My top beauty products to relieve dry skin

Since the bitterly cold weather set in I noticed how flaky and dry the skin on my face was getting. So I decided to bump up my facial skincare regime because I’m really low maintenance when it comes to beauty. Until now it consumed of facial cleansing wipes and the occasional splash of water morning and night.

The products I’m using on my face to prevent, protect and restore hydrated skin are pictured below.
I decided to go back to tried and trusted products I had used before and tried some new items too.

Blistex Relief Cream

A good friend of mine recommended this cream to me as an effective formula that will help to correct chapped lips. The cold weather has really made my lips crack so I thought I’d give this a go. It seems like something you would use for medicinal purpose and to be fair it does say it treat cold sores, so yeah it’s not your typical lip balm. However it really does the trick, after a couple days of applying the cream it smoothed the dry and sore areas and acted like a primer underneath the usual application of lip balm or butter.

St Ives Apricot Scrub for Sensitive Skin

I use St Ives as my exfoliator because I love the fruity apricot smell and the formula’s creamy texture. I know this scrub isn’t for everyone but it has worked well for me before. I had previously used the Invigorating Scrub but since I noticed my skin had become sensitive I opted for that version. There is also type for renewing and firm which is called Timeless Skin and blemish fighting called Naturally Clear.

According to St Ives this extra mild formula for dry or sensitive skin, “instantly smoothes skin and is gentle enough to use every day.”

It’s also Oil-free - Non-irritating • dermatologist-tested • 100% natural exfoliants • 100% natural extracts • Formulated without parabens and phthalates.

The exfoliating beads are made up of crushed walnuts and corn kernel meal and when gently rubbed across the skin they don’t feel too abrasive. I spent a couple minutes massaging the cream into the skin, washed it off with warm and patted my face dry. The thing I like about this scrub is that it leaves the skin feeling refreshed and soft rather than tight. The directions say to use every day but I think use is best twice or three times a week morning or night.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream SPF 15 Moisturiser

When I am not planning on wearing any make up for the day I apply the EA Eight Hour Cream Daily Moisturiser.

According to Elizabeth Arden, ‘This daily hydrating lotion leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturized for up to 8 hours. Protects skin from the effects of extreme weather and climate changes while SPF 15 shields skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Suitable for all skin types.’

It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft without being too greasy, I think it’s a great moisturiser for dry sensitive skin as it relieves the tight feeling. The tube I’m using is a part of the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream starter kit so it’s only 15ml. When it runs out I’d definitely buy the full size.

The Body Shop All-in-One BB Cream

For days when I do apply makeup I’ve been using The Body Shop’s All-in-One Colour Adapting Tinted BB Cream. It was a real struggle for me to find a BB cream that matched my skin tone, when I got my hands on this it was a pleasant surprise. The colour adapting beads really work, there are only three different shades - I’m using 03 for darker skin tones. I’ve used it for three months and I’m so happy with the results.

The Body Shop says this, “All-In-One BB cream transforms from a white cream to suit your skin tone. Pigment-filled capsules burst when applied to the skin, releasing the colour inside. Just blend for a perfect match and an even, undetectable finish. It’s make-up and skincare in one.”

I found that this worked wonders for dry skin as the mositurising qualities create a dewy and glowing complexion. I applied small amounts of cream around my face and blended in with a foundation brush. The formula is light and gives the right amount of coverage, I don’t use any foundation over it but I do apply concealer under my eyes underneath because it’s not totally flawless. If you have sensitive skin and don’t want to wear foundation this is your product.

What beauty products do you use to combat dry skin during winter?

Bianca x

Style crush: Ciara

Tomboy chic has gone mainstream this season. Varsity jackets, football jerseys and tracksuits are hot picks for channelling the sports luxe style for SS13.

One celeb that I think nails this style perfectly is Ciara. Her sense of style has always been inspired by menswear but now she has turned up her fashion ante and is mixing Jordans with a slice of Givenchy and Giuseppe Zanotti.

 

Each of her outfits over the past couple of weeks have been casual, I like how she spices up a simple trouser and tee combo with some chunky chains, a leather pant or some trainers.  

 

 
Photos: Ciara Instagram/Tumblr

Who is your celeb style inspiration?

Bianca x

Statement necklace

I went on a hunt this week for some new jewellery to add to my collection. I'm loving all the gold and bronze pieces on the high street, there are so many bold necklace pieces to choose from right now. While browsing the racks in H&M this striking necklace caught my eye.

