How to keep festive stress away

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annoyed, bathroom, beach, booze, breathe, breathe in, chill out, Christmas, Christmas tree, computer games, cuppa, deep breathing, Drink enough water, exhale, family, fray, fresh air, friends, fun, garden, Go outside, grateful, Have a bath, Headspace, heart, hydrated, intense, joy and gratitude, Keep a journal, lower abdomen, merry and bright, music, nearest and dearest, post office, pressure, quiet, Relax, reusable bottle, tempers, tranquil, tropical island, tummy, TV, walk around the block, winter sunshine, write down three things

Family, friends and fun are all part of Christmas, but the festive season can bring anxiety, worry and stress too.

While it’s great to catch up with your nearest and dearest, we know that things can get intense, so we have had a look at how you can make time for you, so that things really are merry and bright.

Breathe
This sounds obvious, but when the pressure is on, make sure you practise deep breathing as it will really help you to stay calm. Sit somewhere quiet, relax and then put your left hand on your lower abdomen and your right hand on your heart. As you breathe in, let your tummy expand and your chest will start to naturally lift. As you slowly exhale, bring your tummy button to your spine. Repeat each set five times and you will start to relax.

Have a place for you
With music blaring out, the TV on and computer games raising the roof, it’s a good idea to have somewhere you can go and just chill out. Whether it’s in the garden, bathroom or your bedroom, take yourself off somewhere quiet, close your eyes and imagine somewhere you really love – like a tropical island or on the beach. Think about what you see, what you can hear and what you can smell, and then float away to somewhere more tranquil than under the Christmas tree.

Go outside
Just five minutes in the fresh air can clear your mind and give you some headspace and a little perspective. A walk around the block, a quick cuppa in the winter sunshine, or clearing up the leaves in the garden can be all it takes to give you some calm. If you can, get out for longer because staying inside all day won’t do you any favours and that’s when tempers can fray.

Drink enough water
Being hydrated is important if you want to feel well and this is especially true at Christmas when there are so many demands on you. Aim to drink at least two litres a day, and if you keep a reusable bottle on your desk and in your bag, it’s really not that hard to get all you need. Oh, and don’t over do things when it comes to drinking booze as that won’t help things!

Have a bath
A long soak in a hot bath can do wonders for all of us, so go on, treat yourself.

Keep a journal
At the end of each day, write down three things you’re grateful for, and why you’re grateful for them. It’s easy to get annoyed with the long queue in the post office and frustrated by the lack of car parking spaces at the shops, but appreciating what has been good and where you have found joy and gratitude, can be really powerful.

Team Pure Beauty

How you can scrub up well with Pure Beauty

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arms, beauty regime, black tea, blackcurrant, breathe, calloused skin, chamomile, cleanse your skin, coffeeberry, complexion, concentrated glycolic acid, Decleor Double Radiance Scrub, Dermalogica Thermafoliant Body Scrub, dulling, ease tightness, Elemi, Elemis Energising Skin Scrub, Elemis Sea Lavender and Samphire Salt Scrub, Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator, essential moisture, even tone, exfoliating particles, face, facial hair, fruit extracts, gel, gently exfoliate, glow, hydrate, Indian bamboo stem, Jan Marini Bioglycolic Resurfacing Body Scrub, Lactic Acid, Licorice, limbs, lush, Marine Phytoplankton, men, micro-circulation., milky scrub, nasty, Natural essential oil, natural oils, natural scrubbing particles, natural sea salt, Nordic bilberry, Papain, polishes, prebiotic, prevent ingrown hairs, pure, purified, radiance revealing treatment, red, refreshed, removing dead cells, resurfaces, revitalising facial scrub, rich, rough, samphire, saro, scrub, sea lavender, sensitive, Shaving, silky soft and smooth, skin, skin’s natural defences, smooth, smoother, softer, Tea Tree, Vitamin E base, warming sensation, white tea

You might think that using a scrub on your skin isn’t for you, but how about if we said it could be the best thing you could introduce to your beauty regime?

Far from making your skin red and sensitive, the scrubs we sell today can help to smooth your face as well as your limbs, back, and arms. They work to even tone and bring your complexion back to life so you look, and feel fabulous.

Let’s start things off with the lush Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator. This revitalising facial scrub is rich in fruit extracts which gently exfoliate the skin, leaving it smoother, softer and hydrated. Nordic bilberry and black tea have been blended with blackcurrant and a prebiotic, which ease tightness, but those precious natural oils we need to so much, are left safe. To use, cleanse your skin then gently massage the exfoliator in light circular motions and as you add water the gel will transform into a milky scrub that can be washed away with warm water and a cleansing cloth.

