Hand...Nail...Cream!

I love it when autumn comes around, it's birthday season for me and I always love the beauty and skincare goodies that I receive. One thing that I wouldn't be without in my handbag is my hand and nail cream. It's key for strengthening my nails and for keeping my hands super moisturised! I definitely would say it is a must have autumn/winter accessory.

Moisturising your hands to revive skin and gently exfoliating to remove dead skin cells can actually help slow down the ageing process to you hands. Your hands can often be a giveaway of your age! A good hand and nail cream will always target age spots, to stop your age 'tells'.

One product that I love the texture, lasting feel and smell of is my
Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream

I find after using it that my hands feel hydrated and I don't feel them getting 'thirsty' like I do with other hand and nail creams.

Our Weekly Round-up

We've used....

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

Well quite frankly it's a must have accessory for Autum/Winter 13

 

We've bought....

The Body Shop Tee Tree Foaming Cleanser

Check out our previous blog for the results!

 

We're trying...

Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask

Tune in to the blog next week for our honest review!



Tea tree to the rescue!

Bodyshop- tea tree skin clearing foaming cleanser and tea tree skin clearing toner = skin heaven

 

I started using this product as I had a special occasion coming up and had a lot of blemishes on my normally clear skin. I went into the Bodyshop to ask for their advice,they recommnded that I try the tea tree skin clearing foaming cleanser and the skin clearing toner along with the tea tree blemish stick as it was 3 for 2....

 As soon as I got home I immediately used the foaming cleanser. I applied this by wetting my face with warm water then pumping twice to release the cleanser into the palms of my hands,I then used circular movements (as advised) and let my skin soak it up. I then rinsed it off with warm water and followed by using the tea tree skin clearing toner. I gave it a good shake and then applied by sweeping my face with the toner on cotton wool. As soon as my skin had dried I immediately felt refreshed and like I'd had a face peel! Amazing results from one use and I did have many comments on how "glowing" my skin looked. I then used the tea tree stick on my blemishes before bed time and was pleased with how the redness did go down over night. 

I love these products and could not live without them as part of my skin care routine now. Thanks Bodyshop!

 

YoLo to the H20

It's now into the early hours of the morning in England, I have had a wonderful evening with my friends the Bellus Tabitha and Bellus Skylar. No alcohol involved, instead it was hello to the h20 this evening!

I was explaining how I think the tap water at my home has really affected me and how much better I had found Brita filtered water and that I only use filtered water now, even when boiling the kettle.

Water has so many benefits, after all it's a naturally occurring fluid that is essential to life!

I never consciously drink 8 glasses of water per day, I'd like to think I get my recommended amount, I make it up through green tea, peppermint tea or lemon water. You make up about 20% of your hydration from the fruit and vegetables you eat.

You lose water all of the time and replenishing the water in your body means your body fluids are maintained, water aids weight loss.

For your skin, water hydrates skin and hair, without the right water levels your hair and skin would show the dehydration! So maintaining your fluid levels can also avoid wrinkles as your skin stays 'plump'

Water flushes the toxins through your body and also assists in the digestive process by moving things along. It is great for improving the appearance of cellulite, acne and many other skincare or body dilemmas. Plus, I feel great after having water!

Are you getting enough water?
Your body is quite good at letting you know if you are getting enough water or not. If you feel dehydrated there are some simples things you can do to increase your water intake.

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

Lemon...Aid

Sooo I hear lemon can aid so many things in your beauty regime so ladies/fellas.... It's all about lemons!

Lemons are a fruit high in acidity, grown all over the world, many experts and non expert alike are using lemons for many reasons in the beauty world!

Like many fruits, lemons are high in vitamin C and B! The unique flavonoid compounds are beauty boostingly good for you!

So cheap to buy - particularly in supermarkets like Aldi, lemons are a cheap solution for many beauty dilemmas!

For your Hair
Lemons can be great for dry and damaged hair, I never knew this I just though lemons were good for making your hair lighter in the sun! However using lemons in a hair mask can be a super simple, super cheap way to nourish your hair back to health!

