Category Archives: beauty

Beauty Advent Calendars from Chemist 4 U (and discount!)

01st November 2018
I’ve never actually had a beauty advent calendar before. I’ve been intrigued by them ever since they popped on to the scene a few years back, but I’ve never had the spare money to drop on one so have settled for chocolate each year instead (apart from last year when Bob bought me a Lego one, which was pretty much the greatest thing ever).

I was recently contacted by the team at Chemist 4 U who are stocking beauty advent calendars this year. They wanted to know if I would be interested in reviewing a couple, and of course, in the interest of research, I said yes.

I wasn’t really sure what the etiquette was on posting advent calendar reviews was- spoilers vs. no spoilers was my main concern. In the end I’ve opted for a no spoilers approach, but will share my thoughts on the contents below to help influence your decision making.

The first calendar I picked was the Morris & Co. Pamper Advent Calendar*. Chemist 4 U are selling this for £32.99 (it’s available on John Lewis for £40, just to give you an idea). This calendar contains 24 days of pampering treats which range from shower gels to bath salts, in a range of fragrances. I broke in to this calendar almost straight away as it smelt so good through the packaging! Since moving, I don’t have a bath so have passed on the bath salts and mini bath bombs the calendar contains, but the products I have tried have been lovely- although highly fragranced so approach with caution if you, or the recipient has sensitive skin.

Since Bob and I are now living together I thought it would be fun to get a his ‘n hers advent calendar which we could open together. The Ladies Fragrance Advent Calendar* and Men’s Fragrance Advent Calendar* cost a respectable £14.99 each, with an RRP of £49.99 each. Whilst you won’t find big name brands in these calendars, you still get 24 difference fragrances in perfect handbag (or pocket) sized bottles. I feel like perfume is a very personal thing so this isn’t going to bit a hit with everyone and some of the scents weren’t to our taste, but we found some hidden gems and the combined haul will keep us going, probably until next Christmas rocks around!

To celebrate this year’s stock of Advent Calendars the guys at Chemist 4 U are offering 20% off all calendar purchases. Simply add the code ADVENT20 when you check out and get even more of a bargain!

What’s the best advent calendar you’ve ever had?

Posted in beauty, christmas, gifts

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Tightening Your Skin Without Resorting to Surgery*

19th October 2018

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

When you look in the mirror and notice sagging skin, it can be an embarrassment; however, it is one you do not have to live with. In fact, if you catch your wrinkles or skin sags early enough surgery may not even be required. There are many other ways to tighten up your skin that should be considered first.

When You May Need Surgical Intervention
There are times when surgery for sagging skin is necessary, however, those times are not as frequent as you may think. If you have severely sagging skin; such as after losing a lot of weight or having a baby surgery may be a good option for you. Otherwise, there are probably other options you can take advantage of that cost less, take less time and come with fewer risks. A skincare professional can advise you regarding whether your skin is sagging severely enough to require surgical tightening.

Clearing Up Skin Wrinkles Using Laser Devices
When surgery is not required but you have moderately sagging skin, clinical intervention is still important as home treatments will not get rid of moderate wrinkles. One of the best clinical treatment types is laser therapy. Professionals have used cosmetic laser machines in clinics to treat many types of skin problems for decades.

Ablative laser machines are devices that are often used to perform procedures called laser peels. A laser peel can help you improve the appearance of your skin quickly by getting rid of undesirable materials on the surface of your skin. However, laser peel procedures cannot immediately get rid of deep wrinkles- they are best for treating mild surface concerns.

Non-ablative laser treatments are more likely to remove moderately deep wrinkles. However, they can take a lot of time to do so. This is because non-ablative laser procedures are predominantly designed to trigger the natural defence mechanisms in your body. One of those mechanisms is increased production of substances that support cellular health, including collagen; that collagen takes time to be produced and distributed properly so you may need several treatments and you will not see results for a while after treatment.

Tightening Sagging Skin with Sound Procedures
It may seem odd, but sound is another common tool in skincare circles. Certain sound frequencies can create cellular vibrations that promote healing. One such therapy is a monopolar radio frequency procedure. It is also known as Thermage therapy in the skincare industry. The Thermage treatment causes your skin cells to move towards each other, the result being widespread tightening of your skin.

Ultrasound procedures are also types of sound wave therapy that can reverse skin sags when they are mild or moderate. Ultrasound is similar to radio frequency treatment in some ways, but it usually treats deeper tissues. Additionally, it is a stronger treatment and can be slightly more uncomfortable than Thermage. However a topical anesthetic can be used to reduce any discomfort you may have.

