Winter beauty

Winter beauty 

Brrrrrrr.......

As the season changes so should our beauty routine. 

If you live in the UK you may be thinking we didn't have much of a summer ... Well I can bet you we will have a proper winter. 

In the winter your hair and skin can really suffer so it's important to take precautions to protect it. 

My first point may seem like the most ridiculous. 

SPF - Slap it on addicts. Please do not think just because it's not sunny you do not need SPF. Where there is day light there are UV rays and those rays can damage your skin and cause premature ageing. I for one do not want to wake up one morning looking like a prune nor do i want skin cancer so I always use SPF on my face. 

Moisturiser - What you had in the summer may not be the best for the winter. Skin can change in the seasons. You might notice your skin is a little on the thirsty side. Remember to moisturise every morning and every night. Try a slightly heavier cream, I use a repairing cream at night when I sleep. Everyone's skin is different. Take time to notice what your skin is telling you. I love Avene products. Have a look at the hydrance moisturiser with SPF 20 for the day and look at one of their richer creams for bedtime. 

Cleanse your face - Foaming soaps and cleansers disrupt the skins acid mantle, the protective barrier. In the winter there is less moisture in the air and skin becomes dryer. Avoid foaming products to reduce the risks of dry flakes. Remember... face wipes are always banned.  

Exfoliate -  Dry skin is never fun. Apply foundation to it and the party is over. Foundation just highlights the problem. Try to use a chemical exfoliating wash or liquid if you can, rather than a scrub. I like Sk:n Face wash with Salicylic and Glycolic acid. I use it twice daily and once a week leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off to get a proper exfoliating effect.

Hand Cream - This is something I always forget to do. I wash my hands repeatedly throughout the day and I am constantly using hand sanitiser. EEK! I know, I know, I know. I will have granny hands before I know it. I'm trying to put hand cream on at least once a day. Slap Addicts, please try this too. The cold weather can really dry out your hands so take care of them. I am trying to use a hand cream in some gloves when I sleep. You can pick the gloves up for peanuts. Best thing to do is to wear winter gloves when out side and rubber gloves when cleaning. Remember to apply a hand cream every time you wash your hands. 

Lip Balm - There are so many Liquid lipsticks on the market, as much as they look great in snaps for insta, I do find them really drying. Add that to the weather and chapped chops are on the menu. 

Take care of your lips and apply Vaseline or repairing lip cream when ever you can. I don't wear lip stick to work usually. If I do want some colour Kiehl's do an amazing lip balm with a hint of colour. Have a look on the high street as there are plenty of budget friendly balms available. Try and avoid ones with Lanolin and fragrance. Fragrance can cause more sensitivity. 

Deep conditioning hair masks - The harsh weather can make hair really wiry. I know I also blow dry my hair more in winter also. It's not a smart move leaving the house with wet hair in -1 oC. But the extra heat on my hair can leave it feeling a little unloved. I love using Redken hair masks but you can easily make your own. A simple olive oil treatment could be all you need. 

Pedicures - Just because you are out of your Sandles doesn't mean you should neglect your feet. I understand that getting a pedicure every 2-6 weeks can be pricey. So in between visits pamper yourself at home. Get a pair of moisturising socks, same as the gloves suggested above. Wear them once or twice a week with a thick cream when you sleep. Get a foot file and file away any dead skin once a week. Keep toe nails neat with clippers and a file. Remember to cut nails straight as curved edges can encourage ingrown toe nails. If you or a loved one can be bothered, massage your feet. Many of us are working all day and then rushing around trying to get things done for our families, then christmas comes and everything gets CRAZY. Massage your feet and feel the rest of you relax. 

Waterproof Makeup - I know water proof mascaras seems like a summer product. Something you wear when you're going swimming or to a wedding. However, harsh winds and cold weather can cause the eyes to stream. Try using water proof liners and mascaras to avoid black tears down your cheeks. 

Dry Eyes - With the windy weather and glare of lights, your eyes can get dry and red. Try using eye drops or even the eye mists. I like to use the Optrex eye mist for dry eyes as I find I can spray it over makeup. Its also very quick to use on the go. 

Water - Its not as exciting as hot chocolate or that caramel coffee thingy with the whipped cream but your body still needs water. Try to limit your hot beverages and replenish your body with 8 glasses of water. Tea and coffee can be very dehydrating. As mentioned above the weather is drying us out enough. Lets not do it from the inside out also. 

I hope this quick post gave you a few tips and maybe a few reminders. 

I know I need to up my routine and keep the winter damage to a minimum. 

If you have any suggestions or questions please leave them in the comments below. 

Understand box colour.

Hello Slap Addicts

I was in Boots and I over heard a couple of lovely ladies in their late thirties trying to choose a hair colour. Words like well whats a 5? What does RV mean? Will it lighten my hair?

As usual I had to say something. I can't help it. Just the other day I heard a young girl talking about a possible phone contract. I butt in and told her of a better deal so she ended up declining the offer and checking out the deal I suggested. I'm sure its irritating to some. But maybe for the odd few, I do offer some help.

So back to my two lovely ladies in boots...
They both had dark hair colour already on their hair. One was concerned about greys and one was concerned about damage to her hair.

After offering some advice on what a 5 meant and what was a permanent and what wasn't and a cheeky chat about at home balayage, it got me thinking, BLOG!

I trained as a hair dresser back in 2008. Frankly I hated it and after working in a South African salon for a few months I gave it up came back to England and trained to be a Dental Nurse instead.

