The first ones popped through when I was about 23. Truly horrified, I stood in shock and stared at the mirror in disgust. The more I looked, the more I saw – they were literally like chicken-pox with more and more appearing each time I blinked.
This life changing event started my love-hate affair with hair colourings, both boxed and professional. Over the years I have been through so many different hues: plums, coppers, auburns, chestnuts, reds, and blacks. I would get a little zing of excitement when it was time to pick a new colour and would stand there like a child in a sweet shop, trying to decide what my choice would be. Who would I be for the next six to eight weeks?
But then, after the delight of choosing, would come the reality of actually putting it on. The gloves, the tubes, the sectioning, the waiting, the clean-up operation. And then despite all of that, and despite all the smearing and coating and rubbing in and stained ears, I would always somehow find a huge slice of hair that had escaped my efforts. Patchy.
Over twenty years has passed between now and then and there are considerably more of the blighters. I must be at least 75% grey now. When will the time be right to stop with the colouring and serenely step into the silvery light of my new natural hair colour?
What would it mean for me to embrace my grey hair?
I must change my thought pattern as my initial thoughts aren’t about me and what I want or feel I need, but instead, I am considering other people’s opinions. No one else in the gang has mooted the possibility of going au naturel-so I would be on my own. The only grey one in the gang. What if my partner doesn’t want me to or doesn’t find it attractive?
Why am I more concerned about what my friends and partner would think – it’s my hair, surely, I can do what I want with it?
The fact is not having my hair artificially coloured would not change a single dot about who I am. The lack of colour in my hair would not make me any the less colourful in myself, or take away my intellect, sense of humour, or any of the other things that make me-me.
There are other advantages to this too. No more patchy hair, or hours and money spent at the salon. No more parting my hair to check the sparkly root line and its development over the weeks. No more worrying.
Instead of this choice being wracked with worries about what other people might think about my hair, I need to switch the focus and stop being worried about being seen at all. Having gone through a period of personal growth recently, what if my new hair choice was symbolic of the new me embracing exactly who I am in the world right now. That’s not aging or limiting that’s empowering. Instead of thinking about what grey hair symbolises in society, let’s consider the connotations of silver and white: wealth, success, grace, sophistication, elegance, glamour, purity, strength, clarity, focus, feminine energy, goodness, brilliance, illumination, balance and integrity. OK, so maybe remove grace and elegance from that list since I have an uncanny knack of tripping over air and choking on my own tonsils, and hmmmm purity maybe an issue, but I am 98.4% ready for my hair to symbolise the rest.
That zing that I used to get at selecting a new identity with each different colour – I don’t need that anymore. I know who I am, and I am not the colour of my hair and I am worth it (sorry-had to!).
I was reading something online the other day about a woman having fallen ill after breast surgery, and it reminded me that AION posted about this back in May 2021. So for anyone that needs to know this…here it is again.
I have never seen myself as someone who would have cosmetic surgery. I was happy with my body and had never focused on any flaws. I had always been extremely lean and was one of those people who didn’t have to exercise or watch my diet to stay in shape, I exercise often and try to eat healthily. I was also lucky that I snapped back to my pre-pregnancy weight with both of my daughters, within just a matter of weeks.
At the age of 32, after having my second child, I developed a severe case of Mastitis. The pain was excruciating and it seemed to eat away at my left breast. I visited many doctors and even had a stay in hospital, but it seemed that whatever tissue and fat I had in that area had disappeared. I was only a size 8 in clothing and weighed just over 8 stone, but suddenly tops and dresses hung off me. The most fitted tops made me look uneven and I became extremely self-conscious. I wasn’t someone to put on weight easily and as we know, the weight never comes or goes from the place you want it to. I tried to resign myself to the fact I would remain ‘lopsided’.
After a few months of feeling unhappy with how I looked, and lacking in confidence, I made the decision to have breast augmentation surgery. Elective surgery was something I never in a million years thought I would have. Because of this, I chose a top consultant in London who had worked on celebrities, believing if it’s good enough for them and they trusted him, so should I. Within a matter of weeks, I had breast implants that suited my frame and size. I didn’t tell anyone. As stupid as it sounds, I didn’t want to be judged and I certainly didn’t want to look any different to how I did before or to draw attention to myself.
I had the surgery in August 2007 and by November I was suffering severe anxiety and panic attacks. I had lost my Nan, my second Mum, in the October and this had affected me deeply so I just put it down to that. Over the following months and years, I found myself extremely low in mood so visited my GP and was prescribed anti-depressants. I only stayed on these for a very short time as I wanted to ‘get through this’ period myself.
After five years of having the implants and feeling horrendous most days with nausea, headaches, severe fatigue, anxiety and low mood, a major scandal broke out regarding Poly Implant Prothèse – a French company that produced silicone gel breast implants (PIP). The company was pre-emptively liquidated in 2010 following the revelation that they had been illegally manufacturing and selling breast implants made from cheaper industrial-grade silicone since 2001. It turned out I had been fitted with these implants.
The PIP breast implant scandal saw 47,000 British women affected. All the women were fitted with silicone implants containing industrial grade chemicals never intended for medical use. I decided this was probably the reason I was feeling so unwell and made an appointment to have the implants removed and a new ‘safe’ set fitted. A decision I would later regret.
I remember waking from the surgery in 2012 thinking I would feel different. I was expecting to be told the removed PIP implants had discoloured or ruptured, but this wasn’t the case. They were intact and I was reassured this new set were safe. Looking back now, I can’t believe how naive I was to think that any set of implants are safe!
