Nail Colour Alert!

Essie’s ‘Sew psyched’ has only been in our salon a week, yet it’s proven to be a popular choice with the ladies. (more…)

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Lippy Finds!

Chantecaille lip gloss

Priced at £22 for a fairly small amount, This product is not exactly cheap. However many customers have complained of not being able to find the right lip colour for daytime use…..so  here it is!¬

Why we like- Mainly because of the perfectly muted natural tones which suits ALL skin complexions(we’re talking black, caucasian, asain…everyone!), although this is essentially a lip gloss, the creamy consistency gives good colour coverage. Not too ‘glossy’ so perfect for day time wear. Not sticky- it’s actually advertised as a lip healing gloss

If matched with a good lip liner, the effects are lip “plumpingly” marvelous!

suggestions, MAC’s ‘Spice’ or BOBBY BROWN’s ‘henna’

 

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Couture For Us!

One of our PinkCrust girlie’s recently returned from a trip to New York with some amazing gifts for us all,  These were purchased at beauty haven SEPHORA! (no beautician would be worth her title if she didn’t visit this place on a trip to the US).

Although none of us have never really been fans of the hoodie+matching bottoms trend, Juicy couture has blossomed its brand and were inclined to agree on its ‘whimsical, feminine charm’- speaking solely on the beauty products here. The packaging of juicy couture perfumes and creams suits us to a tee! and the smells are surprisingly divine! have a look…

Our “Hands down” Favorite is this Limited edition Couture Couture Solid Perfume Ring, If you a fan of sandalwood and Vanilla then beg someone who really loves you to get on a plane, fly to the US, pick this up at Sephora and get back just in time for xmas!

If not then the following perfumes are all available at the PERFUME SHOP. despite SOME of us loving SOME of the scent’s we can only guesstimate that this would also be the same result on a wider scale….in this case we can only suggest you consider these perfumes on your list when searching for the perfect smell!

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It Was FUN!

It was great to see our regular and some new customers attend our ‘Make up tips night’. there was food, drink and loads of make up advice.

Customers were especially pleased to receive their goodie bags, which included two gorgeous colours from REVLON-’all fired up’, a classic and iconic red and ‘plum seduction’, a vibrant shade of purple (which a couple of us are wearing right now!!)BTW we also couldn’t help but love this shot of Jessica Biel wearing ‘all fired up’ in this REVLON campaign (shot but Mario Testino may we add)

…We Digress. Judging by the smile of these two glowing and flawless customers (mother and daughter, anyone guess that?!), we’d confidently say…”it was a great night”

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Gels! Not Acrylic Gels!

Many customers have come into the salon asking for Gel nail infill, only to discover what is actually on their nails are Acrylics.

so…why is that and whats what? OK….

Acrylic- always in powder form, mixed with liquid monomer to form a gel, applied to nails, left to dry..

acrylic Gel -powder form mixed with liquid to form gel, applied to nails, cured under UV light…

Gels -painted on in gel form, cured under light!

So what’s the difference we here you ask… If it has acrylic in the title the it’s acrylics! All acrylic result in damaged natural nails! we’ll say no more on that.

As for Gels nails,  they DO NOT damage the natural nails, although they are slightly less hard-wearing in comparison to gel nails. Gel nails are quick to apply, they come in a variety of colours, can be refiled and used over tips also. The appearance is also thinner and very ‘natural’ looking. With gel, your nails are protected from breakage. It’s no wonder Gel nails are fast becoming the obvious nail extention choice. We highly recommend Gel nails as when they come off it’s actually possible to not have to cut of all your natural nails and start again!! and yes they are available in pink and white.

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She Said It…

“A woman has the age she deserves.”

Coco Channel

 

 

Chanel-spring 2011 collection

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More (FRIENDLY) PC Advice…

This time it’s eyelash extensions. we’ve been seeing a lot of “abuse of use” when it comes to achieving the ‘fluttery eye’ look!

For everyday wear, Eyelash extensions should be an enhancement to your existing lashes, which in turn highlight yours eyes. However all of us girlies at Pinkcrust, on and off beauty duty, have seen walking examples of….well….um…. something similar to this…….

seriously…we’re being literal here!

