Wear pink with confidence this spring

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apples, apples of your cheeks, bags, beauty bag, black trousers, bomber jacket, boots, bronzer, cape, catwalk, cerise, chic, coat, cream pink blush, dark grey, energy, evening, Eyes, fitted Chanel-esque jacket, gloves, grey, gym kit, healthy glow, heels, High Street, honey hues, jeans, killer office look, lightweight puffa, lipsticks, look, magazine, make-up, Metallic pink loafers, nail varnish, navy long sleeve tee, office, on trend, outfit, pastel, pencil skirt, pink, pink shoes, professional, pumps, reflect, ruffle hem, scarves, season, shade, shiny, silver trainers, skin, soft pink, spring, statement, steel leggings, sunglasses, sweatshirt, wardrobe, warmth, weekend

Look through any magazine and you will see that pink is everywhere.

If you’ve wondered whether this is the colour for you, the answer, this season at least, is… absolutely!

From the palest blush to honey hues and bright splashes, this sugary shade is here for spring, and beyond, and we have looked at how you can make it chic not shiny.

Go for a coat
If you want to make a statement with pink, go for a coat. Whether it’s a ruffle hem cape, silk bomber jacket, fitted Chanel-esque blazer or even a lightweight puffa, it will be a wardrobe staple. These are perfect all great trans seasonal items and can be worn with jeans and boots while it is still chilly, but pop over a dress and flats later in the season and you will still be on-trend.

Wear the jeans
From the catwalk to the High Street, there are some pretty pastel jeans on offer and they can be the perfect way to add a flash of pink into your day. Team with a navy long sleeve tee or an oversized sweatshirt in grey and silver trainers for a weekend look that will work all spring long.

Blouse it
An easy way to add pink into your office or evening outfits is to wear a soft pink blouse which will take the edge off black trousers but still look professional. It you get the right shade for you, it will reflect onto your face and give you a healthy glow.

Look at your feet
You might not have thought about wearing pink shoes but this is a brilliant way to start your fashion adventures in pink. Metallic pink loafers worn with a dark grey pencil skirt is a killer office look and you can inject energy into your gym kit by matching steel leggings with cerise trainers.

Accessorise the pink way
Pink accessories are an easier way to buy into this look before you really invest. Sunglasses, gloves, pumps, heels, scarves and bags are all the perfect way to add a pop of pink into your wardrobe and once you feel comfortable with this, you can go bigger.

It’s all in the make-up
Adding pink to your beauty bag is a great way to update your look. Swap your bronzer for a cream pink blush and apply to the apples of your cheeks, for a fresh, spring look. Experiment with lipsticks and go for a pink that adds warmth to your skin and brings your eyes alive. A bright, vibrant nail varnish can totally change your look and worn on your toes with white gliders is a winning look that never dates.

We hope we have convinced you that pink can work in any number of ways and you now feel brave enough to take the plunge.

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Find the perfect jeans for you

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ankle, authentic denim look, bagging, black, blue, body shape, bold separates, bootcut, botfriend, bright white trainers, chic, colours, comfortable, confident, denim, distressed, effortlessly polished, everyday ease, fitted jacket, fitted shirt, friend, grey, high-stretch fabric, High-waisted styles, indigo, issue, jeans, Jeggings, knee high boots, lift and sculpt, Loafers, masculine edge, modern, oversized sweatshirt, perfect pair of jeans, pull-on waistband, quality brand, research, ripped, skinny jeans, sleek, slim legs, slogan tee, soft sweater, spring, statement belt, statement sleeves, Straight Leg Jeans, style, styles, timeless option, touch of glamour, trainers, tunic top, versatile colour options, wardrobe staple, weekend look, white shirt, winning look, work

Ever looked at a friend and wondered how they always look great in jeans?

Well, we are pretty sure it’s because they have tried on a variety of styles and colours and have jeans that not only work with their body shape but are comfortable and make them feel confident.

From jeggings to skinnies, to bootcut and everything in-between, and we have done our denim research and hope it will allow you to find the perfect pair of jeans this spring.

Slim Leg Jeans
If you are looking for everyday ease, this timeless option is for you. Team slim leg jeans with a smart top and fitted jacket for work and a match with a long-sleeved t-shirt and fancy flats to create an effortlessly polished weekend look.

Bootcut Designs
You might think this style isn’t ‘in’ but it’s actually a really versatile option that is sleek and modern. Flattering for all bodies shapes, the bootcut jeans are great worn with heels or boots as they lengthen your legs and instantly slim your figure. Go for a dark denim option and try a number of brands to get the best fit for you.

Jeggings
When it comes to being comfy, things don’t get better than jeggings. The combo of pull-on waistband and high-stretch fabric means jeggings hug your body and if you go for a quality brand, bagging isn’t an issue. While you might not get away with jeggings in the office, they are perfect when worn with a tunic top or an oversized sweatshirt and bright white trainers, you are onto a winning look.

Skinny Jeans
Skinny jeans are a wardrobe staple that aren’t going anywhere, so get involved. High-waisted styles offer a flattering fit and give the illusion of long legs, whatever your shape. Blue, black and grey are all versatile colour options and matched with statement sleeves or bold separates, you can look chic from morning to night. Loafers give you a masculine edge, heels create leg length and knee high boots add a touch of glamour.

Super Skinny Jeans
One step on from skinny jeans, these beauties are offer maximum style with minimum effort. A sharp, white shirt, pair of flat ballet pumps and a red lipstick are all you need to make this a statement look.

Straight Leg Jeans
Cut slim and straight from the hip to the ankle, straight leg jeans offer a really authentic denim look. The sleek lines are forgiving and a high-rise fit that lifts and sculpts your bottom, you will look and feel fab. Wearing a soft sweater over a fitted shirt and adding block heel boots is simple but effective.

Boyfriend Jeans
For cool chic, look at boyfriend jeans. Whether they’re indigo, distressed, ripped or low slung, the baggy boyfriend style offers a modern twist on classic denim. Pair with a slogan tee, statement belt and trainers and you have the ultimate combination of chic style and fashion comfort.

In summary, straight-leg and skinny jeans are really flattering styles and a great place to start when it comes to denim, but why not be brave and try something new this year?

Team Beauty

How to shop in the sales

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40, bags, bargain, big discounts, black dresses, boots, bright pink hot pants, buy, car, Christmas presents, colour, credit cards, debt, dresses, eat and drink, energy levels, Exchange and Refund Policies, fabrics, fashion forward statement, feelings, focussed, fuel, great purchases, hours, impulse buying, jackets, jeans, layers, leather skirt, make a list, mall, March, money, preparation, receipts, regret, sale shopping, sales, Set a Limit, size 14, slim, smart, smart wool coat, spending limit, spring, staples, summer, take a break, time, trousers, waste, weekly groceries, winter

Before we have even put our Christmas presents away, the shops have got their sale signs up and once again our credit cards come out and take a battering.

Yes, 40% off might seem like a bargain but it is a good idea to stop and think about what you are going to buy otherwise it could just be a huge waste of time and money.

If you approach sale shopping the smart way, you’ll get the most out of your cash, walk away with great purchases and avoid feelings of regret and shame.

Preparation
Sale shopping starts with preparation so look at what you already have so don’t simply buy another version of it. If you have five black dresses, will a sixth really change your life and while those boots might be 80% off, if you have two pairs the same already you aren’t making a saving at all.

Make a List
Just as you do for your weekly groceries, make a list before you head to the mall and this will help keep you focused. Sales are a great time to replace staples as well as finding classic items in excellent fabrics that won’t date. Dresses, trousers and jackets can be layered to take you from winter to spring and you can never go wrong with a smart wool coat if you want to make a fashion forward statement.

The Right Size
If you are a size 14 in jeans, buy a 14 and not a 12 hoping you will slim into them in the summer. Bargains are only bargains if you can wear them, so go for the right size and colour and prevent a trip to the charity shop in March.

Make Life Easy
Let’s be realistic, the shops will be busy, it will be warm and stuffy and by the time you get to the changing rooms you might be flustered. Go to the sales in easy to take off layers, use a rucksack to keep your hands free and if you can, shop alone.

Fuel Up
If you are out for several hours, take a break. Regular breaks to eat and drink will keep your energy levels up and stop you from getting distracted and impulse buying those bright pink hot pants you will end up having to take back the next day.

Set a Limit
When big discounts are on offer, it is easy to get carried away. Set yourself a spending limit and once you have reached it, call it a day and head home. There is no point cramming the car with shiny bags if it means ending up in debt and having to eat beans on toast until the summer.

Exchange and Refund Policies
Last of all, before you buy, just check the returns policy so you know that if that leather skirt isn’t quite right when you get home, you can take it back. Oh, and always keep your receipts safe.

Happy shopping.

Team Pure Beauty

Laundry hacks you’ll love

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bacon, bedding, bicarbonate of soda, bright whites, bring to the boil, chalk, change your bed, cheaper, chemical stain removers, chores, clean, colour, colour coded baskets, colours, cupboard, dry outside, drying, effort, extra spin, fabric conditioner, faster, feeling, flash, fluffy towels, glowing results, grass, heat, jeans, laundry, lavender, lemons, lipstick, looking, low temperature wash, money, musty smells, nasty smells, new, pristine condition, quick wash setting, ready to use, refresh, savvy shortcuts, shape, slice, soak, soft, soft and absorbent, spin, Stain free, sunlight, tennis balls, time, tin foil, Towel fresh, trick, tricky, utility bills, white vinegar, whites

We are always looking for ways to do chores better, faster, smarter and cheaper and when it comes to laundry, every little trick helps.

We have some savvy shortcuts to share that we hope will keep nasty smells away and save you time, money and effort.

Colour coded baskets
Yes, we know this sounds a bit OTT but it works. Buy three laundry baskets and colour-code them as whites, colours and darks. On wash-day, simply empty one basket into the machine and press go leaving you free of stinky sorting.

Stain free
Go easy on chemical stain removers, and trying rubbing a little chalk into stains before you put your clothes in the wash and everything from lipstick, grass and bacon will be gone.

