All posts filed under: Beauty

Hand Rehab Diamond Dusted Handcream Review

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If you’re anything like me, your hands will often go neglected. Hands are so important though, and when it comes to your beauty regime you shouldn’t leave your paws out. Hands are the first thing to give away your age. So I’ve made a mid-year resolution to take better care of my mitts and I’ve been trying this new cream by The Hero Project. I keep it by my desk as the tube is gorgeous and having it to hand (lol) helps remind me to moisturise. The best thing about this is that it contains SPF to protect from harmful UV rays. After a couple of weeks of using it there’s a noticeable difference in the softness of my hands and the diamond dust in the cream is supposed to help strengthen nails – I’m no scientist but I have definitely experienced less breakage on the nail front so perhaps there’s something in it. Anyway the fragrance and texture are great, so I’ll be repurchasing this one. The Hero Project Hand Rehab Diamond Dusted Hand …

Diamond Whites Black Charcoal Toothpaste Review 

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I’m a stickler for brushing my teeth and keeping them in good nick. I have a pretty goofy grin so they’re basically always on show – so they need to be white. Unfortunately I have bills to pay so professional whitening always seems too much on an investment. That’s why I was happy to try out the new Diamond White Black Edition toothpaste (£9.99)* – a toothpaste containing activated charcoal that’s, yes, black in colour. Charcoal has been a beauty buzzword for a while now, and it has great detoxifying and purifying qualities – which helps to remove stains from teeth. I’ve been using this for two weeks and have definitely noticed an improvement in the whiteness of my teeth. It’s great for removing tea stains (I drink a lot) and as an everyday toothpaste. Have your trued black toothpaste? Diamond White Black Edition toothpaste (£9.99)* *Gifted

Loewe 001 Perfume Review

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Ever since fashion wunderkind JW Anderson took the helm at Spanish leather house Loewe he’s transformed it to fusty heritage brand to the must-have label for those in the know. While I, sadly, can’t afford to buy any of his beautiful leather goods or clothing (well, if I plan on paying rent) I can indulge in a bit of beauty retail therapy. 001 is the new Loewe fragrance by Johnathon Anderson, it comes in two complimentary parts – the male and female – designed so that you can layer them together to create a third scent altogether. Both perfumes feature zingy citrus notes, bergamot and warm musk. The women’s scent has the addition of notes of sweet vanilla, while the men’s version features amber. They’re both lovely, autumnal scents that are quite unusual but I opted for the men’s version because I love amber. The bottle is a chic, angular glass affair with a wooden lid and the box features exclusive black and white still photography making either perfume a great addition to your dressing table. …

Glossier Beauty Haul 

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I’ve been a ‘fan’ of Glossier since their creation a couple of years ago – and this is despite never using the brand as they don’t ship to the UK. As I work in digital retail, I love their social presence, slick website and amazing brand identity. Plus I’d also heard nothing but glowing reviews about their products. And then there’s the packaging… pink, girly and gorgeous. Now, after using My Mallbox (a mail forwarding service) I’ve finally got my mitts on a few Glossier products. Here is the review. Balm Dotcom This is the best lipbalm ever. Fact. Aside for the great packaging, it has a wonderfully thick texture and feels super-nourishing. The cherry flavour has a pretty pink tint and the coconut one smells divine. Super Pure Serum When I first tried this I was suffering from an epic outbreak of those, like, really painful, red cystic spots (sexy, right?). After using this once, they calmed right down and they were gone much sooner than I expected. A miracle product. Priming Moisturiser This …

byredo black saffron perfume bottle

Finding Your Signature Scent 

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When I was younger I never bothered with perfume as I went by the rule of ‘if no one can see it, I’m not spending money on it’. This rule also covered underwear, pyjamas and ‘house clothes’ all of which consisted of anything my mum had bought me or ex-boyfriends’ t-shirts. Now I’m a real-life grown up lady woman, I appreciate the power of a great fragrance; and I do my research. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I don’t want one of those sickly sweet scents that everyone down Topshop is wearing, there are so many lesser known perfumers that it’s possible to find a perfume as unique as you. That’s cheesy I realise, so perhaps I need to search for some eau de brie… What’s your flavour? I like to start with my ‘womanly essence’, or in less twatty terms, my personality. So maybe that’s where you should start. Are you sexy and sultry, youthful and girly or chic and sporty? I’m a bit sensual (ooh er) and, I like to think, …

