge fan of SHOW Beauty, I could wax lyrical about the products all day long.  SHOW Beauty is one of those brands that you’re either aware of because you use and love it, or admire it from afar, or you’ve never heard of it.  If you fall into the latter, then let me give you the skinny:  SHOW Beauty is a luxury haircare brand born out of founder Tamara Ecclestone’s love for beautiful products, scents and ingredients that really work.  In a nutshell, it’s like having your cake and eating it, it’s the very best of the best and it fuses the luxury fragrance industry, with the haircare market to give a truly unique range of high quality, sulphate free hair products that leave you smelling better than Harrods Fragrance Hall.

SHOW Beauty Hair Fragrance Fashion Voyeur

So, you know that there’s a range of products that’s constantly being researched and expanded because you’ve obviously read my posts on the launch of Lux Volume, SHOW Beauty and the SHOW Beauty Hair fragrance right?  Well, London is also home to the physical arm of the business: SHOW DRY.

SHOW DRY is the ultimate blowdry bar.  Not only is it home to some of the best Hair Artistes in the business, it’s also a very cleverly thought out business that’s pitched perfectly to the needs of the client.  Ecclestone frequents the salon herself and every new member of staff inducted must first blowdry Ecclestone’s hair in her signature style, as well as create a custom up do.  That’s quite the test when you think Ecclestone’s hair is literally her crowning glory.

The salons themselves are uniform, the signature black and gold detailing oozes polished elegance, whilst the blush pink cuts through with a feminine edge.  My regular SHOW DRY salon is in Notting Hill and they always ‘manage’ my hair for me throughout each season of London Fashion Week.  I’m not too proud to say that I’ve been brought forward from second to front row because of an awesome braided up do by SHOW DRY during the FW17 show season and if that’s not a high five moment then I don’t know what is.

The SHOW DRY team live and breathe SHOW Beauty.  They know the range inside out, they know the dual purposes of each product and can teach you some hacks that will change your life, like using the Moisture Conditioner as a leave in serum – seriously guys, you blew my mind with that one, cue BOOM emoji.  They can prescribe the exact product from the range for your hair’s needs, but more than that, their styling skills are amazing.

When I first partnered with SHOW DRY for show season, I was coming out of a pretty grim period with my hair, remember my post on Overcoming a Hair Disaster?  Well this was around the time of said hair disaster and I was very limited on what we could create with what little hair I’d been left with.  Because of that, we decided to shoot for some funky braids that would conceal the damage to my hair and still showcase my awesome colour.  Fast forward to the SS18 LFW season and I’ve still never actually had a blowdry by SHOW DRY (although I’ve sat next to Tamara Ecclestone whilst she’s had hers done so can vouch) and I’m back here for another braided creation.

What makes SHOW DRY different than other blowdry bars is that here, your every need is catered to.  Whilst you’re in the care of the salon, you’re very well looked after. Each station has an iPad Mini with the latest magazines downloaded for you to browse, a lightning charger for your iPhone and a range of products for you to peruse.  Your iPad is loaded with a menu from which you can select drinks like Prosecco or custom blend coffee, or light bites like popcorn and other sugary treats whilst you’re coiffed.  The salon is both pet and child friendly too with dog bowls for your furry friend and a mini blowdry menu for your mini me.

In my case, my Stylist and I browse the internet for inspiration and find two styles that will work well on my hair and decide to mash them together to create something urban looking that will last for a couple of days.  She coats my dry hair in a mixture of SHOW Beauty Finishing Oil and Moisture Conditioner to not only tame it, but to also give it some grip, and gets to work on two African / Dutch braids.  Once they’re braided back, she sets about creating two braided buns at the nape and pins them securely.  Within around 20 minutes we’ve got a cool, urban style pinned in position and I’m ready to hit up my first show of the day SEMIR x GREENCODE.

SHOW DRY Braids Pixie Tenenbaum

SHOW DRY isn’t just about the Bouncy Blowdry – which they do amazingly – they’re also able to create bespoke styles depending on what you’re up to and your own personal style.  I’m working on the improving the condition of my hair right now as it’s a little delicate, it did start to thicken up again then had a bit of a dip in both length and condition after misplaced faith in a big name North East hair salon (you can read about that here), but who knows, it may even be thick enough to sport the signature blowdry next season.

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

What I Wore: For London Fashion Week SS18

The Spring / Summer 2018 season of London Fashion Week is over and it’s been a rollercoaster!  From abhorrent terrorist activity and resulting bomb scares and evacuations, to the ceiling of my room collapsing, it’s been a whirlwind five days and that’s before we even get to the awesome display of design talent.

