Treat Yourself for Under £10

Tags

100% natural, £10, breakouts, budget, carbon footprint, circulation, cleanse, comb, cotton, cotton pads, damage, dead skin, deodoriser, detangling, disposable, eco-friendly, exfoliate, firm, gentle, good quality, healthy, heated tools, hemp, hydrate, impurities, irritation, keratin, luxurious, make up pads, massage batter, moisture barrier, moisturising, money, mud mask, Niacinamide, non-recyclable waste, nutrients, parents, pedicure, professional quality, reusable, sea salt soak, sheet mask, skinq, soothe, St Ives, sugar scrub, summer holidays, Sustainable, texture, toxins, treats, vegan friendly, vegetable soap, watermelon, wet hair, white tooth

Photo by cottonbro

This time of year can be expensive for parents, when you’ve got kids to entertain for six week during the summer. That means that finding time for yourself, and more importantly, money for treats, isn’t always easy. Here at Pure Beauty, we know that we all sometimes need a pick-me-up, even when the budget isn’t huge. So, we’ve put together a list of five treats which cost less than a tenner, allowing you to treat yourself without feeling guilty!

Maskology Niacinamide Professional Sheet Mask – £5.95

Using a sheet mask can feel like a luxurious treat, even if it doesn’t cost a lot. This sheet mask from Maskology is infused with niacinamide for a professional-quality treatment that balances the skin, improves texture and prevents breakouts. It will also help the skin to build up keratin, ensuring it stays healthy and firm. It helps to rebuild the skin’s moisture barrier which encourages the cells to function at a higher capacity, therefore making it easier to circulate nutrients and flush out toxins.

The Sea Shed Coastal Path Soap – £5.50

We’ve all washed our hands more in the last couple of years than ever before, and as a result have realised the value of using a good quality soap. This moisturising, triple milled vegetable soap from The Sea Shed is enriched with shea butter and is made in St. Ives using a vegan friendly, sustainable formula. It makes your skin feel great, rather than drying it out like other soaps. 

GHD Detangling Comb – £8.95

Taking care of wet hair requires specific tools as hair is more breakable when it’s wet. GHD Detangling Comb is a gentle way to detangle damp hair. The wide-toothed design allows for delicate detangling on damp hair, which is fragile and more prone to damage. The professional-quality comb is heat-proof and can be used to style your hair in conjunction with other GHD heated tools. 

UpCircle Hemp and Cotton Makeup Pads – £8.99

Here at Pure Beauty, we’re huge advocates for anything which is sustainable and allows us to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as non recyclable waste, which is why we love these hemp and cotton make up pads from UpCircle. Made from 100% natural materials these triple layer pads are perfect for gently removing makeup without irritation. These reusable pads are the eco-friendly alternative to disposable cotton pads or wipes.

Voesh 4 Step Deluxe Pedi in a Box Watermelon Burst – £9.99

One of our favourite ways to pamper ourselves is with a pedicure and this kit from Voesh gives you everything you need. Enriched with key ingredients to give your feet the nutrition it needs, each product is individually packed with the right amount for a single pedicure. Each kit contains a Sea Salt Soak to detox and deodorise the feet, Sugar Scrub to gently exfoliate dead skin, a Mud Masque to deep cleanse impurities an

Read up on feeling great this January

Tags

anxiety, balance, balanced, be happy, Be You, Becky Goddard-Hill, best books, body and soul, brilliant business advice, change, changes, cheer leading, Chillpreneur, criticism, cup of tea, Denise Duffield-Thomas, dip in, dip out book, Down-to-earth, downtime, Dr Chatterjee, easy to do a, easy to read, Everything is Figureoutable, Feel Better In 5, five minutes, good book, Good Lives, Good Vibes, gurus, hard work, imposter syndrome, inspire, Insta, Insta guru, journal, kids, lasting happiness, library, Marie Forleo, millionaire mindset lessons, mind, money, money mindset coach, motivated, negative emotions, New Year, New York Times bestseller., pen, Penny Alexandra, perfect, positive, progress, resolution, right foot, round-up, spark a little joy, success, teenagers, time, time poor, Vex King, young adults

We all set out to be the best we can at the start of the new year.

