Face masks VLOG - why they are good for your skin and my faves...

Here's my latest vlog - about the benefits of face masks and my personal faves...

Summer Skincare Vlog!

My new vlog is out today - it's a list of ideas and tips to provide proper skincare for yourself in all this sunshine!

Enjoy :) x

Underwear, Body Positivity and Ageing

My third piece of The Huffington Post has been published!

This time I'm looking at how you can use underwear to help yourself feel fantastic regardless of the changes your body goes through as we get older.

Personally, I can be quite conscious of the stretch marks and looser skin around my tummy that have been left by my two wonderful pregnancies. Does this mean I don't wear underwear to feel sexy? Quite the opposite!

Dig in and I hope you will find something useful to you :)

Full article here

I've also recently vlogged on this subject - take a look: 

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask VLOG

New vlog all about this little beauty, hope you enjoy x

Natura Bisse Facial and Product VLOG

My latest vlog about luxury skincare brand Natura Bisse - the facial they invited me to try and a few products I love. Hope you enjoy and please do feedback x

New products from Aurelia Probiotic Skincare

After hot footing it back from Ibiza last week, I jumped on the tube, bright and early one morning, to head to Aurelia Probiotic Skincare’s pop-up shop in Piccadilly, London, to meet their team, and check out three new products they are adding to their line.

Aurelia, founded by dermatology expert Claire Vevo, is a British, all-natural, anti-ageing skincare range which uses probiotics to help manage the levels of inflammation within the skin which is one of the primary causes of skin ageing.

Their aim is to offer age-defying technology, without synthetics, parabens, phthalates or other unnecessary additives which could compromise the integrity of the plant extracts and essences they use.

The new products being launched are:

1. Botanical Cream Deodorant:

This tub of deodorant is a natural, aluminium-free formula that contains antimicrobial Arrowroot and pure Kaolin.

What’s slightly weird is you scoop a little bit out and apply it with your finger like a cream but when on the skin it turns into a powder-like consistency.

It contains Tea-tree, Eucalyptus and Peppermints oils for their antiseptic and antibacterial properties and Shea Butter to gently hydrate - it smells lovely as do all the Aurelia products.

To be honest I haven’t tried it yet, as I am finishing my current deodorant – but I am definitely going to give it a go and I’ll report back once I have used it for a few weeks.

2. Calming Botanical Essence:

This is a lightweight facial mist designed to relieve stress whilst soothing the mind. This kind of product is right up my street – I love skincare products that have a strong mind-body connection.

The mist is made from filtered glacier water and rose quartz crystal water, with a blend of essential oils including Linden Blossom, Chamomile, Camellia and Lavender – which aid relaxation and Fragonia extract which is known to alleviate jet lag and insomnia.

Facial mists are great to use as toners after cleansing, but also to set and refresh your make up throughout the day.

3. Brightening Botanical Essence:

The Brightening Botanical Essence has been created to uplift, energise and invigorate the skin and mind - it also contains magnesium salts to detoxify the skin. The blend of essential oils in the Brightening complex includes Geranium, Cedarwood, Fennel and Magnolia.

This, I have tried, and I love it.

What really stood out to me was whilst Aurelia is a luxury brand, the education of younger women in skincare is high on their lists of priorities. As a mother of a 19 year old – this really appealed to me.

Sometimes, when you are younger or on a budget you feel you can't justify investing in products that are more expensive. But Aurelia are keen to educate young women about their natural approach to skincare and the fact that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in it.

Also, as I have mentioned before on my blog - sometimes a higher priced product will go further in the long run...I knew a little bit about Aurelia before my visit, but I left armed with some lovely products and much more info... and it seems their passion and belief is contagious - altogether a lovely brand.  

UMA Oils and Anti- Aging - My Autumn Skincare Regime VLOG

 Here's my new VLOG, hot of the press x

Stellar beauty treatments in SW London

(Bellissima Beauty Boutique in Wimbledon Village)

Rummaging around in my wallet last week I found a “£25 off” voucher for use in January at my local beauty salon, Bellissima Beauty boutique.

