Beauty | UK Lifestyle Blog

Feeling Fresh: Wedding Season Might Be Dying Down, But Party Season Is Just Starting

There’s always a great to celebrate; summer is still in full swing, and the wedding invites will have been plentiful for some. Even though autumn is afoot (don’t worry, there’s still sunshine left), there is always a party, celebration, or shindig to enjoy, and you’ll want to feel just as fresh and confident for each event you’re planning to attend.

There’ll be autumn weddings too, not to mention birthday bashes, Halloween and bonfire get-togethers, and dare we mention the festive party season? No? Okay, too soon. However, there’s no harm in thinking about all the fun stuff you’ll have coming up, and preparing a little beforehand so that you can feel your best in every single Instagram shot (alright then, most of them).

The following are some ideas, inspiration and advice for those who want to look and feel their very best for each event they have on their upcoming calendar, and even for the ones they haven’t RSVP’d to yet.

Make up and nails

When it comes to doing your own makeup for an occasion or party, make sure you have several practice runs in the evenings, or the weekend before the event. You might need to brush up on your eyelash application or get that contouring technique perfected, so it’s worth remembering that practice makes perfect!

Take a look on YouTube and Pinterest for some inspiration and tutorials on formal makeup looks, and test out what’s going to suit your skin tone, hair, and outfit choice. You’ll want to turn up to the wedding venue or rooftop bar feeling your very best, and if you’re not feeling your face; you won’t be able to get into the swing of things with confidence.

Try and work out how long the makeup will take you to do beforehand, and give yourself some extra time, in case you need to correct anything or fix a smudge (it’s bound to happen).

For some tips on achieving a flawless makeup look, you can always head towards a friendly face at a cosmetics counter in-store. It’s also the ideal excuse to splurge on that CC cream or liquid lipstick you’ve had your eyes on. You can ensure the condition of your nails by using a cuticle oil on a regular basis before you come to paint them or visit someone for a manicure.

When it comes to your nail polish choice; your options really come down to a neutral, nude shade, or a pop of colour, that will stand out on your fingernails and toes. Classic berry tones and reds suit every skin tone, and will go with a huge variety of colours, ensuring your nails wouldn’t clash with your clothing; but, instead, would complement it.

If you’re unsure and wary of looking too busy; pick a taupe or a pale pink shade, which will definitely go with your outfit, whatever the colour. Or, use your nails as a canvas to have some fun; nail art and mirroring techniques can be beautiful, but, if you’re not trained, these are best left to the professionals, so book yourself in the week beforehand.

Hair and skin

Whatever your hair type might be; you want it looking the best it can on your big night out, day of dancing, or whatever celebration it is that you’re heading towards (even if that is the fact it’s a Friday, and the weekend is here). On the run up to the event, make sure you take some time to indulge in a hair mask or two, so you know your hair is as strong and conditioned as possible.

It’s important to nourish your hair before any styling, straightening, or curling, as most of these techniques require the use of direct heat to your hair, along with products and sprays that you’re not used to. Figure out if you’re going to use a professional stylist at a hair salon, or if you’re confident enough to execute the hairstyle of your choice yourself.

If you’re going with the salon option, make sure you’re booked in as soon as you’ve RSVP’d to the invite. Give yourself enough time to get dressed and apply your make up after the stylist (whether it’s you, or somebody else) has worked their magic. If you choose to get your hair done in the morning, ensure your style is locked in with enough spray, and it will see you through until you get in the Uber to go home.

It’s always a treat to pamper your skin, but in the days leading up to the event; make sure you moisturise each day after your bath or shower. If you plan to apply a fake tanning product, it’s key that your skin is hydrated, particularly around your knees, elbows, and heels. Fake tan a couple of evenings before; so it looks as natural as possible, and there’s time to fix any potential mistakes.

If you don’t feel the need to change the shade of your skin in any way, ensure it’s looking as bright, soft and glowing as possible. Applying specialist foot cream to your feet and toes, and popping some cotton socks on them, before bed each night will ensure they are soft and open-toe-shoes ready. The morning of the event is a great time to use a body scrub, to get rid of any dry areas of skin, and pop your body cream, butter, or souffle of choice on from head to toe.

Glad rags

Just because you’re heading out to a formal event or an invite-only bash, doesn’t mean you have to feel completely uncomfortable, or unlike yourself. You can rock an outfit that fits both the occasion and your personal style; so bear that in mind when you head onto ASOS to do your shopping. Thinking about the best colour palette for your hair and skin tone is a wise place to start; you might think you’ve found the outfit of your dreams, only to find the colour makes you look washed out and unwell. Order a few things; that’s the beauty of free returns! Feeling your best self will ensure that you’ll have a great time, no matter what the occasion.

