How to waste less this Christmas

Tags

antique markets, art class, best intentions in the world, bight, bills, bin, BOGOF, books, bottles, box of chocolates, brand new, budget, buying gifts, cans, carbon emissions, carnage, charity shops, Christmas, Christmas lights, comics, cooked, cookery course, curries, dad, December, decorations, drink wine, eat food, environment, foil, food, fridge, Frozen, give and receive gifts, good time, Grazia, gym membership, high waste alter, hospice, January, kids, landfill sites, LED lights, leftover, library, list, local hospital, loved, physical products, Plastic, Radio Times, ramp up, recycle, shelter, shiny, sister, soft toys, soup kitchen, soups, spark nostalgia, supermarket, tree, unique gifts, Veg and meat, vintage clothes, vintage scarf, waste, wrap, wrapping, wreaths

Let’s face it, Christmas can be a time of waste.

With all the best intentions in the world, as we give and receive gifts, eat food, drink wine and generally have a good time, there will be things that get leftover and thrown in the bin which puts the environment on a high waste alert.

We aren’t saying don’t have fun and relax, but we are going to look at how you can enjoy Christmas without adding to landfill sites and blowing your carbon emissions out of the water.

Buy pre-loved
When buying gifts, you don’t have to get something that is bright, shiny and brand new. Spending an afternoon at antique markets and visiting charity shops is a fun way to find some really unique gifts that will be just as good, if not better, than something going to a new home for the first time. Books, soft toys, vintage clothes and china are all out there for the taking and you never know, you could spark nostalgia with the gifts you give this year and make someone feel really loved.

Think about gifts that keep giving
You don’t have to buy physical products. How about a pass to the local petting farm? A gym membership? A cookery course or an art class? These could really help someone out and they will know you have thought about them with your choice of gift, and of course an experience means no waste.

It’s all in the wrapping
Once you have a present, think about how you wrap it. If your sister is fashion mad, wrap that vintage scarf in the pages of an old copy of Grazia, for kids, use comics, and for your TV bonkers dad, the Radio Times covering his box of chocolates will be perfect. This means you recycle and cut down on glitter and ribbon that isn’t good for anything at all.

Be a smart shopper
We have all been there – the night before Christmas and the supermarket is carnage and not a lot of fun as people buy as much food as they can. Make a list of what you need, don’t go for the BOGOF offers and keep to a budget.

Don’t waste food
If you do over do it on the dinner front, don’t just put the remains in the bin. Veg and meat can be put in the fridge and eaten the next day, soups and curries can be cooked and frozen and if you have more than you need, make up parcels and give them to a local soup kitchen or shelter – someone will be very grateful you don’t bin what is probably great food.

Save power
We all love Christmas lights, but they don’t need to be on 24/7 for the whole of December and January. Put them on in the evening and turn them off when you go to bed. Use LED lights and go easy on outside decorations, as they can eat electricity and ramp up your bills as well as your emissions.

Recycle
The tree, decorations, wreaths, cans, foil, bottles, plastic and food are all recyclable. It might seem like a pain, but if we all do this it does make a difference. Also, if you have gifts that aren’t for you, why not give to someone who would like them, take them to a local hospital or donate to a charity shop or library. You might not want it, and you might not want to offend the recipient by asking for a receipt, so do something for someone else and you will be glad you did.

Got a create less waste tip? Send it our way, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty

Pure Beauty is the place for last minute present success

Tags

acne, and Nettle, avocado, bacteria, Baikal Skullcap Root, bergamot, breakout, bright, Broccoli, bsthroom, Christmas tree, coconut, Decleor Aroma Cleanse 3 in 1 Hydra Radiance Cleansing Mousse, Decleor Hydra Floral Everfresh Hydrating Light Cream, Decleor Intense Nutrition Lip Balm, Decleor You, Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Kit, Dermalogica Daily Glow Duo Christmas Gift Set, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, Dermalogica Foaming Wash, Dermalogica Precleanse Balm, Dermalogica Skin Soothing Hydrating Lotion, dirt, dissolves, Elemis Lime and Ginger Salt Glow, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, enriched, face, Frankincense Essential Oil, friend, glowing, gorgeous, Green Tea Essential Water, healthy, hydrate, illuminates, kale, last minute, light, lips, list, macadamia oil, marjoram essential oil, Me, milky emulsion, Mistletoe Christmas Gift Set, morning and night, mum, neck, Neroli Essential Oil, oil, Papain, perfect skin, present, protects, Pumpkin Seed Oils, rice, Salicylic Acid, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes, Shea butter, sister, smooth, soft, soothe, spoiling, stimulate, stocking filler, super food shake, Sweet Almond oils, teen, teenagers, tick, tone, tree, wash awayu, water, Wheatgrass

If you still need a present for your mum, a stocking filler for your sister and something for Sue next door, fear not because at Pure Beauty we can help.

We stock a wide range of present perfect options and we think we can help you to tick off anyone who is still left on your list.

A lovely set that we have just for Christmas, is the Decleor You, Me, Mistletoe Christmas Gift Set and we think most people would love to find this under the tree. You get the Decleor Intense Nutrition Lip Balm which has been enriched with Marjoram Essential Oil, Shea Butter and Macadamia Oil and protects lips from dryness and leaves them feeling soft and smooth. The Decleor Hydra Floral Everfresh Hydrating Light Cream illuminates and protects skin thanks to a powerful combination of Neroli Essential Oil and Baikal Skullcap Root. Finally, the hat trick for this gift is a tube of Decleor Aroma Cleanse 3 in 1 Hydra Radiance Cleansing Mousse which is made from Neroli Essential Oils and Green Tea Essential Water which, together, restore radiance, and add moisture.

If you have a friend who needs spoiling, we think that the Elemis Superfood Facial Wash is a good place to start. This gorgeous, nourishing wash revives and refreshes whilst gently cleansing the face and neck. Made from a blend of Avocado, Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed Oils with added Wheatgrass, Kale, and Nettle, this really is a super food shake for the skin and will leave it glowing, healthy and bright – just like the Christmas tree.

For that tricky teen, why not try the Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Kit? This cool looking set comes with three great products that are perfect for teenagers with acne or breakout prone skin. The Dermalogica Foaming Wash has been designed to be used morning and night and will gently wash away dirt. The Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Booster is a fast acting acne treatment made with Salicylic Acid which helps to deal with breakout causing bacteria and works in just 15 minutes. It also comes with the Dermalogica Skin Soothing Hydrating Lotion which is easy to apply and helps to soothe and hydrate acne irritated skin.

For that hard to buy for family member, why not go for the Decleor Nourishing Body Balm? This intensive body balm that nourishes and moistures the skin and leaves it feeling soft and supple. With a Christmas twist, this beauty is made from a rich blend of Frankincense Essential Oil, Shea Butter, Tamanu and Macadamia Oils, this is the perfect present for someone who has everything except perfect skin.

For a festive looking treat that would be a valued addition to any bathroom, a pot of Elemis Lime and Ginger Salt Glow ticks all the boxes. This luxurious exfoliation product is made from a unique blend of Lime, Ginger and Salt together with Bergamot, Coconut and Sweet Almond Oils. From the very first use, these salts will stimulate and tone the skin and leave it looking fab and feeling super soft.

If you have a last-minute Secret Santa to buy before the big day, we think the winning ticket could be the Dermalogica Daily Glow Duo Christmas Gift Set. The lucky recipient will be able to try the Dermalogica PreCleanse Balm which dissolves oil and dirt from the surface of the skin, and the light, milky emulsion leaves behind a fresh complexion. This is also a great way to try the fantastic Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant for the first time. This product has a unique rice based powder formula that comes to life when mixed with water. It is the activated Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes that come together to exfoliate away clogging dead cells so that skin is left looking smoother and brighter.

So put in your orders as soon as possible and if you need any help doing that, get in touch and we would love to help.

Happy Christmas.

Team Pure Beauty
x

Adapt your exercise routine for the winter

Tags

5k charity run, accountability buddy, balmy summer evenings, bike rides, body temperature, bottle of water, bright trainers, clothing, cold wind, Corrie, December, dehydrated, ear phones, early evening darkness, effort, endorphins, enjoy, exercise, friend, go for it, goal, goose bumps, gym, H2O, hi-vis top, HIIT training, hot, ice cold water, interval cycling, ket, layering, lethargic, London to Brighton bike ride, motivation, online options, pact, partner, Pilates, pumping, quiet, refreshing, results, reverse, run, saf, shorts, sister, skin, skip, sofa, sweating, t-shirts, thermal, Thermal running tights, tired, train for a marathon, trainers, two litres, vest, warm t-shirts, well-lit route, winter months, work, work colleague, write down, Zumba

While you might feel like curling up on the sofa in your onesie and watching back to back Corrie, your mind, body and soul will thank you for keeping up with your exercise routine over the winter months.

The cold wind and early evening darkness might not be as inviting as balmy summer evenings for a run, but we have had a look at how to keep fit and strong, however chilly it gets.

Don’t stop moving
In the summer, we tend to exercise before it gets too hot, so in the winter you need to reverse this and try to workout before it gets dark and your motivation is lost. Either go to the gym before work, run during your lunch hour or plan morning bike ride that will get those endorphins pumping around your body for the rest of the day.

Get the kit
By the end of your jog you should be sweating, but before you step out of the door the goose bumps will be there if you are only in a vest and shorts. The key to winter success when it comes to exercise clothing is layering. Thermal running tights, bright trainers, warm t-shirts and soft socks won’t just look cool, they will feel good against your skin and help regulate your body temperature. If you are exercising in the dark, go for a hi-vis top and even a head torch so you can easily be seen.

Go digital
If you really can’t get to grips with exercising outside in December, tap into online options. Whether it is HIIT training, Pilates, interval cycling or Zumba, there’s a wide range of sporting options that you can do at home, but you still need to put in the effort if you want to see the results.

Get a buddy
One way to ensure you get out and get going is to have an accountability buddy. If you know you’ll let someone else down if you don’t hit the gym, it’ll be harder to skip your workout. Whether it’s a friend, sister, partner, work colleague or neighbour, find someone with similar interests and make a pact to do this together.

Have a goal
Just as it can help having someone to work with, it is also motivating to have a goal to aim for. Whether you are going to complete a 5k charity run, train for a marathon or take part in the London to Brighton bike ride, write down your goals, put them somewhere you can see them and go for it.

Drink
Ice cold water is refreshing in July, but it is actually essential all year round. When you exercise it is really important to drink plenty of water otherwise you can end up feel tired, lethargic and dehydrated which will take away your motivation to get moving. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times, sip little and often and aim for at least two litres of H2O a day.

Be safe
Whatever you do, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be home. If you are exercising outside after dark, choose a well-lit route, wear bright clothing and be wise when wearing ear phones in quiet areas.

Enjoy!

Happiness Hacks for 2017

Tags

2017, aunt, bath, bed, bike, birthday, blender, blog, cake, cinema, clothese, control, credit card, CV, date, day, diary, dog, Facebook, friends, gossip, happy, husband, January, journal, letter, level, library, life, lipstick, live it, local, meditate, mum, news, pop, red, Relax, run, short, sister, sleeping rough, smile, smoothies, social media, sore, sunshine, Vitamin C, volunteer

We know that a start of a new year can be a time when many of us make endless resolutions so we can be the very best we can.

The thing is, January is cold and dark and even with the best will in the world, getting out of bed in the dark and running 10 miles to be super fit, can be, well, miserable.

So we have come up with a list of 50 really easy things you can do to make yourself happy in 2017 and to be honest, that’s what really matters.

1. Smile.
2. Write down three good things for each day in a journal – even on the hardest of days there is something good.
3. Plan something fun to do each weekend.
4. Don’t gossip.
5. Say hello to your neighbours.
6. Listen to your favourite song, everyday.
7. Have a bath before you go to bed.
8. Call your mum, sister, aunt, husband once in a while rather than just texting.
9. Eat clean, or at least eat healthy.
10. Go for a walk at lunchtime.
11. Read a book.
12. Donate to charity and give back.
13. Really listen when someone is talking to do.
14. Skip the news.
15. Make a cake and eat it fresh from the over.
16. Light candles.
17. Get a dog.
18. Take up a new sport.
19. Don’t have the argument.
20. Clear out the clutter.
21. Send birthday cards don’t just post a message on Facebook.
22. Drink hot water and lemon when you wake up.
23. Don’t pop that spot on your chin, it’ll make it red and sore.
24. Become a volunteer for a local cause close to your heart.
25. Get on your bike and peddle your way to fitness.
26. Have a manicure and feel polished.
27. Turn the TV off and do something less boring instead.
28. Start a blog.
29. Wear a new lipstick.
30. Don’t keep anything for best, life is short, live it.
31. Go out in the sunshine and up your Vitamin D levels the next way.
32. Tell someone you love them.
33. Make use of your local library.
34. Don’t gossip.
35. Get a blender and make your own smoothies full of goodness and health benefits.
36. Sign up for a challenge and stick to it.
37. Meditate everyday, you will feel the benefits and it will become a part of your routine.
38. Book a spa day for you and a friend and really relax as you catch up.
39. Update your CV and get the job you have always really wanted.
40. Ask your man to marry you – it isn’t a leap year but take control and get a date in the diary.
41. Host a party and let your hair down.
42. Apply to be on a talent show.
43. Go on a digital detox and leave the world of social media behind, even for a few hours.
44. Book a holiday and have something amazing to look forward to.
45. Have a make over and only wear the clothes you love and the ones that make you feel great.
46. Pay off that credit card bill.
47. Write a letter.
48. Buy lunch for someone who is sleeping rough.
49. Go to the cinema in the middle of the day.
50. Smile, did we say that already?

You see, all easy to do and all with great potential for making you happy.

Happy 2017.

Team Pure-Beauty