Get a clean home, faster

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Let’s face it, there are better things to do with our time than clean our homes, but it is a necessary evil unless you want to live in a mess, or have the cash to pay someone to do it for you.

One of the biggest mistake people make when they are cleaning is to do it room by room (aka ‘zone cleaning’) which is slow and you can do it much faster, and better, if you take a different approach.

Focussing on just one area, may mean doing a great job on your counters which will sparkle and shine, but the cooker will still be dirty and as for the bathroom, well you won’t get time to go there if you are too busy folding the ironing for the next morning.

The reality is, if you put a system in place that is quick and efficient, you will have more time to do the things you really love.

Pick a Day
It can be any day, but pick a day when you can really get on top of your cleaning and this will automatically take some of the pressure off. We know this sounds daft, but doing this will make the rest of your week so much easier and you can get your partner, flatmate or kids doing jobs too! Maybe go for Sunday morning and then you can reward yourself with a roast dinner (wiping up gravy of course), or a Friday afternoon before you go out and then you can really let your hair down knowing it is done.

Start by Dusting
Dust each room, including the tops of all your furniture, the undersides of shelves and the books, as well as picture frames, TV screens and the bits and pieces we all collect that don’t really have a home. The best way to do this is to dust dry, when things are wet is so much harder. If you want to get rid of smudges and finger prints then use a clean microfibre cloth and good quality polish.

Clean Fabrics
Putting on the washing as you clean will make the most of your time and it will feel like everything is clean in your home, for a little while at least. Strip and remake the bed beds, tidy cushions and put throws back onto sofas neatly, vacuum your curtains and clean animal beds out too.

Clean Mirrors and Glass
Wipe down all the mirrors and windows in your home as they pick up a lot of dust and when the sun shines, it will show up and look like you haven’t cleaned for ages. One handy tip is to use one wet and one dry microfiber cloth as this will clean away dust and dirt but won’t leave behind lines and streaks.

Clean your Surfaces
Wipe down all the surfaces and counters in your home in one go. Move from room to room, disinfecting if necessary, and make sure you clean door handles, light switches, TV remotes, mobile devices and phones as these are full of nasty germs. If you have any illness or bugs in the home, make sure you do this at least once a day to stop anything spreading! Also leave cleaning items in bathrooms so you can wash during the week and prevent a massive build up of dirt to tackle on cleaning day. If you can, use environmentally sound protects, wear gloves to protect your hands, and always apply cream when you are done.

Get to Grips with the Bathroom and Kitchen
Walk through your bathroom and kitchen, spraying cleaner on your baths, sinks and toilets as you go – not on the carpets or floors of course. Then return and clean the bathroom and wash shower curtains and towels once the bedding is done. When it comes to the kitchen, wipe down the inside of the microwave, as well as cabinet and appliance doors before getting to work on the sink and table tops. Empty and bleach the bins so they are really clean and make sure everything sparkles, including the draining board.

Next to the Floors
Sweep, then mop or scrub the bathroom and kitchen floors, making sure you really get to those hard to clean areas as this is where nasties can hide and bacteria can hide.

Get the Vacuum Out
Last of all, vacuum the carpers in your bedrooms, down the stairs, through the living room and into the hallway, moving furniture so you get rid of the dust that can make you cough.

Now, put the kettle on and admire your hard work as you enjoy a cup of tea.

Team Pure-Beauty

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Your summer reading list is here

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America, another woman, Atlantic, bold, breathtaking book, clever, clothes, cocktail, commute, compelling story, crying, dreams, drift off to sleep, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, emotional, empowering and heartfelt, enchants and captives, end, England, Faking Friends by Jane Fallon, feel good novel, first novel, first page, flat, focus, free fall, fun, funny, Gail Honeyman, Gail O’Porter, glasses, great reads, hilarious, home, inspiring authors, Internet sensation, iPad, Julie Cohen, Kindle, laughing, limit, long-term relationship, love, lunch, marrying, meal deal, mission, modern day life, Monday to Friday, moving, murkey waters, pain, paperback, penny drops, poignant, powerful, raw, reader, relatable, resonate, secrets and lies, single mum, Sophie Kinsella, Special, story, success, suncream, Surprise Me, The Cows, tissues, twists and turns, vodka, weekend, work, world famous blogger

Whether it’s found in a paperback, Kindle or iPad, having a decent book to read can help take the pain out of the commute, give you a focus away from work or help you drift off to sleep at night.

