Look after your eyes the Pure Beauty way

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active, algae, amino acid complex, anti-ageing formula, anti-inflammatory properties, Baikal Skullcap Root Extract, Blue Flower Linseed, brightens, brighter, busy, chamomile and arnica, Christmas parties, combo, cooling applicator, cooling cream-gel, cornflower water, dark circles, decleor, Decleor Jasmine Eye Cream, delicate skin, dermalogica, Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift, dry, Elemis, Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment, Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm, energise, eye contour area, Eyes, face, fans, fatigue, fine lines, fragile, gel, gentle formula, healthier, hyaluronic acid, hydrate, hydration, ideas, illuminating, improving skin tone a, jasmin, life, lightweight, look, lush, magic mix, make-up, moisture, moisturising eye balm, Mother Nature, nourishes, Omega-rich apricot oil, Padina Pavonica, party, plankton extract, protective barrier, puffiness, refreshes, sea water extracts, skin, smoothed, sparkle, Stimulating caffeine, stressed, supports, targets, tired, tired eyes, TLC, under-eye luminosity, Vitamins B3 and CG, wild indigo, winter, wrinkles, youthful

We are often so busy making sure our faces are cared for, that our eyes are left out of the picture. During the winter the delicate skin around your eyes needs a little more TLC than usual, and we have some ideas that could earn you life your look.

If the Christmas parties have started, the Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm could be what you need. This lush, illuminating, moisturising eye balm brightens and refreshes tired eyes and can make you sparkle. Soothing chamomile and arnica help reduce the appearance of dark circles which can get worse when we party too hard. Omega-rich apricot oil nourishes the eye contour area and thanks to the cooling applicator, you can use underneath or on top of make-up.

We are big fans of the Decleor Hydra Floral Ever Fresh Hydrating Wide-Open Eye Gel and for good reason. This lightweight, anti-ageing formula creates a youthful look and thanks to cornflower water and baikal skullcap root extract, fatigue is minimised, puffiness is eased, and those fine lines are smoothed away. The gentle formula also acts as a protective barrier so you have a brighter, healthier and younger looking appearance, however tired you might be.

There is no doubt that this time of year is busy, and that’s where the Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift comes into play. This active, cooling cream-gel works with your skin to brighten and energise the eye area, and with sea water extracts and algae added into the magic mix, puffiness and dark circles are gone. One key ingredient is wild indigo that brings anti-inflammatory properties to the table and helps brighten skin by increasing under-eye luminosity, improving skin tone and reducing those pesky dark circles. Mother Nature at her very best, and you at your best too.

For something a little extra, you could consider the Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment that targets the fine lines and wrinkles which seem to look worse when you are tired and stressed. Super active padina pavonica and blue flower linseed help tone and firm, whilst a clever amino acid complex locks in moisture. This cool combo supports fragile skin without overloading it and is worth a try.

A real tiredness winner is the Decleor Jasmine Eye Cream that leaves your skin luminous and radiant. Jasmin fights wrinkles and lack of radiance all day long so you are left looking so much brighter. Stimulating caffeine, vitamins B3 and CG plus orange pigments help with drainage and your entire eye area is given a much-needed boost.

If time is on your side, we would suggest using the Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks once or twice a week. Packed with plankton extract, padina pavonica and chlorella, these magic masks have an instant skin-tightening effect. To ensure your skin is left looking fantastic, hyaluronic acid has been added to gently, but effectively hydrate the fragile eye area. Put on for 20 minutes, lie back and relax and when you take the mask off, you will be left with visibly smoother, intensely moisturised, happy eyes.

If would like some expert eye guidance, get in touch and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty

Tips to help your skin breathe

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add hydration, apply, balm, bath, beauty, body, boost your circulation, breakouts, cap, cleanse, cleanse twice a day, congestion, dead skin cells, deep breaths, dirty and oily, enhance, essential, exercise, facial, feels, flawless complexion, gentle, heavy duty products, imperfections, layers, lips, looks, love, make-up bag, make-up free, massaging facial oil, natural complexion, natural exfoliation product, natural glow, natural look, oil, pores, powder, pretty, principle, process, rejuvenates, Relax, relaxing at home, repairs, residue, sculptured, silky-smooth, skin tone, sleep, smooth, soft, sunglasses, TLC, tone and moisturise, toxins, tutorials, wake up

While foundation is helpful when it comes to hiding blemishes and creating a flawless complexion, wearing layers of make-up and powder everyday doesn’t always help your skin breath and won’t leave it in the best condition.

