How to get soft, smooth lips this winter

Keeping my lips soft and smooth is a particular challenge in winter. There are various factors that lead to chapped, cracked and flaky lips at this time of year. The drop in temperature and biting winds combine to batter our lips. And when we seek warmth inside, the dry air from central heating creates even more problems. But there are ways to keep your lips smooth and soft in the winter, as these five tips show.

Photo Credit - here

Slather on the lip balm

Prevention is better than cure in my book, so even if your lips aren’t cracked and chapped yet, you’ll still want to pay attention to them daily. An easy way to do this is to regularly apply a lip balm, like Vaseline, or any other favourite lip product that you prefer. This is especially important when you go out, as you’ll have given you lips a layer of protection to guard against the wind and cold.

Is Vaseline safe? I hear you cry. If you’re wondering about petroleum jelly dangers then you can put your mind at rest. There are no known common side effects, so you don’t need to worry about the question is Vaseline safe – the experts say it is. After all, it’s triple-purified.

Gently exfoliate with a soft toothbrush

If your lips have already become dry, then you’re probably keen to get to remove as much of the flakiness as possible. But the key is to be gentle, otherwise, the problem could get worse. A soft toothbrush is a really simple tool to use to buff away dry patches. 

Make sure it’s the softest you can find – the type recommended for young children is ideal. Use light, circular motions over your lips to carefully exfoliate. Try this once or twice daily, and apply a lip balm after rinsing your lips to lock in moisture.

Scrub away with natural ingredients

Another way to remove dead skin cells on your lips involves the rather tasty-sounding combination of honey, sugar and almond oil. The sugar crystals work as an exfoliator to help buff away flakes, while the honey helps your lips retain moisture.

Add a little almond oil to your homemade scrub and you’re good to go. Simply massage the mixture gently onto your lips and let nature’s magic do its work.

Stay hydrated

It makes perfect sense, but it’s something we often forget – if we’re not hydrated, then our lips won’t be either. Drinking regular sips of water throughout the day to get to the recommended amount of six to eight glasses will help you in so many ways, not least by keeping your lips moist and hydrated.

If you find it too chilly in winter to sip on a glass of cold water, try combining half a mug of cold water with half a mug of freshly boiled water for a winter warmer. Un-caffeinated fruit and herbal teas can help up your fluid intake too.

Make it humid

My final tip is to do with the air around you. If you really struggle with the dry air that central heating can cause, you might want to invest in a humidifier. These little machines add moisture to the air. They’re typically used to treat dry skin, noses, throats and lips. 

You don’t want to create too humid an atmosphere, as that can encourage bacteria, mould and viruses to grow, so make sure you buy a quality humidifier that offers an appropriate level of humidity.

So there you have five tips to help keep your lips soft and smooth all winter long.

*This post was written in collaboration with Vaseline - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Virginia Coram Luxury Natural Soap

Virginia Coram is a brand I have never come across until recently and they are specialists in traditionally made pure liquid soap. Made in England, the natural bar soaps and collections of liquid soaps, lotions and bath oils are designed with scents created from uniquely exceptional blends of pure essential oils for a luxury bathing experience.  

Everything from the brand sounds just utterly divine and if like me, you love that little bit of something special for pampering, then this is ticking those boxes. 

At Virginia Coram, all our bath oil, liquid and bar soap recipes and essential oil formulations are proprietary and formulated in-house. Virginia Coram are one of the few English producers of pure liquid soap using the traditional method. We have developed a method to ensure that the soap we produce is of high clarity and consistency. We use Coconut, Olive and Sunflower oils in our liquid soap and saponify them using a potassium lye in to truly skin friendly hand and body washes.

I was very kindly sent two products from the Virginia Coram range: the Virginia Coram Bathtub Lotion in Rose Geranium & Sage fragrance and the Virginia Coram Governess Soap in Orange, Lavender & Vanilla fragrance.  Interestingly, both of these products can be used for the hands, within the bath or in the shower depending on your preference.

The first product I couldn't wait to try was the Rose, Geranium & Sage Bathtub Lotion which is described as being a delicious floral and herbal scent combination of Rose Geranium and Sage. It is anchored by the uplifting scent of Rosewood and accentuated by the refreshing, invigorating scent of Litsea Cubeba.   It comes packaged in a 250ml bottle with an accompanying pump dispenser and one pump dispenses enough product for both hands, but it can also be used on the body too. 

