OUR NEW HOME!

Hi everyone,

Hope you are all well,

We've been a bit quiet of late due to some exciting new developments.

Style & Sound has now become a co.uk!

We've been developing the new look site and now feel we are ready to launch it.

There are still a few bugs to iron out here and there, especially regarding the mobile and tablet facilities but these will soon be fixed. Have a look around and please give us some feedback on what you think!

Thanks again for supporting our wee blog and we hope you enjoy the new website!

Come visit us at stylensound.co.uk

Thanks,

Style & Sound team

eSalon Custom Formulated Hair Colour: Review

Being a girl on a limited budget, I've been on the lookout for a good quality home hair dye.
I would love to get my hair coloured at a salon all the time, but I just can't afford it, and besides, the red hue I prefer my hair to have doesn't last very long, so I would have to get a treatment every month, which would probably require me remortgaging the house.

So I was delighted to hear about US company eSalon, who claim their product is as good as a salon treatment...

About: 

• eSalon was inspired by the idea that beautiful, quality hair color can be accessible without the uncertainties of retail products and the excessive expense of salons.
• We take into account natural hair color, amount of gray hair, previous color applications, hair texture and condition, desired color, and other variables, so you get custom formulated hair color that you could never get off the shelf. There are literally thousands of color possibilities available, and eSalon can provide the best match with a hair color formula and Personalized Instructions customized for each individual client.
• The patent-pending technology enables individual customization on a large scale. Our hair colors are not pre-stocked. Every order is custom blended, bottled and packaged, then sent to the client as soon as it's completed.

So I thought I would give it a try.

First you visit the website and answer questions about your hair type, skin tone and preferences etc;

A screenshot of my online consultation

The photo I sent to eSalon

You then upload a current photo of yourself with your hair in plain view for the stylists to see. 

You then pay $19.95 (about £13) and sit back and wait...

A few days later a mysterious package arrived for me from Los Angeles...

 When I opened it, I was touched at how personalised eSalon had made it, with my name on the instructions. I

also like how they provided you with plenty of shampoo and conditioner, as well as a wipe for your skin and a protecting gel to avoid stains round your hairline.

First I started by mixing the two bottles on the far left together. I sectioned my hair into four different sections and clipped them up with clips. I then clipped one section down at a time and used my fingers and the included brush to apply the first mixture to just my root area. I left this on for 10 minutes.

I then mixed the second bottle of color and waited 15 minutes before applying it to the rest of my hair which was still clipped up into four sections.

This is quite messy, so I would suggest old clothes and a towel which are already stained or ruined. If you're not used to dying your own hair or just unsure about what you are doing, I'd also check out the YouTube tutorials for direction, this is a good one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IESX3nkmshc

After waiting for another 10 minutes I knelt over my bath in an awkward fashion while my husband rinsed the colour out with the shower and used the shampoo and conditioner on me.

And this is the result: 

I love how rich the colour is and how shiny my hair is. It's not an obvious red but it's what I asked for and I'm very happy with the results. It doesn't show up very well on camera, but certain lights really catch the red and it's quite striking and multi-tonal.

As I write this, I'll tell you now that this hair colouring experience actually took place a MONTH ago! My roots aren't very noticeable and the colour is a strong as ever, which is unusual for me when it comes to red home box dyes. I would definitely use eSalon again, perhaps going a bit lighter/redder next time round!

9/10

To order your own eSalon Custom Formulated Hair Colour or for more information, visit them at www.esalon.com

Five Things; For July

Every month we'll round up five things we like and tell you why you should too!