 

 

All we have to say on the matter is, if you looking for gorgeous eyes come in store, you’ll end up with something more like this….

Left eye:without extensions  Right eye: with semi permanent flared lashes

 

 

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The whole point in MATTE nail polish and…it’s here to stay

For those of you complaining about the matt  nail polishes looking like wall paint and “not very shiny”(yesss…i know, it’s commonly said!) we’d like to point out a few things. It boils down to the matte polish being a “look” and therefore a preference. shiny nails represent high maintenance and polished(no pun intended) whereas matte represents understated chic, not try hard yet not neglecting and also moving with the ever-changing fashion industry.The ‘dustier’ looking the polish the more striking the effect. In regards to it not lasting very long, we can only say that’s a technical issue, polish without topcoat will never last very long. However it’s soooo quick drying that applying it every other day shouldnt be time-consuming.(at least for a dedicated fashionista)

Here at Pinkcrust we commonly sport the matte, anything that gives us a different and interesting look is very refreshing AND if its good enough for a flashy car…..

In any case the pinkcrust girlie’s and customers  alike have long been dedicated wearers of  O.P.I ‘Lincoln park after dark’  and now there’s a matt version!!!! hmm…in the words of Racheal Zoe “I DIE”

Now for some words of advice for the pro matte camp (if you haven’t yet gathered, that’s us included) O.P.I’s range of matte’s are brilliant, Orly also do a range of matte polish But whilst the dark colours are excellent, the lighter shades do not quite manage to be 100% matte, they appear “suede-ish”, the resulting effect just seems more like matte smeared with grease(which, btw, has a totally different connotation!!!)

alternatively, the ‘Essie’ mattifying top coat Matte About You is very economical, just apply this over old favourites or even colours you just regret buying(they take on a whole new life form when they’re matt)

And at last base coat is still necessary!

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Chrome Nails, AGAIN!

These nails totally deserve another mention. The gold chrome are flying of the shelves in the salon and rightfully so, they’re quick, long wearing and attention grabbing(forget neon for now). As a result we’ve stocked up on all the colours available in the range…..we now do chrome red, black, purple, green, blue we love love love! (please see ‘services and prices’ page for more info)

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On the RARE occassions when we have little to do…..

Tools used;

• steady hand(yep, all done by hand!)
  
• creative flair
• a little polish

Which one do you like????

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Just Some PC advice…

A good make up base is…..??? To us girlies at PinkCrust the answer to this is really obvious, but not always to others.

It’s Good skin!  Skin is what your make up sits on so it’s therefore very important for your base to be smooth in order to achieve a smooth look after make up is applied. exfoliation three times a week, cleansing, toning & moisturising for the long-term is of course a must to KEEP skin up to par. Yet many of our customers are admitting to NOT moisturising everyday BUT still wearing make up everyday!!! (confusion, shock, horror…no…seriously) As a result of this knowledge we’d like to say

“Skipping the cleansing and moisturising, is just not cool”

In any case we’ve got three fab primers, that really make a difference to how long your make up last and aid in smooth application, enhanced glow and finer pores.                    Bobbi brown vitamin enriched face base, doubles up as a moisturiser, even worn without make up keeps the face matt and smooth looking as well as smelling gorgeous. Very good for daily use. This primer is by far our favorite and regularly used for our bridal make up too.                          YSL top secrets flash radiance. The pearly reflective pigments work very well to add a little highlighting. This product’s very mattifying, perfect for evening looks we think. Laura Mercier foundation primer, is lightweight and absorbs very quickly, it definitely keeps make up on all day and gives a very smooth finish to your make up.  BTW….We’re loving Ms Campbell’s flawless and radiant skin in the latest edition of Russian GQ, who is looking magnificent at 40 (we’re sure she doesn’t skip on her moisturising, toning and exfoliating!!!)

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Tried, Tested & Regularly Used

We’ve been fully booked and totally run off our feet from opening to closing this Halloween weekend. So it’s been eat work and sleep for us all and It’s times like these when it’s most difficult to stick to a beauty routine-which you must do!!! Here are some products that have kept us “looking the part”(all products mentioned are based on the results of OUR regular use)

Shu Uemura cleansing oil-Do not be fooled by the oily consistency, it really does clean all traces of make up, however heavy. This cleansing oil certainly does not dry or clog skin , it is not harsh yet destroys spots and even helps to regulate skin to a perfect balance, it’s totally perfect for the coming winter.The eesult of using this product is clear and hydrated looking skin.