To make a great DIY hair mask, simply combine
- ¾ cup of olive oil, (my must have in your beauty box!)
- ½ cup of honey, (organic preferred to avoid any other chemicals getting into contact with your skin)
- three tablespoons of lemon juice

Sunscreen (the song)

If there is one word of advice that I could offer that would be .....
Wear sunscreen

Exposure to the sun can cause all sorts of problems for you, not just the fine lines and wrinkles but also sun spots and even worse, tumours or growths weather benign or not! The reason the sun causes wrinkles is because it causes elastosis, the destruction of the elastic I the tissue!

Obviously it is best to just stay out of the sun, however the sun and the chemicals it causes in our body such as promoting vitamin d means there are benefits to sun exposure. Just keep it sensible following advice around keeping out of it during the hottest parts of the day. In winter it's about using SPF of at least 15. You can't see sun damage (unless its sunburn) until later on in life. So for the sake of a few pounds or a bit of time, wear sunscreen!

If you are worried about the impact sun exposure has or can have, then do something about it now! As waiting until the signs of skin damage appears could be too late. Whenever I go to a show or conference I visit an Elemis Skin Lab. I love the double decker buses they promote and went on an Elemis bus at a fashion and beauty show last year. It was free as long as a purchase over £25 was made. To be honest it was easy to spend that on Elemis products! They can do a skin analysis on you through mapping your face, it is really detailed and highlights the stuff we can't see!

Shop Elemis now! <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=r8ITh9Ss7wE&offerid=264402.10000377&type=3&subid=0" >Code: CANDLE13 - FREE Elemis Starlight Spa Candle with £50 spend (Subject to availability. Not available on gift vouchers, or in conjunction with any other offer.)</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?=r8ITh9Ss7wE&bids=264402.10000377&type=3&subid=0" >

A bit about Elemis - from their website!

Give a little time - to beauty sleep!

If there is one word of advice that I could offer that would be .....
Wear sunscreen

Exposure to the sun can cause all sorts of problems for you, not just the fine lines and wrinkles but also sun spots and even worse, tumours or growths weather benign or not! The reason the sun causes wrinkles is because it causes elastosis, the destruction of the elastic I the tissue!

Obviously it is best to just stay out of the sun, however the sun and the chemicals it causes in our body such as promoting vitamin d means there are benefits to sun exposure. Just keep it sensible following advice around keeping out of it during the hottest parts of the day. In winter it's about using SPF of at least 15. You can't see sun damage (unless its sunburn) until later on in life. So for the sake of a few pounds or a bit of time, wear sunscreen!

If you are worried about the impact sun exposure has or can have, then do something about it now! As waiting until the signs of skin damage appears could be too late. Whenever I go to a show or conference I visit an Elemis Skin Lab. I love the double decker buses they promote and went on an Elemis bus at a fashion and beauty show last year. It was free as long as a purchase over £25 was made. To be honest it was easy to spend that on Elemis products! They can do a skin analysis on you through mapping your face, it is really detailed and highlights the stuff we can't see!

Code: CANDLE13 - FREE Elemis Starlight Spa Candle with £50 spend (Subject to availability. Not available on gift vouchers, or in conjunction with any other offer.)
A bit about Elemis - from their website!

Weather the facial storm!

Strong winds forecast for the UK today, the worst storm in over 25years apparently! I always find that knowing what is going on with the weather is an important par of skin care. Your face brave the elements as it generally is exposed!

If you are venturing outside be sure to protect your face/skin. There is a great book about skincare:

Speaking Of: Skin Care
By Parvesh Handa

Can be purchased from Amazon and other retailers for less than £5

In the book Hands says that wind can be a good tonic for stimulating circulation however it can dry out our skin so cover your face in a good coating of cold cream.

I am using Nivea oil free monitoring day cream today. I find it thick but not heavy wearing or c
greasy. Perfect for my morning dog walks.

I don't think I had realised protecting your face from pollution and weather was that important until I was in my 20's and saw an advert once about it. (can't remember what it was promoting!)

In general, cold weather is damaging to your skin as the cold air is drier, some really good tips are to

1) use a thicker moisturiser
2) avoid or reduce alcohol consumption (difficult I know during festive periods) however alcohol affects our skin and can dry it out!
3) avoid sun beds, artificial sun is never good for your skin, or totally safe so best to avoid!!
4) protect your skin from the sun, even in winter! So take advantage on winter sales or sunscreen or ensure your moisturiser and other products have an SPF in them.
5) sleep with moisturising socks and gloves on - to keep your hands and feet in good condition!
6) don't forget your hair, condition and hot oil treatments are needed
7) don't forget to drink water - reduce caffeine intake! It can be tempting to want a hot drink so try hot water and or hot water and lemon

HurryM Lipgloss

I made a Mad dash to Tesco as needed emergency lipgloss! I was on my way to a social event and had totally forgotten to pack my lipgloss into my handbag! (That is the problem from swapping handbags so often!)

When i arrived to tesco the Beauty counters were sectioned off as it was out of beauty trading hours, so I was a little naughty and reached over (setting alarms off in the process) to grab the nearest pink lipgloss! I

It was just shy of £5, i paid for it thinking 'it's not what I want but it will do'

To be honest - not worth a buy. It looks colourful but is transparent until it dries in disgusting pink clumps on your lips. 

Spent most of the day trying to get it off my lips!

Tried it on my cheeks however - and loved it!!

Won't be hurry buying BarryM again! (Tongue twister!)

I normally use YsL lipgloss as I just love the subtle glitter and wet look of it, I also find they moisturise your lips and are long lasting. I certainly don't get clumps from them.

Reading the ingredients lists there are a lot of scary things in our lipgloss' and make up in general. I love the Burts Bees Lipcare as they are 100 percent natural and feel good! I never knew beeswax could be used for so many beauty products! I already find my lips feel so good after application, and I tend to only apply 3 times a day, in the morning before I leave the house, after lunch and before I go to bed. I haven't suffered from cracked or dry lips in over 2 years and I really think that this is down to Burts Bees! I ensure I always have stock and my family know its a perfect stocking filler for me ;-)

 

And time goes by - so quickly!

Wow so it's been a whole month since I last used blogger!

In that time:
- I have aged 1 year! I am now 27!
- I have turned my long brown locks into a short bob. (in a hope to look more youthful but actually think I look older!)
- I have spent most my money on my new home!
- Welcomed my best friends new baby girl into the world!

You should never say there is no time for beauty, my regime has been basically about keeping my spots at bay through steam cleansing and tee tree oil. Cleansing is my number 1 priority coupled with moisturising as the weather is starting to turn and it is so important to prevent wind damage!

My routine seems to be working ok for me too! I bought the tea tree oil for £1.29 from Tesco and use it on a flannel with hot water and let the steam open my pores! I hold the flannel over my face for a few moments then cleanse as normal and finish by closing my pores with cold water. I am a little annoying in the fact that I like my water more than lukewarm, I like it hot (I would never advise you of this which is why I say lukewarm in my other posts!) I think it is bad for your skin but it doesn't feel clean unless steam has been involved!

Let me just give you a Really Quick updates on previous posts:

MI Bye!

So I hear about a chemical methylisothiazolinone (MI) - I am no skin expert or scientist just a regular 9-5 working woman. Often complaining about skin issues! Changing things such as diet, drink, exercise levels. It certainly is worrying to think about what chemicals we are exposing ourselves to on a daily basis. I often wonder why I have various skin issues, could this be the answer?

Google it ! You'll be surprised how many manufacturers and high end products use this stuff!

Apparently it causes rashes lumps and swelling - lumps I could be mistaking for Acne?

I am not sure i don't seem to have allergies and I am sure symptoms would be more severe and I don't want to be hysterical but certainly am going to start checking ingredients on my products!

