Five Self-Tanning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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Photo by Garett Mizunaka on Unsplash

Applying self tan can be a veritable minefield of potential mistakes, and anyone who has had a self tan disaster will know that they can be tricky to rectify. To help you to avoid self-tanning mistakes before they even happen, we’ve put together a crib sheet of no-nos in self tanning, so you’ll get the perfect, even glow you deserve.

Time Your Hair Removal

All too often, people wax or shave and then apply fake tan almost immediately, but this is one of the easiest ways to end up with patches. Your skin needs time to settle down after hair removal so make sure you leave at least 24 hours after shaving and a minimum of 48 hours if you’re waxing. Applying Decleor Soothing Aftershave Fluid will also help your skin to recover.

Uneven Application

Seasoned self tanners will know that you have to get into every nook and cranny to make your tan look even, and the most common places to miss are your inner elbow and the backs of your knees. A lot of people apply fake tan while sitting down and you end up with white circles in these areas, so make sure you stand up and get all of the areas evenly!

There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Hydration

Almost everyone on the planet has drier skin on their knees, elbows, hands and feet and there’s no shame in admitting that, but it can play havoc with self tan. Exfoliation is really important, but layering PLENTY of moisturiser in these areas will help you to avoid the orange patches that often appear on these areas when the tanner clings to dead skin cells. Moisturise and then when you think you’ve done enough, moisturise some more!

Out With the Old

If you still have traces of old self tan on your body which are less then even, you need to get rid of this before layering over the top. Gradual tanner is designed to be layered to build a level of coverage that you’re aiming for, but make sure it’s even otherwise you’ll end up way too patchy.

Don’t Soak Yourself

If you want your self tan to look its best for as long as possible, bathing is another big no-no. Obviously we aren’t telling you not to wash, but baths will make your tan disappear much quicker than showers. Try to use a moisturising body wash to give your skin plenty of moisture as dry skin will slough off much easier, taking your tan with it.

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Exercise Apps You’ll Love

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0-day beginner’s course, 30 minutes per day, 5k, abs, addictive, app, barre, beach holiday, board, body, boxing, cardio, chillout, community, competition, cycling distances, Daily Yoga, de-stress, determination, digital, downloading, downward dogs, feel good endorphins, finish line, fit, fitness studios, focus, four week to summer fitness programme, free trial, friend, From Couch to 5k, get fit, Gixo, Headspace, HIIT, important, intimidated, Judgement, kettlebell, mind, mindfulness, motivated, newbies, one stop, performance, personalised teaching approach, physical workout, progesss, running, Russian twists and reverse crunches, shop, Six Pack in 30 Days, speeds, start, Strava, strength routines, strong, Studio Tone It Up, sun salutations, sweat, three days a week, tip-top condition, tone, toned, total beginner, track, walking, warrior poses, wellness, wellness journey, willpower, work out, yoga, yoga and meditation

If you hate going to the gym and feel intimated by fancy fitness studios, why not jump on the digital bandwagon and get fit with an app?

OK, you will need a certain amount of willpower and determination, but free from judgement and competiton, by downloading an app, you can work-out when it suits you, wherever you like and you can often track your progress so you stay motivated too.

We have had a look at some of the best options out there to keep you in tip-top condition.

Gixo
Day and night, teachers are available on Gixo for 15, 25 and 40-minute sessions of running, walking, HIIT and strength routines that you can do without having to leave your living room. With no excuses about not being able to find time to get to the gym, you can try a free trial at home and then get to work with the ‘four week to summer fitness programme’ – what are you waiting for?

Daily Yoga
If you want something a little less intense and a bit more zen, then the Daily Yoga app offers over 100 yoga and meditation classes with plenty of poses to choose from. From sun salutations, warrior poses and downward dogs, you can chill out and tone up with this app and the meditation offerings mean this is a one stop de-stress and focus shop.

From Couch to 5k
If you haven’t heard of ‘From Couch to 5K’ where have you been ? This app is quite literally taking people from the comfort of their couch to the 5K finish line in weeks. It is perfect if you are a total beginner who wants to try running, but isn’t sure where to start. You only have to sweat for 30 minutes per day, three days a week for nine weeks to get to your target distance, and we think that you will be hooked on running before then! Why not get a friend involved and you can get fit, together?

