How to Give Yourself a Mini At-Home Facial

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Aromatherapy Associates Rose Triple Exfoliator, beauty, camomile, candle, clean, cleanse, cleanser, Decleor Bi-phase Caring Cleanser and Makeup Remover, essential oils, face, facial, geranium, home, lavender, mask, massage, Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask, mood, nourishing, oils, palmerosa, pamper, rose, senses, sheet mask, skin, Skin Abode Contour Pro Face Massager, Spa, This Works Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle, treatment

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

While we’d obviously advocate for taking yourself off to a salon and having a professional facial, we’re well aware that time doesn’t always allow. However, even if you don’t have time for an appointment, there’s no reason that your skin should go neglected, which is why we’ve put together a guide to how to give yourself a mini facial at home, and which products you could use to make it almost as good as that spa-day experience!

Set the Mood

One thing that you’ll notice if you attend spas or beauty salons on a regular basis is that the mood is set the moment you walk in, thanks to certain smells and lighting. Soft is best, and candles are a great way to achieve both of these things. This Works Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle is a luxurious, hand-blended candle, enriched with pure essential oils of lavender and camomile. The soft, flattering light of this long-burning candle, together with its therapeutic fragrance, combine to help soothe senses and increase inner peace.

Cleanse Your Skin

When giving yourself an at-home facial, you want to use the best products you can to replicate that spa experience, and using gentle cleansers is a must. Decleor Bi-phase Caring Cleanser and Makeup Remover is a new cleanser powered by the best scientific blend of virgin botanical oils and floral water to help cleanse and nourish the skin whilst removing all traces of make up, giving you the perfect clean base on which to work. 

Exfoliate

Next, we’d recommend a gentle exfoliation treatment, such as Aromatherapy Associates Rose Triple Exfoliator, which not only exfoliates your skin but also smells incredible, adding to the feelings of luxury. Blended from warm rose, geranium and palmarosa, this exfoliator draws from three types of softly smoothing botanical microspheres, with natural bamboo, corn cob granules and biodegradable rose water infused jojoba, to enrich and uplift the senses.

Use a Mask

Once you’ve got rid of any dirt and dead skin cells, your face is primed and ready for a deeper treatment, courtesy of a mask. Obviously, there are all sorts of masks out there for all different skin types, but we’re huge fans of Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask. It is enriched with detoxifying minerals and deeply hydrating hyaluronic acid to help cool, restore and comfort even the most sensitive of skin types, giving you a super gentle wash of hydration. 

Give Yourself a Massage

Once you’ve given your mask time to work, we’d suggest some self-massage, courtesy of the Skin Abode Contour Pro Face Massager. It provides the perfect deep-tissue massage for your face to help banish those sagging jowls, lift your drooping browline and chisel those cheekbones. After taking off your sheet mask, leave the remaining serum on your face and use this massager to really work it into your skin. 

How to Perfect Your Problematic Pores

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AHAs, antioxidants, blackheads, blemishes, botanical, clarity, cleansing, collagen, corn granules, cruelty free, cucumber extract, dead skin, debris, decongest, elastin, enlarged, essential oils, excess oil, folk medicine, geranium, green tea, kaolin clay, lavender oil, lightweight, Matricaria flower extract, minimising, natural, natural clay, oil production, petitgrain, Pore, pores, reduce shine, skin cells, soothing, spearmint, spirulina extract, tighten, Vegan, visible, Witchhazel

Photo by MART PRODUCTION

In this modern age of blurring primers and photo filters, it’s easy to believe that the people you see online have skin which is completely devoid of pores. Therefore it’s no surprise that research has shown that almost HALF of women wish they could change the size of their pores. As your pore size is mostly a result of your genetics, you can’t permanently shrink them. However, you can minimise their appearance by keeping them clear of oil and debris and boosting your skin’s collagen and elastin. With this in mind, here are five products which will help you to achieve the pores of your dreams:

REN Clean Skincare Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask

As the name so expertly suggests, this thick, clay-based mask helps to detox the skin and make your pores less visible. Using purifying clay, it helps to draw out impurities, leaving skin deeply clean and hydrated, with a smoother and more refined texture. The vegan, cruelty free formula contains kaolin clay to absorb excess oil, spirulina extract which nourishes the skin and lavender oil for a fragrant and refreshing finish. 

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Purifying Facial Scrub

Skin which is oily often seems to go hand in hand with more visible pores, which is why Aromatherapy Associates created this mattifying, purifying facial scrub. It is designed to draw out and eliminate dead skin-clogging cells, using corn granules to gently buff away unwanted cells while natural clay draws impurities from deeper within pores. It also contains rebalancing essential oils of geranium and petitgrain to tighten and reduce shine, making it ideal for over-oily or combination skin. 

Dermalogica Micro Pore Mist

When it comes to minimising the appearance of pores, niacinamide is a hero. By controlling and lowering sebum, niacinamide prevents pores from getting caught with excess oil and dirt, thereby preventing them from stretching, and invariably leading to smaller pores, and that’s what you’ll find in this mist from Dermalogica. In addition, you’ll find cucumber extract, which refreshes the senses for a cool pick-me-up, as well as witch hazel, green tea and matricaria flower extracts, which all provide antioxidant benefits. 

