Vintage party hair with Yogi

My name is Natalie Shirlaw, I've been hairdressing for around 20 years and have worked in some of London’s top salons. I'm currently working as a session hairstylist, which means I specialise in TV, film, grooming for premieres, photoshoots etc. I'm currently the “face” of  Yogi hair products and I do the hair show on QVC for them too. I've just been booked for the Sony premiere “The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo” in December too so I'm very excited about that! My website is www.shirlawstyle.com if you would like to read more about me.

Im really excited to bring some Christmas party looks for you through Playful Promises. I hope you enjoy them and find my step by step easy to achieve! I have enlisted the help of my client Sinead who is modelling for me; we met when I did her gorgeous vintage themed wedding in the summer in Whitstable and also my friend and fantastic photographer Samantha Jones who does beautiful wedding pictures – take a look at her website!

LOOK 1: Barbarella

WHAT YOU NEED                                                    

Yogi Hair Wand  

A bristle brush

Pincomb

Widetooth comb

Grips

Wide grips

PRODUCTS

I use products from a company called Gentle Beauty as I prefer natural and plant derived products.  They have their suncoat range and also a range by John Masters Organics which smells beautiful and is very effective as its made by a hairdresser

This look is so popular and very easy to achieve when you know how!

Step 1

The first thing you must do when you want big hair is get texture in it,  backcombing alone isn’t good enough you first have to create a  texture in the hair.  To get great texture when you first wash your hair you must use some styling products. I used John Masters sea mist. Rough dry the hair, maybe even upside down to get plenty of body and movement.  You can even do this a day or 2 after washing if you find your hair has better texture when it is a bit dirty.  

Step 2

Next I have used my Yogi hair wand; the great thing about this wand is it's very easy to use and you don’t need any additional products to make a curl. I used the large barrel wand on Sinead’s hair. You can already see the lovely texture in her hair.

Step 3

Backcomb the hair with the widetooth comb. You don’t have to backcomb with a pincomb as this can make the hair very knotted to get out.  The trick is in the way you backcomb. Hold the section of hair and take long sweeping movements from 2 inches away from the root back down towards the root slowly and carefully (rather than sawing movements at the root!!!!) If you do this correctly the hair will stand up alone.  Spray with some hairspray. I like Sun coat spray as it is non aerosol or the aveda ones are good too!  

Step 4

Section off the hair as shown then place the padding in at the crown and secure with grips.  Take your bristle brush and smooth the hair gently over the padding and pin behind.  Keep the hair a liitle tousled as it will look too old fashioned if its too neat and Voila!!!

 

Keep your eyes peeled next week for my second Christmas party look! If you use this tutorial we would LOVE to see photos of the results - make sure you post them in a comment! 

Knicker hunt!

 We thought we would start the party games early this year, and we are kicking off our Christmas give-away specials with a knicker hunt! 

Scattered about our website are 5 little Playful Promises presents, with a set of Genie wrapped up inside each one! The first 5 people that find them all and email annas@playfulpromises.com with their locations will win a set of Genie in their choice of colour. 

(This one doesn't count!)

 Most of them are fairly easy to find, so get searching before someone else finds them all! 

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW OVER!

Congrats to our winners, Jess, Hannah, Viktoriana, Lauren and Saffron, your prizes will be winging their way to you very soon! We hope you all enjoyed taking part, we shall have to make the next one much more of a challenge ;D Keep an eye out next week for another hunt! 

Carnaby 20% Shopping Party

Last night was the fabulous Carnaby 20% Shopping Party in association with Grazia magazine! We had been excited about this all week, and prepared quite a few treats for our shoppers!

Not only were we giving 20% off EVERYTHING in the boutique, but we also had 5 goody bags to give away to the first people to come in and shout "PLAYFUL PROMISES TURNS ME ON!" - within 10 minutes of us setting up, we already had two ladies come marching in and shouting the magic words! Inside the bags we had further discounts, a pair of pin-up panties and some amazing make-up by Bellapierre!

Black Vanilla Cupcakes treated us to these ridiculously yummy cakes! Honestly, these are the BEST cupcakes I have ever had! I need more! 

We also had lovely bartender Steve and his wife dishing (or should I say cupping?) out tasty Brazilian mojitos made with the gorgeous new drink Salto. As a big fan of gin, vodka, whiskey and er.... most other drinks, these cocktails were refreshing and tasted unlike anything I've had before. 

At 6pm shoppers and passers by had the chance to witness one of my favourite performers, Lili la Scala and her superb mixture of opera and burlesque! Our audience was completely enchanted by her powerful voice, I even overheard someone wonder how such an amazing sound came from such a delicate thing! 

Rounding off the evening, the seductive Sophia St Villier teased our audience with a raunchy burlesque performance! Stripping out of the tightest dress I have ever seen, down to our black genie set and waspie, and finally down to not much but a bit of glitter! We had a bit of a problem detatching a few men from the window outside. 

