Find fabulous new habits in your forties

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When you get to your forties you may well find that the habits you have formed have been with you for years, but the reality is they might not be doing your mind or body very much good. No one is perfect, including us, so we’ve looked at easy ways to get happier and healthier as you sail through your forties.

Drop the vices
We all know that smoking and drinking isn’t good for us at any age, but this really is the time to try and get things under control. Binge drinking, midnight snacks, gambling excessively and lighting up one cigarette after another will be taking a toll on your health, and wallet. So look at what’s going on and make a decision to stop, and find something better to do with your time, and money.

Have health checks
Diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers and heart disease are all conditions that can be detected early through routine GP visits, so book in and get a clear bill of health. If things aren’t 100% good, it’s best to know what’s happening and trying to get it fixed because if you hide you head in the sand, things could get worse and then it could be too late. You might also want to keep a watch on the menopause at this stage in your life.

Get to bed
Sleep is so important and if you don’t get enough, you can feel irritable, miserable and life can quickly get you down. You might however be finding that as you move through your forties, the ease at which you get to sleep, and the amount of time you actually sleep, will change. We would suggest you still aim to get at least seven hours of snoozing a night as this will enhance your immune system, reduce stress levels, and generally help you to cope with life better.

No tech at bedtime
Talking about sleep, the one thing we do suggest is that you don’t take your phones or devices to bed. Yes, they can help you keep connected with the world, but night time is when you need to switch off, so power down and leave those light emitting screens downstairs.

Keep sun damage away
We need to do this all of our lives, but it is critical in your forties to look after your skin if you want to keep your melanoma risks down, as these increase with age. The sun’s UV rays is one of the biggest risk factors you can control, so find a moisturiser that has sunscreen in it, and if you want to go one step further to both protect yourself from skin cancer and keep wrinkles at bay, use an SPF stand alone too!

Look after your eyes
Yes, celebrities wear sunnies all the time, but they are so much more than a fashion statement; they are a good habit to get into. So take Victoria Beckham’s lead (she’s in her forties and wearing it well) and put your sunglasses on not just in the summer, but every time you go outside, and keep your eyes safe.

Smile
Life can be hard in your forties as your kids move away and your parents fall ill, but getting into the habit of smiling and laughing during your day, can be a really good for you. Laughter boosts your mood, reduces stress, and smiling at a stranger could be the lift they also need in their day.

So, what new habits are you going to make, and which badies are you going to ditch to make your forties fabulous?

Team Pure Beauty

Struggling with Acne? You Aren’t Alone.

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acne, bad skin, beautiful women, Beyonce, breakout, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, celebrities, celebrity, depression, Eva Longoria, flare-up, isolation, large pores, loneliness, mental health, not alone, photoshop, pimples, spot, spots, uneven skin, Victoria Beckham

Having a skin issue like acne can affect not just your skin, but also your mental health. The condition can be tricky to deal with and can leave sufferers feeling frustrated, isolated and depressed. It’s important to remember that you aren’t alone in your struggle with acne, and some of the most beautiful women in the world also struggle with their skin. Here’s a list of five celebrities who also suffer from acne and other skin issues:

Victoria Beckham

 

By LGEPR – Victoria Beckham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19900209

To look at Mrs Beckham’s skin these days, you wouldn’t know she struggled with acne for so long, but she dealt with bad skin way into her twenties. To keep her skin in tip-top shape, she swears by a strict regime of exfoliation and moisturisation, and insists that products containing glycolic acid are what have made all the difference to her face.

Cameron Diaz

By https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600/26307333616/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76482897

It’s hard to believe that someone as goddess-like as Cam has ANY problems, but she’s human like the rest of us and her acne was an issue even in her thirties. She credits clean eating with helping her skin to get better “I hadn’t needed to be angry at my skin or feel bad about myself. I had just needed to LISTEN TO MY BODY. Acne was my body’s alarm system, it was a way of telling me [to stop eating fast food]”

Eva Longoria

By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40665890

Eva Longoria, star of Desperate Housewives, says that her hectic lifestyle is partly responsible for her issues with breakouts. “Because I fly so much, hydration is important. When you have good skin, everything else kind of falls into place. Also, I use blush with shimmer in it. That way, your skin glows and people notice it.”

Beyonce

By Rocbeyonce – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FWT11.jpg / https://www.facebook.com/shawntok, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49895196

While it may come as a shock that Queen Bey has anything even remotely close to being a flaw, the ex-Destiny’s Child singer deals with pimples, uneven skin and large pores. The vasy majority of images that we see of Beyonce have been retouched in some way, giving us slightly unrealistic expectations of what celebrity skin is really like.

