All Posts in "Makeup"

Festive Frills: How To Perfect Your Holiday Look

The holiday season is well and truly here and over the next few weeks, you might find yourself up to your eyeballs in festive and celebratory events. This is the time of the year in which letting loose and having a good time is practically enforced and in order to get into the swing of things, you’re going to need to get your makeup on point. Juggling multiple events need not be a tricky process. By going in for a different look for each party, you can effectively trial a new style at every holiday event, without having to splash the cash. Getting your makeup do the talking for you will take all the pressure off, helping you to make yourself up into whatever kind of festive face you fancy!

Bold Lips

Nothing says festive quite like a bold lip. While you might be more into the shy and retiring shades of pinks and nudes, the holiday season will help to ramp up your beauty style a little bit more and try something out of your comfort zone. If you’re new to the whole bold lip thing, try testing the waters with a darker neutral shade and gradually brightening it up. If, however, you’re a seasoned pro, this time of year will give you a great excuse to go even more dramatic with the trend. Add a little color, pile on the gloss and think about adding a little glitter into the mix for good measure. There’s no such thing as going overboard!

Glowing Skin

Got great skin? Now is the time to shine a light on it. Opting out of a more dramatic look to let your natural beauty do the talking is always a great idea and by ramping up your routine just a little, you can show off your best assets even more effectively. Dewy, glowing skin deserves to have a little extra sparkle at this time of the year, so make sure you pick your products accordingly. Getting that casual glow can be a little more tricky at this time of year, so trying an illuminating foundation can really help to perfect your look. Add a little highlighter on your cheekbones, on the center of your nose and on your forehead high points. You will catch the light at all the right angles.

Bright Eyes

Some say that the eyes are the best feature of a person’s face and if you’re of that mentality, you might choose to let yours do all the talking for you this festive season. Focusing on your eyes as part of your makeup is always a good idea, giving you a lot more leeway when it comes to experimenting with new looks. If you’re more of a neutral person, making your eyeshadow shades that little bit darker when it comes to the holiday season can give you an instant day to night look. To make things that bit more dramatic, try adding on a little extra eyeliner before you go out and filling in your eyebrows. Your look will pop, even in the dark.

Loose Waves

Now is the time of the year in which to make the most of your locks. Going for a ramped up style can be just the thing to perfect your festive look, so don’t be afraid to try something that’s new for you. When it comes to holiday parties, a perfected wave is always going to go down a treat. Giving you that just-polished-enough look, waves can be dressed up or down accordingly, depending on the type of gathering that you’re attending. Add a little extra hairspray if you’re taking the look from day to night and let your hair do all the talking for you!

Glitter Goals

Feeling a little more confident in the makeup department? This is the time of year in which to really ramp things up a gear. If you’ve got a whole lot of parties to attend and you really want to make a bold statement, opting for a little festive glitter is a fantastic idea. Taking applying the glitter to one part of your face as a rule of thumb can stop things from getting too over the top and help you to focus your makeup look on one area alone. Using glitter on either your eyes or your lips will give you that festive glow for which you might be searching, making every gathering all the more festive. Pick a shade, pare back the makeup elsewhere on your face and you’ll have a look worth talking about!

Hannah Lamarque by — December 22, 2016 in Beauty 0
Need To Know: A Guide To Cruelty Free Makeup

With so many options at the drugstore, it’s easier than ever to go completely cruelty-free with your makeup choices. While getting into the lifestyle choice can get a little getting used to, you can soon shake up your branding choices in order to ensure you’re making a more positive impact on the world around you. For all newbies to the subject, cruelty free products ensure that no animal testing methods were used in production and all materials inside followed the same kind of process. Ensuring parent companies and conglomerates associated with each product are cruelty free, however, can be a little more complex, so it pays to really do your research before you get buying.

These makeup brands are not just at the top of their games but also, they ensure that each part of the production company is as kind as can be. Animal-friendly from start to finish, the makeup products will see you through for the long haul, helping the world to become a better place!

