Ok next are my skin care and general beauty heroes. I'm a (half) qualified beauty therapist so I know a bit about skin care routines and looking after yourself.
Facial skincare:
Always cleanse, tone and moisturise, morning and evening. And use products which SUIT your skintype. I have oily skin and since I've been doing this, my spots have cleared up, if I miss out a step, they start returning so there you have it, tried and tested. Oh and use a moisturiser for your face on your face, DON'T put body moisturisers on your face, they are too heavy and have more perfume in so will irritate your skin.
2-3 times a week exfoliate, again with a gentle one specifically for the face. Also, once a week, use an intensive masque treatment that suits your skin type.
My favourite products are (bear in mind I have oily skin):
Spa Siam green tea cleanser: hard to get hold of but AMAZING, it cleared my skin up superbly.
Spa Siam Rice Clay masque
Dead Sea Spa Magik Mud masque: great for a deep cleanse
St Ives apricot scrub
Finders toner for problem skin (and also the cleanser): can overdry skin if used too much, this is good if you need to clear up skin in a hurry!
Dead Sea Spa Magik spot treatment gel: The best thing I've found for clearing spots quickly
Body care:
Exfoliate twice and week and moisturise EVERYDAY. It actually cons you into thinking your slimmer, no joke...
I love
Soap and Glory Flake away scub: leaves skin smooth, soft and glowing
Virgin Vie Go hawaii moisturiser: contains tiny gold flecks for subtle shimmer and smells gorgeous
Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula: A must have, great all round moisturiser.
Soap and Glory Firminator: Smooths and tightens skin instantly, brilliant.
L'occitane cherry blossom hand cream: smells yummy and looks pretty.
L'oreal Nutrisummer: the best everyday tanning moisturiser I've found. Always buy medium/dark for quicker colour! St Tropez everyday is also good and comes out the best colour but build up of colour is a bit too gradual.
Fake Bake Airbrush is the best instant fake tan and washes off to a lovely natural colour.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Sunday, 8 February 2009
My Hair Heroes
Now moving on to my obsession: hair products. I absolutely HOARD them and I have no idea why, they seem to be my weakness so this is a post I shall relish.
Shampoo/Conditioner: I LOVE Redken Glam Blonde, but obviously if you're not blonde it won't have quite the same effect...but if you are, its well worth purchasing. It keeps blondes super bright! Also high on my list is Tigi Fashionista and Tigi Oatmeal and Honey. For a bit less money, Lee Stafford Shine Head is the best shine-infusing shampoo/conditioner I've found. Also any Aussie products are worth using.
Intensive conditioner: Look no further than Aussie Three Minute Miracle. Its brilliant and cheap, best to get it in sachets, I think.
Specialist treatments: Can't say I've tried an awful lot of these but I do like Molton Brown Hair Oil as a lovely treat. Don't ever substitute this for Olive Oil no matter what the beauty books tell you, you will NEVER get the stupid stuff out. Well you will, but only after several thorough washes.
Styling Products:
Tigi S-Factor leave in conditioner is excellent for getting out tangles. And I should know...my hair is a joke when its wet.
Tigi S-Factor Heat Defence Spray is the best I've used. makes hair lovely and shiny as well as protecting it. For low budget, try Tre-Semme.
Frizz Ease Serum is very very good. I also like Redken Glam Blonde Crystal Flash as a treat.
Tigi Superstar volumising liquid is super for creating bed hair, just scrunch in and it won't budge until you wash it.
I hear from my boyfriend that Tigi Enviroshape hairspray is 'perfect'
Lee Stafford shine spray and de-humidifier are the best finishing products I've found. Also Tigi Camera Ready makes hair smell yummy.
Hope this is of some use. I know I have included a lot of Tigi but I have tried many, many Tigi products and they definately aren't all as good as they claim to be. However, I've so far found the S-factor range to be superb, if a little pricey.
