Saturday Suggestions

Oil me up

If you fancy a more luxurious body cream, mix a few drops of your favourite essential oils into the cream before you apply it to your body.  I mix neroli, ylang ylang and lavendar for an uplifting and sensual treat.

My favourite Royal

The timeless Grace Kelly

On this momentous day I’ve decided to talk about the makeup style of my favourite royal – Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly always wore subtle makeup, she never looked overdone.  Her eyebrows were thick and natural, which is so flattering and youthful.

She usually chose a natural colour on the eyelid such as beige, with a slightly darker tone in the crease.  Quite often there was a slick of eyeliner on the top lid, not too thick just to add depth.  The blusher would be either a light peach or pink tone, which is just perfect for her pale skin.

The lips would be the focal point and she chose mainly a red or coral shade.

This style of makeup is classic and beautiful, just like Grace herself.  Why don’t you give it a try today and look like a Princess!

(Man Friday back next week as usual)

Shellac nails

I’d heard a lot about Shellac nails in the blogosphere so yesterday when I walked past a salon that offered it I thought I’d give it a try. 

Shellac paints on like a polish, with base coat, colour and top coat.  There is zero drying time as each coat of polish is dried under a UV lamp.  The colours are hypo-allergenic and "3-Free" - no formaldehyde, toluene or DBP, which is perfect for me as I’m allergic to nail varnish with those in. 

At the moment they have a small range of colours and I chose a bright coral, which looks pretty and summery.  The formula is thin and flexible like polish, so it not only looks natural, it provides strong natural nail protection with a resilient mirror finish that resists dullness and chipping, even during the most rigorous activities.   The cost was £28 so the same as a regular pedicure.

It's meant to last for 2 weeks without chipping so I will report back to you then!

To find your nearest salon contact www.sweetsquared.com.

Avene Sun Cream

I can’t believe how hot it’s been recently, it’s absolutely brilliant (hopefully it’s not raining whilst you’re reading this), so I thought it was the best time to talk about my favourite body sun cream of this year.

Being a palish girl who doesn’t like tanning that much (sooo ageing for the skin, much better to fake it) I like to have a high protection in my sun cream but most sun creams are so greasy I’ve never found one I like until I found this one by Avene. 

The Avene Very High Protection Spray spf50+ has a light milky texture and when rubbed in it sinks into the skin with no greasy residue – result!  It protects against UVA and UVB rays, contains Vitamin E, is ‘very’ water resistant and excellent for sensitive skin.  It’s also fragrance and paraben free.  I bought this in Boots and it was approx £14.99 for 200ml.

Seaside Adventure

Here are some pictures from a photoshoot I did last week with Zoe and James, a couple who are getting married this year.  This was their engagement shoot with the photographer David McNeil and they went to Whistable for the day.

The gorgeous Zoe has red hair and big hazel green eyes, so I chose some colours from the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Collection 2011 palette as I thought these would compliment her colouring as well as being glamorous and sunny, which reflected Zoe’s personality.

I used the Mac primer on her all over the face and then Bobbi Brown Skin foundation, which gives great coverage but is very light.  Then I primed the eyelids with Estee Lauder Double Wear eyeshadow base.  From the Bronze Goddess palette - on the inner corners of the eyes I used the copper colour and then blended the dark, khaki green over the lid and underneath the eye.  The waterline was lined with the Avon Supershock black gel eyeliner, which has excellent staying power.  I used Nars Laguna bronzer on the contours of the face and on the cheekbones, then Nars Orgasm blusher on the apples of the cheeks to give a little colour.  The lipstick was Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, a natural shade with a pink tint.  It was all finished off with Mac Fix+ to keep everything in place.

As it was a boiling hot day I put some Boots No 7 anti-shine on James and just a touch of concealer under the eyes (didn’t want him to feel left out!).  I think they both photograph really well and I look forward to doing Zoe's makeup for her wedding.