I know sometimes we can get on 'fads' about things but surely all this artificial stuff can't be good for your skin or skin care routine. I really am not a believer in looking at the ingredient list of any products. I don't understand half of the ingredients and that is a major 'turn off' for me. I am starting to lose faith in the beauty industry in terms of trusting the products to not be harmful! I will be looking at they ingredients list for all of my products and saying bye bye to those which harbour these harmful chemicals

At the end of the day we are still living in the generation of artificial beauty and we won't know until those generations get older and we see the knock on effect of artificial chemicals or products.

Photo taken from the dailymail.co.uk (believed to be in the public domain) read the full article on MI on their website.

Read all about it - reverse the ageing process naturally

I wouldn't usually quote any newspapers but I simply can't resist this one! I read it this morning on The Daily Mail UK,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2423211/How-healthy-lifestyle-reverse-ageing-process-Eating-doing-yoga-protect-cells-stopping-DNA-fraying.html

I am the type of person to start something and give it up like Yoga, eating Gluten free, eating super healthy! I need some motivation to keep it up. I enjoyed yoga a lot and guess what I'm set up in my living room about to do...Yoga through my Smart TV!

So Yoga has many benefits, to be honest I just love the fact it doesn't make me sweat! I have cardio exercise and have little stamina. Yoga for me is the perfect was to exercise, the whole mind cleanse I feel allows me to just disconnect myself from the world of work, living, politics and even the pressures of a social life! It also allows me to focus on my breathing, I tend to get headaches after lots of 'un natural' breathing. I believe this is due to that fact then breathing in a way that uses deep breathes, in thought the nose and out through the mouth actually disturbs toxins within the body. That helps!

I am always keen to try anything natural that helps reverse or slow down the ageing process. I secretly have issues about getting old! I can't wait for you to see my blog in 20 years and see how I have aged! Hopefully through everything I am trying and your help and support I can celebrate my looks!

If this worked for men - will it work for women? i would say this is highly probable. It's no surprise healthy eating and exercise can help you live longer I guess but this gave me the early morning motivation I need to change! I think my diet is terrible to be honest, I really should embrace healthy living. I am a bit of a sugar addict and this certainly won't help the ageing process! (Or my acne!)

I guess this could improve my skin too, I'm going to use this blog as my diary to track my progress yoga wise, skin care wise and healthy living wise. It's not going to be easy for me but I am keen to reverse and prevent the ageing process from getting its grips on me!

Where did time go? How to turn it back??

Ok so I am on the hunt for anti ageing - aged 26 (nearly 27) I need to prevent damage!

I do not know where time went, I notice fine lines on my forehead and around my eyes! I would love an anti ageing cure that is natural! That is why I use bee venom! However it's not the natural Botox it is made out to be!

I wear foundation with a sunscreen in everyday of at least SPF25 it, I ensure I am we'll protected every single day. Skin care wouldn't be complete without taking into account environment damage caused by the sun.

Do I need creams to help me (maybe not with acne problems)? It is difficult for me to experiment with products due to my Acne.

Sometime I can control through is exercising my face! Someone once told me you have more muscles in your face than anywhere else on your body! So why didn't I ever think before I exercise my face a lot more!

Quick one for today - look up and kiss the ceiling 30 times!

I try and do these Facercises in the car on my way to work. Yes, ok you look a bit silly but worth it!

Before you start on the Facercise I would practise in front of a mirror so you can see that you are following the exercises properly and not putting yourself at risk of developing lines in odd places!!!

Creole Maggio leads the way n Facercise, I have read one of her books! Given to me by a friend! To be honest this has changed the way I think about skin care and exercise.

Apparently you can improve your face within 6 days! I will be honest, with such young skin I don't notice any amazing improvements, although my face does feel firm after doing the exercise!

The eye opener and the neck and chin lift are my favourite exercises!

There is a great overview or 'taster' on the daily mail website with pictures, see the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1361218/The-ultimate-facercise-Forget-Botox--just-days-firmer-face-naturally.html

The morning and night cleanse

I thought in celebration of a new blog I'd try a new cleanser. A relatively cheap one at £5.60 (sale price) from the body shop!

