Mondrian and his Studios

A friend asked me to go along to the Tate and view their latest exhibition on the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. If I'm being honest, I didn't particularly want to go as I'm not a huge fan of his work but I convinced myself that I was being a little narrow minded and couldn't have an informed opinion unless I went to see it in the flesh.

As I walked in, to the left of the exhibition, I was met by a window looking into a life-size reconstruction of Mondrian's Paris studio. This was my favourite part.

Mondrian believed that an artist's studio should be a reflection of his current work which leads the development of contemporary art. He thought that an artist could not develop if their studio was 'a museum of ancient art'. I've got to give it to the man, I respect the dedication he had to his work, allowing his art to seep into every aspect of his life.

One thing I realised as I was wandering through the Tate was that although I may not be a huge fan of his art, it's certainly iconic; one of his pieces only has to appear on the TV or internet for a couple of seconds and it's instantly recognisable. It's unique.

The piece above is called 'Composition with red, yellow and blue.' (Apologies about the blurriness, I moved as I was taking it)

I felt that once I'd seen a few of the paintings in the style of the above, it became very repetitive as they were all so similar.

I'm glad I went to the exhibition and I do have a new found respect for Mondrian and the style he created, however it didn't fascinate me and I wouldn't rush back for another look!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Mondrian's work.

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Ultra Nourishing Oil Review

Emma from Escentual kindly got in touch last week to see if I wanted to try out the newest launch from Roger & Gallet - their Fleur de Figuier Ultra Nourishing Oil. During the last couple of years I've converted to using oil on my hair before styling it so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this fig-scented oil which can be used on skin and hair.

I did a little research and time and time again the scent was described as being addictive, so as soon as Mr Postman delivered it, I quickly unwrapped it, took off the lid and had a good sniff! I didn't know what to expect as I'm quite particular with which scents I like, but true to all the reviews, the scent is delicious and really 'moreish' - I wanted to smell it over and over again. The aroma is a mixture of grapefruit, fig pulp and fig pulp - not a combination I've tried before, but one I'll definitely be using more of. 

The oil is made up of 96% natural ingredients - I'm trying to use more natural beauty products so I'm very happy about this. It contains a blend of grape, pomegranate, blackcurrant, apricot and sweet almond oils, rich in omega 6 and antioxidant vitamins A and E. I sprayed it a few times into the palm of my hands and massaged it into my arms and legs. It felt lightweight, not greasy in the slightest and left my skin feeling nourished; it also looked really healthy and not overly shiny. I keep sniffing my arms whenever I use it though as they smell soooo good!

I also used it on the mid lengths to the ends of my hair after I'd washed it and before I used my hairdryer and GHD's on it. Like the effect it had on my skin, it made my hair feel soft, silky and shiny. Be careful to only use a little bit though as using too much would make your hair greasy and don't use it in your roots (I spritzed the oil into my palm first - about the size of a 5 pence piece, then distributed it evenly into my hair). 

So overall, I'd definitely recommend this oil, even if it was purely for the smell, however it ticks all the other boxes as well and thoroughly nourishes hair and skin. The packaging is very pretty as well and ideal for gifts. The price of the oil is usually £25.50 making it more of a luxury buy in my book, however there is 1/3 off the Roger & Gallet range until the end of August at Escentual, making this oil £16.83 - so I'd pick it up whilst it's on offer! You can buy it here.

Thanks to Emma and Escentual - who sent it to me for an honest review.