EcoTools Bamboo 5 Piece Brush Set

While you might be focused on the makeup products themselves, you might not have stopped to think about how the instruments you use in your routine were sourced. These EcoTools brushes are as safe as can be, following only the most ecological procedures in their production. A great starter collection for the makeup lover, the brush set ensures you get off on the right foot, helping you to apply your makeup while doing a little good, too.

Flower About Face Foundation With Primer

Getting your base down can make all the difference to your makeup look, so it’s worth investing your time in selecting the right product. The Flower About Face foundation is not only a worthy addition to your makeup routine but also, will help you to spread a little good around the planet. A two-in-one product, the foundation will help you save time in the morning and get a great amount of coverage in a couple of pumps. Better yet, the foundation is a cheaper alternative to the best high end brands, helping to keep your finances safe.

Mineral Fusion Blush

Mineral-based products are well worth looking into, particularly if flawless coverage is your thing. The Mineral Fusion Blush is one of the very best out there, giving you just the right kick of color without going overboard. As well as being cruelty-free, the product is free from talc, which can act as an allergen to more sensitive complexions. Stock your makeup draw up with this product and see how your beauty regime transforms itself.

Wet N Wild Contouring Palette

With so much emphasis going on the base, you might well think about investing in a really good contouring palette. If that’s the case, Wet N Wild has you well sorted, offering up a product as effective as it is kind to the environment. As well as coming in well below other contouring palettes, the product helps to warm up and define your complexion incredibly well. If natural contouring is your thing, this is the product for you, containing less harsh pigmentation for a more natural look.

Pixi Lash Line Ink

Defining your lash line can give you that made up look without piling on the extra makeup. If you’re looking for a natural approach to the look, the Pixi Lash Line Ink is a must for your makeup drawer. Defining your eyes in a simple flick, the product is as easy to use as it is effective. Pixi is also dedicated to ensuring that both its products and raw materials are never tested on animals, meaning you can happily enjoy any item in their collection!

E.L.F. Eyebrow Kit

Forgetting to focus on your eyebrows is practically a cardinal sin in the makeup world. If you’re looking for an effective, cruelty-free product, the E.LF. Eyebrow Kit is the product for you. Helping to define your brows without that “drawn on” look, the makeup lets you choose between a wax and a powder. The brush within the product is perfect for completing your look, so make sure you take the kit with you on the go.

Hannah Lamarque by — November 8, 2016 in Beauty 0
Hitting The Drugstore? Don’t Forget To Pick Up These Products

New season, new you. With fall well and truly on the cards, you might start to notice your skin suffering from your current routine. Changing up your products as the seasons roll around can ensure that you get the most out of your skincare and the best out of your complexion. If you’re looking for a good excuse to hit the drugstore, let the approaching cold season be your catalyst. These drugstore products will see you through any part of your beauty routine, making it easier than ever for you to upkeep your look and feel your best!

Micellar Water

If you find yourself wearing more makeup during the winter season, you’re probably not alone. The colder weather gives light to bolder, brighter styles and it’s a great opportunity to play with your look. With all that extra product on your face, however, you might struggle to find a way in which to get it all off at night. You need a thorough makeup remover to do the job. Enter micellar water. Gentle, deep cleansing and effective, the water can easily get rid of any makeup, leaving you with a clean face. While there are any number of varieties out there, Garnier’s micellar water is one of the most effective and affordable. Keeping your skin soft and clean, it’s bound to become a firm drugstore favorite throughout the seasons.

Liquid SPF

Just because you don’t notice the sun as much during the colder months, it doesn’t mean that it’s not still there. Protecting yourself against harmful UVA rays should be a permanent part of your skincare routine, no matter what the weather is like. If you’re on the hunt for a lightweight, streak free SPF, opting for a oil free liquid is probably your best bet. Drugstore products like Salma Hayek’s oil-free liquid SPF can see you through any season and easily slot into your existing routine. Easily blending with additional makeup, the liquid is practically undetectable on the skin. Just add it to your face and feel protected.

