Q and A

Lovely Couture Carrie posted this questionnaire on her beautiful blog yesterday and I was one of the lucky people she tagged!

So this is my turn to do Q&A and if you feel like doing the same, then consider yourself tagged.

What are your current obsessions?
My puppy (who will be joining us on 5 June), Kevin Murphy hair care products

Marni bracelets

and Bottega Veneta sandals.

What are you wearing today?
Pretty low key today as spent most day at home studying and only popped out for a few minutes to a local grocery shop. Old favourite dark blue Diesel Zinc jeans, Armand Basi silk top (with an abstract print of white, dark chocolate and turquoise petals), Zinco dark chocolate cashmere & silk shrug and Keds trainers in chocolate brown with white flowers.

What's for dinner?
Roasted chicken breast and a massive leafy green salad with tomatoes, cucumber and peppers and balsamic dressing. Oh, yes! And a Bendicks minty chocolate.

Originally I planned to have prawns, but then our neighbour’s cat Charlie came to visit. Twice. Last night and this morning. After she left most of the prawns were gone.

Which countries would you like to travel to?
Italy, France and Belgium. I have visited Paris and Bruges several times now and am in love with these places. I would love to visit Florence and then – Venice.

What language would you like to learn?
French. Then – Italian.

What is your dream job?
I am doing it right now working as a nutritional advisor and studying to become a nutritional therapist.

What is your favourite magazine?
Vogue, US, Russian or Paris. Not crazy about UK Vogue at all. I also buy InStyle US occasionally and can be tempted by ELLE US or France.

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?
A set of Aubade Fleurs De Pommier lingerie.

What is your favourite fruit?
Persimmon.

What's the last thing you bought?
That Armand Basi silk blouse I mentioned above as it was on sale, so I couldn’t resist the temptation.

What are you listening to right now?
Carla Bruni’s Comme si de rien n'était

What is your favourite ice cream flavour these days?
Pistachio. And I prefer gelato to ice-cream.

What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Oh, I adore Carrie. I think she is gorgeous, has a great sense of style and is a very warm and kind person.

What’s your must-have piece for summer?
Tulip shaped chocolate brown dress that I bought last winter or in early spring.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Paris, of course!

What’s your favourite quote these days?
Style is primarily a matter of instinct.
-Bill Blass

Who do you want to meet right now?
My mum and dad who live in Russia and my best friend, who is in the States.

What's your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My Taffy dress by Diane von Furstenberg. I fell in love with it as soon as it first appeared and then was lucky enough to buy it. It makes me feel beautiful.

Favourite designer at the moment?
As far as the summer 2009 is concerned I love Versace.

What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Wearing clothes that don’t fit properly or are too small. Buying clothes because of the labels.

Do you admire anyone's style?
I like Inès de la Fressange, Tasha De Vasconcelos and Victoria Beckham.

Describe your personal style.
It’s very classic and feminine. I choose clothes that would last several seasons, well-cut and made with good quality fabrics and buy them because I LOVE them, not because something is in fashion or has a designer name on it. I can live with very few dresses, skirts, trousers, tops and coats, but I am a true collector when it comes to lingerie, scarves and shoes.

What are you going to do after this?
Sit in a garden with my laptop and have a cup of Lady Grey tea.

Sources: net-a-porter, style.com, amazon.co.uk, kevinmurphystore.com, vogue, aubade.fr

Kevin Murphy haircare

Since I first realised how important it is to nourish it properly I've been trying to eat not only good foods most of the time, but buy as much organic, too. In time I felt like using more natural (not exactly organic or free from everything, but better than regular brands I used before) cosmetics for my skin and loved it. I knew it was the time to do the same for my hair, but being my stingy self, I never felt like spending money on hair products. Lets face its, hair is dead, so you can't really do much to change to whole texture of it. Well, truthfully, I did buy some shampoos, masks and conditioners once or twice, but then slowly switched to something I could just get from my supermarket. It gave me good results and was affordable. At the same time I always wished I could find a product that would not only wash my hair, but also nourish it and be natural and organic. But unfortunately, when it comes to organic haircare stuff, it's either has horrible smells or smells ok, but gives horrible results. Last Saturday I finally found a treasure. I went to have a haircut and since my hair is very long now (yes!!!) my stylist (the best in the whole world!) suggested that I try some new hair products he's got in his salon. Basically, he used them on my hair a few times, but I never really asked much about anything in particular and always thought that the silky results and smoothness I had after my salon visits were mostly due to the washing and blow-drying techniques, which I do not possess myself. However, this time he gave me a whole catalogue of products to browse and am so glad I did because I found (and bought) wonderful things I am going to use for as long as I can.

The range was developed by Kevin Murphy, a fashion hair stylist, well-known, well-experienced and really talented. After reading about his products, I was instantly tempted. Just imagine this: everything is organic and paraben and suphate free, each product contains a delicious elixir of essential oils, extracts, Omegas and amino acids to regenerate, moisturise and strengthen your hair. The packaging is also very stylish - simple, clean lines and pastel shades.

Four basic categories include washes (shampoos), rinses (conditioners), treatments (masks and serums) and styling products.

As I wash my hair daily and it's in good condition but quite long, I was advised to get Balancing Wash shampoo (with essential oils of lavender and ylang ylang, green tea, nettle and geranium extracts, amino acids and Omegas) for daily use, Born Again essential treatment (made with shea butter, rose hip oil, Omegas, L-Carnitine and olive leaf extract) that I need to apply on washed and damp hair and leave for 5-10 minutes (in my case) before I wash it off, and Born Again Mask to use once a week leaving it on hair for about 20-30 minutes.

Here is a tip for you: if your hair is longer than shoulder length, then you would also benefit from a moisturising treatment rather than just a conditioner. Or you can use a regular conditioner (a must) but leave on your hair it for at least 5 minutes. The most important part is that you really need to look after the ends of your hair, about 20 cm from the ends upwards. This hair is quite old and in danger of drying out and breaking. So apply your treatment or conditioner every time you wash your hair, leave it for 5-10 minutes, massage your scalp and make sure you get enough product on the ends. Plus, use the moisturising mask once every 7-10 days leaving it on for about 20-30 minutes.

I haven't use the mask yet, but I adore the other two products. The smells are beautiful and washing hair feels more like a bit of pampering than a routine task. I especially love the treatment because shea butter has such as yummy, velvety smell. My hair is very silky, shiny and the ends aren't dry any more. I wonder what it's going to be like if I continue using the products for a while. Time will show. I am also curious to find out how long these quantities will last for because they are a bit on a pricey side. Next time I'd also like to buy Anti Gravity volumiser (styling range). Not only because it smells of lavender and contains honey, but also because it's oil free and non-greasy, creates wonderful volume and texture and, if I can say so, invisible on your hair.

These range is available in hair salons and can also be found on-line, for example, here. For more information visit http://www.kevinmurphy.com.au/.