M.A.C Tropical Taboo Collection, starting from £12

Get the Latin beat this summer as M.A.C captures the passion of samba with this gorgeous new makeup range of shimmering colours. The themes here are heat, music and exotic glamour. Choose from Mineralize Eye Shadow in a range of vivid pigments and luscious lips with Cremesheen Glass. Other great products include shimmering soft face powder, lip pencils, lipstick, mascara, blusher and eye pencils. Check out the full range of shades and prices by visiting your nearest M.A.C counter or www.maccosmetics.co.uk 

Shu uemura Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Anti-Dullness Cleansing Oil, £59 

Shu uemura's first anti pollutant cleansing oil contains nature's natural dirt-magnet Moringa extract, as well as Green Tea Extract, helping to remove harmful pollutants from skin for a clear, glowing complexion and skin texture, helping you to look and feel beautiful and radiant. Available to buy from www.shuuemura.co.uk

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, £23

I love the GinZing eye cream and I can't wait to get my hands on a tub of this.

Lightweight, oil-free and fortified with Panax Ginseng and Coffee Bean, this moisturiser promises to kick start your skin in the morning, revitalising it to create a healthy, vibrant glow.

Ministry of Sound; Nightlife for Her, £15.99 

Ok, so this isn't new, but an oldie is a goodie when it comes to this fragrance. Although associated with the hardened clubber, once settled into the skin, this scent takes on a musky and sophisticated feel to it. Top notes are pineapple, pink pepper and cassia, middle notes are mango, pear and rose, while base notes are patchouli, musk and vanilla.

Beauty So Clean - Makeup Brush Cleanser, £6.50

Makeup brushes are the biggest culprit in spreading germs and bacteria on your face and your makeup, help keep them clean with this range of sweet smelling cleansers!

Formulated with natural ingredients, the Conditioning Brush Cleanser quickly dissolves all makeup residue while leaving your brushes fresh, clean and soft. Your brushes will remain soft and dry within seconds. 

The cleansers come in a range of delicious scents, including the rather tantalising Chocolate is a Girl's Best Friend! 

                                                                    

SILVER SCREENWIPE; Man of Steel, World War Z & After Earth

Hi folks. In lieu of having a life, I spend a lot of time at the cinema. Lalita has therefore sent me on a mission to review some of this summer's most eagerly anticipated movies. 

Personally I don't need to be asked twice to sit on my arse in a darkened room and eat junk food, so naturally I jumped at the chance. 

So here you have it, my reviews of Man of Steel, World War Z and After Earth. Enjoy.

Man of Steel 

Man of Steel is the latest in the trend of superhero reboots, and this time it's Superman. So now Henry Cavill dons the cape in the latest mega-budget, mega-hyped Superman movie. What Superman needs is a Batman Begins- a movie to take the franchise in a different direction with a different interpretation of Supes' story. Superman Begins, if you like. 

This movie concentrates on Superman's origins from baby Kal-El, escapee of his dying planet Krypton, to childhood Clarke discovering his powers and fearing he will be shunned and ostracised by others, to adult Clarke Kent, a directionless wanderer having yet to discover his roots. So in many ways this IS Superman Begins. 

Russell Crowe

The supporting cast are impressive, with Russell Crowe playing Jor-El, Kal-El's biological father back on Krypton, Michael Shannon camping it up as chief baddie General Zod, Laurence Fishburne playing Perry White the Editor at the Daily Planet, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. 

Laurence Fishburne and Amy Adams

The movie begins with Kent (unable to fit in anywhere he goes) drifting from place to place, hiding his powers until he finds humans whose lives are in peril, saving them, then moving on. The movie starts very strongly, being grittier and more realistic than some of it's predecessors. We also see a Clarke who is dark, angry and distrustful of people, yet still having the inescapable urge to help those in trouble. 

The movie regularly flashes back to Clarke's childhood, and the advice he received from his adopted father, adequately played by Kevin Costner, to explain adult Clarke's cynicism of the world. Cue baddie-in-chief General Zod to arrive at Earth with all kinds of evil machinations, forcing Clarke to accept his superpowers and come out of hiding to save the world etc. 

