Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween

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31 October, adore, ageing, antioxidant vitamin A and C, Australian caviar lime, avocado, balance, beauty products, bright, brisk walk, broccoli pumpkin seed oil, cell turnover, Cherry, concentrate formula, cream, dark spots, dead cells, Dermalogica Pure Light SPF 50, Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel, dullness, Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Booster, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, gel cleanser, glowing skin, Halloween, healthy, hipster salad, hyperpigmentation, kale, luminous, microbiome, natural, natural pre-biotic, Nettle, nutrient-dense, outdoor-fresh glow, peek, plant-based, plant-based concentrate formula, pumpkin fruit ferment, pumpkins, radiant skin, real results, Red Algae, resurface, Rice Bran, safe, Safflower Seeds, sea, seaweed, smooth, smoothie, sun, super greens, tired, UV light, vampires, Vegan, Wheatgrass, witching hour

Did you know that pumpkins are packed with natural enzymes and acids which increase cell turnover so that skin is bright and smooth? Well they do, and the good news doesn’t stop there. This Halloween staple also contains antioxidant vitamin A and C which help soften and soothe skin and get ageing under control.

With all the said, let’s look at some of the products we sell on the site and see which ones you could use to get great skin before 31 October.

We absolutely adore the Elemis Superfood Facial Wash and for good reason! This gel cleanser is full of the nutrient-dense super greens you’d expect to find in a smoothie, but we don’t suggest drinking it! From the very first time you use this product, you are left with radiant skin and an outdoor-fresh glow that will look as if you’ve been for a brisk walk by the sea. Avocado, broccoli and pumpkin seed oil might usually be found in a hipster salad, but in this case, they have been combined with a natural pre-biotic to balance the skin’s microbiome and with wheatgrass, nettle and kale too, your complexion will look luminous and bright.

You might not be thinking about the sun when the witching hour approaches, but the Dermalogica Pure Light SPF 50 treats hyperpigmentation and keeps you safe from the UV light that can strike at any time of the year. It’s the pumpkin fruit ferment in this cream, that helps exfoliate away dead cells and eliminate dark spots cause by the sun. Red algae, seaweed and safflower seeds have all been added to the mix to create a product at we think you will love. Apply to cleansed and toned skin before you go outside and this will work well all year round and keep those Halloween vampires away.

For a vegan option, why not give the Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Booster a go? This plant-based concentrate formula is ideal if you want to have healthy, glowing skin all year round but won’t have you looking as orange as a pumpkin – do not worry. This is ideal for anyone whose skin is a little tired and needs a helping hand to look brighter and happier again. Pumpkin and cherry extracts, which are both rich in AHAs and enzymes, have been mixed with rice water and green tea seed oil and once you have given the bottle a shake, you are ready to smooth away the dullness and let the light in.

If you are looking for real results from your beauty products, look no further than the Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel. This maximum strength exfoliant contains acids and fermented plant enzymes to increase skin renewal and reveal new, firmer skin with reduced fine lines and wrinkles. Pumpkin together with rice bran, resurface and even out skin tone, while Australian caviar lime brightens skin so you are left with a more radiant, but still natural, complexion. With each packet containing 10 applications you have the right amount for perfect results each time you use this peel.

If you would like more details, why not get in touch and see what pumpkin potions and lotions you can use to make your skin come to life this Halloween.

Team Pure

How to pack a healthy lunchbox

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apple, bacon, balanced diet, balanced midday meal, Beef and broccoli, bows, brie, brown, carbs, carrot and coriander, carrots, cheese sandwich, cherry tomatoes, chicken noodle, chicken pasta, chocolate, chocolate bar, cold, cucumber, delicious, easy, egg, flapjack, flask, flatbreads, fridge, ham, healthy, High-fibre brown, hot, hungry, lentil, lunch, lunch staple, lunchbox, meal, Mexican bean, microwave, midday, Mixed beans, napkins, nutrient-dense sandwiches, nuts, olive rolls, packet of crisps and an apple, pasta, peppers, pickles, pitta, Protein pots, quick nutritious options, rice, rice salads, rumbling tummy, salad, salmon, Salmon pasta, sardines, satisfied, sauces, shapes, smoothie, soda bread, soup, spinach, sweet, sweetcorn, tortillas, tummy, tuna and tomatoes and teriyaki chicken, vegetable, veggie sausage pasta, veggies, white, wholemeal bagels

A cheese sandwich, packet of crisps and an apple might be a throwback from the ‘80s but for many of us it’s whatever we can make quickly, or buy, that gets put into our lunchbox.