Six Pack in 30 Days
Got a beach holiday coming up? Then you might want to strengthen your abs with ‘Six Pack in 30 Days’. No fancy gear is needed to do these ab workouts and the programme is suitable for total newbies. The app clearly shows you how to do classic core workouts like Russian twists and reverse crunches which will help you to work up a sweat, but make you look fab-tastic.

Strava
Not that exercise has to be a competition, but if you want to compare your performance with friends this app cold help to give you that extra push towards the finish line. Strava is a great way to keep track of running and cycling distances, speeds as well as endurance, and believe us, it can become as addictive as those feel good endorphins.

Studio Tone It Up
If community is important to you, then Studio Tone It Up could be what you have been looking for. Without leaving the house, you will be guided through workouts that will help to get your body toned and your mind strong. There’s a choice of yoga, cardio, barre, boxing, kettlebell, and more on offer and with new classes arriving every week, there’s no chance of getting board, just fit.

Headspace
Not everyone is looking for a physical workout, and if that is you, then how about trying the a wellness journey with the Headspace app? Start things off with a free 10-day beginner’s course that shows you the essentials of practicing mindfulness on a daily basis and with meditating known to help ease insomnia and increase productivity at work, you never know where this could lead.

Got an app you think we would like? Let us know about it and we will give it a go.

Team Pure Beauty

How to get better sleep in your life

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a decent mattress, accomplished, alarm, alert, answering emails, anxiety, app, awake, back on track, bed, bedroom, body, brain, caffeinated drinks, Calming, cardio, clean bedding, coffee, comfortable pillows, consistency, daytime worries, depression, doctor, drift off, fizzy drinks, gentle stretches, get up, head, herbal teas, HIT workout, illness, improve your immune system, list, listening, lying in bed, meditating, meditation, memory, mood, next day, paying bills, peace, quiet, reducing stress, refreshes, rest, screens, skin, sleep, sleeping haven, snooze, soft lighting, stop, strength training, talk, tasks, tea, tension, three things, warm bath, warm drink, water, weight gain, wind down, work, writing reports, yoga

Sleep may seem like a bit of a waste of time because as you snooze you could be answering e-mails, doing work or swiping right, but if you don’t get enough rest, you won’t do any of these things very well.

Sleep not only refreshes you and let’s your body, brain and skin recover from the day, it can also help ease depression and anxiety, decrease the illness, help with your memory, improve your immune system, prevent weight gain and make you happier and more productive.

If you want to get more sleep, and better sleep, we have some ideas that might help.

Make exercise a priority
Regular exercise that’s part of your daily life really can help you to sleep. As well as reducing stress and relieving anxiety, exercise, whether it be cardio, strength training or yoga can improve your general wellbeing, boost your mood and help your body to wind down at the end of the day so you can sleep. We wouldn’t suggest a HIT workout at 9pm, but you might find that some gentle stretches in the evening, combined with meditation, will ease tension and get you feeling more rested.

Go for de-caff
Many of us drink caffeinated drinks as a way of staying awake and alert during the day, but the downside is that this can actually keep you awake at night. Try to stop drinking caffeine heavy coffee, tea and fizzy drinks six to eight hours before bed, sipping on water and herbal teas instead, and you will be glad you did.

Make a list
You might find that making a list of things to do the next day will stop things going around in your head when you do get into bed. Another way to end your day is to list three things you have been grateful for and this means you will see just what you have accomplished and how well you are doing in life which means there is no need to lie awake worrying.

De-stress in the evening
Having a warm bath, meditating or listening to a calming app while lying in bed are all gentle ways to get you in the mood for sleep. If you can turn off your daytime worries and switch into a more relaxed mode, it will help you to get ready for sleep.

Get into a routine
You might not think it but your body craves consistency, plus you’re more likely to get enough sleep if you schedule it in the same way you do with other important tasks in your life. Set a time when you turn off screens, have slot for taking a bath or shower and set your alarm for the next day, and if you can, get up at the same time everyday so you keep things in a pattern, even better.

Create a sleeping haven
Bed is not a place for paying bills, writing reports or watching scary movies, it is a place for peace, quiet and sleep. Have clean bedding, comfortable pillows, a decent mattress, make sure the temperature works for you, get soft lighting and black out blinds and make your bedroom a place you want to be in.

