11/11/11

Lather, Rinse, Repeat...

Just a quick one to remind you lovely ladies to wash your make-up brushes regularly.  Make-up and dirt will build up on them over time and keeping them clean will help prevent blemishes.  I try to wash mine out once every couple of weeks. 

To wask your brushes, wet the bristles in warm water and pour a small amount of mild shampoo into the palm of your hand.  Move the brush in circular motions in the shampoo to build up a lather and then rinse.  Repeat, and then leave to air dry.

It's best to use baby shampoo to clean your make-up brushes as it won't contain an harsh chemicals that could damage them.  Also don't rub your brushes dry, just lay them flat on a towel in free flowing air.

Maybelline One by One Volum' Express Mascara

At the moment I'm using Maybelline One by One Volum' Express mascara and I think it's fab!

This is why Maybelline think you'll love it...

• Patented Lash Catcher™ brush has 3 bristles per lash to make every lash count
• Catches, coats and de-clumps each lash to make them all fatter and flirtier
• Instant clump-free volume
• Contact lens safe and ophthalmologist-tested
• Washable, also available in Waterproof formula

I couldn't agree more!  The brush is easy to work with, my lashes don't clump, and it gives great length and volume.

No mascara

With two coats of One by One

The only down side is that the brush is quite large so it's more difficult to do the lower lashes.
Definitely worth a try!

Love,

Tasty Treats - Cadbury Little Bars

It's been a while since I shared a tasty treat with you all so here is my new favourite... Cadbury Dairy Milk Little Bars!

Now these are probably designed for those of primary school age but I've not let that stop me! At only 110 calories each, they are the perfect little treat when nothing other than scrummy Dairy Milk will fix your chocolate craving!

Enjoy!

Neutrogena - Pink Grapefruit

Recently I've been using Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Face Wash and Daily Scrub.

I use the face wash morning and night and use the scrub about twice a week, although the scrub is designed for daily use so you could use every day if you wanted.

I really like these products as they leave my skin feeling very clean and the natural pink grapefruit extract is very uplifting and helps wake me up in the mornings! The Visibly Clear range is designed for spot prone skin so the products are packed with vitamin C and spot fighting ingredients like salicylic acid to help remove dead skin cells and unblock pores. They deep cleanse and remove oil without over drying the skin.

These products cost around £4-£5 each in the UK but they are long lasting so I think this is good value. A little bit does go a long way.

In the UK, you can buy them from Boots or in the US you can buy from Neutrogena.com

Jessica GELeration Nails - The Holiday Test

As promised, I had GELeration put on my nails before going on holiday to see how it would hold up against sun, sea and sand.

Here are my nails at the end of week one...

Perfect!

and at the end of week two...

Gel has started to lift slightly.

The gels stayed on very well and none of them chipped.  During the second week the gel did start to lift slightly from around the nail bed, although it was only noticeable if you looked very closely at the nails.

I will definitely have GELeration put on my nails for my next holiday.  It saves taking nail varnish abroad with you and is one less thing to have to think about... allowing you extra sunbathing time! ; )

Love,

xBBx

BEAUTIFUL BRIDES - Kerry, Birmingham

The very beautiful Kerry from Birmingham got married on 14th May 2011.  Here she shares with us her wedding make-up and beauty advice!

Congratulations on getting married recently! How are you enjoying married life?  Thank you! I love it! It's a massive turn on!! I feel super sexy, confident and secure :)

Talk us through how you got ready on your wedding morning...  As is tradition, I stayed at my Mum's the night before, along with one of my 'Maids who was from out of town.

We were up and in the shower queue at 6am, waiting for the other bridesmaids and hairdresser to arrive. Whilst I had my shower and first glass of champagne the hairdresser started on the first maid (who has really thick, long hair). The other maids and I started on our own make up and drank more champagne!! 

