Not Just a Pedicure with DG Podiatrist

Good morning everyone!

So this morning I have another post about feet! I can't really explain why so many wonderful people have contacted me about my toes recently, but I am so pleased that they have. I guess because it's Summer and we all have a chance to let our feet free, wear sandals and even go barefoot, it does make some sense, but never before have I had so much interest.

I have always loved wearing sandals or going barefoot when I can, but struggled with dry and sometimes cracked heels and just generally not having nice skin on my feet. It does make me feel self-conscious when I got to someone 's house, and I always try and bring socks if I know that I am going to end up without my sandals on.

When I was asked recently about testing out a new kind of pedicure, the Medical Pedicure, at a beautiful podiatrist clinic in Mayfair, I jumped at the opportunity. 

I wanted to find out why my feet are such a pain to care for.

My appointment was at DG Podiatrist not far from Bond Street Station with podiatrist, Dina, a fellow expat Canadian who is absolutely amazing. One of her newest treatments that I was able to try, is the Medical Pedicure. and it aims to take really tackle the things that a standard buff and polish just can't do. Not only does Dina spend time asking about your general foot health, lifestyle as well as examining your feet, she then goes to work on smoothing, tidying and addressing any issues that she can correct on the spot.

I spoke candidly with Dina about being pigeon toed and how my heels have always been a tough area to tackle, and she wasn't phased in the least. She had a look at my feet, explained a few things that I needed to know about my concerns and completely put me at ease. I immediately felt like she had my best interest in mind and wanted to see my feet looking pretty and healthy before anything.

I sat in her gorgeous treatment room on a comfy bed while she went to work, turning my feet from a no to a yes all whilst chatting away with me, giving me pointers and information where she could about how I could best care for my feet going forward.

The medical pedicure is not like a standard pedicure, you don't get colourful toes but your feel will feel like new, I promise. Dina used specialist tools and machines to remove dead skin and tidy nail beds and really made sure that my feet were in the best condition. She recommended some wonderful products for me to use as after care, and since then I have been following her advice and had great results.

I don't know why it's so hard for me to take of my feet when they are one of the most important parts of my body - they take me everywhere!

Dina is a certified podiatrist and the most approachable and lovely person that I have encountered in a medical setting. It was refreshing to talk to an intelligent and vibrant medical professional who has a real passion for what she does and a true concern for those that she sees.

I think of so many people I have spoken to in the past who don't get their feet out for various reasons and hope that they read this and make an appointment with Dina because she will sort you out!

Thank you so much Dina for the wonderful experience - I promise to keep on moisturising! 

Find DG Podiatry here:

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The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 9

Hello!

So I know it's been a been repetitive on here with this door opening business but I promise that I have more exciting posts coming! Today, I am happy to report, had an actual beauty goodie behind door 9!

Today's treat was Dandelion Ultra Plush lip gloss. 

The colour is lovely and a bit more me compared to the last one. It has just enough peach in it to avoid washing me out and it makes me look fresh faced.

xxToodalooKatie

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 8

Good morning!

So today I opened door number 8 to find a little stack of post-it notes... which I will add to my collection of post it notes. I don't have much else to say really.

They are cute and practical and stick to things!

xxToodalooKatie

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 7

Day 7 is here and it's hard to believe but we are about 1 third of the way done already!

Today was a mega let down as the treat behind door 7 was a crap hair elastic. It looks cheap and unfinished and I have no idea what I am going to use it for.

Rather than harp on about it, here is a photo of it, and let's just skip forward to being excited about day 8.

Woot Day 8!

xxToodalooKatie

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 6

Good morning!

Day 6 is here, and during day 6, I was gallivanting around Paris, eating delicious food for the French Curves Brunch. I was actually quite pleased to open the door today and find a travel size Porefessional as it's an amazing primer. If you haven't tried it, it's definitely worth it. 

It leaves your face feeling smooth and let's your makeup glide on effortlessly. I will admit that I have found other brands that do similar for less money but this does what it says on the bottle and does it very well. 

Day 6 was a success, another product that I love behind the little door, but what will day 7 bring...

xxToodalooKatie

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 5

It's day 5 (I know I'm running a bit behind, but a weekend in Paris will do that to you!). Today's treat was a little pot of It's Potent eye cream. I'm pleased to say that I took this little guy on my trip with my and my skin around my eyes and forehead felt really nice after a couple of days use. 

I like the texture, it's a gel, so easy to spread and get in all the cracks without dragging your skin about but also doesn't get in the way of makeup. I promise to tell you all about my Paris trip shortly, but first, let's see what's behind door 6!

xxToodalooKatie

#Beautytips #beauty #bblogger #cosmetics #itspotent #benefitadvent #blogmas

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 4

Good morning!