Rejuvenating Night Cream

No matter where you’re at in your life, you can always benefit from a rejuvenating night cream. Using the night in order to pump your skin with a little more moisture can plump up the skin surface and help to protect your complexion against changing temperatures. In the colder months, a vitamin C packed cream is always a great product to have on hand. The Lumene vitamin C cream will help to fill out any fine lines, plump up your skin and protect it from any daily damage. Soon, you might wonder how you did without the stuff!

Baby Oil

Not just for babies, baby oil can make an effective addition to any skincare routine. Using an oil in replacement of a body or face cream might seem like a daunting process at first but pretty soon, you might be wholly converted to the stuff. If you’re new to the whole oil thing, try to ease yourself into the process with Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Nourishing Oil. Combining apricot and grape seed oil, the product can be used on the face or the body, helping to hydrate the skin without weighing it down. Massage a few drops of the stuff into your skin, wait for it to sink it and enjoy hydrated skin all day long.

Radiance Serum

Going from the warmth of internal heating to the harsh cold of the outside world can cause your skin to dry out and flake. In order to feed it back as much hydration as possible, you can try turning to a radiance-boosting serum. If dull, tired skin is your problem, try turning to the Hylamide Booster Series Glow Radiance Booster Serum. Putting it on under your day cream or oil will help to protect out your deeper skin cells and mimic the effects of tanning without any sun damage. Not before long, you can have the complexion that you’ve always dreamed of!

Hannah Lamarque by — October 4, 2016 in Beauty 0
The Beauty Habits You Really Need In Your Regime

Getting into a good routine is all about making habits for yourself now and when it comes to your beauty regime, it’s no exception. The type of regime that you follow today can make all the difference for the future and even if you think you’re doing the right thing, it can be worth shaking things up from time to time. No matter your age, there are a number of basic steps that you could be taking in order to make things easier for yourself. Once you pick these basic habits up, you might wonder how you ever did without them before!

Remove Your Makeup

Thought that beauty had to be hard? Think again! Often, it is the simplest steps that are the most vital and when you overlook them in your routine, you make things harder for your skin in the long run. Taking off your makeup each night before you go to sleep is an essential step of the skin care process and will ensure that your pores are cleared from the day’s buildup. To get really glowing skin, remove your makeup and cleanse your face afterwards. Cleaning your face twice will ensure that any small traces of product are removed and your skin is sparkly clean before you apply any sort of moisturizer. No matter how hard you feel, try not to skip this step; you will thank yourself for it later.

Exfoliate It Away

The buildup of dead skin cells can lead to a tired, dull complexion. It’s time to put a stop to it! Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis can help to scrub away any impurities and remove that dry, scaly buildup that’s affecting the look of your complexion. It’s not just about your face, either, and by exfoliating all over your body, you can boost blood circulation and even minimize the spread of cellulite. Try using a dry brush or a loofah in your shower to scrub the dead cells away. Be careful only to do this every few days, however: over-exfoliation can make your skin feel more sensitive and sore.

Look At Your Shampoo

Are you fed up of lusting over other people’s hair? It’s worth turning your attention to the types of products in your shower. Your hair should be approached like your skin; you wouldn’t put any old products on your face, so why would you do the same thing to your hair? Depending on the type of hair chemistry you have, you should be choosing a product that is going to counteract any issues and improve the health of the follicle. If your hair is damaged, try turning to products with hydrating qualities. If, however, you suffer from greasy hair, a cleansing shampoo might be best for you. Think about what you want to improve and try streamlining your search according to that. You never know how much you can change.

Pile On The Moisture

Moisturizing your face and body is a vital step when developing a beauty routine and yet, so many people choose to forgo it in favor of other things. Keeping your skin well hydrated on a daily basis can give skin a plumper, fuller look, giving you a boost even when you’re feeling tired. While you’re lathering up, it’s worth checking that your facial moisturizer comes with an extra dose of SPF. Even if it’s not a sunny day, harmful UV rays come into contact with your skin and the less you protect yourself against them, the more chance you stand of damaged your cells for the worse. Choosing a moisturizer with added SPF makes things that bit easier, helping you to solve both steps with one product.