The Beach Girls

Kate Hudson's beach hair

I really like the beach hair look, can you tell me how to achieve it?  I have shoulder length straightish hair.  Sarah, Hanwell

There are a couple of ways to achieve lovely beach hair.  The first you do before bedtime - apply a product such as a mousse to wet hair then plait it in 2 or 3 large plaits.  You can do more plaits if you want smaller waves.  Don't dry your hair after plaiting.  In the morning undo the plaits and spritz the hair with some water to add texture.

There are also some great products which you just spritz into dry or damp hair and they'll give you beachy waves.

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray
Smells gorgeous this one!

GHD sea spray 

Not tried this but great reviews online

Has anyone used any other beach hair products?

Sunday Commandments

Rihanna loves bright lipstick

Thou shalt not match

Your lipstick should work with your hair and skin colour and whatever mood you're in – bright colour or subdued nude.  Do not match it to your clothing!

Saturday Suggestions

Make it stay

If you want to make sure your eye makeup stays in place and doesn’t disappear throughout the day, prime the lids with ideally an eyeshadow primer or use a little foundation and translucent powder instead.

MAN FRIDAY

I get shaving rashes, what can I do to prevent them?  Martyn Curzey


This is a problem that a lot of men suffer from.  I decided to research it and found the most sensible advice came from www.embarrassingproblems.com.  So I've copied it here for you:

Do not pull on the skin. Hairs are most likely to ingrow if you pull the skin while you are shaving, to get a close shave. This makes the hairs pop out of the follicle. Afterwards, the cut tip retracts into the follicle and then turns into the wall of the follicle.

Shave in the direction of the growth of the hairs. If the hairs naturally grow downwards, pull the razor downwards.

Avoid a close shave. The aim is to shave the hairs just above the skin, when they have already emerged from the hair follicle. Use an electric razor or an ordinary single-blade razor. Double-blade or triple-blade razors give too close a shave.

Prepare your skin before shaving, by using a good shaving gel, oil or foam, and thoroughly wet it into the hairs.

Check your razor is in good condition. If it is the disposable type, make sure you use a new one each time. If it is electrical or blade, check it is clean.

Analyse the problem. Inspect the area with the help of a magnifying mirror. You may be able to see the hairs curling inwards. Have a good look for tiny yellow pustules, and redness and inflammation around the hair follicles or the tips of the ingrowing hairs – this could mean infection with staphylococci bacteria.

If you can see them, try to get the tips of the ingrowing hairs out of the skin. Soak a towel in hot water and put it on the skin for a few minutes to soften the hairs. Then very carefully, using clean tweezers, pull the end of the hair out of the bump. Do not pull the whole hair out of the skin – just the loose end. Then with small scissors cut off the end of the hair that is curling back, quite close to the skin.

Stop shaving. Grow a beard and cut off the hair close to the skin with nail scissors. As the hair grows, it should grow slightly straighter, and not grow back into the skin.

If you think the rash is infected, dab on a mild antiseptic such as tea tree oil. The infection may clear up on its own if you stop shaving. If it does not improve after a few days, see your doctor again; you might have a fungal infection.

Exfoliants - remove the dead cells from the surface of the skin. They will not prevent the hairs turning in, but they may help to flatten the bumps. So if the bumps are slow to settle, exfoliants might be worth trying. Do not use them if your skin is inflamed or infected. There are various types of exfoliants. Facial scrubs usually contain tiny particles of pumice. Alpha hydroxy acids (fruit acids), in creams and face washes, have an exfoliant action. Alpha hydroxy acid creams are often labelled as ‘anti-ageing’; check the ingredients label.

These are a few of my favourite things.....

People often ask me what’s my favourite makeup brand?  I don’t actually have a single favourite but I like the following for different reasons:

Bobbi Brown – great foundations and concealers; best for neutral colours in eyeshadows and lipsticks. 

Stand out product – Skin Finish Foundation   

Chanel – great foundations and I really like the skincare 

(when I can afford it!).  Think they have the best packaging too.  

Stand out product – Pro Lumiere foundation   

Estee Lauder – love their yearly Bronze Goddess Collection; 

good makeup for brides as it stays on.  