The lotion itself smells just absolutely incredible. On the skin, it is like velvet and as you massage it in, the scent really comes to life.  It is fresh and you can detect each of the three scents complimenting one another.  

The second product is the Governess's Soap in Orange, Lavender & Vanilla and it is a natural soap for the hands, bath and shower. Described as being a sweet and delicate combination of Orange, Lavender, Vanilla and Marjoram. Perfect for use on delicate skin with a rich, skin softening lather of Olive, Coconut and Sunflower oils. 

This fragrance is warm and fresh and I have been using it within the shower and as the steam and oils come together, the fragrances come to life and it is literally a luxury to use. Again, it comes packaged in a 250ml bottle with an accompanying pump dispenser and one pump dispenses enough product to wash with.

Virginia Coram really is such a wonderful brand and I especially love that you can choose your fragrance based on your own personal preferences, so if something more floral, Herbal or even Spicy then there is a great choice to choose from and prices start at just £18.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Creating the perfect bathroom for a beauty lover

The plight of the beauty lover: there’s never enough storage, there’s never enough light and your towels never hide all your fake tan or foundation that you were SURE you got off. Functionality is important for any beauty lover’s bathroom, as well as creating a relaxing, inviting environment for those long baths where you can finally enjoy all of those indulgent bath bombs and bath oils you accumulated. 

Now, speaking of long baths, I’ve been thinking about what the dream bathroom would look like for any beauty obsessive like myself if space was abundant and budget was aplenty. I’d start with a freestanding bath, as they are super aesthetically pleasing for all those dreamy Instagram pics. Investing in a bath rack would also be a pretty great idea so you can take all the important things in there with you, like your phone, books, beauty products…wine.

As pretty as it may look, keeping your makeup out in the bathroom could cause unwanted damage, and as we all know, the most sought-after foundations are rarely cheap, so this is something worth avoiding. Your makeup sponges and brushes are at risk of mould and bacteria if kept out in a damp warm room so should also be stored in a cupboard. The same goes for your fake tan, keep it stored in a cool dry place or it’s at risk of going green! Proper storage of your makeup and beauty products can make them last longer and save you some money, so I’d definitely invest in some aesthetically pleasing storage for my vanity bathroom. The thought of sourcing everything and making sure it not only all matches, but fits into your space is pretty daunting, but there are places where you can get everything in one go. When I was researching for my dream bathroom, I came across the huge range of Bathroom Suites from Better Bathrooms, which would be a great place to start. There’s so much inspiration in terms of how to design the layout of your dream bathroom, it’s hard to pick a favourite! 

Some products are so beautifully packaged that I know I for one don’t like to hide them away yet leaving them out can often look more cluttered than chic. Investing in some shelves to display those products that are too gorgeous to hide would work well, not only will this save some space, but attention will also be drawn in their direction, making them a focal point of the room. 

Another feature I'd definitely look to include at the top of my wish-list, is an illuminated mirror (as described in more detail on this page). Light up mirrors are a must-have piece of beauty tech as they enhance any flaws and leave no room for mistakes.  They’re also pretty multi-functional, in that they can also act as a creator of ambient lighting for a relaxing bath, enjoy bathing in the glow. Practicality wise, most illuminated mirrors are LED-based, meaning they’re cost-effective and pretty energy efficient too, plus they just look so pretty it’s unreal! 

How many white or lightly coloured towels have you been through that are now that weird pink-ish, tan-ish colour? And no matter how many times you wash them you still have these gross marble effect “ghost of tanning past” pieces of cloth? If I had a dedicated beauty bathroom, I’d definitely look into getting some darker towels. Not only can you make a bold statement in your bathroom by hanging out darker or bolder towels, but they’re also perfect for hiding any makeup mishaps. 

In the plight of my dream beauty bathroom, my plans have become more and more elaborate, and pretty costly at that! Maybe I could postpone that next holiday for a while…although I’m not sure that will go down too well with my husband!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

RapidLash Party Prep Giftset

Party season is coming around pretty quickly and whilst many us are frantically worrying over what to wear, RapidLash has put together a little RapidLash Party Prep Giftset package to encourage you to leave those false lashes in your drawer and instead embrace your own natural beautiful lashes with a little bit of help.

