First it was the food industry that discovered the beneficial powers of sea buckthorn berries, and now beauty companies are jumping on board and using these bright orange fruit oils in their skincare products. Packed with Vitamins C, E, K, folic acid, and essential fatty acids (these nourish the skin beautifully) just to name a few, sea buckthorn also includes palmiteleic acid, a component used Read more
The quiff, (pronounced kwee-ff) is a 1950's fashion-forward rockabilly and masculine hairstyle. It's cut longer on the top, and combed upwards and backwards, all the while being held in place with firm-hold styling products. We saw a brief comeback of the quiff in the 1980's, and most recently, edgy celebrities like Marion Cotlillard and Danni Minogue, have been spotted wearing this Read more
Dermabrasion is a procedure where the surface of the skin is removed by sanding. It helps erase the visibility of sun spots/damage, raised scars, and it smoothes out the overall texture of the skin. One myth about dermabrasion is that it will tighten the skin or shrink pores, however, neither of these assumptions are true. To achieve those type of results, it's best to consider chemical peels or Read more
Ever wonder what those tiny red threads around your nose are, what causes spider veins, or red, uneven cheeks? All of these red marks that effect us cosmetically have something to do with your capillaries. A capillary is the smallest type of blood vessel in the body. When the walls of the blood vessel narrow and then widen too quickly, the muscles tear and cause leakage — hence, turning the Read more
Bombshell, knock-out, dynamite; these war metaphors are often used to describe a particularly attractive and glamorous type of blonde. The phrase was first used to talk about film actress Jean Harlow. Her movie Bombshell was released in the US in 1933. The blurb that went along with the adverts stated "Lovely, luscious, exotic Jean Harlow as the Blonde Bombshell of filmdom." By the time that the Read more
The term bird's nest hair refers to an oversize hair do that's often piled on the top of the head. It usually looks rather messy and disheveled as though a flock of birds or family of small rodents could be living in there. The phrase normally refers to long hair that has been pinned or tied back into a bouffant style, with plenty of volume at the crown. The nickname may have originated because Read more
Ayurvedic massage is an ancient Indian method that combines deep-tissue massage with energy techniques, reflexology and meditation. It is designed to help restore a sense of serenity and balance to the mind, body and soul. Sometimes herbal supplements are prescribed to boost the body's immune system and help create feelings of wellbeing. Marc Zollifer who is Aveda's global spa educator told Read more
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the term frizz comes from the French word 'friser' — originally meaning 'to curl'. The word was coined in the 1660's and was first used only as a verb whose strict definition is given as "to form a mass of tight curls." Now when we talk about frizz it has negative connotations. Super dry, fried frizzy hair is often the result of genes and over Read more
I was recently lucky enough to attend an expert skincare lecture on anti-ageing. Internationally acclaimed dermatologist and skincare pioneer Dr. Zein Obagi talked about ways to help keep our skin looking young and healthy for as long as possible. One of the ingredients in his new range of ZO Skin Health brand, which will be available from November in Harrods and Selfridges, particularly caught Read more
Petrochemicals are chemical products made from the raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbons. Whilst it's not been proven that all petrochemicals are carcinogenic (cancer-causing), I think that it's shocking that so many beauty and skincare brands still regularly use petrochemical ingredients in their products when there is such controversy around their safety. The two main classes of Read more
