Category Archives: Beauty & Grooming

Urban Decay Electric Palette

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Urban Decay have now added the Electric Palette to their collection of famous eye shadow palettes, and I have got my hands on one. I can never fault an Urban Decay palette and having many of them myself they are really great tools to work with. The intense pigments and the variety of colours, those who have invested in Urban Decay palettes will know what I mean. I truly love the electric palette, it is a burst of colour from Gonzo to Freak, a mixture of Chaos and Slowburn and the splash of Savage. These shades are WOW!

 

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After getting the chance to play with the Electric palette and trying different looks by using just the colours in the palette itself as well as getting out my Urban Decay Naked palette as a partner in crime, I have fell in love with the electric palette. The pigment is bright and intense, a real trademark of Urban Decay. I can’t even pick a favourite out the colours, as they are all so different. You may find yourself having to dig your brush in other eye shadow palette to bring out the colour of the shade but with this palette a little dab is all you need for the soft subtle looks as well as the bright daring ones.

 

What I love most about this palette is how it can complete any look by adding a dash of colour. We’ve all had those moments when we are all done up and just staring at ourselves in the mirror thinking something is missing, my face looks plain and you can’t just figure out why. Just add a touch of Electric.

 

Electric can be used not only for eye shadow, but can you it for eye lines with its double ended brush, and if your really feeling creative you can create those theatrical looks as you can use these pigments all over your face and body, don’t just limit it to your eyes! You may be worried about the strong pigments staining but they are easily washed off. I really cannot fault Electric!!

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Is the Electric palette a winner for you?

Top Tips For a Skin-Friendly Summer

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amandaeliasAmanda Elias, beauty expert and founder of Bravura London has her top tips for a skin-friendly Summer.

1 – The first thing you want to think about is sun protection; the sun is the main cause of premature ageing which can leave your skin dull, dry, wrinkled and with hyperpigmentation (brown spots). Protect all exposed skin with a broad spectrum SPF (protects against both UVA & UVB) of at least 30, preferably a mineral SPF which acts as a sunblock to instantly block the sun’s rays. Look for a product that’s waterproof and don’t forget your lips, ears and the back of your neck. Re-apply frequently.

2 – You may know about cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising your face but do you spend as much TLC on your body? Ensure you exfoliate at least twice a week and if possible, slather yourself daily (after your shower) in your favourite body lotion.

3 – Do you find your skin flushes when you get hot? Keep a refreshing water spray or toner spray at hand to spritz your face and neck when you feel yourself overheating

4 – Avoid wearing perfumes on your skin; when the sun hits the areas of skin that contain perfumes it can cause irritation. Fragrance your hair by spraying your hairbrush then brush through your locks, every time you swish your hair you’ll be surrounded by a beautiful fragrance.

5 – Sun and lip gloss aren’t a good combination, remember the days of people baking in the sun covered in baby oil? Same thing. Get yourself a good lip balm that contains an SPF, you can get plenty that have colour or line your lips with a lip pencil then top with a clear SPF balm.

6 – Parched skin after too much alcohol and sun? Intensely nourish your skin with an oil such as jojoba oil, this non-comedogenic (won’t block your pores) oil is more of a wax and is close to your skin’s natural oil. For sun burnt skin, help the healing process with pure aloe vera gel and apply 3-4 times a day.

7 – Don’t forget to hydrate yourself, to keep your body functioning properly and to aid in the removal of toxins from our body it needs to be well hydrated so be sure to drink 2-3 litres of liquid (sadly this doesn’t include dehydrating substances such as cocktails and coffee) per day.

ILA Spa

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Ila Beauty

I adore bath products so when I was sent these lovely ILA beauty products recently I set aside some much needed me time and indulged myself with an evening of home Spa relaxation. Also to test them out to give you the low down on all the soothing, organic and delicious products.

Running a hot bath and adding natural products sends your senses to giddy heights and creates a virtual powerful health spa in seconds. A deep down feeling of wellness and being at one with nature.

