There’s more to cucumber than sandwiches

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100% natural, Absolute of Moroccan Rose, afternoon tea, Arnica, aromatherapy, bathroom cabinet, blemish prone complexions, caffeic acid, chamomile, comfort, cool, cucumber, cut, dehydration, delicate, dermalogica, Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair, Dermalogica Overnight Treatment, diva, drift, dry, Elemis De-Stress Massage Oil, Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator, essential oils, exquisite, exquisite mix, fine lines, flesh, geranium, goodness, green tea, happy, hero, inflamed and irritated skin, irritated and stressed skin, lavender, Lecithin and Aloe Gel, little love, luxe, Mallow, marjoram, massaged, melissa, melting tension, morning and evening, nourish, oil, peel, picnic, radiant, refreshed, research, rosemary, sagging skin, satin smooth, Silica, silky soft, skin, sleep, smoothing, soft skin, soothe and hydrate, soothing the mind, ultra-rich cream, Vitamin C, water, young

While the humble cucumber is often only seen as an afternoon tea afterthought or an extra in a smoothie when the fridge is running low, it is actually jam-packed (excuse the pun) with natural goodness that can really benefit our skin.

The flesh might mainly be water, but it is also home to Vitamin C and caffeic acid, which both help reduce inflamed and irritated skin. The peel is often sliced away before being laid on top of ham for sandwiches, but this contains silica, which can firm sagging skin and because cucumbers are 100% natural, even people with the most sensitive skin can usually incorporate this into their beauty routine.

We did a little research and realised that quite a few of the products we sell here at Pure Beauty contain cucumber, so we thought we would let you know what’s what when it comes to this gorgeous green diva.

One of Dermalogica’s most popular products is their Skin Smoothing Cream and we know first hand that just a little goes a long way to smoothing the fine lines which are caused by dehydration. When applied to cleansed and toned normal to dry skin types, moisturising Lecithin and Aloe Gel nourishes while Extracts of Mallow, Cucumber and Arnica soothe and hydrate. Used morning and evening on a regular basis, the result will be happy, soft skin that radiates health.

Cucumber in oil might not be a match made in picnic heaven, but it works when it comes to the gorgeous Elemis De-Stress Massage Oil. Perfect for soothing the mind, melting tension and easing muscles, this exquisite mix of pure essential oils deserves a place in every bathroom cabinet. Chamomile, Cucumber, Melissa, Marjoram, Geranium, Rosemary and Lavender have been blended and is the perfect way to treat dry, irritated and stressed skin, leaving it satin smooth and silky soft. Thanks to the aromatherapy benefits of the oil, when massaged into the skin at bedtime, it offers comfort and can also help you drift off to sleep, now we didn’t know cucumber could help do that!

It’s not just aging skin that needs a little love; young, blemish-prone complexions do too and cucumber is a hero again here. The Dermalogica Overnight Treatment is a soothing, hydrating product that has been blended with Green Tea, Lavender, and Cucumber which all help to calm unhappy skin.

The Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator is a great way to achieve radiant, soft skin and we love it. Used weekly this luxe product is perfect for buffing away dirt and dead skin cells, leaving behind a glowing, youthful complexion. Absolute of Moroccan Rose hydrates the skin, while Jojoba Beads exfoliates it and thanks to Cucumber your whole face is tightened and left feeling cool and refreshed after the very first use. Seeing, and feeling, is believing, so give it a go.

Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair is an ultra-rich cream that helps diminish dry lines and repair damage around the delicate eye area. Skin-replenishing phytonutrients and botanicals of Cucumber, Butcherbroom, and Arnica help achieve optimum skin health and restores suppleness. Wild Yam Extract and Pro-Vitamin B5 help repair prematurely ageing skin, while antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E together with Grape Seed Extract protect the skin from harmful free radicals.

We can’t help you with a lunchtime buffet, but if it’s beauty products that come complete with a serving of cucumber you are looking for, get in touch and we will show you the way.