Sam Charles 2018-08-30T13:27:58+00:00 August 30, 2018|Beauty|

Useful tips on how to care for damaged hair

It’s amazing what you put your hair through. From the blow dryers to the flat irons, you literally cook your hair at least every other day. It’s no wonder we complain our hair is flat and lifeless. 😭😭😭😭😭

Are you tired of dealing with dull, tired or frizzy hair? If so, then consider the practices that have brought you to where you are, and what you can change in your routine in order to eliminate as much damage as possible, and learn to care for damage hair.

But is my hair even damaged?

Damaged hair is usually rough to the touch. Its condition is dry and brittle, and not at all what you have been working for.

Chemical processing is one of the worst things you can do to your hair, whether it’s a permanent dye job or chemical straightening procedure (we’re all guilty of it!). It’s surprising to also realise that frequent shampooing can weaken your hair. Regularly using heated tools and the styling aids can really damage your hair, too. Even too much sun is harmful to your hair, not to mention what’s in the water that you wash and swim in. It seems impossible to win.

The older I get, the more I’m concerned with looking after my hair, skin and nails. We’ve recently been working in front of cameras with a professional production crew, and we’re getting married next year, so I obviously want to look as fresh and healthy as I can. It takes time and effort and, sometimes, a bit of radical action, but getting your hair back to a healthy place is well worth the sacrifice.

Although I’ve done a little bit of damage to my hair, it’s not all doom and gloom and it can be fixed.

Give your hair a break

Begin by giving your hair time off. On the days you can get by with not washing and styling it, by all means, do so. When it is necessary, wash gently with a protein rich shampoo and conditioner and allow it to dry naturally. I’m lucky that I work from home because I’m not always in a rush to dry my hair. I try to let my hair dry naturally as much as possible, and I prefer to do it in the evenings, allowing it to dry naturally before I go to head.

No matter the texture of your hair, learn to towel blot as much as possible. Do not wring it out with a towel as this contributes to breakage, believe me! I find that using a wide tooth comb make my hair beautifully soft when it does eventually dry. It was difficult for me to ban all brushes from my wet mane, but I knew it was the right thing to do to ensure the best possible condition for my hair.

Take a look at your routine

Is it time to change it to a more protein enriched treatment? I realised I’d been using the same conditioner for years, and when I was at a friends house I used her conditioner and decided to switch.

The best budget friendly conditioners click here.

My hair feels SO much better. I’ve started to do a deep conditioning treatment once a week, too. Be certain you are rinsing well as conditioner can build layers on your hair and cause it to become coated and dull.

I always have scalding hot showers, but I was told this is super bad for your hair, stripping it from all it’s natural oils. My hairdresser said to rinse in warm water, and blast your hair with a cool rinse to help seal in moisture once you are certain that your hair is free of any products.

Avoid sun damage

If you feel that the outside elements are really adding to your damage, you may want to consider some cute hats or scarves. There are so many adorable, floppy summer hats, and I can’t wait to dig my Finisterre beanie back out this autumn. Look good and protect your hair, easy peasy!

**Psst!** Is anybody else using Turkish towels? Loving them rn 👇

If hats and scarves are not your thing, you can purchase a leave in conditioner or protective spray to combat the sun’s damage. Personally, I find these build up and get quite clumpy in my hair, so I prefer a shopping spree to buy new headwear instead of putting more products in my locks. Each to their own!

Seek professional advice

Every 6 months my hairdresser trims an inch off the tips of my hair. Initially, I hated this. I always wanted to grow my hair longer, so it felt like a step backwards every time we took the scissors to it! Now my mane reached the bottom of my back, so I don’t mind losing a couple inches but actually, it does make my hair healthy, thus grow faster. Don’t fight with your hairdresser on this, they know what they’re doing.

If you feel like you’ve tried everything and your hair isn’t as full as you’d like it to be, you can always have a consultation for naturals hair extensions or consider getting a hair transplant from companies like Hair-Transplant-Turkey.org. This is a sure-fire way to get gorgeous, thick, healthy looking hair quickly, shaving years off your age!

Sam Charles 2018-08-22T18:36:42+00:00 August 22, 2018|Beauty|

5 Tips To Healthy Looking Skin (When You Think You’ve Tried Everything!)

One morning I’ll looking in the mirror and think “Hey, my skin isn’t that bad actually!”, then a couple of days later I’ll look like a crater face. I don’t know if it’s just the mirrors in my house or if it really changes that dramatically – what can be making such a difference to my skin on a daily basis!?