With only the finest natural, traditional and sustainable plant and mineral ingredients ILA spa products are delightful, pure and embody great natural healing. They are perfect for emotionally nourishing your body as well as your spirt. The candle enveloped the woods on this photo shoot and filled the air with droplets of pure rose. The aura was enchanting, relaxing and peaceful, it made the day really special and created the perfect atmosphere for being at one with nature, the woodland and the creatures that where hiding away out of sight.

Ila Beauty

When trying the bath salts crystals you will drift away with a mix of jasmine, sandalwood and they made my skin feel so nourished and smooth. It comes with a wooden scoop so you can add just the right amount to the bath. The crystals dissolved beautifully and left no hard grains behind. Only a pretty pink glow to the hot steamy water.

Ila Beauty

After soothing your tired limbs you will need to feel refreshed and try the body scrub, Organic rose and geranium hits you as you open this jar and the grains are perfectly milled to a fine salt. With argan oil to nourish the skin and the organic juniper berries to stimulate circulation and help eliminate cellulite. This product can’t fail to impress, just heaven.

Ila Beauty

Now for me other than the candle the facial oil was my utter most favourite product. This has been my go to morning and night product since receiving these wonderful treats. This is their best seller apparently a ‘little miracle’ The face oil is a cult product revered by men and women worldwide. Packed with essential fatty acids and wrinkle-fighting antioxidants, it revitalises, nourishes and supports at the deepest level. Your telling me, I feel like I am glowing from inside out! It is a fantastic product to apply about 10 minutes before your moisturiser of factor cream. I use a factor 30-50 every day all year round. This will fight wrinkles, heal scars, help regenerate the skin cells, nourish the skin deep down into the layers of the dermis and gives you that glow of youth and hydration lost in our everyday busy modern life. Not only that it has won awards such as…Harper’s Bazaar Hot 100, September 2012, Beauty Bible Award Winner for Anti-Ageing, March 2011 and Natural Product of the Year, AsiaSpa Awards, 2009!!

I have been invited to meet the founder of this company and visit the manufactures. I will be asking loads of beauty, anti ageing and healthy skin questions while I am there thats for sure. ILA is now on my top list of beauty products that I will be recommending to everyone.

Tweet me @sarahbacchus if you are wanting to know more about the products and visit the ILA website here to purchase all you need. Fly over and Tweet them @ila_spa and say hi!

 

Visit www.sarahbacchus.com if you are interested in booking me for photographic work.

 

Frost Supplement Special

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Nature’s Plus Ageloss Rejuvabolic Total Body Oxidative Protection

Nature's Plus Ageloss Rejuvabolic Total Body Oxidative Protectionreview

These have high class antioxidant nutrition. They have more than 12,000 Total ORAC from the world’s richest sources of natural antioxidant phytonutrients. Our reviewer had improved skin and really felt they made a difference.

Resveratrol, most commonly found in red grape skin, has been shown to improve eye health, but if you want to receive the benefits of resveratrol without resorting to a few glasses of red, why not try Nature’s Plus AgeLoss Rejuvabolic. Packed with a unique blend of nutrients and antioxidants including grape seed, bilberry and blueberry, each serving provides the body with the trans-resveratrol benefits of 365 glasses of red wine. Now you can enjoy the health benefits of the glass of red without the hangover! Nature’s Plus AgeLoss Rejuvabolic Liquid is available from the Nutri Centre www.nutricentre.com and heath food shops. RRP £37.95

For a Flat Stomach OptiBac Probiotics

optibac probiotics

These really work. We had two writers try them and they really flatten your stomach.

Aids in absorption of minerals/vitamins in food through restoring the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract. Besides eradicating bloating these vitamins and minerals in turn reach the skin and improves overall skin health keeping the skin looking beautiful.

