TrendLife Beauty

A nail technician to the stars, Andrea Fulerton’s artistic ingenuity has long been sought after on the talons of the masses. Transcending catwalk trends and celebrity favourites onto the fingernails of the everyday high street woman is now a possibility thanks to the result of a partnership between Superdrug and Andrea Fulerton; The Andrea Fulerton Boutique. A one-stop nail shop to achieve fabulous looking fingertips, The Andrea Fulerton Boutique puts the ‘Super’ into one of Britain’s largest beauty and health retailers.

Fulerton’s collection oozes a kind of nail art creativity which has previously been a luxury afforded only by the A list. Bursting with bright colours and quirky designs, The Andrea Fulerton Boutique caters to the nail’s every whim. From buffers to removers, to polish and gemstones, the range offers copious possibilities for snazzy nails for which women across the land are, no doubt, truly thankful.

With grunge tipped to be one of this season’s most popular trends, the Andrea Fulerton Nail Tattoo Crosses and Skull and Cross Bones are the perfect antidote to a rock chic look, adding an alternative but pretty edge to an otherwise toughened-up trend. Easy to apply and remove, the stickers can be placed on both bare and painted fingernails, and sealed with Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique GlossUp Overcoat to ensure a longer lasting finish.

Razzle-dazzle is synonymous to the range, thanks to its treasure trove of 24 colours all inspired by celebrities that Andrea has worked with, and the Crystal Gemstones and Stripe & Sparkle products that add an all important finishing touch. With a striper brush and glitter shaker, the six shades in the Stripe & Sparkle collection add intensity and glitzy glam to the nail, transforming an outfit to radiate star quality.

To hit the nail on the head as a fashion-forward filly, tantalise your talons with a treat from The Andrea Fulerton Boutique.

Available from Superdrug instore or online 

www.superdrug.com

As a 15-year-old GCSE student, I was cast in the lowest stream of seven sets. I was one of the lowliest mathematicians within my school year, perplexed by the algebra, formulas and fractions that presented themselves in my Hodder Mathematics Higher Text Book I during period II each morning. Preparing to undertake a losing (GCSE grade C) battle with my mathematic inabilities, I enlisted the help of my genius boyfriend of the time, who proved to me that me + you does equal better equations *; a kindly fellow at the OCR marking board granted me with an A, much to the amazement of the Mathematics Department at my Independent Grammar School, myself and my parents. During that summer of 2006, I had pressed ‘pon the digits of my scientific calculator more frequently than those of my mobile phone.

Five years later, my lack of mathematical ingenuity remains patent; Claire + numbers = confused. So, when in the shower and lathering up with Sanex Zero Shower Sensitive Shower Gel, the ‘zero’ emblazoned on its bottle left me bewildered; I had always believed that the bigger the number, the better. On second thoughts, I realised that Sanex Zero Shower Sensitive Shower Gel, must be, in the words of my A-grade-maths-GCSE-self circa June 2006, an ‘anomaly’.

A zero to hero product, Sanex Zero Shower Sensitive Shower Gel is > ** its shower gel adversaries. Specially formulated for sensitive skin, it is both healthy for the skin and good for the environment, in that only those ingredients required for clean and healthy skin are used. Many of products in its field are ridden with ingredients that irritate the skin with their harsh, perfumed chemicals. I thus find Sanex to be a welcome alternative that leaves skin feeling fresh, rejuvenated and energised. The bathroom in the Basing-Lawson household has therefore undertaken a zero-tolerance policy for any other shower gel but Sanex, as this house believes that Sanex + our bodies = one big happy, clean family who are free from parabens, colourants, phthalates and Phenoxyethanol.

* - Lyrics taken from Riverside (Sidney Samson, 2009)

** - Greater Than (mathematical terminology) 

Watch Sanex’s Living Sculptures performance which was held on London’s South Bank to encourage viewers to think twice about using unnecessary chemicals on their bodies. The performers in paint are a metaphor for the majority of us who put unnecessary chemicals on our bodies everyday, whilst the other individual represents the idea that with a product such as Sanex Zero% you don't have to. I encourage you to be the second individual, it’ll be life changing!

£1.89

www.boots.com

With a career spanning over 45 years, Lulu has achieved iconic status as an entertainer worldwide. As famous for her youthful appearance as her chart-topping singles, Lulu’s foray into the beauty industry has proved to be as much of a hit as her records; us girls are all hankering after Lulu’s key to age-defiance.

