Category Archives: Beauty & Grooming

Luster Pro Light Review: UK’s First Complete DIY Teeth Whitening System

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Out of all of the things you can do to look younger, whitening your teeth is one of the most important. It takes years off you. Teeth whitening can be expensive though, and scary. I have heard stories in the past of people burning away their gums. Thankfully these are now a thing of the past. The UK’s First Complete DIY Teeth Whitening System, Luster Pro Light has been released. Let’s find out if it works.

luster Pro Light Review

It uses the same paint-on whitening gel and Dual-Action ‘blue light’ technology that is used by dentists. Luster Pro Light does work and it also did not upset my sensitive teeth. It is clinically proven to be safe and effective which I was glad to read before I used it. I am always very cautious before I use anything. It can be a little bit of a pain pretreating with whitening solution, brushing and then applying the dual-action whitening. The ready-to-use trays which you put in your mouth are not exactly comfortable but this is all small fry and a minimal amount of effort that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

The treatment really does work. You can even use the rapid schedule and get results in 30 minutes. I will definitely use this again for top ups. Already a best-seller and close to becoming the No. 1 teeth whitening system in America where it first went on sale, this is good stuff indeed.

£49.99 from Boots.com or Boots.

 

 

Glo-Minerals 3-in-1 Color Stick Review

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I am a huge fan of fast beauty. Convenience is key. Who has the time to spend hours on looking good? Not many of us. So I love products that multi-task. They also take up less room and are great for traveling.

This 3-in-1 Color Stick from Glo-Minerals is not unique, the multi-sticks have been around for a while but it certainly has a place on the market. This is a Limited Edition three-in-one stick for cheeks, lips and eyes. This soft, shimmering, pink-peach hue complements all skin tones and skin types. It is available in one shade: doll face and has vitamin E to soothe skin.

Glo-Minerals 3-in-1 Color Stick Review

Glo-Minerals 3-in-1 Color Stick

The colour is a beautiful, fresh colour that looks summery and suits all skin tones. It gives a healthy glow and looks beautiful on. When you use it on your eyes it is not as pink as you think it will be. A little also goes a long way. It does look pink on the lips. I love it. A great product that saves space and money. Good stuff.

Limited Edition 3 in 1 Colour Stick in Dollface. Available from www.glo-minerals.com £11.95.

 

 

WOW Face Mask Review

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I was initially going to do a funny Instagram picture of myself wearing this mask a la Suki Waterhouse. Upon putting the mask on vanity prevailed however. The mask comes in two separate pieces, one for your lower face and one for the top. Once it is on you look like a burns victim. It is not a good look but who cares? You are making yourself beautiful. My husband certainly didn’t. He didn’t even crack a joke.

I found the mask a little hard to put on. You also have to be careful is doesn’t slide of your face. I lay on the sofa smoothing it down. It feels nice and soothing. I watch Parks And Recreation on Amazon Prime while reading a book I am reviewing. So I am not very good at switching off and relaxing but I will be lying here for 40 minutes. I actually like the gel feeling of the mask and am sure I can feel it working away.

After 40 minutes of looking plain weird I take the mask off. I then give the result the ultimate test: I ask my husband if he can notice a difference in my skin. He says he can. I look ‘fresh’. Brilliant. The mummy look is worth it.

I did only use this mask once so I can’t say if it makes a long-lasting difference to skin with long term use, but I was impressed with the results I saw. I would like to try it again but at £99 it is slightly out of my budget.

WOW face mask treatment review

Here is what the they say:

The NEW Aqua Gel Mask Treatment that fights the ageing process

WOW mask is a brand NEW Bio-­peptide Aqua Gel mask that contains innovative natural ingredients to restore the skin’s tone, elasticity and hydration to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles. It releases the essence of nature’s most potent skin-loving plants at exactly the right speed for your skin to get the maximum benefit.