Get up and stop fretting
If you don’t fall asleep after 15 minutes, why not get up until you feel ready to drift off? Don’t turn on your phone or start answering emails, instead have a warm drink, read a book, do some yoga or meditation and try to set your mind free.

If you’re still having trouble sleeping, why not speak with your doctor and see if they can help you get back on track.

Team Pure Beauty

Pure Beauty helps ease your skincare worries

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acne, amazing, antioxidant serum, areas, Avellana Seed oil, beauty regime, blemishes, blended, body, brightened, brightens, Camellia, central heating, chapped hands, cold weather, combination skin, combo, creams, decongest, deeply cleanses, delicate eye area, Dermalogica Hydrating Lotion, detoxifies, dirt, dry patches, dull skin, Elemis Absolute Eye Mask, Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream, enriched, excess oil, Eyes, face, fine lines, firm, Frangipani flowers, hands, happy, health, help, hydrates, ingredients, issues, Jan Marini C-ESTA Serum, jasmine, lacklustre, Litsea, luxurious product, luxurious texture, Macadamia and Sesame Oil, magnolia, make-up, Milk Protein, nails, need, nourishing, Omega 7, Pure Beauty, reduce, revitalised, rich formula, shower gel, silky-smooth, skin, skin loving, smell, smoothing, soothes, spots, super soft, tighten, tired, tired eyes, tone, trouble, Virgin Plum, vitality, Vitamin C, water, white flowers, work, worse, wrinkles, youthful

Whether it is acne, dry patches, fine lines, blemishes, chapped hands or deepening wrinkles you struggle with when it comes to your skin, at Pure Beauty, we sell a range of products that can help you get to grips with the issues that trouble you the most.

All about the eyes
We love the Elemis Absolute Eye Mask because it does so much to help your eyes look fantastic. When applied to the delicate eye area it helps to decongest, firm and tone, whilst nourishing and smoothing at the same time – amazing. You can use it twice a week and by leaving the ingredients to get to work for 10 minutes, tired eyes will be brightened and revitalised.

It’s all about the combo
If you have combination skin, the Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser could be what you have been looking for. It deeply cleanses your skin so that dirt and make-up are removed and excess oil is balanced, but not totally wiped away. Extracts of Lime Blossom, Lecithin and Vitamin E soothe and moisturise so that skin is bursting with health and vitality.

Tighten up
Adding the Jan Marini C-ESTA Serum to your beauty regime can help tone and tighten your skin in the areas you most need it. Packed with skin loving Vitamin C, this powerful antioxidant serum helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Ongoing use means lines will be less pronounced and skin will look even-toned and healthy.

Spot it
Let’s face it, we have all suffered with spots at one time or another and sometimes the creams used to help make things better, actually make them worse. The Dermalogica Hydrating Lotion soothes discomfort and hydrates dryness so your skin feels happy once again.

What about your body?
You might take care of your face, but the rest of your body needs more than shower gel to keep it in check. The Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream is the answer to your prayers as this luxurious product is enriched with Macadamia and Sesame Oil and it leaves skin feeling super soft and silky smooth. Thanks to Frangipani Flowers you will smell great too.

Hand it to me
The cold weather, central heating and endless contact with water, means that our hands really do take a battering during the day. To ensure your hands are soft and smooth, we would suggest you keep a tube of Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream in your bag. It has a luxurious texture which is quickly absorbed by the skin so that hands and nails are instantly rejuvenated and conditioned. Milk Protein, Avellana Seed Oil, Omega 7, Camellia, Virgin Plum and Macadamia have been blended to create a rich formula that locks in moisture. White flowers, Litsea, Jasmine, Magnolia and a hint of Vanilla, means that hands don’t only look youthful and radiant but they smell sensational too.

Tired, dull skin
If you need rescuing from tired, lacklustre, dull skin, add the Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque to your basket. This all-in-one treatment detoxifies, brightens and invigorates your skin and can be used by everyone.