I was second to get my hair done and although it looked very nice, it wasn't exactly what I wanted and unfortunately there was no time to change it as the other bridesmaids had yet to be done and the photographer was waiting to take pictures before he went to the church. I had wanted it all down with two tiny front sections taken back and it set in rollers so it was big to match my dress, what I got was half up/down with loose curls! The plus side to that though was you could see my diamond stud earrings!

All the bridesmaids hair on the other hand was amazing! They had side buns with pearl headed pins

What make-up products/brands did you use on your big day? The majority of my make up was Dior.  I read several independent reviews for their Diorskin Forever foundation and it got rave reviews so thought I would give it a try, and I was not disappointed!  On the photos it's flawless and lasted all day without a single touch up! I also used a dusting of the Diorskin Forever compact powder (shade 020), Dior Blush in Peachy Keen and lipstick Rouge Dior 298 Beige Indecice.

I also used bareMinerals eyebrow powder, Estee Lauder quad eye shadow in Berry Quatz, Bourjois Clubbing Ultra Black mascara (I swear by it and have used it for years!!) and a Boots 17 lip liner in Buff.

Did you change your beauty routine at all in the run up to your wedding? Nope, I didn't change a thing! I always just use a face wash (I don't have a particular one) followed by anti wrinkle moisturiser, again I chop and change.

What beauty advice do you have for other brides-to-be?  Definitely splurge on your foundation and buy the best you can afford, your pictures will last a life time so you want to look flawless! Research what kind of look you want and practise, practise practise!! Also don't be afraid to ask for samples so you can try it out at home.  Just because it's a popular brand in all the wedding magazines doesn't mean you will like it on you...as I learned!!

And finally, what is the one beauty product you can't live without?

Mascara! Without a doubt!!

Thank you Kerry!  We wish you every happiness in married life.  May all your dreams come true!

xBBx

SPF Day Creams

So the days are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler, but that's no excuse not to protect your skin from sun damage. Whether it's hot and sunny, or cool and cloudy, the sun's UVA and UVB rays are still damaging your skin. The sun can cause eye damage, skin cancers, and premature aging, and when it comes to each of these prevention is always better than cure.

Try to use a day cream and/or foundation with an SPF. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and will protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. An SPF 15 sunscreen screens 93 percent of the sun’s UVB rays; SPF 30 protects against 97 percent; and SPF 50, 98 percent.  I would recommend an SPF of at least 15.

Here are some days creams you can use that contain SPF 15 or more...

• Johnson's Daily Essentials 24hour Day Cream with SPF 15, for Normal Skin (50ml)
• L’Oreal Derma Genesis Day Cream with SPF 15 - 50ml
• L'Oréal Revitalift Restore +10 Multi-Active Daily Moisturiser SPF20 50ml
• Garnier Vital Restore Day Cream SPF 15 50ml
• Clinique Repairwear Lift SPF 15 Firming Day Cream Very Dry to Dry 50ml
• Nivea Visage Q10Plus Anti-Wrinkle Light Day Cream with SPF 15 50ml

To find out more, you can visit the Skin Cancer Foundation website.

Love from,

xBBx

Protect Your Skin

I've just got back home from the hospital where I had a suspicious looking mole removed.

This is why you should take care of your skin...

If you are sunbathing, please please please use sun lotion with a high SPF (at least 15.)  Day to day, you should choose a day cream with an SPF.  I'll be blogging about some day creams soon...

Love from,

xBBx

Skin Cancer... Do you know your A B C Ds?

A few weeks ago I noticed a mole on my leg was changing in both size and colour. I saw my GP and she referred me to a dermatologist.

I had my first consultation on Wednesday and it went well.  The dermatologist didn't think the mole was a melanoma (cancerous) but she has decided to remove it to be on the safe side.  Her two main reasons for this were:

1. I've had the mole since childhood and it has suddenly now begun to change. 
2. My mum has had two basal cell carcinomas removed from her back.

If you are fair and freckly (like me and my mum) then you are more at risk of skin cancer so please make sure you keep an eye on your skin and look out for changes. You don't have to be a sun worshipper to be at risk.