Institute Hyalual Switzerland, a scientific research centre dedicated to skin rejuvenation, created the mask as the simplest and most effective way to combine the moisturising effect of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), Argireline (famed for its skin firming properties) and RMCP-complex (a combination of ingredients that include fruit and leaf cell culture and flower extract). It’s the interaction between HA, Argireline and RMCP-complex which results in such a complete anti-ageing effect.

The mask also uses newly developed Transdermal Cosmetics Delivery technology which is activated by skin temperature to allow the ingredients to reach the deeper layers of skin. This means that WOW mask provides 200% more hydration than other collagen-based moisturising treatments.

There are five masks provided in each box and each mask can be used for 20-40 minutes. Simply wash and dry your face, take the mask out of its silver sleeve and remove the protective plastic sheets and put it on your face.

It’s not magic but WOW mask offers the best that nature and science can provide in terms of beautiful and youthful looking skin.

WOW Facial Mask Treatments £99.99

 

 

The Glamour Trio: Cult Classic Beauty Review. Elnett, Corn Silk & Max Factor

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Every woman needs a bit of glamour in her life. These Amazon bestsellers may be retro and glam, but do they work as good as they look? Let’s find out.

First up is a classic, Cornsilk Satin Loose Powder . Powder is very underrated. There was a point where not many people wore it because it was considered old fashioned. It is making a comeback now solely because nothing else really gives a flawless finish the way powder does. This powder sets make up beautifully and makes it last all day. It is brilliant stuff and won’t leave you looking like a ghost. Recommended. There is a reason it is a classic. A natural looking powder that works on light and darker skin tones. It does give a matte look but not too much, it still looks natural.

beautyreview

Next is Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara in Black. Anyone remember those adverts which called Max Factor the ‘make up of make up artists’? The brand has always had a certain amount of glamour and movie star attachment. This mascara really works. You can use a little for stunning lashes or a lot for full-on false lash glamour. Is quite hard to get off but a small price to pay for beautiful lashes.

L’Oreal Elnett UV Filter Hairspray is another classic. I remember my mother using Elnett when I was growing up. I always use a hairspray with a UV filter as my hair goes really blonde in the sun if I don’t. The sun is also very damaging to the hair and ages it. We remember this about our face but not everyone remembers their hair. Elnett has stood the test of time because it really works and then it just brushes out. The one for coloured hair accentuates your colour’s radiance. They also have ones for extra hold and extra radiance. It is not too heavy on hair or sticky. Just brilliant hairspray.

 

What do you think? Are you a fan of any of the above?

 

 

Shop For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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Every year, almost 50,000 women in the UK receive the devastating news that they have breast cancer. That’s around one woman every 10 minutes. It’s time to put an end to this disease and that’s why Breakthrough is asking UK shoppers to help us stop breast cancer for good.

 

We’ve joined forces with high street favourites such as Debenhams, Laura Ashley and River Island, alongside beauty heavyweights Avon and ghd, to launch exclusive products to raise vital funds during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Shop For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

Each item carries a minimum 10% donation to Breakthrough’s life-saving work and, with prices starting from as little as £3.15, the collection carries something for everyone; Avon and ghd have your beauty needs covered, delicious berry shades are showcased in fashion pieces from designers at Debenhams and Damsel in a dress and a statement t-shirt from River Island, with bright kitchen accessories and tea-time staples available from Laura Ashley and Debenhams.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
As an extra treat, bottlegreen has become bottlepink with a limited edition Pomegranate & Elderflower Cordial, complete with scrumptious cake recipe for 2014’s Breakthrough Bake Off, and M&S has created the beautiful ‘In the Pink’ bouquet.

There are a handful of items not yet on the lookbook that I have also copied in below. Jewellery brand Stella & Dot’s Strength and Inspire bracelets are priced at £35.00 each whilst the delicate Hope necklace is priced at £32.00. Made in Chelsea’s Riley Uggla has also designed an exclusive Live Your Life heart sweater with How Do I Save the World, which will retail at £20.00.

