Spring clean your beauty regime

The daffodils are blooming, the temperature outside is slowly rising & the clocks have gone forward, which means one thing - spring is officially here!

When spring time hits, everyone appears to be happier and more cheerful, as it’s the time of year to get everything in order & spring clean your life – the office, the house, clearing out the toys the kids have outgrown; so why not also think about giving your beauty routine a spring clean?! Here are 4 steps to have spring fresh skin to last you until summer:

1. Throw out old products

Have a spring clean of your beauty products and check their expiration dates. Makeup & skincare products do expire, so if you keep using them you could risk spreading bacteria which causes skin infections & break outs. A rough guide to how long products last:

Mascara – 3 months

Concealer – 6 months

Lipstick – 1 year

Foundation – 1 year

For skincare such as moisturiser & cleanser etc, be sure to check for an a expiration date.

Remember to also never use an old applicator in fresh products, as the applicator will transfer bacteria to the new product.

2. Wash your brushes

Makeup brushes are prime breeding grounds for bacteria. If you use your brushes every day, you should be washing them every week. Of course, we’re all human and this is definitely one of those chores we tend to “forget” every now and then, so what better time to remind yourself and get washing?!

3. Update your products for spring

During the cold winter, all our skin wants is a thick moisturiser to counter-balance the freezing temperatures. However, your winter moisturiser is probably too rich for summer, so it’s a good idea to switch to one that’s lighter one. Try the Guinot Creme Hydra Finish tinted moisturiser for a healthy glow, which also has SPF 15 – perfect for spending those spring days picnicking in the park!

4. A new mani

What better way to welcome spring than to get rid of that winter ox-blood manicure and re-fresh those fingertips with a pastel blue or green. Our Shellac manicures last up to 2 weeks with no chips! Call us to book an appointment – 020 8301 0040

Eat your way to great skin

We all get good skin days and bad skin days, and although the odd break out sometimes can’t be helped, our skincare & diet are two large factors that affect your skin. On top of the usual cleansing, toning, moisturiser, face-mask, facial (see past blog posts for skincare tips & recommended products), a good diet is essential for healthy, glowing skin. Here are 5 foods to eat your way to great skin:

1. Avocado

Avocado has been in the limelight amongst the healthy ‘super-foods’ recently and this is for a good reason! It has a great source of vitamin E, which boosts the skin’s vitality & makes your skin glow.

Plus there are so many recipes & dishes that incorporate the green fruit, so you don’t bored of the same taste; salads, avocado on toast, avocado pasta – the possibilities are endless!

2. Water

Not really a food but its no secret that water is good for clearing your skin. It’s one of the cheapest & most effective ways to flush out the toxins in your system, so make sure you have the recommended 8 glasses a day!

3. Beetroot

One not to get on the carpet but worth eating regularly, as the nutrients in this root vegetable is great for skin healing and body cleansing.

4. Kale

Another on trend craze is kale. The leafy greens contain a full range of vitamins as well as manganese, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, protein and phosphorus (phew!). We love adding a handful of kale into a soup for a real skin-clearing tonic.

5. Dark Berries

Not only are berries jammed with skin clearing antioxidants, but they’re packed with fibre too: great for staving off hunger pangs and regulating insulin production.

5 skin-care habits you should do before bed

Your bed time routine maybe a bath, brushing your teeth and slapping on a bit of pre-sleep moisturiser, but in this post, we are going to be telling you what skin-care steps you should be taking before the big sleep every night. After all you sleep for a long time (roughly 8 hours), so during that stretch of time, your skin needs a little more TLC before you attend to it in the morning again.

1. Remove all make up

Not a surprising one, but sleeping with make up on is a big no no! Make up clogs up the pores and doesn’t let your skin breathe and rest; so make sure to remove all traces of make up. We know mascara and liquid eye-liner sometimes doesn’t budge, so try Guinot Hydra Démaquillant Yeux, (Gentle Eye Makeup Remover) which is great for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

2. Pin your hair back

Your hair contains oils and dirt that can get on your face and cause breakouts. Tie your hair back to keep it off your face while you sleep.

3. Treat your skin before bed with a mask

Not essential for every day, but it’s nice to give your skin a little extra pampering some nights with a face mask. One of our faves is the Guinot Eclat Lifting Face Mask, which is packed with Vitamin C & helps to hydrate the skin – a perfect before bed mask.

4. Apply an eye cream

Another beauty tip that’s no secret, but eye creams are important to keep that skin looking young and fresh. Apply the Dermalogica Intensive Eye Cream around the eyes to help combat signs of premature ageing skin & damage. You’ll thank yourself come morning, when your skin will be plump, hydrated and ready for the day ahead!

5. Drink hot water

Water is nature’s best beauty tip, as it obviously hydrates your body and skin. Drinking hot water, however, increases your blood circulation, which results in better skin complexion. The warmth of hot water makes you feel relaxed before bed, plus the steam that comes from hot water makes a great ‘mini face steam’!