Christmas Gifting with Living Proof

I am a huge fan of Living Proof haircare, particularly the Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and have featured them many times on my blog.  Today I am sharing the Living Proof Volume, in an instant kit which would make an amazing gift.

Living Proof as a brand, has been developed by world-class biotech scientists and beauty experts, who have taken it upon themselves to solve the root causes of everyone’s top hair concerns - be it frizz, damage, and fullness to name just a few. With their team of stylists and scientists, who analysed 100's of competitive products that have been on the market the last 30 years, what they found was that the traditional beauty industry relies on heavy silicones that mask hair symptoms but don’t really solve them. So, choosing to approach haircare and the concerns it brings with them from the perspectives of pharmaceutical, medical and biotech's, who have continued to work with some of the world’s greatest stylists and industry veterans to create some amazing hair care.

This particular hair care kit, Volume, in an instant, brings together two of the brands Full Dry Volume in 95ml and 238ml cans.  Described as being a weightless styling spray that adds body and bounce without crunchiness or stiffness and it uses molecule etas which are incredibly lightweight. 

When hair falls flat, you feel flat – which is why the brains and beauty experts behind Living Proof’s bestselling Full Shampoo strove tirelessly to develop new and innovative technology, to create body and volume that lasts! Enter: the Full Dry Volume Blast, a wonderful spray supercharged with the brand's Volume and Texturizing Molecule (ETAS).

The etas which is referred to as being the volumising and texturising molecule that Living Proof have discovered, is a better way to create volume and texture on hair without heavy powders weighing hair down. It is almost as light as air and provides instant, weightless volume and texture that lasts, transforms fine, flat hair into voluminous styles and most interestingly it works on dry hair for results anywhere, anytime.

For me, I have fine hair but also hair which is dry at the ends and greasy at the roots, so I have to be careful about product build-up because it can irritate my scalp and equally, I am not a fan of crunchy hair brought about by many other styling products on the market. So for me, this is the best there has ever been to give that volume and oompf, without the tangles and the white powdery mess.

This kit, which is available on Cult Beauty, is priced at £30 which is an absolute bargain and alongside this particular kit, there is also a few others on offer too.  So if you need to switch up your hair care and your hair styling, Living Proof will tick a lot of boxes for you.

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

Creating the Perfect Winter Skin Routine for You

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Winter is coming! And that means dry skin is coming too. For those of you who battle with dry skin each year, it's time you created a full-proof winter skincare routine that will leave your skin thick, supple and hydrated. 

As the humidity drops, dry skin becomes an issue for a large number of the population. Moisturiser sales go through the roof, and people apply it religiously for months until spring arrives.

In this post, we look at the best winter skincare routine, as recommended by experts within dermatology. Follow these steps for brighter-looking hydrated skin throughout the wintery weather this Christmas season. 

Make Sure You Eat Well

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Rarely ever mentioned by anyone but absolutely key to healthy skin is that you need to eat well. Fish like salmon, mackerel and herring are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which helps the skin become thick, supple and hydrated. 

Don't forget to eat plenty of plant foods too, such as:

• Avocados
• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Sweet potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes 

All the above are proven to help improve skin barrier and function to achieve healthier skin that is strong and hydrated.

The Winter Skincare Routine

So, how do you keep your skin looking and feeling its best when the winter chills creep in, and the humidity hits rock bottom? Just follow these simple steps.

Gentle Face Wash

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A gentle wash is the first line of defence against dry winter skin, but you must make sure the product you use is suitable for sensitive skin. Choose a hydrating cleanser that excludes soap, fragrance and oils. A mild cleanser will allow for a gentle wash that won't strip your skin of its natural oils, which are essential during winter.

Whatever cleanser you choose, make sure it's natural and look for the key ingredient; Glycerin. This is a natural compound derived from vegetable oils and will help keep your skin naturally soft and supple. 

Moisturise

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Moisturising is the most critical step. As the humidity drops in winter, your skin is left with less moisture and therefore, needs a good boost in hydration. Without this boost, your skin becomes vulnerable to the dry weather and will start to become dehydrated, irritated, and for some, cracked and damaged. 