Verdict-A necessity for all!

Guerlain’s Issima Midnight Secret- Yep, this works. Not cheap but it does what it says on the bottle. Not getting enough sleep is always obvious on the skin, with this stuff it wont be. Even after one use, Pores look smaller and skin looks revived.

verdict -A Very handy product after a late night or to use as a skin ‘pick me up’

Dr Sebagh Azlaeic acid- Another ‘gooden’. This product acts like a mini at home peel. Just apply and leave it for five minutes, it exfoliates, tightens, brightens and eventually fades blemishes. It’s a ‘pricey’ mask BUT you can throw away a lot of other useless products on your dressing table for this one because it does so much! moisturiser even goes on better after use too.

Verdict-We even use it in the salon…

 

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Matt v Gloss! We’ll Do Both!!

We thought we’d join in the Halloween fun too, and to match our costumes… it’s ‘Orly’ matt black nails (black for obvious reasons) and clear gloss strips (strips,because…well…they’re having yet another fashion moment)

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Minx….the good and not so great points! AND a good alternative!

Minx nails, are available in loads of absolutely fab and crazy designs, that cannot be produced by human hands(well…not as precisely at least). They are quick to apply, meaning no drying time and they do not chip. The drawback comes with the longevity of minx.                                            On the hands they stay in place for approximately 3 days, thereafter they begin to ‘peel back’. To combat this we advise using a top coat daily(sounds like a lot but one coat takes minutes to dry and can be done just before you go to bed or first thing). Also, A UV top coat used straight after application is effective in maintaining minx.

However…… If you’re looking for standout nails, we’ve discovered ‘chrome nails’, which last approximately two weeks, they take less than 30 minutes to apply and look fantastic!!! There’s even more scoop for variation as patterns can be applied on  top also. Again there is no drying time and chipping is minimal if maintained with a normal lacquer top coat every few days. WE LOVE IT!

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Bikini, Brazillian & Hollywood

It appears not many of our first time ‘waxers’ are aware of  the differences! or at least are not entirely sure of the variations, let us explain…..

Bikini everything outside of the Standard knicker line and a touch in inside of the knicker line.

Brazilian-Typically Hairs removed from front and back removed, with a thin strip of hair remaining at the top front.

Hollywood-All off!

However, the above options are not suited to everyone’s preference, so many salons offer a high bikini(as we do at PC), which hovers between a bikini and brazilian. The result is a thick strip 3/4 down from the top, with all back removed

so there you have it…the bikini wax guide!!!!

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Our Edible Louboutins

Nope, these are not real, but they’re not fakes either, the PinkCrust girlies could scarcely believe that this was a cake! a delicious one too!!

This cake was ordered from ariellascakes.co.uk and in a node to our much loved louboutins we continued the day in O.P.I ‘keys to Karma’ red. If you wondering about the extreme shine and metalic effect, these nails were painted on top of chrome silver nails (for that you’ll need to pop in to the salon x)

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Camel All The Way

Well…it’s time to kick start this blog with our first beauty report. Camels having a big moment in fashion, The pinkCrust girlies are loving  stella McCartney’s Camel Peplum jacket  and we’ve found the perfect nail version to boot!!! – Orly’s ‘Coffee break’ is the perfect nude shade and looks brill on short nails. This polish gives excellent coverage in just one coat, but being nail techs, we reccomend two coats with a high shine top coat. A very quick drying colour too! this is Perfect for the office, and can be matched with an array of outfits from black on black to grey and …anything really!

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Hey all, hey world, hey beauty lovers!

For our first ever post, it’s gonna have to be a quick intro; we’re a beauty salon based in Hackney. we definetly keep ourselves posted on whats new and hot in the beauty industry and were fashion lovers too! if were not performing treatments on our clients then we’re doing the above. Since we’re so keen to try everthing out, you may want to check in with us often, we’ll let you know if its good, bad or plain useless. So…we’ll keep you posted xoxo

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