Don’t let hay fever get you down

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allergic reactions, Antihistamines, apples, beer, blocked nose, Broccoli, brown rice, cabbage, carpets, cinema, clear sinuses, control, corticosteroids, curries, dehydrates, difficult, ease congestion, enjoy, Eyes, flowers, garlic, ginger, GP, grass, histamine, Home comforts, honey, Housekeeping, impractical, inflammation, itchy, itchy eyes, leeks, Low-allergen foods, mushrooms, nutshell, organic, over-the-counter medicines, pears, peas, pillow, plants, pollen, quinoa, red, red onions, Reishi mushrooms, runny, salads, shopping centre, sleep, sneezing, spirits, stir fries, summer, sunglasses, sweep, sweet potatoes, swelling, symptoms, tips and tricks, vacuum, Vaseline, Wash your hair, wet, windows, wine

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, off the shoulder dresses are on trend and everyone is happy.

Well, nearly everyone.

With an estimated one in five people suffering with this common allergic condition during their life, summer can be unbearable for many.

In a nutshell, pollen from grass, flowers, plants and trees can cause sneezing, runny or blocked nose and itchy eyes and it can be both painful and frustrating as there is no known cure.

Of course, the most effective way to keep hay fever under control is to avoid pollen exposure. This, however, it’s difficult and impractical, so we have some tips and tricks to help keep it at bay so you can enjoy your summer as much as everyone else.

Medicines
Hay fever can be controlled with conventional, over-the-counter medicines on sale at your chemist. Antihistamines help prevent allergic reactions and corticosteroids ease inflammation and swelling. If you try these and they aren’t helping it is worth speaking to your GP to see if prescription medication is needed.

Diet
Eat organic food where possible as this helps avoid pesticides and additives. Low-allergen foods such as brown rice, quinoa, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, leeks, peas, pears, apples and papaya are all good options and of course will aid general peak health.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms aren’t just for breakfast and can really help regulate the immune response. A good quality organic extract from Reishi mushrooms is a good option and worth investing in if you are serious about dealing with hay fever for once and all.

Drinking
Keep your water drinking up and reduce your alcohol intake. Beer, wine and spirits all contain histamine, which is the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body so as well as making you more sensitive to pollen, alcohol also dehydrates you, making your symptoms seem worse.

Wash your hair
Did you know pollen can stick to your hair? Well it can and when you go to bed it transfers to your pillow and will affect you as you try to sleep. If you have been out for the day, it is a good idea to have a shower and change your clothes before going into your bedroom and sprinkling pollen around and making life harder.

Go for sunglasses
As well as shades protecting your precious peepers, they are also a great way of stopping pollen from getting into your eyes. Go for a decent wrap around pair to create a barrier and to ensure your eyes are less red and itchy.

Housekeeping
We aren’t saying you don’t clean but given that pollen can easily get into your carpets it is a good idea to vacuum regularly and sweep it away. Try not to have the windows open too much and dust with a wet cloth so pollen doesn’t unknowingly spread around your house

Barrier
It is said that applying a little Vaseline (petroleum gel) around your nose can stop pollen getting into your system.

Home comforts
This isn’t going to happen every day but if the pollen count is high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air) you might want to stay at home or visit a shopping centre, cinema or museum rather than being outdoors and at risk of symptoms getting worse.

Spice up your life
Garlic, ginger, red onions and other spices are all brilliant ways to help clear sinuses and ease congestion. Add them to curries, salads, stir fries and BBQs to keep your pain away.

Honey
Pop some honey on your toast or in your green tea and let the bee pollen in it desensitise your body to the plant pollens that cause the hay fever grief.

We hope you find a way to keep your hay fever under control this summer, and if you have a top tip, would love to know what it is.

Team Pure Beauty

Be Daring This Summer!

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BB Cream, buzz cut, change, Dermalogica Silk Finish Conditioner, dip dye, fringe, hair, image, smoky, style, summer, Yves Saint Laurent

Summer is a time when it’s great to be daring or try something to shake your image up a bit. Here at Pure Beauty we love experimenting with our hair, make up and clothing so we thought we’d share with you a few of our summer shake up ideas to help you to be a bit more adventurous.

Colourful Dip Dye

Brightly coloured hair is totally on-trend right now, but if you aren’t brave enough for a full-on mermaid look, you could try a colourful dip dye. This has many benefits; less time and effort, lower maintenance and best of all, if you don’t like it, you can simply trim off the bottom few inches of your hair. Coloured dye usually only lasts for a few washes too, so you can change it up when you feel like it, but use Dermalogica Silk Finish Conditioner to keep hair in good condition.

Get The Chop!

Both Versace and Yves Saint Laurent had models with buzz cuts walking for them this season and going super short is rumoured to be the BIG look for winter. Obviously, it’s an incredibly bold look and a huge step if you’ve always had flowing locks, but going short might be something you’ll absolutely love…just make sure you give it a lot of thought first!