You have a few options for moisturising that are all equally suitable for winter skincare. One of the most popular ingredients to focus on is ceramide. This essential fatty acid is key to boosting your skin's natural defence barrier and improving skin cell function. You will find tons of great moisturiser products that include ceramides as the main ingredient. 

Other moisturisers may use a combination of ceramide and other moisturising ingredients such as the increasingly popular hyaluronic acid, which is a gooey-type substance naturally produced by your body. Hyaluronic acid has the incredible ability to draw moisture up to the surface of your skin, allowing your skin to stay hydrated for longer. Ceramide can then lock that moisture in, making the two a the perfect couple for winter skin treatment. 

An emerging trend in moisturising is the DIY beauty movement. Creating your own tailor-made moisturiser that is unique to your skin's every need has been a successful pursuit for many across the world. All you need are the cosmetic ingredients, including a base cream, essential oils, active ingredients and any antioxidants. You can choose the most beneficial ingredients for your skin type or any skin issues you may have. The result? The perfect moisturiser made just for you. 

Sun Cream

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Just because you can't see the sun in winter, doesn't mean it's not affecting your skin. There's very little difference between UV exposure during winter and summer. Therefore, dermatologists recommended that you use sunscreen during winter. Most moisturisers now come with an SPF content, but you can also use a separate sunscreen on top of your moisturiser. 

Key ingredients to look out for include Vitamin E and Photolyase contained in a zinc-based cream. Vitamin E helps to protect the skin from UV rays, while the Photolyase will help heal damaged skin in the process. 

Serum

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Finally, a serum is like the cherry on the top. Choose one with antioxidants proven to help fight inflammation and brighten your skin. You may even glow this winter!

Most serums contain a mix of peptides and botanicals. These work together to boost your skin's production of collagen, which helps to improve the firmness and elasticity of the skin. And, if you can find a serum that contains Vitamin C, you will benefit from the extra effect of collagen formation that may help to repair any damage to your skin during the winter.

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

Christmas Gifting with Tropic Skincare

Christmas with Tropic Skincare is always a wonderfully colourful affair and 2020 does not disappoint! I was lucky enough to be send a range of items from their Christmas Gifting options to share on my blog and whilst I have opened up most of them and used the products, they are fabulous gift options, not forgetting they are also vegan and cruelty-free!

This year's gift collections are a nod to the brands humble origins – Founder, Susie Ma, and her market days. Each product is designed to bring you or your loved ones little moments of joy.

Whether a collection reminds you of your favourite hot drink from your local café or it helps you to drift off into a more fulfilling night’s sleep, each one has been lovingly made to celebrate the little things that we no longer take for granted. If you want to show your appreciation for those you wish you could hold a little tighter this festive season, those whose love wraps warmth around your heart, however near or far, then you've come to the right place. Send a little love this year. Do a little thing.

I was kindly sent a cracker, a drum and a bauble, within which is a collection of products Tropic have chosen to be part of their Christmas set.

The first item I want to share is the Tropic Skincare Little Cracker of Joy - The Butterbalm Collection (£24) which comes packaged inside a beautifully bright and colourful cracker.

One of the best things about winter is all of the limited-edition coffee and hot chocolate options that appear on the menu, definitely the case for me anyway! Taking that into account, Tropic Skincare has a trio of indulgent butterbalms in Hazelnut Mocha, Almond Matcha Latte and Coconut Hot Chocolate. Having been decanted straight into their very own joy jars for a fresh-as-they-come treat, as soon as you remove the lid, the intense scent hits you and it is absolutely divine. You can apply the Butterbal,s to your lips, or any areas that need some extra tending to, such as your nails, elbows, knees and dry cuticles.

The next gift is the Joy Drum and I have the Unwind Me Collection (£28) .  I am sure we can all do with an excuse to take time out, relax and unwind and everything you see within this drum, is just that.