Use the ABCD rule to help you distinguish between a normal mole and a melanoma

Asymmetrical - melanomas have two very different halves and are an irregular shape.

Border - unlike a normal mole, melanomas have a notched or ragged border.

Colours - melanomas will be a mix of two or more colours.

Diameter - unlike most moles, melanomas are larger than 6mm (1/4 inch) in diameter.

Here you can see my mole has a mix of two colours (dark in the middle and a light 'halo' around it) and it has also increased in size...

So if you want to look like a bronzed goddess on your wedding day, please opt for a spray tan or self-tan moisturiser.  Don't hit the sunbeds, it's just not worth it!

For more information on melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, you can visit the NHS website.

Love from,

xBBx

How To: Remove Soak-Off Gel Nails

Please note: There are different types of gel nails available at nail bars and salons. Some are soak-off (e.g. GELeration and BioSculpture) and others are file-off.  This post refers to soak-off gel nails only.

To remove gel nails yourself you will need:

• Cotton wool pads cut into small squares
• Tin foil cut into small squares
• Coarse nail file
• Cuticle stick/wooden hoof stick
• Acetone OR gel remover solution OR acetone based nail varnish remover
• Buffer
• Cuticle oil and hand cream

Tin foil and cotton wool

What to do:

1. Buff your nails with the rough nail file just enough to take the shine off. Think of this as 'breaking the seal' on the gel so that the remover solution can be more effective.  You are not trying to file away the gel.

2. Soak a piece of cotton wool with acetone or remover solution and place on the nail.  (I would recommend the remover solution as acetone can be very drying.  A 4oz bottle of GELeration Erase Remover will cost around £6-7 and will last a long time)

My nail with cotton wool soaked in remover solution

3. Wrap the nail tightly in tin foil. This traps heat helping the removal gel or acetone work much quicker.

My nail wrapped in tin foil - Edward Scissorhands style!

4. Repeat for each nail in turn. I usually do one hand at a time as it's difficult to do the second hand when the first is wrapped in tin foil!

5. Leave the gels wrapped for about ten minutes.

6. Remove the foil and cotton wool.  The gel should have lifted from the edges inwards.

7. Use a cuticle stick to coax the rest of the gel gently off the nail.  If it doesn't lift easily then soak for longer - don't damage the nail by forcing the gel off!

8. Buff your nails and apply cuticle oil and hand cream to help restore any lost moisture.

Remember, if the gels don't lift easily then you must soak them for longer.  Never pull gel off your nails!

I hope this helps : )

xBBx

Travel Goodies Giveaway: And the winner is...

Congratulations to Sarah Marks of Tiny Gems who is the winner of the Travel Goodies Giveaway!

Thank you to those who entered and r/t the giveaway!

Love xBBx

Champney's Skin Refining Micro Derm Face Polish

As you know probably know, I'm a big fan of exfoliating and it's benefits...

• Brightens the skin
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Sloughs off the dead skin cells
• Unclogs pores.
• Helps to prevent break-outs.

For the past couple of weeks I've been using Champney's Skin Refining Micro Derm Face Polish twice weekly.

It promises to provide 'Intense exfoliation for smoother, radiant, younger looking skin instantly.'

To use it, massage a small amount onto damp skin in circular motions.

It has a thick consistency and feels quite waxy. It's also a bit of a challenge to wash off! The liquid rinses away easily but the exfoliating beads seem to cling to my face, working their way further into my hair line with every splash of water!

That said, my skin is left feeling soft although not any smoother.  I haven't noticed any improvement in skin brightness or congestion.  It's done nothing to unclog my pores or reduce the lines on my forehead!

Doubt I would buy this one again. It's a very small tube and doesn't seem to be lasting well.  I wouldn't say its great value for your money. 

Keep exfoliating ladies, just not with this! : )

xBBx

Jessica GELeration Nails - The Verdict!

So after two and a half weeks I finally removed my gel nails.  With only one small chip in my thumb nail, they lasted amazingly well.  I could have kept them on longer but the gel had grown out a little too much for my liking.  You can see week by week photos of my gel nails here.