While no one keeps to every resolution, sometimes a good book and a little cheerleading can help you get off on the right foot, and stay balanced as well as motivated to change.

We have done a round-up of what we think are the best books out there, and hope one or two will spark a little joy (no, we haven’t added ‘that one’).

Denise Duffield-Thomas is a fantastic money mindset coach, but it’s her humour and down-to-earth wisdom that sets her apart from other gurus. While she has three books out there, in Chillpreneur she shares brilliant business advice and millionaire mindset lessons that help you become a success, the chilled way. Yes, you have to do the hard work, but this is perfect for anyone who wants to be a success but likes to have a little balance and downtime as well.

Unless you have been hiding out at home, you will know about Marie Forleo, and now you can learn that Everything is Figureoutable in her New York Times bestseller. By the end of the book you will be able to deal with criticism and imposter syndrome, bouncing back from hard times will seem possible, and you can start to see how you can overcome a lack of time and money. You might not become perfect, but you will make progress.

If you are time poor but really want to make changes in your life this year, then Dr Chatterjee‘s third book is for you. Feel Better In 5 is a daily plan that helps you get the life you want, in only five minutes of your day. Easy to read, easy to do and with real life case studies and fun exercises, this can help get your mind, body and soul in shape and in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea – peppermint of course.

Be Happy, Be You, says it is for teenagers, but this great little book can help pretty much anyone out there who needs a little bit of a boost. Penny Alexandra and Becky Goddard-Hill have created a dip in, dip out book that helps kids and young adults deal with anxiety and generally live a better life, the fun way. Get a pen and journal and this could be the start of something new and exciting.

Last but not least, 2020 is the time to learn to love you. Insta guru Vex King has overcome adversity and uses his personal experiences to inspire others. If you want to transform negative emotions into positive ones and find lasting happiness, then his book, Good Vibes, Good Lives is for you. It’s not that long but by the time you are done, you will start to look at the world, and your world, in a new way.

As always, try your local indie bookshop or library and get books there rather than online, and this will help you feel good, too.

Team Pure Beauty

How to have a very eco-Christmas

Tags

A renewable Christmas tree, a trip to the beach, bean casserole, black bag open, bows, box of chocolates, brand new, brown paper, bubble and squeak, buying, carbon footprint, carnage, check it twice, Christmas, Christmas cards, Christmas Day, Christmas tree, Christmas-tree hire service, comfort zone, compost, cuts down, December, do it yourself, e-cards, eco-conscience, environment, fake tree, family and friends, farms, festive season, future generations, garden, garden centres and nurseries, gesture, gift from the heart, glass, glitter, glittery paper, Go meat free, green, happy, hurtle, kinder, leftovers, local farms and butchers, local food bank, local landfill, make a list, millions, money, new trend, nut roast, omelette, organic and free-range options, pair of socks, planet, plant, Plastic, post vans, Recycle gifts, resolutions, ribbons, Santa, shiny, soup kitchen, spicy sweet potato wedges, stop and think, stylish, super simple, supermarket, tat, thrown away, tinsel, trees, vegetarian and vegan recipes, walk in the park, waste, wrapping paper, wrapping up

As we hurtle our way towards the festive season, now is the time to stop and think about what you are buying, and why you are buying it. Yes, we all want to have a great time with family and friends, but to do this there is no need to buy tinsel and tat that will take the local landfill to bursting point.

We have some top tips on how you can be kinder to the planet and look out for future generations while still raising a glass (not a plastic one) with your nearest and dearest this Christmas.

A renewable Christmas tree
You read it right. Millions of Christmas trees are bought every year and that’s a lot of waste! Other options include going for a fake tree – but if you do this, pack it up and keep it for years to come. A new trend being seen in farms, garden centres and nurseries is one where there is a Christmas-tree hire service, so you collect, use and return! Or you can do it yourself and buy a rooted tree that you then plant in the garden after Christmas and bring back out from the cold for the next few weeks.

What about cards?
An unbelievable number of Christmas cards are thrown away each year, so let’s put a stop to that. You can either use ones from years gone by, make your own (leave the glitter out of the equation) or you can send e-cards which cuts down your carbon footprint as well as saving trees and money, oh yes and the fumes of the post vans that deliver them!