From November 2007 to the day before I had heard about the PIP scandal, I never for one minute connected my ill health with my implants. Why would I? Even countless doctors hadn’t! The day the news hit the headlines, I felt I had a lifeline. A reason for why I felt so unwell. Once I’d had the implants removed and new ones re-inserted, the consultant assured me that it wouldn’t have been the implants that were making me ill. The ‘hope’ that it was the implants causing me such severe health issues quickly evaporated. I went back to believing I must have some mysterious illness that no one had found and that I was slowly dying each day.
From 2012, my health deteriorated even quicker. I found myself developing many more strange symptoms including numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, blurred vision, tinnitus, cold hands and feet, eczema, hair loss, brain fog, lack of concentration, IBS, poor memory, panic attacks and insomnia, to name but a few! I saw my GP on many occasions who told me I was ‘just a busy Mum’! My weight had also ballooned from a size 8 to a size 14. I had severe bloating all over my body, including my face which was constantly puffy and my skin was almost translucent. I didn’t recognise myself.
After visiting my GP with my 11th bout of chest infections in 13 months (of which I was prescribed strong antibiotics each time), he gave me a leaflet on Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). He told me to go home and to think about ‘cutting my life down’ in every aspect from work to socialising. I literally had no social life to cut! I was too drained and ill for one. I did however work extremely hard and was a successful Makeup Artist. There were many days where I would work, come home exhausted and sleep fitfully for 16 hours. I felt like I was dying, but then I’d give myself a good talking to and say ‘don’t be so stupid. Dying people don’t go out to work!’.
I felt like I was trapped. No one could understand exactly how unwell I felt. I had days where I just wanted to unzip my body and step outside for five minutes rest.
I threw myself into healthy, clean eating and was forcing myself to exercise in a desperate bid to re-energise myself and lose the weight. I joined an outdoor boot camp and went three times a week, as well as a running club, that I still belong to today. I signed up for The Royal Parks Half Marathon in October 2015. To this day I have no idea how I made it round in 2 hours 12 minutes. I felt horrendous and suffered for weeks on end after.
I saw many private consultants from 2012 to 2016 and was diagnosed with many health problems including B12 Deficiency, a Pituitary Adenoma, Tachycardia and food intolerances/allergies. I was put on Beta Blockers, but they made me feel even more unwell so I came off those. I changed my diet and cut out wheat and gluten. I still felt no different and my weight never changed.
I’ll never forget the day I realised I had Breast Implant Illness (BII). It was January 2017. I was sitting in the lounge with my husband and two daughters, spending yet another evening searching online and Googling ways to help my health, when I happened to get a searing pain in my right implant. The pain was like nothing I’d experienced before. I honestly thought the implant must be rupturing. I quickly Googled ‘pain in right breast implant’ and hit return. Staring back at me were rows and rows of the words ‘Breast Implant Illness’.
My eyes quickly scanned the pages and familiar words started to jump out at me ‘brain fog, hair loss, anxiety, weight gain, extreme fatigue’. My heart was in my mouth. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My eyes swam with tears of happiness and joy. I had finally found the answer to my 11 years of suffering. I remember looking up from my iPad and staring around the room. I was numb with shock, but at that moment, I also had an overwhelming sense of calm descend on me. I knew I had found the answer and solution to my ill health and more importantly, what was going to make me well again and give me my life back. Explanting. It felt like hours before I finally found my voice and I just remember calling my husband over and getting him to read what I had found. We were both beside ourselves with excitement!
I frantically started searching for as much information on BII as I could. Out of 42 symptoms, I definitely had 37. I learnt that the shell/outer coating of the implant is made up of many toxic chemicals that get absorbed into the bloodstream. I felt disgusted and sickened that implants are so freely put into women without any of this being explained. Back in 2007, when I had the first set, I don’t even remember researching it myself. I believed them to be safe.
Within five days of my revelation I had visited three surgeons. Two of them discounted BII as a ‘real thing’ and told me it was all in my head! They said they would happily remove my implants and re-fit new ones, but that they didn’t believe BII existed. They told me I would look ‘deformed’ and to ‘seriously think about my actions of explanting’. I was so angry that these so called professionals were ignoring everything I had said and were just thinking of money.
Thankfully, I found an amazing surgeon in Surrey who listened and didn’t try and persuade me to have new implants. He explained that the body won’t always accept any kind of implant, whether it be breast, hip or even tooth. I saw him three times before my surgery. This was his recommendation so that I had thought everything through. It wasn’t just a case of putting myself through surgery and yet another general anaesthesia, there was also the psychological side of what I may look like. I had thought about this, for probably a second! I knew in my gut that BII was the reason I felt so unwell and I trusted my instincts. Even if I ended up looking like Magda from There’s Something About Mary, at least I had my health back.
I remember speaking to a friend about it and she was mortified I would even contemplate having my implants removed and possibly look saggy, just on a hunch that they were causing my ill health. My answer to her ‘I’m not just a pair of boobs’. I wasn’t vain before I got my implants and I certainly wasn’t hanging on to them now, knowing everything I did about BII. If I never removed them, I’d never know if they were the cause!
Just a few weeks before my surgery I decided to have a hair tissue mineral analysis. These tests are used around the world for the biological monitoring of trace elements and toxic metals in humans. I was interested to know exactly what was in my body and then I would repeat the process one year after explant. The findings were scary and even the therapist who carried out the test was amazed at how many heavy metals and toxic chemicals I had in my body.
On the day of my explant surgery, 7th March 2017, my husband drove me to Surrey. I felt excitement mixed with nerves. I knew that today was the start of the rest of my life. I had every faith I would be well again after these toxic bags were removed.