When, in 1965, a petite, blonde-fringed Scot by the name of Lulu burst on the scene with her energetic floor-filler, Shout, the lyrics were consigned to oblivion; hip young things were concerned less about content and more about the wee warbler presiding over television and radio waves.  Fast forward to 2011 and Lulu has something truly worth shouting about; Lulu’s Time Bomb Youth Juice Secret Oil. Designed to regenerate skin with the natural oils that are lost over time, Lulu’s Time Bomb Youth Juice Secret Oil is a combination of oils, including olive, kukui, avocado and jojoba, designed to mimic natural sebum. The addition of these ingredients retains the skin’s plump, dewy and glowing appearance, especially critical during the winter months in quenching weathered, distressed and dry skin. The formula is also rich in Vitamins E and C, proving it to be an all-rounded beauty must-have. Packaged to look like a time bomb, and with its pretty, feminine design, Lulu’s Time Bomb Youth Juice Secret Oil is the answer to eternal youth from the nation’s favourite eternally youthful lass.

£30.75

www.lulusplace.co.uk

Mastering the tresses of tots and teens, to his and her’s hairstyles, is for some, a hair-raising task. Yet, one salon chain adept at perfecting the coiffures of us all is Headmasters.  With its forty-one salons each offering customers both a personable and professional service, whilst housed in an environment adorned with contemporary elegance, it is no wonder that Headmasters has become a leading hair salon upon the high street. Hailed as ‘the go to salon for fashionable, healthy, gorgeous catwalk inspired hair’, Headmasters has, for 14 years been the destination of choice for our family to achieve lustrous Lawson locks. Keen as ever to cement my dedication to this hothouse of hair, I travelled west, to visit their flagship salon in Mayfair and to meet a woman so intent on perfecting my ‘do and so companionable that I longed for her friendship.

Through their winning combination of premium hairdressing and optimum service, Headmasters have retained a loyal clientele, of which my family are just a few of such customers’ bristles in their brush. Whilst located in exclusive areas nationwide, Headmasters continues to be attainable to consumers, through its regular special offers and discounts, such as its recommend a friend 50% off voucher and HM  Club which allows members 25% off Monday to Friday.

After a few navigational issues, of which I was at one with the lost tourists that are so intrinsic on London’s streets, I entered a whimsical wonderland of palatial standards; 11-12 Hanover Street, Headmaster’s flagship salon. With its interior laden with sophisticated glam, thanks to its specialist team, Headmasters at Mayfair remains an overtly homely environment, away from the treacherous hustle and bustle that lays beyond the front door to Oxford Circus.

After a briefing with Art Director and hair extraordinaire, Siobhan, I was in the hot-seat, about to channel my longing for Alexa Chung chic through a colour that she’s currently sporting, a rich, shiny, mahogany brown that simply oozes kitsch cool. Caped in Headmaster’s finest; an on-trend black gown emblazoned with their logo, I sat and chatted to Siobhan whilst she tended to my tresses; she was a girl with serious street-cred, and I was keen for a slither. I later learnt Siobhan’s uber cool was a Lady Gaga inspired ‘Born this way’ ; I was trying to keep up with a real-life Jones. Nonetheless, after three hours of her world-class artistry now running through my Lawson locks, I felt honoured to be in the presence of such a fine coiffure connoisseur.  As I emerged from Headmasters, I bounded along Oxford Street with a new found confidence; I was a new woman with a new lease of life.  As the all too familiar tourists of our capital city stopped me in my tracks for what was most likely an impromptu photo-shoot, I realised the price of being Alexa’s doppledanger. Alas, they were in fact on the lookout for the Apple store, but with a paparazzi style camera strewn upon their necks, my assumptions weren’t too far fetched at least.

Three weeks later, and I’m still bubbling with glee at the innovative colour and cut that I receive upon each visit at Headmasters. No matter which location I choose, I am always safe in the knowledge that I will receive a first-class treatment, and I encourage each man and woman to retreat to their local so that we are all happy-clappy on the highway of hair.

Visit www.hmhair.co.uk for more information, or find them tweeting at @headmastersuk 

Clapham Common; hometown of chino-wearing, family-ring sporting yuppies, urban yummy mummies buggy-pushing baby Tallulah’s and Henry’s, trendy bars thronging with young bohemian’s and a nightclub so dingy that it was used as a location to film the Inbetweeners movie. While the area is most well known for being a jogger’s paradise and mini music festival venue thanks to its expansive patch of grass, an establishment much deserved of the fame bequeathed to its location is the heavenly Anesis Spa.