While we know we need to eat a balanced midday meal, the reality can look very different, often grabbing something on the go that will only leave us hungry and reaching for a chocolate bar come 4pm.

We have had a look at some easy, quick nutritious options that will keep hunger at bay and they taste pretty good too!

Pasta pack ups
We know people worry about carbs, but pasta can be a brilliant lunch staple that can be eaten hot or cold. Whether you go for white or brown, lentil or rice in bows or shapes is up to you, but there is so much choice out there you can have something different each day of the week. Salmon pasta, chicken pasta and veggie sausage pasta can be made the night before and eaten straight from the fridge at midday or popped in the microwave and you’ll have a hot meal in minutes. You can add veggies or salad as well as sauces and pickles to create a lunch that is healthy and nourishing and won’t leave you with a rumbling tummy come 2pm.

Rice salads
High-fibre brown rice is a really good way to ensure you are left feeling satisfied all afternoon. Just as with pasta, there are a lot of ingredients that can be added from sardines, egg, ham and cheese and if you throw in some cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and nuts, you will be the envy of the office.

Protein pots
We all know that we need protein for a balanced diet, but we don’t always get enough to help us get through the day without flagging. Beef and broccoli, tuna and tomatoes and teriyaki chicken are all tasty, easy lunchtime eats. Mixed beans, spinach, sweetcorn and sweet potatoes can all be added to pack out the protein and prevent you from running on empty during the afternoon.

Have a wrap
If bread isn’t for you but you want some energy giving carbs, flatbreads and tortillas are a good alternative. Peanut butter and carrots, salmon and veggies as well as humous and peppers are good ideas and you can load them up with salad to help get to your five a day. Warning; take napkins as these can get messy but they are so worth it.

Soup on the go
If you are busy but want something warm and filling, soup in a flask is a good option. Yes, you can open a can and bung it in the microwave but Mexican bean, vegetable, carrot and coriander and chicken noodle are super easy to make and if you cook in batches and freeze you will have something ready and waiting for you to take to work. Add in an apple and a smoothie, and you will be keeping bugs and hunger away as you boost your immune system with vitamins!

Super sarnies
OK, we can’t go without mentioning sandwiches, but there is more to this lunchtime basic than white sliced as soda bread, pitta, olive rolls and wholemeal bagels are all there for the taking. Bacon, brie, turkey, cottage cheese and avocado are the ingredients of lunchtime dreams and make delicious, nutrient-dense sandwiches that will make you want midday to come around fast.

Something sweet
You don’t have to stick to savoury at lunchtime. A fruit salad, yogurt with sliced banana, homemade flapjack with dried apricots and even a square or two of dark chocolate will give you something sweet to enjoy without overloading on nasties.

Why not make a batch of blueberry muffins on a Sunday, put them in an airtight box, or freeze half, and you will have something sweet a tasty to add to your lunchbox all week long.

Team Pure Beauty

Why getting up early could be good for you

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6am, accomplished, accounts, admin, alarm, bagel, big shifts, blog posts, body clock, boxing session, breakfast, cared for, cereal bar, change, coffee, cup, doing some yoga, early hours, Eggs on toast, emails, energy, extra time, feel good, flexible hours, goals, good intentions, half an hour, hard work, healthy breakfast, hot, house, inbox, keen, lemon juice, lifting weights, listening, Me time, meditation, mental health, minutes, morning person, motivation, peace of mind, perfect time, phone calls, plan your day, podcast, productive, quietest time, running, silent, sleeps, smashed avocado on rye bread, smoked salmon, smoothie, Special, start your day, stillness, suggestions, sun, sunrise, switch, tea, thoughts, to do list, treadmill, walk, watching, work, write, writing a gratitude journal, yelling

The early hours might not be something you are familiar with or keen on, but they are not only the quietest time of the day but can also be the most productive.

No one yelling “mum,” no phone calls coming in and no emails landing in your inbox that need an urgent response. There’s also something really special about watching the sunrise and feeling accomplished before breakfast.

If you’re not a morning person, this might sound like hard work, but setting your alarm just a little earlier each day can be all it takes to make big shifts and we have some suggestions on how to make the switch.