Elemis Clarifying Serum

If your skin is prone to blemishes and blackheads, visible pores are often right there alongside them. Elemis Clarifying Serum is a lightweight, soothing serum clinically proven to reduce the appearance of blemishes, visible pores and blackheads in just 2 weeks. The magic ingredient here is boldo leaf extract, which has been used worldwide in folk medicine to help purify the skin. This botanical ingredient has been shown to visibly improve the appearance of pores and helps improve skin clarity for more even looking skin.

Medik8 Pore Minimising Tonic

The final product on our list, but by NO means the least effective, does exactly what it says on the bottle! Medik8 Pore Minimising Tonic is a purifying post-cleanse solution that works to keep pores clear and minimised over time. It utilises AHAs to control oil production and decongest the skin, allowing pores to shrink back to their original size. With a natural spearmint fragrance, the twice-daily tonic is a long-lasting solution to enlarged pores, leaving your skin looking smoother and more refined.

Five of Our Favourite CBD-Based Products

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AHA, ailments, anti-inflammatory, anxiety, balance, body butter, Booster, brightening, calm, cannabinol, cannabis plant, CBD, CBD isolate, CBD oil, chronic pain, clogged pores, coconut oil, complexion, congestion, customise, dry skin, dryness, eczema, essential oils, for strep spectrum, hemp seed oil, intensive, irritated, lavender, Neroli, nighttime routine, organic hemp CBD, potent, Psoriasis, self tanning, Shea butter, skincare, soothe, sublingually, uneven texture, uneven tone, Vitamin C

Photo on Unsplash

For quite a few years now, people have been coming around to the huge benefits that can be derived from using CBD oil. CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and then diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or hemp seed oil. CBD can be found in a variety of products online and in stores, including dietary supplements, bath soaks, drinks, and food. It continues to gain momentum in the health and wellness world, with some scientific studies finding that it may ease symptoms of conditions such as chronic pain and anxiety. It’s no surprise, then, that many of our brands have also started to harness the power of CBD in their products; here are five of the best:

This Works Evening Detox CBD Booster + AHA Complex

This skin boosting product from This Works contains a combination of CBD oil and an AHA  complex to leave your skin looking clearer and calmer than ever before. You can use it as part of your nighttime skin care routine for a powerful boosting effect or on its own as an intensive application to help reduce hormonal breakouts, tackle uneven skin texture and tone, and help to deal with clogged pores and congestion.

South Seas – Pineapple Express CBD Body Butter

This body butter from South Seas contains 100mg of organic hemp CBD as well as a combination of other ingredients which will deeply hydrate and repair your skin. It can be used to treat dry skin and is even suitable for use on skin which suffers from eczema and psoriasis. It is also a great moisturiser to use when prepping your skin for self tanning to ensure that you don’t get orange streaks and areas of dryness.

This Works Morning Expert CBD Booster + Vitamin C

Another skin booster from this works, this product contains one percent CBD and a massive 20% vitamin C for a potent brightening effect. You can use this booster to customise your morning skincare routine by combining it with your moisturiser for visibly smoother, brighter, and more radiant skin or simply use it alone as an intensive application.

South Seas – Pineapple Express CBD Drops

Everyone knows that beauty starts on the inside which is why we’ve included Southsea Pineapple Express CBD drops in this list. As well as being suitable for topical application or mixing with your favourite body lotion these CBD drops can also be taken sublingually. The drops are comprised of 600mg of organic, full spectrum CBD to give your body a natural anti-inflammatory and help to reverse the effects of a number of different ailments.

This Works Stress Check CBD Body Cocoon

The final product on our CBD list is this body cocoon from This Works. It contains shea butter, ylang ylang, neroli and lavender essential oils as well as 1125mg of pure CBD isolate per bottle. The lotion helps to maintain skin balance, calms and soothe irritated complexions and contains antioxidants which repair the ageing damage of environmental stress.

Fake It ‘til You Make it! – Five of the Best Fake Tans

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body, bronzed, bronzing, caffeine, Caribbean, contour, copper, décolletage, deep, DHA, essential oils, exfoliator, face, fake, firm, foundations, glow, golden, gradual tan, hydration boost, long-lasting, magnolia, moisturiser, neck, non greasy, organic, self tanner, skin, South Seas, St Tropez, sun kissed, sweet almond oil, tan, tanner, tanning, tighten, vanilla extract, vitamin A

Whether you’re planning on jetting off for an early holiday or just hoping to get your legs out over the Easter bank holiday, it’s unlikely that you’re still rocking a golden glow from your last jaunt abroad. Here at Pure Beauty, we abide by the “fake it ‘til you make it” mantra when it comes to our tans, so we thought we’d share with you five of our favourite fake tan products for the very best bronzed look which could be straight from a Caribbean vacation. Oh, and as a bonus pro tip; don’t forget to get yourself a St.Tropez Dual Sided Luxe Applicator Mitt for flawless application!:

St.Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Golden Glow Medium Lotion

Anyone who knows anything about fake tan knows that St Tropez is pretty much the industry standard, and this product is no exception. It takes the hassle out of self tan application as it can be applied in the shower to gradually build a golden glow and doesn’t leave you with that typical self tan smell. It only needs to be used for three days in a row for a beautiful deep tan and the formulation contains sweet almond oil to give 24 hour hydration.

