How to be social media savvy

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Whether you love Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or one of the other popular social media networks, making connections and keeping in touch with family and friends has never been easier, or cheaper. However, this instant means of communication can also lead to a hotbed of potential problems, so we’ve had a look at how you can prevent mishaps and keep safe and happy online.

Watch the door
There is no way you would let a complete stranger into your home, and the social media world should be no different. Accepting requests to connect with someone you don’t know can be dangerous and you really want to avoid it. It can allow people to spy on you, fraudsters can find your personal details, you can be spammed and trolled, and those people can send annoying requests to your friends too. If you don’t know someone in real life, don’t let them be a part of your social media existence either.

Tag with care
Yes, the Christmas party was fun, but Bob from IT might not want ‘that picture’ plastered across Facebook for HR to see on Monday, so just stop and think before you post photos of other people and tag them. You might think something is hilarious, but if you don’t want to lose a friend or your job stop and consider the consequences before pressing send.

Keep it real
You know the people we are talking about – the ones with the perfect feeds, amazing homes, stunning holidays and a new outfit everyday – this isn’t real, so don’t believe the hype or let it get you down. Generally, people only post what they want you to know, so take things with a pinch of salt and just go your own way.

Don’t overshare
The intimate details of your personal life are yours, so don’t share them with Twitter, because it could lead to a lot of blushes. Yes, you might hate your boss and your new boyfriend might be amazing, but the whole world doesn’t need to know every single detail. Keep social media light and fun and when things don’t go to plan, don’t blast your feed with the gossip about that either.

Is it yours to share?
Posting about your flatmate’s job interview, revealing an upcoming project at work, or talking about your sister’s engagement before she does, won’t get you any brownie points. Think before you post and if it’s someone else’s news, they have the right to tell others on their feed, before you share it on yours.

Social media isn’t a medic
Social media is a great thing, but it’s not a substitute for real medical advice. If you have a health problem, speak to your GP before sharing the nitty gritty of a tummy bug online, and never think that the well-meaning words of a friend are a given when it comes to being sick. Speak to someone in the know and keep photos of scratches and rashes to yourself.

Don’t be pushy
We all need to make a living but bombarding family and friends with requests to buy your skin care products or diet plans isn’t going to make you very popular. Yes, set up a page and let them know what you are doing, but if you push it at them all the time, you might find they start to unfriend, or even block you and that’s not what you want.

Don’t be a keyboard warrior
At the end of the day, we all have feelings, so if you say something to someone online, make sure you would also say it to their face. Don’t make social media a breeding ground for hate, instead spread happiness and love and make the world a better place.

Team Pure Beauty

Reinvent your wardrobe this spring

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If you already have a well-stocked wardrobe and want to be more conscious of what you are buying, we have had a look at how you can rework what you have rather than always flashing the cash or hitting click to buy to get that hit.

Be inspired
Before you do anything, look at what’s hot on the fashion front at the moment as this can really inspire you to take a closer look at your clothes and see how they could work harder for you. Social media feeds and magazines are a great way to asses which looks are in, and the ones that are out as this can spark ideas, and before you know it, you are dressing in a whole new way.

Sort it out
If your wardrobes are bursting at the seams, it could mean that you can’t actually see what you do have to wear so end up in the same jeans and tee day after day. Take everything out of the wardrobes, put it all on your bed and re-hang everything you want to keep on wire hangers as these save space and prevent items from bunching and creasing. You can make it easy to navigate your clothes if you sort by style, colour and season and when you have done this you will have a better idea of what goes with what, and new looks can be created.

Mend it
If you have well-loved items that you still adore but are broken – mend them, don’t chuck them! A damaged strap, missing button or drooping hem can stop you from wearing something, so get it fixed and the problem is solved. If you can’t do it yourself, many dry cleaners offer basic repairs and if it’s heels that need a helping hand, head to the cobbler.

Sell or swap
Before you throw away the clothes that didn’t make the cut, think about selling or swapping them so someone else can love them. This a great time to call on friends to give you some feedback on your clothes and style and they may want to take what isn’t working for you, off your hands, and you could be in for a haul of goodies from them in return. Also remember that online sites, social media, vintage stores and charity shops are perfect homes for pre-loved bargains and it is so much better to keep a garment alive, than sending it to the landfill.

Breath in new life
We all know that accessories can give a favourite look a new lease of life, so this is the time to get out those bags, belts, jewellery and shoes and have a play around. Alice bands, scrunchies and scarves can give a special lift, caps come into play with sportswear and an animal print tote or neon slider will automatically give you style kudos.

Just wear it
Once you have done all the hard work, make sure you wear the items you have kept. Don’t keep things for best, wear dresses that make you feel special, jeans that elongate your legs, and if you have polished those shoes, put them on your feet and shine, baby!