Use A Serum

With so many new beauty products hitting the shelves, it can often be difficult to know what trends are worth following and what aren’t. When it comes to applying a serum, it can seriously boost your beauty routine. Serums can quickly add a dose of essential nutrients into your skincare routine and better yet, they are often absorbed in a matter of seconds. The products contain active ingredients to overcome a whole roster of skincare issues, so make sure you choose a product to work alongside your routine. You can have glowing skin in no time at all!

Hannah Lamarque by — August 30, 2016 in Beauty 0
Arm Yourself: The Beauty Tools You Never Knew You Needed

Your beauty cupboard is only as good as the tools within it. While looking your best starts from the inside out, there are a number of ways you can make your life even easier and it all comes down to your makeup bag. Although you might be settled in your ways with your makeup, there are a number of tools that you can use to make your life even easier. Arming yourself with these brushes and everyday items will give you the look you’ve always dreamed of and better yet, they’re right at your fingertips. It’s time to make the most of what mother nature gave to you!

Light and Contour Brush

Makeup is in a whole different place now than it was even 3 years ago. Gone are the days of full base coverage and now, you might be more used to contouring and highlighting your way to perfection. Whether you take on the process like a professional or prefer a more subtle approach, you’re going to need a tool to help you perfect your look. Picking up a good quality light and contour brush can save you a huge amount of time and make your makeup set in place just as you wanted! Two headed brushes can easily be incorporated into your everyday routine and help you to layer on the highlight and contour without going over the top. When you want a more laid back look, you can use the brush for your powder, bronzer and brush; it’s the ultimate multitasker!

Scotch Magic Tape

Thought that your beauty tools had to come from the drugstore? Think again! There is a whole world of useful tools out there and for the most part, they’re lying amongst your everyday household objects. One tool that can save you a great deal of time and effort is Scotch magic tape. Clean, precise and easy to tear, the tape can help you to master some of the most difficult makeup looks, making perfecting your eye makeup a walk in the park. You can use the tape when applying a liquid eyeliner or a smokey eye. Angle an inch of tape from your bottom lash line towards your temple, apply your eyeliner and carefully peel away. A cleaner, sharper look can be yours within seconds!

False Eyelashes

From time to time, you want to go all out and when that happens, you’re going to need the right kinds of tools to help you get the look. Keeping a quality pair of false eyelashes in your makeup drawer is a great way of elevating your look in seconds, with virtually no effort on your part. Unless you’re confident at applying individual lashes yourself, you might want to consider investing in a good lash adhesive pack. The lashes will stick together in one go and can be reapplied using the natural glue. You can go from day to night in a matter of seconds!

Exfoliating Mitts

Beauty is about so much more than your face. Looking after your body from head to toe is all part and parcel of taking care of yourself and when it comes to feeling your best, you might want to focus on your skin. Smooth and supple skin is always a sign of great health but if you’re battling with the seasons, it can be harder to keep things in check. That’s where an exfoliator comes in. Keeping a pair of exfoliating mitts in your bathroom ensures that any dry patches are not left to build up, helping you to maintain a smoother appearance. While you might want to choose your brand, selecting individual mits is an easy way to target all of your body and get to those hard to reach areas.

Cleansing Sponge

Are you getting the most out of your cleanser? You might want to invest in a tool to improve its cleaning power. Cleansing sponges have long been used as a way of gently exfoliating the skin’s surface and making the cleanser itself go even further. Picking a sponge enriched with hydrating elements can cut down on any further damage to your skin, ensuring that your complexion looks at its glowing best. While you might want to use it every time you wash your face, keeping it in your bathroom for sporadic use can ensure that your skin always looks at its best!