Crazy Colours

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably been sticking to roughly the same shades in your make up bag for years now and are likely to be quite adamant about what suits you and what doesn’t. However, thinking outside the box in terms of your colour palatte could really help to liven up your look. Experiment with red lips, dark lips, smokey eyes…basically anything you’ve not tried before and you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Minimal Make Up

During the winter, we tend to feel more comfortable with a full coverage foundation because there are so many things which play havoc with our complexion. In summer, however, we prefer less coverage because it simply feels uncomfortable in the heat, so opting for a BB cream is a great alternative. BB creams offer sheer coverage, moisturistation, and leave you looking radiant without the need for layers.

Fringe Benefits

If you aren’t quite brave enough for super bright hair or a crazy buzz cut,why not try having a fringe cut in? Fringes can really change the whole look of your face and whether you go for a sweeping side fringe, a bold block fringe or an on-trend short fringe, you’re sure to make a statement with it.

Summer reading inspiration

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Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin, books, chaos, Florence, heartwarming, I Let You Go by Claire Macintosh, Kate Eberlen, love, love affairs, Lucy Diamond, Meera Lee Patal, Miss You by Kate Eberlen, modern day life, Natalie Livingstone, One Night in Italy, page turner, poolside, reading, Start Where You Are Journal, Stephen King and Mr. Mercedes, summer, tale, The Mistresses of Cliveden

When we’re not helping customers find the right beauty products for them or finding out about the latest trends and updates in the industry, there’s nothing more we like than to kick back with a great book.

Whether you are hooked on horror, nuts for novels or have a crush on chic lit, we have put together a list of our favourite books and we think it has something for everyone on it.

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin is a poolside page-turner that won’t let you down. At 16, Tessa was found just about alive among human remains with little idea how she got there. Two decades later and Tessa is an artist and single mother but all of a sudden the past comes back to haunt her. This psychological thriller will have your heart in your mouth until the very end.

If you fancy something a little lighter, look no further than Invincible Summer by Alice Adams. This easy to read story follows four friends who go their own way after graduation to find their happy ever after. In her debut novel, Adams brings the women back together as they recover from broken hearts, career problems and shattered dreams.

If you love Downtown, The Mistresses of Cliveden is the book for you. This historic epic is set in a opulent English stately home and Natalie Livingstone explores the lives of the rich and powerful women who ruled the estate for more than three centuries. With bad behavior, intrigue, passion and scandal all part of this well-researched book, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

For more twists and turns that a rollercoaster at the theme, there’s I Let You Go by Claire Macintosh. One wet, dark winter’s afternoon a child lets go of his mother’s hand and in a split second life changes forever. This clever, intriguing plot takes the reader on a thrilling journey with an unexpected ending that took our breath away.

If you want old school, go with the master of suspense Stephen King and Mr. Mercedes. This is the story of a retired murder detective, Bill Hodges, who is haunted by a string of old cases he didn’t ever solve. Fearing the perpetrator will strike, and kill, again, Hodges comes out of retirement to stop that form happening. If you like this gripping tales, there are two more in the series to devour.

For something easy and fresh go for Lucy Diamond’s new book, One Night in Italy. This heartwarming tale follows the lives Anna, Catherine and Sophie who are confront past betrayals and the prospect of new love affairs one fateful summer in Italy.

If you want to use your holiday to do a little self-improvement, the Start Where You Are Journal from Meera Lee Patal, will make a perfect addition to your suitcase. Each vibrant page helps you steer thought the chaos of modern day life and gets you to step back and take time out. Yes, we live in busy, stressful times, but this is a powerful book that can help you make small changes that will have big results.

Perfect summer reading that will make you laugh, and cry, sometimes at the same time, doesn’t come much better than Miss You by Kate Eberlen. For one day in Florence, the paths of two eighteen-year-olds criss-cross before they both return to England. Over the next sixteen years, separated by distance and fate, there’s no way the two of them are ever going to meet each other properly . . . or is there? Read and find out, but have tissues at the ready.

Happy reading and let us know if you have a book you think we would love.

The perfect BBQ

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apron, BBQ, beef tomatoes, butchers, chicken, Chops, chutney, cook, corn on the cob, courgettes, couscous, cucumber, Frech bread, green salad, grill, hydration, lemon wedges, lumps, nibbles, olives, organic, oven, pasta, pasts, pitta, recipe, recipes, sausages, sides, summer, supermarket, tomoatoes, tongs, twist, well-seasoned

Whilst the weather might not be playing ball, we are still certainly making the most of the summer days and longer, lighter nights.

Wearing an extra jumper, putting an umbrella in your bag and having a weather app on your phone are all ways you can be prepared for whatever the great British weather throws at you.

Another summer winning is being sure are ready for a BBQ at the drop of the hat – even if you end up wearing it.

First, things first, get your kit right. The real essentials are an apron, oven gloves (heavy duty), good quality (not plastic) fish slice, foil and of course a pair of tongs so you reduce the chance of losing those tasty burgers in the ashes.