I’ve had my busiest season to date, hence no full blog posts yet – although they are coming!  And I’ve completely neglected my social channels because preserving battery life is everything during Fashion Week.  So to whet your appetite Voyeurs, here’s a quick post on the outfits I chose to wear to the shows this season, with a disclaimer on why they were not my intended outfits.

I packed my case meticulously with ten outfits.  Nothing particularly trend led, just a mixture of things that I own and like, and things that designers and brands had sent to me in the hope that I’d wear them.  Amongst these things was a pair of brand new metallic boots which led to the utter demise of my planned LFW SS18 Wardrobe…..

DAY 1

I left on the 8.38 Virgin East Coast train, which was delayed due to what we now know was a home made explosive device on the Parson’s Green underground.  This understandably delayed the arrival of my train into London Kings Cross considerably meaning two things happened:

1. I missed the Pam Hogg show, which I later heard was awesome. Dr Hogg is known for her wonderfully quirky and imaginative runway shows and I was gutted to have missed this one, but you know, bigger things were happening in London at that time.  I also missed the Billie Jacobina show which was a real downer – Jacobina’s creations are amazing.  Think pink, negligee, teddy bears, fur, voile and throw it all together and that’s Billie Jacobina.  The kitsch designer was promoted from presentation to runway for SS18 which is a really big deal.  I did get to catch her static exhibit at Fashion Scout, so all was not entirely lost I guess.

2. I attended my first show of the day wearing my train outfit.  I landed in London, ran to my hotel, which luckily is a stones throw from the station, ditched my shiz and literally legged it out the door to catch the much hyped Ones To Watch runway show in Holborn.

So, this outfit is an eclectic mix of AND / OR jeans (which I love), with a sheer, black ballerina skirt layered over the top.  On top I’m wearing a Year One Collective spoof tee and my Starlover Clothing custom painted leather jacket.  Obviously I travelled on my own and had to cut a dash so didn’t have anyone to grab a picture but I featured in Donna Air’s Insta stories wearing this and she said it looked cool so, ’nuff said.

DAY 2

My most jam packed day and one where I knew I’d be cramming a good weeks worth of regular people activity into 24 hours and for that reason comfort came high up in my list of priorities.  I chose a Maison Margiela MM6 Denim shirt dress.  Simples.  The best bit?  Pockets.  Crammed with protein bars, my Oyster Card, hotel key card, San Pellegrino water & gum.

Remember those metallic boots I told you about?  Well they broke on Day 1 running across a road into the show venue and sadly died that evening, leaving me with one pair of metallic fuschia flat loafers to get me through the entire week.  I topped this off with bed hair and a tiffler from Marks and Spencer.

DAY 3

Another crazy schedule climaxing with the awesome Hellavagirl Couture show, and a link up with SHOW DRY London, the salon arm of SHOW Beauty who very kindly look after my hair during London Fashion Week.  After fixing me up with some super cute Dutch braids, I set off for my first show of the day wearing high shine PVC fetish store pants and a custom printed slogan tee made specially for me by Virgo Seven UK.  On my feet?  You guessed it, those feet murdering pink loafers with white fishnet socks.

DAY 4

Day 4 was wet, with intermittent downpours; I knew I wanted to be warm.  I also tried to keep the afternoon free to go buy Plankton a present in Hamleys and get myself out of the fashion bubble and take in some London architecture.  None of these things actually happened, I took on extra shows and headed out into the cold with yesterday’s braids, Topshop tweed shorts and a cosy Primark sweater.

Part way through the day after The Great Foot Massacre of London Fashion Week, I went back to my hotel to switch into jeans (Plankton’s) and socks which I bought that day, mid hissy fit.  I met a photographer friend for drinks that evening and he told me convincingly that I managed to style it out….

Front Row for Dumpty Studio SS18 LFW

DAY 5

With the finish line in sight, I let out my braids and whizzed the flat irons over my hair to give a soft curl and after waking up to a suitcase full of water and rubble, I was left without my intended outfit.  When your hotel ceiling collapses, sure it’s funny at first, until you find your Mark Fast sweater is soaking wet & your underwear is laced with plaster dust.

Luckily I was well equipped with a wipe clean PVC A-line skirt from Primark, some purple Wolford fishnets (never go cheap when it comes to fishnets) and I cut a dash to Monki to buy this Where’s Waldo-esque red & white striped tee.  I added one of my signature metallic tattoos, this time a diamond gifted with the Fenty Beauty press pack and a deco style necklace from M.I.Accessories.  Job done.

By this point my feet were destroyed and I’d adopted a penguin style walk that even I couldn’t style out.  Note to self, sneakers or sliders next season.

The next morning I shamefully put on yesterday’s outfit to head to the station and make my way back up North to a slower pace of life.  After experiencing the tornado that is London Fashion Week, and my busiest schedule to date, I’m ready to do this all over again in six months – albeit in better shoes.

Pixie xo

Send me your top tops for packing light and treating blisters for the chance to be featured in an upcoming post!

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

SHOW BEAUTY HAIR FRAGRANCE

Show Beauty is the brain child of billionaire heiress Tamara Ecclestone.  Dreamed up by the model and mum of one as a range of beautiful products that would allow women everywhere to tap in to the luxury hair market and feel like a million dollars when using them.

 

Ecclestone is a shrewd business woman, I’ve met and interviewed her three times now and whilst she’s every bit as beautiful as the images you see in the press, she’s also a super clever lady.  She had originally intended on calling her range of hair products Formula One but was refused the use of the name by her father and the godfather of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone which spurred her on to come up with something equally as fabulous.

After years of research and development, in which Ecclestone was very hands on, Show Beauty was born and a luxury aesthetic developed intended to up the game of bathroom shelves everywhere.  Show Beauty is a range that’s designed to be seen, not confined to a dark cupboard.  The signature black and gold bottles with cut glass detailing are reminiscent of dressing table perfume bottles in the fifties and the products have real weight to them.

The range has grown considerably since it’s launch with Ecclestone focussing on one customer need at a time and perfecting it so that it achieves everyone of its objectives.  From the weightless volume of the Volume LUX range, to the non sticky Moisture range, each part of this collection has been meticulously planned to tackle the most common hair issues we battle on a day to day basis.  The best thing Voyeurs?  These products work.

Yes, they’re pricey.  That’s the first hurdle.  If you want luxury, the finest ingredients and the best, most long lasting and delicate fragrances, then you’re going to have to stump up some cash.  The luxury hair market is thriving right now Ecclestone sits atop it as Queen.  Full sized Show Beauty products start at £28 for a shampoo or £16 for a travel sized version and the most expensive product is a special edition hair oil with a Swarovski crystal adorned lid topping out at £199.  Or you could opt for the non blinged out version of this cult product at a more respectable £50.

One of my favourite products in the range is the hair fragrance.  Hair fragrance is a pretty unusual product, it’s an unexpected products and my initial thoughts were that hair fragrance is a stupid, useless idea but then Tom Ford brought out his limited edition Black Orchid for hair and I was a convert.  The hair fragrance offering from Show Beauty, aptly named Decadence Hair Fragrance is something special.  Designed by a Nose in one of Paris’ top perfumeries under Ecclestone’s close instruction, the brief was to create something deep, beautiful and long lasting that would make women feel amazing when their hair released the fragrance.

Image Courtesy of SHOW Beauty
Image Courtesy of SHOW Beauty

The bottle itself and the packaging it comes in are pretty damn amazing on their own and that’s before we’ve even got to the golden elixir inside.  Packaged in a sturdy black and gold box that’s made to be seen, you’ll find this cut glass bottle topped with rose gold.  It’s a bottle that wouldn’t look out of place in Selfridges Famous Beauty Hall and it looks like more than the £55 it costs.

Inside you’ll find a golden potion that sprays with a super fine mist so as not to soak the hair.  The scent is heavy and on the darker side of the fragrance spectrum, it reminds me of a fragrance called Amber Absolute by Tom Ford which was discontinued after being so incredibly expensive to mass produce.  The rose water base is enhanced by Madagascan vanilla, sensual patchouli (always a winner) and soft white musk, combining with the softest top notes of coconut milk, caramel and almond butter to soften the scent as it’s worn close to the face.  Thoughtful eh?

It’s not just something that smells awesome though, this decadent hair perfume packs a punch in the treatment department too.  Why not wear my ordinary fragrance on my hair you might ask?  Well that’s because it’s super drying to hair.  Regular perfume dries out hair making it stiff and prone to breakage, hence this new product market for hair specific fragrance. This one is packed out with Vitamin E, aloe vera and Ultracas G20, along with essential vitamins and minerals, which help to fight free radicals and colour fade.