If you have any questions about these, or any products we stock, get in touch and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty

How to Detox Your Wardrobe

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akin, ankles, bikinis, black, body, boho, bright pink skinny jeans, buy, chest of drawers, clients, clip hangers, clothes, colour, cowboy boots, Cropped jeans, detox, diary, dress, dry January, essentials, fabric, fake fur gillet, February, fine knits, flip flops, fluffy bomber jacket, fresh, friends, golden rule, grey, gym, hip, home, honest, invest, items, jeans, kaftans, long sleeved floral maxi dress, love, lunch, meeting, navy, ong-sleeved Breton t-shirt, out-out, pairs of jeans, piles, polished, Quality over quantity, rain or shine, right length, ruthless, school run, sell, shape, Sienna Miller, skinnies, skirt, smart casual look, snow, spring, staple, storage accessories, straw hats, style, tailored trousers, trainers, versatile items, wardrobe, wear, winter or spring, work, worn

With Dry January out of the way and your body akin to a temple (right?), February is the perfect time to go ahead and detox your wardrobe.

Why not spend some time this month looking at what you have, and what you might need, and to get really organised so you look fresh and polished from now right through to the summer.

Set aside a morning or afternoon when you can turn the phone off and just get on with the job in hand! Put it in your diary and stick to it.

Ready? Let’s go.

The six-month rule
If you haven’t worn something in your wardrobe in the past six months, the chances are, you won’t wear it again. This is a time to be honest and ruthless so as you go through your clothes, make three piles – keep, sell, and give away. Those bright pink skinny jeans, the fluffy bomber jacket and those lime green cowboy boots didn’t work for a reason, so don’t hang onto them just incase.

Quality over quantity
You might feel good knowing your wardrobe is bursting open with hundreds of items, but how many do you actually wear and really like? You might not believe us, but having 30 pieces you really love to wear will make your clothes work so much better for you. By doing this you can also see what is missing and what you need to buy, if anything.

It’s a matter of jeans
OK, how many pairs of jeans do you have in your wardrobe? 5, 10, 15…..more???? Jeans are a staple but one that is hard to crack. They need to be the right length, colour, shape, style and only then are they perfect. Cropped jeans elongate legs and there is nothing like a flash of ankle, mid-risers are hip flatterers and skinnies work on so many levels. See which ones fit, get rid of the ones that don’t, and buy a couple of new pairs that make you look, and feel, amazing.

Jump to it
Come rain or shine, winter or spring, fine knits in black, grey and navy are essentials, end of. They are the most versatile items in your wardrobe, so it pays to invest in the best you can afford. They can be worn with tailored trousers for a smart casual look, match them with those perfect jeans you have found, or pop over a dress and you look as if you have pulled a new skirt out of the wardrobe!

Stripes
Whether you are 13, 30 or 83, a long-sleeved Breton t-shirt will always be your fashion friend. They are brilliant to wear with trainers and jeans on the school run or pop under a jacket and you have a more tailored look that will work well for a meeting with clients or lunch with friends.

Go by the seasons
When you are organising your wardrobe, do it by the seasons. As we are in the middle of winter, you can pack away bikinis, kaftans, flip flops and straw hats – wrap them in tissue paper with moth balls, and store away until the snow has thawed and spring is in the air. You want everything else, to be visible so you can grab, and go.

Be an outfit builder
If you want the clothes you have kept to really work for you, create three outfits from each item you have kept. For example, that long-sleeved floral maxi dress can be worn alone, add a jumper and boots and you have a daytime staple, and if you layer with a fine knit and fake fur gillet, you have a boho look that Sienna Millar would be proud to be seen in.

Fold or hang?
If you want them to keep their shape, always fold knits, t-shirts and jeans. You can either layer them in a chest of drawers or get storage accessories that hang in your wardrobe. Trousers and skirts can be hung on clip hangers and for dresses, go for slim hangers. The golden rule with hanging is that you should be able to fit two fingers between each hanger, and this way your clothes don’t get crushed or lost in a blur of fabric.

Sort it out
If you have taken the time to find the clothes that work for you, it is worth sorting them out in a way that works too. Hang dresses, jackets and shirts together, and then have subcategories of work, home, gym, out-out and if you want to go one step further, complete with a spot of colour coordination.

So, now you know what you have to wear, you just need to fill your diary with events to go to.

Team Pure Beauty