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

The Mighty Mango

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almonds, avocados, balanced diet, beta-carotene, big, blemishes, blend, blueberries, breast, carotenoids, central, chopping board, colon, complexion, copper, cream, cubes, cup, cut, digestion, dry eyes, easy to manage, elimination, enzymes, exposed flesh, face mask, fibre, glow, halves, healthy and strong, heath promoting qualities, horizontal, hormone production, ice, Immune System Booster, leukaemia, lower cholesterol levels, natural beauties, night blindness, pattern, pectin, potassium, production, prostate cancer, protein, RDA, recharge, recipe, red blood cells, salsa, salt intake, seed, skin loving Vitamin E, sliced mango, spinach, spots, vertical, vitamin A, Vitamin B6, waste

The term ‘super-food’ is banded around the place like no one’s business at the moment. From avocados and spinach to almonds and blueberries, these natural beauties are all over the place, but no one ever really seems to put the mighty mango in this group?

Well, we think they should be and are here to put them on the healthy map.

Mangos grow in tropical climates and are a nutritionally rich fruit with a unique flavor, fragrance, taste, and it has so many heath promoting qualities we don’t know where to start.

Cancer Prevention
Some research has shown that the antioxidant properties in mango fruit can help protect against breast, colon and prostate cancers as well as leukaemia.

Eye Sight
A cup of sliced mango contains around 25% of the RDA of Vitamin A which is key to good eyesight and can prevent night blindness and dry eyes.

Cholesterol Count
Due to the high levels of fibre, pectin and Vitamin C in mangos they can help lower cholesterol levels.

Glowing Skin
Mangos help clear clogged pores and eliminate acne, and because they are rich in skin loving Vitamin E, your complexion will glow if you eat them as part of a balanced diet.

Digestion
Mangos are packed with clever enzymes that break down protein and come with fibre both of which help with digestion and elimination.

Immune System Booster
Due to the generous amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, plus 25 different carotenoids, fresh mango is the perfect way to keep your immune system healthy and strong.

The Other Bits
Mangos also come with Vitamin B6 and other B vitamins that help with hormone production and prevent heart disease. They have plenty of potassium that balances out salt intake as well as copper that helps with the production of red blood cells.

So you have got your mango, but how do you prepare it so none goes to waste?

Hold the mango on its side and cut down either side of the large, central seed so you have two big halves.

Place each half on a chopping board, peel face down, and cut the exposed flesh in a horizontal and vertical pattern, taking care not to cut too deep through the skin or into your fingers. Then invert the whole half and push out easy to manage cubes.

You can use this cubes to make a super effective face mask. Simply blend the mango and apply to the face and let your skin soak up the beta-carotene and Vitamin C help which will repair spots and blemishes and recharge your complexion.

Otherwise eat the mango solo, on cereal, in smoothies, add it to salads, pop on the top of ice cream, mix into a salsa, blend into yogurt, make a pie. The ideas are endless, the taste is incredible.

Got a mango recipe you like, send it over, we would love to give it a try.

Team Pure Beauty

Can You Pull Off a Pixie Cut?

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acne, bad skin, clean, cleanse, conditioner, cut, Dermalogica Daily Conditioning Rinse, forehead, hair, hairdresser, Jennifer Hudson, Mia Farrow, Michelle Williams, oil, Pamela Anderson, pixie, sebum, short hair, spots, texture, Zendaya

Image Sources: http://bit.ly/1XELTfM

Last years’ hot hair trend was long, flowing tresses in a variety of mermaid, unicorn and dragon-like shades, taking hair maintenance to a whole new level. However, this summer, a far more low-key trend is taking hold – the Pixie Cut. Celebs from Katy Perry to Zendaya to Scarlett Johansson are getting their hair shorn and looking amazing in the process. If you’re thinking about getting the chop like your favourite celeb, read on for our ultimate guide to pixie cuts:

Will It Suit Me?

This is one of those tricky questions that is very hard to answer until after you’ve taken the plunge, but there are places online to try new hairstyles by uploading a current photo of yourself so it might be worth giving that a go if you’re unsure. Generally speaking, very short hair needs a good bone structure to support the look, so people with very round faces should probably avoid it. Many people who suffer with acne or bad skin tend to hide behind their hair, so if you feel naked without hair around your face then this might not be the cut for you. However, there’s some evidence to suggest that the oil and daily dirt from hair could exacerbate spots on the forehead, so cutting it back might actually help.