A Superman movie is seen by some as a poisoned chalice, due to iconic Superman actor Christopher Reeves' sad and untimely death. After Reeves, no actor was ever going to be able to measure up, and as a result any other Superman movie since will be harshly, and perhaps unfairly judged. Now, he may be no Christopher Reeves, but Henry Cavill still does an excellent turn, and should be credited accordingly. Not to mention you get to see his muscles at every possible opportunity. This will please fans of his, but after a while you're left thinking "OK congratulations son, you're built like a tank. Can we now just move on please?" 

Where the movie starts to falter is that the original gritty realistic start is soon forgotten, and it therefore quickly descends to glossy and generic summer blockbuster territory, as a result losing the originality the franchise desperately needs. On a positive note, there is enough action and spectacular special effects to gloss over astonishingly large holes in the plot making this a perfect popcorn movie. The action is prolonged and breathtaking, with numerous skyscrapers in Metropolis being demolished. Thankfully the story ended when it did, because Metropolis was starting to resemble Hiroshima after the atomic explosion. 

Man of Steel cast

Overall, this is a pretty good reboot attempt, and given that Warner Bros has already fast-tracked a  sequel, with rumours of a 2014 release, Man of Steel is on a solid footing to expand on this Superman story. Hopefully with the next installment the director will avoid the temptation of going down the mediocre blockbuster route, and will return to the grounded, grittier style Man of Steel began so promisingly with.

Rating: 7/10

World War Z

Next Up is the much hyped World War Z... 

Now a quick disclaimer. I haven't read the book by Max Brooks, and so I can only take the movie on it's own merits, which is perhaps a good thing, as there will be no book-reader bias. 

World War Z stars Brad Pitt as UN investigator Gerry Lane, tasked with travelling the World in search of the origins of a new rabies-type infection which very quickly ravages the entire planet. 

At the start of the movie Lane guides his family to safety from overrun Philadelphia City (Glasgow) and decides that the best course of action is to drive straight into overrun Newark (Glasgow), as you do in these situations. 

Most of the movie is spent in various locations, such as South Korea, Jerusalem and Cardiff. For some reason this seemed to get a huge laugh from the cinema audience, so I can only assume that people find the idea of the Welsh holding the key to curing the Zombie apocalypse laughable, which is slightly unfair. I'm sure there are plenty of
clever people in Wales. 

Pitt puts in a solid performance as usual, but there isn't much chemistry between him and the rest of his family. There is a scene where they are stuck in a traffic jam and they are playing a guessing game. It is more reminiscent of a man abducting a few total strangers in a car and threatening them to act like a family or he'll start cutting pieces off them. 

There is a lot of drama and incidental music, which is extremely effective as times, and at other times has completely the opposite effect. The action sequences are fantastic and enthralling, and overall the sight of a zombie plague bearing down on you is quite frightening. 

There is something fundamentally wrong with the zombies however. I'm not sure if it's the fact that every last one of them could outrun Usain Bolt, regardless of age and weight. Perhaps it's the fact that they all seem to be quite partial to mindlessly headbutting glass windows when they have perfectly adequate fists. Or perhaps it's the fact that there is something strangely un-scary and quite comical about them. You're left thinking, regardless of speed; "Yeah, one-on-one I'd fancy my chances with any of them. Bring it on". 

Overall the movie is definitely worth seeing, but due to the far-fetched nature of the film and certain plot holes, it all seems quite superficial with little time spent on character development. It doesn't quite live up to the hype. 

Paramount has confirmed that a sequel has been given the go ahead, and I for one can't wait to see where Gerry Lane goes next. May I be the first to suggest New York, Istanbul and Aberystwyth.

Rating: 6/10

After Earth

There is an urban legend that every single Will Smith movie must feature his son Jaden or else Holywood will burst into flames, and After Earth is no different. 

Smith Snr stars as living legend Ranger Corps General Cypher Raige (possibly the most contrived name since Pussy Galore) and Smith Jnr as his Ranger cadet son Kitai. 