‘For a flat stomach’ is a 7 day course of probiotics which has been clinically trialled, highly researched and will stop bloating. The benefits are immense. From Superdrug

Visioberry

Visioberry

Available in a tablet and syrup form, Visioberry contains a unique blend of natural ingredients that work together to promote good eye health. Vitamin B2 contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress whilst Resveratrol acts as a potent anti-oxidant, promoting normal vision and combatting free radicals. Ginko Biloba – known for its powerful anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties helps to protect against peripheral arterial occlusive diseases and Lutein (only in the tablets) – a carotenoid that has been linked with improving vision – protects against age related macular degeneration. Visioberry is available exclusively in Boots stores nationwide. RRP £20 for 30 capsules and £14 for 200ml liquid.


Liquid Sunshine Vitamin D Liquid Drops

Liquid Sunshine Vitamin D Liquid Drops

Very handy and tastes great. Has a good dose of vitamin D and convenience in equal measures. From Amazon UK

Immune System Biotix

Immune System Biotix

Good probiotics that will help top up your good bacteria, aid your digestive health and support your immune system.

Sharon Morey, Nutritionist from Quest Vitamins says ‘Our numbers of ‘friendly’ bacteria in the gut can be reduced for many reasons, including poor diet, use of antibiotics, and one-off infections such as gastroenteritis. A ‘top-up’ can therefore be helpful to support our immune system as well as our digestive health.’ Immune System Biotix contains 20 billion lactobacilli or good bacteria, an excellent level that is higher than many individual probiotic supplements on the market!

Immune System Biotix is £15.83 (for a month’s supply) available from all good health stores and www.questexcellence.com

E’lifexir Flat Tummy plus

E’lifexir Flat Tummy plus

This handy prebiotic contains fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), which are soluble fibres naturally found in fruits, vegetables and cereals. The FOS are not absorbed by the body and therefore reach the intestines unchanged. Here they are fermented by the good bacteria in the gut, which then multiply and flourish to help ease bloatedness and a bulging belly. The addition of peppermint oil will also leave breath smelling fresh, allowing you to look, feel and smell great. They are very handy.

E’lifexir Flat Tummy plus® costs £9.99 for a month’s supply, and is available in UK and Ireland from Holland & Barrett nationwide and www.hollandandbarrett.com.

 

 

Girls, Let’s Talk About Our Vaginas

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Right girls, we need to talk about something women don’t talk about enough. It’s the ‘V’ word, yup, our vaginas. Thing is, they are nothing to be ashamed of, and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be talking about our vagina. (Keep saying it ‘vagina’)

In fact, Vagisil commissioned a survey of 1,000 women and discovered a shocking lack of knowledge amongst British women about intimate health, as well as a surprising reluctance to talk about their intimate area. As the expert in intimate health, they want to end the lack of knowledge, the whispers, the secrecy and the embarrassment. In fact, 42% of women are uncomfortable even mentioning the word vagina in daily conversation and just a quarter know what the plural for vagina is. Even worse; more than half (52%) would still be embarrassed to ask for advice from a pharmacist or other medical professional if they had an intimate health problem. Nearly a quarter (23%) of British women admit they have never even properly looked at their own vagina. Rather shocking statistics.

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It is important to know about your vagina. Too many of us don’t know anything about our own gynecological health, or are too shy to seek help if there is a problem. Vagisil have launched a Let’s Do Something campaign. Check out the video above and let’s get more acquainted with our vagina. It is beautiful and amazing after all.

Sponsored Post

 

Cocoa Brown Tanning Range

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This was one exciting press day for Cocoa Brown who doesn’t love tanning products. I love them so much seeing as I am nearly always behind a computer and I really don’t like to get tanned the usual way. I like to keep my skin in tip top condition, always using the highest factor cream possible. Tanning the natural way has its price…wrinkles. Well being 42 I can tell you young girls don’t do it. Opt for tanning lotions, creams and mousses rather than sunbeds and no factor cream. You will benefit in the long run. I don’t think I have stepped foot outside without factor 30-50 in the last 2 years. I pride myself that my skin is doing well for its age. So when I need a lillte bit of colour I reach into my bathroom cabinet, grab a mitt and some self tanner. One downside normally is the smell…well, keep reading ladies…this is amazing.