Situated adjacent to Clapham Common, Anesis is a salon offering a rare blend of innovation, luxury and affordability. A stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Clapham High Street, entry into Anesis is a welcome retreat from the extrinsic scramble. A paradise oasis of serenity, the spa is well in touch with the cult of celebrity, offering treatments beloved by the famous in an environment that exudes opulence and importantly, an attainable exclusivity. Greeting me into SW4’s beauty wonderland was Sara, Anesis’s Front of House Manager and the most hospitable individual in all of Clapham. As we sat down over a cuppa, glossed over of the weekly magazines and chatted about Anesis’s offerings, it felt as though Sara and I were two friends catching up after months apart, a reflection of her bubbly and kindly nature. It was 7pm, and the salon was lively, a tell-tale sign that Anesis is in need of opening 9.30-9.30pm; this is a haunt in high demand.

Whilst customers dipped their tootsies into the ingenious Fish Spa as others glamourised their talons with an OPI manicure, it was time for me to get the look loved by celebrities of the moment, HD Brows, courtesy of beauty therapist, Nadia. Using a seven-step procedure, Nadia tinted, waxed, threaded, tweezed and trimmed my brows to perfection. A revolutionary process, Nadia’s artistry enhanced my facial features by transforming my eyebrows into their perfect shape. A rarity in the world of beauty salons is conversation devoid of mundane chit-chat, yet at Anesis, in one visit their staff quickly became an alternative circle of girl friends to my Parsons Green gang. Before exiting after an intensive hour of primping and preening and keen to showcase my beautiful brows, I arranged an impromptu drink with some friends in a nearby bar, safe in the knowledge that they’d soon be frequenting their local beauty hotspot. For a celebrity look in a swanky setting but without an extravagant price tag, Anesis should be your destination of choice.

www.anesis.co.uk

Twenty-one years and four months ago, an expectant mother was about to give birth to a much-wanted daughter. After being induced by the midwifery team at Epsom General Hospital, and having endured 22 hours of labour, thoughts of a blonde curly-haired baby girl to cradle post marathon spurred Denise on. Generations of Basing’s had been born with a mane of golden locks, and thus it was only natural that this child would inherit such an inherent family feature. As Denise came round after her caesarean, into her arms a babe with a thick black mop of hair was lain; the blonde Basing barnet had skipped a generation, I was quite clearly, a Lawson. 

Twenty-one years and four months later, my Lawson characteristics remain; dark-haired and olive-skinned, I am my father’s daughter. Hair dye not an ethical option for an infant, such choices became my own as I matured into a young woman. My black eyebrows and dark features prevent a blonde changeover, and thus, I leave the art of colour conversion to my ingenious Wahl Colour Change Heat Mat. Acquiring the curls that Denise so coveted in July 1990 can be achieved with rollers and tongs. When tongs are heated and ready to roll, the nifty mat changes colour. A fabulous safety device, it assures that I will not be following in my mother's footsteps whose heated rollers set fire to the family home in the 1970s. To pass off man-made curly locks as a born identity, I enlist the help of Osmo Curl Fluid. A volumising curl enhancer for incredible shine and movement, Osmo Curl Fluid defines and revitalises both permed and naturally curly hair whilst also eliminating frizz. Distributing the product through towel dried hair creates a voluminous ‘do; whereas a defined finish can be achieved by allowing hair to dry naturally.

With Osmo, I can have the best of both worlds. Whether spending the day or night as Basing, or as a Lawson, their range of haircare products ensure that I am always doing the family name proud. 

www.osmonation.com

In September 2008, I packed my bags, said my goodbyes to family and friends and set off on a year-long adventure. Sunnier climes and a beachside location awaited me at the other end, and as my taxi tootled along the M25 onto the M23, with Gatwick Airport in sight, I was a bundle of nerves.  Albeit the birthplace of Neighbours, Kylie Minogue, Ugg boots, Foster’s Beer and Vegemite, the land of Oz was a territory so far from all I’ve ever known, that I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Blighty; I am a pom and I am no backpacker.

Instead, 28^th September 2008 was the date I begun my fresher’s year at Sussex University in Brighton, where, armed with Banalasta skin care products formulated for the harsh Australian environment, the en-suite to my halls of residence bedroom became a tribute to those of my friends gallavanting round the golden coast on their gap year.