Shampoo/Conditioner: I LOVE Redken Glam Blonde, but obviously if you're not blonde it won't have quite the same effect...but if you are, its well worth purchasing. It keeps blondes super bright! Also high on my list is Tigi Fashionista and Tigi Oatmeal and Honey. For a bit less money, Lee Stafford Shine Head is the best shine-infusing shampoo/conditioner I've found. Also any Aussie products are worth using.
Intensive conditioner: Look no further than Aussie Three Minute Miracle. Its brilliant and cheap, best to get it in sachets, I think.
Specialist treatments: Can't say I've tried an awful lot of these but I do like Molton Brown Hair Oil as a lovely treat. Don't ever substitute this for Olive Oil no matter what the beauty books tell you, you will NEVER get the stupid stuff out. Well you will, but only after several thorough washes.
Styling Products:
Tigi S-Factor leave in conditioner is excellent for getting out tangles. And I should know...my hair is a joke when its wet.
Tigi S-Factor Heat Defence Spray is the best I've used. makes hair lovely and shiny as well as protecting it. For low budget, try Tre-Semme.
Frizz Ease Serum is very very good. I also like Redken Glam Blonde Crystal Flash as a treat.
Tigi Superstar volumising liquid is super for creating bed hair, just scrunch in and it won't budge until you wash it.
I hear from my boyfriend that Tigi Enviroshape hairspray is 'perfect'
Lee Stafford shine spray and de-humidifier are the best finishing products I've found. Also Tigi Camera Ready makes hair smell yummy.
Hope this is of some use. I know I have included a lot of Tigi but I have tried many, many Tigi products and they definately aren't all as good as they claim to be. However, I've so far found the S-factor range to be superb, if a little pricey.
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
My Make-Up Heroes
After my last (very long) rant I think its time for something more light hearted, so here are my all time favourite make up products. They're all well tried and tested so trust me on these ones...
Mascara: Without a doubt, Max Factor Masterpiece Max and now the false lash effect. You have to wear them in but once you've used it a few times there is no mascara that makes lashes blacker and more voluminous. For super long, blacker than black lashes try Lancome Virtuose, expensive but well worth it.
Eyeshadow: They may be hard to come by but Inglot make the best eyeshadows. They come out the colour they look once you've layered them and have lovely soft, blendable textures. Other favourites are Barry M Dazzle Dust and Virgin Vie do pretty good eye shadows too.
Eyeliner: This is something which I don't feel needs to have a lot of money or consideration spent on it. I like L'oreal, but thats just my preference. Always get a felt-tip style liquid liner, they are super easy to use!
Primer: I haven't tried many of these but I'm impressed by Benefit's That Gal pink primer. Also, Max Factor Shimmer Foundation gives the skin a lovely glow. I wear it under my foundation for a night out.
Foundation: This is something worth splashing out on. Unfortunately, I'm yet to try a mineral foundation so I can't recommend one. However, Mac Studio Fix is super for coverage and Benefit playstix are great, especially if you don't want to cover your whole face. Also Virgie Vie One Step Face Base gives excellent coverage but wouldn't be good for dry skin.
Concealer: I like these in stick form, I don't think liquid gives enough colour. Again you can get a decent one pretty cheap, I like Rimmel and Maybelline.
Powder: Pressed is less messy so I'd go for that. I haven't tried many, but I'm very happy with my Rimmel translucent pressed powder. I like to use Virgin Vie One Step Face Base for extra coverage on a night out. Also, use it on eyes and shadow will never crease!
Lipstick: I'm not a great advocate of lipstick, I don't think it suits young people so I use lots of gloss! Max Factor Silk Gloss has the best texture. I do however really like Clinique Almost Lipstick as it gives a hint of colour and feels like a balm.
Blusher: I'm yet to find a blusher I like best but colour wise, Boots No7 do a gorgeous bright coral colour.
Bronzer: For its bargain price, Boots Natural Collection do two good bronzers. However, Clinique Shimmer Bricks give a gorgeous soft glow to skin and are worth paying for.