Hannah Lamarque by — August 11, 2016 in Beauty 0
Endurance Beauty: How To Get Your Makeup To Last All Day

When it comes to your makeup, endurance is key. Finding the kinds of products to last all day can be a very real struggle and in the face of the natural elements and the environment, you can end up being on the losing side. Working hard to create the perfect look for any occasion should be rewarded and by tweaking your daily routine, you can get a beauty look that really lasts. It’s time to show the summer heat what you’re made of; these beauty tips are in it for the long haul.

Strip It Down

If you’re putting on makeup when you’ve already faced the elements, you don’t stand much of a chance. Water and oil don’t mix, so if your face is already a little greasy or wet, your makeup isn’t going to stick around for very long. Whenever you apply makeup – at any point of the day – make sure you’re starting with a clean canvas. Remove any excess dirt that might have built up with a gentle cleanser. After gently patting it dry, apply a lightweight moisturizer or an SPF and let it absorb into your skin. After that, you can really get going with your routine.

Prime Your Skin

While the amount of skin prepping products has shot through the roof in recent years, there are some products that can really make a difference to your routine. A pre-makeup primer is really great at making things stick around for longer and perfecting the quality of your skin. Now, there are a ton of different products on the market and you can select one to match your complexion. Using a primer will help to blend in any imperfections, smooth out your pores and keep things hanging around for longer. It’s an essential step when it comes to looking good.

Keep It Oil Free

When the temperature picks up, oily products are only going to become less effective. If you want to avoid the feeling of your foundation sliding down your face, then, it pays to go oil-free. Selecting a lighter based, longer lasting makeup can keep your face it check and significantly cut down on the re-applications. When you’re starting out, don’t forget to go in with a light hand. Applying thinner layers over a longer period of time can help you to keep a natural look while building coverage.

Set It Right

If you know you’re going to be out and about on a hot summer’s day, you’re going to want to do everything you can to ensure your makeup lasts for longer. Finishing off your look with a setting spray is a great way to lock everything in place and give your skin a burst of dewiness. Use this step before and after you do your makeup routine; your products will stick around for a whole lot longer if you do.

Keep Yourself Stocked Up

While you might not want to be reapplying your makeup all day, it pays to arm yourself with a few essential products to keep things in check. Products like a lip balm and a pressed powder can make all the difference and should always be a staple in your day bag. If you’re out in the sun, you might want to try investing in a matte finish SPF for any last minute touch ups. It pays to protect your skin when you’re under the sun’s rays.

Stop Touching Your Face

One of the biggest culprits when it comes to makeup removal is your hands. While you might not realize it, you touch your face at consistent intervals throughout the day and over time, it can result in a buildup of grease. What’s more, you’re more likely to have set of germs on your face, which can lead to more frequent breakouts over time. To keep things in check, keep your hands away from your face. Doing so can make all the difference!

Hannah Lamarque by — August 1, 2016 in Beauty 0
5 Essential Drugstore Beauty Buys

When it comes to beauty products, you might think that you have to spend big to get the best results. Luxury cosmetics brands rule the makeup world and when it comes to looking good, it can seem like you have to really splash the case in order to reap the results. It turns out, though, that you just might not have had all of the right information. Lurking deep in the drugstore are a whole range of multifunctional products that have all of the same tricks as their luxury counterparts and won’t cost you the earth. In the beauty world, it’s all about what you know and once you’ve figured out these drugstore makeup tricks, you might just be converted for life.

Cleansing Micellar Water, Simple

Removing your makeup can be a real pain and thanks to waterproof and smudge-free products, you might feel that getting a clean face is practically impossible. It could be time to shake things up. Simple’s Cleansing Micellar water is a cleanser, makeup remover and hydrator in one, cleaning your skin from any product build up you might experience throughout the day and leaving your complexion decidedly more fresh before you hit the hay. For the best results, apply the product to a cotton wool ball and lightly cleanse your face. After everything is removed, you simply need to rinse with fresh water and you’re good to go!