Britney Spears

By Glenn Francis – Britney Spears, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26447539

Britney is perhaps one of the most well-known famous acne sufferers, not least of all because the girl is NOT afraid to step outside with a bare face. Whether it’s a conscious effort to give her skin a break from make-up with she’s having a flare up or just a normal woman having a “can’t be bothered” day, we applaud Britney for putting her best face forward, no matter what.

Where a white shirt and shine

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aviator glasses, Back to Front, belt, block heeled sandals, boardroom, Bold Prints, bright colours, buttons, cashmere sweater, catwalk, clashes, clutch, comfort, Dark jeans, designer price, distressed jeans, dress, dress it up, Duchess of Sussex, flamingos, full skirt, High Street, killer heels, leopard print, look, love, Meghan Markle, messy bun, modern twist, monochrome outfit, neutral outfit, new look, occasion, or down, outfit, painted toes, palm trees, pencil skirt, pleated midi, pretty flats, Prince Harry, print, red heels, relaxed, shops, slim fitting capri pants, Statement accessories, style, style statement, Suits, tailored jacket, tassel earrings, tucked in, Victoria Beckham, vintage necklace, wardrobe staple, weekend vibe, white Givenchy shirt dress, white shirt, white shirts, white trainers

Ever since Meghan Markle stepped out with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games, the simple white shirt has been hot on the High Street as well as the catwalk.

We love nothing better than this wardrobe staple and once you have found a style that works for you, there are endless ways to dress it up, or down and get a look for pretty much any occasion.

Keep it Simple
Dark jeans, pretty flats and a loosely tucked in white shirt is a classic, but easy outfit that ticks all the style and comfort boxes.

Add a Skirt
Pairing your shirt with a high-waisted pencil skirt together with block heeled sandals and painted toes, you have a look that is straight off the set of Suits.

Back to Front
If you like to spice things up when it comes to fashion, wear your shirt backwards, leaving the first couple of buttons undone and you have a whole new look going on.

All White
You will notice the shops are full of white skits and we suggest going for a pleated midi with your shirt tucked in and adding a pair of killer heels and clutch for a style statement that means business.

Go for Bold Prints
A simple white shirt is the perfect blank canvas for a vibrant, bold print. You can be as daring as you like, opting for palm trees, leopard print or even flamingos because nothing clashes with a white shirt.

Black and White
Bright colours not your thing? Don’t worry. Adding slim fitting capri pants or a full skirt, a la Victoria Beckham, you will create a monochrome outfit that will never date.

Up Your Game
If you have an afternoon meeting, slipping a tailored jacket over your shirt will instantly up the ante and make you boardroom ready, in moments.

Accessorise
Statement accessories, such as tassel earrings, red heels or a vintage necklace are all you need to add a whole new dimension to a white shirt and otherwise neutral outfit.

Layer it Up
A pretty cami underneath your shirt or a cashmere sweater over the top, can totally transform your look and if you want an on trend look, wear it under a dress and add a wide belt.

Keep it Casual
For a more relaxed, weekend vibe, distressed jeans and white trainers with the shirt untucked, is a winning combo. Leave your hair in a messy bun, add aviator glasses and a cap and you are good to go.

If you want to go a little leftfield with this, we also loved the Duchess of Sussex’s white Givenchy shirt dress she wore at Royal Ascot this year. Understated yet elegant with a twist thanks to the floral embroidery and a skinny belt. This is a really easy look to recreate and can take you from the office to the bar by simply swapping flats for heels and adding a slick of red lipstick. New Look currently have a cute white shirt dress in stock that tootally looks the part, but without the designer price, and is worth trying on for size.

Team Pure-Beauty

Celebrity Fans of Elemis

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beauty, BIOTEC, Cara Delevingne, celeb, celebrity, Christina Hendricks, Elemis, Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, face, facial, skin, skincare, Victoria Beckham

Sometimes, a brand comes along which is both impressive enough to be used by celebrities and the super-rich, but is also affordable by us mere mortals, and Elemis is definitely one of those brands. Although it’s prices aren’t as prohibitive as other high-end products, there are a lot of well-known fans of the brand, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the more high-profile fans of Elemis and exactly which products they use.

Cara Delevingne – Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks

Image by Gage Skidmore (from Wikipedia)

Cara Delevingne is a model and actress who’s graced the runways for the likes of Burberry, Mulberry and Dolce and Gabbana, as well as starring in huge hits such as Suicide Squad on the big screen. Her make-up artist for the Suicide Squad promotional tour Romy Soleimani says “For Cara, all week long I used Elemis pro-collagen hydra-gel eye masks under her eyes while I was doing her make-up. Then I would peel it off and do her skin. It’s a great way of not only catching fallen shadow, but it also refreshes and plumps. Some mornings we started at 5am”.