I would recommend gel nails to any bride.  Unlike nail varnish, you don't have to worry about chipping or breaking a nail and you can get the gels done several days before your wedding - one less thing to have to worry about!

Next month I will be conducting the honeymoon test on GELeration to see how it holds up against sun, sea and sand!

I'll also be blogging about how to remove gel nails yourself if you don't feel like paying a salon for the privilege!

xBBx

Claire Ogden Designs - Handmade Jewellery: WHO TO KNOW - Bridal Beauty UK

A huge thanks to the very lovely Claire from Claire Ogden Designs for featuring Bridal Beauty UK on her blog!

Claire Ogden Designs - Handmade Jewellery: WHO TO KNOW - Bridal Beauty UK: "Meet Victoria, she is the face behind Bridal Beauty UK, she has so many wonderful tips to share with us and I am really loving her blog, w..."

Jessica GELeration Nails

Last week I tried out Jessica GELeration soak-off gel polish for the first time and so far I'm loving it!

GELeration is a self-levelling gel designed to be chip, peel, and fade resistant.  It dries in seconds under UV light and lasts approximately three weeks.

Picture courtesy of Jessica Cosmetics

The nails have to be carefully prepared before the gel is applied to ensure it will adhere properly and not lift. After shaping and buffing the nails, the GELeration process begins...

• CLARIFY - A cleanser is used to clean the natural nail.
• PREP - A nail primer solution is applied to prepare the nail plate.  It removes excess moisture and balances the pH level. 
• START - A base coat is then put on to create optimum adhesion whilst allowing nails to keep their flexibility.
• COLOUR - The gel polish is applied.  GELeration is currently available in 26 colours
• FINISH - A top coat is used to seal in the GELeration polish and leave a high shine.
• CLARIFY - A cleanser is wiped over the nails to remove any sticky residue. 

The whole process was surprising quick, taking about 45 minutes.  I put this down to two things...

1. Having a skilled nail technician.
2. The gels come ready in bottles, just like nail varnish, so there's no fiddling around with pots of gel and cleaning of brushes.

The best part is that your nails are dry in seconds so you can walk straight out the salon and get on with your day.  I'm always botching my nail varnish as I get restless waiting for it to dry!

Here are my nails with the GELeration in French:

Day One

I'll be posting a photo each week so you can see how they hold up...

xBBx


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UPDATE:

Here are my nails seven days after GELeration was applied.  They have not chipped or lifted at all and are still very glossy.  If you look closely you can see where the gel has started to grow out a little.  I remain impressed!

Day Seven

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UPDATE:

Here are my nails fourteen days after GELeration was applied.  The gels have grown out quite a lot at this point, although my nails do grow very quickly so not everyone will have so much natural nail showing after two weeks. 

Day Fourteen

I have a small chip in my thumb that has resulted in the gel starting to lift a little but it's not very noticeable. 

Up close after fourteen days.  The gel is lifting slightly on my thumb nail.

I'm not sure the gels will last another week and I'm getting the urge to take them off now as I can see a fair bit of natural nail.  We'll see...

Bloglovin!

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Travel Goodies Giveaway - Dior, No.7 and Sanctuary Spa Products!

In the spirit of the summer holiday season, I've got some gorgeous travel sized goodies to give away this month!

• Sanctuary Spa Warming Charcoal Detox Mask
• Sanctuary Spa Collagen Boosting Mask
• No.7 Protect and Perfect Day Cream
• No.7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum
• Dior Capture Totale Skin Boosting Super Serum
• Dior Capture Ultimate Wrinkle Correction Creme

The Rules:

• Open to the UK and Ireland
• You must be over 16
• Giveaway closes on 24th June, 23:59 GMT
• There will be one winner who will receive all the goodies
• Winner will be announced on 25th June
• To enter, post a comment below telling me:
• Your favourite holiday product
• Your email and/or twitter name in case you win!