1. ghd Coral Bird of Paradise Styler, £129.00 – £10 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available at exclusive premier salons and www.ghdhair.com

2. Avon’s Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Pink Watermelon, reduced price of £3.50 (R.R.P £6.50) for Breast Cancer Awareness Month -£1 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available at www.avon.uk.com or through local representative

3. Bottlepink Pomegranate & Elderflower Cordial (500ml), RRP £3.15 – 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available in all major supermarkets

4. Debenhams Floozie by Frost French Flower Statement Necklace, RRP £22.00 – Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 25% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation. Available in-store and online at www.debenhams.com

5. Debenhams Think Pink Hangers, RRP £12.00 – Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 25% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation. Available in sizes 8 to 20, in-store and online at www.debenhams.com

6. Laura Ashley Darcey Spot China Cup and Saucer, RRP £12.00 – 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available in most stores and at www.lauraashley.com

7. River Island Fashion Is T-shirt, RRP £18.00 – 30% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available in stores and online at www.riverisland.com

8. Damsel in a dress Obsession dress, £189.00 – 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available from www.damselinadress.co.uk and in select John Lewis and House of Fraser stores UK-wide (also have lifestyle shot)

9. Stella & Dot Inspire Bracelet, RRP £35.00 – 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available via www.stellaanddot.com or local stylists

10. Stella & Dot Strength Bracelet, RRP £35.00 – 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available via www.stellaanddot.com or local stylists

11. Stella & Dot Hope Necklace, RRP £32.00 – net proceeds go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available via www.stellaanddot.com or local stylists

12. Riley Uggla’s Live Your Life Heart Sweater, RRP £20.00 – 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available at www.howdoisavetheworld.com

 

 

Leticia Haute Coiffure and “the fastest blowout in London”

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leticia-haute-coiffureLuxury independent hair and beauty salon Leticia Haute Coiffure has been famed on being able to fully cater to their clients needs. The salon provides exclusive hair and beauty services including non bleached highlights and premium Brazilian blow-drys, to waxing, facials and even fashion styling. Perfect for women who are constantly on the go and in need of preening, the salon works on a membership basis with prices starting from £180 a month offering a round the clock service either at the salon, hotel or even in your own home. Another hidden gem within this Marylebone salon is that award winning, Creative Director, Pierre Doumit, has developed a signature 15 minute blowout which is said to work on any hair type and perfect for busy London women.

I was sent to try this service out and when better to try then slap bang in the middle of London Fashion Week. With shows backed up all day, I barely had an hour to spare and wanted to put “the fastest blowout in London” to the test.

myself and Pierre

myself and Pierre

On arrival the vibe was generally chilled out and Pierre and his amazing team of staff were on hand to grant your each and every demand. I didn’t really have much of an idea of the kind of style I wanted but I was pretty sure that I would be more than safe in Pierres expert hands. The staff were chatty and friendly from the get go and are more than welcoming. I was then left in the safe hands of Pierre and asked if I would like a head massage. Absolutely, I jumped at the chance especially when the craziness of Fashion Week kicked in. The massage was insane, I would have just stayed for it alone. The blowdry itself was a super speedy 15 minutes, if that, with the help of Pierre’s lovely assistant. My hair was revived and volumised and bigger than Bardots. As well as that, Pierre asked me if I would like adjustments and showed me how to create the volume I had asked for which personally is a huge plus when hair stylists show you how to recreate a gorgeous style at home.

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As I was leaving, I couldn’t help but swoon over the nails of the girl who works in the salon. Turns out the manicurist based in the salon is a nail art goddess. All in all an amazing experience, speedy, friendly and it helps that they’re all good at their jobs too, if a 15 minute blow dry is what you’re after, I assure you Pierre will stick to his word.

 

Simple Steps To Improve Self-Confidence

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ritaoraFeeling at ease with your body is something many people struggle with. Such feelings can eat away at self-confidence and make it harder to assert yourself in life. Sometimes, other people’s attitudes and messages in the media can make it even more difficult, but there are things you can do to fight back and learn to love yourself.

 

Identify problem attitudes

 

Do you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about your body when you’re dressing, showering or shopping? Try to spot such thoughts developing and stop yourself. You probably wouldn’t make negative comments to a friend in that way, so why do it to yourself? Instead, focus on parts of your body that you like, even if they don’t seem as important. Practice thinking positively about them and remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be appreciated.