The RapidLash party Prep Giftset is made up of four products which, when used in conjunction with one another for 30 continuous days could give you:

• Up to 50% longer-looking, more voluminous looking natural lashes
• Up to 108% improvement in the appearance of eyebrow density giving you that fuller-looking brow
• Rejuvenated, refreshes, primed and protected lashes
• An instantly smoother, more radiant complexion and visibly improve the appearance of skin texture

All of these could help you achieve that glam look by using RapidLash, RapidBrow, RapidShield and RapidRenew.

The first product is RapidLash® Eyelash Enhancing Serum (RRP £39.99) contains Hexatein™ 1 Complex, which is a blend of lash-enhancing ingredients including a scientifically advanced blend of Polypeptides with Amino Acids, nourishing Pumpkin Seed extract, Biotin and Panthenol, which work together to target eyelashes from every angle. RapidLash® helps to fight damaging environmental elements and premature fallout by nourishing and strengthening lashes and it does this by delivering those essential proteins, vitamins, and moisturising and rejuvenating ingredients.

What I love is how easy it is to use. Using the applicator brush, you simply apply RapidLash to the base of the upper eyelashes, starting from the inner corner of the eye working outwards. RapidLash is to be used once daily in the evening before bedtime. What I like about RapidLash is that it isn't a lot of hard work to use, it can sit on your bedside table with your nighttime products and it forms part of your routine without taking up too much of your time.

The second product is RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum (RRP £37) and it is described as being a deeply nourishing formula that creates visible results in just 60 days helping to transform weak, uneven, sparse brows into healthier looking more beautiful brows.  In my teens, having over-tweezed brows was the in thing, the problem is, mine never quite grew back properly and if I want the fuller brow, then I need all the products.

RapidBrow is created using the exclusive Hexatein™ 2 Complex which is a unique blend of fortifying proteins, stimulating peptides and nourishing ingredients such as Keratin, Sweet Almond Extract and Polypeptides and they come together to help condition, restore and repair the appearance of eyebrows in 60 days. Designed to be used twice a day, you simply apply the brow serum using a few quick strokes and again, nothing too arduous with this product.

The third product within this gift set is the RapidShield Daily Eyelash Conditioner (RRP £28) and it is designed to protect against the daily external factors including pollution, makeup, makeup tools and other daily beauty treatments that can weaken lashes.  

RapidSheild is created using the exclusive Hexatein™ 3 Complex which is a unique blend of Polypeptides, Biotin, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Amino Acids, Soybean Oil and Pumpkin Seed Extract which helps protect, moisturise and nourish all day long to amplify lashes. To use, you simply apply RapidShield onto upper and lower lashes using the applicator brush, it can be used alone as a conditioner on clean lashes, under mascara as a primer, or over mascara as a refresher. Again, it is easy to use and you just apply it daily.

The final product in this gift set is the RapidLash RapidRenew Skin Perfecting Polish (RRP £34.99) and it is described as being a gentle exfoliator that works to smoothen and brighten the face, neck and décolleté with long-term, continuous effect.

RapidRenew™ is formulated with Hexatein® 5 Complex, a unique blend of highly beneficial ingredients which includes Magnesium Oxide Crystals to gently but effectively exfoliate the skin, Lime Pearl which is a precious source of AHAs which helps improve skin exfoliation and result in smoother, brighter complexion with a healthy, youthful, dewy glow, Bromelain which is found in pineapple and it aides enzymatically in the exfoliating process to gently slough off dead skin cells as well as Vitamins (A, C and E) which are packed with antioxidant benefits to help promote a clear complexion, even out appearance of skin tone, and shield against the elements.

Designed to be used 2-3 times a week, you massage a small amount onto a cleansed, wet face, neck and décolleté in small, circular motions. The cream itself is quite a thick coarse texture, so you only need a small amount. What I have found using this, is that it does an amazing job at removing that dry and dead skin that clings to everything and whilst being a coarse texture, I haven't found that it scratches the skin.

I am still working my way through each of these products and whilst I am yet to share my results, I think this is a fab gift set for someone, or even for yourself and everything detailed within this post is available via Lookfantastic as well as further products from the range.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.