We all know we need to take deep breaths when life seems out of control, and you can apply the same principle to your skin.

Here are our top tips on how to give your skin a break so it feels and looks great.

Cleanse every morning and night
We have said it before and will say it again but it is essential to cleanse twice a day with a face wash or cleanser designed for your skin type. This is especially important if you do wear make-up as the process will remove left over products and residue which has built up over time.

Remove make-up before you sleep
When we sleep, our skin rejuvenates and repairs itself, however if you have make-up on when you fall asleep, this won’t happen as well as it could. The dirt will sit on your face as you sleep so your pores may well get clogged up, leaving you with unhappy skin when you wake up.

Exfoliate
A gentle, natural exfoliation product is a must have for most of us as they gently remove dead skin cells and product-build leaving you with a silky-smooth, natural glow. Check the details of the product before you use it, and always follow instructions.

Take a make up detox
For many people this is scary, but how about going make-up free one day a week to give your skin a break? Maybe on a Sunday, cleanse, tone and moisturise, leave your make-up bag zipped up and if you have to go out, wear sunglasses and a cap to make it less painful. Go on, we dare you.

Love your lips
Go easy with lipstick as they can be drying. Simply apply a little balm to your lips and this will keep them soft and moisturised.

Go for lighter coverage
Swapping heavy-duty products for lighter alternatives will let your skin breath and they are less likely to block pores and cause congestion. There are some great tutorials and guides online that show you how to create a pretty, natural look that you might even prefer to the more sculptured approach you usually take to make-up. You may find that using the right moisture followed by a foundation that matches your skin tone will actually enhance your natural complexion and erase any imperfections without having to add layers of product that hides your beauty.

Don’t exercise with make-up on
It might leave you feeling exposed, but try not to exercise with your make-up on. The reason for this is because as you exercise you sweat and this gets rid of the toxins in your body. If you’re pores are clogged up with make-up, your skin can’t sweat productively so your face remains dirty and oily leaving it prone to breakouts, something you don’t want and can avoid.

TLC
We all need a little TLC and so does out skin. Once a month try to have a facial which will not only relax you but also boost your circulation, add hydration and leave your skin soft and smooth. If you don’t have the time, or budget, to go to a pro, apply a face mask or massaging facial oil into your skin as you relax in the bath can also give you the time out you need to let go off stress and give your skin some love too.

Team Pure Beauty

Make your bathroom to oasis of calm

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add value, ambience, bath mat, bath panels, bathroom, beautiful, bounce light, bright pink, ceilings, choice, clean, clear, cold, contemporary feel, contrasting colour, dark grey, dark greys, dull, eco-friendly, escape, floor paint, furniture and accessories, glamour, gorgeous, hard day, intricate mosaic tiles, LED lights, LED taps, lifeless, Matt blacks, mirror, mirrors, natural light, navy, neutral hue, oasis of calm, on trend look, pale, pale blues and greens, Patterned and decorative tiles, perfect palace bathroom, property, re-plaster, reed diffuser, small, smallest room, smelly loo, soap dispenser, sophisticated, Spa, sparkle, specialist stencil, statement colour, success, test run, texture, tiles, timber shelving, tired, TLC, toilet brush holder, toilet roll holder, totally transform, towels, tumbler, under floor heating, waffle towels, walls, white walls, wicker baskets, windows

It might be the smallest room in the house, but your bathroom can be the best.

Even tired bathrooms can look gorgeous, and with a little TLC you can create an oasis of calm in your own home.

We have some easy, but effective tips to help you create a little haven where you can go to escape after a hard day.

Get the colour right
A pale, neutral hue opens up a small bathroom and gives it a clean, contemporary feel. If you like a little colour, consider pale blues and greens as these can create a light airy feel and if you add texture with timber shelving, wicker baskets and waffle towels it will feel far from clinical.

Natural light
Bathroom windows are often small, but they do still offer an element of natural light. They key to success is keeping sills clear and clean and not covering glass with window treatments which blur lines. You can bounce light around the room with the strategic placement of mirrors and using glossy tiles rather than matt options which can be dull and lifeless.

Tile it
When it comes to tiles, there has never been so much choice out there. If you are going to replace tiles, remember it can add up, especially if you need to re-plaster the walls, but at the same time this can totally transform a room and add value to your property. Large tiles can add depth to a room and make it look bigger and smaller coloured tiles and intricate mosaic tiles look beautiful around your bathtub and add an air of glamour. Do remember tiles can be cold in winter, so look at under floor heating if you take this route.

Patterns on the floor
Patterned and decorative tiles are a big thing at the moment. While tiles can be pricey, you can achieved the same effect using a specialist stencil and floor paint. With a wide range of stencils currently on the market, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to creating the perfect palace bathroom. Go for a contrasting colour to your walls, and do a test run to make sure you are happy with the pattern and colours.

Dark tones
Matt blacks and dark greys can look really cool in bathrooms. Used for furniture and accessories, it can be teamed with white walls and pale tiles for a sophisticated, on trend look that won’t age.

Go LED
LED lights are not only eco-friendly but they are also the perfect way to add ambience to your bathroom. From LED mirrors, to LED taps and lighting recessed into ceilings, bath panels and floor tiles, the trend is spreading fast and is one you might want to get involved with.

Freshen up
Reed diffusers in your bathroom take away nasty smalls and make your loo smell like a spa.

Add colour
If nothing else, simply change the colour theme of your bathroom accessories to give it a spring clean. By choosing one statement colour for your soap dispenser, tumbler, toilet roll holder, toilet brush holder, towels, bath mats and shower curtain you will bring the whole room together. We love bright pink, navy and dark grey because they all totally change the look and feel of any bathroom.

Let us know what makes your bathroom sparkle, we would love to know.

Team Pure Beauty

Create less waste this Christmas

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artificial tree, BOGOF, cakes, carbon footprint, cards, Christmas Eve, Christmas trees, cookery classes, cookies, Dec the halls, destroyed, disposable, e-cards, envelopes, experiences, festive season, festve, Flora and fauna, food, friends and family, gig, great time, hand deliver, High Street, holly, home, LED, lights, napkins, natural, panic buy, pine cones, Plastic, plastic fantastic decorations, presents, quick and easy, recycle cards, recycling, riding lessons, roots, Secret Santa, shopping, spa days, tablecloths, temptation, theme, tickets, TLC, tradition, tree, turkey, veggies, vintage shop, wine, wrapping paper

Each year millions of Christmas trees, acres of wrapping paper and a serious number of cards and envelopes are incinerated or dumped into landfill sites once the festive season is over.

While you might think you already do your bit for recycling, we have had a look at how you can produce less waste over Christmas but still have a great time.

The tree
Of course, the most sensible option here is to buy an artificial tree. Yes, it is plastic and it doesn’t smell but it will dramatically cut down (excuse the pun) the number of real trees being destroyed. If you really can’t break with tradition, then buy a real tree with roots that you can plant in the garden and reuse every year.

Real napkins and tablecloths
When you are out shopping keep away from disposable napkins and tablecloths. Yes they are quick and easy but you can pick up reasonable real ones that can be used all year round again and again – you can even dye them another colour if you get bored.

Dec the halls
Have you ever stopped to wonder just how much plastic goes on your tree each year and the damage you might be doing when you chuck them out because you fancy a new theme? We not step away from the plastic fantastic decorations on the High Street and go for natural ones instead? Flora and fauna are the perfect way to make your home feel festive, and with a little TLC you can create pine cones, ivy and holly into something special and unique.

Lights
Go for solar-powered outdoor lights where possible and remember to turn your Christmas lights off when you go out or are asleep.

Cards
Christmas cards are an intrinsic part of the festive season but boy do they create a lot of waste. Consider sending e-cards or if you want to keep things real, recycle cards from last year to make new ones and hand deliver them where you can to keep your carbon footprint down. You can also use old cards to make new tags!

Presents
Rather than buying more ‘stuff’ why not consider giving friends and family experiences this year? From riding lessons and spa days to cookery classes and tickets to a gig so they have something they will remember forever. If you do want to give a real gift, maybe make cookies, cakes or sloe gin or visit an antique or vintage shop and show the ones you love that you have really thought about their gifts rather than opting for the BOGOF offers.

Secret Santa
Another way to keep things sensible is to opt for Secret Santa with family and friends with a set budget and ideas of what people would really like.

Food
There is the temptation to panic buy on Christmas Eve but this means a tonne of food is often wasted. When you go shopping, make a list and stick with it and don’t throw leftovers away as there are so many things you can do with that turkey, those veggies and the last of the wine.

Recycle
We know it can be the list thing you want to do, but make sure you bag up with paper and cardboard, the bottles and cans and recycle as usual – it does make a difference.

Whatever you do this Christmas, think about the bigger picture as you celebrate.

Team Pure-Beauty

Could your garage be your home office?

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air conditioning unit, bin, blinds, book shelves, bright space, bumper to bumper traffic, central heating, chair, chargers, chic workspace, clean, coffee cups, computers, creative, curtains, desk, desk lamp, door, eBay, electrician t, essential oils of mint, extension cables, fans, files, filing cabinets, floors, garage, good working order, Gumtree, home office, investment, lavender, lemongrass, mugs, natural burst, paddling pools, papers, pens, phone, photos, potential, power, printers, pulled together, repair, rubbish, safety conscious, second hand, sockets, Sunday night blues, temperature, TLC, tools, transform, walls, welcoming environment, working environment

With train ticket prices on the rise and meetings eating into the day, for many the idea of working from home is very appealing. While spare rooms and lofts are often the first spaces to be converted for this purpose, garages can be full of potential and can work really well.

You might not see it right now, but with a little creative consideration and TLC, we think you will be able to transform a sad shell into a chic workspace that will put an end to Sunday night blues and bumper to bumper traffic on Monday morning.

Clean it up
The first step towards creating a usable working environment is making the space clean and clear. Sort out what is rubbish, find a home for tools, paddling pools and hoses and then get to work cleaning the floors and walls, tackle the cobwebs and repair any cracks.

Make it light
Garages tends to be dark by nature, but you can transform it with a lick of fresh white paint. If you have windows in your garage this will give you a natural burst of light so give them a clean and add curtains or blinds to create a welcoming environment. If there is no natural light, invest in a decent desk lamp, look at LED lights and create a bright space that you want to work in.

Get the temperature right
It is unlikely you will have central heating in your garage so fans or air conditioning units will be needed in the summer and radiator-style oil heaters work in the winter. Always be safety conscious and ensure they are working correctly and turn them off when you aren’t in the working space.

Power
If you are going to work from your garage you need to ensure it has the correct power needs. You are making an investment in your home, so get an electrician to check things are safe and in good working order.

If you are going to be running computers, printers, phone and tablet chargers as well as heating solutions, it is vital to ensure you have enough sockets. Do not overload extension cables as this could end in disaster.

The basics
Source a proper desk, a decent chair, filing cabinets and book shelves but be sure to measure up before buying to prevent layout issues. If you don’t want to spend a fortune, eBay and Gumtree are great sources for second hand items and you can also try your local recycle centre.

Get the look
As well as being warm and safe, you want your office to be comfortable and inviting. Coordinate your files with your coffee cups and pens for that pulled together looking. Adding photos to the walls and having canvas paintings can really bring your office alive and add a contemporary edge. Plants make the space green and a diffuser means you can keep your mind alert thanks to essential oils of mint, lemongrass or lavender when you want to relax.

Clean up
It might be tempting to leave mugs on the desk and papers in the bin, but if you want to keep things professional and not slip into bad habits, tidy up at the end of each day and lock the door behind you.

Good luck and if you have already made the change, drop us a line and let us see the results.

Team Pure-Beauty