The Decleor Double Radiance Scrub is a two-in-one mask exfoliator that is perfect for removing dead cells from your skin so it can breathe once again. Three natural scrubbing particles have been mixed to create something that is more than an exfoliator; this is a radiance revealing treatment and it really works! Natural essential oils of saro and elemi have been added to boost the skin’s natural defenses well as to activate micro-circulation. The outcome clean skin that is re-energised, detoxified and radiant.

The Dermalogica Thermafoliant Body Scrub dissolves those nasty, dulling dead skin cells, hydrates, and delivers vital antioxidants leaving skin purified and refreshed. It’s the Indian bamboo stem that takes away dead cells while papain and lactic acid dissolves them. As you wash away the suds, natural sea salt revitalises and hydrates the skin while licorice, white tea, coffeeberry, and chamomile infuse it with vital antioxidants. Add tea tree and grapefruit oils into the next and you have clean, pure, refreshed skin once again.

Men can also benefit from these products and the Elemis Energising Skin Scrub is popular with our clients. Marine phytoplankton has been added to a rich vitamin E base to create a scrub that resurfaces, polishes and brightens the skin. It also helps lift facial hair before shaving to prevent ingrown hairs and blemishes. From the very first use, the skin is left feeling smooth, refined and deeply cleansed and essential moisture is locked in for added hydration.

You don’t often think about scrubs being warming, but that’s very much at the heart of the Elemis Sea Lavender and Samphire Salt Scrub. Created from a blend of sea lavender, samphire and sea salt, the skin is left feeling silky soft and smooth and thanks to the Zeolite base, you are left with a gentle warming sensation. When you massage the scrub, it becomes a rich foam that buffs away rough areas and dead skin cells. Sea salt particles provide natural exfoliation, whilst the lavender and samphire help soothe and hydrate for a healthy, all-over glow.

We can’t go without mentioning the Jan Marini Bioglycolic Resurfacing Body Scrub. A combination of concentrated glycolic acid, exfoliating particles, and botanical extracts come together to create silky smooth skin. If you suffer from rough, calloused skin or have trouble areas on the backs of your arms and legs, this scrub can offer immediate relief with progressive improvements being seen over time.

For more details about these products, or any of our other lines, get in touch and we would love to help you get your beauty regime right.

Team Pure Beauty

Look and feel cool this summer with the right clothes

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animal prints, beach, bikini bottoms, black capri pants, black dress, blanket, Body con dresses, breathe, cami, capsule wardrobe, chic, classic, classy, comfort, cotton shirts, crisp, day time dress, denim, dresses, exfoliate, fantastic outfits, feel, fitted t-shirts, floaty, florals, foundation, gold accessories, good quality sunscreen, heat, hot pants, jeans, kaftans, leg-lengthening wedges, light jacket, lightweight, limbs, look, lose, love, midi dresses, monochrome mixes, navy city shorts, navy vest, office, oversize shirt, pale, party, party dresses, patchy, pins, relaxed, rule of thumb, sharp, shave, shorts, smart look, statement necklace, style, summer, super short denim cut-offs, tailored shorts, tee, tube, wardrobe staple, wax, weather, weekend, white, work

While we love the sunshine, as the temperatures rise, it can be tricky to know what to wear so you look, and feel, cool wherever you are.

Pretty dresses and crop tops are great for keeping the heat at bay, but while they work at the weekend, they might not do the job in the boardroom. The general rule of thumb is that if it works for the beach, it probably won’t be right for the office.

We have had a look at how you can look and feel cool this summer whatever you are doing, wherever you are doing it.

Cut down on denim
We know that denim is a wardrobe staple, but standard jeans, dresses and even skirts can make you feel as if you are wrapped in a blanket and your limbs will struggle to breathe. If you like the comfort of denim but not the heaviness, go for a lightweight, pale option that you can match with a navy vest and pretty pumps and you’ll have an effortlessly chic, cool look in moments.

Make shorts work for you
Let’s get this out of the way – hot pants, super short denim cut-offs and bikini bottoms are great for the beach and pool, but when it comes to going to work or the shops, we would suggest a slightly longer length. If you want a sharp, smart look, the answer is tailored shorts with a signature tee tucked in and leg-lengthening wedges.

Trash the tights
Yes, some people hate their legs so much that they will still wear tights in summer. You don’t need to! OK, they might be pale and patchy but if you exfoliate, shave or wax and apply a gentle tanning product, you will soon love your pins.

