Oh No She Didn’t....

I believe being able to apply make-up is an art...an art many women despite many years of practice still lack.

I find it incredibly hard to concentrate on what women say when they have lipstick smudged across their faces, mascara clumped onto their eyelashes, brows stencilled in like a drag queen and eye shadow washed across the entire eye-socket!

It is even more frustrating when I see incorrect make-up application by women on my commutes....I sometimes just want to take their brushes and say... ’no no ....not like that darling...stop!’

Get it together....please?!

Aloe Vera Gel with Tea Tree

Ever since my chemical peel I have been warned to stay away from every product except a gentle cleanser (only recommended after 48 hours) and plenty of moisturiser.

I decided on Aloe Pura’s Organic Aloe Vera Gel with Tea Tree, mostly because it was a ‘greener’ and more organic option as I didn’t want to irritate my skin any more after the peel; and also as it contained Tea tree and so could prevent any ‘beasties’ from popping up, which are common after peels as the skin decides to purge!

I apply it after cleansing morning and evening; so far I quite like it and haven’t experienced a great deal of flaking (again a common side effect of chemical peels). I would certainly recommend it to people with oily and acne prone skin as it is a gel formulation and won’t leave your face looking like a wet oil slick like most other moisturisers.

So far so good.

Combined Skin Peels and Microdermabrasion – Pasha Clinic

I recently purchased a Groupon Deal for six combined chemical peels and microdermabrasion at the Pasha clinic.

Considering I was a novice to Groupon I instantly committed to the deal as I thought it was good value for money. Ideally what I should have done is Google the clinic first and checked out reviews and feedback from previous customers, however stupidly I decided to do this after purchasing the deal! Unfortunately for the clinic most of the reviews out there seemed to be negative leaving me crushed and thinking ‘oh dear....what have I done!’

All in all I went ahead and had my first treatment; despite the fact that I was anticipating the worst it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The aesthetician was very nice, and the procedure wasn’t that scary. Considering it was my first chemical skin peel I was extremely nervous as I didn’t want acid burns to add to my acne scarring... double whammy!

In actual fact it felt more like an intense session of Microdermabrasion, however the jury is still out on the clinic...five more treatments to go!

1^st Treatment: Microdermabrasion followed by 20% Glycolic acid for 2 minutes.

There’s always one...

I have recently noticed that there is always one person in any given office whose mouthpiece is actually a human megaphone.....why talk so loud??? I did not need to know nor care about the fact that you need the toilet or are planning on making tea after!

NB: & yes it is more likely to be a woman!

Tesco Expanding into the Beauty Market (unfortunately)

Tesco have recently announced plans to enter the beauty market by creating in-store salons offering services such as threading and manicures. Personally I can’t say I’m thrilled about this, as I prefer to spend as much less time as possible at the ‘supermarket’. Furthermore going to a salon/spa is supposed to be a relaxing treat where one feels pampered and I don’t think I would be able to feel that after loading my trolley with groceries. Also I think this move will add pressure on independent salons and spas within communities already struggling in these economic times.

http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=215304

Homemade Sushi

My first attempt at making sushi....needs more practise me thinks!

First Day

Today was the first day of my new internship....no lengthy ‘health and safety’ induction!  Thank god...those things bore me to death!

Face-Off

Typical office blooper! I arrived home to discover that I had board pen doodled across my face making me look like a toddlers artistic impression of the ‘joker’!

When these things happen your immediately reaction apart from ‘omg’ is ‘how long has it been there??’, ‘why did no-one say anything!??’ and ‘oh no, I hope I didn’t give that presentation with this crap on my face!!’

So much for being taken seriously.

PS: What is the best way of telling someone they look like a twat?!

YesStyle: More like NO No and nooooo!

Yesstyle.com is an online retailer of Asian apparel, jewellery, accessories etc etc... and highlights every season's fashion style from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.

However I am growing increasingly disappointed with the quality of my purchases, as by comparison Primark seems to offer much better quality especially for the price.

The only positive going for YesStyle at the moment is the range of Anna Sui products.

Tales from the Underground

I’m sure I’m not the first person to have ever had a wet, sweaty, hairy armpit in their face whilst packed on the tube, nonetheless I do wish certain commuters would actually pay attention to their personal hygiene; especially since the chances of you coming into close contact with other members of the public are greatly increased during rush hour....the winning formula of soap and deodorant will never fail you!