Recycle gifts
Years ago, no one would have thought about doing this, but if you have goodies that are brand new that you didn’t want, dust them off and wrap them up for someone else – they will be happy and so will your eco-conscience.

Wrapping paper
Speaking of wrapping up, this is a good one to thing about as all that shiny, glittery paper isn’t up too much for anything other than ripping up come Christmas Day. If you can, save paper each year and bring it out next December, giving it a gentle iron if need be. You can also go for brown paper, draw on bows rather than using ribbon and keep things super simple but stylish and environment loving.

Give away your time
Why spend money if you don’t have to? Instead, give a gift from the heart and do something nice for someone instead of giving them another pair of socks or box of chocolates. You could create some pretty cheques and make them out for something like a walk in the park, a trip to the beach, or an hour of gardening once a week and use this as a lovely gesture of showing how much you care.

Go meat free
This idea seems alien to some, but even if on one day you look at creating vegetarian and vegan recipes, it could make a difference if everyone did the same. We aren’t talking about an omelette or nut roast, but instead look at a tasty bean casserole, spicy sweet potato wedges or bubble and squeak – it might be out of your comfort zone, but it could lead to some pretty special resolutions come 31st December. When you do eat meat, go for organic and free-range options, and if you can, support your local farms and butchers – not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Don’t over buy
You know what we are talking about here. The day before Christmas and the supermarket is carnage as people stock up as if the world is going to end, whereas you’ll find somewhere open on the big day if you run out. Just like Santa, make a list, check it twice and this year, be nice rather than naughty and keep to it! If you have leftovers, see what you can freeze, donate some to an elderly neighbour, local food bank or soup kitchen and then compost any other waste.

Recycle
We know the temptation is to keep a black bag open and on the go come Christmas morning, but rather than chucking everything in the bin, have fun as you open presents and cook dinner, and sort things into recycling as you go to keep things green.

You see, it’s the small things that can really have a big impact, so go forth and enjoy the festivities but keep the planet in mind whenever you can.

Team Pure Beauty

Find fabulous new habits in your forties

Tags

age, bed, Binge drinking, body, boosts your mood, cancers, cigarette, critical, devices, diabetes, drinking, Eyes, fashion statement, fixed, forties, gambling excessively, get you down, good habit, GP, habits, happier, head in the sand, health checks, healthier, heart disease, hide, high cholestero, immune system, irritable, laughter, life, light emitting screens, melanoma risks, Menopause, midnight snacks, mind, miserable, moisturiser, money, outside, perfect, phones, power down, protect, reduce stress levels, reduces stress, risk factors, safe, seven hours, skin cancer, sleep, smile, smoking, snoozing, stop, sun damage, sun’s UV rays, sunnies, Switch off, tech, time, too late, vices, Victoria Beckham, wrinkles

When you get to your forties you may well find that the habits you have formed have been with you for years, but the reality is they might not be doing your mind or body very much good. No one is perfect, including us, so we’ve looked at easy ways to get happier and healthier as you sail through your forties.

Drop the vices
We all know that smoking and drinking isn’t good for us at any age, but this really is the time to try and get things under control. Binge drinking, midnight snacks, gambling excessively and lighting up one cigarette after another will be taking a toll on your health, and wallet. So look at what’s going on and make a decision to stop, and find something better to do with your time, and money.

Have health checks
Diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers and heart disease are all conditions that can be detected early through routine GP visits, so book in and get a clear bill of health. If things aren’t 100% good, it’s best to know what’s happening and trying to get it fixed because if you hide you head in the sand, things could get worse and then it could be too late. You might also want to keep a watch on the menopause at this stage in your life.

Get to bed
Sleep is so important and if you don’t get enough, you can feel irritable, miserable and life can quickly get you down. You might however be finding that as you move through your forties, the ease at which you get to sleep, and the amount of time you actually sleep, will change. We would suggest you still aim to get at least seven hours of snoozing a night as this will enhance your immune system, reduce stress levels, and generally help you to cope with life better.

No tech at bedtime
Talking about sleep, the one thing we do suggest is that you don’t take your phones or devices to bed. Yes, they can help you keep connected with the world, but night time is when you need to switch off, so power down and leave those light emitting screens downstairs.

