Silk and Sapphire: Beauty

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I find beauty tips posts strangely harder to do than usual, which is surprising considering the nature of it. I find it difficult because let's be honest really, what tip have you not heard of before? Even the most unusual of tips have been made known to everyone so what's new really? That's why I decided to do tips that we may have forgotten about because you've probably heard of all of these before, but you're like me and forget the most handiest ones when you need them the most. I feel like these ones are all really effective tips, for when we can actually remember to do them.

Conditioner for shaving - If you ever run out of shaving cream, conditioner is your best friend. It makes your legs super smooth whilst also helping to avoid razor bumps for an easier shave. It helps to avoid razor bumps and your razor will just glide through, I just love how amazing my legs feel after.

Aloe vera - If you ever get a burn from cooking, which happens to me way too much. The best thing to avoid scarring and treating your burns as quickly as possible is aloe vera. If you haven't got access to the actual plant because your average girl doesn't have an aloe vera plant in her garden. You could always use a cream with a touch of aloe vera will help keep your skin hydrated after the burn.

Exfoliate once a week - We all know about exfoliating once a week, but some exfoliators may be too harsh for your skin which could be breaking you out. Make sure your exfoliating beads aren't like grains of sand just cutting through your skin. If you're breaking out, it's best to avoid exfoliating where you are as it could spread them or even make them worse. You could even make your own with sugar and olive oil which will give you the extra benefit of smooth skin.

Tea bags bring down inflammation put over your eyes on face - If you're feeling a bit of puffiness or dryness, instead of reaching for the 'miracle' product in a tub which is the easier option because who has the time anymore. Although, using natural alternatives can really help to give you what you're lacking. A few teabags under the eyes, or potatoes can help to bring the inflammation and puffiness down.

Brush eyebrow hairs with old mascara - If you don't have an eyebrow spooly you could always opt for an old mascara wand to keep your browse looking pitch perfect without much preparation. Of course you can wash it first so it doesn't have any mascara bits on it. I always find that just doing this makes my brows already look a bit better without needing to do any added extras for those days where i'm only popping into town.

Make nail varnish last longer - My nail varnish seems to look nicely done only when i'm applying it. Once i've finished, it's only a matter of time before they get smudged or chipped, story of my life. I found running them under cold water or just soaking them in a sink of cold water really helps to keep them looking better for longer. It might help to do the after-painted-nails thing where you do the dinosaur hands while trying to grab things and not ruin your nails.

Dry shampoo the night before - We get those days where upon wakening we are greeted with last night's greasy takeout on our hair. The grease we ingested somehow ended up greasing up our hair and because of this late notice and already being a rush, there is no time for hair washing. Spritzing dry shampoo is a girls go go guide for these kind of situations. Spraying it before you go to sleep however if we can remember, can help it to soak in overnight so that you wake up with luscious smelling hair.

What are some of your beauty tips?

Angie xo

Just like our fashion sense increases, so does our experience of things we should or should not be doing. I'm sure we've all looked back at a picture and seen an accessory or something that we just want to cringe at. 2-in-1 hair and body glitter? Oh yeah. Looking back at those kind of photos make me feel the same as when I look back and think of some of the beauty mistakes that appeared in my routine, oh dear! Although, I'm glad we can look back now an appreciate how far we've come and what we've learned along the way. Did you make these same beauty mistakes?

Rubbing hair dry with a towel: If you wrap your hair in a towel after you've washed your hair, high five sister. This is probably a better method of hair drying than the way I previously did. I was unaware that vigorously rubbing the towel all over my head was causing all sorts of damage here and there that could have been avoided. Looking back thinking how delicate hair is when it's wet and then doing that, oooh, let's just say i'm glad we've realised now!

Shampoo everywhere: I'm sure when we were younger and washing our hair we'd just get a big pile of shampoo and rub it all over our hair. Pulling your over shampooed hair up with your hands to give yourself a mohawk or other bubbled shampoo hairstyles, while using the bubbles in the tub to make a bubble beard. Oh, what fun! Our hair can thank us for just applying it just on the roots rather than slathering it all over which dries it out.

Teasing: I don't know if you remember when big teased hair was kinda 'in', don't worry, mine wasn't that big and crazy, but I would often vigorously tease my hair, which makes me sorta, kinda, cringe! This is because out of all these things I probably done this a little bit more and when it was looking flatter than it was an hour ago, re-tease! Although the good thing is, that if we did these things years ago, hopefully the hair that sustained the damage has slowly been cut out, yeah!

Straightening hair a bit wet: Ahhh. What. Was. I. Even. Doing. Sometimes when I wasn't quite running on time and my hair was almost dry but with small wet parts here and there. I would go over those bits with my straightener to dry it and straighten it at the same time, oh dear! That clearly wasn't a lightbulb moment because that probably wasn't the best thing for my hair, which I'm glad I realised, phew.

Moisturiser/foundation: I would slather my face with probably like a body cream or something because who knew at that time you use particular ones for your face. I would then lather on foundation on a just moisturised face, pretty much straight away without letting it dry, the cream probably wasn't even rubbed in enough haha. I would worry when my foundation would slip and slide off my face soon after.

Layering on mascara like spider legs: I wasn't quite at stage for false eyelashes, plus they weren't all so good back then, some would fall off or would be overly dramatic for everyday. So I thought i'd recreate my own false lashe effect by layering on various mascaras. I don't know why I did this, maybe I thought the more the better, but my eyelashes would be so thick with spider legs mascara. I can't even tell you how much of a burden it was for to take it off afterwards!

Mascara brush- Not only was I was lathering on my spider legs lashes, which I really hope didn't look as bad as I thought, I was also pumping the mascara brush too much. If you pumped the brush continuously in the mascara tube, don't worry, most of us did that. Until we learnt that it intact pushes air through the tube and dries out your mascara quicker. Cheers to another few weeks of use!

Foundation not match my face- If this one wasn't a wake up call for me I don't know what would have been. I remember once when I just came back from holiday, naturally I opted for a darker foundation. I probably thought my skin had tanned enough for that shade, so after glancing through pictures I was tagged in, to my horror my overly dark face was greeted by my pale neck. I was mortified because I was wearing a white top that contrasted with my orange face even more and there I was, tagged in it. I suppose we all live and learn and it makes me extra cautious now so I suppose in a way it kind of helped haha.

I'm glad we've all come a really long way from doing these little mistakes and we can just look back and laugh, what are some of the beauty mistakes you've made?

Angie xo

My face feels like a dream after it has been steamed. I feel my pores opening up to reveal squeaky clean skin. I find that within a few minutes of putting my head near the bowl and breathing in, my skin already feels lile it's getting cleansed and I also feel surprisingly relaxed after, you can also add some vapo rub to breathe in if you have a stuffy nose and breathe your way to an unblocked nose.

• It helps to free any dead skills cells and dirt that could be lurking in your pores, bacteria or anything else that could be causing your skin to break out.

• Steaming also helps other products absorb into your skin more effectively after steaming your face.

• You don't need to invest in a specific face steamer, you can use a pan of really hot water and grab a towel to put over your head so the heat doesn't escape.

• Clogged pores can cause various skin issues, mainly contributing to acne.

• The sweat opens up the pores and causes the debris and dirt to escape, wahey!

• Your pores are throughly cleansed and your face is dirt and oil-free.

Step 1 - Put your hair up away from your face so that it doesn't fall in your tub of steam.

Step 2 - Boil a pan of water on the hob if you don't have a facial steamer. I used filtered water to fill up the pan but you can use ordinary unfiltered water, I did all the other times.

Step 3 - Turn the hob off and either leave it where it is or take it to another surface that is not near anything that could knock it, or get knocked by. Especially pets and any children who would think 'Ooo what does this do'

Step 4 - After its on your surface, please don't just put it on your nice new wooden table because it won't be nice and new anymore, i've learned this the hard way before. I usually put a towel underneath and sometimes put it on the floor and then I cross my legs.

Step 5 - Put the towel over your head and the bowl and just breathe in the steam without letting any heat escape. Minimum 18 inches is best as the capillaries under your skin may get damaged if it's too close.

Step 6 - Once you've steamed your face for a bit and your pores are open you can wash your face to get all of the remaining sweat and put on your favourite lotions and products as they'll soak in so much better without freshly cleansed skin. Finishing off with a splash of cold water to close our pores, enjoy your steamed face!

I know it goes without saying please be really careful with boiling water and watch out for pets lurking around.

Angie xo

As evolution has evolved and species have rapidly changed, one thing that stays the same is that we've always used our hands. The difference now is that within our everyday lives and what our hands go through, we can now treat them to keep them as smooth as a plum. The skin on our hands is just as important as our faces, so we need to treat them. Without the greasy after hand cream feeling of not being able to touch anything. Unless of course, you use a hand cream which makes you feel like you've bathed your hands in cleopatra's milk bath. Her skin must have been like silk but I think I'd choose a bubble bath over laying in a tub filled with milk! Anyway, my hand-pampering doesn't require any milk so let's get started!

Soak 'em up! - The first thing ultimately requires a bowl with warm water big enough for your hand, try and see if you can get your fist in it for a rough estimate of you want your hand to fit in there, for nails a smaller one will do. Just remember, which vital thing I forgot was that water in a bowl will flow over with your hand in there. There are a few things you can add into your homemade waterbath to make your nails hopefully feeling wonderful. I usually add a few drops of olive oil which I find super moisturising. You can use any oil you wish and as much as you feel you need.

Rub n' scrub - Withh the remaining oil that's in the bowl I try to get the remainder on my hands and rub them together as if I'm using hand cream.This gets all of the essential oil to penetrate into the skin and you could even use this time to give your self a mini hand massage or see if there are a spare pair of hands somewhere. Nails can also benefit from your hand bath so If you don't have anything on your nails, you could even rub the oil on your nails to make them silky to feel and a have reflective shine.

Chop and change- Once your nails have been soaking in their mini tub, you can take them out and this is the best time to cut your nails, where they're soft and they should be a lot easier to trim compared to just going straight out with the chippers. It's best to have a towel prepared so you don't have to run around with your dripping hands, looking like a dinosaur trying to find a towel!

You're done! - Once I've dried them I will use this time to give them a few coats of colour or leave them for a bit but eventually I'll find my self going back to to nail varnish because after wearing nail varnish often, my hands look bare and naked without it! Haha. For the finishing step I use another blob of moisturising hand cream for some extra added softness.

Pampering for pleasantly satin hands can be a relaxing things to add to your at home spa experience and your silky- smooth hands will thank you. If we had a piece of chocolate for every time I've said the word 'hand'- a box may be necessary instead! Haha

Angie xo

When we were younger if we were told that we'd be slathering on ingredients you can eat on our hair, I'd probably be a little confused. Fast forward to now and I try to regularly use a hair mask using natural products as often as I can. I raided my fridge and cupboards for things that I could whack up in a bowl, work it into my hair and sit there twirling my hair feeling how soft it is. This is of course until I go outside and then the sun, pollution and just life in general gets to it!

It doesn't look like the most appealing thing to put on your hair, but it could look a lot worse. The colour kind of looks like the product in some conditioners. I mixed together the tiniest egg I've ever seen with Greek yoghurt. When I've got some though, I usually use just normal 'ungreek' yoghurt.

Cracking open an egg or two depending on your type/length is a great source of protein and strengthens the hair. As I was looking for a nourishing mask I carefully only added the egg yolk.

Adding in a dash of yoghurt is another ingredient that helps with moisturising hair and the improving the condition of your hair. The last optional ingredient is a few drops of hydrating olive oil to get your locks in peach perfect condition. Let's hope!

This is one of those hair masks to do on a rainy weekend on a Friday where you're not going out. It's not like someone's frying an egg on your head but you can just get a whiff every now and again but if you use a good smelling conditioner it could over rule it, or just do this with a blocked nose.

Feeling my hair afterwards felt quite silky and pleasant to touch. I feel like it's not the best hair mask when it comes to smell, but in condition for me at least it helped and hopefully it will for you. I think the mix of ingredients meant that at least one of them had to work and if they all did then it's like a magical chain reaction up in there!

What's your favourite hair mask?

Angie xo

Conditioned, healthy hair in relatively good condition is what I've been aiming for, for a long time. I can finally say after various techniques and thoughts that my hair was destined to never grow, it is an at least a tameable condition. Constant hair dye and straighteners had taken a few singes on my hair. Hair striaghtners didn't have ceramic plates which help at least a little bit. Do you even remember using heat protection when we were younger? Like really young, I can't haha! I was under the impression my hair was damaged beyond repair because despite using conditioning products, my hair didn't feel like it was growing and it was the damn products not working! Of course it wasn't, I just needed one of those over-the-top hairdressers who cut off way too much than you need, yeah I needed her & her scissors to go crazy with my hair and chop it off.

Trim- So as stated already, your hairdresser probably said, your friend told you and every healthy hair post ever also mentioned, but seriously making an appointment in a nice salon, with experienced hair stylists and a nice atmosphere is the top of the list of things you can do for your hair. An artist's painting wouldn't turn out as amazing if they started painting on a dirty canvass. It's similar to your hair that it's the basis for growing out hair and starting with it in good condition. Seeing the healthy ends of my hair in comparison to dry splitting ends, overrules the thought of getting it cut. Treat yourself girl!

Some hair D.I.Y - We're so used to buying products already made for us to just simply spritz spray and shine. Some products do appear to have a positive effect, but for me nothing works as well slathering on some at home remedies using ingredients probably already in our cupboards. I feel like these are a must for at home pampering and relaxation. The enjoyment of making my own hair mask is escalated knowing everything in there is natural, good for my hair and there isn't a secret added bit of alcohol in there. Oh yes, we know.

Treat your strands with care - As we all know, the main culprit for damaged split ends are extreme temperatures and dying our hair. I got to a point where I knew that if I wanted my hair to grow like rupenzel, I had to stop adding more colour to the already damaged hair and just let it grow out. After quite a few debates about whether I should dye it back to my orginal colour. My hair dresser sat with my and the book of coloured hair that I used to always be so fascinated by as a child while in the waiting area in the salon. A book of hair sticking out the pages so you can see what colour you wanted, seemed like this amazing three dimensional book. Anyway, we opted for an ombré and with every hair colour, it looked better when it was first done but I had to refrain from the temptation to redo it at least for as long as possible. Compared to my very often hair dying ritual before, I feel a lot better that my hands aren't itching for hair dye and neither is my scalp.

Yanking - Imagine the feeling of ripping, pulling, yanking a hard hair brush though your hair, ouch! Okay now to get that horrible image and almost a phantom headache just thinking about that, imagine gliding your hairbrush slowly through your strands with so much ease. That's what we're aiming for, so starting from the bottom or brushing your hair in sections such as clipping some back. It makes the ends of the hair tangle free before you reach the top to allow for a smooth gliding motion and hassle free brushing, until you step outside and you're united with some fiery wind, thanks!

What do you do to keep your hair in good condition?