Professional Matte Lip Color, Elf

Getting your perfect bold lip is something that can take years to perfect and you might feel like you’ve tried every product out there. Until now, that is. Offering all the pigment of a luxury lipstick with the matte staying power of a Mac product, Elf’s Professional Matte Lip Color can transform any face for a fraction of the price. Want to pack a pigmented punch? Opt for the crimson stick; you won’t regret it.

Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter Smoothing Oil, Garnier

Want shiny, smooth locks? You need to add a boost of hydration to those ends. While investing in pricey haircare is one method of getting the ‘do of your dreams, you can also look to the drugstore for an equally effective range of products. When it comes to repairing damage, few products do it as well as Garnier’s Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter Smoothing Oil. Working right down the hair follicle, coconut oil can really help to repair damage built up over time, maintaining the health of your locks into the future. Better yet, the product smells amazing throughout the day, naturally perfuming your hair.

Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar, Biore

Dealing with breakouts is never fun but luckily there are a few simple and cost effective ways in which to get the complexion of your dreams. When it comes to breakout busting products, Biore’s Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar might just be the best. Working hard to clear your pores of any built up gunk, the bar helps to restore balance in your complexion. Maintaining your skin’s health, Biore’s bar is a great one to use over a period of time, combating any sort of breakout.

Miracle Cure For Severe Problem Nails, Sally Hansen

These days, it’s all about your nails but if you struggle with breakages and brittle nail beds, then getting the look you want can be all but impossible. If your nails are causing you a whole lot of worry, then you need the breakage busting powers of Sally Hansen’s Miracle Cure. Packed full of proteins and antioxidants, the formula help to strengthen your nail beds, maintaining their health over a long period of time. Just one use will work well into the future, letting you throw caution to the wind and paint your fingers every color under the sun. Who said that beauty always had to be practical?

Good for your budget and better for your beauty drawer, drugstore makeup can pack a serious punch. While splurging from time to time is a great way of experimenting and trying out new looks, you can follow just as good a regime by dipping into the offerings in your local store. With a product out there to meet almost every beauty requirement, finding exactly what you want has never been easier. Makeup maven? It might time to hit the drugstore.

Hannah Lamarque by — April 5, 2016 in Beauty 0
Makeup Miracles: Where To Invest On Beauty

When it comes to beauty, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all things new. While we tend to work on tried and tested makeup looks, new launches and products can easily sway our attention and before we know it, we might have blown through our monthly budget. In terms of the beauty world, there are simply too many products out there to meet our needs and in order to get a hold on the situation, we must streamline the way we approach our purchases.

If you’re the kind of person for whom a quick trip to Sephora turns into a major shopping splurge, then this could just be for you. Making your beauty purchases in the same manner that you would your clothes might just help you to cut down on unnecessary purchases and get a makeup bag that really reflects your face. In beauty, it pays to make selected investment pieces. Once you have these foundation products down, you can build the rest of your collection according to your seasonal tastes. Skin perfecting and money saving? Now that’s something we could all get behind.

Foundation

When it comes to your face, your foundation can make or break your look. Get something too matte and you risk sporting a look that becomes too cakey throughout the day; purchase an oily product and your makeup could have slid off your face before the day has even begun. More than anything else in your makeup bag, a good foundation is paramount and once you’ve found one that works for you, the rest of your look will come much more easily. If you’re looking to get a foundation to last a lifetime, then it’s best to head to your local beauty hall and enlist the help of an expert. Not only will you get to try different color swatches but also, you will be able to find a formula that works the best for your skin type. It might cost more than your former brand, but it will transform the way that you do up your face.

Skincare

An element just as important as the makeup you put on your skin is the product that you put on under it. Investing in a quality skincare routine can completely transform the look of your face and once you get it right, you might find yourself spending a great deal less on makeup. As with foundation, the skincare products that work for you might take a little trial and error to get right; what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. The most important products you can use are a good moisturizer and sunscreen, which will both protect and nourish your face. Sticking to a consistent regime is also the best way of improving your skin’s general quality; changing products too frequently might cause flare ups and breakouts. When it comes to the best of the best, head to Avene, Nuxe or Kiehl’s. Their ranges have something for everyone and are guaranteed to sort out any complexion.