CoCo Brown Tanning Range

The main problem with nearly all the tanning lotions out there is the after smell. You know that rather biscuity, cooked chicken odour, and loads of you just don’t even bother with new products due to this fact. Well….hey…These products don’t have that distinctive tan smell one little bit. Not even a whiff, nothing, nada, zilch …you get me right!! It smells fresh and clean and a wonderful floral scent. Could this get any better…Yes, it’s an innovative 1 hour tan too!!

P1130318P1130295If thats not great then hear this…The range is so impressively easy and if you are new to self tanning this one will be perfect for you. Seasoned self tanners, this range just has to be purchased as I am sure you will fall head over heals for it.

The range consists of:

Tough Stuff an incredible exfoliator that whips the skin into shape before the products are applied, Its a rather great all round bathroom product too. My skin felt super soft and hydrated after using it the night before I tanned. It will get rid of stubborn old tan that has collected in areas. Your skin is constantly renewing itself so after a week you undoubtedly will always get a small bit of patchiness with any self tanner. Any company that tell you different will be just lying. But if you look after your skin and regularly moisturise and exfoliate then this will be minimal and you will hardly ever see it. Tough Stuff can be used up to 4 times a week so there is no need to ever be patchy girls.

A Tan Mitt that is machine washable and will protect your pinkies from being stained. Make sure you use it with the following products listed below!

Then you have Chocolate Whip, a perfect pre tan moisturiser that is a must have. Now girls I used to be an educator and run a salon. You need to do your prep before you apply any self tanner or even when you have a professional spray tan this should be something that is done. Its the foundations and secrets of getting your tan to look REAL! Apply it on elbow, knees, hands, between fingers and toes. Not forgetting your feet, heels and any dry patches of skin. The tan will penetrate through but won’t cling to it and oxidise darker. Not a good look! Chocolate Whip is also the best product to prolong the life and the look of your tan too. The best part is that it will keep your skin fabulously hydrated and smells glorious.

Now for my favourite product from the tanning range. Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan. This dries in seconds, leaves the skin feeling smooth, non sticky and ultra fresh. I felt like my skin had actually just come out of the shower, you know that fresh feeling, all crisp and clean. This lovely mousse is 1-3 hours in dry time, with 1 hour giving you a nice caramel glow to 3 hours for a deeper richer and naturally darker looking colour. Whats more a great aspect of this product it’s a brown mousse. So you can see where you are applying it, due to it not being sticky its also perfect to apply before you go out and if you don’t wash it off your not going to even notice you have it on. Neither will anyone else, as again it smells delicious. Girls they have a travel size formula too!!

I have tried countless tanning products, trained salons and professionals and write about them constantly, I really feel the next range has very big boots to fill, if at all. I passionate about great products and this may have just encouraged me to clear out my beauty cupboard and have just one set of products.

Could this range get any better? Well yes…2 more superb products are in this range, Gentle Bronze and Lovely Legs.

Gentle Bronze is a gradual tanning product that again smells great and is brown in colour, so no messy, nasty or unsightly white patches that are not noticed until too late. This is a daily bronzer that will keep you looking a beautiful caramel shade if applied every other day or it can be applied each day and it will gradually give you a perfect naturally darker sun kissed look.

And lastly Lovely Legs is a spry on leg perfecter that will hide this nasty little imperfections we all have. How many of you have ever used a darker foundation on your legs before a night out!!?? Come no be honest, I know I have, if I need a quick leg coverage. Even in the summer months when your tan looks nice, the legs always don’t look as great as the rest of you. Shaving and waxing is to blame, so here is the remedy. If you have this in your bathroom cabinet you will have perfect legs all year round too girls or guys!! Even on those rainy days, as it’s water resistant and won’t run if caught in a sudden shower.

Guys reading this, is prefect for you gentlemen too, and no one will know, the scent of this product is universal and will blend in with any aftershave. No horrid tan smell and your secret will be safe as houses.