It turns out, if you want glowing looking skin then it’s a full-time job of *SPOILER ALERT* eating well, sleeping enough and being careful with what you put on your face. That’s okay though, it’s a full-time job I’m willing to commit to for gorgeous looking skin (and hopefully less wrinkles in the future!).

Want to know how to keep your skin looking healthy, too – then here are a few ideas to help you:

Get your beauty sleep

We don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing and having enough sleep is crucial to achieving healthy looking skin. Your body repairs itself and recovers whilst you sleep, which makes getting enough sleep essential to good-looking skin and you should be aiming for around 8 hours sleep a night.

A good night’s sleep will help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, reduce puffiness around your eyes and give you a glowing complexion, due to the increased blood flow to your skin whilst you are sleeping. Being sleep deprived can lead to higher levels of stress hormones, which in turn causes less healthy looking skin, including an increase in inflammation of the skin. Moreover, if you have any existing skin conditions, a lack of sleep is likely to make them worse.

If you do have difficulty getting a good night’s sleep, there is a lot of advice available to help you, including some helpful tips on the NHS website. In a nutshell, do keep regular sleeping times if you possibly can, do wind down before you go to bed by reading a good book, listening to relaxing music or having a warm bath for instance.

Ban gadgets and anything with a screen from your bedroom, and do your best to keep your bedroom, dark, tidy and quiet, to give you the maximum chance of feeling calm and relaxed. All of these steps will help you to have a good night’s sleep and boost the appearance of your skin.

Remember to stay hydrated

To keep your skin looking good, it’s important to keep hydrated, and it’s best to do this from the inside out, so ensure you are drinking enough water. If you have a penchant for caffeine-filled drink, you’ll need to drink extra water, but as an alternative to caffeine-rich drinks try drinking warm water with a slice of lemon.

Keeping yourself well hydrated will enhance your skin’s moisture and help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can also aid the hydration of your skin during the day using a spritzer or boost moisture levels a couple of times a week by using a face mask.

I’m loving this wild raspberry and white tea body mousse from Nivea. It’s so creamy! 😍

Feed your body healthy food

Your diet is a key factor in keeping your skin looking healthy; it’s true that you are what you eat. It’s important that you eat a diet that includes a high proportion of fresh fruit and veg, and eat as broad a range of them as possible. The rainbow analogy is really helpful here – so mix them up and eat as many different fruit and vegetables as you can. That being said, there are few examples that are particularly helpful when it comes to healthy-looking skin, first up the humble carrot.

Carrots are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps to repair skin tissue and protects you against harm from the sun’s rays. Next up, Spinach, packed full of vitamins and minerals, this is a veg that has anti-aging and skin repair properties. What’s more, it’s full of water so will help with hydration too. Also, look to eat lots of strawberries and other summer berries, as these are packed full of vitamin C and anti-oxidants, helping to boost the look and health of your skin.

Eating fish is also beneficial to your health, including your skin, so aim to have two servings of oily fish such as mackerel. Seafood tends to contain essential fatty acids and selenium, which will all help to boost the appearance and elasticity of your skin.

Protect yourself from the sun

Exposure to the sun ages your skin and could cause you health problems, so cover up in hot weather. Wear light, breathable fabrics to keep your skin cool and comfortable, and protect your face by wearing a sun hat and sunglasses. Also, ensure you apply a high SPF sunscreen on any exposed skin. Remember, you need to reapply your skin protection at regular intervals throughout the day, aim to reapply it every two hours. If you can stay out of the midday sun, then do.

Treat your skin with care

It’s important to have a good cleansing and skincare routine if you want to keep your skin looking healthy. Some cleansers can be harsh and leave your skin looking and feeling dryer, so look out for one that is moisturising.

Regularly exfoliating your skin is important too, as it will help you to get rid of the sweat, grease and debris on your skin and allow the moisture in. Once you’ve cleansed your skin, apply a moisturiser quick sharp, to stop your skin drying out. In addition, use a mineral foundation as a part of your daily skincare routine to give your skin a flawless look and improve your complexion over time.

So there you have out five essential steps to achieving healthy looking skin, from what you put into your body to what you put on it as part of your skincare routine and getting a good night’s sleep.

Sam Charles 2018-07-17T17:24:32+00:00 July 17, 2018|Beauty|

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