http://www.juneforbes.com en-gb juneforbes.com 2009-9-15T00:00:00Z juneforbes.com http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48809 2009-9-15T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48805 On bank holiday Monday I impulsively went to the Notting Hill Carnival. This event was once one of the main highlights of my year ranking right up there alongside Christmas and New Years Eve. However it would seem that as I have got older my passion for shaking my bumper along overcrowded streets in West London for hours on end whatever the weather has diminished. With the sun shining brightly and temperatures around 25186C when my sister asked if I wanted to keep her company while she drove to and hung around the area waiting for her 16yearold son and his friends newbies to the event the offer seemed too good to refuse. Eight or nine years on some things have changed most notably the racialcultural demographic of the carnival revellers. There is a much wider mix of ethnicities both taking part and attending. This was strongly evident from the number of people around us who were not speaking English and in contrast to years gone by when postsunset only black people seemed to... 2009-9-4T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48807 Since childhood I have been captivated by the transformation that women can bring about through the use of makeup. I have fond memories of my mother applying her Coty Powder and lipstick form opulentlooking elaborately decorated compacts and cases albeit that the shades of powder available rarely matched her skin tone and the range of lipstick colours available were usually limited to bright reds and fuchsia pink. Fast forward forty years and it is heartening to see Halle Berry as the face of Revlon and Coty launching a fragrance carrying the actresses name. With more brands than ever offering a range of shades that incorporate darker skins why is it that so many of us still have difficulty finding a powder or foundation that matches our complexion Modelfashion icon Iman was inspired to bring out her own range of makeup for women of colour after years of having to mix various foundations together to come up with a colour that was suitable for her. Notably cosmetic giant MAC manuf... 2009-8-26T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48808 As a kind of footnote to my yummy mummy blog entry on 22 July Labelled by design I thought I would follow up with an update of the events that unfolded almost immediately afterwards. A client of mine emailed saying that she would be coming to England from Africa for the summer and during her stay she wished to employ my services not only as a hairdresser but as a personal stylistshopper. She had been living in Nigeria for the last year along with her three young boys and husband who had been relocated there by his employers. The transition had taken some getting used to on her part and her new role as expatriate wife involved quite a lot of socialising and dressing up. Now anyone familiar with Nigerian women knows that they put the d in dressing. Be it attending the school f234te or a society ball when it comes to making sure they look their best these women take no prisoners. Born and bred in the UK and being one of those rare females who hates shopping my poor client ... 2009-8-10T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48810 Yes the school holidays are upon us yet again and for those of us with children under the age of fifteen this usually means the addition of several more balls to the juggling act i.e. work housework childcare activities entertainment shopping meals the list goes on. Yet somehow we find a way to cope with those six to eight weeks. For me I welcome the break from the school run with delight and this summer has got me thinking. Why is it that as women we love to heap pressure upon ourselves By pressure I mean the pressure to perform Open any womens magazine and you will find countless articles that label and categorise women in some way or another. The latest and a pet hate of mine being the yummy mummy. As if it were not enough to have to round up your family five mornings a week feed and clothe them get them out of the house ferry them and yourself to multiple destinations often all well before 9am you are also expected to rock up at the school gates looking like Victoria B... 2009-7-22T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48811 A couple of ago days I received an email from a friend in which she posed the following question... What is the protocol on tipping your hairdresser if they happen to be the owner of the salonI usually tip the hairdresser who does my hair plus the person who washes it but Ive always felt that tipping the owner of the salon would be insulting so I never have done. However the owner did my hair last week 1st in a long time I tipped the girl who washed my hair but not her and she seemed to be a bit miffed. Have I made a faux pas Tipping for services rendered is still the exception rather than the rule in this country therefore to date there is still no standard etiquette that applies concerning how much who or when to tip. Anyone who has visited America will appreciate that by all accounts tipping is practically nonexistent here whereas there it is more or less obligatory irrespective of the standard of the service. With regard to tipping in the hair salon the lines remain ... 2009-7-16T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48813 My week came to a close on rather a heavy note as the sudden death of Michael Jackson was announced on Thursday. Being born in the sixties I grew up listening to The Jackson Five and although over the years not all of Michaels music has appealed to my personal taste I have never been in doubt of his genius. He broke down many barriers crossed many boundaries and achieved more in his 50 years than most people who have lived for decades more. I am glad that he has been a part of my history. The weekend found me reminiscing upon my childhood and the years that I spent sharing a room with my older sister. There is a six year age gap between us and though like most siblings we fought like cat and dog we were united in our love of the Jackson 5. Our walls were a collage of posters and pin ups from Jackie Magazines and most of our pocket money or savings was often spent on Jackson 5 records. I also remember sitting on the bed and watching my sister who I considered at the time to... 2009-6-29T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48812 Im feeling a little flattered. Today I received an email from a friend stating that she was awaiting my next blog entry. This feeling could of course be misplaced as I sense that the underlying message was an implication that I was slacking. However my reason for the delay on this occasion is somewhat justified. The sudden spell of good weather bought an influx of clients my way. In this line of business sunny days and the need to have ones hair look its best seem to go hand in hand which means that I have been somewhat rushed off my feet not that I am complaining at all given the current economic climate. Unfortunately in this country we never seem to have any idea when those sunny days will occur. Was it not last April that we had an overnight snow storm followed by temperatures in the 20 C range a few days later As welcome as the warmer temperatures are these sudden fluctuations in the weather bring with them a wealth of problems for those of us with afro hair. Below is a l... 2009-6-29T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48814 Nearly 16 years ago following the birth of my daughter sporting clipper cropped hair I went to the Gym twice a day and lost most of my baby fat by the time she was six months old. My short sharp hairstyle did not pose any problems to my regime at all hell I even went swimming once in a while Call me an obsessive but every other morning I weigh myself. I know most weightwatching gurus discourage it but hey it keeps me in check or used to. Since I stopped working in London some six or so years ago I have been watching the steady increase in my weight that has come about as a result of working mainly from home and have managed to identify the following contributory factors. a. Being 6 years older. b. A decrease in my level of physical activity. c. Being in close proximity to the snack cupboard for a large proportion of my day. Upon consideration I would probably reverse the order of the above according to their relevance to my current predicament. Finally a mon... 2009-6-23T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48815 During a phone conversation with my sister in law I was complaining about not having the time to go to the salon for my relaxer and colour bemoaning the fact that it was so shameful for me a hairdresser to be walking around with grey hairs and regrowth. Casually she asked me why I bothered to go to a salon when I could just do it myself. To her surprise my response was one of horror this is not the first time I have been asked this question yet it always takes me by surprise. Sure like any hairdresser worth their salt I can wash treat condition blow dry and tong my own hair. I will even stretch to trimming my own fringe occasionally however I draw the line at self application of chemicals. The potential for damage and hair loss far outweigh the need to save time or money. I deem it a physical impossibility to be able to apply relaxer to the back of ones head without overlapping and overunder applying of the chemical not to mention the time it would take and the risk of serious ... 2009-6-17T00:00:00Z http://www.juneforbes.com/page12.htm#48816 Prior to launching JuneForbes.com I sent a few pages off to friends and associates for proof reading suggestions etc. The above question was posed by entrepreneur Tom Ilube. Damn Trust Tom to challenge me on something was my first thought but isnt that what good friends are for. After a bit of further discussion he suggested that I add a blog. I couldnt imagine what I might have to say on a frequent basis that anyone would find even remotely interesting but the more we talked and the more I thought about it various ideas began to form in my head. It occurred to me that in my working environment and in everyday life I constantly come up against challenges and issues that most people have probably faced regarding their hair to which there are no right or wrong answers that simply have to be dealt with through a process of trial error and experience. So if anybody is interested this blog will be the place that I will share some of my thoughts and experiences and for you to put forward... 2009-6-15T00:00:00Z