I was made to feel extremely comfortable with my own private room and the nurses were amazing. Unfortunately, the surgery didn’t go without any complications and I developed an allergic reaction to the general anaesthetic during the procedure which has resulted in me now having a lifelong allergy to adrenaline based drugs. All that aside, I woke from surgery in recovery and did something that I realised I had been unable to do for 11 years. I took a full, deep breath. I had zero pain. For years I had dealt with recurrent chest infections which had left me with Costochondritis. I had completely forgotten what it felt like to breathe without pain as I spent every day with a heavy crushing feeling on my chest, let alone to be able to take a full, deep breath. The Costocondritis had completely disappeared.
As I lay there in recovery, I had a feeling of peace. I knew that removing the implants was the answer and I actually laughed out loud and said to one of the nurses that the answer to my ill health of 11 years had literally been right under my nose the whole time!
Once back in my hospital room, I noticed how pink and warm my hands were. I grabbed a mirror and couldn’t believe what I saw looking back at me. Glowing, flushed cheeks and reduced puffiness! I had been so used to seeing a pale, bloated face and avoided looking in the mirror as much as possible. I was so excited to see the many changes over the coming days and weeks.
The weight dropped off me – something I now realise was water retention – no doubt filled with toxic chemicals. My energy was through the roof! My hair started growing back. My eyes sparkled once again. People had never commented on how ill I looked before, but suddenly they were remarking how well and glowing I looked.
Out of the 37 symptoms I had, just one or two remain today. I have been left with B12 Deficiency, for which I have monthly injections and I have Tachycardia, but thankfully I don’t require daily medication for it. I still get anxiety, but I am having help for that and it’s working.
After spending 11 years missing out on so many outings and activities with my daughters and husband, I was able to take part in everything. I was literally given my life back.
Do I regret my decision to have breast implants? Absolutely! I wish I had loved my body for what it was. It took away 11 years of my life. Time when I should have been enjoying my young family and living life to the full. It’s not all negative though. I’ve definitely learnt to appreciate my health. I regularly take part in waves of The Six Pack Revolution and am the strongest I’ve ever been.
Also, as it turns out, after explanting surgery, I’m not deformed! With the right advice, I should have been told to wait at least 6-12 months following my Mastitis for my body to ‘heal’. But, the past is the past and thankfully I realised what was causing my ill health before it was too late.
Unfortunately BII is very much a controversial subject. I have no idea why. Breast Implant Illness is 100% a real thing. I know. I’ve lived through it and thankfully, am now a survivor of it.
Breaking news: After posting this today (20 May 2021), this article was published by the BBC click here to read
Rebecca Johansen, with over 10 years industry experience, gives the pros and the cons of salon and mobile hairdressing experiences.
The Salon Experience
Do you love being pampered and want to get some time to yourself away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life?
If your answer is ‘Yes,’ then visiting a salon could be just what the doctor ordered. Most professional salons will provide a relaxing atmosphere, a nice cuppa and some time to switch off. You can get that little bit of me time whilst the stylist can work their magic and make you look and feel great. Salons have the added benefit of having a full range of professional products at their disposal. You can easily discuss what you would like with the stylist during your consultation when you arrive and the salon can provide a service to suit your needs. The exception being if you are new to colour, even if you’ve coloured before with a different brand, you must allow 24-48 hours prior to your appointment for the stylist to perform a skin test to make sure you are not allergic to colouring products they would use on you. It’s also advisable that if you are expecting a big colour change to book a consultation with the stylist ahead of your appointment to make sure that the stylist books enough time with you.
One of the biggest drawbacks for salons is timing. Most salons run to a strict schedule in order to make the most efficient use of time and often have another client booked in between chemical service development times. You are unlikely to get your stylists undivided attention for the whole duration of a chemical service and this can often lead to stylists running slightly behind, however this does open up that opportunity to switch off with no distraction from every day life, especially if you love a book or an online magazine to read!
For me however, there’s nothing like having your hair washed for you over a professional basin so this is another big benefit of visiting the salon. It’s so much nicer than leaning over the bath, and there is no mess for you to clear up at the end.
The Home Stylist experience.
Whilst the salon experience can be desirable to some, many people often prefer the comfort and convenience of having their hair done at home. No faff of having to find somewhere to park, or strict salon opening hours to factor in to your diary. If you have young children to think about, having your hair done at home is much more flexible for families with children. Most children are more relaxed at home so can completely take the stress out of taking children to a busy salon or having to wait forever in a barbers. Many home stylists offer unisex services so why not book the whole family in at your convenience at home. My experience from mobile hairdressing is that it’s a much more personal service. I love that I can book out however long I need and can provide my clients with 1 to 1 undivided attention for the duration of their whole appointment. Many people can feel intimidated by busy salons, so having a stylist at home can make the process much more comfortable.
How does it work having a colour service at home is a question I frequently get asked. In a nutshell, it is just as easily done at home, as it is in a salon. Any well equipped mobile hairdresser will bring everything required with them and clean up any mess. The only downside is you often need to be more organised regarding what you would like to have done and let your stylist know in advance to your service so they can make sure they have what they need in stock and have time to perform a skin test if required. Unlike salons, it’s impractical and inefficient for a mobile stylist to carry a full range of colours. A little bit of forward planning however completely solves this.
From the hairdresser’s point of view, there’s no denying that it’s easier, more pleasant and less back-breaking to wash hair over a basin rather than over a bath. Many clients prefer to just wash their hair themselves so it’s already wet when the stylist arrives, but the stylist should happily help you with this if preferred.
What’s better value for money?
Most salons will work out more expensive than a mobile stylist. Salons have many more overhead costs than freelance stylists so unfortunately this cost will be passed down to you. In some big chain salons you are also paying for the name and the experience. My advice is to do your research on your stylist and find out costing up front so that you have no nasty surprises. Experienced stylists are more expensive, but you often get what you pay for, and it’s worth paying for the right stylist who is a good fit for you and what you would like to have done.
Mobile stylists are generally a bit cheaper as they are using your water and electricity and can be great value. Whether you’re a salon visitor or a have a mobile stylist, the experience should be comfortable and enjoyable. Finding the right stylist for you is important to make sure you achieve the results your hoping for.
The main thing is that after your new hair do you look and feel great.
Years ago, ‘age appropriate make-up’ was always a term I used when working on ‘prom’ clients and teenagers. With more and more younger girls wearing heavier make-up, it’s now a term I also use for ‘mature’ skins.
As we age, there are certain products that can easily work against our skins, rather than in favour of them and it’s sometimes not until you have spent your hard earned money that you realise this. Beauty counters may well have every product available, but they are not always the best place to go. The lighting in shops is artificial and in larger malls, there are no windows to check shades in natural daylight.
I always recommend colour matching your foundation to your collarbone or inside wrist. These areas will be the closest colour matches to your neck and it’s much easier to blend your colour upwards than downwards. Our faces are out in all weathers and are a much darker skin tone to our neck and chest. It’s far easier to blend upwards and add colour to the face in bronzer and blusher, rather than using the wrong shade of foundation. Testing foundations on jawlines or hands is never going to give a true colour match.
When testing colours, you are looking for a shade that almost disappears into your skin. Il Makiage offer a fantastic ‘Take the Foundation Quiz’ online and having trialled this myself, their colour match was spot on. It will ask you your skin type (dry, oily, combination), what coverage you are looking for, the finish you want (luminous, matte, natural) and also about your hair colour and skin undertone. www.ilmakiage.com
With regards to mature skins, cream based products are more natural and fresher looking on the skin. Swap a powder blusher for cream blusher. They are easier to blend and build upon. They won’t ‘sit’ on the skin and highlight any dry and dehydrated areas and they can also double up as a light tint for the lips.
Use light diffusing liquid concealer under the eye to cover any dark areas. Pick a shade that is no more than one or two shades lighter than your natural skin tone to avoid any obvious white circle around the eye area. I love Tropic Illuma light diffusing concealer because not only is it amazing at covering dark circles, but it is full of collagen boosting algae extract and Vitamin E to nourish and plump the skin. If you have fine lines and wrinkles, you don’t get any creasing or ‘caking’ of this product.
When it comes to eyeshadow, matte and low shimmer (satin) types are better suited for mature skin. Shimmery, glittery and frosted eyeshadows tend to accentuate wrinkles and can make a woman look older. Use a cream eyeshadow as a base and a satin or matte pressed powder over the top. You can always add a touch of highlighter to the centre of the mobile lid to make your eyes pop. By applying a cream and then matte or satin eyeshadow, this will avoid creasing and give the pressed powder something to grip on to. It will accentuate the eyes without taking attention away from them.
Make-up is an extremely powerful tool and can make you look either 10 years younger or 10 years older! As a make-up artist, I offer 1 to 1 makeup lessons. They are a great way to spend a fun hour or two. You will not only find out the correct shades for your skin tones, but you’ll pick up some new tips and techniques along the way.
As a freelance makeup artist I have worked with hundreds of women either to create ‘their everyday look’ or to mark a special occasion. I am passionate about skincare to enhance a person’s natural beauty (with or without makeup) and to help them look and feel confident on a day-to-day basis . I also run a successful salon-based business offering non-invasive, results driven treatments including Microneedling, Dermaplaning, LED light therapy or chemical peels and I sell vegan, cruelty free skincare and beauty tools to promote healthy, nourished skin.
Rebecca Johansen is a hairdresser with over 10 years industry experience.
Do you struggle to manage your curly/wavy hair?
Unruly curls prone to frizz?
Uneven curl pattern?
Do your curls or waves drop out really quickly?
Does product make your hair feel sticky and unpleasant?
Fed up of damaging your hair with heat appliances to control your hair?
Unsure of how to maintain your child’s curly hair?
I have been hairdressing since 2009 and have always battled with my frizzy, uneven curls. Years of heat abuse from straighteners and colouring had really taken its toll on my curls and I was so fed up of trying to grow my hair without it constantly breaking. Straightening would take over an hour for it then to boing back to frizz again within half an hour.
When Covid hit I decided to buy the Curly Girl handbook by Lorraine Massey. Skeptically, I thought it would be a gimmick but what better time to try something new- it wasn’t like anybody would see my hair if it looked terrible.
Amazingly my hair started to transform.
It’s never felt so smooth and healthy. My curls are even and defined, and I’ve never felt so confident to wear my hair naturally, so much so that I now couldn’t imagine straightening my hair. I’ve recommended the method to many of my curly clients and the results have been incredible.
So, what do you need?
A Curly Girl approved sulphate free shampoo and or cleansing conditioner for co-washing
A scalp brush for co-washing (not essential but highly recommend)
A Curly Girl approved leave in conditioner (this can be the same as co-wash product)
A Curly Girl approved styling product/products (gel/mousse/curl cream)
A microfibre towel or an old t shirt
How do you know what products are ‘curl friendly’?
Curly girl products need to be: sulphate free, silicone free, or drying alcohol free.
The easiest way to determine if a product is approved or not is to copy and paste the ingredients list into an ingredient checker online. Curlsbot or isitcg.com are my personal favourites.
The method:
Cleanse the hair as and when needed with either a sulphate-free shampoo or co-wash the hair using a cleansing conditioner with a scalp brush. Try not to over wash your hair. Over washing removes the natural oils from the hair and dries the curls out which cause frizz. Do not ruffle the hair up too much to try and avoid knotting.
Apply conditioner or hair mask and leave in for the desired time. Only ever brush curly hair when wet with conditioner in. Do not ever brush curly hair when dry. Ideally hair should only be detangled with fingers or gently with a wide toothed comb or detangling brush. It’s important not to over brush the curls.
Rinse the conditioner leaving a small amount in or rinse thoroughly and then apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner. This massively helps to control frizz.
Squeeze the conditioner into the hair by scrunching up towards the root removing extra moisture. This is often called “squish to condish”. If your hair is wavy rather than curly, use less or skip this step if it weighs your hair down too much.
Scrunching: never dry curls with a conventional towel, instead use a microfibre towel or an old t shirt. This will gently remove moisture without roughing up the hair cuticle causing frizz.
Styling: apply your chosen styling product. The official method recommends gel although there are lots of CG approved products available. I feel it’s personal preference. Don’t be alarmed if when the hair first dries it feels a bit crunchy. This is called a cast. Once dry if you scrunch the hair again upwards towards the scalp you can dissolve the cast leaving your curls soft, touchable and defined. This is often called “scrunch out the crunch”
My top tips
Finger coiling is an excellent way to create lots of definition and improve uneven curls. Take small sections when wet with styling product in and twist around your finger to create individual defined curls. Leave to air-dry or use a diffuser on a low heat setting.
Avoid using heat on your hair. Diffusing on a cooler setting is fine but try not to be tempted to use straighteners/heat appliances on your hair too often. Heat really dries out curly hair and the healthier you can get your curls with the method the better your results will be.
A silk/satin pillowcase, pineapple or bonnet can all be excellent for keeping curls protected overnight. In the morning I like to refresh my hair with a spray bottle of water mixed with a little bit of conditioner and I re-scrunch. This works really well for bringing curls back to life.
Get a Curly Cut: curly hair should be cut dry and in its natural state, not wet as hairdressers are traditionally taught. When cut dry, curl by curl, it’s easy to work with the natural curl pattern and see exactly how the hair is going to fall and where the curls are damaged. Cutting curly hair wet often leads to the hair being shorter than desired as the hair will naturally bounce up drastically as it dries. You may not necessarily need to find a ‘curly cut’ trained hairdresser, but I recommend finding a professional who understands curly hair and is happy to adapt their techniques to work with your natural hair.
Please don’t try the DIY unicorn cut – it will never ever turn out well on curly hair. I’ve had to fix so many attempts at this.
Lastly, keep in simple. It’s very easy to get carried away and want to try lots of different products all at the same time and keep changing them to experiment. If you want to try a new product, change one thing at a time and you will quickly learn what your hair likes. Hair doesn’t get damaged overnight so it won’t be miraculously transformed overnight either. The process does need some time and patience. Some people experience a transition phase, however, it does achieve some incredible results.
For me, I’d call it a game changer!
There’s lots of information on the www should you wish to begin embracing your natural curly hair with pride.
Lured by the photos of glamorous couples looking chilled and relaxed in their fluffy white robes, clinking together chilled glasses of prosecco, I took the plunge and booked me and the other half in for a spa weekend.
I say I ‘took the plunge’ because he is one of those chaps that is not one bit into spending any sort of time with, or near, people he does not know. Furthermore, he is not one bit into spending (quite a bit of) money on things that are unknown or that he is unsure of, so I pressed ‘BOOK NOW’ with more than a little sense of unease.
Previously, we had only ever had one other spa type experience, of sorts, and I don’t think that helped his nerves with the impending trip at all…
The Szecheyni Bath Spa in Budapest was Trip Advisor’s top recommendation for our city break way back in 2013. Forgive me for not remembering every detail – I think my brain has filed most of this event under the ‘DO NOT EVER THINK ABOUT AGAIN’ part of my brain, right next to the memory of the incident where I fell over in the middle of Cambridge and ended up on the floor in Superman pose half in and half out of Subway.
Before you get to the actual baths, you must navigate a labyrinth of lockers and changing cubicles. You were given a number for the changing room and then a number for the locker that you could use – it sounded super easy and efficient until we entered the maze. The number order bore no resemblance to any numerical code that I know and made absolutely no sense to us. This was great. We couldn’t even find our way to get changed. Deciding to pool our brains together, we both looked for his numbered cubicle first. We found it.
‘In you go then!’ I said faking my cheery enthusiasm for doing something so cool as going to the spa baths in Budapest. Although, I was secretly wishing the beer tour had been our choice now.
‘I’ll see you shortly,’
Famous last words. He looked at me with fear in his eyes as I toddled off wondering if I would ever find my own cubicle – or him – ever again. He was one way; I was the other; and very nearly never the twain shall meet again.
I re-entered the warren thinking that could be the last time that I ever saw him again. Ah well.
Having successfully changed I stepped out in my bathing attire, hugging my bundle of clothes to me like a life jacket. Channelling my inner Pamela Anderson, I set off to find him. I could hear him huffing puffing and swearing in his torture chamber that was too small for his chunky 6’3 frame. He hadn’t even got his bathers on before he had stubbed his toe. It was surreal. I could hear him, but I couldn’t reach him. Each turn I made seemed to take me further away from him. My heart raced and my breath got shallower – where the hell was he?
By now Pamela was fading and I could feel the chlorinated air making me clammy. This was not cool. This was not relaxing. I turned down the next aisle of doom and I hit something with a slap, as my frustrated red cheek slammed into his sweaty chest. He looked at me, I am sure with hatred in his eyes, and I looked back at him, tears building, I wanted to get changed back into my safe and covering clothes and get out of there.
‘Come on,’ he said, ‘We’re here now. It’s OK,’ Love him. We both knew that he didn’t mean a word of it.
Please know that I am absolutely not exaggerating when I tell you that the simple act of changing and finding the first pool took the best part of an actual hour.
We entered the first pool and bobbed around in silence for what seemed like forever, until we had let the trauma of getting there pass and subside.
But this was Budapest, and this was nearly a decade ago, so it was time to dip our toes in the spa pool again.
When I told him I had booked, he plagued me with a raft of questions and statements:
‘Do I have to wear a robe?’ Yes, love.
‘Do I have to wear a robe the whole time?’ Erm, well no. Not when you are in the pool or having a treatment.
‘Do I wear my clothes under my robe?’ Just your bathers.
‘What shoes shall I wear?’ They will give you flip flop things.
‘Can I have a beer?’ When we are done.
‘What time is lunch?’ Lunchtime.
‘Will people touch me?’ Only to deliver the treatments.
‘Where will they touch me?’ Well, your head, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs.
‘What if I don’t like them touching me?’ Tell them you don’t like it.
‘Will they touch, or go near my woo-woo?’ FFS!
‘I don’t want to be rubbed up.’ What do you mean ‘rubbed up’?
‘Will you be with me the whole time?’ I hope not.
‘Do I wear pants?’ Take me back to Budapest.
I have to say after all of that, the experience was better and less stressful than Budapest, he did get his beer and no, of course, they didn’t.
He said he did not like being poked during the Indian head massage and that afterwards he felt sorer than when he went in. He also said that at one point he opened his eyes, and she was doing Tai Chi over his face. Reader – I have no idea. I had the same treatment at the same time, in the same room and I cannot fathom what he was experiencing.
Then came the mud chamber. Me and him, a load of funny smelling mud, plinky-plonky music and a light show as the fragrant steamed air wafted out around us. He sat opposite me as I was trying to be all muddily zen-ful and I made the mistake of opening my eyes to check on him. Through the haze his pink form came into focus. His eyes were squeezed shut and he looked like he was in pain.
‘What’s the matter?’
He had mud in both eyes. We were five minutes into a 30-minute entombment in the chamber.
He made a face where his mouth turned into a cat’s bum.
‘What’s the matter now?’ He had mud in his mouth.
Praise the moment the time was up, and we were released from the chamber of doom. He spent the rest of the day claiming that the mud had him all ‘hot and itchy,’
We got home and I sank a large glass of Sauvignon.
My skin is dry all the time at the moment from the cold weather, central heating and sanitising. What can I do?
A walk in the brisk cold air to a quaint, cosy pub where you can warm yourself in front of a roaring log fire. That sounds like heaven right? Your skin, however, may be thinking differently. The winter months can cause so many skin problems and complaints including dryness, tightness, redness and irritation. Skin is stripped of moisture during the winter season and with the sudden fluctuating temperatures (going out into the cold and back into central heating), it can cause dryness and sensitivity.
Here are some things you can do to protect your skin throughout winter and beyond.
1. Wear SPF
If you are going to be out and about, you must always wear a high factor SPF, no matter the weather. UVA and UVB, especially UVA, can penetrate through the clouds and is so strong that it can even penetrate through glass. Wearing sunscreen will give protection from all the elements that can damage your skin. This not only includes the daily problems of redness, irritated and dry skin, but also long term skin damage, premature ageing and even skin cancer. Choose an SPF that contains Hyaluronic Acid which will add moisture to your skin as it protects. Make including a sunscreen part of your morning skincare routine to ensure you never skip it!
2. Hydrate
Skin dehydrates fast in cold, windy weather. You will soon know when your skin is dehydrated as it will look dull and feel dry and fine lines and wrinkles will be more prominent. This is your skin crying out for moisture. Try to drink 2-3 litres of water a day. Not only will this rehydrate and plump your skin, but it will also flush out toxins and impurities to reveal a clearer looking complexion.
Tip: Keep a glass of water by your bed and drink this on waking, before you grab a coffee! It will not only help to flush toxins from your body, but it will also set you up well for the day, so start as you mean to go on.
3. Feed and nourish your skin
The skin is the largest of our organs, but seems to be the most forgotten about when it comes to feeding, nourishing and protecting it. Find a daily skincare routine that you can maintain twice a day, all year round. Self care is so important and looking after your skin will not only keep it in great condition, but will ensure you look younger for longer.
When moisturising, ideally choose a product containing Vitamin E; which is excellent for repairing broken capillaries. When it’s cold and windy, the skin can often experience capillary problems and these show up as red marks on the surface of the skin.
Apply Hyaluronic Acid after you have cleansed and toned and before you moisturise each morning. This will give a protective layer to your skin, help to lock in moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It will keep skin continuously moisturised throughout the day.
Also add a face oil into your evening routine. I love the multi award winning Tropic Super Greens. It’s a nutrient boosting oil containing Vitamin C, Tamanu, Kale and Broccoli seed oils. It helps to boost skins natural defences and protects against pollution. It accelerates skin healing, is rich in B vitamins and helps to ease redness so it’s great for anyone suffering from Rosacea (which can flare up in the colder months). It also gives a super healthy kick of anti-oxidant rich pressed veggies for your skin.
After you have bathed or showered, always apply a body lotion to hydrate the skin. Choose one that is non greasy so you’re able to dress quickly after. If you’re not using the right products, the chances are you won’t be inclined to continue using them on a regular basis.
For anyone who has read my articles before, you will know I am a huge advocate for Tropic. All of their skincare products are made using the latest green science and natural plants, fruits and flowers which work in harmony to feed, protect and nourish your skin. Their products are cruelty free, vegan, 100% natural and freshly made to order.