Stand out product – Bronze Goddess Liquid Bronzer   

MAC – so many colours to choose from; great for all skin tones; new and fresh collections released frequently.  

Stand out product – Girl About Town lipstick   

NARS – fashion makeup; very cool and their eyeshadows are amazing.  

Stand out product – Orgasm blusher   

What is your favourite brand/product?

Glossy lips

My lipgloss always slips off really quickly, how can I make it stay on longer?  Debbie B

Oh how we all love our lipglosses but they do tend to come off rather quickly!

When you buy a lipgloss make sure it's opaque and has lots of colour as these types stay on a bit longer.  Before applying fill in your lips completely with a pencil that is the same colour as your mouth.  Then apply a waxy lip balm so you create a smooth, water-resistant base beneath the gloss.  Apply thin layers of gloss by lightly patting with the wand or your fingertip.  Don't go all the way to the edge as it can bleed.  If you want more colour add another thin layer.  

This should help it stay on for longer than the usual 5 minutes.

Xen-Tan

Product review from Jared Green:

"I’d heard lots of great things about Xen Tan so I thought I would give it a try.  I have olive skin so I went for the Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe £40 -  not cheap but I think it’s definitely worth it.  It may cost more than other self tans but I have found that it lasts about 3-4 months if you apply once a week, so it doesn't seem that expensive when you look at it like that.

Unlike lots of self tan it has a really nice smell.  When applying, it does go on quite dark but absorbs well into the skin and you can see exactly where you are applying it.  You can also apply it on the face and you get a sunkissed look after about 4 hours.

As long as you rub it in properly it doesn't streak and it sinks in straight away.  I would apply it at night-time as like all self tans a little does come off on your clothes.  I've noticed that after a couple of days the colour is even richer and hasn't faded.  

I apply it before bedtime and then in the morning I have the most amazing, rich colour with no orange undertones, just like when I go in the actual sun – very natural.  In fact it's the only self tan I've used where people have asked me if I've been on holiday!

After application I wash my hands with exfoliating scrub to make sure it doesn't stain them and this works fine.

I highly recommend this product and everyone should replace their existing self tans as I can’t find any negatives!”

Has anyone else tried Xen Tan?

The best foundation for Asian skin

The absolutely gorgeous Aishwarya Rai

I have Asian skin and would like to know the best places to buy foundation? 

Sharmin, Woking

Asian skin in the main has yellow undertones so you need to buy a foundation that is suitable for yellow toned skin.  In my experience the companies that do the best foundations for Asian skin are Mac Cosmetics and Bobbi Brown. 

Mac caters for both pink and yellow toned skins and has a very wide range of colours for the palest to darkest skins.  They are ordered by a letter and number, for example, all yellow toned colours are either C or NC and then followed by a number ranging from a 1-58 (mostly going up in increments of 5).  The pink tones are N or NW with the same number system.

Bobbi Brown foundations are named (warm beige, sand etc) and all are yellow toned - Bobbi Brown herself believes this is the tone that is most flattering on every skin tone.  There are 8 types of foundation which include liquid foundations and foundation sticks.

These are my recommendations, does anyone else have any foundation recommendations for Asian skin?

Sunday Commandments

Thou shalt paint correctly

Don't put one big splodge of nail varnish on your nails and then try to blend it in.  Instead paint three thin stripes of polish, let it dry and then repeat.

Saturday Suggestions

Getting it right

When testing out foundations in-store don't use the back of your hand as the skin on your hands is usually darker than the face.  Make sure you have clean skin and blend the foundations on the jawline and then examine in natural light.  Wait a minute for the foundations to settle down as they darken slightly on the skin.  The one that disappears into the skin is the one for you!

"Beauty starts with great skin. The right foundation will make you look like you're not wearing any foundation at all. You'll just have even toned, great-looking skin." - Bobbi Brown

MAN FRIDAY

I have lots of blackheads on my nose which I really don’t like.  How can I get rid of them?    Andre, London

Blackheads (comedones) occur through puberty and also when the skin has not been cleaned thoroughly.  When skin is dirty the dead skin cells accumulate within the pores and then clog the pore opening, resulting in oil build up; this oil oxidises and then turns black.

