Make the Most of Your Space

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armchair, bigger, bold prints and stripe, books, bookshelves, bottles of wine, brilliant, cables, candles, cash, chalk paint, charity shop, cheap, clear out, coats and scarves, contracts, contrasting colour, cool coffee table, costs, deposits, desk, doors, dressing gowns and hoodies, dust, easy, expensive, furniture bible, hanging, hats, home, home decor style statement, inches, kid’s toys, kitchen cupboards, linen basket, lotions and potions, magazines, mortgage, moving house, newspapers, on-trend bookcase, packing boxes, paintings, plant pots, removal companies, rubbish, ruthless, small price, sofa, space savers, student, studio flat, the clothes airer, tidier, towels, Vacum bags, wardrobe, wooden step ladder, yoga mats

Moving house to simply get more space is extremely common, but it is also very expensive.

From deposits and contracts to removal companies and packing boxes, the costs soon add up. Rather than making a big move, we think that you might have more room than you imagines. Whether you are a student in a studio flat, sharing a maisonette with mates or doing the full monty and paying a mortgage, we have some ideas to help you make the most of the space, and the cash, you do have.

Be Ruthless
Before you do anything else, have a good old clear out. Go room by room and work out what you want to keep, what is gathering dust and can go to the charity shops and what is just rubbish and needs to go. You will be amazed at the number of newspapers, books, cables and pairs of shoes you have held onto for all the wrong reasons and are just cluttering up your space, and life too.

Push It High
You might look at the space in front of you, but what about the pockets of air in high places that are left to gather dust? The top of bookshelves, kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets are all potential space savers, but we don’t always think about using them. These are great places to stack your books, photo albums (if you still have them) and even store those winter jumpers you never really have room for. Vacuum bags are good for clothing storage and you can buy some pretty cool boxes that look good and hide a multitude of space sins. Win, win.

Use All the Spaces
People often talk about dead space, but you don’t want to think about things in this way. Whether it is the few inches under the sofa, the top of wardrobes or the beside your kitchen cupboards, this can all be used for tucking away magazines, yoga mats, the clothes airer and a many other things that need a home, but currently don’t have one.

Don’t Forget Doors
Doors aren’t just made to be opened and closed, they are also made for hanging things on. Investing in a few over the door hocks can give you a lot of space, for a small price. Think hats, coats and scarves as well as towels, dressing gowns and hoodies, and your home suddenly become a bigger, better, brighter place.

Get a Basket
Or two. Baskets are a brilliant, easy, cheap way to store things that don’t have a place right now, but that you want to keep. Magazines, kid’s toys, bottles of wine, shoes and so much more can all be put in a basket, and if you go for a contrasting colour to your walls, or find bold prints and stripes, you will make a home decor style statement too.

Think Out of the Box
That chest you have in the living room, as well as being a cool coffee table, it can also be home to your bulky winter coats. The linen basket can double up as a handy table for your lotions and potions, and a wooden step-ladder becomes an on-trend bookcase after a lick of grey chalk paint.

Be Inventive
Yes, bookcases were made for books, but they are also the perfect resting place for plant pots, paintings, candles and those trinkets you want to keep for sentimental reasons. At the same time, you can have a desk in the kitchen, an armchair in the bedroom and a chest of drawers in the study.

So, rip up the furniture bible of the past and go your own way to make more space in the home you live in and love.

Team Pure Beauty

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Four Things You Should Know Before Getting a Gel Manicure

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breathe, cuticles, Elemis Liquid Layer SPF30, Elemis Sweet Orchid Monoi Body Oil, Elemis Tea Tree S.O.S. Spray, gel, gel nails, mani, manicure, melanoma, nail, nails, oils, salon, strip, suffocate, tanning beds, UV lamp

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In the past, if we wanted a manicure which lasted any length of time, you’d have to get acrylic overlays which require infills every few weeks and ended up costing a lot in maintenance. Now, if you want a manicure which lasts and looks good, but doesn’t ruin our own nails, you can opt for gel polish, which is cured (hardened) with a UV lamp and can last a matter of weeks. The application process is far simpler and you can have it applied straight to your own nails. Here are four things that we think you should know before opting for a gel mani:

Your Nails Don’t Need to Breathe

A common myth that gets touted around is that your nails won’t be able to ‘breathe’ if you have gel nails, but it’s actually codswallop. Your nails don’t need to be in direct contact with the air around them and having a gel manicure won’t somehow suffocate them! It can strip some of the oils from you nails leaving them a little dry, but that’s nothing that a little Elemis Sweet Orchid Monoi Body Oil won’t solve.