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The 1 Hour Tan sent beauty bloggers wild when it was launched in 2013 selling out 15 weeks of stock in just 2 hours. 3 bottles fly off the shelves every single minute. This baby has also appeared in the gift bags at the Oscars, lucky celebrities.

You need not be jealous as this is the best bit I have kept till last, Cocoa Brown is available at www.feelunique.com, Superdrug stores and now Primark! For …drum roll £7.99

Hurry while stocks last!

Head over to www.slbstyle.com to see the the full day in pictures along with fashion and style info. I will be doing a full article on SLB Style next week with before and after images. Ping me a little Tweet @sarahbacchus and let me know if you be purchasing it soon?

Visit the Cocoa Brown website here and Tweet them @cocoabrowntan

Forget Tattoos, ‘Tantoos’ Are The Safe Way To Achieve Beautiful Body Art

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tantoosCancer Research UK announced this week that skin cancer rates have surged, with more than 13,000 people developing a malignant melanoma each year. Exposure to the sun or sunbeds before the age of 25 can almost double the risk of getting skin cancer in later life.

 

TanOrganic is urging young people to limit their exposure to harmful UV rays, and has teamed up with an aspiring artist to create a form of body art to convey their message. Tantoos are semi-permanent, safe and effective. They use fake tan to create beautifully intricate patterns that last around a week – allowing the subject to express their creativity without regretting it!

 

This picture shows a design by aspiring tantoo artist, Lucie England, 17, using TanOrganic’s certified organic self-tanning lotion. The tan was applied using a brush, with the tantoo drying in less than 10 minutes. Visible upon application, the design fully develops within six to eight hours.

 

The tantoo is made from food-based ingredients including caramel, honey, sugar, beetroot and orange peel, and is free from harmful parabens, perfumes and synthetic ingredients. Lucie used TanOrganic’s original self-tan lotion for this particular tantoo, which is aloe vera based and nourishing to skin.

 

Noelle O’Connor, founder of TanOrganic – who appeared on Dragon’s Den in Ireland and successfully gained investment for the brand – said:

tantoo

“Tantoos allow people to have a safe alternative to permanent tattoos they may regret later. Using fake tan is a great way to express creativity and adorn our bodies, especially in the summer months when more flesh is on display. We foresee them being popular at festivals and events where people like to express themselves and just be unique.”

 

“Of course for a tantoo to show up you have to have tanless skin in the first place, which is an important message to convey. If your skin is sun damaged before the age of 25 you are almost twice as likely to develop skin cancer later in life. I devote a lot of time to educating young people about the dangers of getting lucieenglanda real tan; it’s shocking to think that nearly 90% of skin cancer cases can be prevented with simple lifestyle choices. I hope that our work with Lucie on tantoos promotes this message to young people and literally saves their skin!”

 

Unlike henna tattoos, tantoos are cleaner and easier because they take minutes to apply and dry, and there’s no messy paste to wash off afterwards.

 

Aspiring tantoo artist Lucie England (pictured left), aged 17 and from Surrey, is currently studying A-level art & design, graphics and psychology and is aiming to be the UK’s first tantoo artist.

 

 

Spring is Pastels

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The Pastels are here and they’re gearing up to take to our spring wardrobes. The beautiful feminine style is one to keep your eyes open for this season, the beautiful blues, greens and purples as well as the girlie pinks and the graceful yellows, a trend to really keep up to date with. The pastel power stomped its way down fashions weeks all over the world and let everyone know its here to rock this spring.

 

High fashion and high street there’ll be no shortage of this absolute fabulous trend. The beauty of pastel colours is the ability to wear them with one another and look as glamorous as ever. There is no fear in wearing pastels head-to-toe so really get creative with your pastels. Mix and match or stick to one colour. Not only in clothing but also in vast ranges of accessories, handbags and even make-up. It’s a total pastel take over!!

 

These beautiful colours are “the” trend and work well for any outfit, whether it be your casual attire, or for the office and even a special occasion, these are the colour that will be the statement!

 

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What do you think of this spring trend? Will you be wearing it this season?