A beautiful smell and a light texture - a very good start! Face felt fresh - I'll keep you posted on how I get on!

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-e/vitamin-e-cream-cleanser.aspx

I think trying to cleanse on the go is so difficult but you have to be disciplined and cleanse your face morning and night!

There are some key steps to good cleansing and skin care

1. Take off your makeup: Yes, this is the most important, I read something once that said it can age your skin by leaving it on (as well as being yucky!) so it is an important part of my skin care routine. I use olive oil to remove my eye make up and always take extra care around the skin of my eyes.

2. Choose products to suit your skin: I think you have to experiment at times and watch as your skin preferences change over time! Having 'normal' skin means you are very lucky and can experiment a little more. For those with sensitive skin it has to be gentle to avoid breakouts! (like my skin!)

3. Take your time: Open your pores with lukewarm water (nothing too warm, or else it can make the skin dry and also harm the skin). Then use a cleanser that suits your skin type to clean the face. I always use my cleanser on your finger tips and rub all over my face gently in a circular motion all over my face and neck! (Don't forget your neck!)

4. Listen to your skin: was your face not just morning and night but after any exercise or sweating! Your face will tell you when it's feeling grimey!

5: Follow up: tone and moisturise!

Lights.Camera.HighDefinition

I have been having HD brows for 2 years now! It is my monthly must have. I heard a beautician the other day saying HD is a normal tint but with threading - they couldn't be more wrong! My eyebrows are not slugs, they're not painted!

My therapist at Beautified I'm Penkhull (Stoke-on-Trent) has transformed my shape from over plucked barely there brows to high definition, shaped to my bone structure wonder pieces that get more attention than anything else I wear!

So what are HD Brows?
It’s sold as a unique treatment for the 'ultimate well-groomed, high definition eyebrows.' It's a 7 step process involving tint, wax, thread, shape, tweezing and styling.

I really believe it does make my eyebrows stand out more, the whole experience is amazing, the best hour of my month! The HD approach doesn't follow a one size fits all approach for shape, the stylist literally measures your face and studies your face and bone structure to make the best shape for your face.

HD Brows also retail a make-up range - a collection of blushers, powders and palettes to suit every skin tone. I haven't yet invested in these as I have my own make up include brow brushes etc.

There is one thing that is certain - I won't go anywhere without my brows, I honestly think they shape my face and look flawless!

http://hdbrows.com/

See my brow journey! (Top right most recent) *sorry for poor quality images, taken from Facebook*

me and the bee

my friend had replaced her Botox injections with this and had results (she does look amazing but no different than normal!) so I thought at 25 (at the time), that I should try it (I've never used botox or fillers and have lines appearing). At £73.00 a pot it is a big decision....

how did I use it?
I used a ten pence sized amount after cleansing every morning and night. I also had 2 bee venom facials at an approved Heaven therapy lounge.

I used it for 12 months

first impressions....
 a pleasant  smell, light texture felt fabulous on my skin.

relationship with other products...
I couldn't use a primer as it felt too much, nor a sun screen so I didn't feel adequately protected in the heat. I also found user a moisturiser too greasy.... in saying that under make up it felt good and at night when it was just the mask on my face it felt lovely on my skin.

the results?
the first month was a bit spotty I thought that was my skin getting used to the product, I had changed my cleanser at the same time. I did notice that it felt more 'heavy' when I raised my eyebrows but I didn't notice any improvement in fine lines. My skin improved dramatically after the first full facial and I was really pleased with the results, had my second facial 8 weeks later and again was pleased how some red marks from old spots had disappeared. The downside is I felt like I got more spots (counted 21 on my face at one point). I stopped using bee venom and my skin has been fine! Strange as tee tree and coca butter (ingredients) are supposed to be good for spot control! I guess everyone is different!

will I buy it again?
I spent £266 in total on bee venom mask and facials - I don't think it was the best way I have ever spent that kind of money - would say save it for a Mulberry :-)


Bee Venom Mask - Heaven by Deborah Mitchell