My Beauty Routine

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I would say I’m pretty low-maintenance, although I love to experiment with new lotions and potions. During the day I don’t wear much makeup at all (except for filling in my brows with Rimmel Brow Pencil in Brown/Black) so it’s important my skin looks clear. If I eat badly I break out so I try and drink gallons of water and lots of green veg and eggs, I do have a sweet tooth but I think as long as the good outweighs the bad it’s cool. I drink the Hemsley + Hemsley green juice a few times a week which gives you an inner glow. My skin is quite sensitive so I’m drawn to unfragranced products and love French pharmacy brands like La Roche Posay which you can get easily in the UK now. Their Effaclair face wash is amazing, I buy the biggest bottle they do, it makes your face feel super-clean but doesn’t strip it of all its oils. I have shiny skin so I don’t moisturise in the morning unless it’s deep winter …

Living in a Bikini When You Don’t Have a ‘Bikini Body’

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One of my biggest trepidations about going travelling, especially to Thailand where I am now, was my body. I’ve spoken previously on the blog about rejecting the media’s portrayal of the perfect female form, and I do stand by that. It’s just hard to wash away 20 years of body neuroses in an instant. I went travelling right after Xmas. With the Christmas weight of a girl who knew she wouldn’t be home for a long time. I honestly thought I’d lose weight in India due to Delhi belly but sadly/gladly the food was so tremendous I gained weight! Even a bad case of food poisoning didn’t make a dent in my behind. And so the time came to shed the layers and get into beach life in Thailand. Honestly the first time I put in a bikini I had a nervy spasm. You know when you look at your body and think ‘who even is that?’. Inevitably when you’re in a tropical paradise there will be beautiful lithe women who make you feel inferior, …

6 Alternatives to a ‘Beach Body’

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The term ‘beach body’ has had a lot of bad press recently. It all started last summer with Protein World’s bikini-clad campaign and culminated in Women’s Health banning the phrase. Now, I don’t know why that particular ad started the backlash, because it’s something anyone who has ever bought any women’s magazine ever will have seen a million times before. In and of itself, the saying ‘beach body’ is not offensive at all, but the expectation that all us mere mortals should be 5’10”, beach blonde, long-legged, big-titted, with an ass like Kim Kardashian, abs like Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston arms is so overwhelmingly unachievable. Not to mention we all need to have completely hairless bodies, with no excess fat (except on the aforementioned ass and tits) the colour of molten gold that don’t sweat… enough already. Lets’s look our bests, yes, but in an inclusive, mentally healthy way. With that in mind, here are my six alternatives to that impossible ‘beach body’. 1. A HUGE F*CKING SMILE This is so cliché and I …

Backpacker Beauty: The Ultimate Edit

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We must first discard any wild notions of looking like Kim Kardashian on the beach. This is impractical and will not happen. You will look more like Helena Bonham Carter in Harry Potter (or indeed Helena Bonham Carter in anything). And that’s okay, come to terms with that. While accepting a more low-key look is important, obviously there are a few beauty tips and tricks to ensure you make the most of your natural beauty while travelling… MY FAILSAFE KIT You only need a small, teeny makeup kit I have detailed every single product right HERE. As for the rest take multitasking products and lots of sunscreen. Other amazing products are: Eucerin Sun Creme SPF 50 Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Glossier Balm Dotcom Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream Le Labo Santal 33 Solid Perfume THINK SKINCARE NOT MAKEUP Again, makeup in 40 degree heat is as much use as an ashtray on a speedboat. That shiz is gonna slide off your face like oil so focus of healthy glowing skin. You get good skin by …

Makeup to Put in Your Backpack

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This article has been a long time in the making as I have edited and whittled down all my makeup leaving only the most essential products. Everything on this list has earned its place and the final edit won’t take up much space at all!   Makeup bag Choose a small one to prevent shoving too much slap in there! Also select a plastic or wipe-down style rather than fabric as it’ll be much easier to clean. Mine is the size of a pencil case for reference. ASOS have a great range>>> Convertible Colour This is a product that can be used on lips or cheeks and as its a cream, it’ll work well in hot climates. Mine is a natural pink shade from Lipstick Queen which gives my cheeks a healthy glow, but I also like Stila’s colours.  Foundation/Concealer Not a thick flaky one, but just something you can use to cover any blemishes. I like Illamasqua Skin Base because it’s quite light. I have it a couple of shades darker than my skin (SB 13) …