It is essential to place your BBQ on a flat even level and keep it away from bushes and tress to reduce fire hazards. On a health and safety note, you might want to have a bucket of water close to hand – just in case.

Get the right charcoal. It is really easy to pick up a bag of bricks at the supermarket, but if you want your food to taste great, you need to choice your fuel carefully. Lumpwood charcoal is an excellent choice. If you want to go pro and really impress your guests, chicory wood chips add amazing flavour and a professional twist.

If you want to achieve the perfect BBQ, you have to be patient. The secret is waiting for the flames to die down and for the coals to be grey and glowing. Once you have got to this point, you then need to ensure you control the temperature to ensure your food is well cooked.

What to cook is next on the list.

Keep it fresh, healthy and where you can, organic. Yes you can go to the freezer section of the supermarket and go for those tempting BOGOF offers, but they don’t really make the perfect BBQ cut.

If you have the time, go for homemade burgers. These are super-easy to make and taste phenomenal. Get some fresh, organic minced beef, mix with a little salt and pepper, shape into patties and get them on the grill. Cook them all the way through, serve in focaccia or pitta and those natural flavours will really stand out.

Chops, chicken and sausages are other BBQ favourites as are jacket potatoes! Local butchers stock an outstanding selection of organic, well-seasoned BBQ options and will be happy to talk about how best to cook them and even what wine works well! You can also look at vegetable kebabs using peppers, courgettes and beef tomatoes with corn on the cob.

Put out nibbles of course but go for healthy sides if you can. Make up a crisp, fresh green salad with olives, tomatoes and spinach. Homemade potato salad and coleslaw are always winners. Couscous and pasta are popular choices as is chunky French bread and of course, classic burger buns. Ketchup, mayo and mustard, well they go without saying, and chutney is a pretty good addition too.

We know people love a pint or glass of wine at a BBQ but also offer jugs of iced water with lemon wedges and cucumber to maintain hydration levels.

Next week we will be looking at some great, easy to make BBQ recipes we know you are going to love.

Healthy summer snacks

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almonds, baking tray, banana, BBQ, Cinnamon, coconut oil, coconut water, dates, drink, food processor, fridge, fruit, golf ball, honey, ice, iced water, jugs, lemon and cucumber, maple syrup, oats, organic, organic coconut oil, palms, raisins, salt, smoothie, summer, teaspoons, treats, vanilla, vegetables

For many of us the summer is all about alfresco eating, ice cream and BBQs. Whilst these are all fun, the sugar and calories can soon add up especially if you add wine into the mix.

We have put together some great, easy to make recipes for snacks that will keep you fuller for longer and won’t cause a sugar crash that will leave you feeling lethargic and sluggish.

Oat and date cookie balls are easy to make, tasty to eat and make a brilliant alternative to processed biscuits.

Ingredients for 15 balls

• 1 cup organic oats
• ¼ cup of good quality maple syrup
• ½ cup organice raisins
• ½ cup organic pitted dates
• 1 tbsp. melted organic coconut oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt

Method

• Place the dates, cinnamon, coconut oil, maple syrup, oats, salt and vanilla into your food processor and mix together. Once you have combined the ingredients add the raisins, gradually, until you have a solid mixture.
• Take the dough out of the blender and put into a bowl.
• Roll tablespoon size balls of dough between your palms into golf-ball-size treats.
• Put the treats into the fridge for one hour to set, then place in a sealed tin and eat within 48 hours.

Banana and Mango Smoothie
Forget sugar ice-lollies and cool down with a vitamin packed, super-easy to make smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium mango
• 1 banana
• 500ml coconut water
• ice cubes

Method:

• Cut the mango down either side of the stone, then peel and cut the flesh into medium size chunks.
• Peel and chop the banana.
• Put all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and thick.
• You don’t have to drink this straight away but if you do place it in the fridge, ensure it is covered and drunk the same day.

Almond Butter
Nuts are packed with goodness and making your own almond butter will give you a snack you can eat with apples and carrots, pitta and rice cakes. It can be added to smoothies or simply eaten from the jar with a spoon (clean one of course)!

Ingredients:

• 300g of good organic almonds with the skin on
• Organic honey – local if you can source it

Method:

• Heat your oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5.
• Spread the almonds across a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a further 10 minutes.
• Put the almonds into a food processor and blend for around 10 minutes. You will need to stop every so often to scrape the mixture from the sides of the blender.
• Be patient as it takes a few minutes for the oils in the almonds to be released and this can be longer if you have an older blender. To start with, you will get a very dry, almost dust-like consistency. The fibers will eventually break down and once this happens you can add a couple of teaspoons of honey for taste if you want to.
• Place into a sterile jar and keep sealed in the fridge for up to a month, although we doubt it will last this long.

Also remember to keep your fridge stocked with fresh fruit and vegetable and make up jugs of iced water with lemon and cucumber to stay refreshed all day long.

Happy snacking and do let us know about any ideas or recipes you enjoy.