Firstly you need to eliminate products that block your pores such as heavy moisturisers containing oil.  Then you need to make sure you clean your face twice a day with a cleanser and once a week with a facial scrub.   Scrubbing hard does not get rid of pores by the way.

Also anything you put on your face must be non-comedogenic (non-blocking).  Try and buy products that contain retinol, salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acid to stop pores clogging and forming blackheads - a great brand for this is RoC.

Never try extracting the blackheads yourself.  If you want to go down that route visit a professional.

It will take a few weeks to notice a result but it’s worth the hard work.

HERO PRODUCT - Weleda Skin Food

Drum roll please – Ladies & Gentlemen the first product in my category of Hero Product is ….. “Weleda Skin Food”. 

You can probably work it out for yourself but any product I put in the Hero Product category is something that saves the day and I can’t imagine not having in my bathroom cabinet.

So the first thing you notice about Weleda Skin Food £4.95 is the smell which comes from the natural oils sweet orange, lavender and rosemary and gives it a lovely herbal/flowery smell. It’s ingredients are entirely natural and contain amongst others, organic sunflower seed oil, wild pansy, chamomile and calendula to perk up tired skin and undernourished complexions.

The texture is a very rich cream so use it sparingly and if you’re using it on the face you must gently pat it on so you don’t drag the skin.  Elsewhere on the body you smooth it over until absorbed.  I use it on hands, cuticles, feet, elbows and patches of dry skin.

Makeup Artist Lucinda Burt suggests this top tip:  apply a small amount of Weleda Skin Food to the back of your hand, take a brush stroke of your favourite powder blush and gently buff into the moisturiser. Apply with soft stokes to the apples of your cheeks for a gorgeous glowing barely-there flush effect.

Give this little green tube of delights a try if you want a nice skin treat!

Here comes Summer

I thought today I would show you some new products that I’ve seen whilst out and about that might be of interest:

From Mac’s new 'Quite Cute' collection is Mischievous Mint £9.  What a great spring/summer colour!  It's already sold out on the website so if you want a bottle you need to head down to your local Mac Cosmetics store fast.

I was walking past Liberty's the other day and saw Kiehl’s Ultra Light Daily Moisturiser spf 50 £26 in the window.  I used a Kiehl's moisturiser years ago and really liked it.  This new one is oil free and safe for sensitive skin as well as having spf 50.

Boots 17 Nail Extras Crackle Top Coat £3.99 is a nail varnish that goes on top of your polish and gives a crackled finish nail effect.  How cool does that look!

And here's something coming very soon - Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Collection 2011.  I've loved the Bronze Goddess Collection ever since it started.  The products are always beautifully designed with great colours and the fragrances are divine.  How delicious does this look!  It’s not out yet but you can send your email address and they’ll notify you when it comes into the stores.  This one will definitely sell out fast.

Has anyone already tried any of these?

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Cream

I don’t really like facial suncreams, they’re too greasy, smelly and make my eyes water!  However, when I came across La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Cream £13.28 I was very impressed.  La Roche-Posay is a French brand that now sells in Boots (doesn’t Boots have great products now).  According to their website it is the dermatologists brand of choice recommended by 25,000 dermatologists worldwide – wow!  It contains Thermal Spa Water which is an active ingredient sourced from a spring in the centre of France and is rich in anti-oxidant Selenium.  

That all sounds pretty good stuff but what I can tell you about it is that is glides onto the skin, sinks in without being greasy and it’s tinted.  I use it as a tinted moisturiser on my face, neck and décolletage and it looks nice, not at all like a sun cream.  It’s also water resistant and protects against both UVA and UVB rays which is what you need in a sun cream.  It costs a little more than other facial sun creams but I believe it's worth it.