The film is set over 1000 years in the future where man has expanded into new galaxies after finally knackering Earth beyond repair. The Smith's are on a routine space trip when their ship gets the shit kicked out of it by a meteor storm. It crash lands on a hostile planet teaming with wildlife which has evolved to kill humans. We join Jnr when he wakes amid the wreckage of the spaceship which has split in half, and finds Snr with 2 broken legs and a bump on the noggin. The only way to signal for rescue is to set off a beacon located in the tail part of the ship which landed 100 kilometres away. It is at this point Snr informs us that the hostile planet is in fact, Earth. 

Inexperienced cadet Jnr must therefore venture out into the wilds alone and somehow make it to the tail section whilst surviving attacks by all manner of nasty beasts, and enduring freakish weather patterns whilst being guided by Snr who is resting up and getting merry with the painkillers. 

This is a solid enough movie, with decent acting from father and son, because although they spend the majority of it talking to one another over a futuristic walkie-talkie, you still sense the chemistry between a judgmental and distant father and the son who is desperate to live up to his expectations. 

The CGI animals are at times a bit ropey looking, but on the whole they are passable. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the movie is that the original concept was a strong one, and the film could have been so much more, but after some truly terrible films (The Happening, for example) director M. Night Shyamalan can tuck this solid movie under his belt and move onto better things. 

There are of course plenty of points to ponder. If Earth has been completely stripped of it's natural resources and war/industrialisation ravaged the planet to the point of it being uninhabitable, then why do they crash land in a massive rain forest teeming with life, food etc? Isn't it handy that in a huge spaceship the only 2 survivors just happen to be a father/son combo? Is Jaden a beneficiary or ultimately a victim of Holywood nepotism? Perhaps one day these questions will be answered. Or perhaps we don't care. 

Rumour has it that Will Smith has signed on to star in a remake of Cast Away. He will reprise Tom Hanks' role, with 2 broken legs but lots of painkillers, and Jaden will feature as Wilson, the volleyball with the face painted on it...

Rating: 5/10 

So there you have it folks, my review of some of what's in the cinema right now. So go and see them. Or don't. Whatever. 

Kieran x

LIP SERVICE: Lip colours and balms review

Let's check out some of this summer's newest lip colours and treatments, designed to help keep skin moisturised while adding a dash of sparkle to make lips look lush!

Beauty UK Lip Lust Lip Gloss, £2.99 


Beauty UK Lipstick, £3.49

This collection of 11 different shades of gloss boast rich pigments and are lightly scented. Flavoured with a variety of sweet tastes such as papaya, mint and strawberry, these are indeed a treat for the lips and glide on easily thanks to the soft applicator.

My favourite shades personally were Moulin Rouge, Office Chic and Envy, while Diamond (the clear gloss) has become a handbag staple, either used on its own to add a shine to my lips or sometimes I apply it over lipstick to achieve a "wet look."

Clockwise from top; Date Night, Diamond, Playboy and St Tropez lip glosses

The lipstick collection is very generous indeed, with no less than 17 shades to choose from. I tried a few of them and I would say my favourites were; Brown Sugar, Plumalicious, Naughty and Vampire.

Clockwise; Moulin Rouge & Sweet Sixteen lip glosses, Brown Sugar & Naughty Lipstick

I found the colours to be highly pigmented, they were moist on and lasted for ages. The only downside for me is that the lighter shades just did not suit due to the intensity of the colouring.

Clockwise; Pink My Ride, Snob, Son of a Peach & Plumalicious Lipstick

Vampire Lipstick

Obviously there are going to be some shades that don't suit me, but it's personal preference depending on skin tone etc, so while some of these shades may not look right on me, that's not to say they may look the same on someone who was fair skinned and blonde for example and vice versa.

The Beauty UK collection is available at Superdrug, Select and Internacionale. Judging by the choice of store and price range, it would appear that this range is marketed at a younger audience.  Sometimes this can mean a "cheap" ulterior product, but this is not the case with Beauty UK. While the price may be "cheap" the quality isn't.  An added bonus also is that all these lip colours are vegan friendly.

This range is great for a starter kit for teens and young ladies, or someone of any age who just fancies trying out a new look.