There are some really great reads out there at the moment from some inspiring authors and thought we would share some of our favourites with you.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine might look like a simple read about a women who seems to lead a pretty normal life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, buys the same meal deal for lunch Monday to Friday and has a thing for vodka, but there’s nothing unusual about that. However, as a little bit of kindness and compassion comes into Eleanor’s life, a raw, emotional, compelling story unfolds and the twists and turns keep you turning every page of Gail Honeyman’s first novel, to the very end.

If you are looking for a book you will not want to put down, Gail O’Porter’s, The Cows is the one for you. This brilliant story captures and entwines the lives of three woman all navigating the murky waters of modern-day life in a fun, clever way that will resonate with readers on so many levels. A single mum who becomes an Internet sensation, a world-famous blogger and a grieving twin might not seem like a cocktail for success, but O’Porter has created something very special that must not be missed.

Julie Cohen is a gifted novelist and her latest book, Together, is a bold, breathtaking book that enchants and captives the reader from the first page to the last. Robbie and Emily have been together forever and have a love for one another that has no limit. The story crosses the Atlantic from America to England and Cohen goes back and forth and across the decades with ease and transparency to create a powerful, moving and truly beautiful tale. Be warned, tissues might be needed at the end as secrets and lies are uncovered.

If you are spending a day by the pool, pack your sun cream, glasses and Faking Friends by Jane Fallon and you are good to go. Amy was on the verge of marrying the man of her dreams but when she pays a surprise trip home to London from New York it becomes clear that another woman has been making herself at home in their flat. When the penny drops, and Amy realises her best has taken over her life but rather than go into free fall she sets out on a mission to get her own back and he journey is hilarious, empowering and heartfelt – don’t get sad, get better.

Sophie Kinsella is the goddess of good reads and her latest feel good novel, Surprise Me, will delight fans old and new. This is an emotionally charged, witty read about love and long-term relationship survival and questions just how well we know our nearest and dearest. Funny, poignant and relatable, this can’t put down read will have you laughing, crying and even questioning what you think is oh so safe in your life.

Got a summer read you want to share, let us know, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty

Super charge your summer wardrobe

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80s, Adidas, ankle cowboy boots, arm candy, autumn, big, bright bolds, cats-eye sunglasses, catwalk, chunky, coloured, cool vibe, cropped fitted trousers, cut, dad trainers, denim jacket, dog tooth trousers, dots, Down-to-earth, dress, dresses, Edward Enninfu, Fun florals, gorgeous, grab, granny style cardies, head to toe, High Street, inexpensive, jumpsuits, kudos, length, lightweight trench, luxe track pants, morning after, moulded sports shoes, night before, Nike, patterns, pencil skirts, pink, polka dot, Princess Di, prints, rain or shine, raincoat, shades, shops, sliders, small, Stella MacCartney, stripes, sun, thermals, tops, UK, Vicky B, waist-cinching A-line style, wardrobe, weather, wrap skirt, yellow

The weather is still a little unpredictable on UK shores at the best of time, but it only takes the sun coming out for a couple of hours for us to start putting the thermals away and consider our summer staples.

We have had a look at what’s hot this summer so you can look totally gorgeous come rain or shine.

Go dotty
From the catwalk to the High Street, dots are big (and small) for the summer. Princess Di’s polka dot obsession can be seen on everything from jumpsuits and tops to dresses and pumps and if you have a thing for the ‘80s, they will serve you well.

Bag it up
Forget structured totes, sunny times call for a whole new kind of arm candy. Down-to-earth, inexpensive fabric cross body bags, raffia baskets and string shoppers are slightly retro but come with a cool vibe that will last right thought to the autumn.

Shades
This summer is all about cats-eye sunglasses, and we love them. They are smaller than the Vicky B super-sized sunnies of summers past, but are face-flattering and still big enough to hide the fun of the night before, the morning after.

Cover up
Put the puffa away and when the showers show up, reach in your bag for a lightweight trench or shake things up by going for a bright pink or yellow raincoat for extra kudos. If you want something a little different, the shops are fully of granny style cardies in a range of shades and textures that you can grab as you go.