It has three gold plates that come together when worn on the neck on a metal chain. It's similar to a necklace my mum has - one that I constantly use. So now I have my own.

I think it’s a great find for £7.99 for jewellery that can be worn casually with plain tops and vests or dressed up with block coloured frocks.

For the necklace’s first outing I wore it to Vertigo 42 in London city for drinks with friends. I teamed the necklace with a LBD that had a square neckline so the shape contrasted well with my outfit.

Bianca x

Blueberry muffins recipe

My first attempt at making blueberry muffins didn’t go so well. Mainly because I thought I could use a bun tin instead of a muffin one, which made no sense since I wanted to make muffins. Anyhow I combined tips from a couple of recipes to try again and the results were much better.

INGREDIENTS:
60g unsalted butter (Use at room temperature)
115g caster sugar (could use more for sweeter taste)
2 medium eggs
250g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
125ml milk (I used semi skimmed)
150g blueberries (I used organic blueberries since I found them to be smaller in size)

MAKES: 14

METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven at gas mark 4.
2. Line the muffin tray with cases
3. Wash the blueberries and drain off water. Sprinkle a tea towel with flour and roll the blueberries in it. Wrap the lightly floured berries and leave for 30-45 mins to dry completely. This will help to stop the berries from binding together or sinking to the bottom of the mixture when baked.
4. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder. Set aside for later.
5. Cut the butter into small cubes. Put into another mixing bowl together with the caster sugar. Use a hand mixer or wooden spoon to cream the two together.
6. Crack and add one egg, beating into the mixture. When the egg has been adsorbed, repeat the process with the second egg.
7. Add small amounts of the dry mixture and milk to the wet mixture, giving it all a good stir each time. Keep doing this until all the dry mixture and milk has been added and the mixture is smooth. You may need to add a little for milk or flour depending on the consistency.
8. Add the blueberries that have been covered with flour into the mixture and stir.
9. Spoon the mixture into the 2/3 of the muffin cases.
10. Bake in the oven at gas mark 4 for 30 mins.

Recipe taken from Nigella Lawson’s Best Blueberry Muffins and Leila’s Blueberry Muffins.

Don't forget about your natural nails

With nail art, gels and acrylics being all the rage right now, we might forget about the beauty of our natural nails.

I thought I’d take a break from the colour and just wear a clear polish but I took of a layer of nail polish off last week and noticed how much the constant reapplication of nail varnish had stained my nails.

Did I need to give my nails a breather from all the lacquer?

Researching opinion online I read that nails are made of keratin so, they don't require oxygen and do not need to ‘breathe’ the way your skin does. 

Expert nail technicians at Jessica Nails dispelled the myth further saying: “Nails actually don't need to breathe, it's a myth! Keeping them polished actually helps to protect them.” 

Furthermore luxury nail artist Sophy Robson added nails, “don't need to breathe they are dead tissue. But if you leave the same polish on for too long they will stain and dry out.”  

So there was no need for my panic it seems all I need to do is regularly change nails polish after a while to avoid discolouration and dehydration and give them a lil’ tlc.

Knowing that I’m looking after my nails in the right way now I can continue doing what I set out to do and that was to ditch the colour and go for clear natural nails.

nail care by bee2010 featuring john lewis

Nails Inc beauty product / Forever 21 , £3.02 / John Lewis / Clear nail polish, £5.03 / The Body Shop body shop, £7.54

Bianca x

Trying out deep conditioning treatments for afro hair

In between hairdressing appointments I’ve been treating my hair to deep conditions to maintain moisture and stop it from drying out.

As there are various deep conditioning treatments on the market I thought it would be good to try a few and to see which gives the best nourishment and shine.

My hair curly and straight

My hair texture is natural I can wear it curly or straight at its best it’s silky and soft but from time to time it gets frizzy, dry and needs some love. That’s where the treatments come in handy.

I got all my treatmeant packets at my local hair and beauty shop Shaba Hair & Cosmetics for 99p each.

 

Olive Oil Replenishing Pak

How it works – After shampooing apply a generous amount to hair and comb through apply to sections of hair to make sure it’s distributed. Place a plastic cap over the hair and sit under a warm dryer for 10-15 minutes or leave on the hair for 45 minutes to 1 hour without heat.

What I thought - I tried the Olive Oil treatment two different ways with and without heat. I found results were better when sitting under a warm dryer for 30 minutes, my hair was softer after setting and not so frizzy when using heat.