Fragrance

Having your own signature scent is something that can take years to get right and once you find something that works for you, you might never wear anything else. When it comes to beauty, there are few areas quite as luxurious as fragrance and therefore spending a little more cash to find something truly unique is all part and parcel of the experience. While many people like to vary their scent between seasons, it is very possible to find a perfume that works the whole year round, and really reflects who you are. You can try spending time in a beauty hall or specialist shop and while the staff on hand can help to point you in the right direction, your choice should be all about your own instinct.

Eyeshadow Palette

When you buy a makeup palette, it is more than likely that you will come across a shade or two that you will never use. Getting the right blend of colors and formulas is a really tricky business and if you’re on the hunt for the perfect spread for your face, it might be good to personalize your purchase. Now, there are a great deal of brands that offer bespoke palettes, giving you the opportunity to select your perfect color combinations. Buying a good palette can save you a great deal of money down the line, supplying you with everything you would ever need in your makeup arsenal in one fell swoop. Inglot’s bespoke palette might just be the very best you can find; packed with mattes, neutrals and glittery tones, the brand offers every color under the sun, giving you the chance to find your perfect face!

Hannah Lamarque by — March 8, 2016 in Beauty 1
It’s All In The Detox: The Best Of Non-Toxic Beauty

When it comes to the products that you put on your skin, it pays to take care and with a great deal more focus on natural over artificial in the beauty industry, it is easier than ever to be kind to your complexion. While organic and natural beauty has long been available on the market, non-toxic beauty products are just starting to rear their head and in many cases, they contain ingredients that you might not have thought about before. Rather than following completely organic beauty regimes, non-toxic products avoid using a set of harmful chemicals known to produce damage results when used on the skin. When used in frequent quantities, these items can increase the risk of serious diseases so more than ever, it pays to be careful about what you use.

While you cannot eliminate everything from your life, you can do a great deal towards being as conscious as possible to what you use on your skin and if you’re trying to take care, then these products will be very useful along the way. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about doing as much as possible to eliminate risk from your regime and that, surely, cannot be a bad thing.

Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil

Taking care of your hair is all part and parcel of a full beauty regime but many of the products that we commonly put on our head and scalp are packed full of harmful chemicals that can do real damage over time. If you want to take care of your hair, then, it can be a real battle to stay on top of damage. Enter Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil. Filled with essential oils, it is incredibly nourishing and helps to repair even the most widespread of damage to hair follicles. You can use it either as a quick conditioning treatment or as a longer overnight treatment for nourished locks. Either way, you can take care of your hair without doing lasting damage.

Honest Beauty True Velvet Eyeliner

Avoiding toxic beauty products doesn’t have to be about avoiding makeup altogether and across the board, there are many ways in which you can look great and take care of yourself. Leaving out all of the waxes and fragrances found in many eyeliners, these Honest Beauty liners do just as good a job, without drying out or irritating your skin. The quality of the product is one of the best out there, gliding on as easily as the creamiest of liners

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask

When you want to refresh your complexion, you might reach for a facemask and while many products can indeed renew tired skin cells, they do so by introducing them to harmful chemicals. The REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask is one of the brand’s best sellers, and it’s really not hard to see why. Lifting dead skin, improving the skin’s texture and appearance and minimizing pores, the mask really is a skin superpower, drastically improving any problem area without doing any lasting damage.

Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer

Of course, it’s not just about the damage that we do to our skin and hair and over the years, we can drastically weaken our nails and hands by misusing polishes. If you find that you just can’t give up your manicures, you can try turning your attention to non-toxic brand Smith & Cult. Formulated without the use of traditionally harmful chemicals, the brand ensures that all people who use the products enjoy great nail health well into the future. As well as this, Smith & Cult offers a huge variety of different colors and finishes, meaning that your ever-changing tastes are well covered.

