Five Summer Beauty Hacks

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Photo by Tamara Bellis on Unsplash

Now that we’ve has a stretch of half decent weather which has lasted for more than a week, we’re finally confident that we can say “summer is on it’s way!”. With the changes in weather and longer days, most of us like to change our beauty routines at this time of year, so we thought we’d give you five hacks that you can use in summer to make your life easier and more comfortable.

Cling Film

If you live alone but need to apply fake tan or sun lotion to your back, there’s a simple solution that you won’t believe until you try it…head to the kitchen and grab some cling film! Cut a piece around one metre long and apply a blob of your sun cream or fake tan to the centre of the film. Then take both ends of the film and use it to rub the lotion over your back as if you were drying off with a towel to evenly spread the lotion.

Get Chilly in the Fridge

A lot of beauty products work better in the summer when you keep them in the fridge – thinks like foundation, nail polish, after sun and lip balms all stay in better condition and work more optimally when they’re refrigerated during the hot weather, and keeping them safe will protect your investment, too.

Multi-Functional Products

If you’re anything like us, you won’t feel like layering a dozen products on your skin on a hot day, so finding products which do more than one things is a good idea. Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream is a day cream to moisturise, help to prevent fine lines and wrinkles while giving an immediate even sun-kissed glow to all skin types.

Overnight Magic

Night creams are great for rehydrating your skin while you sleep, but if you want your hair looking its best all summer, using some dry oil before bed is a good way to do it. Decleor Satin Softening Dry Oil is scented with a subtle, delicate and beautifully feminine fragrance, and leaves your hair nourished and looking shiny.

Lighten Up

A lot of facial products feel too heavy when the sun is shining, so changing your foundation for a BB cream will help you to achieve a flawless finish without foundation. It contains an SPF and offers 24 hour hydration, as well as a natural looking tint which illuminates and evens out the complexion.

Small eco changes that pack a punch

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While it might seem that the world around is going, well, a little crazy, World Eco Day on 22 April highlighted once again that the environment is also fragile and we need to look after it if we want to keep it.

Every single one of us can make a difference to our planet each day and we have some ideas of how you can make small changes that could help make this mad world a better place.

Let’s start at the beginning and before you get in the car, ask yourself if you can walk or take public transport instead to help cut down emissions.

Dentists tell us to change our toothbrush every three months. While this is good for out health, with around 65 million people in the UK alone, a massive 260 million plastic toothbrushes will be thrown in the bin – that is a LOT of rubbish. To make a change why not try a bamboo toothbrush that will decompose naturally once you are done with it? Oh, and when you clean your teeth, don’t leave the tap running because you will use a lot of water in two minutes if you do.

People are getting better at this, but when you go shopping take a tote or use your ‘bag for life’ rather than keep paying pennies for plastic ones you then shove under the sink when you get home.

Cling film really isn’t needed so why not swap it for reusable containers that will keep your food fresh and the environment happy? There are some fab, specifically designed products out there that look good, save you money and can be used over and over again, unlike that pesky film that gets all tangled up and doesn’t work anyway.

Make your life as paperless as possible. Read the newspaper online, get bank statements by email, pay by card rather than by notes and when you do have paper, yup, recycle it.

Plant a tree, maybe two, and some other green stuff and help make the world a better place in moments. Planting trees, bushes and any other plant life not only makes your home and garden look lush but they will absorb some of the CO2 from the air, making this a win, win change for everyone.

You can also make a difference by growing your own fruit and veg. However small an outside space you have, it is easy to grow tomatoes, herbs and peppers and for many things a sunny window sill and some pots and peat are all you need to go all good life on your family and friends.

Take-away coffee is very much a 21st century ‘thing’ but the take-away cups soon build up in the landfill, so take your own. From Costa and Starbucks to M&S and John Lewis, there are a wide range of funky cups out there for sale and many coffee outlets will take money off your coffee if you are using your own mug.

This is totally obvious, but recycle, recycle, recylce. Plastic, paper, cardboard, foil and clothes can all be reused or recycled so don’t put them in the bin and leave the mess for someone else to clear up. In a similar vein, take a look not only at what you are buying but also the packing things come in. Do you need your bananas to come in a plastic bag or your grapes to be held in a plastic pot? Fruit and vegetables are an easy way to start this so buy them loose and take them home in a tote or a basket.

Got a recycling tip to share, get in touch and let us know.

Team Pure Beauty

De-stress Your Festive Planning

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There hasn’t been much festive chat on the blog yet, but there is no denying the fact that Christmas is creeping up upon us.

The shops are jam-packed with the goodies, lights are being turned on and advent calendars will be cracked open on 1 December.

Whilst Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, for many it also brings stress and worry.

Yes, it is lovely to sit on the sofa watching festive films and drinking hot chocolate, but with so many other things to do first, that moment can feel like it is a world away.

We a great believe that surviving the holidays without tearing your hair out, is due to three key elements:

Planning. This has to be the greatest stress-buster of all.

Delegating so you don’t have to do it all yourself.

Being realistic and lowering your expectations. Christmas is a time to relax with family and friends, not for proving you are best interior designer and cook.

So, first things first for a less chaotic holiday, take turns. We know that deciding where to spend the big day and with whom, can be a delicate matter but taking it in turns can help. If you hosted last year, let your sister take over this year. If the in-laws camped out with you at New Year, maybe they can return the favour when seeing in 2017. If you really don’t want the politics, get away from it all and have a break somewhere sunny.

Decide on a budget, and stick to it. Make a list of everyone you have to buy for, from mum and dad to school teachers and the postman, and work out what to get each one. It can be tempting to blow the budget, but be sensible and remember, it really is the thought that counts.

When it comes to groceries, shop online. It is so much easier to click your way through the aisles and by doing so you avoid brussel sprout wars and massive midnight queues. Things do still get busy in cyber space, so book your desired slot now and then unpack your turkey, mince pies and crackers in your PJs with a glass of wine, free of stress and other shoppers.

Another top tip when it comes to food is to cheat. Pre-made gravy, a ready to go Christmas pudding and frozen roast potatoes are just as good as the ‘real thing’ and lets be honest, with a glass of two of wine and the buzz around the room, no one will even notice.

Set yourself a target. If you want to actually enjoy Christmas Eve, plan to have all cards written and presents wrapped by 20th December. The worst thing is running out of tape and paper at the 12th hour and tears spoiling the festivities.

Keep a diary of where you are going and when and don’t be tempted to double book, or noses will be put out of joint.

Stay away from social media. There is nothing like scrolling through Facebook and Instagram to make you feel you aren’t good enough and this doesn’t change at Christmas. The main thing is you and yours have a great time. This doesn’t mean having the biggest tree, most presents or perfect make-up as you sit and open your presents, and putting it online, but rather enjoying the moment and making memories.

Don’t neglect yourself. Navigating the holidays can be a challenge so you need to be fighting fit and at your best. Try not to skip meals, get plenty of sleep, don’t over do the mulled wine and drink lots of water. These might be simple steps but they will help keep you smiling when those trying relatives are, well, trying.

Most of all remember to have fun and appreciate those you love.

Team Pure-Beauty