Category Archives: beauty news

Ask an Aesthie: Athina

  , ,
Comments Off on Ask an Aesthie: Athina

Happy July, Benebabes! We hope you’re thoroughly enjoying summertime. After we popped into our Fillmore boutique last week for a little brow break, we ran into one aesthie who’s been with our company for 25 years! Can you believe that!? Talk about an original Benebabe! There was no other choice than to pick her brain about makeup & how far she’s come. Read her interview below…

Athina_640x640_1

First of all, congrats on 25 years at Benefit! What made you want to be a beauty artist & why Benefit in the first place? 

Having the privilege to work with founders Jean & Jane Ford, I was able to learn a lot from the very beginning. The early days really taught me about how important it is to treat the customer & my co-workers with not only trust, but mutual respect. It may seem like a party from the outside, but customer service comes first!

Any popular trends with your clients these days?

I’m not kidding—every customer that sits in my chair wants full brows and long lashes.

What are your favorite tips & tricks to avoid dry skin in the summer? 

Hydration is essential! Exfoliate with refined finish facial polish, follow with ultra radiance facial re-hydrating mist, then finish with total moisture. It’s also important to keep your face protected with dream screen, our new silky-matte broad spectrum SPF 45 sunscreen. Outside of skincare—opt for water instead of soda. Your body (& skin) will thank you later!

Any summer beauty essentials you can’t live without?

A hat & my favorite pair of sunglasses are a must. I also always keep an aloe vera plant in my kitchen—it’s perfect for sunburns. Just snip a stem, slice it down the middle & push with your thumb to release the gel.

What are you favorite Benefit products? 

Total moisture, fakeup, they’re real!, gimme brow & the new hydrating tinted benebalm. Can’t live without them!

Athina_Blog_1

Any special tips or tricks for getting the perfect wing with they’re real! push-up liner? 

For the perfect wing, I start by aligning the pen to the outer corner of your nose. With a light hand, dab a small line, then take your pen and fill in your wing. Repeat on the other side. The best part about this trick is that you get an even wing on both sides!

Best or favorite makeup tip of all time? 

It may sound cliché but a little concealer & foundation go a long way. Add a little self-confidence, and you’re good to go!

Athina_Blog_2

There you have it, ladies! Any other questions for Athina? Ask away below! xo

Continue reading →

The Ultimate Guide to Natural + Vegan Deodorant.

  ,
Comments Off on The Ultimate Guide to Natural + Vegan Deodorant.

Need some new deodorant in this heatwave??

Vegan deodorant is not that difficult to find and neither is deodorant that uses clean + natural ingredients. But when you combine the two you narrow your search pool even further as a lot of natural deo’s are balms that use beeswax. I was worried there wouldn’t be too many options on the market, but to my surprise there are loads! So many in fact that I struggled to narrow this guide down to just 6. I easily could have bought 10 more to try and include, but with 6 deodorants on the go this past couple of months things were getting out of hand!

The Roll-On’s

Neal’s Yard Peppermint & Lime Roll-On Deodorant / £8
One of my most used simply because of the ease! It’s a roll on! No melting a solid stick or sticking your fingers into a pot. The scent I chose isn’t my favourite, the lime & mint combination smells a little like citronella. I would choose the rose & geranium if I could go back in time.
In terms of doing its job? It promises 24hr protection but I think it begins to falter before a full morning to evening’s wear time is up. And obviously, it’s not an antiperspirant so you will sweat (which is healthy and normal!), but it does contain some moisture absorbing ingredients, not that I’ve ever noted them working.. 6/10

Benecos Apricot & Elderflower Roll-On Deodorant / £5.95
The least expensive and my least favourite, unfortunately. The scent is delicious and so fruity and fresh, it’s a real shame that the scent doesn’t linger and the deodorant really doesn’t work that well, especially in this summer heat. Reapplication is needed, but even then, you just sort of feel tacky and body odor lingers. Lovely. 2/10

The Unusual One & The Plastic Free One

Pacifica Deodorant Wipes / £7.99
I bought these oh so many moons ago to take with me to the hospital when I had Oliver. My thoughts were if I ended up stuck in bed for some time, these could freshen me up! And I actually did use them, just once, but still. I’ve used them a couple of times since then, they’re just handy for sweaty moments that catch you off guard, but they’re not essential, and you can’t really keep them in your bag or anything because the pack is pretty large! 5/10

Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant – Vanilla Orchid / £9.95
Deodorant in a card tube! I love that it means there’s no waste at all, the packaging does get grubby and greasy over time but it’s deodorant, it’s not a fancy bottle of perfume you keep on display. This is the most expensive but does work quite well to keep you dry for awhile thanks to the arrowroot and starch combo. My one dislike is that the stick isn’t the easiest to use – it doesn’t really melt into the skin, you have to rub it under your arms to deposit some of the cream and then rub it into the skin yourself as it’s so thick (winter application would be a pain I imagine!). I do love the vanilla scent and it lingers for quite a while, but there’s a whole host of other scents if you’re interested. 7/10

The Charcoal Ones

Native Unearthed Activated Charcoal Natural Deodorant Balm / £6.99
My new favourite! The balm is really creamy and easy to use, it melts between your fingers and under your arms really easily and I love the scent – it’s fresh and a little lavender-y. Like every other, it doesn’t really stop you sweating, but after walking to and from work, a day in the office and then cooking tea in a kitchen that gets the evening sun and quickly turns into a furnace in this mega heatwave, I was hot and bothered, sure, but not a hint of any stink could be detected. (Also worth noting that mine is a smaller size pot!). I don’t like deo’s in pots, but this is a good ‘un! Does charcoal make it better, though? I really couldn’t say… 8/10

Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Charcoal Deodorant / $10
I really wanted to like this deodorant, and I tried really hard as I’ve used it for aaaaaages (this is a sample size that just won’t quit) but the scent is meh and it doesn’t last very long in terms of B.O. and sweat suppression. Luckily you can’t get this in the UK as there are better out there. It’s one redeeming quality? The solid stick melts quite easily into the skin so you don’t have to wait around holding it under your arms. Oh and, it’s baking soda free. 3/10

Got any recommendations for me once I finish all of these?
xo

Continue reading →

Channel Your Inner Wonder Woman With Wilkinson Sword This Summer (HotPants Not Essential!)

  ,
Comments Off on Channel Your Inner Wonder Woman With Wilkinson Sword This Summer (HotPants Not Essential!)

GET YOUR FREE LIPSTICK WITH EVERY PURCHASE
SPONSORED FEATURE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WILKINSON SWORD

We’ve all grown up with the iconic image of Wonder Woman, the ultimate representation of female empowerment and feminism. She was created deliberately to counteract the negativity around comics in the 1940’s, to get women on board with this form of media and to embody the ideals of the suffragettes that had filled the pages of newspapers in the decades previous. Designed to be ‘superior to men’ and ‘fight for equality’, she’s a feminist icon that has stood the test of time while looking pretty hot in blue pants. (If you’re interested in more of the back story, this article in the Guardian is fascinating.) This summer she’s getting an outing once again; with a Hollywood blockbuster due to hit cinemas it will no doubt bring her back to the forefront of our minds and provide a whole new generation of girls with a superhero that proves nothing is impossible if you’re wearing hotpants…

To celebrate the release of Wonder Woman this June, Wilkinson Sword has teamed up with the franchise to offer a range of limited edition lipsticks so that every one of us can channel our inner super hero (with or without the hotpants.) The four long-lasting lip colours are super nourishing and vitamin enriched (containing the highest amount of Shea Butter possible within a lipstick formulation,) providing a luxuriously soft and highly moisturising matte finish in super sleek black casing. What’s great, is that the collection includes shades to suit every look and inner super hero: Wonder is a gorgeous pink-beige lipstick, Grace is a stunning soft coral, Power is a classic red that definitely shows the world who’s boss, while Wisdom is a deep merlot that works beautifully with every skin tone.

If you want to get your hands on one then they’re hitting shelves right now, and the limited-edition lipsticks are FREE with any purchase of a Wilkinson Sword system handle (whoop!) Yep, totes 100% free and worth £10.00 each – all you have to do is buy the specially marked packs and claim your chosen lipstick online using the unique code. You can use your Wilkinson Sword Intuition to create super smooth and nourished legs (coz you know, hotpants) and then apply your lipstick shade to turn up the levels of sass to ‘ultimate sexpot.’ If you want to know a bit more about the razors themselves, my personal favourite is the Intuition which features a block of moisturising Shea Butter enriched shaving cream that lathers gently when used with water; choose from Ultra Moisture or Sensitive Care depending upon your skin’s needs (with all-new pro vitamin B5 plus Aloe and Vitamin E) to keep your pins in check and fuzz free all summer… Because when you’ve got shiz to do, we don’t have time to be faffing around with shaving foam and all that.

To celebrate the launch of the film, Wilkinson Sword asked me to create my own Wonder Woman look in my chosen shade… I’ve opted for the coral ‘Grace’ as it’s perfect for when the sun is shining, and a tone that looks good on every skin colour. Combined with a touch of bronzer buffed into the skin, a tonne of highlighter on the tops of cheekbones to get that effortless ‘superhero’ glow, a powerful brow and a feline flick, it’s a look that says: “I’m effortlessly heroic, a bit of a babe and I don’t even need hotpants to be fabulous.” Team it with a tonne of volume in your hair (tiara optional) and a flash of something black, white, red or blue and you can strut down that street knowing you’re looking hawt.

Will you be channeling your inner Wonder Woman this summer? Which shade would you choose?

Find out more about Wilkinson Sword on their website: wilkinsonsword.co.uk
Have a look at the Wonder Woman trailer here: wonderwomanfilm.com

This is a sponsored feature in partnership with Wilkinson Sword; all opinions are my own.

Features PR samples unless otherwise stated. To read my full disclaimer, click here.

Continue reading →

The Trenchcoat of Preciousness.