Deciding Which Skin Tightening Option to Try
There are many factors you must consider when deciding which skin tightening option to try. The first two are the type of skin you have and the severity of your existing skin wrinkles at the time of treatment. You must also consider the costs of each treatment, including costs associated with requiring multiple appointments for some treatments. Additionally, you have to discuss your candidacy for any treatment you are considering with your skincare professional. He or she may tell you that you can’t have a certain treatment after assessing your skin. If so, an alternative may be suggested.

If you’ve had any kind of skin tightening treatments done it would be great to hear about your experiences in the comments.

Posted in beauty, healthy living, skincare

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Why Perfect Beauty Products Vary From One Person to the Next*

23rd July 2018
Over the years we try countless beauty products in pursuit of the perfect skin; some of them work better than expected, but others are nothing but a letdown despite what the reviews may say.
Companies spend a lot of money conducting beauty consumer research in an effort to test and perfect products- personal care consumer research firms enlist a variety of testers to try products before they hit the market. This research helps the company discover which beauty products consumers are most interested in using and what kind of results can be expected when a product is used by a variety of customers.
This last part is important because no two people are alike, many beauty products claim to be the best, but what’s best can differ from one person to the next, this post helps to explain why.
Skin Type

What skin type do you have? The answer to that question is the basis for many of the beauty products that will work best on your skin. It’s also the key to protecting your skin from the harsh elements.

There are two measurements for skin type, one relates to the quality of your skin and oil production while the other is based on sun sensitivity.

You’ve probably seen beauty products that are labeled for normal, oily, dry, combination or sensitive skin. This refers to what your skin looks and feels like (and just so you know, most people don’t fall into the normal category of perfectly balanced, clear skin- it should really be called abnormally lucky skin!)

Oily skin shines because sebaceous glands produce an overabundance of oil. This type of skin tends to be thick and may be plagued by large pores and blemishes. You’ll need to use a deep pore cleanser and mattifiers to minimize the appearance of pores. 

Dry skin is the result of limited oil production and lack of moisture. It causes the skin to look flaky and dull. People with dry skin are also more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers and skin glazing products are needed to correct dryness and give your face a healthy glow.
 
Combination skin is – you guessed it – a mix of oily and dry skin. Many people fall into this category. Typically, skin will be oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry in the cheek and eye areas. 

Sensitive skin is skin that reacts easily to external factors like beauty products, wind, and pollution. If you have sensitive skin you’ll have to steer clear of products with harsh ingredients, soaps, and fragrances.
 
There’s also something called the Fitzpatrick scale. It measures the amount of pigment in your skin and how it reacts to sun exposure. These factors combined help tell you your risk for skin cancer. 
There are six categories in the Fitzpatrick scale:

Skin Type 1 – ivory skin colour, freckled, always burns, never tans
Skin Type 2 – fair skin colour, usually freckled, often burns, rarely tans
Skin Type 3 – fair to beige skin colour, sometimes freckled, occasionally burns, sometimes tans
Skin Type 4 – olive to light brown skin colour, sometimes freckled, rarely burns, usually tans
Skin Type 5 – dark brown skin colour, rarely freckled, rarely burns, always tans
Skin Type 6 – black skin colour, never freckled, never burns, always tans

Skin Conditions

Skin conditions can be related to skin type, but they aren’t the same; they’re health conditions that affect skin quality and appearance. Rosacea is an example of a common skin condition that affects the types of beauty products that are used.

Lifestyle
Your DNA isn’t the only thing that impacts skin quality and issues. Lifestyle also plays a major role, for instance smoking, frequently swimming in pools and sunbathing drys out the skin. Eating certain foods can make your skin more oily. Water intake is another important factor that affects skin quality, healthy skin requires good hydration.

So, How Important Are Beauty Product Efficacy Ratings?
The research and efficacy ratings noted above can still prove useful despite the uniqueness of our skin. This is definitely true when a product is made to address a specific skin problem that you’re having or is made for your skin type. 
What’s most important is that you pay careful attention to how a beauty product is formulated, the ingredients that are used and the skin type of the testers. This will go a long way in telling you if the product is right for your skin.

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Posted in beauty, skincare

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Get your Glitter on with Essence!

29th May 2018
I do love a bit of glitter, I always have done- it’s so irresistibly messy and attention grabbing and it’s a standing joke that any one who is around me ends up covered in some form of sparkle.

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about the launch of a range of glitter pigments from Essence. No longer reserved purely for the festive season, these glitters are perfect for holidays, parties and festivals and are a hugely affordable way to update your existing look with minimal effort.