Three years later and my pals are back on British soil, their Australian exploits left behind, 11,000 miles away. So fond of Banalasta am I that my dalliance with this Aussie sparked a lasting loyalty to the brand; where its products are never more than metres away from my fingertips. Banalasta’s Daily Skin Vigour Exfoliating Soap, with its mixture of plant extracts, moisturisers and organic Eucalyptus Radiata Oil is a purifying facial and body cleanser that delicately and effectively eliminates daily impurities without drying out the skin. The Eucalyptus Radiata Oil contains antiseptic properties to assist in the treatment of skin irritations, cuts, abrasions and insect bites and stings. The soap also contains antiviral properties to relieve coughs, colds, nasal congestion and cold sores, curing my Fresher’s Flu and preventing a visit to the University Medical Centre where the queue was as long as Passport Control.

As a hedonistic high-heel wearer, six evenings a week wearing platforms and stilettos fared unfavourable for my feet. It wasn’t quite hiking through the Australian bush that had resulted in my sore paws, but Banalasta’s Daily Hand & Foot Repair Cream was a healer nonetheless. Splits, cracks and parched skin were rejuvenated with the essential oils in the cream that softened and restored my feet, as well as aiding against dry and sensitive skin.

For those about to book their Quantas flight for a jaunt in Oz, log on to www.banalasta.co.uk and you’ll experience Australia without even setting foot Down Under.

Banalasta Daily Skin Vigour Exfoliating Soap – £8

Banalasta Daily Hand & Foot Repair Cream - £10 

www.banalasta.co.uk www.oxyjetonline.co.uk

Aged 15, whilst clad in Jack Wills latest I-made-loads-of-effort-but-I’ll-pass-it-off-as-distinctly-casual clobber, armed with a barely slurped Starbucks caramel frappucino, a pay-as-you-go mobile phone with £2.21 credit and my mother’s pashmina, I set foot upon the King’s Road for the first time. It was as though I’d had an epiphany, I had found my calling – the KR had to become my playground.  As my posse of Surrey sisters and I roamed SW3’s highway to heaven, I longed to be more familiar with the territory, to be a young heart running free, and not because I’d missed the 211 bus back to Victoria, but to know the King’s Road so well that I’d assist lost Chinese tourists. I yearned for a haven on the KR that I could call a second home; I did try the King’s Road Sporting Club for a short period, but it was quite obvious I wasn’t there to buy a pair of trainers or a tennis racket. Six years after my sojourn to The King’s Road and I’ve found my much coveted sanctuary; The Chelsea Day Spa.

Tucked away from the main thoroughfare, a delightful two storey townhouse building is home to The Chelsea Day Spa. What is so striking upon entry into this central London oasis is its aura of complete tranquillity, homeliness and companionship; hustle, bustle, stress and spite are all left at the door; this is a Spa definitive of pleasantry and perfection.

Upon arrival, Front of House Manager Emma transcends much beyond a friendly face to greet visitors; so affable is she that I felt I could tell her my innermost woes as well as my most exciting pieces of news. As I took to my white leather armchair and reclined to tune in to Sex and The City, I almost felt as though I were at home relaxing after work before my mother bellows that my chicken casserole is on the kitchen table. Alas, I was not chez Basing-Lawson, but instead in the capable hands of Christina, whose adept professionalism meant that she absolutely nailed a first-rate luxury manicure.

As Christina and I chatted about beauty treatments and all things girly, memories of a ten year-old puppy fat ridden Claire, painting nails and chit-chatting with friends at a sleepover whilst watching Parent Trap on VHS or reading Girl Talk and Mizz magazine took over my thoughts. I only wish Christina had been with me 11 years ago, but instead, I hope she will accept my invitation to join me as I embark on womanhood and mature from a black glittery polish 21 year old client to a more refined red varnish as a 40 year old customer who’s inbetween the school run and food shop. 

With its four treatment rooms and a nail bar all exuding a pretty, feminine décor, The Chelsea Day Spa is the perfect retreat to attend with girlfriends. Treatments include waxing, massage and nail therapy, body treatments, spray-tanning and facials, which, alongside their superb Daily Deals means that there is a service fit for every Queen on The King’s Road. For those making a solo visit fear not, the amiable team and cosy interior mean that you’ll find it difficult to ever leave.

www.thechelseadayspa.co.uk or call 0207 351 0911 to find out more about their treatments and book an appointment at The Chelsea Day Spa.