Don't panic if you missed all this! On the 3rd of December we will be launching our new boutique at Boxpark in Shoreditch, with yet another excuse to hold an extravagent boutique party! Keep your eyes firmly peeled on our Facebook  where we will be posting an event with all the details!

Cocktails or: how I learn't to stop worrying and love Christmas

You may not be aware of this, but I'm possibly the most pessimistic of the Playful Promises team. And by the time Christmas rolls around I'm one big ball of grump. While the idea of doing nothing but eating thrills me more than words could say (see above: me last Christmas), I am soon reminded of just how long I can sit in the same room as my Grandmother and her notorious gum-chewing. 

And this is when delving into your drinks cabinet is a good idea. Those last drops of blue liqueur, decades old vodka and that stuff you can't even pronounce that smells like paint stripper... they can all come to good use in that wonderful cocktail shaker. 

Here is my little list of must-haves to tide you over until the new year!

Why Santa has a naughty list

You may notice that I'm a sucker for cocktails with silly names. I'm also a sucker for sweet cocktails!

• 30ml Amaretto
• 30ml Gin
• 30ml Liqueur, banana
• 15ml Grenadine
• Lemonade

 Use a long glass for this, adding crushed ice first, then your gin and amaretto. Top up with lemonade while adding grenadine slowly, then layer the banana liqueur on top.

Snowflaketini

• 40ml Alizé (Passionfruit liqueur)
• 30ml Vodka
• 1 splash Cranberry Juice
• 1 wedge Lemon
• 2 sprinkles Coconut

An easy one - chuck it all into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and pour into a martini glass. Sprinkle the coconut on top and sugar rim the glass if you are feeling fancy!

 The Grinch

• 60ml Midori (melon liqueur)
• 15ml lemon juice
• 1 tsp simple syrup
• Maraschino cherry for garnish

Representing the change that came over the Grinch, this super sweet cocktail is another easy shaker. Pop everything in a shaker with ice, shake and serve in a martini glass with the cherry for garnish.

Cranberry Cutie

For those good girls and boys that like their drinks untainted! 

• 60ml red cranberry juice
• 60ml apple juice
• 15ml honey
• Maraschino cherry for garnish

Shake and pour into a martini glass, garnish with cherry.

Christmas gift review: I Dream of Genie

When I first delved into Playful Promises Autumn Winter collection, Genie was the line I was most excited about. The delicate lace was what captured my imagination, the sweet bows and the opaque fabric giving glimpses of flesh was ideal.

 

I realised I had to wait a longing four and a half months before I could get my hands on these beauties as they weren't in store yet! Oh the broken heart I experienced!

In these four and a half months I tactically planned which Genie set I would get first. It would have been pure gluttony to have strolled into our boutique and demanded all three colours with both bra styles. No I had to be cunning and patient.

I decided the mauve Genie was my ultimate favourite, a stunning colour, perfect for the Autumn season. I would get the mauve brief and underwired bra first, and then gradually build up the collection, investing in the black Genie and then the nude.

Luck fell upon me; I was offered the mauve Genie underwired bra two months in advance of it being in store! It was just a sample, slightly washed out, but perfect. I wore this every day at the Playful Promises trade-shows. It was noticed by several buyers and perhaps even sealed the deal on some occasions.

Finally August was upon us and the Autumn Winter collection was imminent.

I skipped down to the Playful Promises boutique and the green eyed monster took over me an I purchased the Black and Nude Genie in the same transaction! I chose the black underwire bra and matching brief, and the nude triangle bra and matching brief.

Damn – I forgot the mauve brief!

 

The underwire genie bra is one of the most comfortable bra's I've ever worn. I can never feel it's there, it can almost be unnerving to stop and wonder whether in my haste each morning I actually bothered with the bra.

But it's there. The ruched  bra straps are actually very subtle under clothes and  offer a cheeky glimpse of what lies beneath.

The underwires fit perfectly, a really comfortable cup, that clearly I can't feel. I personally don't require much support, however after adjusting the straps I feel I am sturdily strapped in and that the bra provides as much support as a lacey bra can offer.

The brief is stunning. I love the gathered detail on the back, it's very subtle but really finishes the brief. The back is a comfortable satin and the front is the matching lace to the bra and soft-cup bra. The brief is cut a little risque, not quite Brazilian, however I feel the cut is flattering on my shape. The black and nude brief could be matched to so many more lingerie sets, classic pieces and must-haves in your lingerie drawer.

The triangle bra is perfect for bumming around the house. Very saucy, again this soft-cup bra is comfortable and fits like a glove and cheekily offers glimpses of what lies beneath.

This classic collection of lacy bras, soft-cup bras and briefs is ideal for anyone in need of a new bra and brief set. Comfortable and well-fitted this set will take you from day wear, sitting at your desk in the office, to official events giving you confidence in how you look all the way to after work dates – the cheeky inviting lace promising fun in the boudoir with your chosen mate.