There are 8 glitters in the range, costing just £3 each as well as a glitter primer and applicator brush which also costs £3 per piece- this basically means you can get a whole wardrobe of glitter AND the accessories for £30 which represents amazing value.

I haven’t had a chance to test these out yet, as much as I love to sparkle I think that a full face of the shiny stuff for work would be a step too far, but I will be sharing my look on social media as soon as I get a chance.

These great value pots of joy are just one of several new and exciting products I’ve clocked from what remains my favourite budget brand. I’ve got my eye on the holographic lip colours, holo wow eye and face palette and nail products which I’ll be trying to obtain next time I’m at my local Wilko for some half price pick and mix!

Essence products are available nationwide from Wilko stores or online at wilko.com. Have I convinced you to check them out yet with my numerous rave reviews? If I have let me know which products you’re loving in the comments, as well as how you’ll be rocking your glitter this summer (I’m thinking a subtle sparkly eye would be perfect for holiday evenings.

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Posted in beauty, brands I love, fashion, make up, review

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Help your skin glow with key nutritional supplements *

30th January 2018

Gorgeous, glowing skin looks and feels fantastic — but how do we achieve it? Online and in-store you’ve probably spotted a variety of lotions that promise a youthful, effervescent appearance.

However, whether these truly work is up for debate- so could the answer to better skin, in fact, lie in nutrition?

Photo by Sarah Gray on Unsplash

Free radical damage
Certain supplements can help to keep our skin smooth and protected. However, a major cause of loss of skin firmness is free radicals — which are especially harmful when exposed to strong sunlight. There are 25 types of collagen in the body and, along with elastin, they give skin texture and structure. Free radical damage causes collagen and elastin to break down, which leads to wrinkles and skin losing its firmness.

So, what supplements are available to help us combat damage caused by free radicals? Antioxidants such as vitamin C and coenzyme Q10 can protect cells from the damaging effects of these toxic chemicals. Similarly, incorporating plenty of fruit and vegetables into our diets can help us naturally improve our vitamin C levels. However, it’s best if you ingest this raw, as the vitamin is damaged when cooked or processed.

Clearly, vitamin C is an important nutrient and essential to not only our skin’s health, but our general wellbeing. However, levels of vitamin C are reduced by factors such as smoking, alcohol and certain drugs like antidepressants and oral contraceptives — which is why many people find it beneficial to get enough of this vital nutrient via supplements. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 60mg/day or 120mg/day, if you’re a smoker.

How about other supplements that help tackle free radicals and promote good skin? Although we make coenzyme Q10 within our own bodies, our ability to do this drops from our mid-twenties. So, a good solution is to take coenzyme Q10 supplements. Coenzyme Q10 plays an important role in producing energy in our bodies and is also a powerful antioxidant. This means it protects the skin from free radical damage and promotes effective skin repair. Coenzyme Q10 has been proven to reduce the depth of fine lines and wrinkles over time.

Repairing skin with fatty acids
Many of us will have heard about omega 3, and potentially, even already take it. If so, you’re doing the right thing. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory, making it good for irritable, sore skin, and the richest source of omega 3 is from oily fish such as herring, salmon, tuna, and sardines. Many people choose to take an omega 3 fish oil supplement. Due to concerns about environmental pollution in fish, it is safest to choose a supplement that contains oil from the flesh of the fish, rather than the liver.

If you already take omega 3 regularly, how about considering the lesser-known omega 7? Omega 7 supplements can help with lubrication throughout the body, protecting the internal organs, as well as the linings of the eyes, mouth and skin. If you get a supplement featuring sea buckthorn oil, you can also benefit from one of the best natural oils for mature and wrinkled skin. This is due to its essential fatty acid and vitamin E, C and A properties. Omega 7 and sea buckthorn oil have nourishing, moisturising and restorative abilities, promoting tissue regeneration and reducing age-induced skin wrinkling and signs of premature ageing.

Blood flow
Since our blood carries all nutrients and oxygen to where they need to be in the body, it makes sense that we ensure our blood flow is the best it can be. Pycnogenol is a plant-based extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and can be taken as a supplement to improve blood circulation — thereby helping with skin hydration and vitality. Pycnogenol can also help to reduce wrinkles by binding with skin proteins collagen and elastin to protect from various harmful enzymes. It also rebuilds elasticity, which is essential for smooth, youthful skin, and is believed to reduce over-pigmentation for a more even complexion.

All of these supplements can help improve the health of your skin and how good you feel. Browse your options online.

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Posted in beauty, lifestyle

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