How green is green?

Here is a recent article I wrote for Clique magazine, exploring the 'greenness' of products.

With the green revolution still going strong, the interest in organic and natural cosmetics and skincare is ever growing. Is it just a trend to be green or are these products better for us and do they actually work?

What makes a product green? Is it the inclusion of organic ingredients, the exclusion of certain ‘nasty’ ingredients or is it the ethos of a company? How do we decide which ones are best - is there a shade chart to help?!

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Black Hair Magazine - Beauty SOS

I was delighted to be asked to answer some beauty dilemmas from some of the readers of Black Hair Magazine, one being on ways to tackle blackheads.

I think a good cleansing routine is essential in the fight against these little blighters. If you wear make-up and live in a city then cleanse twice, the first to remove make-up and daily grime, then the second to get deeper into those pores getting rid of any excess oil which can cause the blackheads. Try using a hot muslin cloth in your routine, after massaging the cleanser into your skin, soak the cloth in hot water (not too hot, you want it to be comfortable on the skin) and hold to the face. The heat will open the pores allowing your cleanser to really get to work, remove the cleanser with the cloth and then splash with cold water. The muslin cloth is also a gentle exfoliant which will help shift any dead skin which can contribute to blocked pores.

Exfoliating is a must when dealing with blackheads, using a muslin cloth daily will help but try something a bit stronger once or twice a week. Also invest in a good purifying mask to help decongest skin, I really like the one from Elizabeth's Daughter, this great mask only takes three minutes to work it's magic!

Wahanda MobDeal

If you don't already know about Wahanda's MobDeal, you need to know now! Everyday Wahanda offers a different deal with up to 80% off spa treatments, haircuts, teeth whitening, gym memberships and yoga classes, if enough people sign up to the deal everyone gets it! I just bagged myself a Dr Alkaitis Skin Food Facial at Content Beauty and Wellbeing for £20 - usual price £75.

Check it out at Wahanda

Spring Brights

The sun seems to be teasing us with spring this week, hopefully we can soon say goodbye to the winter and welcome the new season in. To help it along we can get in the mood with some new make-up taking inspiration from the spring/summer shows.

This season the runways were awash with bright lip colours. Vivid pinks were seen at Marc by Marc Jacobs and Topshop Unique, at Paul Smith they were multicoloured including blue and green, Dior went for a classic red while the girls at Prada sported a bright orange. So lots of fun to be had with colour this spring/summer!

Before you hot foot it down to the make-up counter, here's a thought. On average, a women will ingest between 4-7lb of lipstick in her lifetime. Not such a good thought. Make it better by trying a lipstick from a natural or organic range, with nicer ingredients these lipsticks are kinder on our lips, and if we must ingest them are definitely a better choice! If the thought of a natural lipstick conjures up boring browns and earthy tones, think again. Companies are now investing more time and technology into these brands giving us better quality and choice.

Elysambre's Garnet Red lipstick is certainly not a boring tone, this bright red matt is perfect for making a colour statement this season. Another bright to be seen in is Plant Love's Eve Pinky, this hot pink would not look out of place on the runway. If you're drawn to the orange side of the spectrum try Jane Iredale's Nicole or C.J. for a gorgeous spring pout.

This month I'm loving ......

This month I'm loving Korres Cherry Lip Gloss.

These gorgeous glosses come in 13 shades from nude to a lovely bright coral, perfect for the new spring/summer season. They smell divine and add a lovely shine without being too sticky. You'll also be pleased to know that they are free from parabens and mineral oil but do contain cherry oil which helps to hydrate lips and added vitamins E and C to help protect them.

Korres is a greek company with homeopathic roots, using natural ingredients in their products and avoiding synthentic ones where possible.

Nasties ?

Since 1930, more than 75,000 synthetic chemicals have been introduced into our environment (How to survive on a toxic planet, Dr Steve Nugent). Ok, there is no denying that many of these have revolutionised our lives but just what else are they doing to us? When you consider that our skin can absorb around 60% of what we put on it, it is quite a scary thought when you look at the never ending lists of unpronounceable, quite possibly toxic ingredients in some of our skincare and make-up products.

There are lots of new brands coming onto the market claiming to be 'clean' skincare, in that they don't contain certain chemicals and preservatives. Likewise lots of already established brands are deciding to remove these ingredients from their lines. There is much debate surrounding these so called nasties and it can be confusing in knowing what to believe.

One of the most talked about is the infamous paraben family, these chemicals are used as preservatives in many beauty products and food. They get a lot of bad press, including possible links to breast cancer and low sperm counts due to their ability to disrupt hormones. In various studies, parabens have been found in human tissue and many people believe this is due to the use of beauty products containing them being applied to the skin. However, none of this has been proven and many reports claim that the amounts used are insignificant to us. The European Union allows the use of parabens in cosmetics and food but only in amounts that are considered to be safe, and many companies continue to use them. There are also many companies who have decided not to use them, and have seeked out and are using alternatives, making them much easier to avoid.

We seem to be living in a toxic world, if we can eliminate some of those toxins by choosing our beauty products wisely it's a start.

For more reading on parabens check out The Organic Pharmacy's website, they have some some great (eye-opening) factsheets.

Blooming Blushers

Apparently spring blooms have been delayed by a month due to the cold weather but don't let the grey skies get you down. Why not inject some colour of your own and brighten your day and your complexion with a new blusher. A little dab of rouge is like an instant pick me up, giving any skintone a healthy glow. Every make-up bag should have one!

If you're a 5 minute make-up kind of girl then cream blushers are perfect, you can apply straight onto a moisturised skin, no foundation required. They are also great for drier skins so brilliant for this time of year. To make them last the day set with a little loose powder, also try layering powder blush over the top for a punchier colour. I love Bobbi Brown's Rouge Pot, Calypso Coral is a staple in my kit and brings life to every cheek it touches! Cabo Coral is the most recent addition to the range and will give a slightly warmer flush.


For those of you who prefer powder blusher, remember to use setting powder first so that your colour goes on without streaks and blends well.

Whatever your chosen texture, apply high on your apples, blending up and along your cheekbones to lift the face, adding instant youth and vitality!