Create a capsule wardrobe
This sounds a little structured, but if you get the basics right you are on the way to winning when it comes to the cool stakes. We all have our own style but crisp, cotton shirts, fitted t-shirts, midi dresses, decent underwear, shorts and flat sandals are a good starting point. You can then add a light jacket, statement necklace and bold bag and dress things up and down to match the weather and occasion.

Keep it lose
Body con dresses look might be on trend, but if you are on the tube or in the bank queue, you are going to feel hot and sticky. Yes, wear those fantastic outfits when you party, but for the day time you might want to go for something that is more relaxed and floaty as this can keep you cool and save those embarrassing underarm marks.

Think about neutrals
You might think that when summer comes you need to ditch everything else and only wear white, but this isn’t the case. A classic black dress and gold accessories, navy city shorts and a fresh white tee, or black capri pants and a fitted short-sleeved shirt, all look fantastic, classic and classy and will show off your tan perfectly.

Grab a kaftan
Kaftans aren’t just for the beach; they can actually work well as a day time dress or oversized shirt. We would suggest you go for monochrome mixes, animal prints or florals but one word of warning – if they are see-through wear a cami to save blushes.

Add in sunscreen
Even if there are clouds in the sky, the sun’s rays can still get through and burn your skin. Whatever else you wear, please make sure you apply a good quality sunscreen before you go out in the sun. It’s it key to also use a facial sunscreen and if you don’t want to overdo the foundation, try a tinted moisturiser instead for the summer months.

Team Pure-Beauty

Find the right yoga for you

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26 poses, aches or pains, alignment, and straps, Ashtanga Yoga, basics, beginners, Bikram Choudhury, Bikram method, Blocks, breathe, builds muscle strength, calm, choice, cleansing, constant movement, demanding, energy, faster-paced, flexibility, flow, flowing style, focus, gentle backbends, gentle postures, Hatha Yoga, heated, increases blood flow, Iyengar Yoga, journey, key yoga postures, Kundalini Yoga, lower body, more intense, muscles warm up, Pattabhi Jois, perfects posture, physically demanding, popular, poses, Relax, Restorative Yoga, Seated forward bends, sleep, slow paced, strike a pose, sun salutations, sweating, tight muscles, Vinyasa Yoga, wellbeing, yoga, yoga blankets

Yoga is as popular as ever and for good reason. As well as helping you to relax and sleep better, it also improves flexibility, builds muscle strength, perfects posture, increases blood flow, helps you focus and improves balance.
If you want to start practising yoga, but are confused where to begin because of all the choice, you aren’t alone. We have had a look at the main types of yoga, and are sure there will be something that will make you want to strike a pose.

Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is one of the most popular yoga choices and is a good place for beginners to start. Hatha is known for slow-paced, gentle postures, and not only will it give you time to get to grips with yoga, but will also be a great chance for you to start to unwind and relax.

Vinyasa Yoga
With Vinyasa (flow) yoga there is an emphasis on matching your breath with the key yoga postures like sun salutations. Postures practised during a class effortlessly flow from one to another, with deeper stretching exercises at the end of a class. Vinyasa yoga tends to be a little more demanding than Hatha because of the continuous flow of movement, but it is still a good choice at the start of your journey.

Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga is a faster-paced, more intense, flowing style of yoga founded by Pattabhi Jois in the 1960s. In an Ashtanga class you always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order, which makes this more physically demanding because of the constant movement.

Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar yoga is about bringing the body into its best possible alignment, often using yoga blankets, blocks, and straps to assist students as necessary to get the most from their class. Iyengar practice usually involves holding poses over longer periods of time rather than moving swiftly from one pose to the next, so it could be something that can be tried once the basics are mastered.

Bikram (Hot) Yoga
Hot yoga was pioneered by Bikram Choudhury and is where classes are taught in a room heated to around 95 degrees. The reason behind this is because the heat allows tight muscles to relax and encourages sweating, which is thought to be cleansing. The Bikram method is made up of a series of 26 poses and because your muscles warm up thoroughly, there should be no aches or pains the next day, just a sense of calm and wellbeing.

Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga focuses on the breath and physical movement, and is meant to help free energy in the lower body and allow it to move upwards through all the chakras.

Restorative Yoga
Oh, this sounds nice, because it is . Restorative yoga is all about relaxing the body into poses over several minutes, then holding the poses for more time than usual to enhance stretching. Seated forward bends, gentle backbends, and twists are the type of poses that can be adapted to be restorative and with the addition of props like blankets and blocks, it can be used by many people.

If you are still unsure what type of yoga is best for you, ask at your local gym or yoga centre and they will be happy to help explain more.

Team Pure Beauty

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.