You Should Sunscreen Your Hands!

A lot of people don’t make the connection that the UV lamps which are used for gel manicures are basically the same type of bulbs which are used for tanning beds, which means that exposure leaves you vulnerable to melanoma. Before you have your mani (or do it yourself), use a sunscreen such as Elemis Liquid Layer SPF30 on your fingers to protect them from harmful rays.

You Can Do It Yourself

Not everyone has the spare cash to go to a nail salon once every couple of weeks to get their nails redone, but what you might not know is that gel manicures are more than achievable at home. You can pick up a kit which includes a curing lamp that gives you everything you need to get a salon-fresh look, and there are a lot of YouTube videos to help guide you through the process.

Be Careful With Your Cuticles

One of the things that a decent manicurist will do is take care of your cuticles before applying gel paint, so that it doesn’t stick to them and cause lifting around the edges. However, having your cuticles cut can leave you at really high risk of infection, and having them pushed back is a much better and more hygienic way to deal with them. If you’ve got some Elemis Tea Tree S.O.S. Spray in your bag, a quick spritz on your fingers one your mani has completely set would be great way to prevent germs from spreading.

Be berry-licous this summer

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acid berries, almond milk, almonds, amino fatty acids, anti-oxidents, B12, banana, berries, berry, beta-carotene, blue, bone building Vitamin K, boosts immune systems, cereal, Christmas, coconut water, cranberries, diet staple, dynamos, energy-boosting mineral, farmers market, fit and well, flavonoids, Fresh cranberries, fridge, goji berries, homemade ice cream, iron, kiwi, low in sugar and carbs, manganese, mango, natural goodness, natural infection-fighting super berries, old fashioned green grocers, phytochemical, pie, preserve, purple, red beauties, selenium, smoothie bar, South America, sugar heavy muffins, suggests, sunflower seeds, superfood hero, supermarket, traditional Chinese medicine, trees, urinary tract infections, vitamin B2, Vitamin C, yogurt, yummy superfood

Berries are here, there and everywhere. From the supermarket to the farmer’s market, the smoothie bar to the old-fashioned green grocers, those little nuggets of natural goodness are there for enjoying at every turn we take.

Given that there is so much choice out there, we are going to look at which berries might be best for you.

Blueberries
Long gone are the days when these berries were the preserve of sugar heavy muffins. These little blue (well, more purple) dynamos are full of the energy-boosting mineral, manganese, and bone building Vitamin K. Add a handful to salads and smoothies or sprinkle them on top of cereal and yogurt, and you will be glad you did.

Acia Berries
These tiny, dark purple berries grow on trees in South America and pack a punch when it comes to the amino fatty acids that keep us fit and strong and the Vitamin C that boosts immune systems. One of the easiest ways to enjoy this yummy superfood is to blend with other fruits such as banana, mango, kiwi as well as a little coconut water or almond milk and you will be set for the day.

Cranberries
While many people only get these bad boys out for Christmas, cranberries are natural infection-fighting super berries that need to be in the fridge all year round. Packed with flavonoids, they can help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections but are also a tasty way to keep fit and well. Fresh cranberries make a great addition to smoothies, jellies and homemade ice creams but you can also add the dried ones to your breakfast cereal and mix with almonds and sunflower seeds for an on the go snack.

Strawberries
These red beauties are a diet staple and for good reason. They contain Vitamin C and B12 as well as clever little phytochemicals and anti-oxidents which help us feel, and look good. Whether you slice them over ice cream, blend into a smoothie, add to a cheesecake or just eat them on their own after dinner, always add them to your weekly shop and enjoy whenever you can.

Blackberries
Blackberries might not be as sweet as other fruits, but they are just as good for you. Often found in hedgerows and gardens come September, the blackberry might be small but it is mighty in goodness and comes with plenty of Vitamin C, A and E was well as potassium and copper and is perfect in a pie or preserve.

Goji Berries
Dried goji berries, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, but in more recent times have become a superfood hero in the Western world too. As well as being a good source of Vitamin C, they are also loaded with beta-carotene, iron, vitamin B2, selenium and can be added to pretty much anything from energy balls and salads to smoothies and wraps for an instant health boost.

Raspberries
While these are found in everything from shakes to smoothies, we bet you didn’t know that the humble raspberry is packed with fibre and are exceptionally low in sugar and carbs? They also contain copper, magnesium and Vitamin K so make sure you pick up a punnet the next time you are shopping.

Team Pure Beauty

Be serum say this summer

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100% naturally-derived, added boost, African Birch Bark, all day care, all skin types, anti-oxidant rich, balance facial pigmentation, bathroom cabinet, beauty routine, Borage, Chia Seed Oil, cleanse, clinically proven, Decleor Lavendula Iris Rejuvenating Serum, deliver results, Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, Dhatelo Oil, DMAE, drops, Elemis Hydra-Boost Serum, Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir, essential oils, fine lines and wrinkles, firm, fresh and healthy, gently exfoliating, geranium, glow, gluten and paraben free serum, heart, high-performance product, hyaluronic acid, iris, Jan Marini C-ESTA Oil Control Serum, Lactic Acid, lemongrass, Manuka, massage, mature skin, more youthful, morning and night, oil breakthrough, omega-rich Camelina oil, organic Myrtle, parched, perfect, Plum Kernals, plumper, promotes collagen production, quinic acid, Red Seaweed, rose, smile, soften, sophora japonica flower extract, stimulating, sunnier, super hydrated, super thirsty skin, temperatures soar, tone and moisturise, toning, Tri-Peptides, vegan friendly

Cleanse, tone and moisturise are at the heart of any good beauty routine, but if you want to keep you skin seriously hydrated as the temperatures soar this summer, seriously think about adding a serum to your bathroom cabinet.

Serums are generally used before moisturising and give you skin an added boost and at Pure Beauty we offer something for everyone.

We love the Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum because this high-performance product works with the skin to brighten, firm and make your smile just that little but sunnier. This gluten and paraben free serum is vegan friendly and suitable for all skin types. As well as gently exfoliating the skin, it helps balance facial pigmentation as well as ease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin C has been blended with Lactic Acid, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract and well as Chia Seed Oil and using just a little, after toning and before moisturising, morning and night, you will soon start to see a change for the better.

If your skin is feeling parched, you may well need the Elemis Hydra-Boost Serum. This clinically proven hydrating serum provides all day care for super thirsty skin. Quinic Acid, Dhatelo Oil and Hyaluronic Acid have been mixed with anti-oxidant rich, organic Myrtle, and come together to help maintain the skin’s natural defences. Apply a little of the serum to cleansed skin let the goodness of the ingredients get to work.

If you want your skin to look fresh and healthy, we suggest trying out the Jan Marini C-ESTA Oil Control Serum. This powerful antioxidant serum, is packed with skin loving Vitamin C and DMAE and is ideal for helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while also reducing oil breakthrough. Continued use, morning and night, will make your skin look more toned as lines are smoothed and you will have a glow that may have been missing until now.

Decleor Lavendula Iris Rejuvenating Serum is 100% naturally derived and the blend of essential oils can help to firm more mature skin. Geranium has been added to help soften the signs of ageing, Lemongrass promotes collagen production and boosts firmness while Manuka relaxes the skin. Stimulating and toning Iris, protecting Rose and comforting Jasmine have been mixed with Borage and Plum Kernals for added hydration and the result is a floral serum that works in harmony with your skin to deliver results and make you smile.

Age catches up with us all, but you can keep the signs at bay with the Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir. This concentrated anti-ageing super serum significantly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Tri-Peptides, African Birch Bark, Red Seaweed and Padina Pavonica have been expertly blended with Hyaluronic Acid and omega-rich Camelina Oil, to create a serum that leaves skin visibly smoother, plumper and more youthful. Simply massage one or two drops into your skin morning and night and watch the years slip away.