Natalie Dormer – Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

Royalty-free image from Wikipedia

Natalie Dormer is most famous for her role as Margaery Tyrell, the young but ruthless wannabe queen in Game of Thrones. Her role is a tricky one and (spoiler alert!) latterly quite gruelling, but she swears by Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm for keeping her skin clean and fresh. The star says “The best way to take my make-up off is with Elemis’ cleansing balm. I rub it all over my face, then use a flannel to wipe off”.

Victoria Beckham – Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend

Royalty free image from Wikipedia

Victoria Beckham (sorry, but she’ll always be Posh Spice to us!) is such a huge fan of this oil from Elemis that she’s tweeted about it several times and has even mentioned it in her fashion book. She credits its use with her complete lack of stretch marks even after FOUR pregnancies and says “I have used this through every pregnancy, it’s amazing”.

Christina Hendricks – BIOTEC Facials

By Dominick D – https://www.flickr.com/photos/idominick/13334284895/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36716084

Christina Hendricks is well-known for her classic, vintage look and has skin which would make almost any woman jealous. She’s a huge fan of Elemis BIOTEC facials, using some of the most powerful products from the BIOTEC range. Her facialist, Georgia Louise Vassanelli, is one of the most sought-after skincare experts and says “My team and I love offering the ELEMIS BIOTEC facials; They are the perfect balance of science and nature, the right amount of hands-on massage with the sophistication of the machine, backed up with powerful chemistry in ELEMIS’s newly formulated professional products”.

Autumn Wardrobe Essentials

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boots, coat, dress, fashion, Victoria Beckham, wardrobe, winter

Whilst maxi dresses and vest tops were perfect for the beach bar in August, September has bought with it cloudy skies and chilly winds which means it is time to enjoy wrapping yourself in layers and knits.

We have put together a round up of the fashion winners for A/W15 that will ensure however cold it gets outside, you will look hot all winter long.

The Polo Neck
With a slight ‘70s vibe, polo necks have been all over the catwalk this season with Jonathan Saunders and Victoria Beckham amongst many designers featuring them. Close fits and wide roll-necks are the perfect throw-over-jeans top, and will score top fashion marks as well as keeping you warm.

Tux Blazer
Looking for a smart jacket that will take you from morning to night? Look not further than a classic midnight blue or black tux blazer with a nod to statin details. This wardrobe staple will look great with a dress and heels but even when paired with slouchy jeans and flats you will stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.

Bretton Top
This classic staple works with everything from a party skirt to white jeans and believe us, it can soon become a fashion obsession because it looks so good whatever the weather.

Jumper Dress
Knits are not just for cardigans and are a total winner when it comes to the versatile jumper dress. Don’t go body-con tight, instead look for a dress with flare or a tailored option to make it modern then add a scarf and boots and you are good to go.

Camel Coat
The classic camel coat comes and goes, but take a look around the High Street at the moment and you can’t fail to notice that it has made a comeback this autumn. More exciting than basic black, this neutral hue goes with pretty much every pattern and shade you can imagine, and can take you from desk to bar, making it a worthwhile investment.

Biker Boots a Go Go
Whilst Chelsea, knee highs and over the knee boots are out their for the taking, it’s the biker that’s ticking all the fashion boxes this winter. Black with bold, gold hardward are bang on the money and whether they’re paired with skinnies and a leather jacket or a LBD, these seasonally transitional boots are a must for your wardrobe.

Suit Trousers
When it comes to parties, 2015 is going to be the year of smart evening trousers, we are sure of it. Whether you pick out a high-waist style or a low slung fit, they both offer a luxe, flattering look that you can dress up and make look sensational.

Faux-Fur
Whether it is a stole, coat or gillet, if it is faux-fur you will instantly become a style goddess with one of these lovelies draped over your shoulder.

Simple Suede Skirt
Suede is a serious trend this autumn and one you should consider getting involved with. The intense power of the rich material perks up every look and whether you opt for chestnut brown, flaming red or even vivid violet, this is a classic look with a modern twist you can’t help but love.

Winter Florals
Just because the sun has set, it doesn’t mean you can’t work floral prints into your wadrobe this winter. Swap pastels for regal teals and rich red teamed with opaques and loafers and you will look sweet.

Tote Believe It
The tote is oversized both when it comes to size but also style and is the perfect way to pack up your life, day and night. Bold colours are on trend and opt for a buttery soft leather or velvety suede to make this a practical but chic winner.