This is a thick and creamy lotion that blends into the hair easily there is a generous amount inside one sachet which is perfect if you have thick and long hair. The sweet citrus scent is slightly overpowering it’s one your either will like or not but once it’s on the hair it smells pleasant.

This was first deep conditioning treatment I used and after a fair amount of time applying it I felt my hair become too used to it.

I think if your hair really dry and damaged, this deep conditioner is ideal for use for several weeks to start with. It will replenish your hair and bring back moisture but after then I’d switch to something else.

Rating 3/5.

Crème of Nature Argan Oil

I decided to try out Crème of Nature’s deep conditioning treatment after hearing all about the hype of argan oil.

How it works – After shampooing apply a generous amount to hair and comb through from root to ends apply to sections of hair to make sure it’s distributed. Place a plastic cap over the hair and sit under a warm dryer for 10-15 minutes or leave on the hair for 30 minutes to 1 hour without heat.

This treatment is infused with certified organic argan oil from Morocco. The presence of vitamin E in makes it a great agent for hair treatment. I am guilty of using too much heat on my hair and over styling so I felt hopeful that the vitamin E in the argan oil would restore and repair my hair.

What I thought - The conditioner can be applied very easily the lotion is light and sweet smelling. I used this treatment with and without heat and found better results sitting under a warm dryer for 20 minutes. Once my hair had been rinsed I found my hair to be soft and frizz free which would be great if I wanted to air dry my hair to keep it curly.

After setting I found my hair to be soft at the roots but frizzy at the ends, I think this could be as this product acts like a protein treatment and benefits the scalp and roots more than the hair.

Rating 3/5

Dr. Miracle’s Feel It Formula Tingling Intensive

How it works – After shampooing apply a generous amount to hair and comb through from root to ends apply to sections of hair to make sure it’s distributed. Place a plastic cap over the hair and sit under a warm dryer for 10-15 minutes or leave on the hair for 30 minutes to 1 hour without heat.

What I thought – The formula is like a breath of fresh air for your hair the tingling sensation on the scalp is enjoyable. It also contains good oils like avocado and almond, along with vitamins A and E to improve hair health. Once I worked the lotion into my hair, I put a plastic cap on for 30 minutes without heat.

After using this packet a couple of times I noticed how my hair was soft and shiny after setting and it felt smoother compared with the results using the Olive Oil treatment.

I think this would be too for fine hair as it produces an oily texture after application but it would be ideal for very dry and heat damaged hair.

Rating 4/5

Soft n’ Free Milk & Protein Olive Oil

How it works – After shampooing, use the entire peacket to condition hair and scalp. Comb through with a large toothed comb. Cover hair with a plastic cap and sit under a warm dryer for 10 to 15 minutes, or keep hair covered for 30 to 45 minutes without heat. Rinse well and towel dry.

On a regular trip to my local hair shop the Soft n’ Free conditioning treatment packet caught my eye. This was something I hadn’t tried before and I hadn’t used Soft n’ Free products since I was in primary school but I thought I’d give it a go.

What I thought – I was impressed with the light and creamy texture of the lotion. This was easily applied to my hair and didn’t feel too heavy in consistency.

I placed a plastic cap on for 30 minutes without heat and after rinsing set my hair as usual with the hair dryer then straightners. I really like how this treatment left my hair feeling bouncy, smooth and fresh. I didn’t feel dry the next day or frizzy in texture, this was by far my favourite treatment to use I even went back to the store and bought four more packets!

Rating 5/5

What conditioning hair treatments are you using?

Bianca x

Trending SS13: Holographic details

Silver metallics and holographic tones were spotted on the catwalks of Alexander Wang, Jonathan Saunders and Burberry for SS13.

Images: Style.com

I have noticed a couple of new season items on the high street channeling this trend.

On the catwalk clothing was the focus for the silver highlights but while it looks cool I don't think that can transcend well for everyday wear.

Holographic accessories by bee2010 featuring a leather cuff bracelet

Narciso Rodriguez envelope clutch, £925 / UNEARTHED leather cuff bracelet, £50 / Stella McCartney , £130 / Jane Norman beauty product / Louise Gray beauty product, £2.48 / Hologram Satchel - Gold, £24 / Sephora Collection Holographic Bag Collection, £15 / Ciaté 'confetti' Paint Pot, £9.30

I think the best way to tap into the metallic/holographic trend is through accessories including shoes, bags, belts and even nails.

If I had to pick I'd go for nails and a clutch. I'm thinking of trying out the Topshop Nails shades In Plume and Eclipse.

 What SS13 are you most looking forward to?

Bianca x