As much as I didn't enjoy working in the salon environment I never lost my love for hair and beauty.
My mum and her friends still ask me for a quick trim here, or slap on a colour there.

One of the first things you have to learn when training to be a hairdresser is the colour wheel and how colour actually works. You also learn about Depth and Tone.

So here we go....

Depth is how light or dark your hair is. 10 being very very light blonde and 1 being black. Its around 7 that hair starts to look blonde.

1 Black
2 Very Dark Brown
3 Dark Brown
4 Medium Brown
5 Light Brown
6 Dark Blonde
7 Medium Blonde
8 Light Blonde
9 Very Light Blonde
10 Lightest Blonde


Tone is the shade you see when it hits the light. Think of it like your foundation or eyeshadows, you get warm tones like red and cool tones like blue and green. Tone of hair is like that. You will commonly hear ash - thats cool, neutral and warm - think red and orange tones.

Usually box hair colours will have a number followed by a description or letters.

So you may see 5RV, that is a light brown shade with a red violet tone. It will be quite a red purple brown. The lighter the depth the brighter the tone if choosing a red or purple or even green.

If you see a 7A that will be a blonde with a cool ashy tone.

Thats all well and good but you also need to apply that colour to what ever shade you already have on your hair.

What if you're a bit too red and want to neutralise it?

Thats where the colour wheel and understanding that comes in.

The opposite colour on the colour wheel will counteract and neutralise the opposing shade. So a green tone ( ash shade) will cancel out red tones in the hair. If your blonde hair is looking too yellow you need to find a violet tone to reduce the yellow. Thats why you see a lot of purple shampoos for blonde hair. They help to achieve and maintain platinum blonde shades. 

Now you will have to spend a few minutes maybe with a friend in natural light analysing your hair before you go and purchase a colour. 

I think half of the errors occur when we try to do things in haste. I know I've just looked at a box and thought she looks good i'll have that. I haven't looked at the number system, my own hair or even if its a permanent or semi permanent hair colour. 

SO what does permanent and semi permanent mean?

When colouring your hair its going through a chemical process.

The hair if you are european is made up of 3 essential layers. 

The medulla, the cortex and the cuticle. 

As you can see from the diagram the medulla is the central part of the hair shaft, the cuticle is what you and I can see, its the outside and the cortex in under the cuticle and surrounds the medulla. 

Who knew in that tiny strand of hair was three layers! 

Quick Fact - If you have afro caribbean hair you will not have a medulla. 

When colouring your hair different types of colour penetrate differently. 

A temporary hair colour will come out after a  wash or two. These come in sachets, mouse, chalks and sprays. These will not lighten your hair. They will only deposit colour as they sit on the cuticle. 

Semi permanent colours last between 6- 12 washes. These again have no peroxide or ammonia in them so they will only deposit colour. These will not lighten your hair.  They can be great for adding a tone to your hair but won't be effective in covering grey. 

Demi permanent or Quasi colours. These last between 12-26 washes. These do have a developing agent in them which means they can lighten the hair one shade. I wouldn't assume they will lighten the hair. Some of the colours work differently. Some do penetrate the cuticle whilst other stain it.  They are not as damaging as permanent. These are my colour choice. They will cover grey hair. If you're 50% grey I would choose a permanent instead. Its important to remember that you can get regrowth with these.  Some products claim you won't but from personal experience I know you can. I have brown hair and use these to change the tone of my hair. Within 3 months I feel I need a freshen up. However, I will stretch it up to 6 months as I'm trying not to process my hair.  

Permanent colour. These do what they say in the tin. They can lighten hair a couple of shades but as with all of the above they predominantly deposit colour that penetrates through the cuticle in to the cortex. You will need to grow this colour out. It permanently changes the shade of your hair. If over used you can get colour build up (where is looks really dark on the ends and lighter at the roots) and you can cause damage. These colurs are great for covering grey hair. 

Bleach and highlighting kits. This is what's most tricky to do at home. 

Lightening your hair is a process that can be very unpredictable. 

I have naturally mid brown hair. Most people think it looks quite dark. Put a blob of bleach on and I promise you it goes white in what feels like seconds. My hair lightens very quickly. But some hair takes longer. Also, not everyone's hair will turn white in one application. It takes a lot of skill and patience to achieve platinum hair. I know Kim K says she went from brown to blonde in one go... I don't suggest you try that at home. Seriously, DONT be a plonker. You could seriously damage the hair causing it to break off. 

When you are at the salon the colourist has control over the strength of the solution used. They can analyse your hair and determine how strong they should make the solution. When purchasing a home kit you get what you are given. Another point to remember is that quite often after having some sort of highlights the colourist will apply a toner to the hair to minimise any unsightly tones. I know I've had toners to stop my hair from looking too brassy. If you are bleaching at home the kits you buy will not include a toner. I'm sure you've seen or maybe even had some orange hued highlights? I do remember the boys at school channeling their inner Eminem and sporting a rather bright scalp. 

My advice to everyone is treat your hair with love and caution. 

If you are trying to colour correct take the time to analyse your hair and seek advice. If it seems too complicated then it is! I suggest going to a salon, even if you have to wait a bit longer to save up. 

Messy buns and french twists are great at disguising disasters, or if its really awful maybe get a hat?

Pay attention when applying colour. Always read the manufacturers guidelines and if it says do a skin test... DO A SKIN TEST. 

I hope this was helpful. 

Good luck!