I don’t know if you are like me, because whilst I love a voucher or a special offer I tend to put them in my wallet or handbag and then rediscover them after the expiry date. Very frustrating…Anyway, I found this voucher in good time and booked an appointment for yesterday afternoon and took a sneaky hour and a half off and went to have a massage and a facial.

Bellissima Beauty Boutique is the salon I featured on my blog in the post, “Do you want low maintenance lovely lashes? Try this...” owned by 29 year-old Simona Masso.

Simona as I have said before, is pretty damn impressive in my opinion. Her first salon in Wimbledon Village is coming up to five years old and she has now opened a second salon in Raynes Park (right opposite Raynes Park station if you are worried about getting there).

“Bellissima Beauty & Relax” or Bellissima Raynes Park as I have it filed in my head is bigger than its Wimbledon Village sister. The idea, I think, is it is more of a spa-like environment where you are likely to go for more relaxing, longer treatments.

Having said this, both salons do everything – whether you need a manicure express, wax or a more luxurious treatment like a facial.

Anyway, back to me, and yesterday’s treatments. I had my massage and facial with Victoria Gratrick, one of the lovely therapists at Raynes Park.

A working mother, Victoria’s CV is ridiculously impressive and the places she has been headhunted to work at read like the “who’s who” of the beauty world.

From the moment I lay down on the heated bed I prayed for time to go as slowly as possible. I momentarily forgot that I would have to get back to my working day - it was unadulterated bliss.

Every treatment is tailor made for your needs and the salons use Murad and Mio products. In fact, I believe Victoria is the only trainer for Mio in the country and has designed a lot of the massage techniques used in the treatments.

I have been suffering with neck and shoulder pain over the last few weeks and came out feeling more mobile and my face was glowing after the facial.

All the therapists at both salons are trained meticulously but the most obvious thing is they clearly love what they do.

A quick word about the voucher I had. Simona and her team excel at keeping their clients happy. There are always discounts and deals galore.

You can buy courses of treatments where you pay for a certain number and get a certain number free, you get a loyalty card - which gets stamped each time you spend £50. Depending on how many stamps you have you could get a free file and paint, back massage or an hour’s facial.

So using my voucher and a loyalty stamp my visit cost £32.50, yep, you read that correctly…and it was top notch.

I’m an only child, so normally sharing is hard for me. But the care, treatments, expertise and wonderful vibe in the Bellissima salons are worth sharing. If you fancy A-list treatments, with wonderfully qualified therapists at really competitive prices – you should really check it out…

(http://www.bellissimawimbledon.co.uk)       

Shoes: Pleasure and Pain at the V&A

I have made no secret of my love for shoes. In fact, I can be rather cagey about how many pairs I own, only because I have never dared count them all. I’m not challenging Imelda Marcos or anything, whom I learned yesterday had 1060 pairs of shoes - but I would say my collection for a lowly fashion devotee is pretty impressive.

Anyway, given my affinity for footwear it didn’t take much to convince me to visit the V&A’s exhibition – Shoes: “Pleasure and Pain” and catch up with a friend I met on a Shoe Design Course I did at the London College of Fashion a few years ago.

The exhibition looks at the extremes of footwear from around the world. About 200 pairs of shoes are displayed ranging from an ancient Egyptian sandal decorated in pure gold leaf to the most coveted modern day designs by Christian Louboutin, Sophie Webster and Jimmy Choo to name a few. The exhibition also covers the cultural significance of shoes and looks at the latest developments in footwear technology.

There is a section that looks at shoe production - from mass manufacture to bespoke - and also a 12 minute documentary featuring five designers including Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik, who is hysterically funny when “poo-pooing” the use of computers and mood boards in the design process - well worth a watch – entertaining and illuminating.

In addition to displays on the different processes behind making shoes, there is an upstairs section dedicated to people who collect shoes. Three shoe collectors were invited to select ten pairs of shoes that they thought best illustrated their characters. I loved this section and found it fascinating as I really feel any style choice we make reflects our personalities or a facet of it at least.