If you would like more information about these, or any of our products, get in touch and we would love to help find the right choice for you.

Team Pure Beauty

Pack a thriller in your suitcase

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agoraphobic, best friend, best-selling author, bikini, bookshop, café, charming man, chic lit, children, complex web of lies, curious, dark story, date, ddebut author, dead, divorce, Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon, edgy, epilepsy, evidence, families, fear, girl, Girl Before by JP Delaney, great reads, gripping story, heart, home alone, husband, husband and wife, innocence, journey, karma, landlord, last word, Lisa Jewell, lives alone, man, marriage, memory, mirror, missing, mistress, One Folgate Street, one session read, page turning twists and turns, Perfect Friend by Barbara Copperthwaite, pool side, protect, psychological thrillers, real, right and wrong, safety, seat, secrets, separated, sinister call, sunglasses, T. A. Cotterell, tense tale, terrifying attack, The Date by Louise Jensen, The Dead Ex by Jane Corry, The Girl on the Train, Then She Was Gone, thriller, toothbrush, tough choice, trust, truth, twin sisters, unanswered questions, What Alice Knew, young age

As well as your bikini, toothbrush, and sunglasses, if you are heading away on holiday this summer, be sure to pack a poolside thriller in your bag.

Offering something a little edgier than chic lit, psychological thrillers have seen a rise in popularity in the past couple of years and there is no end of choice when it comes to great reads.

The Perfect Friend by Barbara Copperthwaite is a truly dark story about the turn Alex’s life takes when her husband leaves her and her children won’t talk to her. All she can do is to turn to her best friend, Carrie, who knows all her secrets and is the only person she can truly trust. Carrie would she’d never let her down, or would she???

Following her divorce, Ali goes out on a date with a new man on Saturday night, but on Sunday morning, she wakes up alone with no memory of what happened to her. And when she looks in the mirror, she doesn’t recognise the face staring back at her. If you loved The Girl on the Train, then The Date by Louise Jensen is for you, and if you haven’t read The Girl on the Train – where have you been?

For a ‘one session read’, it has to be The Dead Ex by Jane Corry. A terrifying attack leaves Vicki suffering from epilepsy and without a husband after he runs away with his mistress. When a call comes to say he’s missing, she starts to believe in karma, but when evidence suggests he is dead, things get real and she needs to prove her innocence.

The Girl Before by JP Delaney is a tense tale full of page-turning twists and turns. When Jane moves into One Folgate Street, she falls in love with her beautiful minimal new, despite the bizarre rules it comes with. As the landlord, and the house, become increasingly strange, Jane becomes curious about Emma, the girl who lived there before her and starts to fear for her safety in her gripping quest to find the truth. Tip, don’t read this if you are home alone, but definitely, do read this.

Secrets in families are never a good idea and that is what is at the heart of Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon. Twin sisters Robin and Sarah were separated at a young age and now, in their 30s, one is agoraphobic and lives alone, while the other seemingly has the perfect family and perfect life. When Sarah is accused of something terrible, she needs to track down her twin sister to put together the pieces. A gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very last word.

Back to the husband and wife scenario, and in What Alice Knew, debut author T. A. Cotterell, takes you on a journey of complex web of lies that will have you turning the pages in fear. From the outside, Alice has everything, that is until her husband goes missing one night. After receiving a sinister call, she faces making a tough choice that has her questioning right and wrong and wondering just how far she can go to protect those she loves.

While Then She Was Gone, by best-selling author, Lisa Jewell, isn’t new on the shelves, it is oh so worth a read. Laurel is trying to piece her life back together, 10 years after her daughter, Ellie, disappeared and seven years since her marriage fell apart. When she meets a charming man in a café, their flirtation develops into something deep, fast. Before she knows it, she’s meeting his daughters, and all those unanswered questions that have haunted her about her own child come flooding back.

Pop along to your local bookshop and buy your books before you go away and let us know what you think.

Team Pure Beauty