Winter Skin Saviours

When the decision to stay in alone with a mug of hot chocolate overrides going to the pub with the girls for a cider you know winter has set in. The best you can do is embrace the coldness like an old friend and take the opportunity to chill out and drink sh*t loads of hot chocolate - with added whipped cream. Now I know the media are trying to tell us November is the warmest it has been for years but I'm sorry it's still freaking freezing.

Although I do like the cold - when I'm fully prepared and wrapped up to every inch of my life - I don't like the effect it annually has on my already dry and sensitive skin. As a sufferer from Eczema, I have always been unfortunate in my skin in that it dries out really easily. A simple cold can leave Rudolph jealous of my gleaming beacon of a nose, and possibly not so jealous of the crusty bits that seem to take a lifetime to disappear.

As I became more aware in the correct way to look after your skin and treat it with the importance it deserves, I realised just how important it is to adapt your skincare regime to the climate around you. Going from a central heated office to the freezing outdoors is going to cause stress to the skin and leave it looking dull and dry - which is why it is so important to have a very moisturising skincare regime for the winter months.

Moisturising is the key part to your routine in the winter and you should do it up to three times daily. My favourite moisturiser for winter is Avene Hydrance Optimale Riche (£13.50). Now I just want to make it clear that I do work with Avene, but this in no way sways my opinion, nor am I writing this post on behalf of the company. This post is 100% my own view.

Phew now that's out of the bag...Avene is the perfect winter product. It contains the famous Avene Thermal Spring Water which is extremely gentle and soothing on the skin, and hydrates dehydrated, dull-looking skin. This product is available from Boots and is a winter must-have! I really do love it and find that it keeps my skin feeling comfortable and supple even on the coldest of days.

http://www.boots.com/en/Eau-Thermale-Avene-Hydrance-Optimale-Rich-40ml_1110295/

As part of your must-have kit for winter I also believe you should have a good eye cream to keep those peepers bright-eyed in those dark mornings. Use Clinique All About Eyes under the eyes each morning and night. This lightweight formula helps to diminish puffiness and dark circles. £23 available from most department stores and online http://www.clinique.co.uk/products/1683/Skin-Care/Eye-Lip-Care/index.tmpl

Another necessity for the winter is a good serum to keep your skin glowing - my favourite is Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum. This intensive rehydrating serum is perfect for even the toughest winters and will ensure your skin maintains its moisture levels to keep you looking gorgeous. It's pricey at £39 but worth it. http://www.clarins.co.uk/

Also invest in a good tinted moisturiser to keep a bit of a summer glow on your face, there's nothing worse than being caked in make-up with crusty dry skin hiding underneath - no amount of make-up can hide dry skin unfortunately. The best tinted moisturiser I've ever tried is Chanel Hydramax +Active Teinte in Sand (for fair skin). This moisturiser is great because it has SPF 15 in it and also great coverage. It has patented technology in it which means that the skin is able to hold moisture, so your skin is comfortable and moisturised from start to finish. The easy to apply moisturiser is the perfect product for me and even at £33.50 I will buy this product again and again.

http://www.boots.com/en/CHANEL-HYDRAMAX-ACTIVE-TEINTE-Active-Moisture-Tinted-Lotion-SPF-15-40ml-Sand_118764/

Hope this has helped ladies. Get glowing this winter! x

The Beauty List

Hello and welcome to another installment of The Beauty List. As I'm now saving for a mortgage - very grown up of me - I'm trying to not spend as much money on beauty products. So you may find that the Beauty Lists don't contain as many products as normal, saving money and all that.

First up this week...Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanner (£17). This self tanner contains Acacia micro-pearls which trap moisture released by the skin and expand in size like tiny microsponges, to fill in visible fine lines and pores. The caramel smelling mousse creates a perfect base to apply your make-up. I've wanted to try this product for ages and it did not disappoint.

Don't be tricked by its name though, the tan isn't instant - which I think is a good thing. It does however leave an instant perfect complexion feeling silky and smooth, but the tan develops on your face over a period of time. Overall great product, just don't overload it like I have! Currently sporting an orange face.

Get it today at a discounted price - http://www.feelunique.com/p/Clarins-Instant-Smooth-Self-Tanning-30ml

Secondly a treat for you all - 25% of amazing REN products!

Hurry the offer ends Tuesday! http://www.renskincare.com/

Enough said. xxx

Shellac You Are A Dream!

Day 12 of the Shellac manicure and my nails are still perfectly in tact and looking perfectly polished! The only bit I can possibly criticise is the nail growth by the cuticles looks a bit silly because my nails have grown a surprising amount on 12 days, which the manicurist said might happen.

So no chips, splits, smudges and it has helped my nails grow quicker! I repeat Shellac you are a dream.

Skin Treats from Betty Hula

As you may know I'm a bit of a sucker for anything that looks slightly Hawaiian and beachy, I'm completely won over if something has a slight hint of a flowery garland or grass skirt. So Betty Hula products already had a thumbs up from me from the creative and eye catching packaging, and I soon found out it gets better...

Betty Hula believes only in natural beauty and uses fair trade ingredients inspired by exotic Hawaiian scents. As well as looking pretty and colourful in my toiletries bag the body butters are some of the best I've ever tried. The key ingredients in Betty's range are Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil and Vitamin E with all different benefits to the skin the range is sure to keep your skin youthful and glowing. I have been trying the products for a while now and am impressed with the results so far.