Beautycounter Butter & Sugar Body Collection

While winter might soon be coming to an end, there’s no reason why you can’t treat your skin and luxuriate in a little home beauty treatment. If you’re searching for incredibly rich products without all of the toxic nasties found in normal products, then you need the magic of Beautycounter. Formulated using clean products only, their Butter & Sugar Body Collection is a treat for any beauty lover and is bound to leave you feeling incredibly nourished afterwards. After using any of these products, your skin will be smooth, glowing and in great condition.

Hannah Lamarque by — February 10, 2016 in Beauty 2
Save Your Skin: 10 Makeup Mistakes To Avoid

Who can honestly put up their hand and say that they’ve never made a makeup faux pas? Perfecting your look takes a great deal more time and effort than many of us are willing to admit and it only makes sense that, over the years, we all step out of the lines, so to speak. Thankfully, however, there are some people out there who have been consistently getting it right and have thought to share their secrets with the rest of us. The chances of us getting something wrong are relatively high but with these tips, we can massively reduce the amount of times we misjudge our makeup. Now there’s something worth getting excited about.

Lining Your Foundation Line

Finding the perfect shade of foundation for your skin is a struggle for most people and even if you think you have got it right, you run the risk of leaving a thick foundation line between your jawline and neck. To avoid such a stark contrast, you can try dusting the outsides of your face with bronzer to hide any foundation lines. Not only will this hide any surplus makeup but also, will slim the look of your face; double bonus!

Piling on the Powder

Let’s face it; no one likes a greasy face. After piling on dewy product after dewy product, you might feel that your face is a little more slick than you would like and when that happens, you wouldn’t be wrong for reaching for the powder. However, getting the balance between just enough and too much product can be a tricky task to tackle and more often than not, we can veer on the side of overuse. While applying powder, try targeting the areas that are prone to becoming greasy, rather than covering all areas of your skin. Mattefying the T zone and across the cheeks after foundation is normally a safe bet; apply too much elsewhere and you risk flattening out your complexion entirely.

Going Heavy on the Concealer

While we all know the dangers of applying too much eyeliner, we rarely think about the product that goes underneath our eyes. In fact, going in too heavy with under eye concealer can have just as bad an effect as heavy eyeshadow, giving us a panda-eyed look in reverse. All makeup applied in the eye area should be done so sparingly; skin in this area is fragile and susceptible to dryness and overloading it with makeup will only show up any imperfections. Try dabbing a small amount of concealer around your eyes with your ring finger and building as you go. That way, you can work upwards rather than having to try and level out your makeup elsewhere on your face.

Forgoing Mascara

In terms of your makeup wardrobe, few items are as important as mascara. As well as defining the eye without need for a liner, mascara can open up and widen even the most tired of eyes, giving you a more youthful look. Skipping the mascara stage of your routine leaves you with an unfinished, tired look that even the most effective of eyeliners cannot remedy. On the other hand, make sure you don’t over apply your mascara; thick layers of makeup can give your eyelashes a dried out and spidery appearance which will weigh down your eyes.

Overusing Makeup

While we might contest to the opposite, using makeup for too long is something that we’re all guilty. Like most things in life, makeup comes with a best before date and using it past its best point can lead to nasty breakouts and even skin infections. Across the board, every makeup product differs and depending on its type, it will have a different shelf life. Generally, however, you should follow these guidelines when using your makeup:

Powders – 2 years

Cream-based products – 12-18 months

Concealer – 12-18 months

Mascara – 3 months

Oil-free foundation – 1 month

Liquid or gel eyeliner – 3 months

Pencil eyeliner – 2 years

It might seem like a more difficult rule to follow but doing so will improve the quality of your skin and enable you to switch up your look more often than you would have before. Makeup is all about experimentation, and by following use-by deadlines, you will have much more of an opportunity to play around!

Hannah Lamarque by — January 19, 2016 in Beauty 0

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