Keep sun damage away
We need to do this all of our lives, but it is critical in your forties to look after your skin if you want to keep your melanoma risks down, as these increase with age. The sun’s UV rays is one of the biggest risk factors you can control, so find a moisturiser that has sunscreen in it, and if you want to go one step further to both protect yourself from skin cancer and keep wrinkles at bay, use an SPF stand alone too!

Look after your eyes
Yes, celebrities wear sunnies all the time, but they are so much more than a fashion statement; they are a good habit to get into. So take Victoria Beckham’s lead (she’s in her forties and wearing it well) and put your sunglasses on not just in the summer, but every time you go outside, and keep your eyes safe.

Smile
Life can be hard in your forties as your kids move away and your parents fall ill, but getting into the habit of smiling and laughing during your day, can be a really good for you. Laughter boosts your mood, reduces stress, and smiling at a stranger could be the lift they also need in their day.

So, what new habits are you going to make, and which badies are you going to ditch to make your forties fabulous?

Team Pure Beauty

Simple changes you can make to help save the planet

Tags

air, apples, bag for life, bamboo brushes, breath your teeth, Cancel paper statements, car, car share, chairs, clean, clothes, cycling to work, desks, Don’t run the water when you brush, drive your car, environment, flowerpots, food, for sale, fruit tree, future, garden, garden waste, green bins, greener, Greta Thunberg, healthy, home, hope pipe, hot topic, Kids bikes, kinder, land, landfill sites, making waves, massive waste, money, newspapers and magazines, packaging materials, pastic bags, planet, plant a tree, Plastic, plastic carrier bags, power, public transport, rainwater butt, run, save, save the planet, save trees, school uniform, second hand, shade, shops, significant impact, sleep, something special, spoon, stop shopping, straws and stirrers, tap, teeth, today, tree, turn off, Turn off your computer at night, turning the tap off, two minutes, water, watering, watering can, wellies, Work from home

With Greta Thunberg making waves around the world, the environment is more of a hot topic than ever. While some people might think they can’t do anything to make a significant impact, if we all make small changes, it could lead to something special and significant.

We have some suggestions of really simple things you can do today that could help make for a better future for the planet.

Turn off your computer at night
It’s easy to leave your computer on as you sleep, but if you turn it off you will not only save power but also money.

Don’t run the water when you brush
They say to brush your teeth for at least two minutes morning and night – if you leave the water running at the same time that is a massive waste. Turning the tap off while brushing can save masses of water and your teeth will still be clean and healthy. Oh, and why not try using bamboo brushes rather than plastic ones???

Snap up second hand
Yes, you can stop shopping altogether, or you could start sourcing the things you really need second hand. Kids bikes, desks, chairs, flowerpots, school uniform and wellies are often for sale in good, used condition and doing this saves you money and helps reduce packaging materials and eases landfill sites.

Plant a tree, or two plant
Planting trees in your garden is great for the land and the air, it can shade your home, and can even increase the value of your property. If you plant a fruit tree, you are being even kinder to the environment as you won’t need to get your apples from the shops, which means not having to drive your car, and when you pick them fresh, no plastic bags are needed. Now, when those trees, or any other plants need watering, don’t use a hose pipe, instead go for a watering can and getting a rainwater butt is another great green idea.

Work from home
This isn’t an excuse to sit in your PJs and watch TV all day, but working at home will save you time, money and ease up on the use of your car or public transport. If your boss won’t agree, how about cycling to work or looking at a car share with colleagues – it all helps!

Get a bag for life
We know you know, but plastic carrier bags are not biodegradable or recyclable so they are no good to anyone or anything. Stop buying bags each time you shop and instead take stronger, reusables bags to the supermarket and if you can ditch them altogether, good for you!

Step away from straws
Millions of straws and stirrers are thrown away every year, so use a spoon to stir your coffee and drink from a glass – simple.

Cancel paper statements
With email, there is no need to have paper bills and statements – NO REASON AT ALL. Asking to receive online statements and bills will save trees and with the postman not delivering them to your home, it saves on petrol and diesel fumes too.

Recycle, recycle, recycle
Did you know that if you don’t recycle glass it can take years and years for it to decompose? Always recycle your glass and the same goes for plastics, newspapers and magazines, clothes, garden waste and food – you have recycling bins, use them and save the planet.

Got an idea that helps make you greener, let us know, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty