Eyebrow Tinting
This came in at a firm number one for those of you who frequently have lash and brow treatments with me or elsewhere. A clear winner for me is the Eylure London Tinting Kit. This simple, idiot proof kit is a perfect ‘tide you over’ lash and brow tinting kit complete with clear instructions and good development time.
However if you are one of those radical clients who has chosen to purchase your tint kit from Amazon (I know you exist) selecting a more professional brand, it is important that you follow my simple steps to achieve salon standard, long lasting results.
- Always apply Vaseline around the brow using a cotton wool bud.
- Gently mix your tint using the glass dish provided and your orangewood stick following the manufacturers guidelines. The smoother the paste, the easier to apply.
- Apply to your first brow going backwards against the hair growth first (outer corner of the eye inwards) and then taking more tint then back over the brow to smooth down the hairs (inner corner outwards)
NB by starting against the hair growth first you ensure full coating of the hair
- Repeat on the second brow.
- Leave to develop – the general rule of thumb is about 2 minutes on each brow, to go two shades darker than your hair colour.
- Remove first brow, then second with damp cotton wool, ensuring all tint is thoroughly removed.
You can purchase Eyelure Brow Tinting Kits ($6.95) from Just My Look.
Manicure
I have been doing my research for some weeks in to the best manicure products available on the market, to achieve a salon professional result at home. In my opinion the brand to buy is Peacci. Peacci launched the fightback for therapists shortly after lockdown, and is the sister company of The Gel Bottle. I was introduced to Peacci by my good friend Emma Tetlow of Jordanlea Hair and Beauty in Heald Green and the nail colours are vegan, cruelty free and to die for!
To purchase Peacci you need to go through your local stockist, Peacci polish ($10.00) or you can go directly to Peacci here
Pedicure
There has been no worse a time for my clients to be without pedicure services, than the recent lockdown. I have been inundated with clients donning sandals and flip flops, be it inside the home, or in the safety of their gardens complaining of polish free toe nails and dry calloused heels. Here are a few hints and tips for you to perform your at home DIY pedicure successfully….
- Soak your feet in a warm foot bath with lavender oil and Epsom salts to loosen rough skin and prepare for exfoliation.
- Exfoliate the feet using a foot scrub, focusing on heel areas, balls of the feet and the side of the big toe.
- Take your foot rasp or pumice stone and gently remove any rough skin, taking care not to overdo things as you don’t want to remove any protective skin underneath.
- Using a body lotion or a foot mask, apply the product thickly all over the feet, and then place both feet in a sandwich bag or wrap cling film around. Leave this to absorb for 15 minutes… now is the perfect time to practice that self care I am always referring to, and you may wish to put on some relaxing music or even a short meditation.
- Massage any remaining product in to the skin using light movements until absorbed.
NB if polishing toes at this point it is vital that you remove any excess lotion from your nail plate, with nail polish remover to allow your varnish to adhere correctly.
My favourite pedicure kit is by Cowshed ($22.00) and can be found on Lookfantastic
The At Home Facial
Over the years hundreds of clients have asked me for skincare advice, what is the best product on the market, and how to keep their skin healthy and glowing between aesthetician appointments. The advice I give is usually the same. A good cleanse, tone and moisturise routine is basically all you need to do in order to keep the skin healthy and full of life. It really is that simple!
Now, I am not going to go in to too much depth here, this is for a later post, but for me an exceptional, fail safe skincare range available on the market today is The Ordinary. The Ordinary not only retails at an excellent price point, but in my experience it rivals even the most expensive of brands. With pioneering formulations, high level grade ingredients and result driven formulations, these products are hard to beat.
The Ordinary strapline is ‘Clinical Formulations with Integrity’ and the company DECIEM does not test on animals and does not ask others to do so, therefore none of the brands can be sold in mainland China for that very reason. The Ordinary kit can be found on the DECIEM website or here at Beauty Bay – Everyday Routine Starter Pack ($32.95)
Now for the at home facial bit…..
For those of you who like a little oomph in your routine try The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution ($6.25) following the instructions carefully, weekly use only, not to be used on sensitive skin and following with your preferred SPF30.
The DIY Face Pack
Here is a list of ingredients you can use to create a DIY face mask for dull, dry skin at home…
- I tablespoon Greek yogurt
- I teaspoon honey
- I teaspoon oatmeal
NB if your skin is not sensitive you can add a twist of lemon to help exfoliate!
Leave on the skin for 10/15 minutes then rinse with warm water.
I hope you have found this blog post informative and useful. I shall look forward to hearing some stories of your at home beauty escapades when I finally see you again. Which hopefully will be soon!
