Fantastic Find: Mitchell & Peach

Today our fabulous find is a local beauty business, Mitchell and Peach, that was recommended to me by a friend and now I just can’t get enough of it. Since having a hand op I’ve needed to keep moisturising my hand and I’m addicted to their hand cream (60ml, £17). From first glance at the fabulous packaging you’ll be hooked too and the cream has a beautiful scent which absorbs really quickly.

I’ve steadily worked my way through the rest of the product range which includes: a handwash (300ml, £19), a cream soap (4 x 100g, £28), a revitalising shower wash (250ml, £20), a relaxing bath oil (100ml, £39) and a rich, nourishing body cream (180ml, £36), all perfumed with a unique lavender and peachy fragrance.

Best of all there is a luxury travel collection (5 x 75ml shampoo, conditioner, bath oil, shower wash and body cream, £31.50) which is just perfect for a honeymoon treat or for a gorgeous bridesmaid gift.

Behind the products are father and son team, Ian and Jod Mitchell, who now manage the business, which was started over 100 years ago from Covent Garden. All their Mitchell & Peach products are hand-blended in England using the finest natural ingredients, including matured essential oils from the family’s lavender fields in Sevenoaks and honey collected from hives on their estate. What’s more the range is free from parabens, mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulphate and synthetic colouring and are not tested on animals.

The products are only available in selected stores including Annabel’s in Chislehurst and Harvey Nics daaarhling, or you can order online. And with a growing celebrity following, including Yasmin Le Bon, you’ll be in good company!

Image courtesy of Mitchell & Peach

Planning a Vintage Wedding Part 2: Hair and Make up

In part two of our Planning a Vintage Wedding special we take a look at creating your own vintage look. We caught up with three industry experts who, just like us, love vintage hair and make-up. ALOT!

Christina Jessel, hair and make-up specialist, says “Vintage is very much requested in my work at the moment. Its fun, classic, glamorous and works with all face shapes and hair textures. Adding a beautiful sparkly hair decoration with jewels or an accessory with fine, small feathers really completes the vintage look.

Caroline from Powder and Glow loves recreating vintage make up. “From mastering a 1940’s starlet, a 1950’s siren pout or a 1960’s smokey eye, we can work with you to get the vintage look you want. We also offer personal vintage styling tutorials so you can learn to create the looks yourself”.

Liz Bower from Simply Beautiful Wedding Hair specialises in wedding hair. “It’s fantastic to create a lovely soft, vintage feel, incorportating Marcel waves and twists, finishing beautifully with the most gorgeous hair comb.”

Here’s some inspiration from the ladies!

If you missed Part 1 of our Vintage Special catch it here and see you next week for Part 3 when we talk vintage wedding shoes.

Have a great weekend x

Image Credits

1 – 5: Courtesy of Christina Jessel 6-9: Courtesy of Powder & Glow 10-14 : Courtesy of Simply Beautiful Wedding Hair

Get the latest look: Buns and Roses

As we approach summer our resident fashionistas’ latest news is that the bun is making a big comeback.

I have hair I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It’s thick, frizzy and has a mind all of its own. If my house was on fire my GHD’s would be the first thing I saved. So when I heard the news I thought it might be the answer to my morning hair woes. No more messing around trying to tame hair at the crack of dawn, the bun would be my new secret weapon. I cast aside the fear I might end up looking like Mrs Lyons from the Post Office and off I went to buy a bun ring to try it out.

Back home I started with a low ponytail and put the ring over the top. I then used another band to pull hair over the ring and secure it in place. I then pinned up all the loose ends with some grips behind the ring. Voila a bun to behold! Three easy (ish) steps, minimum effort, maximum effect. Ok it wasn’t all that neat and I won’t be winning any style awards just yet, but I did have hair with a bit more attitude than my usual ponytail. I tried out a few sparkly grips and then swapped them for a small rose clip instead. And with loads of comments throughout the day about my new ‘up do’ my bun ring is definitely here to stay.

If you are looking for inspiration for bridal hair then check out our bun inspired board on Pinterest, I guarantee you won’t look like the lady from the Post Office.

All images via Pinterest via:

1. rebeccaanderton.tumblr.com

2. nibsblog.wordpress.com

3. theberry.com

4. onepickybride.blogspot.co.uk

5. nibsblog.wordpress.com

6. blog.modcloth.com

7. weddings.theknot.com

8. janetaylormillinery.com

9. favim.com

10. sullivanowen.com

Three Weddings and a Face Funeral

Welcome back to our guest beauty blogger, Emma O’Connor, who has been getting her skin wedding ready. Over to you Em!

