Luxurious Locks | The Blow Dry Bar, Sligo

There's nothing better than getting your hair done after a long week. Even better when it's not for a particular event other than feeling like treating yourself and getting a bit of a pampering. 

Today after work I headed along to the recently opened Blow Dry Bar in the Wine Street car park, Sligo. The lovely Elaine invited me along so I could see what I thought and take a few photos in the process. I also got a chance to see their new beauty salon which is opening upstairs with a tanning room, massage room, and nail bar - so you can get your hair and beauty done all in the same place.

The Blow Dry Bar is a unique addition to Sligo. We have lots of great hairdressers, but none that specifically offer blowdrying and styles only. I was also very impressed to see they advertised braids as I haven't seen anywhere else in town do this and braids are really in lately.

The 'menu' offers anything from 12 week blowdries to fishtail braids. There's something for everyone - from the trendsetter to the girl on the go.

Anyone who sees me on a daily basis knows I usually just have my hair styled naturally as I'm too lazy and clueless to style it, thus meaning it mostly just lies flat and lifeless especially now I'm growing it out. 

I was greeted by Elaine and my stylist, Aoife, and I told them my hair woes. They suggested a curly blowdry with pin curls to give my hair a bit of life and volume which I happily agreed to. 

After a lovely relaxing shampoo and scalp massage at the padded (!) basin - no achey necks here, my friends - I was led over to the 'bar' and seated in one of the chic white leather seats. I love the décor in the salon - black and white - and the Kilner jars used to hold hair accessories and fairy lights as a unique touch. 

Aoife got started with my blowdry and we had a lovely chat. It's actually rare for me to feel that comfortable getting my hair done, I usually feel a bit intimidated like I'm going to the dentist or something - anyone else get this?! It was nice to have a truly relaxing hair experience. I also didn't have to ask her once to turn down the temperature on the hairdryer. Usually I find it far too hot and the head would be burnt off you by the end, but at the Blow Dry Bar there was none of this.

In no time my hair was transformed. I entered the salon Katie Hopkins and when I left I was more Katie Price. There's nothing like a glamorous blowdry to make you feel fabulous all day! When the clips were taken out I could immediately feel the bounce and spring in my hair. After copious amounts of hairspray and a lot of hair-swishing I was ready to set off and proceed to swan about flicking my hair for the rest of the day to the tune of 'Glamorous' by Fergie in my head. Apologies to anyone who had to witness this.

Voila! Look at that swishiness in all its glory.

The curl lasted surprisingly well considering it was windy outside and my hair loses a curl at the slightest movement. When I got home I got my personal photographer (my mum) to take a few pictures of me so you could see my hair from the front. So here we have it, my face. Sorry if I frighten any small children.

So there's my Blow Dry Bar experience. If you're around Sligo definitely pop in for a bit of pampering. The Blow Dry Bar also cater to weddings, nights out, parties, the lot. I'd definitely go back if I wanted my hair done for an event - next time I'll try out the braids!

Find the Blow Dry Bar on Facebook or give them a call on 071 917 0629 - you won't be disappointed. They are also hosting a hair and beauty tutorial event on the 9th March, check it out here if you want to learn how to salon style your hair at home and apply your makeup like the professionals.

Thanks a million to Elaine and Aoife at The Blow Dry Bar.

Check out my mum's blog on her experience too for a great before and after!

Beauty & Blogging

Apologies for the totally boring title, I've been sitting here for ages trying to think of something clever and my mind has gone blank, possibly from brainfreeze as it's so cold lately in Ireland. Apparently this country didn't get the memo it's meant to get warmer as the month goes on, not colder!

Yesterday I was contacted on my blog Facebook page by makeup artist Muireann from Make Up By Muireann asking would I like to attend a teens beauty and style group in The Hair Lounge in Sligo. I'm mad into all things beauty and fashion so of course I said yes. I love attending events like this as not only is it a great day out but it also gives me something interesting to blog about which is always a plus.

The group was held in The Hair Lounge, Caltragh, Sligo. I've never actually been here so I was excited to check it out. The salon itself is fabulous; bright and airy, stylish and simple. I'll definitely have to get my hair done there sometime - God knows I need it! 

Upon arrival the style consultant Kirsty Cawley and Muireann herself greeted me and chatted away - I immediately felt comfortable. I really appreciated this as usually I feel a bit intimidated going to salons or beauty events - I feel a bit like a spare part! However I didn't get any of that today, I felt totally included even though I was the oldest there as it was for teens. Most of the girls attending were doing their Junior Cert so they were a fair bit younger than me but they were lovely and chatted away.

We were led into a small side room which I assume is where the makeup/nail magic is done. The room was fabulously pink and girly and decorated with little signs, photographs and candles. We each got a clipboard, pen and sheets with various information and a style questionnaire to fill out. I found out that I'm mostly romantic/girly and also creative with my style which I'd agree with, I'm a fiend for charity shops! Our group had mixed style types which was interesting. We also talked about different skin tones such as warm, cool, clear, deep etc. I'd say I'm either a cool type or a clear type - the different skin tones are based on your natural hair, eye and skin colour. This information helps you find out which colours suit you best. I'm going to try on some of the colours suggested and see which ones suit me - I wear far too much black and white!

Next we talked about skincare and personal hygiene. I must admit I'm a devil for not having a proper skincare routine - too many times I've crashed into bed after a night out and not taken all my makeup off which is very naughty. One of my resolutions for this year is to get a proper structured skincare routine though and Kirsty gave us some good cheap options for skincare. She recommended the cucumber cleanser, toner and moisturiser from Boots - I think she said it cost her about €3.99! It just goes to show you good skincare doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. She also told us how you easy it is to make your own face/lip/hand scrub and hair masks - I'll definitely give some of these a go. Here's one from the sheet she gave us to make your own hair mask:

• Olive oil and egg mask for dry hair: Mix three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with two eggs and apply the mixture to your hair. Leave it to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing out. This mask hydrates and the protein in the eggs will help your hair to grow.

Next we talked a bit about different body shapes which I thought was very interesting. I told her how I have small boobs and big hips/bum and asked what I could do to give the illusion of more boobage and not make me look like I have the bottom half of Nicki Minaj and the top half of a 13 year old boy. She gave me a few tips for being pear shaped which I found very handy and I'll be sure to use them next time I'm choosing an outfit.

Lastly Kirsty asked if we had any questions and gave advice if we wanted it. She was so easygoing and funny and focused on us all individually which I thought was great. A lot of the time when you go to things like this if there's a big group you don't feel like you get enough individual attention but here the girls made sure we all felt included and joined in. 

Kirsty deals with consultations, colour, style, talks on looking good and feeling good and personal shopping. She also said she helps people sort out their wardrobes which I think is a fantastic idea. When I get her details I'll put them here - in the meantime she's listed here under the 'Sligo' section. Be sure to check her out.

After a short break it was on to the makeup part of the morning. Muireann works in The Hair Lounge herself. She had such an envious collection of makeup and brushes - I was nearly drooling! She showed us how to do an everyday look on her beautiful model, Chloe. The look consisted of a neutral eye, lip and cheek, contour and brows and she also gave us lots of tips along the way. 

She started with eyes as she told us it's better to start with your eye makeup so if you get any eyeshadow fallout or make a hames of it you can just wipe it off without having to re-do your foundation. Muireann gave us mostly cheap alternatives to some of the higher end makeup she used which I thought was great - I now have a list of products I want to try! She recommended mostly Nyx, Sleek and Catrice which are 3 of my favourite bargain beauty brands. She also showed us how to choose the most complimentary eyeshadow colours for our eyes using a colour wheel from an art shop. Again, she told us about different skin tones and how to match your perfect foundation shade. Something I found interesting was when she told us if your foundation contains SPF or zinc and you wear it while getting your photo taken your face will look ghost white because these ingredients reflect the light off your face and bounce back, thus making you look Caspar like.

As she showed us how to do the makeup she invited us to ask questions. I told her I find it impossible to find foundation to match my almost translucent skin and she actually recommended me a brand and said she'll help me find something which I was delighted about - hopefully no more blending my too-dark foundation down my neck and still ending up with the dreaded orange line! Muireann was also more than happy to show one of the girls how to do a structured brow which was interesting. It's great to have someone show you how to do something on yourself so you can see how it'll really look.

Muireann is a really talented makeup artist and I liked how she made Chloe look naturally enhanced and brought out her features. I think that's what makeup is all about - less is more. You want to accentuate your beautiful features, not drown them!

All in all it was a fantastic morning, I was amazed to find out it was Muireann and Kirsty's first time doing a group like this. I hope they'll have more for older girls/women as I think it's a great idea for a special day out or just to pick up some tips.

You can find Muireann on Facebook here or catch her on 087 9022219. She also has a website here. I highly recommend her for weddings, special occasions or just to treat yo' self! 

Thanks so much to Muireann and Kirsty for a wonderful day, it was such good fun and I now have about 4 sheets full of beauty tips that I'll be sure to put to good use.

Find The Hair Lounge on Facebook here.