What To Pack in Your Beach Bag

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abroad, beach, decleor, Decleor Ongles Nail Strengthening Serum, Decleor Post-Wax Cream – Sensitive Areas, dermalogica, Dermalogica Sheer Tint, Elemis, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Hand and Nail Cream, Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream, feet, hair, hair removal, holiday, nails, pool, skin, SPF, sun, sunscreen, vacation

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Hurrah! The British summer seems to have FINALLY arrived, and just in time for a Bank Holiday weekend! If you’re planning a trip to the seaside or are even lucky enough to live near one of the beautiful beaches that the UK has to offer, we’ve got some suggestions of products which are perfect for keeping in your beach bag:

Decleor Protective Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF30 Face

So often we hear of people smothering their bodies in sunscreen but still forgetting their face and ending up with a very red head! This SPF30 from Decleor is not only specifically formulated for the face, it will also reduce the signs of ageing and smooth out wrinkles. It’s non-greasy too, making if perfect for using underneath your beach make-up. Ideally, you’ll need to top up every two hours or so.

Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30

Having oily skin can be a nightmare in the heat because not only do oily sun protection products make the problem worse, but the heat itself can make your own skin ramp up its oil production. This lotion from Dermalogica contains an SPF30 whilst also having mattifying properties which actively work to keep your oil production to a minimum, even when it gets really hot. Perfect for keeping you looking cool at the beach.

Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush

Usually we recommend this brush for rejuvenating the skin, livening up you circulation and exfoliating the skin to reveal healthier skin beneath. However, we also discovered that this brush is an absolute MIRACLE worker when it comes to brushing sand off of our feet and bodies after a day on the beach! Once you’ve dried off a little, use the brush to sweep the sand away and you won’t feel like you have grans of it between your toes for the rest of the evening. Just make sure you rinse it before your next bathroom exfoliation session!

Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50

If you’re the type of person to just lay on your sun lounger or towel, only getting up for another Calippo, then you’re probably okay with regular sunscreen. However, if you’re the more active type and will be braving a swim in the sea then you could probably benefit from a sunscreen which caters for a more active lifestyle. This one from Dermalogica is water resistant and specifically designed to hold up to a lot of sweat and movement, allowing you to be as active as you like without needing to worry about burning.

Elemis Tan Accelerator

If your entire tanning regimen this year revolves around time on British beaches then you’re going to really need to maximise your potential and get the best bang for your buck. That’s why we recommend this tan accelerator from Elemis, which helps to stimulate the body’s natural melanin production, ensuring you’re golden brown even after a short time in the sun.

How to Get a Salon-Quality Manicure at Home

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cuticle, Decleor Ongles Nail Strengthening Serum, DIY, Elemis British Botanical Hand and Nail Butter, fingernails, gel nails, hand, hands, home, mani, manicure, massage, nails, oil, polish, salon, sheen, shine

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Having a manicure at a salon can feel like one of life’s little luxuries, a pick-me-up if you’re feeling low and an oasis of calm in an otherwise busy week. However, sometimes it’s not possible to get to a salon to have your nails done, owing to schedule or budget issues and you don’t want your hands to end up looking tatty so we’ve put together some tips to help you to achieve a salon-mani look at home, so that your hands don’t need to suffer.

Prepare

Half of the work in having a manicure is getting your nails back to zero, so that they can begin the real work. This means removing old polish and giving the fingers a good coating with cuticle oil. This will soften the area and make removing ragged cuticles far easier. We’d recommend Decleor Ongles Nail Strengthening Serum, to revitalise the nails and surrounding skin. Use a wooden cuticle stick to push overgrown cuticles back and use clean nail scissors if you need a trim.

File

It’s amazing how different your hands can look when you take the time to file each nail into a neat, tidy shape and well-filed nails will be the difference between a perfect mani and a nail disaster. Use a curved nail file (NOT a metal one as these can split the nails) and only file in one direction to limit stress fractures.

Paint

Choosing the right colour is really important, as well as the TYPE of polish you use. If you want to get a really salon-like finish opt for the gel-nail dupe polishes that you find on the market as they’ll give you a more professional finish. However, if you’re not a big fan of colour or your painting skills just aren’t up to scratch, opt for a high-shine clear polish. It will give your nails a healthy sheen and make your hands look a lot more ‘finished’ than if you leave them completely bare.

Massage

Giving yourself a hand massage might seem like a really weird, or nigh-on impossible suggestion, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to give yourself a hand massage. Give your hands a liberal coating of Elemis British Botanical Hand and Nail Butter, which will not only feel great, but smell great too. Then, get to work! You can either go down the manual route and use your other hand, working into the palms and heels of your hands with your thumbs, or use something to roll your hands over like a bottle which allows you to find the pressure which feels right for you.