All About Me

Those that know me well, know that I am not really very good at being a girl, certainly not one for spending time on my appearance, but last week I surpassed myself.

At the beginning of the week I had a text from my hairdresser, 1/2 price on cut and colour....well, too good to miss. I have started going to a hairdresser in Auchterarder called Deja http://www.dejahairandbeauty.co.uk/team.php. This new salon is situated in our old premises and it is really very strange having my hair cut there, but I am delighted that Jade McDonald is making a success of her new business there.

Deja Hair and Beauty

So Wednesday I was cut and coloured and I have short hair and highlights that you can see this time (last time I went so subtle you didn't notice them).

Thursday morning I headed off to Glasgow to see my old pal and occassional painting partner Emma Hardie. Emma and I met 25 years ago at Leonard Pardon's School of Specialist Decoration. After leaving we kept in touch occasionally painting together when either of us needed an extra pair of hands. Emma was always the most positive person I knew. Where I would go to a client on completion of a painting project and wracked with doubt in my ability say "is it alright? I hope you like it....do say if there's anything you aren't sure about", then undercharge and apologise for wanting paid; Emma would bound into the room telling the client "isn't it gorgeous....I just love it, it has transformed your home" she would charge her worth, and bounce out with cheque in hand.
All the time that we were in London, unbeknownst to me Emma was actually very ill with ME and eventually working with paints and toxins, her body become oversensitised to the paint products she had an horrendous physical breakdown and later on her recovery had to think about a total career change.
Never one to do things by halves Emma trained at Champneys in aromatherapy, health and beauty in 1994 and went on to research the factual science behind natural cell healing.
Long story short she got FAMOUS in the beauty world (you have to read Vogue and Cosmo and the like to really know about these things) ....she got famous for being the best of course.

Emma Hardie

She treats the likes of Sophie Dahl, is written up and about all over the press and her own range of products "Emma Hardie Amazing Face" are one of the top selling new ranges at Space NK -Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm was hailed Best Cleanser at the 2010 Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards in June, she has dvd and she is about to launch on QVC.

On tour to promote her products Emma has been in Scotland offering treatments at Space NK teaching you how to use her products and giving treatments.  We were meeting for lunch and because her schedule was so crippling...and I still had Christmas money to spend, I booked a treatment. Space NK have a promotion where you pay £30 and £25 is redeemable against product.....thus getting my poor damaged and frail skin inspected and treated by a world respected beautician and giving me extra time with my lovely friend.

Emma's very grown up products

Oh goodness.....Em's products are soooooo wonderful. I have had such horrendous problems with my skin and 5 days later and I have no discomfort, the nasty hard carapace-like layer on parts of my face has broken down and is disappearing WOW. I bought her special cloths and her award winning cleanser. While waiting for our lunch I was offered a free make-over by Adele in SpaceNK. My makeup buying process is normally to hover in Boots hoping someone will help me, to try lots of things on the back of my hand (why I'm not sure) and then leave with yet another mascara. Adele just did fantastic things, she gave me a completely natural look and it stayed on my face all day....while I didn't buy anything then and there I will be back, it was a lovely experience and definitely the way to buy makeup...knowing that it will work.

She may be famous my old friend, and fearfuly growed up with products and packaging and photocalls and all but she's still just Em-Pem, bubbly and positive and it was wonderful to see her. I had also forgotten how good it is to spend time with a really positive, determined, entrepreneurial female friend......I miss her!!! She'll be back in Scotland soon so look out for her appearances at Space NK in the future.

http://www.emmahardie.com/