What we would say, is don’t try to reinvent your entire wardrobe in one go. If you can breathe life into three pieces, that’s a great start, and the rest will follow.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy food hacks for a happy kitchen

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By the end of the week, if you are anything like us you’ll have half a loaf of bread going mouldy, apples that are beyond bruised and milk that is well and truly on the turn.

Due to busy lives, eating out and BOGOF offers from the supermarkets, we tend to waste more food than ever which isn’t good for our pockets or the environment and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth – literally.

We have put together some easy to follow food saving hacks that really work.

It is better to get less and waste less and you can do this if you plan your meals for the week. Work out which nights you need to cook and factor in lunch boxes, snacks and guests and you’ll soon notice the difference to your wallet.

Only buy what you need. Many people do a ‘big shop’ and stack their trolley high with goods for the week. You may well find that if you shop little and often, especially for fresh produce, you will waste less and save more.

When you do shop, make a list and stick to it. Even better, shop online and use a template list you know works.

Check your fridge is clean and also set to the right temperature.

Make sure you put crisps, cereal and snacks in an airtight container or zip lock bag. This will prevent them from going soft and losing their flavour which means you can eat them rather than chuck them.

The freezer is your friend. Over ripe bananas can be frozen then used for cakes and smoothies. Freeze past their best herbs with olive oil and you have a ready made stock cube and if you know you aren’t going to eat that chicken crown, freeze it for next week.

When you make a pasta bake or bolognaise, cook a double batch and either for lunch the next day or freeze for next week.

Use up fruit and veg by blasting it all in your blender and making a nutrient packed smoothie.

If you have sad looking carrots, celery, potatoes, peppers and onions, don’t bin them. Simply peel, chop and cook them in a pan and you’ll have a healthy, warming bowl of soup in no time.

Bread doesn’t keep forever so put half a loaf in the freeze and take it out as needed. If it does go stale, toast and use a croutons or blast in the blender and you have breadcrumbs for homemade chicken nuggets.

Don’t waste any ice cream, scoop portions into freezer bags when you buy a tub and you’ll have instant pudding with nothing left over.

Don’t throw away that left over pizza, wrap and put in the fridge, then when hunger strikes put it in the microwave with a cup of water for one minute. This will add moisture to the air and the pizza stop it drying out so when bell goes it’ll be fresh and tasty once again.

Find out if there is a local food bank near you and give them anything you know you won’t use.

Got a hack you love? Drop us a line and let us know.

Team Pure Beauty

Stretch Marks – What Are The Causes and How to Prevent Them

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marks, moisture, moisturiser, moisturistation, pregnancy, prevent, reverse, skin, stretch marks, striations, supple, unsightly, weight gain

Unless you’re one of the lucky people who never get them, most of us are well acquainted with stretch marks, also known as striations of the skin. These unsightly marks occur during pregnancy, weight or muscle gain or sometimes if a teenager has a particularly rapid growth spurt after puberty, and are literally little tears of the dermis layer beneath the skin. The tears in the dermis allow the blood vessels below to show through, which is why stretch marks are often red or purple when they first appear.

Where Do Stretch Marks Appear?

The most common places for stretch marks to happen are on the hips, buttocks, inner thighs, breasts, upper arms, shoulders and sometimes vertically along the spine in people who’ve gained a few inches in height very quickly.

What Do They Look Like?

When stretch marks first appear, they’re usually an angry red or purple colour and look like lines of bruises. Over time they usually fade and will look like small white lines, however more severe stretch marks, like the ones which appear during pregnancy, sometimes still appear quite angry even years after giving birth.

Can They Be Prevented?

Keeping your skin well-hydrated and supple is the only way to try to avoid stretch marks, so using something deeply moisturising over your whole body and especially on the areas listed above will help. Opt for something like Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream which is an ultra-rich, long-lasting body cream designed to help heal and relieve extra dry skin. This unique liquefying formula is also ideal for all-over, deeply-moisturising body massages.

What Can I Do If I Already Have Stretch Marks?

If you’ve already got stretch marks from a previous pregnancy or weight gain, fear not, there are things you can do to help. Obviously, losing weight healthily and on a balanced diet will prevent further striations from appearing. Decleor also produces the wonderful Sculpt Stretch Mark Restructuring Gel-Cream which deeply moisturises and nourishes the skin.

It’s a multi-functional product which prevents stretch marks from appearing but also helps the skin to repair and regenerate after damage has already happened. The best part is, all Decleor Perfect Sculpt products have undergone in vitro and ex vitro tests on the active ingredients, clinical tests on the boosting effect of AROMESSENCE™ Sculpt, and tests on pregnant women under the supervision of a gynaecologist and are proven to be totally safe for use in pregnancy.