I can't believe it's day 4 already! This evening I am taking the night bus to Paris after 4 long years of being away. Today's gift was very fitting because I needed something that will not only increase the wear-ability of my makeup but also make me look a little brighter eyed.  I was up late packing, have work today and then will be on an 8 hour bus ride so thank goodness for this little bottle of Stay Don't Stray Primer for concealers and shadows.

 This one was a light/medium shade and although you can't see it in the photos, my under eye area and shadows are flat and staying put - where they normally spread and move within an hour of makeup application.

And now my face:

Find the Stay Don't Stray Primer here!

 And stay tuned for tomorrow - Day 5 is almost here!

xxToodalooKatie

Benefit Blogmas Advent Calender!

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 3

Hello lovelies!
Day 3 is here and it's a good one! It's They're Real mascara! I actually already use this  and apart from it being an absolute atrocity to get off at night, it makes your lashes look amazing, so is always worth it.

 It also doesn't smudge or move during the day and can be layered for an even fuller effect - this is a beauty must for all day big lash lovers! 

Find They're Real Mascara here!

I hope we get the remover for it one day! Hoora! Day 3 done!

See you tomorrow!

xxToodalooKatie

Benefit Blogmas Advent Calendar!

The Candy Coated Countdown... Day 2

Good morning!

I love that I have something to look forward to every morning when I arrive at work. Yes, I have my enormous Benefit beauty advent calendar on my desk - I find it adds a bit of festive cheer to my surroundings. 

You can see that I really struggle to open these little doors without destroying them... oh well!

Today's door had something cute and lovely behind it - an Ultra Plush Lip Gloss and the colour is called A-Lister. It's a really nice peachy colour and will be great for everyday wear or over lipstick too!

Find Ultra plush in several colours here!

Pardon my allergy morning face - this is after at least 45 sneezes... at least!

I suppose we can let yesterday's (somewhat) fail of a surprise go because this has made up for it.

See you tomorrow for the next surprise!

xxToodalooKatie

Benefit Blogmas Advent Calendar

The Candy Coated Countdown Begins... Day 1

Hello lovelies!

So my Benefit Beauty advent calendar was delivered into my waiting arms today by an adorable Christmas elf and I am so excited to share each day with you. 

So to begin, I was hoping that today's would be a beauty item but instead it was a pack of pink heart shaped paperclips - a tad unexciting and anti-climactic but I will wait for tomorrow to see if it redeems itself with something special.

See you tomorrow!

XxToodalooKatie

Lovely Lips - Barry M 145

Good morning lovelies!

Today I bring you a quick post about my favourite lip colour of the moment. I am loving the deep bolder shades that are popular at the moment and rather than being drawn to my usual million shades of red, I have been wearing pinks for a change.

I always love wearing Barry M as they really agree with my lips, stay on and feel nice and on top of all that, they have such a wide array of colours to choose from at a good price point.

I have found myself wearing this Barry M 145 - a bright but rich pink that packs a punch and always gets compliments.

You can find it anywhere that sells Barry M, like Superdrup, Boots or Topshop and it's less than £7, so very manageable!

I am looking to get a few new colours for all those fancy holiday parties coming up so I would love to hear what your favourite lip colours are at the moment! 

Share in the comments!

xxToodalooKatie

An Evening at Bleach London with Sourz

Hello lovelies!

So today is a long overdue post on a super fun evening that I have at a blogger night at Bleach London hosted with Sourz. A group of us were there to check out the new Bleach London hair chalks and sample some tasty Sourz shots and drinks.

It was lovely to have a few cheeky shots, one or two that tasted like cheesecake and then to have the Bleach girls chalk all our hair up into pretty colours.

Here I am about to have my raspberry cheesecake shot which I made myself, with a little help from  the lovely mixologist, Joel. 

Michaela had gorgeous mermaid colours added onto her bleached ends which looked amazing.

And I had pink put through my already red hair - I was surprised at home much the colour showed up!

I love a good hair chalk because it means you can change it up all the time depending on what you are wearing.

Definitely check out Bleach London for some cool Halloween hair too - I've seen it all over their Instagram and Twitter this past week and it's pretty cool!

If you haven't tried hair chalks, get on it asap - they are the bomb!

xxToodalooKatie

An Evening of Beauty at John Lewis in Kingston

Hello!

As I've said before, I really want to branch my blog out and share more and more with you about my life. As part of this, I want to get back into beauty. Recently, I have been revamping my beauty routine and actively searching out new products and makeup, and this awesome event at John Lewis in Kingston really felt like a great place to kickstart everything.

When we arrived at the store, we were greeted by the most lovely woman, Louise, who gave us the run down, a glass of bubbly and sent us on our way to check out the great brands they had to offer. Lucy, of FatBeautyX and I were sent to Clarins, a brand that I had no experience with so was eager to know more.