Me time
We all know that time by ourselves can be hard to come by, but even a few extra minutes by yourself with your own thoughts can be huge for your peace of mind and mental health. Whether ‘me time’ to you means meditation, doing some yoga, writing a gratitude journal or listening to a podcast with no interruptions, mornings can give you the time to do this, so you feel cared for and looked after.

Do some exercise
We all have good intentions, and we all have our own body clocks, but while the rest of the house sleeps, you could fit in the exercise you keep meaning to do. It could be going for a walk as the sun comes up, running on the treadmill, doing a boxing session in the living room or lifting weights, all of these are a great way to start your day and work towards a goal. Whatever makes you feel good and gets you moving, go for it and we think you will be surprised the energy and motivation this will give you for the rest of the day.

Enjoy one hot cup of coffee
How many times do you make your first coffee of the day but never actually get to drink it while it is hot? Even getting up half an hour earlier than usual will mean you can make yourself a coffee, or tea, and sip it while it’s hot and plan your day.

Eat breakfast
Giving yourself a little extra time in the morning means you can prepare and enjoy a healthy breakfast. It is so easy to grab a cereal bar or knock back a smoothie as you run out of the house, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Eggs on toast, a bagel with smoked salmon and lemon juice or smashed avocado on rye bread are all easy to prepare, quick to eat and good for you – so make that extra time in the day count.

Get to work
For some people, the stillness of the morning is the perfect time to do some work. With an increasing number of us working for ourselves, or having flexible hours, being able to get through your to-do list can be done on your terms. Maybe you are most productive at admin at 6am, or you like to write blog posts when the office is silent, or it could be that getting your accounts done before 7am makes you feel organised and efficient.

Find what works for you and you’ll be amazed at how those extra hours can change the way you live and feel.

Team Pure Beauty

Smoothies That Will Make You Smile

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almonds, apple juice, banana, blanched, blender, blitz, blueberries, bowl, breakfast, carrot, cashew nuts, chocolate bar, cold water, cored, creamy, cucumber, drink, five a day, fresh, Frozen, fruity blend of passion fruit, ginger, goji berries, green apple, green grapes, gym, home, hunger, kiwi, lemon, mango, mid-morning, mid-morning snack, minerals, office, on the go, orange, orange juice, peeled, pick me up, post workout boost, preparation, raspberries, recipe, seeds, sliced, smooth, smoothie, spinach, strawberries, sugary energy drink, Vitamin C, vitamins, warmth, worth it, zing

Whether they are part of your breakfast, a mid-morning snack or post workout boost, smoothies are a brilliant way to get vital vitamins and minerals into your body, and reach that five a day. They can be eaten at home, in the office, at the gym or even on the go, and are way better than grabbing a sugary energy drink or bar of chocolate when hunger strikes.

You don’t need fancy equipment or special powders to make a great smooth, and we have put together some recipes that prove this point.

The Tropical Treat
If you kick your day off with this fruity blend of passion fruit, mango, orange and banana, not only will you be on top of your five a day, but you’ll get a blast of vitamin C, too.

You will need:
3 passion fruits
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small mango, peeled, stoned and chopped (you can use frozen pieces too)
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
300ml of orange juice
Ice cubes

Scoop the passion fruit pulp into your blender, then add the chopped banana, mango and orange juice, blend with the ice cubes until smooth and drink immediately.

Go Green
This gorgeous green smoothie is great for breakfast on the go and also makes a great mid-morning pick me up.

You will need
1 banana, peeled and sliced
200g of fresh or frozen spinach, washed if fresh
1 handful of green grapes
1 green apple, cored but with skin left on
10 cm of cucumber, sliced with skin left on
250ml of apple juice
1 lime
Ice cubes

To make:
Put the banana and spinach in a blender and pour in the apple juice together with the spinach, grapes and apple, then blitz.
Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the blender, then add the ice cubes and blitz all the mixture until smooth.

The Seed Smoothie
This is a great smoothie if you are hungry and while it takes a little preparation, it is so worth it.

You will need:
20g of cashew nuts
20g of blanched almonds
45g of mixed seeds
2 teaspoons of goji berries
1 banana, peeled and sliced
100g of raspberries and the same of strawberries
100g of blueberries
Water
A lemon
Ice cubes

To make:
The night before, put the cashews in a small bowl and pour over 100ml of cold water, then cover and leave to soak overnight.

In the morning, put the seeds and goji berries into the blender and blitz until you have a fine powder, then add the soaked cashews and almonds, then blitz again.