Nailvarnish: OPI do the best colours but I'm not sure about their staying power.
Hilighter: Benefit Moonbeam is the most flattering colour I've found. I also like to use the lightest shade from my Clinque shimmer brick.
I hope this has been useful! If there's anything I've forgotten to mention I'll put it in my next post. Watch this space for my favourite beauty and hair products.
Mascara: Without a doubt, Max Factor Masterpiece Max and now the false lash effect. You have to wear them in but once you've used it a few times there is no mascara that makes lashes blacker and more voluminous. For super long, blacker than black lashes try Lancome Virtuose, expensive but well worth it.
Eyeshadow: They may be hard to come by but Inglot make the best eyeshadows. They come out the colour they look once you've layered them and have lovely soft, blendable textures. Other favourites are Barry M Dazzle Dust and Virgin Vie do pretty good eye shadows too.
Eyeliner: This is something which I don't feel needs to have a lot of money or consideration spent on it. I like L'oreal, but thats just my preference. Always get a felt-tip style liquid liner, they are super easy to use!
Primer: I haven't tried many of these but I'm impressed by Benefit's That Gal pink primer. Also, Max Factor Shimmer Foundation gives the skin a lovely glow. I wear it under my foundation for a night out.
Foundation: This is something worth splashing out on. Unfortunately, I'm yet to try a mineral foundation so I can't recommend one. However, Mac Studio Fix is super for coverage and Benefit playstix are great, especially if you don't want to cover your whole face. Also Virgie Vie One Step Face Base gives excellent coverage but wouldn't be good for dry skin.
Concealer: I like these in stick form, I don't think liquid gives enough colour. Again you can get a decent one pretty cheap, I like Rimmel and Maybelline.
Powder: Pressed is less messy so I'd go for that. I haven't tried many, but I'm very happy with my Rimmel translucent pressed powder. I like to use Virgin Vie One Step Face Base for extra coverage on a night out. Also, use it on eyes and shadow will never crease!
Lipstick: I'm not a great advocate of lipstick, I don't think it suits young people so I use lots of gloss! Max Factor Silk Gloss has the best texture. I do however really like Clinique Almost Lipstick as it gives a hint of colour and feels like a balm.
Blusher: I'm yet to find a blusher I like best but colour wise, Boots No7 do a gorgeous bright coral colour.
Bronzer: For its bargain price, Boots Natural Collection do two good bronzers. However, Clinique Shimmer Bricks give a gorgeous soft glow to skin and are worth paying for.
Nailvarnish: OPI do the best colours but I'm not sure about their staying power.
Hilighter: Benefit Moonbeam is the most flattering colour I've found. I also like to use the lightest shade from my Clinque shimmer brick.
I hope this has been useful! If there's anything I've forgotten to mention I'll put it in my next post. Watch this space for my favourite beauty and hair products.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Beauty brainwashing
Ok, so the title sounds a little insulting, I realise that, but read on and you'll see what it is I actually mean.
The idea for this blog came from watching the new E4 series, 90210. Whilst I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but notice two things:
1. The mums are somewhere in the region of maybe...5 years older than the 'children'.
2. The supposed 'children' are all well into the realms of scarily thin.
So, with regards to my first point...I know this is no new thing, it was blatantly obvious in the O.C and One Tree Hill, in fact in any popular American teen T.V series. I realise that no-one really wants to watch a programme full of people who, heaven forbid, actually look the 40 something they're supposed to be. That would take away the aspirational qualities of the show. However, when old grandma graced the screen with her presence, I couldn't quite believe that even she only looked about 50, minimum. And that's 50 with plenty of plastic surgery. Surely no-one would mind a grandma who looks 65, atleast? Grandmas are supposed to be old.