Go faster
If you haven’t noticed stripes in the shops, where have you been? Go faster blasts, can be seen on everything from dog-tooth trousers to luxe track pants and designer hoodies. Don’t covert the look from head to toe, that would be total totally OTT, but go for one piece and match with bright bolds and you will be leader of the pack.

Dress it up
Summer isn’t summer without at least one new dress in your wardrobe. Fun florals, patterns and prints are all out there, just work out which cut and length is right for you, team with sliders and a denim jacket, and you have a look that even Edward Enninful would approve of.

It’s all about the dad trainers
You might not believe us, but Adidas, Nike and Stella MacCartney are all over the dad trainer this summer. Think chunky, coloured, moulded sports shoes and you have the perfect summer style to match with cropped fitted trousers and floaty pastel dresses.

It’s a wrap
Last but by no means least, we need to talk about the wrap skirt. This versatile staple has made a come-back from 1992 and we like it. Put the pencil skirts away, and swap them for a maxi-wrap in soft jersey, or a waist-cinching A-line style, match with a sharp white tee and you have a celebrity look in seconds.

With a pair of ankle cowboy boots, a dab of peach blush and plenty of sunblock on standby, you are ready to go forth and stand out in the fashion stakes this summer.

Team Pure Beauty

Use the Dermalogica Solar Defence System this Summer

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ageing free radicals, antioxidants, balmy temperatures, broad spectrum sun cream, chamomile, clouds, collagen production, cucumber, daily moisturiser, defence, Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50, Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50, Dermalogica Solar Defence System, enhance, foundation, greasy residue, healthy and youthful, hydration levels, lavender, medium-weight, mood boosting Vitamin D, patented polypeptide, perfect make-up base, playing tennis, prevent shine, protect, raining, regulates oil production, reparative complex, sailing, skin smoothness, sky, softness, soothes inflammation, SPF30, sun safe, swimming, taking exercise, UK, Vitamin C, water, water-resistant, white tea, Yeast Extract

 

How did you find the balmy temperatures and sunny skies last weekend?

We know it was lovely around the UK and while there will still be clouds in the sky, and somedays it will be raining, those pesky, powerful UV rays can still penetrate your skin whatever the weather, so you need to make sure you protect it and keep it sun safe.

We love the Dermalogica Solar Defence System as it helps keep your skin healthy and youthful as you enjoy the sun and benefit from mood boosting Vitamin D.

They are not only look after your skin, whatever the weather, but also leave it feeling soft and silky, not sticky!

If you want to maintain hydration levels and keep the elements at bay, we suggest using the Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50. This is a medium-weight, daily moisturiser is packed with SPF30 as well as a patented polypeptide that helps your skin fight ageing free radicals. White Tea, Vitamin C, Yeast Extract and Phytoestrogens all help with collagen production and because the cream blends smoothly into your skin, it makes the perfect make-up base too.

If you are getting sweaty playing tennis, sailing or jumping in and out of the water, you might want to throw the Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50 in your bag when you leave the house. This water-resistant, broad spectrum sun cream is suitable for all skin types and can be applied to your face and body. The lightweight formula helps neutralise damage and bind moisture to skin without leaving a greasy residue.

Oily skin can be a problem when the sun comes out, but this doesn’t have to be the case if you use the Dermalogica Oil Free Matte. We love how this lightweight, ultra-sheer broad spectrum sunscreen not only protects the skin from the sun but also helps prevent shine, regulates oil production and soothes inflammation. To use, simply apply the cream evenly and liberally to your face at least 15 minutes before you go into the sun exposure. You can also mix with your regular Dermalogica Moisturiser and it is important to apply regularly for continuous support and to do so especially after swimming and taking exercise.

For a little extra protection, the Dermalogica Solar Defence Booster SPF 50 adds critical UVA and UVB broad spectrum sunscreen defence. The idea is to add this to your normal moisturiser or foundation and can be used on all skin types. The non-chalky formula forms an invisible shield against skin- damaging environmental assault when applied and it should be used at least half an hour before going into the sun. As well as providing protection, we love this product because the added antioxidants enhance skin smoothness and softness – result.