The Champagne & Spice flavour Body Butter I've tried is a sensual smell, really rich texture - great for winter dehydrated skin. It's perfect for sufferers of stretch marks and scarring as the rich Shea Butter works its magic on your skin.

The Rum & Blackcurrant Body Butter (my personal fave) is an exotic and sweet smell, subtle enough for the day and apply again for a natural way to keep smelling gorgeous into the evening. I like to apply this after my shower while I'm still slightly wet as it locks in the moisture and keeps the smell fresher for longer.

As a sufferer from Eczema I have to be careful what I put on my skin and tend to stick to my favourites but these moisturisers enriched my skin leaving it nourished, feeling supple and healthy. I am extremely impressed with these products and at only £14.99 for 120ml pot it just keeps getting better!

Next I can't wait to try The Secret Oil from Betty Hula, rumoured to give you ultimate radiance from the inside out. This is one secret I will be sharing!

Available from Sainsburys nationwide and available online at http://www.bettyhula.co.uk/

Purple Haze

With the Christmas season fast approaching, a bit quicker than I would like, it makes me think towards glam party looks for the Christmas parties I'll be hitting up.

One look that I think is going to be quite key is using purple tones to define your eyes - especially if you have brown/green eyes. Use darker tones of purple the darker your eyes, and stick to subtle lilacs if you're a blue eyed babe.

*Top tips for using Purps eyeshadow:*

• To avoid looking red and bleary eyed make sure you use a good concealer first under your eyes (Benefit Eye Bright is great to rid the red)
• Keep the rest of your look pretty low key pairing with neutral colours, you can still go glam with neutral colours (gold and purple would be amazing for a discoteque!)
• Avoid pairing with pink blusher, fake the sunshine and sculpt your face with a deep bronzer (Givenchy are great for golden but subtle bronzers)

The must-have eye colour for winter is Nars Due Eyeshadow in Eurydice - an aubergine and graphite duo. This long-wearing, crease resistant eye colour is £23.50 available online or at most space nk stores.

The reason I think this eye shadow is so good is that it really does stay on for ages, and you can use it as a subtle shade or you can play with it and build up colour. Also can be used as an eyeliner if you use wet for more impact.

Make like Beyonce and Kim - Go purple this Christmas!

Graduation day

It can be quite difficult to find the right make-up for a big occasion, you don't want to to wear anything too different but you also want to make quite an impact with your make-up. As I opted to wear quite a shocking pink dress I decided to keep the face more low-key and natural. Here's the finished result and how I created it...

Firstly I took Clarins Flash Beauty Balm and put that onto cleansed skin to give me a more brighter and tighter look. Next I took Touche Eclat (No.1.5) and dotted it under my eyes, down my nose and just above my top lip to radiate my face. Touche Eclat is great for all occasions as it lightens up the face enhancing your eyes.

As I said in my previous blog post I used MAC Mineralize Satinfinish (NC25), I didn't use much foundation as I wanted a natural base - just enough to even out the skin tone. Next I took Benefit High Beam and dotted it where the light naturally hits your face - along your cheekbones and through the bottom of the eyebrows, gently rub this in to create a very soft sheen (AMAZING for photographs).

Next to compliment my brown/green eyes I used Benefit's velvet eyeshadow in Rich Beach, giving a beautiful shimmery effect on the eyes. I then glided a brown liquid eye liner from Collection 2000 through the top lash line to give my eye a bit more definition for the photos. To finish off the eyes I used Photo Flawless Mascara, from 17, on the top and bottom lashes. I also brushed through the eyebrows with Benefit's Brow Zings shaping wax from my sexy eyes pallet defining the eyes and giving some shape to my unruly brows!

To finish off this look I sculpted my face by using a bronzer on my forehead, under my cheekbone and on my chin, using my all time favourite Hoola by Benefit and then I applied Coralista onto the apples of my cheeks to give me a fresh glow.

xxx

The Beauty List

Sorry I had to rush off so suddenly yesterday, but as promised here is the second half to yesterdays Beauty List.

As you all know it was my graduation on Friday and I was on the hunt for a foundation that had the lasting power to keep me looking glam all day long. My first thought was Chanel - as it usually is - but I'm also a huge fan of MAC and know that their foundations are always a winner. I wanted quite a subtle finish but long lasting, so I opted for MAC Satinfinish SPF 15.

The foundation gives a low to medium coverage that can be built up for more full coverage in the evening. It has light reflecting particles in the micro-minerals that blend beautifully into the skin, leaving a luminous look. Where normal dewy foundations tend to slip off your skin throughout the day this keeps lasting and has a beautiful glow in photographs. In my opinion this is the best foundation for dry skin, I was extremely impressed with its ability to rejuvenate my skin, give me a radiant glow and how long it lasted. It's £22.50 and is available online. And my ultimate favourite thing about MAC foundations is there is a perfect match for every-one's skin colour, depending on the warmth/coolness of your skin.

Lastly on my list this week is Shellac. I had a geleration manicure not too long ago, and I wasn't best pleased with it. I decided to go for a Shellac manicure to see if that version was any better, and so far, so good for Shellac. The geleration failed pretty quickly and started chipping and peeling within a few days - 3 days in and no peeling for Shellac yet. With its mirror finish and no nail damage underneath, Shellac already has my seal of approval.

My tip is you're looking to get a Shellac manicure is to pick a colour that you will be happy with for 2 weeks because this bad boy lasts! Prices start at around £20.