I’m not quite sure what happened since I last blogged for the Wedding Dolls, but it seems to have given me the wedding bug. I now have the job of being a Bridesmaid three times this year. My first bridal mission is Maid of Honour to my sister in Ibiza this September.

I have learnt enough from the Wedding Dolls to know the first rule about being in the bridal party, “it’s not all about me”. Hmmm, however, my first thought was that I needed to sort out my skin and quickly. Thankfully my face had just about got over the relentless winter abuse but I needed to change my bad habits and fast if I was going to make it to Ibiza with peachy clear skin.

I headed out into town looking for an answer and got some great advice from Maureen at LoveBeautySkin who told me to ditch my trusty old friend, the face wipe immediately. I have been a big fan of wipes for years, using different brands in every price range. Each time I changed I felt a little like I was cheating on my boyfriend. But Maureen told me that “face wipes don’t really remove make-up or oil thoroughly enough – they just tend to move oil and dirt around the face, sometimes still leaving an oily residue”.

After her advice I rushed to the shops hunting a new face religion. After hours of fun in the beauty aisles I had completely transformed my view of ‘cleaning’ my face.

I have combination skin, so my t-zone can be oily. I needed a hard-working clay-based cleanser like Neutrogena 2-in-1 face wash and masque (£3.99 for 150ml). Fabulous! Two birds one stone. It has a lovely thick consistency and you only need a pea-sized amount to do the job.

It rinses off easily and leaves a tingly freshness. I’ve been using it as a face masque twice a week, leaving it to dry completely, then rinsing and finishing with a warm damp flannel around my jaw, brows and hair-line. It has left my face smooth and glowing.

To get rid of the dead skins cells once a week I have a new scrub, Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner from Clarins (£24, 125ml). It’s been working its magic and has made my skin appear brighter, as well as prevented the excess oil from re-appearing.

For moisturising I was introduced to a serum which I’ve never used before. I have the Serum Hydra Cellulaire Moisturising Concentrate from Guinot (£71.50 for 30ml), which works better for my skin type and can be used in the morning and night or when I feel it needs it.

It felt a bit weird using a serum to start with but once I got used to the consistency I love the light clear feeling it leaves on your skin instead of my normal moisturising cream.

Lets hope these fantastic new products and the change in my skin care routine will make my skin Ibiza ready well before the big day.

See you all soon

Emma x

P.S Don’t tell anyone but I still keep emergency face wipes for night outs…. shifting make-up around my face at 4am is as much as any girl about town can manage.

Addiction that’s as hard as nails

It’s a new year and full of resolutions. So as we rocked up to our first meeting of 2012 there was only one thing on our minds.  An addiction that should not be allowed to dominate our lives anymore – a trail of destruction left in its wake – we could no longer carry on as we were. We just had to do something, and now.

Yes, we’re nail biter’s. Always have been. Both of us have the worse nails you are ever likely to come across in the wedding industry. Chewed to pieces and quite frankly a disgrace. We’re desperate to stop.

And now an answer to our lifelong addiction could be just round the corner.  We’ve tried tips and gels, stick ons and painted on potions, but now Joanne has discovered the nail holy grail, Gelish, and she’s loving it!

Rather than having tips and gel put on Gelish is different. Three layers of gel are painted on (just like nail varnish) to your nails which then allows them to breathe and grow underneath, and the Gelish is just thick enough to stop any gnawing. Jobs a winner.

You can choose any colour you like, including a natural french polish which will last up to three weeks without the colour chipping.  After the three weeks the layers are taken of as easily as nail varnish (no need to soak for hours like acrylic nails) and then you repeat the quick and easy process of painting on the three layers again.

The Gelish System costs just £20 and depending on how quickly your nails grow you should expect a touch up every three weeks.  Jo’s nails were done by the lovely Anna Burton, of mobile beauty company Finishing Touches in West Malling. For appointments give her a call on 07957 167892.

So by the end of the month, Joanne’s chewed nails should have grown to a respectable length and the nail addiction will be gone for good, leaving her just to worry about what colour to have next.  Our meetings will never be the same again.

Wedding Tanning the TOWIE Way

Welcome to the first post of our Wedding Doll guest blogger, Emma O’Connor, who lives and breathes all things beauty related. Emma is only happy when she’s rubbing shoulders with beauty bloggers and editors, plus a celebrity or two, so she can bring you reviews of the latest products to hit the shelves.

Over to you Em!

The Only Way is Orange…

Emma O and Lauren

When I was invited to the launch of TOWIE star, Lauren Goodger’s, fake tan at London’s Jewel Bar, I shamefully prepared myself for the worst. I was expecting lots of fake tan, hair extensions and false eyelashes… and this was just me.