Lush Lip Balms, £5.50

Lip Service
The original and the best, Lip Service has been sold at Lush since the company started up 19 years ago.

It's packed with lots of lovely natural moisturising ingredients  such as beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, organic extra virgin olive oil and apricot kernal oil, promising to lock in moisture and protect lips from the elements come rain, cold, wind or shine.


It also contains African marigold herb to boot, which is reputed to have anti-viral properties and a delicate flavour of tangerine oil.

I suffer with very dry and cracked lips.  I can start the day with them relatively ok but by the end they have dried up so much that there's usually a patchy noticeable area on my bottom lip that is totally devoid of moisture.  When I used Lip Service, this was the first ever product I have come across that actually prevented this from happening! I'm overjoyed, honestly.

The best results come when you apply this at night before bed, let the balm do it's magic, then when you wake up the next morning, your lips will feel super soft. 

It's a bit pricey for such a small tin, but in my case, it's worth it I would say.  You'll also probably find that you use the balm sparingly anyway, so it should last you a while.

I also tried Honey Trap Lip Balm, which has added oatmilk for it's soothing

properties and honey for sore, raw lips.  This also tastes of honey and white chocolate, and I mean REALLY tastes of it.  

Then there's this Jaffa Cake inspired beauty - Whipstick.  The chocolate and orange flavouring is sublime, and no wonder with actual top quality dark Belgian chocolate thrown into the mix.

I would thoroughly recommend the Lush Lip Balms and there are other flavours available to try that I'm sure are just as nice. Like I said, it's a bit pricey but you definitely get what you paid for and this little tin will last a long time.

Origins Drink Up Hydrating Lip Balm, £16

Coming to a department store near you in July, these super-sheer balms come in three colours all containing apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, barley and wheatgerm, orange peel wax and aloe vera.

I tried this in Guava (the pink one) and although initially unsure whether it would suit due to the very pale shade, it wasn't a problem due to sheer quality of the balm.

On application, the balm felt as though it should be very sticky (if that makes sense) but it wasn't. It moisturised very well and lasted a long time. I would definitely invest in one of these when they hit the shelves.

Tom Ford Lipstick in "Casablanca" £36

"To Tom Ford, there is no more dramatic accessory than a perfect lip. It is the focus of the face and it has the power to define a woman’s whole look. Each Lip Color is Tom Ford’s modern ideal of an essential makeup shade. Rare and exotic ingredients including soja seed extract, Brazilian murumuru butter and chamomilla flower oil create an ultra-creamy texture with an incredibly smooth application. Specially treated color pigments are blended to deliver pure color with just the right balance of luminosity." 

Yes, this is an expensive purchase, but let me assure you, it's so worth it.

This lipstick oozes luxury and feels creamy on your lips. It also comes in a sexy black enamel case with gold trim, very sophisticated. 

Me wearing Tom Ford's Casablanca

I love the shade Casablanca. This highly pigmented dark pink really suits my complexion and the lipstick is easy to apply and stays on for ages.

I loved the shade so much I actually purchased this specially for my own wedding after being recommended it during my makeup trial. I wanted something that would look good and stay put, especially when I didn't have access to my own handbag and makeup for a while!

What other lip treatments and colours do you like? What else is good to try for dry and chapped lips? I'd love to hear from you, so please leave me a comment below!

IT'S A MAN'S WORLD: TED BAKER GROOMING ROOM REVIEW

In today's It's A Man's World, Peter Quinn reviews products from the Ted Baker Grooming Room range...

The Rise Of The Gentlemen

To avoid being one of those guys on the right, and to become one of those gentlemen on the left, 

I’d read this very carefully...

We have the steps (well 1,2 and 5 of them)

Scroll down to find out the steps ...