Featuring a selection of lavender-infused products, they have been chosen because they not only give you that excuse to press the mute button on a busy mind so you can get a restful night’s sleep without any tossing and turning, but also because they give you some me time for a pamper session. Inside there is three products which are - So Sleepy Bath Foam which I absolutely adore, it smells incredibly relaxing and really helps you to unwind, So Sleepy Whipped Body Velvet which is the perfect post-bath treat because it just melts into the skin leaving behind this most amazing scent and then we have the Temple Roll-On, a product which is ideal to be added to those pulse points before bed.

The final package I have to share with you is the Your Best Skin Bauble (£28) and this is perfect for any skincare fan because it really shows some of the best Tropic Skincare has to offer. Available in three different options - Clear, Glow and Nourish.

I have the Nourish COllection which is made up of 4 products plus a Bamboo Face Cloth, which is one of the best I have ever used! The Nourish Collection is designed for skin that’s fatigued and flagging, with the team over at Tropic selecting a bundle of products to give it a healthy boost. 

Inside the Bauble, as well as that Bamboo Cloth is the Smoothing Cleanser, an oilp-based cleanser which does an amazing job at melting away everything in its way - makeup, pollution and bacteria to name just a few. It uses jojoba oil that has similar properties to your skin’s own sebum, then we have green tea extract to fight free radicals, and finally aloe vera juice that provides a rush of moisture, it leaves the complexion soft and springy.

Then we have Rainforest Dew, a serum which floods the skin with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, then with the inclusion of Elixir which is packed with omega-rich ingredients that nourish and hydrate the skin, along with vitamin E to stimulate collagen. Then Finally with Skin Dream, is described as being "mission to seal up any cracks in your skin’s barrier function (which happens naturally with age)". It uses shea nilotica and murumuru butters to give a melt-into-skin formula which is non-greasy or tacky. also included are the likes of olive squalane and oat oils for nourishment. 

This year, I think Tropic Skincare have done an amazing job at putting together a collection of gifts which contain everything you could need for a bit of me time or a pamper session and without pricing them at the high end of the scale, making them affordable and amazing value for money.  

Alongside the three gifts I have shared within this post, there is a whole lot more to choose from and you can find them all right here.

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

Stocking Filler Gift Guide 2020 - Tools and Accessories

Christmas time is always a good time to stock up on those tools and accessories that you need, whether it is a new pair of tweezers or a hair brush, there is destined to be a gift set which ticks every box you need. For today's Stocking Filler Gift Guide, I am continuing my series, which has so far has featured Skincare with Bathroom and Makeup still to come, but right now it is the turn of  Tools and Accessories.

One of the best discoveries I have ever come across is the Stylpro, a gadget which can make the life of every Makeup Artist, Beauty Blogger and Make up Lover much more fun and less of a chore. The StylPro Glitter Gift Set is the perfect gift to give.

The Glitter Gift Set contains everything you need to ensure your makeup brushes as clean and dry and inside you will find:

• Glitter STYLPRO device
• 2 x Glossy Black STYLPRO Makeup Brushes
• Recyclable STYLPRO bowl
• 8 x Flexible silicone collars 
• 150ml STYLPRO Makeup brush cleanser

Described as being a washer/dryer for your brushes, everything you need in one package to keep your brushes clean and dry and instead of taking hours to complete a task, it now takes minutes and if I dare say, gives much better results than you would ever get washing each brush by hand. In stock at Just My Look for just £39.95 here.

I have featured the Manta Hairbrush on my blog here, but I still firmly believe everyone needs to read the story of how it came to be the product it is and why it was created.

Today, I am sharing the Manta Hairbrush with Mirror (£28.50).  This product, which has won many awards, now features a mirror on the easy to grip handle which makes it perfect  for on-the-go beauty touch-ups. The Manta hairbrush is ultra-gentle fso there is minimum hair breakage when you use it.  Suitable for all hair types including fine, fragile, thick, curls, coils, children, men, and hair extension wearers, it is heat resistant up to 80°C and because of the patented Flexguard engineering which enables each bristle to have complete 360 degree motion, this helps the brush and its bristles to gently loosen knots and keep the process snag-free. On sale with Manta here.