  , ,
Comments Off on The Trenchcoat of Preciousness.

wedding guest dresses fall

I finally found a use for that ridiculously glamorous silk Burberry trench that I bought a couple of years ago in the States. (Coerced, I have to say, by Sam from Pixiwoo who is a terrible enabler when it comes to these things.) It was the perfect autumn outerwear for my sister-in-law’s wedding; smart and fitted, so that I felt suitably “done up” when we were all milling around outside, and light enough that I never really felt the need to take it off! Which was a shame, in a way, because my Issa dress that I wore underneath was quite pretty, but I just loved the way that the trench nipped in at the waist and looked nice and shapely.

wedding guest dresses fall

I feel as though I’ve kind of “broken the seal” with my trenchcoat, now, and I won’t be so precious over it. I was petrified of staining it or even getting raindrops on it, and had taken to keeping it in a special section of the wardrobe with three moth sachets tied around the top of the coathanger. But now that I’ve conquered my Burberry Fears, I’m sure it’ll be seeing a lot more use. So long as it’s not raining. And I can get into town in some kind of protective giant bubble…

The post The Trenchcoat of Preciousness. appeared first on A Model Recommends.

Continue reading →

Bespoke Skincare Is A Huge Trend For 2017, But How Do You Use ‘The Ordinary’ & Other Skin Boosters?

  , ,
Comments Off on Bespoke Skincare Is A Huge Trend For 2017, But How Do You Use ‘The Ordinary’ & Other Skin Boosters?

For some time we’ve been seeing curious innovations pop up all over the beauty industry that all have one thing in common: the fundamental point of difference is that they’re bespoke to you and your needs. None of us have the exact same skin type or problematic areas, and with infinite combinations of woes it’s increasingly hard to pick up a product off the shelf that’s going to address our concerns. Offering products for oily, dry or combination skin is an outdated approach, with more and more brands understanding that you can be all of those things and more – depending what day of the week (or time of the month) it is. We’ve seen brands already dabble in the area of skin boosting solutions or bottles of product that will help create the perfect match (Clarins Skin Boosters and The Body Shop’s Shade Adjusting Drops are a couple of great examples,) but in 2017 this trend is only going to get bigger. Like creating a recipe for our complexions, the key to success is being able to dial-up or dial-down certain ingredients – and stand out brands like The Ordinary are making this all the more accessible.

This groundbreaking range consists of ten individual and incredibly simple (yet proven to be effective) serums that start from as little as £4.90; the most expensive in the range is £12.70. Although they don’t have the most easy to understand names, descriptions or directions, The Ordinary (read my original feature here) has made hi-tech skincare affordable and achievable no matter your budget. What’s so exciting is that these little bottles take the ingredients that make a difference and formulate them in such a way that they can be added into any skincare regime with ease; you no longer need a dermatologist to help you on your way – all it takes is a little research and understanding of what your skin is craving. If you love the idea of this new beauty movement but aren’t all too sure how to use these little bottles of skin-loving ingredients, here are the three main ways to easily integrate them into your regime.

ADD THEM TO YOUR MOISTURISER

If you’re looking at that bottle every morning and aren’t really sure where to begin, then adding a few drops into your moisturiser is a great way to boost the performance of your existing products without having to invest in a whole new step. Add in the recommended dosage (usually between a pea-sized amount and a couple of generous drops) into a small amount of moisturiser on the palm of your hand, mixing thoroughly before applying it as usual. Just make sure your face cream doesn’t contain any ingredients that will break down your skin booster or cause it to be ineffective (i.e. don’t add a Retinol concentrate into a Vitamin C enriched base as they require different a pH to remain stable.)

LAYER THEM UP

My personal preference is to thoroughly enjoy the application experience and layer up my singular ingredients to ensure they can get to work most effectively. In the morning I’ll start with an essence, massage in a Vitamin C or radiance boosting concentrate, add my serum over the top alongside a moisturiser, finally finishing with an SPF. At night, I always use a Retinol concentrate underneath my usual overnight treatment for a little boost. This may sound like a lot, but if you don’t overdo it (a few drops of each will suffice) then you can easily massage in each layer and prep for the next without overloading skin. This ensures maximum effectiveness and allows each layer to get to work on a slight delay, rather than chucking it all on at once.

MIX AND MATCH DAILY

If you can wake up almost every day and see something completely different in the mirror, then it may be time to get creative. Mixing up your skincare solutions will help you tackle concerns as they arise – so it may be more useful to have a portfolio at your disposal to use as and when you need them. If you’re suffering with blemishes then Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% may help reduce them, while if your skin is looking dull and dehydrated then Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% may be your best bet to inject brightness with a touch of hylaronic acid. A great treatment to use a couple of times a week for gentle exfoliation is Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%, while 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil is great if you’re seeing signs of ageing. It’s important to understand your skin will have multiple concerns throughout the week, month and year, so having a ‘one size fits all’ skincare regime won’t provide you with the most benefit.

At first glance this approach to your skincare may seem confusing and intimidating, but once you get to grips with your main concerns and the ingredients that will help, it’s an easy and effective way to ensure your complexion is looking its best – 365 days of the year. Will you be giving bespoke skincare a go in 2017?

Continue reading →