Extra Entries:

• Be a public follower of Bridal Beauty UK via Google Friend Connect = 1 entry
• Subscribe to my blog via email = 1 entry

Good luck!

xBBx

Super Shine!

A few weeks ago I won some gorgeous goodies from the lovely @beautifulyou_x!  Among them was a Daily Shine Mirror Shine Spray by Avon Advance Techniques.

I now use it most mornings to help my hair look fresh and glossy.  As well as boosting shine, the spray helps to smooth those pesky little fly-away hairs and reduce frizz.  It also smells uh-may-zing!

You can buy the shine spray for just £4.00 from Beautiful You Cosmetics Boutique.  Enjoy!

xBBx

Not So Express: The Falsies Volume Mascara

I'm reaching the end of my Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express mascara and I don't think I'll be buying this one again. Usually I quite like Maybelline products but I've struggled to get to grips with this one.

The bristle brush is difficult to work with and although it adds some volume to my lashes, it's a challenge to stop them clumping together. The mascara lengthens my lashes fairly well but again it's really hard work. I've found it difficult to grip my lashes with the brush and the time I spend applying mascara in the morning does seem to have doubled!

Before

After

As I've persevered, the mascara seems to have become a little easier to work with, although I've probably just got used to the morning challenge!

Hopefully I'll have better news to report with my next mascara!

xBBx

Strawberry Sundae

For the past few weeks I've been using a scrumptious new scrub called Strawberry Sundae by The Pink Cow company. 

It leaves my skin feeling very soft and it smells so good they've even had to print a message on the packaging: 'Please don't eat this product... It's for skin only.'

I've also been using the Strawberry Sundae Bath & Shower Gel, which lathers really well and is very moisturising.

In Boots the scrub will cost you £1.49.  The shower gel will cost you a little more at £2.49 but I think this is actually quite good value as the bottle is 500ml rather than the more typical 250ml size!

Remember to try to exfoliate about twice a week (if not more) to help remove dead skins cells and prevent ingrowing hairs.

xBBx

Dermalogica Conceal and Heal

Along with picking your spots, caking then in foundation and concealer is often one of the worst things you can do.  If your foundation or concealer isn't noncomedogenic, then it will clog your pores, make it harder for your skin to breathe, and probably result in more spots.

Luckily Dermalogica have come to the rescue with a great little product that I've been using for the past few weeks...  A spot treatment that also acts as a concealer! 

The Dermalogica Concealing Spot treatment contains Sulphur and Zinc Oxide to target and clear the breakout, Salicylic Acid to help minimise spots, and a natural tint to conceal them.

To use it, I shake the bottle really well and squeeze a small drop of product onto my hand.  I then use my finger to dab the treatment onto my spots (over my moisturiser) and allow it to dry. 

You can build up layers of the treatment for greater coverage to avoid having to put thick foundation or concealer on your spots.

I do put makeup on over the product if I'm going out, but am able to keep it much lighter that without the treatment.

The RRP of this little gem is about £30 but you can get it online for around £20 if you shop around.  It will cost you £22.20 from the Daily Grooming website.

xBBx

Dior Addict Lipstick... I J'Adore It!

On my recent visit to Debenhams Beauty I found myself at the Dior counter (yet again) getting far too excited!  This time it was over the Dior Addict lipsticks... 
The new Iconic range, fronted by Kate Moss, is a collection of 44 vibrant colours with high shine.  Not only are the colours to die for but the Iconic lipsticks have 25% less wax than classic lipsticks.  Instead they contain an innovative gel that provides intense hydration and a magnifying glass effect to intensify the shine and colour.

I walked away from the Dior counter with a shade named Singuliere, but wish I could have bought them all!  The packing is gorgeous and the intense hydration is a real bonus for me and my chapped lips!

Singuliere is a bright pink with surprisingly good staying power for a glossy lipstick!  It is also very easy to apply thanks to what Dior are calling a 'melting texture.' 

