10 days perfect skin routine tips for Valentine's Day romance

Perfect skin in 10 days for Valentine's Day romance

Winter lasted for so long that a thought of upcoming Valentine’s Day fills us with happiness. It’s time when many think of romance. Whether you plan to spend the day with someone special or make plans for yourself, you will like to have a sexy skin for Valentine’s Day. There are just a few steps to perfect skin and you can make it on time for that perfect day!

Face

• Every day routine (morning and night) includes cleansing, toning, using non-abrasive exfoliation (daily scrubs or tri-enzyme wash), toning again, serum or oil (oil preferably at night), and moisturising. We won’t go into more depths of the daily routine but today we'll focus on the tips for any imperfections.

Tips that can help to boost your routine and make your skin look glowing!

• Exfoliate:

Twice weekly use a face scrub to take off any dead skin and impurities that make your skin look dull and unhealthy, and may create spots. Use scrub that best suits your skin type. One of our favourites is Gentle Face Exfoliator by Liz Earle. Smells fantastically fresh! Keep exfoliating and you’ll see the amazing results in your skin!

• Masks:

We’ve never believed in the power of facial masks until we used one! Facial masks can make wonders and are able to take years off your skin! Choose a mask that is suitable for your skin type (combination/oily skin – purifying mask, dry skin – moisturising, mature skin – lifting, ect.). The results will give you a beautiful look and the more you use masks the better the results.

If you have Elemis’ Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Mask, use it for 10 days as a night cream and your skin will be lifted, plumped and beautiful with fine lines reduced! For misbehaving skin, like ours, use a clay mask (our fav is Decleor’s Instant Purifying Mask) every night but only on the spot area. The spot is gone (or diminished) in the morning and you’re ready to face the world again!

Body

• Exfoliate:

Your body, as your face, needs exfoliating, as well. Use body scrub (which is harsher than a face one) twice or even three times a week during your shower. That will help your body to shed the dead skin and bring out the healthy look.

• Moisturise:

A good body lotion is another tool in your arsenal to moisturize the skin and give it a plump, smooth texture. There are a number of quality lotions on the market. The one we use at present is L’Occitane’s Shea Body Lotion, which fabulously moisturises the skin.Apply your cream or lotion to slightly damp skin and it will help lock in the moisture and make your skin silky smooth ready for the loving touch.

Enjoy your sexy skin on Valentine’s Day and every day afterwards! Stay Beautiful!

Stace & Mags xx

5 February, 2010

Winter-proof your skin!

Winter-proof your skin!

Harsh winds and freezing temperatures can only signal one thing - dry, flaky, chapped-skin season. At Beautiful You we don't allow the cold weather to chap and chafe you. Below are our winter skin survival secrets :

1. Swap your lotion or foaming cleanser with a creamy, richer cleanser that will help nourish and balance your skin. During the winter months I use the luxurious creamy Pro-Radiance Cleanser by Elemis. Its rich consistency leaves my skin supple and clean, ready for another step.

2. Exfoliation will buff away the dead cells that might otherwise dull the complexion. It also stimulates cell production. Don't overdo it, though. Over-enthusiastic scrubbing can undermine the skin's barrier function. I tend to exfoliate twice weekly; however, in the winter months, I like to use the Tri-enzyme Facial Wash, which enhances the non-abrasive exfoliation process and replenishes moisture.

3. Layer your skin with hydrating serum or oil under your moisturiser. That will allow the moisture to penetrate deep into the cells, nourishing the skin.

4. Don't let the winter gloom deceive you! Even though you can't see or feel the rays of sunshine on your skin, the UV rays that can cause lines and wrinkles are in the atmosphere all year long. If you are concerned about premature ageing, invest in a sunscreen or UV filter that you can layer on top of your moisturiser. Remember, for better protection re-apply during the day.

5. Central heating in your home or office is also causing your skin to feel dehydrated. You can counteract the drying effects by placing a bowl of water near the radiator to put more moisture back into the air.

6. Remember about your lips! During the cold months not only your skin suffers. Lips also need looking after to ensure they stay super-smooth. To de-flake dry lips, massage with a gentle exfoliator than rinse off. Put on a good lip balm morning and night, and keep that routine every day to avoid the horrible look of chapped and sore lips that often misrepresent these cold but beautiful winter months.

We're hoping that the above tips are going to help you survive the remaining winter months. Remember to be positive and stay beautiful!

Stace & Mags X

1st February 2010

Feet First

Feet First

We're not getting our feet out to put in Christmas party shoes, and we're not getting them ready for the beach, so why are we talking about pedicures in January? Well at Beautyu we think beauty should be about how you feel, and nothing makes you feel more beautiful than pampered feet! So here is out step by step guide to the at home pedicure.

1. Soak your feet in lukewarm water for twenty minutes. I tend to add my fave bath milk to the water. At the moment I just love Elemis skin nourishing milk bath.

2. Next use a foot scrub to massage away rough skin. Liz Earle foot scrub is perfect for this and leaves a lovely peppermint smell.

3. Towel dry the feet and use a foot file to smooth away any dead skin.

4. Cut the toe nails and file the nails straight across to get rid of any jagged edges.

5. Using toe separators, paint the colour of your choice in strokes away from your body over your toe nails, careful not to apply too much. Leave to dry and repeat. For my manicure I have chosen to use OPI Bogota Blackberry. Pick your favourite colour on the OPI website.

6. Final step once the nails are dry is to smother your feet in foot cream and place a special pair of moisturising socks on to ensure feet are soft and smooth. Two of my favourite creams are OPI callus softener and Liz Earle foot repair cream.

Your feet are now gorgeous and ready to go...no where! It makes us feel beautiful by pampering our feet and having lovely colours neatly painted on our toe nails. Try it, it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face this January!

Remember, you can view all our old posts by going to Seasons, and selecting the season for the post you want to see.

Stay Beautiful!

Stace & Mags x