Having a shoot at one's house is never a relaxing proposition. Especially not when your cleaner cancels on you last minute leaving you with a 3.5 hr cleaning sentence on top of a roast dinner and an excitable child that just can't stop asking questions way past their bedtime...once you finally fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning with All The Things crossed off the list , your bored cat gets a brilliant idea that biting your ankles really, really hard at 4 am is his ticket to a fun play wrestle. The alarm clock goes off much too soon after so you wake and rush the kid to school but on the way back home the coffee induced memory recall hits you and you realize a whole crew of people are turning up to your house very soon . You look in the rear view mirror and realize your hair looks terribly unwashed for someone who will be in a hair advert today so you give yourself a sheepishly toothy surprise face and realize you may need another coffee or 3 ...
...Well, hello there! My name is Tanja and I am a serial drama wrangler. My life seems to be made of untangling challenges and smoothing out kinks but most of all, I'm an expert juggler of way too many things. Like most people, I rush around so much that I don't have the time to spend on lengthy beautifying procedures and yet I live a life where my hair and skin are regularly put through ordeals. My genetically blessed curly/frizzy/wavy locks hang out with heat styling apparatuses daily in pursuit of smoothness and shine, whilst hair dye and I have been on a rainbow journey since I was 19.
Naturally, this practice doesn't the healthiest hair make so I am always on the lookout for intense hair repair- I especially love hair masks for their deep moisturizing qualities. When L'oreal contacted me to try out and represent their Elvive Total Repair 5 range, I felt like they found their girl; after all, there isn't many people with hair as tortured as mine after 20 years of modeling. The Elvive Total Repair range works on 5 signs of dry hair with it's Pro-Keratin and Ceramide molecules penetrating deep into the hair shaft to restore and strengthen the structure of the hair. The shampoo and conditioner work best for daily use and then the masque is supposed to be used once per week, although, I have been using mine in place of the conditioner as it gives me extra dry relief.
I'm especially loving the new Instant Miracle Treatment because it is perfect for last minute touch ups before a meeting or during a shoot. So how good is it? Well, have you ever watched one of those incredible beauty transformations where a person goes from looking incredibly drub and dull to looking shiny and amazing? Well, that was my hair before and after utilizing these products. The hairstylist on the shoot was fabulous, but even he couldn't hide the split ends had there been any. Now that my hair issues are sorted - I wonder if Elvive can move into the instant sleep remedy market next? Check out my hair stealing the show below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYXi6O3kZM&list=PLU96d1F8Kun-TQL8udMum_tyb6isvMU7Q&index=2
This season take on the subversive allure of silky lace and sharp tailoring for a femme fatale Parisian charm that is always en vogue.
1. L’oreal Paris Preference Glam Lights comes in a variety of shades because the look of bronde is je ne sais pas nonchalance. Bronde means easy sun kissed lightening and unintentionally perfect highlights across brunette, blonde and caramel base tones. Beautifully multidimensional customisable colour at your fingertips is the new trend du jour. (selection of shades now available from the L’oreal Preference Glam Lights range)
2. Evoking floral undertones with heady spices is the easy way to an alluring Spring ( Tom Ford’s Santal Blush)
3. Match your mannish, tailored suit with delicate silk underwear for the perfect mix of business woman and seductress ( Agent Provocateur lingerie)
4. Sharp tailoring requires timeless accessories ( Hermes Collier de Chiens cuff )
5. Shoes can speak volumes about an outfit. Spike your suit with pointy heels and red python ( mules from Christian Louboutin)
6. A camel coat is forever. This season play on texture as a focal point but stay mindful of forever piece potential of perfect tailoring ( Max Mara alpaca coat )
Hey hey - it’s finally spring! Trading in cold overcast days and upturned umbrellas for spring blooms and cold ciders on the beach is hardly a fair exchange but let’s face it, there is so much to miss about winter sartorially. Case in point; beautiful coats that let us get away with anything, thick cashmere sweaters that feel like a slice of home no matter the weather outside and cool over the knee boots that add Stevie Nicks’s irresistible allure to 70s maxis and split thigh skirts. Cold weather is so easy! But what about the encroaching warmth of Spring? Well!
This month, I’ve partnered with L’Oreal Paris in creating a weekly Spring Trend report ,dissecting not only lust fashion pieces but also the new (and frankly awesome) bronde trend currently sweeping the world. Beauty + fashion here we come!
Clockwise from top
1) Bronde : So what exactly is bronde? Bronde is neither a brunette nor a blonde. It’s not balayage or bright, stripey highlights ; it is an altogether different way of applying colour that is perfect for women who think that sitting on the fence serves the best of both worlds and whose natural shade of hair fits somewhere in the middle of these two tonal extremes. For me, it’s basically an excuse to be lazy with colouring - the bronde look is more forgiving while growing out and it’s subtle highlighting won’t change your hair dramatically. From mocha to café latte and honey blonde, bronde offers a range of shades used simultaneously that evokes a nuanced, sunkissed, multi dimensional colour - perfect for the 70s vibe still rocking on into Spring ( shade shown: L'Oreal Paris Preference Glam Lights No:3 Light Brown to Dark Blonde Hair )
2) Red baby, red! : This Spring it’s all about scarlett, fire-engine,poppy flower, geranium red. But in this season trend’s haste, let us not forget that red is also a forever colour. Especially when it’s in a YSL bag edition. This baby will look good with this season’s bohemian look or the looming 80s trend coming our way. Win, win
3) Aviator love : Aviators are the perfect accessory addition to maxi dresses, flares and stacked heel boots. These sunglasses sport a beautifully graded lense – what better way to see the world? ( Isabel Marant X Olivier Peoples sunglasses )
4) Gucci babyyyyy Gucci : No other label has captured the hearts of fashion editors worldwide as Gucci has with it’s recent 180º style U turn. With Alessandro Michele as it’s new Creative Director, Gucci has taken a new subversive turn - gone is the brash, overt sexuality of Gucci’s past and in it’s place is a label whose strengths lie in an unassuming, relaxed, romantic, 21st century baroque grunge look. I will be wearing my loafers with floral silk skirts, suits, jeans… basically - everything!
5.Vintage : The prevailing mood is still vintage – from the 70s, into early 80s, fashion is still tapping into decades past. And what is the best way to get the look? Easy! Go vintage! Scour your thrift shops, Ebay and upmarket vintage stores for gems whose new incarnations are all the vogue right now. Let’s face it, designers pay their assistants to do this for them – vintage clothes are an endless treasure trove of inspiration and pattern ideas. Bonus point: it’s unlikely that anyone is going to own your look! ( vintage Lanvin dress from Ebay )
6. Pearl me up : These are not your grandmother’s pearls – these days marine jewels have taken on an altogether more modern incarnation with designers such as Delfina Delettrez, Chanel, Givenchy and Balenciaga playing with them across fresh, fun and wholly contemporary accessories ( pictured: Sarina Sariano palm cuff and earrings )
7. Paris 4eva : Paris is many obvious superlative adjectives but what is with the world’s unending obsession with Parisian women? From their fashion style to their diets, we want to know how they do it with that je ne sais quoi ease and perfection. How to be Parisian Wherever you Are is a book that goes beyond clichés into tongue in cheek vaudeville . The amusing Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas dissect everything from fashion rules, recipes and obsessions to a candid look at adultery, friendships, love and sex. It is witty and fun and reads like an outrageous gossip session with a bestie – I read it cover to cover in one amused sitting.