Eyeliner for Red Heads

Red head beauty Isla Fisher

Can you please give me some eyeliner tips for a pale redhead with brown eyes?  Black pencil looks too harsh so I generally I use a brown eyeshadow to line my eyes but it wears off within a couple of hours!    Bec Greenwood 

First of all, to stop your eyeliner disappearing you need to prime your eyelids with some concealer or foundation and then some powder.  This will keep everything in place and stop the natural oils in your skin interacting with the eyeliner and making it disappear.

Eyeshadow does not have as much staying power as a pencil or gel eyeliner so use one of those instead.  The best way to use a pencil is not draw a straight line, which is too difficult, but to make small dots or dashes across the eyelid and then to join them up.  The idea is to make sure no skin shows between the line and the lash roots.  You can always smudge the line with a cotton bud if it’s not straight and this creates a softer look (lots of pencils now have a smudger at the other end).  

Have you tried any waterproof eye pencils?  They are great and definitely stay the course. Gel eyeliner is the one that will stay on all day and just needs a couple of practices with a good brush.  The best ones are by Mac, Bobbi Brown and Maybelline.

Have you ever thought about a navy blue or purple eyeliner?  These would look great with your colouring and are a change from brown.  Mac do a lovely blue eyeliner called Blooz and Bourjois do a lovely purple one which has a brush at the other end for smudging.  You could also try drawing inside the waterline - this looks really nice and gives great definition to the eye. 

I would give liquid liner a miss, even I have trouble with this sometimes!

Sunday Commandments

Thou shalt exfoliate

Now that summer is on it’s way (hoorah) it’s time to get some skin on show.  If your skin is looking a little tired and flaky get out the exfoliation treatments.  Whether it’s a dry skin brush, an exfoliating scrub, home-made olive oil with sea salt or Boots exfoliating gloves £2.66, it’s all good and your skin will be thankful for it.

And remember, apply lots of moisturiser after!

Saturday Suggestions

Don't shake it like a Polaroid picture

With your nail varnishes don’t shake the bottle like you’re preparing a cocktail as it can cause tiny air bubbles to form.  Instead, roll it back and forth between your palms and this will mix it up nicely.

MAN FRIDAY

What is the best non-greasy moisturiser for dry yet oily skin? I currently use the Simple For Men range but it’s not working for me.   

Tom

Your skin would probably be described as dry with an oily T-zone.  As you have dry skin, you need to make sure that those dry areas are properly moisturised but also follow the rules for oily skin on your T-zone (forehead, nose and chin).  So what this means is that your moisturiser should go only on the dry areas of your face - your cheeks, neck and areas of your face that feel dry, and where you get the oily parts either don’t moisturise or moisturise very sparingly, that way those areas won’t feel greasy.

Simple For Men products won’t harm even sensitive skin but their ingredients are not as active as I think you need.  There are some fantastic, natural products for men that contain active ingredients to help heal dry skin without being greasy.

Here are some moisturisers that I think will do the trick:

Bulldog Original Moisturiser £6.12 

Botanics Men's Normal/Dry Intensive Moisturiser £5.60 

Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream £22

Also remember to drink lots of water, it’s great for the skin. 

Umberto Giannini Backcomb in a Bottle

I’m always trying to give my hair a bit of a jujj (technical term!) at the back and I often backcomb on a night out.  When I saw Umberto Giannini Backcomb in a Bottle £5.61 I thought “Oooh that’ll save some time”.  

I bought this when it first came out end of last year but have only just started using it. The packaging is really nice but there is a double lid which I find a bit pointless. The instructions on the back are quite vague and some people have used it on damp hair with good results, I use it on dry hair (but am going to try it on damp).

It has mixed reviews on the Boots website, some say it’s fantastic and others not.  I actually really like it and prefer using it to hair spray as it doesn’t have that crunchy effect but I wouldn’t say it’s amazing. I now do a bit of backcombing after applying and this helps.

I think for some people this would be a great addition to their hair routine and for some not - it probably depends on your hair type.  If you have greasy roots I don’t think it would be as effective as the classic comb and hairspray combination.

Has anybody else tried it?