4. Get your beauty sleep
When we sleep, the body (including your skin) repairs itself. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night and help your skin to do it’s job by applying oils and intensive hydrating treatments last thing after moisturising.
5. Don’t forget hands
We all know that hand washing can lead to dryness of skin, but this has now become even more prevalent with the constant use of hand sanitisers and increased hand hygiene. Effective hand sanitisers that contain alcohol and other harsh bacteria killing ingredients, can also severely dry out the skin and cause sensitivity.
Each and every time you wash your hands, apply a non greasy hand lotion as this will help to keep hands soft, smooth and provide a protective layer of moisture to prevent dryness and irritation. Once or twice a week, exfoliate using a hand scrub to rid the hands of any dry, flaky skin and apply your hand cream afterwards for protection.
As a freelance makeup artist I have worked with hundreds of women either to create ‘their everyday look’ or to mark a special occasion. I am passionate about skincare to enhance a person’s natural beauty (with or without makeup) and to help them look and feel confident on a day-to-day basis . I also run a successful salon-based business offering non-invasive, results driven treatments including Microneedling, Dermaplaning, LED light therapy or chemical peels and I sell vegan, cruelty free skincare and beauty tools to promote healthy, nourished skin.
What is make-up primer and is it really necessary? Before you paint a bare wall or piece of wood, you always ‘prime’ the area first and it’s exactly the same concept for your face before applying make-up.
Primer acts as a base for foundation which allows products to go on smoother and gives them something to adhere to, improving the longevity of make-up. There are many varieties on the market ranging from liquid, gel and cream based. As well as primer for the face, there is primer to use solely on your eyelids.
It can be a minefield when looking in high street chemists and on beauty counters as there is so much choice available with a wide range of prices. Working as a make-up artist, I have used many primers over the years and below are some of my favourites.
Benefit Stay Don’t Stray
This is a concealer and an eyeshadow primer in one. It has been a staple in my make-up kit from the day it was released. This product helps concealer and eyeshadow to stay put. It stops eyeshadow from creasing or migrating and is great if you like wearing cream based shadows, as it really gives the product something to grip onto. It contains Vitamin’s C and E which means that it is moisturising and hydrating for the delicate eye area. You can even wear this product on it’s own to help even out eyelid discolouration and under eye circles. It has a ‘dip and dab’ wand for easy application and comes in a neutral nude shade that seems to suit all skin tones. Priced at £22.50.
Yves Saint Laurent Touch Éclat Blur Primer
This primer has a gel consistency and has a blurring and illuminating effect, which helps to even the look of all skin tones. I have used this product on many skin types including dry, oily and combination and it has always suited everyone. It helps make-up to go on more smoothly and last longer. I always leave a few minutes after applying primer before applying make-up so it has time to set and dry on the skin. It’s only available in one shade and is £32.00.
Benefit Porefessional Face Primer
This is a fantastic face primer for anyone who has oily skin or enlarged, visible pores or fines lines around the eyes. It is an oil-free product which is lightweight and has a silky texture with a translucent finish. When this product is applied to visible pores or fine lines, it fills the areas and the result is a flawless, poreless appearance. This primer also contains a Vitamin E derivative so it will protect the skin as it works its magic. Priced at £29.50
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
This has also been a staple primer in my kit for many years and is suitable for all skin types. It has a clear, velvety, gel consistency which helps to smooth and blur any imperfections as well as providing longevity to make-up. It glides onto skin easily to leave it looking smooth and flawless. Priced at £24.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Mattifying Primer Base
This is a much cheaper option, but still a product that will give many benefits. It has a gel consistency that instantly mattifies so is great for oily/blemish prone skin. It helps to smooth the complexion as well as minimising imperfections such as pores and shine. Priced at £9.99.
If you’ve never tried a make-up primer, but always find that you are topping up your make-up during the day or that it never lasts on a night out, I would definitely recommend that you invest in one.
Anyone else wondering when summer is going to arrive? Before we know it, it will be the longest day of the year and we’ve yet to see a glimpse of warmer, sunnier days! So, whilst we are in this prolonged winter weather, I have put together a list of my favourite bronzers that will give your face a gorgeous glow and will have you looking like you’ve just spent two weeks in the Caribbean, without the risk of harmful UV rays.
Choosing a bronzer can be just as hard as getting the right foundation shade. If you are pale or fair skinned, anything too ‘brown’ can look like you’ve wiped mud around your face, rather than giving you a naturally warm, sun kissed glow. Placement of bronzer is key. Only apply to areas and high points of the face where you would naturally catch the sun. The top of your forehead (close to the hairline), temples, tops of cheekbones, down the nose and on the tip of your chin are the best placed areas.
If you are pale skinned, choose a bronzer shade that is one or two shades darker than your natural complexion. For medium skin, go warmer and rosier and for dark skin, choose red or orange tones of bronzer.
Always choose a matte bronzer and avoid anything too shimmery as this will just look sweaty and shiny and give a completely different meaning to the word ‘glowing’. If you want shimmer, save that for highlighting your collarbone, shoulders and décolletage.
Less is also definitely more when it comes to applying bronzer. After you’ve applied all of your liquid products and face powder, apply bronzer before blusher. Start off light and build gradually.
Over the years I’ve tried many products and these are my favourite go-to bronzing products.
A great budget product is Bourjois’ Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder for light to medium complexions. This matte bronzer gives a subtle glow and is easy to blend. It has good colour pigmentation, is lightweight on the skin and gives good coverage as well as being long lasting. I do find I need to ‘scratch’ the bronzer slightly with the tip of my brush to get it to release some of the powder, as it is packed solid in the packaging. Anyone who already has this product will know exactly what I mean. Just £7.99, this bronzer will last a very long time.
