Summer is near

Hello beauties!!

It has been such a hectic past few months, so I thought I would make good use of this May bank holiday to do some posting. I last blogged 3 months ago, so I think its well over due!!!

So, it's that time of the year again.... "Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker. Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder. Music gets louder. Nights get longer. Life gets better." 

Summertime! 

However, with all the fun and games in the sun, summer can have some long term damaging effects. 

To begin with the most obvious, protect your skin from the sun. Harmful UVA and UVB rays will most definitely age you over time, and not to forget, making you more susceptible to the "C" word. Even if its cloudy, protect your skin by using a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above. Now when it comes to vanity, the greasy look does not work for me, that's why I love La Roche-Posay's Anthelios range. It gives me the protection I need without looking greasy on my skin. Don't forget your hands, they will definitely show your age if you aren't careful. 

You may think that now that summer is here, exfoliation isn't necessary, especially if dry skin tends to occur mainly during winter. However, when the climate gets hotter, so do you, unless you're one of those rare humans that do not sweat (believe me I know a few and I'm very jealous). If there are dead skin cells lying around, they block your pores, and so sweat can not escape easily and your skin will get irritated, causing unsightly sun spots. Stick to exfoliating at least once a week. I'm loving The Body Shop's Vitamin C microdermabrasion cream. Or for something more gentle, St Ives do a microdermabrasion face wash that is gentle enough for every day use. For the body, you can't go wrong with LUSH scrubs, wether its Scrub Scrub Scrub, or LUSH's sugar scrub. Want to know how to make your own sugar scrub? Visit my earlier blog post for the recipe. 

As well as looking after yourself from the outside, try to hydrate yourself from the inside. Increase your intake of water, as the heat will dehydrate you and your skin.

Summer is all about ditching the heavy make up and looking fresh faced. Allow the foundation, and try a tinted moisturiser, tinted lip balm and rosy cheeks. Bronzer is your best friend this time of year, so utilise it. A prime example is Miranda Kerr. This fresh faced beauty exemplifies summer beauty. 

Hope you all have a pleasant bank holiday, and with another day off at the end of the month, summer is just that little bit more pleasant.

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”   Confucius

Back to Basics: Hair growth tips

This post is dedicated to all the folks that cut their hair significantly short, and are trying to grow it back. I am talking from experience! So here are some best tips for faster hair growth. 

Diet

Eat a balanced amount of protein daily 

Hair is mainly composed of keratin, a protein made from amino acids. By consuming protein, you are providing your body with the "building blocks" for your hair. Healthy protein sources include lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and soy products. 

Don't completely cut out fat 

By fat, I mean unsaturated fats and fatty acids such as omega 3. These fats are important for as they help your body to process essential vitamins needed for hair growth such as vitamin A, D, E and K.

Vitamins 

As well as the vitamins outlined above, Vitamin C is also responsible for hair growth. Vitamin C deficiency can cause dry, dull and weak hair that is prone to breakage. Vitamin C is used to make collagen, a fiber that is essential for the production of new hair cells. As well as citrus fruits, Vitamin C can be found in strawberries, broccoli, guava and peppers. 

Iron and Zinc 

Iron is also found in the above mentioned protein sources, and is essential for hair growth, as it supports your red blood cells to provide oxygen to your cells, including your hair follicles.

Zinc helps with growth and repair of your hair, and also keeps the oil glands around your hair follicles working as they should. Zinc can be found in peanut butter, oysters, crab, poultry, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas.

If you have a Zinc or an Iron deficiency, you may need health supplements. Seek advise from a health professional before taking any steps. 

Psychological

Promote growth by minimising stress

Easier said than done, I know! But simple things like eating well, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep can help to reduce general physical stress levels. Intense stress or emotional stress can cause hair growth to slow down or even stop. Hair loss can be found in sever cases. 

By learning how to effectively manage emotional stress, you are doing yourself as well as your hair a favour. Removing emotional and psychological can help give your body the environment it needs to produce health and rapid hair growth.  

Health

Medical condition

It is possible that your hair growth rate can be affected by a medical problem. Prolonged illnesses, eating disorders, prescription medication, genetic or family history can be an underlying problem. Consult a physician before beginning any hair growth regimes. It could be that targeting an underlying medical condition is all you need to restore your hair growth rate. 

Hormonal imbalances can also affect hair growth. Balancing hormonal changes due to menopause, change in birth control use, thyroid or testosterone levels can restore hair growth. 

Styling

Avoid 

• Excessive combing or brushing - this will cause premature hair fall out 
• Chemicals - perming, bleaching, chemical straightening and repeatedly colouring hair
• Rubber bands - these will cause hair to break, use gentle hair bands that do not contain any metal binds. 
• Excessive washing - it is recommended to wash your hair up to 4 times a week. No more! This will avoid the natural oils being stripped away.

 

Do 

• Follow proper hair hygiene and choose products carefully.
• Use oils such as coconut, almond and olive oil on your hair. 
• Trim your hair every 6-10 weeks - this won't promote hair growth but will avoid split ends travelling up the hair.

Be Patient 

Even by doing everything outlined in this post, it will take about 6 months before any change can be seen. As well as doing good for your hair, you are benefitting your health and general well being by following these guidelines. 

I hope this advice helped, I know I'm eager to have long hair again. 

Stay blessed, Peace!

Review: Diorshow Blackout Mascara

We all hear about certain products in the beauty market, and wonder whether its worth purchasing, especially with products that are difficult to try out. 

I had the same dilemma with my recent buy - Diorshow blackout mascara by Dior. I've always owned drugstore branded mascara's, but after hearing raving reviews about this particular mascara, I thought its about time I invested in this bad boy!

So looking at the packaging, its a nice sleek design, with your Dior stamped logo printed all around. 

Dior has many types of mascaras. I chose Diorshow Blackout because it contains Kohl, so that the mascara is very pigmented, and because of the brush. 

As you can see. The brush is like your classic mascara brush. I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the brush. For my lashes (thin and fairly long) this is great for adding volume and length, as the larger bristles "snuggle" my lashes. 

However, for my lashes I would have preferred a drier formulation. Its not too wet, and not too dry. The wetter the formulation, the heavier the mascara, and your lashes are weighed down. If you have thin lashes like me, I would advise you to curl your lashes before applying the mascara. This product is really good at holding a curl. 

What I love about this mascara, is that I can wear it alone without any eyeliner to intensify my lash line. 

Diorshow Blackout is priced at approx. £23.00 in the UK. It certainly is a luxury price to pay for mascara, especially if you don't use mascara often. It is advised that mascaras (once opened) should be used for 6 months. This is to avoid eye infections and the mascara drying up. 

I hope this review was helpful and there will be plenty more where this came from! Stay blessed, peace!!