Next put in the raspberries, blueberries, strawberries as well as the banana in the blender, squeeze in half the juice of the lemon, plus the ice and blitz until smooth.

You can either drink straight away, or put in a flask and enjoy later.

Ginger and Orange Blitz
This is a really lovely smoothie with zing and warmth.

You will need:
A 2cm piece of fresh ginger
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small mango, peeled, stoned and chopped (you can use frozen pieces too)
200ml of fresh orange juice
1 lime

To make:
Scrape the skin off the ginger, then finely grate into your blender and add in the carrot, mango and orange juice. Blitz, add the juice of the lime and the ice cubes, then blend until smooth and enjoy.

The Big Purple Smoothie
If you love your berries, you will love this smoothie which is perfect if you are peckish and don’t want to eat cake!

You will need:
1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of purple grapes
1 banana, peeled and sliced
8 strawberries, chop off the stalk
1 large banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup of almond or oat milk
2 teaspoons of honey
Ice cubes

To make:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth and creamy. Pour into tall glasses and serve, or take with you to work in a vacuum cup.

Got a recipe you think we will like?

Send it over, we would love to try.

Team Pure Beauty

Get Your Vitamin Fix at Pure Beauty

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active extracts, anti-oxidant oils, caffeine, clean, clove, collagen-stimulating peptides, damaging free radical, Decleor Intense Glow Dark Circle Corrector, Dermalogica Antioxidant HydraMist, Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm, eat, Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser, Elemis Superfood Day Cream, fine lines fade, happy, highly-active Vitamin C complex, hyaluronic acid, illuminating moisturiser, Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel, lecithin, lifestyle, light eye cream, lime blossom, lives, magical, mazing beauty product, mist, mix, Orange Pigments, packed with goodness, pleasantly surprised, quenches, results, revitalised, rose, smoothie, soothe the skin, thirsty skin, vitamin dense supergreens, Vitamin E, Vitamin F, vitamins, Vitamins B3 and CG

We all know we should include fruit and vegetables in your diet to get those all important vitamins, but at Pure-Beauty, we sell a whole range of products that are packed with goodness so you look great too.

Let’s start with the Elemis Superfood Day Cream which is like a smoothie in the form of an amazing beauty product. This illuminating moisturiser is rich in anti-oxidant oils and vitamin dense supergreens and also has an active Pre-Biotic to balance, hydrate and smooth skin. Ginger, Matcha Tea and Goji Berry have been added into the mix so that complexions smoother, softer and revitalised.

If you love Vitamin C in your juice, then you might be interested to know that it is the secret ingredient in the Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel. This potent cleanser is perfect for all skin types and just a small amount massaged into the skin morning and night will leave it not only clean but also feeling softer than ever.

The Dermalogica Antioxidant HydraMist is a light, refreshing antioxidant magical mist that has been created to intensely hydrate dry, tired skin. Thanks to a highly-active Vitamin C complex which has been combined with collagen-stimulating peptides, skin is firmed and fine lines fade. Super effective Hyaluronic Acid quenches thirsty skin while Pea Extract lifts and tightens while Rose and Clove extracts comfort and refresh. Sounds like a lot, we know, but give it a go and we think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

It is the Vitamins B3 and CG in the Decleor Intense Glow Dark Circle Corrector that help to protect and brighten the sensitive eye area that can give away so much about our lives and lifestyle. This light cream targets darkness and dullness and while Caffeine aids drainage, Orange Pigments deliver instant illumination. Simply apply a small amount morning and evening around the eye area, gently tap with fingertips until the product is completely absorbed and let the ingredients get to work.

We love the Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser because it deeply cleans the skin, effectively removing the build-up of daily dirt and make-up. Specifically designed for combination and congested skin, the active extracts of Lime Blossom and Lecithin balance excess surface oils so that skin can breathe. Vitamin E moisturises the skin while Omega-6 rich Vitamin F nourishes and conditions. The result is a healthy complexion that feels smooth and looks healthy.

We can’t go without mentioning the Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm which is our go-to product for combating lines around the eyes and mouth. Perfect for using on drier and prematurely ageing skin, this gorgeous blend of Vitamin A, C and E helps to accelerate the skin’s natural repair process, strengthens elasticity and improves smoothness all while defending against damaging free radicals. Smooth a little of the product around visible signs of ageing morning and night and we think you will love it as much as we do in no time at all.

If you are interested in more information about these products or would like to try some samples so you can find the right vitamin fix for you, get in touch today and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty