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Maryna Fontenoy, from Shine Salon, offers advice on hair and beauty. www.shinesalon.co.uk
The most common question I get asked about hair is 'can I have a hairstyle which
looks glamorous without any daily maintenance?' Answer: Yes! A wig!
Truth is, in twenty years of hairdressing I still have not met a woman who has hair that
gets up and fixes itself. However, with a great cut, suitable colour and five spare
minutes you can have easy gorgeous hair. It is the five minutes that count, and surely we
all deserve five minutes to ourselves once a day. 'What is this cut?' you ask. Simple
the bob is taking to the forefront again, though this classic never really leaves the
style stage. Today it is showing up short and sleek or longer, looser and more frivolous.
Heidi Klume demonstrates the short slick version and it is possible to imagine even she
is doing it herself. With a tucked-in nape and swingline shape this iconic look requires
just a bit of wet combing with blow-drying optional. A little more effort may be required
to achieve the sort of voluptuous movement that comes from a longer version of the
swingline. Natural curl or velcro rollers will do to add sexy movement to a 1940s inspired
midlength A-line bob. And yes, finally, curls and waves are once again allowed out in
public, most of us having decided to give up the battle with straightening techniques that
either leave you needing chiropractic involvement or complete moisture rehydration
therapy. How cosy it is as well imagine snuggling your new sexy hair within your super
long woolly scarf as you go out to face the winter weather.
Feminine softness for hairstyles also reflects well with the fashions de jour. As the
trend for all things Goth seems to have one very high-heeled foot in the grave, left in
its wake is a new appreciation for the little black dress, velvet, satin and girly silks,
religiously inspired accessories and above all detail. Buttons, lace-ups and trim are as
important as the main body of the garment. Seek out vintage, sparkle and shine. A generous
chunky knit jumper and a bit of irony won't go amiss either. We will all need to lighten
up a bit and keep warm to get through the greys of January.
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A selection of what's available at
Helsinki
(photo by Mark Pilkington) |
For now the buzz on Church Street is palpable as our local shops gear up
for holiday shopping. Most shops are extending their hours to make our December rushes
easier. Affinity, Helsinki, Hub, Metal Crumble, Pieces of a Dream, Red Man and Studio 88
are all reporting extra late night and Sunday hours. Do check with your favourites for
specific days and times. Not to leave out the guys, their fashions are being inspired by
1940's glamour as well. I saw just the best Bogart-ish trench coat on Church Street last
week. Gucci is doing it, so why shouldn't the men of Stokey? Shopping for holidays can
knacker the best of us so, when you are weary, check out N16's best kept secret, Penina's
(53Z Alkham Rd, N16, 020 88061135) for some of London's most wonderful beauty treatments.
Local shops for local people? It sure beats fighting your way through the West End. Most
importantly, take care of yourself and enjoy being pretty while pretty is in!
NO ROOM FOR SCROOGE
The restaurants, cafés, bars and shops of N16 are very busy at this time
of year. While this means enjoyment for customers and increased turnover for owners, it
also involves hard work and longer hours for those who have to cook, clean and serve. Many
of those who work in catering and retail are from overseas and are probably unaware of
their rights. We asked Linda Sowahon. Head of Legal Services at the trade union Amicus/MSF
to explain the minimum wage.
The right to receive a national minimum wage (NMW) came into effect on 1 April 1999 and
was the first attempt in UK legal history to regulate minimum levels of pay. Prior to the
National Minimum Wage Act 1998, low paid workers had been at the mercy of the market. In
certain sectors, particularly the service sector, in jobs such as catering and
homeworking, London-based employees were barely surviving on take-home pay of between
£1.20 and £2.50 an hour.
The NMW is this government's attempt to ensure that every worker receives a living wage.
This includes not just employees working under a contract of employment, but also workers
on contracts for services and other types of contract. However, there has been
considerable controversy about the level of pay employees need to survive and the effect
of the NMW on business and jobs. For this reason, a Low Pay Commission was established to
determine the level of the minimum wage on a periodic basis. The current rate for the NMW
(from 1 October 2002) is £4.20 per hour and for 18 - 21 year olds £3.60 per hour. Only
the genuinely self-employed are excluded.
All the prophesies of doom and gloom about the collapse of small businesses and jobs have
been unfounded. However, it has improved the levels of pay of the lowest-paid workers, in
particular part-time women workers and ethnic minority workers. But in spite of this, the
NMW is still very low and unions are campaigning for it to be increased to a minimum of
£5.00 per hour for all employees, regardless of age.
Restaurant, hotel and catering workers often have to rely on gratuities to make up their
pay to decent levels and tips can sometimes increase pay by as much as 50 per cent or
more. That is why a recent case in the European Court of Human Rights was so
disappointing. The Court decided that waiting staff could only keep cash tips from
customers, but if the bill was paid by cheque or credit card, the employer was entitled to
count this towards the payment of the NMWow.
The decision upholds the UK Government's Guidance on the 1998 Act, which states that tips
paid through the payroll count as remuneration for the purposes of the NMW. So,
restaurants are able to save considerable amounts on payments to their employees by paying
tips, whether they are based on a stated service charge or through a cheque or credit card
arrangement, through the payroll. This emphasises the pressing need for the NMW to be set
at a realistic level. |
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