South Seas – Tahitian Glow Self Tanner

This self tanner from South Seas is an easy to apply tinted formula which promises a streak free finish and a rich, natural looking tan. It contains organic DHA to give your skin immediate colour, as well as copper and caffeine which will tighten and firm your skin. For best results we recommend using a body exfoliator before application.

Decleor Neroli Bigarade Gradual Glow Lotion

This Gradual Glow Lotion from Décleor is so much more than a self tanner. It contains magnolia essential oils and vanilla extract as well as DHA, all of which combine to intensely moisturise the skin and give you a soft and radiant top to toe golden glow. Should be applied daily until the desired level of bronzing is achieved.

HD Brows Sun Stick

Not everyone likes to use a self tanner on their face but achieving a sun kissed glow on your face can be easily achieved with this Sun Stick from HD Brows. It can be used to contour the face for a subtle sculpted look, or all over the face for a beautiful bronze glow. It can be blended using a brush and is compatible with all foundations and base products. 

St.Tropez Gradual Tan Classic Everyday Light/Medium Face Cream

If you want to tan your face with a more permanent effect then this gradual tan face cream from St Tropez is the perfect product. It is ultra hydrating and doesn’t block the pores, and builds a perfect tan over time with daily application. Once you’ve exfoliated and moisturised your face it can be applied like a regular moisturiser to the face, neck and decolletage and will give you a hydration boost and a long lasting tan.

Don’t Wait for the Golden Hour to Glow!

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beta-carotene, bronze, complexion, decleor, dull, dullness, essential oils, Evolve organic Beauty, formula, glow, golden, golden glow, green mandarin, hyaluronic acid, natural, non-nano mineral-based zinc oxide, pigments, reef-safe, skin, SPF, St. Tropez, summer, sun, tan, tanning, This Works, tint, tropical, winter

Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash

Unless you’re lucky enough to be able to nip off to somewhere exotic for some much needed winter sunshine, there’s a good chance that you’re feeling a bit dull, like the rest of us. Your summer tan (achieved with full sun protection, of course!) is but a distant memory and your summer holiday seems like it’s a lifetime away while you navigate the hurricanes and sleet of a British winter. 

That hour when the sun goes down and the world looks golden is the closest you’ll get to enjoying a glow – but never fear, because Pure Beauty has your back! We’ve dug up a whole selection of products to help you to feel glowy and gorgeous. Here’s just five of them:

Evolve Organic Beauty Climate Veil Tinted Light/Medium SPF20

This product from Evolve Organic Beauty combines skincare and sun protection to create one product which will both protect you from the sun’s harmful rays while giving your skin a glow. It contains mineral light reflecting natural pigments for a luminous dewy finish while the broad spectrum SPF comes from non-nano mineral-based zinc oxide, which is certified as “reef-safe” and therefore won’t hurt the environment. 

St.Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted Everyday Body Lotion

If you want to glow but aren;t a fan of the full-on fake tan look, then this body lotion fro, St. Tripes is the ultimate compromise. The lotion moisturises the skin while giving an instant hint of bronze that immediately illuminates the skin. It then has a slight tan which will develop gradually, giving you a gentle glow which makes you look healthier all over. It can be reapplied daily, or however often you prefer, to build the colour or maintain a sunkissed look. 

This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle

If you’re planning on wearing something which shows your legs but don’t want to commit to an all-over fake tan, this product from This Works is the one for you. The powerful, tinted serum is full of vitamins to enhance and repair skin, while also containing a tint which instantly enhances legs and helps combat uneven skin tone and bruising. It’s a non-greasy formula which absorbs to give the legs a deep moisturising effect and has natural caramel included, which will add warmth and immediately transform the skin with a sun-kissed glow.

South Seas – Sea Foam Tanning Mousse

If you’re ready to just grab the self tan and get  that all-over glow then you should definitely consider this tanning mousse from South Seas. It has a rich brown tint for easy application which dries quickly into a satisfying tropical glow, allowing you to wear and go. You don’t need to wait hours before you can get dressed (although you DO need to wait six hours before you shower!) and the colour will develop to a longer-lasting tan. 

Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream

This face cream from Decleor is a multifunctional product; it contains a blend of essential oils and hyaluronic acid to smooth the appearance of fine lines, as well as beta-carotene which gives your skin an instant glow. The formula is designed to help to prevent the early signs of ageing, as well as giving you a healthy glow which allows you to go make-up free. It’s suitable for all skin types and can be used daily.