Spring Clean Skincare Essentials!

So as the winter is slowly disappearing and spring is in the air I thought I would go through a few alterations to your skincare and body routine to help our skin through the transition. After winter our skin can be feeling a little dehydrated and tired from the cold and in need of a pick me up....

All the info: Elemis Biotec Facials

I am very excited to be bringing something new to salon and thought I would share a bit more information on the amazing Elemis Biotec Facials!

Are you ready to switch your skin back on? All you need to know....New Elemis Biotec Product Range

4 out of 5 adults (79% ) in the UK say they hate feeling low on energy! 

Modern life is accelerating at such a rate now and were all feeling the struggle to keep up, we sleep less, work more, socialise more and try to keep on top of absolutely everything with minimal time! Its no wonder were all lacking energy. 

How to... Get a good night's sleep

There is nothing more frustrating than a lack of sleep or not being able to get to sleep and it starts to have an effect on the body, skin and general state of mind. I go through phases of bad sleep cycles myself so I know the effects it can have. The reasons that people struggle to sleep can vary from hormonal imbalance, certain medication, general stress or just plain insomnia, here's a few things to try to help combat the bad cycle of getting no sleep.

Create the right routine:

Most people find baths relaxing and in an ideal world we would all have an extra hour every night to have a bath, unwind and drift off but in the real world when we are all so busy that just isn't always possible but its worth trying to get into some sort of routine to let the body know its nearly sleep time. 

Here's what I do; I try not to look at my phone or computer at least 30 minutes before bedtime, I like to spend around 5-10 minutes doing my evening skincare routine, I then have a warm drink before actually going to bed and always apply the Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm and Hand Cream once I'm actually in bed. If I have more time or I am going through a spell of struggling to get to sleep I try and make as much time as I can to have baths on an evening as I do find it really helps and its worth it in the long run to start to get back into a good pattern. 

Write it down!: 

All the thoughts and ideas and things you need to remember magically pop into your head as soon as it hits the pillow! So frustrating, so I find its best to write it down. Even though its not good to use your phone before bed I do use the notes section on my phone or you could keep an actually notepad by the bed to write things down, it clears your mind and then you can switch off after. 

Distract the mind:

The old myth of counting sheep actually has some truth in it and if you distract the mind from the fact you cant sleep it will drift off.

I don't actually count sheep but I learnt a technique from the "Headspace" meditation app, once your in bed and comfortable, take some really deep breaths, then go over your day. 

Only briefly and not going into too much detail but maybe around 10-15 points in your day, even just "got up, had breakfast, drove to work, walked the dog" etc. and don't focus in too much on the activities. 

Once you've done this you then mentally work your way through the body starting at the head and focus in on each body part, the head, the face, the neck, the back...... until you reach your feet. The whole time taking deep breaths and relaxing. 

By the time you've done this you will have completely forgotten about the fact you cant sleep and I often find I don't make it to the end before I'm asleep or feel really drowsy once I've finished. 

Make your bedroom a calm place:

Make sure you enjoy the room you sleep in as it needs to be a calm place. Even if there's a basket of washing in the room and you haven't had time to put it away just move it out of the room whilst your sleeping. And obviously make sure your pillows are right for you and your mattress is suiting your needs.

Use aromatherapy:

Some people are sceptical of the use of aromatherapy oils but is a form of "therapy" and works on the body and mind to create amazing results. You want to make sure your using calms scents like lavender and chamomile to de stress the mind. 

The Elemis De Stress Massage Oil is great to apply to the arms and around the shoulders before bed so you can really take in the beautiful aroma of pure essential oils of Rosewood, Melissa, Marjoram, Geranium, Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile. Its bliss and my Mom swears by using this before bedtime!

Hope some of these help you drift off into the land of nod.....

Shop here for any of the products mentioned.

NEW Limited Edition Bare Minerals Collection; Lovescape

Bare Minerals have launched a new limited edition collection called Lovescape for spring/summer and the're to die for!!!

All about glowy, bronzed skin and luminous eyes this is a look you will love!

 There are 5 products in the collection and here's all the info on them all:

1. bareMinerals READY Color Boost - The Stolen Heart £24

This is a mix of a blusher and a highlighter, you could either sweep the brush over the whole thing and apply to the cheeks or use the highlighter shade on its own over the cheekbones, brow bone and as an eyeshadow base to give a radiant glow.

2. bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow quad - The Instant Attraction £29

This is 4 beautiful eyeshasdows and my personal favourite of the whole collection, I couldn't wait to try these out when I first got them! All the colours compliment each other well and can all be used to create a really glam look or just use a couple for a more subtle effect. 