I’m not quite sure which ten pairs of my shoe collection I would choose if asked…I am not known for sensible or practical footwear ever…in fact some of my friends think it’s odd that I don’t own a pair of wellingtons – but why would I?Anyway, if you have a free hour or so to peruse some beautiful and unusual things and get a little insight into the creation and manufacturing process of shoes, head off to the V&A. Quite frankly the V&A continues to be a lovely place to while away the hours – so much to see and soak up.

I leave with you a quote which you will see as you enter the exhibition - but if you don’t get there – here it is anyway – “To wear dreams on one's feet is to begin to give a reality to one's dreams.’ – Roger Vivier.

Prismologie - body care to stir the senses through colour and nature

 A few weeks ago, whilst running errands I found myself outside my local Space NK and something caught my eye. I am always impressed by great window dressing because it draws you in, just as it is supposed to - and there in the window was Prismologie, a brand new skincare line, clean contemporary packaging with a vibrant blast of colour.

I love trying new things, so I thought I’d take a look at the range. I decided on the foaming body scrub with Cedarwood and ruby (from the Red Hour section) and the rich body cream with Neroli and diamond (from the White Beginning products).

Prismologie is the brainchild and first skincare line from Intisar and Fatima Alsabah, a mother and daughter team from Kuwait; they describe themselves as women who “have always wanted to provide people with tools to empower themselves.”

Their concept began when they started connecting the huge impact colours have on people’s moods and attitudes. They were looking for a brand that used the power of colours, but couldn't find one. So they thought they would create one themselves.

In their own words, “We all react very naturally and intuitively to colour. We understand colour but we don't always embrace its powerful effects on us. We want to invite people to engage with colours in a different way, to notice what they feel and to decide how they want to feel. We want the colours in our range to set the tone of people’s days and encourage them to reconnect with themselves.“

“When we started thinking about how we want to add colour to our daily lives, we realised that a body care routine is a given for most people. We all shower, we need something to moisturise our skin with and so on. We all live very busy lives and we sometimes get carried away and don't realise that we have forgotten to focus on ourselves even for a few minutes to give ourselves the care we need. We chose body care most specifically because caring for your body is usually a very personal experience, whereas one’s face is usually something people care for in part for others to see; not always just for ourselves.”

For me, this idea makes total sense; I personally am very colour driven and also am very aware, given my Indian heritage, of the chakras and the colours associated to them, which interestingly tie into the Prismologie brand. Colours affect my mood without doubt, and I definitely go through phases of being drawn more strongly to certain colours than others. I think we all do, even if we are not consciously aware of it.

And I suppose we all pick clothes to suit our moods, to boost our confidence. I certainly know from myself and other friends that we may even choose our underwear to make us feel good/beautiful/sexy/empowered on a particular day; so, why not take it a step further, with what you choose put on your body before you get dressed?

Prismologie is a high-end brand, so not cheap, but from personal use, a little goes a long way. And the effects of the beautiful ingredients are that my skin is silky smooth and the positive stimulation of my senses seems very real. If you fancy a treat or change, Prismologie is really worth checking out.

To find out more about the brand and products in detail, check out Prismologie (http://www.prismologie.com). Prismologie can be found at online and at Space NK stores (spacenk.com)PS: It’s good to note that Prismologie products do not contain GM ingredients, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), Petrolatum or Propylene Glycol, Parabens, animal derivatives or products that have been tested on animals. They do not agree with animal testing and every single element of packaging is recyclable and they only use FSC cardboard and reusable glass.  

My five fav beauty products right now

I am not, as I have said previously, a beauty expert. However, I use products and I know what like. For many years my go-to brands were Dermalogica and Elemis. Both of which, I think are fantastic, but on occasion I have branched out and experimented with new products and if I love them, I stick with them. I also find, and maybe this is just me but sometimes mixing and matching different brands can be very effective.

Now, the products I am highlighting are higher-end products. There are three points I’d like to make here. Firstly, these are a selection of products I personally use; secondly, I am not 17 so my skin needs targeted help sometimes (!). And thirdly, sometimes a product seems like costly but then lasts for ages and produces noticeable results – so might be worth the investment.

So here goes: 

John Masters Organics, Vitamin C Anti-aging Face Serum

I have used this for years now. I love it and though I might have a break, I always come back to it. I know Vitamin C has been hailed for sometime as a key anti-aging ingredient – this really works. It is light, but penetrates your skin and gives instant lasting radiance. 

Balbec Beauty’s Restorative Oil with frankincense & geranium

You may have read my post on Balbec and may be thinking “here she goes again with her cousin’s wife’s brand”. But this is really good. The frankincense is wonderful for aging skin because it stimulates cell regeneration and geranium stimulates the lymph system and also aids with cell regeneration. 

Aurelia’s Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser

I must be honest, I bought this product because my usual moisturiser was out of stock and I was looking at a few options. I think I plumped for this one because the texture was light but rich if that makes any sense, and the packaging appealed to me. What can I say? Sometimes I am a real girl! Anyway, I am delighted I happened on this brand - I love it. The cream is makes my skin almost immediately radiant and vibrant. 

Nude’s Miracle Mask

This is another product I have used for a while. On their website Nude say it is, “an exfoliating mask that works to brighten and resurface skin”. Yes, a definite yes. I was first sold this by being told that make up artists often use this on models before preparing for a shoot. And whilst I am no model, I would quite like similar results where possible. 

Nars Multi-Protect Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

This again is a staple for me. I am quite OCD about sunscreen and paranoid about sun damage. And in general I don’t wear foundation except for special occasions. So I find if I put this primer over my moisturiser I seem to look a little bit more “polished”. It’s light and contains mineral powders to blur fine lines and wrinkles – who doesn’t love a blurred wrinkle? So there you have it some of my favourite products. Tell me about your favourite products and what you think I should try. 

Feeling the beauty buzz for Balbec

Discovering new things, whatever they are, always give me a bit of a buzz. Skin care products are no exception.

I am quite touchy about my skin, I had very bad eczema as a child and was admitted to hospital twice as my skin became badly infected. Apart from unhealthy skin, as a teenager being acutely aware of looking awful at times triggered lots of issues (as you can imagine). But I digress. Maybe those issues are posts for another day, if you want to talk issues I have an extensive list...

So. Skincare. I am a fan of products that are as natural as possible (although I appreciate sometimes skincare can need a bit of an added oomph). So on a recent trip to New York, I was delighted when I stumbled upon a new product called Balbec in my cousin’s bathroom.

My excitement multiplied when I discovered that this range was created by my cousin’s wife, Maneesha Patel. But, that’s not the headline. I’m telling you about these products because I've tried them, I liked them and they have worked for me. If it hadn’t I wouldn’t be writing about it (I wouldn’t want to hurt my lovely cousin-in-law's feelings!).

I am a fan of oils and Maneesha very kindly gave me a few bottles (well, I am family after all!). I used them under my moisturiser during the day and on their own at night and after a few days my skin was more glowing and radiant.

Whilst my skin problems took over my childhood and teenage years, Maneesha started having problems with her own skin as an adult. She found no respite from mass-produced skincare brands or from dermatologists' recommendation, so she was compelled to create something that worked for her.

She began a facial cleansing regimen based on a classic Indian preparation of yoghurt and turmeric and created fresh, preservative-free, food-grade & nutrient-dense preparations. She even got used refrigerating her cleanser and toner!

I guess the kicker here is you have to accept a shorter shelf life for your skincare products. But the ingredients are so pure and fresh it makes perfect sense.

A lot of thought and care has gone into this range (trust me, I know the creator). The name "Balbec" has been taken from the seaside resort in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, where the narrator recuperates from his illness within a landscape of fresh air, sea, and light. Knowing the origin of the name adds something intangible.

I am well aware that different people like different things. But I want to share with you things that I like, and work for me.At the moment, Balbec is in its infancy and is only available in the US, but I have a feeling it might be winging its way to our shores at some point.

And on that note, in case Maneesha is reading this, I have run out of my lovely oils…

Check it out, www.balbecbeauty.com