Angie xo

Do you seem to just never get your nails to grow no matter what you do? They might chip or keep breaking off and then you're stuck with the dreaded plaster of doom, where someone asks 'oh what did you do, are you okay' and then you hesitantly reply 'I broke a nail'. You seem to want to remind them that for some unknown reason it actually hurts a lot! If you don't feel lucky in the nail growing department there are a number of factors that can help your nails grow to the desired extent.

Nail shape: When growing out your nails do you have them pointy? I've noticed a dramatic change to when I keep them straight and filed across rather than pointy. They're less prone to breakage for me, perhaps if your nails tend to break this may hopefully help you on the road to longer nails.

Vitamins: I'm sure skin, hair and nails vitamins are something you are familiar with or have heard of. I always seem to take these on and off, I stick to it when I first open them and after a week I forget one day and it ruins the whole thing. Sometimes we're lacking the right amount of nutrients, so they may help give you the boost you need. Even though there have been various debates on these, some people swear by them. You could perhaps give them a go and see if they help the condition of your nails but this is not essential.

Nail Useage: 'Ooh there's a bit of tape stuck there let me just scrape that off' yeah I do that too sometimes! Although I tend to avoid it as much as possible because using them too much for a multipurpose toolbox probably isn't probably the best idea for nail condition.

Base & top coat: They may be small, but those little bottles can really perk up the look of your nails while growing. As the product is coated on a few times creating layers, it provides a barrier between your nails. As a result, along with a base and/or top coat it may help your nails to become much stronger and avoid less chipping and more growing!

Calcium: Ah, milk. You either love, hate, or have a lactose intolerance to it. As long as you can get some calcium in your body. Whether it's cheese, yoghurt or even a hot choc with milk. Just any of that needed calcium and you can avoid those white things on your soon-to-hopefully-be-long nails.

Water: It goes without saying that weak, limp nails could be helped by some hydration. It seems what when you're lacking some of that h20 it seems to affect everything from hair to skin to even inside bodily functions. So let's all cheers to trying to drink more water.

I hope you have a successful journey to growing long, if not at least strong nails.

What do you use to get your nails to grow nicely? :)

Angie xo

St Tropez Self Tan Fake Tan Mousse and Boost Kit

It had never occurred to me that I would anticipate using a self tan, reading about unfortunate sunbed experiences scared me and the thought of looking bottle-orange and streaked also turned me in the other direction. Eeek! I finally took the plunge after an exhausting research of various reviews, such as looking like a bronze godess (yes, please!) the phrase '..streaky tan' kept appearing and was putting me in doubt.

So after a long debate of various reviews I invested in what seemed to be the one with the most positive vibes which was St Tropez. I mean, even the name sounds like a tropical paradise of golden goodness, well that's what we're aiming for right? I hope!

I used the St Tropez mouse and booster kit and they kindly threw in a mitt. I found the product application a treat to apply as it came out as mousy and chocolatetly, which was incredibly easy to apply. The smell however wasn't as nice and chocolatetly but wasn't as biscuity as I imagined. This was only upon application, other than that I didn't smell anything. Another bonus was that I instantly saw the darker colour so I could see where I applied the product, but I used the smallest pumps because I didn't want to over do it, but if I had put more it wouldn't have. The colour looks quite natural and I definitely wouldn't say orangey or anything.

The only downfall was through no fault other than my own as I wasn't generous with the product on my face, so under my eyes is a little white, but some darker foundation will help I hope! I think next time I'll focus on my face more rather than expecting the foundation will sort that out.

So for a first tan experience, in which I was worried it would turn out disastrous, I think I'd actually like a first class ticket on the tanning wagon please! Maybe a second class perhaps.

What was your first tanning experience like and/or what is your favourite tanner?

Angie xo

Beauty Tips You May Have Forgotten About

Beauty Mistakes I Used to Make

Why you Should Steam your Face

Hand and nail pampering session

Hair mask| home made hair mask

How I got my hair in better condition

Grow nails, grow!

First ever time fake tanning! Review of St Tropez mouse and boost kit

Hey i'm Angie :)

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