Before anyone takes me up on this, I do realise that this particular grandma is meant to look quite beautiful and be a strong presence, so I'm not saying let's replace her with a sweet old lady. However, going back in time a little to Gilmore Girls, Loreli's grandmother is a fiery presence and she still looks like a grandma, granted not a great grandma, but a grandma atleast. Are we really that fixated on beauty and perfection nowadays, that even a grandma who looks like a grandma isn't acceptable in a programme like this?
My second point follows on from this. Why do we need to have ridiculously thin people on screen to aspire to or just to make us plain miserable everytime we so much as even think of a chocolate bar? Unfortunately we are living in a society where we are fed beauty ideals and because these unaturally thin people are always on the T.V, in films, in magazines, there is no escape and we are brainwashed into believing thin is beautiful.
But this isn't just a rant about thin people, oh no. Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing about all these 'real women'. The people we see on screen are under immense pressure to look the way they do and just because they are thin, does not make them any less of a woman. How do you think they feel hearing that? Because society is jealous of these people, we victimise and isolate them from normality. Gok Wan parading his 'real women' doesn't improve the problem, it only increases the divide between 'real' and thin with no happy medium it seems. Its not OK to be ridiculously underweight but don't forget we also have a tremendous obesity problem. Telling overweight women its ok because they're 'real' might help them feel better mentally, but its not going to make them any healthier. I am a UK size 6-8 and am most certainly not underweight but I feel left out of this 'real women' group and I don't fit in with the thinnies either. It would be nice to see some bigger girls on 90210, but I'm only talking as far as size 8-10. I don't expect larger people to be on programmes like this, but to see some other people like me would be just awesome.
The idea for this blog came from watching the new E4 series, 90210. Whilst I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but notice two things:
1. The mums are somewhere in the region of maybe...5 years older than the 'children'.
2. The supposed 'children' are all well into the realms of scarily thin.
So, with regards to my first point...I know this is no new thing, it was blatantly obvious in the O.C and One Tree Hill, in fact in any popular American teen T.V series. I realise that no-one really wants to watch a programme full of people who, heaven forbid, actually look the 40 something they're supposed to be. That would take away the aspirational qualities of the show. However, when old grandma graced the screen with her presence, I couldn't quite believe that even she only looked about 50, minimum. And that's 50 with plenty of plastic surgery. Surely no-one would mind a grandma who looks 65, atleast? Grandmas are supposed to be old.
Before anyone takes me up on this, I do realise that this particular grandma is meant to look quite beautiful and be a strong presence, so I'm not saying let's replace her with a sweet old lady. However, going back in time a little to Gilmore Girls, Loreli's grandmother is a fiery presence and she still looks like a grandma, granted not a great grandma, but a grandma atleast. Are we really that fixated on beauty and perfection nowadays, that even a grandma who looks like a grandma isn't acceptable in a programme like this?
My second point follows on from this. Why do we need to have ridiculously thin people on screen to aspire to or just to make us plain miserable everytime we so much as even think of a chocolate bar? Unfortunately we are living in a society where we are fed beauty ideals and because these unaturally thin people are always on the T.V, in films, in magazines, there is no escape and we are brainwashed into believing thin is beautiful.
But this isn't just a rant about thin people, oh no. Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing about all these 'real women'. The people we see on screen are under immense pressure to look the way they do and just because they are thin, does not make them any less of a woman. How do you think they feel hearing that? Because society is jealous of these people, we victimise and isolate them from normality. Gok Wan parading his 'real women' doesn't improve the problem, it only increases the divide between 'real' and thin with no happy medium it seems. Its not OK to be ridiculously underweight but don't forget we also have a tremendous obesity problem. Telling overweight women its ok because they're 'real' might help them feel better mentally, but its not going to make them any healthier. I am a UK size 6-8 and am most certainly not underweight but I feel left out of this 'real women' group and I don't fit in with the thinnies either. It would be nice to see some bigger girls on 90210, but I'm only talking as far as size 8-10. I don't expect larger people to be on programmes like this, but to see some other people like me would be just awesome.
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The definately too skinny girls of 90210