What Type of Cut Should I Go For?

The pixie cut has really evolved since the days of Mia Farrow’s super short, boyish cut and there are several variations on the traditional style to suit a range of tastes. Lots of people are keeping it longer on top but super short at the sides, or having a swept-over look at the front, which allows you to be more versatile with how the style looks.

Image Source: http://bit.ly/2pltWf0

Is It Really Low Maintenance?

Having short hair might seem like the easy option, and with SOME styles it is, but actually you might find that short hair takes more styling than longer hair, which can be chucked into a ponytail or braid on days when you can’t be bothered. Unless you go for a total crop, most short hairstyles require some element of styling and although the results are worth it and usually look fantastic, if you’re not a person who has time in the mornings you might want to think on it for a bit longer! Also, short hair needs to be kept…short! You’ll need to be prepared to trim your hair more regularly than if it’s long because pixie cuts grow out really easily.

Hair in Bad Condition?

If your hair is damaged from years of heat styling, over-bleaching and neglect then a pixie cut could actually be a really stylish way to take things back to zero, cutting away all of the damaged hair and letting your hair grow back fresh and new. Once you’ve had the cut, take care of your hair with Dermalogica Daily Conditioning Rinse for protection from heat and increased moisture.

Is There Anything Else I Need to Know?

If you don’t have a regular stylist, make sure you choose someone with plenty of experience in pixie cuts because they can be one of the harder looks to achieve and take a lot of skill. If you have a regular hairdresser, they’re probably a really good person to chat to before going for it because they’ll be able to give you a professional opinion on your hair texture and whether the cut will suit you or not. Ask them to be brutally honest with you!

Five Hair Myths BUSTED

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brushing, clean, conditioner, cut, dermalogica, Dermalogica Shine Therapy Shampoo, Dermalogica Silk Finish Conditioner, follicles, hair, hydrate, protection, shampoo

Hair is one of those things about which everyone has an opinion, anecdote or nugget of advice, but as scientific knowledge advances, often these ‘old wives tales’ turn out to be nothing but baseless claims passed down through the grapevine. We take a look at five of these rumours which are, in fact, totally inaccurate to show you just how many untruths there are out there.

Cutting Hair Makes it Thicker

This myth is possibly the one which gets trotted out the most but it’s more or less impossible to affect the actual thickness of your hair because it’s dictated by the size of your hair follicles. If your hair is broken and wispy, cutting off the broken ends will make it look thicker, but it’s basically an optical illusion.

Dry Shampoo is Good for Your Hair

Dry shampoo is actually a really old fashioned product which has made a resurgence in recent years, but using it regularly is far from a good idea. In fact, there’s evidence to show that overuse of dry shampoo can actually damage the hair and scalp and even leave you with bald patches – AVOID!

You Can’t Wash Your Hair Every Day

This is one of those pieces of advice which is totally subjective. Sure, some people may feel that washing every day dries out their hair and scalp, but other people produce a LOT more sebum and would look like they’d stuck their head in a vat of oil if they didn’t wash every day. Our advice is to wash your hair as often as you feel necessary with Dermalogica Shine Therapy Shampoo, followed by Dermalogica Silk Finish Conditioner.

Brushing Hair Makes it Stronger

Do you remember being made to do 100 strokes of the hairbrush before bed when you were little? Yeah, you were pretty much wasting your time. Brushing regularly will help to distribute the natural oils from your scalp through the rest of your hair, which can help to protect and hydrate your hair, but brushing too often (or with the wrong brush) can actually weaken and damage hair in the long run.

You NEED To Cut Your Hair Every Six Weeks

Again, this is very subjective and probably something which has been made up by a hairdresser hoping to increase their business! Cut your hair every six to eight weeks if you feel you NEED to, but doing so is certainly not essential, nor will it help to actually improve the quality of your hair, only the current appearance of it.