I can’t talk about any skincare or make-up product without mentioning my favourite UK beauty brand, Tropic. As an Ambassador, I have every shade of their Jet Set pressed bronzer and love them all. All of their makeup is vegan and cruelty free as well as being kind to your skin. The bronzer contains coconut amino acids which smooth and condition the skin as well as giving an even finish.
Jet Set is a gorgeous, subtle, silky bronzer which is available in three shades to ensure it’s suited to all skin tones and gives a healthy looking glow. Priced at £16 for the medium bronzer or £20 for the large, this product can also be slotted into the amazing customisable Colour Palette.
I think everyone has heard of this next product and that’s Benefit Hoola, available in 4 shades. The original shade of Hoola is flattering on all skin tones and especially for olive tones due to its intense pigment. If you have a fair or pale complexion though, you may want to try Hoola Lite. Dubbed ‘beach in a box’, whatever shade of Hoola you choose, it gives a soft matte finish for £27.50
If you want to splash out on a more expensive product, then Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer is a great choice. It’s an extremely fine milled bronzer that seems to effortlessly melt into the skin. Because of this, it’s easy to blend and gives a seamless finish. As with Tropic and their love of bringing skincare benefits to make-up, this product contains intensive moisturising properties with Hyaluronic Acid as one of it’s ingredients. This bronzer is £39 and comes in a compact with a mirror.
With the perfect shade of bronzer, sun-kissed skin is achievable all year round, no matter what the weather!
The summer holiday season is well and truly upon us and this week I am looking at how to pack light, but right for your vacation by streamlining your skincare and make-up. Whether you’ll be living it up in Ibiza, taking in the sights of a European city or lounging on the beach in the Caribbean, packing for your holiday shouldn’t be stressful.
Tropic
I remember the days when taking skincare away on holiday meant packing large bottles of products in your suitcase, wrapped in beach towels or stuffed into shoes to avoid explosions and spillages. Think Ross Geller from Friends and his major shampoo explosion!
The weight of deodorants, shower gels and skincare alone was enough to make you stand cringing at the check-in desk, hoping you’d estimated your suitcase weight correctly. There would always be some poor soul who had to unzip their bag, frantically start unpacking their essentials in front of everyone to get the weight down and, on many occasion, I prayed that person wouldn’t be me.
Then there is the security control to consider. How many times have you realised your liquids, gels and perfumes that you were carrying in your hand luggage are all over 100ml? There’s nothing worse than starting your much awaited holiday in the sun, knowing you’re leaving behind a bottle of your most favourite perfume or facial moisturiser with the airport security staff.
Thankfully those days are long gone. Packing light for travelling not only means a capsule wardrobe, but also down-scaling your bottles and packaging, without the need to compromise your make-up look or sacrifice your skincare regime.
Many supermarkets, chemists, online shops and high street drug stores such as Boots and Superdrug sell reusable silicone or plastic bottles and jars that are not only perfect to decant products into, but also the optimum size if you only have hand luggage. Some even come with a micro-funnel so there is no spillage when transferring. This is the perfect way to take just the right amount of product with you.
Don’t be tempted to ditch your skincare routine for your holiday and use face wipes to save on suitcase space! Just a few minutes of decanting and labelling means your skin won’t be compromised on holiday to make room for that extra pair of sandals.
Depending on what range of skincare you use, many brands sell travel sized products. This is not only a good way of taking your favourite daily essentials with you on holiday, but perfect if you’re thinking of switching to a new brand, but don’t want to pay for full sized products.
Rather than packing shower gel and liquid bathing products, choose an eco-friendly cleansing body pebble from Tropic. These products are a concentrated body wash, not to be confused with soaps which can often disrupt the skin’s natural pH and cause irritation. The pebbles are far gentler on skin, come wrapped in recyclable packaging, give a great lather, are available in 6 amazing scents and you can also purchase a separate pebble pouch which acts as a great exfoliator and bag to hang the pebble to dry. Plus they last so well!
Whilst thinking of less liquids to pack, shampoo bars are also extremely popular and, like the cleansing body pebbles, are great value for money and environmentally friendly. One bar should last as long as three bottles of shampoo.
If you’re travelling somewhere hot, there’s nothing worse than getting out of the shower and having to blow dry your hair in the heat. Summer is the perfect time to give your hair a break from heat and styling. Instead, embrace the ‘beach, tousled look’ and pack a travel sized bottle of Sea Salt Spray. Spritz a generous amount over wet hair, scrunch and leave to dry naturally. Dry Shampoo is also a great product to take away with you and is sold in travel size.
Lastly, make-up. This is usually the area where we end up over packing. I know I always did and never seemed to use half of it, preferring a natural sun kissed glow to my skin rather than various layers of foundation, concealer and powder. It’s far easier to take individual products that can double up and be used elsewhere on the face, such as a cream blusher makes a great lip tint and an eyeshadow makes a good brow powder or eye liner.
If, however, you love your make-up and don’t want to compromise, an even better option is Tropic’s innovative and multi-award winning, customisable Colour Palette. This product has honestly changed my whole make-up bag. Gone are the days when I carried around 10-12 separate products. The Colour Palette offers over 60 shades, available across 9 different products and 3 textures. It’s innovative system can generate over 15 billion unique combinations! Pans are slotted into corresponding magnetic trays and placed into the Palette case. Pans come in three sizes and both the pans are trays are completely recyclable. The Colour Palette is customisable, quick and convenient. Everything make-up should be and for just £68! If anyone would like help building and customising a palette to suit their skin tone, please drop me a message.
Tropic
Wishing you all happy, light, travels with no major shampoo explosions!
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