 

Share thoughts with friends

 

Social convention means that often we don’t complement each other enough. If you have friends who also need more body confidence arrange to get together and tell each other what you admire about one another’s appearance. Alternatively, you might prefer to do it using anonymous notes if you’re shy. You might be surprised by how much friends like or even envy aspects of the way you look that you never considered previously.

 

Focus on fitness

 

Even if you’re overweight, disabled or getting on in years, there will usually be something you can do to increase your fitness level. Exercise lowers levels of cortisone, the stress hormone and makes the body look better. You can even do exercises for your face to reduce lines and wrinkles; a sort of natural facelift.

 

Dress to flatter your figure

 

Everyone likes to feel sexy and you can find clothing to suit all shapes and sizes online, including fantastic plus sized lingerie deals. Rather than worrying about what doesn’t look good on you, seek out stores that specialize in clothing designed for bodies like yours, whatever shape you are. You don’t have to look like a model, because in reality people are attracted by many different aspects of an individual, such as sense of humor, stylishness and intelligence.

 

Love your style

 

Part of learning to love your body is about understanding how to see it on your own terms, which involves choosing clothes that flatter your shape and selecting colors and patterns that reflect your personality rather than concerning yourself with following fashion. That way you don’t need to worry about being compared to other people and you can instead focus on simply being who you are.

 

Despite the fact that women’s magazines tend to focus on hairstyles and waist measurements, studies show again and again that one of the most attractive assets anyone can have is self-confidence. Once you are comfortable in your own skin and enjoy the way you look it will show in the way you walk, the way you dance, even the way you smile; all things that will make an impression on others. Most importantly, they will make you feel good about yourself.

 

 

Taking Small Steps To Improve Your Health

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Many of us whose waistline is on an expansion mission know there are simple solutions to rein in weight gain. In many cases, a healthy lifestyle is seen as being too much effort, but the truth is that just a few small changes to lifestyle and diet can see a massive difference to health and wellbeing and in most cases you will hardly notice a difference to daily routine.

health, health tips

 

Why is it important to stay healthy?

 

Eating properly and having the right amount of exercise are key to your ability to fight off illness and disease.  The immune system needs the right amount of nutrients to remain strong in order to work efficiently, but it is also hampered when you are overweight and out of shape.  Additional factors to consider if you want to improve your health include the damaging effects of smoking and alcohol consumption.  Both of these can lead to illness and also reduce the effectiveness of your immune system.

 

A healthy diet

 

Following a healthy diet will mean that you are providing your body with all the nutrients that you need to stay in good health.  With plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet it will be much easier to get the right nutrients.  The recommended daily amount is around five portions a day, but some scientists are now recommending that people extend this to seven portions a day, with just two of those as fruit.  However, if you are one of those people who rarely eats fresh fruit and vegetables, the first step is to include just some each day.  Over time, you can build this up to the right amount.

 

In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, it is a good idea to make a few swaps so that your unhealthy choices are suddenly much better for you.  One example is fries.  Replace these with jacket or boiled potatoes and you will cut your fat intake dramatically.  White bread can be swapped for wholegrain and you can opt for brown versions of rice and pasta instead of the standard white.

 

For some it can be difficult to get the balance right, particularly if there are underlying health issues.  Herbal and nutritional supplements can be useful here.  A good multivitamin can help to redress the balance, but you can also incorporate herbal teas as an easy way to add the benefits of herbs to your diet.  Jasmine Tea, for example, is considered to be very calming and perfect for those who suffer from stress and anxiety, both of which can have a negative effect on health.

 

Don’t forget exercise!

 

Finally, make sure that you get regular exercise.  The jury is still out on just how much exercise a person needs but the good news is that you only have to go for a good walk a few times a week to see a difference.  Exercise does not have to be hard work or boring – take up cycling with the family or even try something like ballroom dancing.  You will be having so much fun you might not even notice the pounds and inches slipping away!