I’m glad to say I was not disappointed; it was full on glam and packed with gorgeous beauty lovers, magazine editors, journalists and of course, Essex A-Listers.

I was all set to learn the rules of this Essex beauty essential and if Lauren’s tan was anything to go by, her new product certainly promised to pack a punch!

For my part I was sampling the “Instant Wash Off Glow” so I grabbed my bottle and got down to business.

Being a die-hard fake tanner I’m not usually phased by the initial colour, but when I squirted some out of the bottle I shouted a very loud and very Essex “Shut up” to my tanning partner – the colour was REALLY dark which was slightly worrying, but all in the name of research I carried on.

When I started to apply the cream (using the all important circular motion) it soaked in really quickly – well under a record-breaking minute – and had a lovely fruity melon scent.

The colour completely toned down and almost immediately I was left with a really lovely tan and all streak free – and you can’t say fairer than that!

Overall I thought the product was great value for money (£11.95, 250ml) and would really recommend it for a beautiful glow on your wedding day. As it’s an instant tan there’s no worrying about how it will dry and you can touch up as you go.

One insider tip would be to use gloves or a mitt to apply – although it does wash off you don’t want to chance slightly orange palms on your big day!

All Lauren’s fake tan products (and lot’s more) can be ordered on her website.

Enjoy the tanning Wedding Dolls and see you soon for my next beauty review!

Bride’s go Mad Men!

If you are a Mad Men fan and just can’t wait until it returns in 2012 then you are in for a treat.  Transport yourself to 1960s New York and mix it up Mad Men style at the Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes London, where they have launched Mad Men-themed private parties, perfect for your hen do. 

Prices start from £360 per booking (£36 per person based on the minimum of 10 people) and include music and canapés from the era plus two cocktails per person (which are based on Mad Men characters), courtesy of your own expert bartender.

For all those aspiring Betty’s and Joan’s, you can also book a two-hour make-up lesson with Return to Glory, to learn how to recreate the perfect 1960s look. The lesson costs from £130 per party, or just £13 per person.

There’s always the option to get the Stags involved too – at least that way you can guarantee your very own Don Draper will be in attendance!

Bridal Beauty with Mitchell & Peach

I’ve just discovered Mitchell & Peach products and feel the need to share my fabulous find.  Just gazing upon the gorgeous packaging I knew the hand cream (60ml, £17) was going to be special and it didn’t disappoint.  The cream has a beautiful scent and absorbs quickly, leaving hands feeling really moisturised without any tackiness.

Since my first try I’ve been busy checking out their website for the rest of the product range which includes: a handwash (300ml, £19), a cream soap (4 x 100g, £28), a revitalising shower wash (250ml, £20), a relaxing bath oil (100ml, £39) and a rich, nourishing body cream (180ml, £36), all exquisitely perfumed with a unique lavender and peachy fragrance.

Best of all there is a luxury travel collection (5 x 75ml shampoo, conditioner, bath oil, shower wash and body cream, £31.50) which is just perfect for a honeymoon treat.

Behind the products are father and son team, Ian and Jod Mitchell, who now manage the business which was started over 100 years ago from Covent Garden.

All their Mitchell & Peach products are hand-blended in England using the finest natural ingredients, including matured essential oils from the family’s lavender fields in Sevenoaks and honey collected from hives on their estate. What’s more the range is free from parabens, mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulphate and synthetic colouring and are not tested on animals.

The products are only available in selected stores (including Harvey Nics daaarhling) or like me, you can order online. And with a growing celebrity following, including Yasmin Le Bon, we’ll be in good company!

Image courtesy of Mitchell & Peach

It’s all in the glow

Changing seasons will have an effect on your skin, as does stress and any excessive nights of eating and drinking (think hen weekends girls!).  To try to combat these in the run up to your wedding then prepare, prepare, prepare!

Having regular facials in the months leading up to your wedding will give you a radiant glow on the big day, meaning less make up (if you are not a usual make up wearer) and bags of confidence – especially required for all those close up shots!

The Guinot Hydradermie facial is the most advanced beauty salon treatment for maintaining a balanced healthy complexion. Adapted to your skins specific needs, the Hydraderm machine’s gentle combination of galvanic and high frequency currents cleanse, refine and revitalise skin.

Tried and tested by our very own Wedding Doll, Joanne, this facial produces great results after each session (she had 6 sessions over 6 months) and as a bonus it gives you a whole 75 minutes relaxation time – something not to be sniffed at when organising a wedding!.

The facial itself leaves skin feeling really smooth and hydrated improving the skin tone almost immediately and it stays with you for days after, encouraging you to keep up with that daily skin care routine.

For details of where you can book this, or other Guinot facials and treatments, visit www.uk.guinot.com.