Bright whites
To get your whites bright once again, slice several lemons, put them into a pot of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat off, add your clothes and let them soak for an hour before washing as usual. To get glowing results, let them dry outside in the sunlight.

Make it quick
If your laundry is pretty much stain free, go for a quick wash setting which will clean and refresh but won’t take forever or add to your utility bills.

Inside out jeans
Washing and drying is tough on denim and washing can see colour and shape being lost. To keep your jeans looking and feeling new, turn them inside out before they go into the machine and leave them like this as they dry.

Towel fresh
We all love soft, fluffy towels but keeping them in pristine condition can be tricky. Forget
fabric conditioner and instead add a cup of white vinegar to your wash load and as well as bringing towels back to life and keeping them soft and absorbent, the vinegar will also help keep musty smells away.

Go for a spin
If you want to aid the drying time of your washing, go for an extra spin during the washing cycle. Adding just ten minutes to a wash will actually cut down drying time later.

Keep your machine clean
From time to time it is worth cleaning your washing machine if you want to keep it in good working order. To do this, simply add half a cup of bicarbonate of soda to the machine drawer with half a cup of white vinegar and put it on a quick, low temperature wash.

Tumble faster
If you want to speed up drying time, and bring down costs, add a couple of clean tennis balls, dry towel or scrunched up balls of foil in with your clothes and the job will be done in flash.

Bed bundles
Once your bedding has been laundered, rather than simply stuffing back in the cupboard, why not make life easy and pack it into ready to use bundles? Put a clean folded fitted sheet, duvet cover and pillowcase in a pile, then carefully place this into one of the pillowcases and next time you change your bed, everything will be there ready and waiting for you. Add a little lavender and it will smell good too.

Got a tip that works for you? Get in touch, we would love to know what it is.

Team Pure Beauty

Eating the right way on holiday

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actions, after dinner chocolates and liquors, alcohol, all-inclusive cocktails, avocado, aware, bags of nuts, baked or sweet potatoes, beach, blood sugar levels, boots, bottle, breakfast buffets, buffet, burger, Cakes and pastries, calories, cereal, cheese boards, chips, chocolate, cooking from scratch, crisps, desserts, dried fruit, drizzle, eggs, empty calories, energy bars, fresh fish, fresh fish and meat, fruit, G&T, gems, glass of wine, Grilled chicken, gym, hangovers, happy, healthier options, healthy and hydrated, home, hotel, hungrier, jeans, lettuce wrap, local food, local wines, meal, muffin top, nuts, olive oil, quinoa, rice, salad, salads and vegetables, snacks, sorbets, sweet tooth, trip, up for grabs, vegetarian option, water

Big breakfast buffets, all-inclusive cocktails and free after dinner chocolates and liquors are par for the course when you are on holiday, but if you go full speed ahead and fill your boots every night, your jeans might not be quite so happy when you get home.

Yes, holidays are all about relaxing and having fun, but if you go all out on the cheese boards and local wines when you are away, all that hard work spent in the gym and cooking from scratch the rest of the year will be wasted.

It’s not about being a kill joy and missing out on the good things but rather going for the healthier options and having the odd treat here and there so you get the balance right.

We have some easy to follow tips that will mean you enjoy all there is to offer without having hangovers all holiday and muffin top when you get back.

One great thing to is pack snacks for your trip. It is easy to overdo it on crisps and chocolate but if you have bags of nuts and boxes of dried fruit as well as energy bars, we love the new Deliciously Ella ones, then you will be less tempted to eat empty calories.

If you have a buffet at your hotel, look at the salad and fruit options and always start you day with a decent protein based breakfast that will keep you full and balance your blood sugar levels.

When you eat out, look for restaurants that are busy, offer local food, fresh fish and have a vegetarian option – if you search a little you will be surprised at what gems you find.

When it comes to menus, start off with deciding about a decent serving of protein. Go for grilled chicken or fresh seafood and you can then add local salads and vegetables to balance out your meal.

Chips are always up for grabs but think about which carbs you go for, especially if you are away for a couple of weeks. Rice, quinoa (ask about this if you can’t see it on them menu), baked or sweet potatoes are all good options and if you can’t find anything other than the deep-fried stuff, a lettuce wrap for a burger can be a great option too.

We know we need some fat in our diets so drizzle olive oil on salads, add avocado to your eggs and make sure you have some nuts on your cereal.

Cakes and pastries are all there for the taking when it comes to deserts but make the most of luscious fruits and cooling sorbets if you do have a sweet tooth.

Drink plenty of water (go easy on the ice depending where you are visiting) and keep a bottle with you at all times and this will keep you feeling healthy and hydrated. While you might be less partial to a coffee or cup of tea when you are away, the temptation to have an early G&T or glass of wine can really win when you are on holiday. We aren’t saying don’t drink, you are on holiday after all, but remember that alcohol adds calories and makes you hungrier and those beach hangovers in the heat the next day are no fun.

Have a great holiday and enjoy finding some great places, and thing, to eat!

Team Pure Beauty