If you're trying to decide which brand and shade of lipstick to use on your wedding day, Dior Addict is definitely worth considering.  Check out all 44 colours on the Debenhams Beauty website.

I certainly plan to add some more Iconic colours to my make-up bag!

xBBx

Tasty Treats - Treat No. 3

Shape Delights - Chocolate Flavour

With Easter just around the corner I feel like temptation is everywhere! It's so hard to do the grocery shopping and not fill the trolley with chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs!

Having already been naughty and tackled a huge pack of mini eggs last week, I've been on the hunt for low calorie, low fat, chocolate flavour treats to substitute those calorific Easter eggs.

I've found chocolate flavour Shape Delights and they are yummy!

They're 109 calories per pot and only 3% fat which follows my 'no more than 5% fat per portion' rule. I thought they might be a bit watery with only 2.4g fat but they actually taste really creamy.  They've helped satisfy my chocolate cravings this week and I've managed to stay away from Easter eggs so far!

xBBx

Clear Skin Overnight... well, maybe in a few nights!

For the past week I have been using Dermologica Overnight Clearing Gel to tackle a breakout.  The results have been very good! The size and redness of my spots is reduced very quickly and my skin is less oily.

To use, I spread a thin layer over my breakout areas (usually my chin!) after cleansing each evening. I then apply my usual night cream to the rest of my face.  If needed, you could apply the gel to the whole face however I prefer to focus only on the problem areas.

The Clearing Gel contains Salicylic Acid to remove pore-clogging skin cells, while Niacinamide and Biotin soothe and control sebaceous gland activity.  There's a host of other ingredients in the gel too but I'm not too concerned with the science of it to be honest.  It has cleared my skin so I'm more than happy!

It's an expensive product (a 50ml bottle costs around £35) but a little does seems to go a long way so don't be put off by the price tag.  If you have adult acne or problem skin then give this a go!

xBBx

Lip Service

I really suffer from chapped lips. It doesn't seem to matter what time of year it is or what the weather is like. If I don't have a permanent coat of lip balm, my lips will be chapped within the hour!

This was a real concern for me on my wedding day.  After my make-up was applied, I knew I would have a 30 minutes drive to the church and then a 45 minute marriage service.  What I didn't want was chapped lips half way through my vows! 

On the day I used MAC Prep + Prime Lip underneath my lipstick. It's a primer that goes on clear and provides a moisturising layer between your lips and lipstick.  Each time I reapplied my lippy throughout the day, I also reapplied the primer.  It certainly did the trick!  From sunrise to sunset on my wedding day my lips were soft and smooth.

So if you are anything like me, I would definitely recommend this product.  It will cost you £10.50 at Debenhams Beauty.  Worth every penny in my opinion!

xBBx

Get Buffin'

I'm a big fan of Elemis products as they are long-lasting and get fantastic results.  Their Skin Buff Exfoliator is no exception.

Exfoliating is an important part of your skin care regime.  It removes dead skins cells that can lead to blemishes and cause your skin to look dull.  I would recommend exfoliating twice a week to keep your skin bright and healthy.

I love Skin Buff because it has extremely fine exfoliation granules to really deep cleanse your skin.  To use it, I splash my face with warm water, apply a small amount of Skin Buff and massage in circular motions.  Then I rinse it off with warm water.  As with all Elemis products, a little goes a very long way!

My skin always feels so soft and smooth afterwards thanks to the nourishing Chamomile and Shea Butter in the product.
If exfoliating isn't already part of your routine then try to incorporate it in the months leading up to your wedding. Your complexion will become brighter and it will help you avoid breakouts near the big day!

xBBx

Tasty Treats - Treat No. 2

Kellogg's Rice Krispies Squares

For those who aren't familiar, these more-ish squares are made of rice krispies covered in chewy marshmallow.  They are crispy and chewy all at once and enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

These scrumptious treats are 118 calories each and only 5% fat which ticks all the right boxes in my book!

I love Rice Krispies Squares and always have a stash in my kitchen cupboard.  They are the perfect low calorie treat!

xBBx