If you do get caught out and your skin is burnt, don’t panic. The Dermalogica After Sun Repair is a soothing balm that helps repair skin damaged from exposure to UV sunlight. A reparative complex, enriched with Seaweed Extracts and soothing botanicals, helps protect cell proteins from further damage while restoring the skin’s condition. Japanese Alder, Algae Extracts, Hyaluronic Acid, Clove Oil, Lavender, Cucumber, Chamomile and Yucca come together to ease the irritation, redness and pain cause by sunburn. After showering in cool water, apply a generous amount of lotion to painful ares, keeping away from the eyes, and stay out of the sun for a day or two so you, and your skin, can recover.

For more details, or samples, get in touch today and we would love to help you stay safe in the sun.

Team Pure Beauty

Wedding Tips for a Perfect Day

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aunts, blisters, blogs, brothers, chemistry, congregation, deep foundations, dress, drink plenty of water, fake it, family frictions, feet, find your tribe, first dance, forecast, friend fallouts, friends, glowing, gym, healthy, hen party, I do, ideas, inspiration, Instagram brides, instincts, kind, love, magazines, Marbella, meals, Megan Markle, memorable, Mother Nature, mums, natural and simple, neighbours, obsession, orange stripes, perfect, photographers, photos, planners, planning, portfolios, Prince Harry, professional, rain, realistic goals, relaxed, Royal couple, semi-permanent eyebrows, shine, shoes, sisters, skip meals, social media sites, stylists, suncream, tan, thank you cards, top tips, towels, umbrellas, unique, websites, Windsor

With Prince Harry and Megan Markle set to sparkle as the say ‘I do’ in Windsor on 19 May, love is in the air.

While the Royal couple no doubt have an eye watering budget and a team of planners, stylists and photographers on hand to ensure this is an occasion the world will want to watch, not everyone has such an entourage to help plan their big day.

Fear not, we love a good wedding and have put together our top tips on planning the perfect day for you.

It’s all about the shoes
We know how important shoes are on your big day, but don’t make that the time to try them out for the first time. Once you have found the perfect pair, wear them in the house quite a bit so your feet are used to them and you don’t end up with blisters even before your first dance.

Find your tribe
Mums, aunts, sisters, brothers, friends, neighbours and work mates will all have special skills and if you ask them to give you a hand you will, in no time, have your very own wedding tribe. Not only will they help keep you grounded and relaxed, they will also want you to have a great day and be only too happy to do jobs to make things perfect.

Be kind to yourself
Shedding extra pounds is often front of mind with many brides, and grooms, but don’t make this an obsession because it could ruin your day. Make realistic goals but don’t hit the gym everyday or skip meals or you’ll be hungry and tired rather than glowing and healthy. Plan your meals, drink plenty of water and check your dress is altered before you wear it for real.

Watch that tan
If you didn’t have a hen party in Marbella to top up the tan, you might be tempted to fake it, but be careful with this one. Heavy spray tans, semi-permanent eyebrows and deep foundations might look good on Instagram brides, but if keep things natural and simple, your love with shine through, not the orange stripes on your shoulders.

Budget for everything
No one likes last-minute surprises so from the moment you get that sparkler on your finger, set your budget and stick to it. With social media sites, blogs and magazines offering inspiration and ideas, you can create something truly unique and memorable without remortgaging your home.

Remember the weather
You can plan most things, but there is no way to control Mother Nature. Keep an eye on the forecast in the lead up to the big day and prepare accordingly. If it is going to rain, organise extra umbrellas and towels for guests, and if you are looking at a heat wave, water and sun cream will be welcomed by the congregation.

Say cheese
When it comes to capturing the magic of your big day, the photos are so important so go for a professional. They don’t need to be the most expensive but check out their websites and portfolios, do a trial session and at the end of the day, it comes down to chemistry so follow your instincts at your first meeting.

Keep people happy
We know there can be family frictions and friend fallouts but this is your big day so manage those situations accordingly. Look at how best to put people together, who to keep apart and have someone keeping an eye on how much booze is being consumed, especially if it is a warm day.

Say thank you
Weddings are expensive for the guests as well as the bride and groom, so be sure to send out thank you cards so everyone knows how much they were appreciated.

Most of all, have fun, make memories and enjoy it because it will be over in a flash.

Team Beauty