3. bareSkin Sheer Sun Serum Bronzer £25

This is a permanent new launch for BareMinerals so after this collection has sold out you will still be able to purchase this product. This was a whole new territory for me, using a liquid bronzer and it took me a couple of goes to get it right but now I love it! You can apply this using the perfecting face brush to areas that would naturally catch the sun, forehead, cheekbones and down the nose, you can also mix this with your moisturiser to create a slightly glowy tanned look (perfect for holidays) or put a couple of drops in with your favourite liquid foundation to make it a couple of shades darker in the summer months. The texture is light and it gives a sheer coverage so you don't need to be too precise.

4. Perfecting Face Brush (Limited-Edition Gold Edition) £24

This is an existing Bare Minerals brush just in a lovely gold edition. The synthetic fibres make it perfect for applying liquid products, (natural brushes absorb too much of a liquid product meaning you waste alot). You drop 1-2 drops of either the new sheer sun bronzer or the Bareskin foundation into the "well" of the brush and buff over the skin for a flawless application. 

5. Marvelous Moxie Lipstick - Chase Your Dreams £17

I would describe this shade as a rosy, dusky pinky bronzy colour! It looks lovely with the full look and great for a bit more than a nude but still very light and summery! 

All these products are available in the salon and on the website www.wishlistbeauty.com

All you need to know: New Elemis Pro-Collagen Neck & Décolleté Balm

The neck and décolleté area is different to the skin on the face and can be one of the first places to show signs of ageing so its really important to treat this area well and Elemis have launched a new product for this area; the Pro Collagen Neck and Décolleté Balm £49 50ml

This product has a powerful list of ingredients including; Sea Buckthorn oil which is one of the richest known plant sources of fatty acid Omega-7, marine algae Padina Pavonica to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, Tree Fern extract to firm and Chlorella Vulgaris to increase skin elasticity and smoothness. 

And there are clinical trials to back up the powerful results you will get from this product; "In just 28 days the neck and décolleté appear plumper, smoother, softer and more youthful*" (*Independent Clinical Trial 2015)

I found this product's texture slightly different to other Elemis products, its absorbs into the skin quickly and you can almost feel it firming the area, it leaves the skin feeling very nourished and hydrated. 

To apply this product you should use upward sweeping movements and then just leave to dry, this image shows exactly where you should apply the product:

After application apply your normal day or night cream and you can just take the excess over the neck area or you could apply the Pro Collagen Lifting Neck and Bust Treatment to really go to town on the anti ageing!

This product is availble online click here and until the end of Feb get 20% off using promo code "love20"

Review: New Bare Minerals Bare Skin Additions!

Bare Minerals have launched a brand new product and some additional shades to an existing range, both in the Bare Skin range! Here's a bit more info on both.

BareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer £22

This is a full coverage concealer but with a serum lightweight texture, which is exactly what I'm always on the look out for when on the hunt for an under-eye concealer. The first time I used this product I actually applied way too much the coverage is that good it requires a lot less product than I'm used to!

This product also boasts high definition mineral optics to counteract dark circles and discolouration and humectants (ingredient designed to prevent moisture loss) which will nourish the under eye area. 

I personally really like this product and its my new must have product for under eye concealing, I didn't find this as good for breakouts but would work well on areas/patches of redness or discolouration. 

Its available in a great colour range too, with 6 shades, fair, light, medium, golden medium, tan and dark/deep  (shown below in that order).

BareSkin Perfecting Veil £22

Another new addition from Bare Minerals is 2 new shades to the BareSkin Perfecting Veil, originally there were 2 shades, 'light to medium' and 'tan to dark', but now there also 'medium' and 'dark to deep', meaning 4 shades so something for all. 

BareSkin Perfecting Veil is a weightless finishing powder, formulated with light-reflecting optics to help diffuse the look or appearance of fine lines, Lilac Plant Stems Cells and Vitamin C to help brighten your skin and a special blend of minerals to absorb excess oil and balance skin texture, so all round a great setting powder to apply over your foundation or for touch ups throughout the day. 

If you don't use a finishing/setting powder over the top of your foundation I really think your missing a trick, it makes it last longer and look flawless and even if you have a drier skin, choosing one like this perfecting veil from Bare Minerals means there are actual skincare ingredients in the powder to ensure it doesn't look cakey or dry. 

Both these products are available online at www.wishlistbeauty.com with 20% off until the end of feb 2016 using promo code "love20"