Ted Bakers Grooming Room Face Scrub, £8

I'm always wary when fashion labels come out with grooming products, so before I tried Ted Bakers face scrub, I was a bit sceptical.
But I actually thought it was good, the smell from the tube was nice, the design was simple and it had a traditional 1960s barbers vibe to it.
The product itself was easy to use and I've been seeing results from it.
It's great value for money.
7/10

Ted Bakers Grooming Room Shave Cream, £8.00 

The packaging for the shaving cream is pretty suave looking - it's stylish, but classy.

The first time I tried it, I didn't have a brush so I couldn't get the full experience of it. So I took it down to my barbers and asked him if he could use it on me.

He told me “how the pump makes it easier to use and the product itself was great.” 

He was also happy to know that brush shaving creams are making their way back on to the high street.

It also showed me how Ted Baker can stand out from the crowd and bring back the Gentleman instead of these “YOLO” generation people, you know the type, (unfortunately).

8/10

Ted Bakers Grooming Room Cream Wax, £6


I'm very picky when it comes to my hair products, I need something that's reliable and easy to use.
With the product itself, it worked perfectly for my hair.
I could style it easily and I didn't have to spend a lot of time to do so and I've seen results fast.
It's great value for money, seeing as the last hair product I bought for styling my hair was round about £20.
I have seen better results with this so for that I'm going to give it a 9/10

For more information and other Ted products, visit www.tedsgroomingroom.com

FIVE THINGS; FOR JUNE

Every month we'll round up five things we like and use and tell you why you should too!

Five things from; Lalita:

 Kiehl's; Aromatic Blends: Vanilla and Cedarwood, 100ml, 
RRP £52

Some may say it's boring, but I absolutely love vanilla. Be it milkshake, cakes, sweets or fragrances and I really like this.

It's not your typically sweet vanilla and mixed in with the cedarwood, it gives the fragrance its aromatic note. It also lasts well on your skin and is an unusual scent, attracting a lot of compliments.

This scent is part of Kiehl's Pure Scents from Around the World range and there's also Fig Leaf & Sage, Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit and Orange Flower & Lychee to try.

ILAH Brow Travel Kit, RRP £29.99

Advertised for the woman on the go who needs glamour in a kit, I couldn't wait to try this out. Colours include brown, black, light brown (for blondes) and a lip and brow balm.

You also get three templates to make it super easy to fill in your brows and it was so easy, even I could do it (that's very easy by the way)

You also get eyeliner and eyeshadow, so effectively, you wouldn't really need anything else if you have to travel very very light.

I loved this kit and my eyebrows loved it too.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, RRP £17

This textured lip gel tastes delicious, like a sweet-chocolaty treat, it's the tastiest lip gloss I've ever used. 

Apart from that, the shade I used - Rosewood Shimmer, suited me very well and the staying power was very impressive. It's a good colour to wear alone or with lipstick for a little extra va va voom. A good handbag item for the summer months.

Skin Shop; Dry Eye Gel, RRP £6.95

A whole number of things can cause dry and red skin around the delicate eye area, in my case it's a rather annoying skin condition called dermatitis.

Usually when I have a flare up, there's nothing for it but to use steroid cream the doctors have prescribed for me, but I am always willing to give other eye creams a go as it would be good to have a much healthier alternative.

This natural eye gel contains key ingredient, cardiospermum - a vine grown mostly in South American regions. Recent UK trials found cardiospermum has medicinal effects on inflammatory conditions such as eczema and dermatitis.

The gel itself is non-greasy and light and was easily absorbed into the delicate eye area. Miraculously  for me, it seems to be working, as the dry skin is slowly healing up. I wouldn't be throwing out my steroid creams any time soon, but I think I may have found something to help prevent breakouts.

Skin Shop Cardiospermum Gel, RRP £9.95

Another product from the cardiospermum range. I used this product on my dry hands and parts of my face prone to dermatitis.

It does work and is light and non-greasy, but like the gel, I wouldn't replace this from my prescription meds, but I think it I caught a break out in time and applied this, it would help prevent it.  

The only problem with this gel is the smell. It's not a very pleasant one, and it lingers on the skin, so I wouldn't wear this before having to go out to something important, but apart from that, it does the job.