The whole range has been designed with the same fragrance so that they can be layered and combined.  Yes, it’s only hair, but you know the feeling you get when you smell your freshly washed and dried hair?  Or when your partner tells you that they remember the way your hair smelled on your first date?  Well this is all that and a bag of truffles.  It’s not the fresh, light smell you associate with drugstore shampoo, this is heady, deep and dark, the patchouli and vanilla combine to make something that can only be described as Rich People Smell.  Plus, if you really love it, the hair fragrance is perfectly safe to use as a regular perfume for skin.  Winning.

With everything I try from this range I can’t fail to be impressed, from the packaging to the fragrance and properties that make up the product, no expense has been spared and that’s obvious from the outset.  It’s a little piece of luxury that will make you feel and smell amazing.

Pixie xo

I was gifted a bottle of Show Beauty Decadence Hair Fragrance to review and this can be bought at the following retailers for £55.

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

SHOW Beauty Hair Care

You take time to select the perfect fragrance for each occasion right?  Well I certainly do, as you’ll know if you read my recent post on vacation fragrances, I love taking the time to check out the latest releases from my favourite fragrance houses and love it when I find something that fits my look.

I definitely have a type when it comes to fragrance, I love something heady, something that leaves a lasting impression and Oud, Amber, Tobacco and Vanilla are my favourite types of fragrance.  So, what about when it comes to your hair?  We all have those days when we try a new haircare regime and get the scent of our freshly washed hair, but what if this could compliment your fragrance?

Well, in my opinion your hair is your best accessory.  I’ve had my fair share of Hair Tragedies, which you can read about here (and marvel at some cringeworthy photos of said tragedies).  A good haircut can make you or break you, and Karlie Kloss is testament to that.  Once you have that, maintaining condition is crucial.

My bathroom shelf is chock full of haircare products that I use in my regime, remember that Vidal Sassoon commercial in the early nineties about not taking two bottles into the shower?  I’m their worst nightmare, I have around 15 in there at any one time.  From my L’Oreal Colour Correcting Silver Conditioner, to my weekly Brightening Shampoo, everything serves a purpose.

Currently as my regular, non-treatment product I’m using the Lux Volume range from SHOW Beauty – you already know I do a lot of work with this brand and they always look after me during London Fashion Week – when they asked me to road test the range I jumped at the chance after having attended the launch party earlier this year.

All of the SHOW Beauty products in the range are interchangeable and designed to compliment one another, they all have that heavy patchouli based scent reminiscent of Dior’s original Poison.  So whether you opt for Moisture Shampoo with Volume Conditioner or a Repair Mask, the scent is the same and once hair is dry it lingers like perfume.  They’re all as beautiful to look at as they are to use and have serious shelf appeal, designed to look like vintage cut glass, each bottle is a masterpiece.

With the Lux Volume range, you get weightless Volume with nome of that associates stickiness.  Hair feels clean, has bounce and you still get that gorgeous scent that lasts all day and beyond.  I have super thick, but very damaged hair so I was concerned that adding more volume might make me look like a dandelion clock but my hair stayed sleek and shiny but still felt light.

The only possible sticking point is the price.  At £30 for each shampoo and conditioner in the range, £40 for a mask and upwards of £50 for finishing products it’s definitely an investment.  After using the products myself, it’s an investment I’d recommend.  Probably not for every wash, depending on your budget, if you’re short on cash and treating yourself to something from the SHOW Beauty range I’d maybe save it for when you have a big night out or a special occasion and use the L’Oreal Pro Fiber range in between which is a more modest £15 per product.  Personally I’m a bit of a product snob and don’t use high street hair products, with my hair in it’s current state I doubt they’d do any more than Fairy Liquid would!

The real gem in using the SHOW Beauty Haircare range is that’s divine fragrance.  You’ll know from previous posts that the brand uses a Parisian ‘Nose’ to create that dreamy scent and as it’s triple layered with notes, it lasts on your hair as your regular perfume does on your skin.  After I’ve washed and styled my hair with Lux Volume Shampoo and Conditioner and Lux Volume Mist , I spritz a little Tom Ford Noir de Noir on my skin – the two fragrances work perfectly together – and I’m on my way.

Thinking of trying the range for yourself?  Scope it out first, the range includes a product to address and treat most hair needs and you’re guaranteed to receive compliments on how your hair smells, just like the Elle Woods endorsed Bend & Snap, it has a 100% approval rating.  The SHOW Beauty Hair care range really is luxury hair care at its very best.

Pixie xo