Perricone

Is the skincare range Perricone, which has been so hyped on QVC, really worth the price tag?  Kathryn 

Perricone is an award winning range created by Dermatologist Dr Perricone.  He also advocates a healthy diet and supplements to take along with the range. The cost of Perricone is high and is aimed at women who want to spend a lot on their skincare. The great thing about buying it from QVC is that if you are not 100% satisfied with your products they will issue a refund.  I would say that only if you can afford it and you’ve done your research give it a try.  (I have never used the range so can’t comment on its effectiveness.)

However, if you wanted to try a range that gets good results without the high price tag, I would recommend both the Dermalogica & Liz Earle ranges which I have used and are both excellent.

The best things you can do for your skin are:  wear a daily moisturiser and eye cream with minimum spf 15, don’t smoke, eat well, don’t sunbathe and cleanse twice a day.  Boring but true!

Miraculous Moroccan Oil

Product review by Sophie, Manchester

I have thick, curly hair which is dry and coarse due to the fact that I have it highlighted regularly with bleach.  I was recently given a gift bag containing Moroccan Oil and it has quite literally changed my life!

The first time I used it I thought “Oh that smells nice” and presumed it would be just another product to add to my dusty bottle shelf - how wrong I was!

It’s an oil treatment designed for all hair types.  After shampooing you apply a very small amount to damp hair and work it through to the ends.  Once my hair had dried naturally it was much bouncier and the curls seemed softer and more defined.  I would describe it as brilliant.

I now use Moroccan oil every time I wash my hair and couldn’t be without it, so you can imagine my excitement when my Mum announced she was going to Morocco!  However, she couldn’t find it anywhere so I looked on the bottle and it’s actually from the U.S.  Moroccan Oil is another name for Argan Oil which is made from the kernals of the Argan Tree Fruit that grow almost exclusively in Morocco.  Ah, so that’s where the name comes from.

If your hair is in need of some tender loving care give it a try, you will love it!

http://www.moroccanoil.com/

Beautiful Brown Eyes

What eyeshadow colour works with brown eyes?  I've always wanted to wear blue eye makeup and want to know if it will look good?  I'm bored of sticking to brown shades!

Lynn

Oh you are so lucky - having brown eyes means you can wear most colour eyeshadows and they will suit you. Think Jennifer Lopez and all the colours she wears on her eyes.  

If you want to really make your eyes pop wear colours that are cool tones i.e. silver, blues, greys as these are the opposite to your warm tone brown eyes.  Also try some coloured eyeliners in those same cool tones.  You could also experiment with some bright greens, aqua blues and violets for summertime.  If you have paler skin make sure the tones are lighter and if you have darker skin you can go for deeper tones.

You can still use your brown shades to add smokiness or in the creaseline for depth.  Go experiment!

Sunday Commandments

Thou shalt not draw a line

Do not use your lipliner to draw a line round your mouth,  when your lipstick wears off you’ll end up with the line left and it looks really odd. The best way to use it is to fill in your lips with the pencil and this will provide an anchor for your lipstick.

Saturday Suggestions

Curl those babies

The perfect way to open up your eyes is to curl your lashes - it makes a big difference.   Shu Uemera £20 make the best ones but lots of companies do them now and you can find them in Boots.  Beware - it's addictive so don't curl them everyday as it can weaken the lashes, save it for the weekend!

MAN FRIDAY

I have to chair a lot of meetings at work and notice that I quite often get a shiny face which makes me self-conscious – what can you recommend?

Russell, Chingford

Men’s skin is often oilier than women’s and can therefore get shiny as the day goes on; this is fine for day-to-day but if you are chairing a meeting it can make you look nervous instead of calm and self-assured.

What you need to do is mattify your skin and this can be done very easily.  I would recommend the following product - Boots Skin Clear Oil Free Mattifying Lotion £3.05.  It works to provide an instant matte complexion, reduce shine and remove excess oil.  Just apply to the shiny areas of your face – usually forehead, nose and chin, and you’ll be cool and calm looking throughout the day.

p.s.  This is not an April Fool's joke!