New Year, New Beauty Rituals

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(AD) After a difficult 2020, your main aim for 2021 is probably to rediscover your old self. Finding a great beauty ritual can play a central role in rebuilding your confidence and comfort in your skin. Whether you’re hoping to see a complete transformation or a more subtle upgrade, this is your chance for a fresh start.

Naturally, though, you will want to follow a process that is both convenient and sustainable. Here are five simple steps to keep you on the path to success.

#1. Invest in your health

You’ve heard it a million times before, but a healthy lifestyle will give you the best platform for a great beauty routine. While fitness and nutrition are key factors, they aren’t the first issues to consider. Increased hydration and improved sleeping habits deliver stunning results for your skin, nails, and teeth. In turn, the impact of subsequent routines will be far greater. In many cases, it will reduce the volume of makeup needed to unlock your potential. Better still, the benefits will extend to your mental wellbeing. 

#2. Choose natural products

If you want to revamp your beauty rituals in 2021, you need to do what’s best for your long-term beauty. Natural products cause far smaller impacts on your skin compared to items that include lots of chemicals. It’s not just about skincare goods, either. Davines haircare products will enable you to get beautiful-looking hair without the threat of future damage. Organic ingredients and ethical procedures will additionally help protect the environment.

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#3. Be versatile

We all enjoy having our favourite styles and looks. However, there’s something extra special about boasting the ability to mix things up. Thanks to online tutorials, you can now learn to use a wide range of makeup application to create different appearances. Similarly, equipping yourself with the skills and accessories to switch your hairstyle within minutes can work wonders. If nothing else, it will enable you to match the hair and makeup choices to the outfit of the day.

#4. Protect yourself

Regardless of how great you look, the hard work will be undone if you allow the weather to take its toll. Sun-kissed skin is great, but you do not want to get burnt or develop the blemishes that can come from a failure to protect yourself. Sweet Bee sunscreen is a great way to prevent those problems. In truth, most people know about the need for sun protection. But your skin can be equally prone to problems caused by the winter weather. Lip balms and moisturisers are vital. 

#5. Product removal

Choosing the right styles, products, and applicators is vital. Nevertheless, one of the most significant decisions relates to the product removal routines. Even kinder products can take a toll if you leave them on overnight because your skin needs a chance to breathe. Master the nighttime removal of and cleansing ritual ASAP. When you do, the following morning will be a lot easier. Not least because it can help reduce the threat of acne and related blemishes. After a few days, the new habit will become second nature.

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

Christmas Gifting with Dr Murad

The festive season has well and truly arrived with Dr Murad, who has some incredible gift sets on offer right now and I am sharing with you the Take Time Off collection*.

Sitting inside a custom designed, recyclable gift box which opens out to reveal quite the brilliant Skin Trivia Quiz and then sitting in the centre, almost on a stage is a 4-piece skincare collection featuring some of the best selling items.

Skip the lines. Visibly minimise fine lines, smooth away rough texture and rejuvenate for a radiant glow

Whether you have dry, normal or combination skin, this collection is designed for your skin type and inside you would find:

• Retinol Youth Renewal Serum Full Size (1.0 FL. OZ.) - Worth £75 on its own, this product is just brilliant and I have a full review of it right here. To be used after cleansing, this serum uses the Tri-Active Technology mentioned above as well as Hyaluronic spheres which impart long-lasting hydration for that radiant glow. Then we have Swertia Flower Extract which works to increase resilience which in turn reveals a luminous, youthful-looking complexion. 
• Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream Trial Size (0.25 FL. OZ.) - Using the Murad Retinol Tri-Active Technology so whilst you sleep, the Retinol is time-released to work its magic in minimising the appearance of wrinkles and smoothing out the skin. 
• Replenishing Multi-Acid Peel Trial Size (0.33 FL. OZ.) - I have a full review of this Peel right here. This is a daily bi-phase peel that accelerates cell renewal by 33% in just 7 days while nourishing skin to prevent dryness and reduce irritation which is all done thanks to its two-phase intensive treatment.
• Renewing Eye Cream Trial Size (0.14 FL. OZ.) - This Eye cream has been specifically formulated with a powerful mix of retinol and rich Marine Kelp Complex which both work together to reduce the appearance of crows feet and dark circles whilst at the same time keeping the eyes moisturised.

I love how this collection has been put together and I am already a huge fan of the entire contents included.  It is a great way to get to know some of the best products the brand has to offer and for me, it is a great way to stock up on some of my favourites too.

As well as Take Time Off, there happens to be five other Dr Murad Christmas Gift sets on offer, I have one being featured in my Stocking Filler Guide in a few days time, but there is something for every budget, starting at £15 rising upwards to £110.  

Find all the Dr Murad Christmas Gift Sets 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 - The Fragrance Edit

Fragrance gifting is such a personal thing to do, you can get it right or you can you can get it wrong.  Over the last 12 months I have discovered some amazing fragrances including Giorgio Armani My Way and Alive by Hugo Boss to name a few.  Today I am sharing with you three fragrances which smell absolutely beautiful, but won't break the bank and definitely won't be costing you more than £30!

First from Missguided we have Babe Vibes. Missguided fragrances have now been around for a few years and when they first released Boss Babe, everyone I knew wanted to have it, try it and wear it. Following on from Boss Babe came Babe Dreams and Babe Oud, all of which I featured here.

Babe Vibes is the next fragrance within the collection and it is described as being a vibrant Floral Fruity Fragrance. 

It opens with top notes of bergamot, pear and accents of pistachio which give that real hit of fruit which is uplifting and warm but the pistachio holds it from being too sharp. The heart brings together rose accords with almond milk, orange blossom and magnolia which bring to life those floral notes, dampening down on the fruit notes and together they are quite the force but it is the base notes cushion with patchouli, amber, sweet tonka, vanilla, musk and creamy sandalwood, which dry down to give this fragrance a sweet edge.  Priced around £28 from the Fragrance Shop.

From Beauty Pie is a fragrance I bought on a whim because the notes appealed to me and I could fit it into my monthly allowance when purchasing a few more items.  That fragrance is Orange Absolute.

Orange Absolute is described as being a glorious, modern, woody, soft citrus fragrance. It features top notes of Lemon Essence, Bitter Orange and Sweet Orange which as you can imagine give it that incredible hit of citrus and it really captures your attention. The heart notes of Aromatics, Florals, Jasmine Sambac Absolute and Solar settle the top notes down to take out the sharpness whilst giving a slightly warm and floral hint and for me this is when the fragrance really got my attention, I adore it. The base notes of Musk, Wood and Tonka Bean gives a whole new meaning to the word heavenly in a fragrance, it is just divine and I can't get enough of it. Beauty Pie has this priced at £100 per bottle but as a member, I got it for just £18.12 can you believe it? Neither could I, so a few of my friends have this a gift for Christmas too.

The final fragrance I am sharing comes from Ted Baker and she is called Amelia but is Limited Edition, so to get your hands on it, you will need to be quick.

Packaged inside a royal blue box, the fragrance bottle is very regal looking features a blue ombre design with a gold coloured lid, it is very eye-catching.  Described as being Lavishly opulent with a contemporary twist, Amelia is perfectly polished. With her glamorous style, fearless heart and effortless elegance, Amelia commands every room. With top notes of rhubarb, almond and magnolia, the opening of this fragrance is just stunning, it is sharp yet not overly strong and with the hint of almond, there is just a slight warmness. The heart notes are dark florals and with it comes jasmine, heliotrope and liquorice which add quite the twist on a scent because the liquorice I had expected to add an almost aniseed like stance, but it doesn't, it is the florals that come right through before the base notes of tonka bean, maple and patchouli turn this fragrance into a more mature scent than previous offerings from the Sweet Treats range.  You can find Amelia for just £20 at Superdrug.

So, three very differently packaged fragrances with very different notes, styles and prices to choose from.  If fragrances are gifts that you like to give for Christmas, or any other occasion, these three are suitable for all of those.

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

Moroccanoil Dreaming of Hydration Gift Set

I am definitely in need of a trip to the hair salon, I haven't been since February time and my hair is an absolute nightmare to deal with right now, my local salon however is all booked up, I wasn't quick enough to book in.  My hair is combination hair, much like my skin with greasy roots and dry ends, but over the last few weeks, i've noticed it has become a lot more dry from the mid-lengths to the ends.  So it is Moroccanoil to the rescue with this Dreaming of Hydration Gift Set*.

Moroccanoil have a whole host of gift sets available* this Christmas and whether your hair needs a bit of TLC, repairing, or like mine, some hydration, there is a lot to choose from. This set features a curated selection of products to hydrate thirsty hair and they come packaged inside a very large wash bag. Inside the bag is a trio of products which features the Intense Hydrating Mask, the Hydrating Styling Cream and a travel-sized Moroccanoil Treatment.

So the products inside this Gift Set are:

Intense Hydrating Mask 250ml - This mask is perfect for those with medium to thick hair and better still, it only needs 5 minutes of your time. The mask is rich, it is creamy and it smells like a Caramac bar! Infused with ingredients such as antioxidant-rich argan oil which is the star of the show, you will also find other nourishing ingredients such as Glycerin which provides hair moisturising benefits and Linseed Extract which is not only a good source of alpha linolenic acid but it is also an essential fatty acid that helps improve the health of hair. 

With this mask, once it is applied to your hair, of which you need a small amount, the advice is to comb it through an leave for between 5-7 minutes. It's job is to hydrate and condition while also improving hair's texture, elasticity, shine and manageability.

Hydrating Styling Cream 300ml: - Designed to hydrate and tame frizzy hair, this styling cream is a leave-in styling cream which is said to be the perfect partner for blow-drying as it smoothes flyaway hair, so gone is that static, which I definitely have a problem with, if I blow-dry my own hair.  Again, this cream is argan oil-infused, so it helps to add that shine and another ingredient worthy of a mention is Behentrimonium Chloride which is described as 

being an anti-static and conditioning agent.  

To use this product, you can either use it on its own, or if you have thick hair, you can combine it with the Moroccanoil Treatment - it should be applied to damp hair and having use it a few times, my advice is a little goes a long long way.

Finally we have the Morroconoil Treatment Original 25ml - This is the product I am sure everyone has heard of, come across and used. It is this treatment which created quite the buzz when it was first released and I remember everyone using it, raving about and just loving it. It has been a while since i've used the Moroccanoil Treatment, but my hair definitely needs it and it is probably the product most people have used or heard of when it comes to the brand. 

For centuries, women across the Mediterranean, where Argan trees grow, have used argan oil in their beauty regimen for vibrant, healthy-looking skin and hair. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which help to hydrate and soften your hair, skin, body and nails. For the hair, it helps to increase elasticity and helps to restore shine to hair that is dull and lifeless (like mine right now)

This treatment is infused with antioxidant-rich argan oil and shine-boosting vitamins,which not only helps with detangling the hair but also helps to speed up drying time and boosts shine. To use, it is really easy. Simply apply Moroccanoil® Treatment to clean, towel-dried hair, from mid-length to the ends and then either Blow-dry or let dry naturally. You can also add this treatment on to dry hair to help tame flyaways, condition split ends and smooth hair.

This really is a great gift set and each product is also available separately too, so you could make up your very own hair care gift set for someone.  This particular set is priced at £44* and is available from Harrods.

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