Not only were the girls the sweetest ever, but we were treated like royalty and my skin has never looked so good. 

I was treated to an amazing facial that turned my tired and somewhat sallow, after a day of work and busyness, skin into a fresh and clean face, ready to take on the world. My lovely Clarins' girl, Carla, asked all about how my skin was and then chose the products she knew would work best for my skin. After a gentle makeup removal, cleanse and tone, followed by some lovely moisturiser and oils, my face looked so much healthier and fresh. I also lost that dry parched feeling that my skin so often has.

Here I am with a mask on - quenching my face thirst...

 And after the facial, Carla very kindly chose foundation, blusher, lips and mascara that worked for my skin. I love the final look and I couldn't have asked for a more friendly and helpful person to help me. Thanks Carla!

And here we are together - selfies all around!

After our time at Clarins, we made a quick pitstop to Benefit for some eyebrow work, before heading upstairs to see what John Lewis was offering up in their fashion show for autumn/winter.

Here are a couple of pictures of my favourite things:

I think it's safe to say that sequins are still in - thank goodness for that!

I will be sharing all my favourite new beauty products with you over the next little while. Check out my first review of Aveda hair products here.

Have a lovely day everyone!

xxToodalooKatie

Beauty Break - Aveda

Good morning lovelies!

So just this past week, I had the opportunity to attend an awesome beauty event at the John Lewis store in Kingston. A few of us blogger girls attended the beauty floor to meet and chat with several brands that showcase in John Lewis stores. I will be writing more about this experience soon, but thought, as I had the good fortune of receiving plenty of samples of different brands, that I would share my experiences with you for each over the next couple of weeks.

Since the event, I have been using the Aveda  Invati shampoo, conditioner and Damage Remedy serum on my hair and to say that I have noticed a massive difference would be an understatement. My hair is so much softer, doesn't break when I brush it and doesn't put up a fuss when I clip it up or style it.

It's hard to tell in this photo as my coloured bits of my hair are so fried, but this looks so much better than the straw like stiff hair that I had only a week ago. It also has more body and falls nicer naturally. On top of it all, I love the smell of the Aveda products - it reminds me of when I was a kid and would wait for my mum at the Aveda hair salon in Toronto, reading all the magazines and deciding how I wanted my hair done.

Here is what I used:

Invati Exfoliating Shampoo - Not overly soapy and really feels nice on your scalp

Invati Thickening Conditioner - You only need a bit but it does the job

Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair - This made my hair so smooth and made styling a trick!

Sometimes I forget just how important it is to treat my hair nicely and this was a nice reminder. I am going to continue to use these products  through the Winter as I know my hair will benefit, especially with the cold weather coming.

I'd love to hear what some of your favourite hair products are for Winter - share in the comments!

xxToodalooKatie

Kelly Osbourne Collection for MAC

Hello lovelies!

So last week, after what felt like months of waiting, I finally got to go and try the limited edition cosmetics that Kelly Osbourne designed for MAC at Selfridges in London. I have always been a huge fan of Kelly Osbourne for a million reasons, but mainly her style and hair which I have taken inspiration from since I was about 13 when I first bleached my hair out. 

I love anything pastel and in particular, lilacs and purples, so the main lipstick from the range was what I was after. I was offered a makeover at the M.A.C counter for the cost £20 which I could then put towards products, and since I planned on purchasing the lipstick anyways, I booked in.

I asked Rachel, my makeup artist, to do something a little crazy and out there and she really went all out.

In particular I wanted to try the lilac lip colour and blush but after that all the other items are from the other main collections. Here are the products she used on me:

And here is the end result: 

Here is what I went home with:

I really love the orange liner and pigment which really surprised me! The lipstick is a great colour and nice feeling when on. The blush which is called Cheeky Bugger, is a lovely colour and just right for my pale skin. 

From what I hear, most of the collection has sold out, but I know they are floating around the internets if you are keen.

Just the other day, I went out and did what I have always wanted to- buzzed most of my hair off. It was scary but

I love it! And this photo shows my new lippy and blush on.

I feel all set for Summer and I feel ultra Kelly-O inspired! 

XxToodalooKatie

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Here is a quick post with a shameless selfie of my new hair. I needed something fresh for summer so I've gone short again. I'm thinking of curling the front tomorrow into a sort of proper quiff and maybe adding more purple but I love the cut. I got it done at Pimps & Pinups in Shoreditch by Taylor and he was lovely!

Have you done something new for Summer?

xxToodalooKatie

Lippy Love - Another Red

Good morning lovelies!

So on my holidays I did some shopping for new lipsticks and the one I was actually looking for was a plum or purple shade. Fortunately I did I find one which I will share with you later this week, but on my quest, I had to find lip liners that worked well with my lip colours. I need to wear a liner because I find that all lipsticks bleed on me no matter what I do.