Want to be SmoothAF this Christmas or know someone who does, I have a brilliant selection of products, from the no mo-stache collection, all of which can be combined to create an amazing travel kit and they come packaged inside their very own pouch or can be purchased separately.

I have three products from the collection - The no mo-bush, the no mo-unibrow and finally the no mo-stache.  

• The no mo-unibrow is a pink mini tin, exceptionally cute and inside you will find 20 hypoallergenic waxing strips for your brows, a pair of tweezers and a sachet of Post-Wax Aloe Cream to soothe any redness and calm irritation. 
• The no mo-stache facial razor is a great tool for those who’re eager to eliminate their peach fuzz. The award winning No Mo-Stache’s Facial Razor glides through facial fluff and helps to tidy brows or neaten whiskers. 
• Keeping with the kits comes the no mo-stache facial hair waxing kit. Again packaged inside a tin, it contains 24 hypoallergenic waxing strips and the post-wax aloe Vera cream
• Finally we have the no mo-bush bikini wax kit. This kit, which is packaged in a large tin, features 16 hypoallergenic waxing strips and two sachets of Aloe Vera cream to again soothe any redness and calm irritation

These kits are readily available via Cult Beauty* and prices start at just £6.50.

As a member of BeautyPie, I am quite a fan of a few of their products and have written a few posts on whether or not I feel the membership is worth its money.  The latest addition to my hair care collection and a product I am a huge fan of are the Silk Hair Scrunchies.

Described as being a specially selected, super strong elastic interior and made from a 100% pure silk exterior, these silk hair ties are beautifully crafted to glide against hair, eliminating the static and frizz and at the same time cutting down on the number of split ends. BeautyPie has them listed as being priced at £35 but as a member, I managed to get them for just £14.95, which for 6 is amazing value for money and so far, they have lived up to their promises.

From the Bodyshop, I bought the Facemask Brush (£8 here*) in store towards the beginning of lockdown when I went to stock up (panic buy) the Ginger Shampoo and Conditioner, which we both just love.

I am a huge fan of facemasks, in whichever form they come, but with something that needs applying by hand, rather than just a sheet, I have long since stopped using my fingers and in absence of my spatula (needs replacing) I decided to use a brush and this is the one. Featuring long tapered bristles to ensure an even application over the whole face, the tip is slanted to allow the application of the mask to reach all the corners and niches of the face, evenly and without it becoming an arduous task.

Would any Tools and Accessories Gift Guide be complete without the inclusion of a pair of tweezers from Tweerzerman?  This year, Tweezerman celebrated their 40th Birthday and their beauty tools include now include a huge array of products such as manicure/pedicure tools, mirrors, various brow tools, lash curlers, men’s shaving tools and, of course,the famous Tweezerman Slant Tweezer.

Still the best tweezers I have ever used, ones which never go blunt, always remain in shape and are as sharp years and years later. Within this gift collection I have a Tweezerman cracker which features a pair of Aztec Eye tweezers. Widely available from many retails, including Boots, a pair of tweezers like these cost from £12 upwards.

I s any tools and accessories guide complete without the inclusion of a Razor? From Gillette, I have the Venus Extra Smooth Sensitive Rose Gold Metal Handle Razor (£12.99 here*), which is one of the best I have used from the brand! Quite the statement considering I have used so many different offerings over the years.

Described as featuring the SkinElixir lubrastrip which activates when wet, providing your sensitive skin with a perfect dose of protection from nicks, cuts and irritation while shaving. The Razor, which is made of solid metal, is curved to fit snuggly into the palm of your hand and with 5 diamond like coated blades, it does the task in hand effortlessly.

So here are just a few last-minute ideas to fill those stockings and complete your Christmas Shopping! As far as I am concerned, if you don't have the tools for doing the right jobs, there isn't much point even doing the jobs in the first place!

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