Whilst out shopping, I popped into TopShop because I had seen a post on Pinterest about their Lip Bullet. It must be popular as there weren't many colours left in stock, so I grabbed my favourite red colour. Next, I visited the little Barry M stand where I was shown a deep red liner that is so smooth and easy to put on.

I'm happy to report that this morning, despite my lopsided makeup and general exhaustion from fighting my way to work early, I am in love with these new lip products. The liner holds it's colour (Number 3) and  doesn't move, and I will probably need to own all the colours now. This comes in under £3 too!

As for the Lip Bullet,  the colour is called Joyride, and the best part about it is the shape and texture. It has a short point making it easier to angle and not smudge out of the lip line. The texture is like silk and is thin but extremely pigmented and dries quickly and doesn't transfer much compared to most lip sticks. (This costs £8, so very resonsable).

Have you tried any of these? Any thoughts?

Stay Tuned for the purple review coming soon!

XXToodalooKatie

Skin Deep - My hair Dying Tips and Hairstory

Hello my lovelies,

I know the blog has been a little more quiet than usual this week, but fear not, I am still here and I am preparing a few outfit posts and other goodies for you!

For this week's Skin Deep post, I wanted to know your hair dying stories. I think after a long while, I am going to go back to my natural brown to give my hair and skin a rest. All the bleaching I do to keep it whitish blonde is doing nothing good for my body so I think I need a break. Since I have been dying my hair for at least 11 years, if not more, I feel that I have tried a lot of things, products and techniques, so I'm going to share a few with you today. I'm not a hairdresser or an expert but I do my dying at home (only having been to a salon a couple of times) so I'm happy to share my experiences with you knowing that you are probably capable of achieving similar results on your own

Blonde/White Blonde: was achieved by doing at least 2-3 40 volume bleach sessions with a built in blue toner and washing with a purple tinted shampoo to keep it bright. This really hurts your hair and I wouldn't recommend it for longer hair that doesn't get a trim often, trust me, your ends will thank me.

True Orange/Ginger: For this colour I had to bleach my hair once, up to that awful yellow orange that brown hair turns after being bleached, the nice thing is that you don't have to do multiple bleaches. I then applied a Live colour over top and left it on for a minimum of an hour before rinsing.

Blue: This required 2 bleaches and then the application of the blue - you can see there is still a bit of yellow/green where the blue didn't take. Getting a proper full blue head is tough and getting it out to go back to blonde for another light colour is extremely difficult as well so consider your future plans before going blue.

Pillar Box Red: This is similar to the orange/ginger, you want all the dark pigment out of your hair so the colour really pops. On my naturally dark brown hair, 1 bleach session was sufficient to bring it up to a brassy yellow blonde before applying a Live true red colour.

Ash Blonde/Lilac: This colour was achieved by having bleached several times over 2 months, but then doing a purple rinse. I will say that you never know what is going to come of doing this, it was hard to tell but I was happy with the results. Also, when doing a silver or purple rinse, check your ingredients as some contain a bleaching agent which could lighten your hair and not give you the grey/lilac effect.

Dark Brown: This is my go to colour when I need a break - slap a dark almost black brown over top of my many colours and I often find that I get full coverage and a nice colour. I use whatever is cheap at Boots, like a Clairol colour for example as I find them to be very similar out of the box. This is slightly darker than my natural colour so roots don't usually show too much.

Purple/Lilac: For this colour I had the first photo taken after being at the salon. I had a student do it for me, going from an auburn colour to this. I am happy to report that she used all the same products that I use at home. A 40 Volume developer and bleach, doing 2 sessions in a couple of hours, followed by two applications of the lilac Directions dye. It's hard to see in the photo, but the coverage still wasn't great.  I loved the colour but it is so hard to lift out reds so there were light redish patched in certain areas. If you blonde hair this will be easy but for us darker heads this is a tough colour to get. The second photo is a month later, after another bleach at home and a darker purple over top - this time I got it bang on I think and it faded into a lovely light lilac grey.

Flamingo Pink: Flamingo pink required 3 bleach sessions and a lot of sad split ends but I loved the colour so much. Before the colour, I needed my hair to be almost white blonde - a toner is key here. The colour also faded in about 4 washes, being a Stargazer colour.

So there you have it, it's scary but all of these photos are from only 1 and half years so I do a lot to my little head. My top tips would be as follows:

1. Make sure you consider the health of your hair - mine is very thick and grows quick and I keep it short, so my options are more flexible as my ends get cut often.

2. How much time do you have - can you keep it up?

3. Have hair treatments/masks at the ready for when your hair needs it.

If you have any colour related questions I will definately try and help so get in touch by email toodalookatie @ gmail.com or Facebook!

XX ToodalooKatie