Amen,

I am a sincere believer in actually looking into the mirror and doing a 360 before walking out of the front door!

IT Anger!

Having tried for the past few days I can’t quite figure out how to make the font size on all of these posts the same! Ergh..

The one thing i hate the most is needing a magnifying glass just to read something on screen!

High Street Blues: A Lack of Individuality

I’m feeling a little irritated by the amount and extent of copycat versions of the Proenza Schouler PS1 satchel bag. Everywhere I seem to go I catch a glimpse of a ripped off version!

The high street is really starting to become the last place I look when it comes to making a fashionable purchase; and it’s no reason why the catwalk is now leading more and more to the courtroom!

Tiger Balm and mosquito bites

On my travels in Thailand I met a Kiwi couple who suggested that the best treatment for mosquito bites was Tiger Balm....although sceptical at first I have to admit that it does actually work.

The rainy season meant a lot of biting.... and so I was left with little choice as bites plus sunburn was not a pleasurable combination! Most of the bites were concentrated on my feet and I found myself sneaking off just to be able to steal a scratch!

In short the stuff is totally awesome!

Learning to drive.....at 24!

I never realised how important learning to drive was until now!

Nearly every recruitment consultant seems to ask and I always give the same reply; ‘studying in London, meant that I never needed to know how to drive’.

The tube isn’t perfect but it does the job! Besides London is one of the last places I would want to drive, irrespective of congestion charging and problematic parking ..... I’m actually deeply intimated by cabbies and the white van man!

Microdermabrasion: It doesn't hurt!

So, a while back I decided to have three sessions of microdermabrasion at the Renew Medica clinic in Hampstead.

Microdermabrasion is a deep exfoliating treatment that consists of a hand-held device propelling a controlled and high-speed flow of fine aluminium oxide crystals onto the skin to remove the outer layer. At the same time, the machine's vacuum system sucks away dirt, dead cells and used crystals. This action aids to regenerate, repair and gradually correct blemishes on the skin, giving a uniform appearance, firmness and glow. Essentially it is a great way of super-cleansing the pores to refine skin texture and boost production of fresh cells and collagen.

My treatment consisted of my face first being cleansed, followed by microdermabrasion and ending with an extremely relaxing clay face mask. The treatment was not at all painful and the only sensation was of a slight sucking and pulling on the skin. The procedure required no downtime and I wasn’t left red raw either!

The effects were very much noticeable after the first treatment; however I still felt a little congested as it didn’t seem to remove all of my blackheads as I had anticipated. I would summarise my results at the end of three sessions as being more refined skin, more glow as well as slight resurfacing and improved texture.

Furthermore it is important to note that microdermabrasion it is suitable for all skins types, ages and colours, especially as chemical exfoliation is not recommended for darker skin tones.

My most important things to remember if you plan on a course of treatments:

1. Have the same aesthetician each time

2. Ask for the intensity to be increased each time

3. Use a high factor SPF cream

4. Invest in a serum to enhance results.

Job Hunting: Becoming a professional interview-ee!

Is it just me or are simple interviews no longer existent! As a recent graduate I’ve noticed that most of the interviews I have been attending are like 5 hour long seminars whereby candidates are expected to complete all sort of cringe worthy tasks.

One of the worst was a ‘connections’ session with all the candidates whereby each of us had to mingle in the tiny room in groups and see who made the most connections with any the other ...Ugh!

A great ice-breaker if you’re attending some sort of twisted speed-dating event....but at an interview...NO!

A recruitment consultant also told me that I need to prepare for another interview I’m going for....it last 3 hours! and involves me preparing a 10 minute slide-show presentation about why I want the jobs as well as completing a test....this recession is really sucking!

Winter Skin: Dr Organics Organic Vitamin E Pure Oil Complex

My skin has been incredibly dry over the past few weeks especially over the multiple ‘snow’ weeks so I went ahead and bought Dr Organics Organic Vitamin E Pure Oil Complex from Holland & Barrett.

The ingredients list looks pretty kosher as is contains a combination of Rose, Rosehip and Jojoba oil all of which are incredibly good for skin regeneration as well as being incredibly moisturising. The texture is incredibly light and is absorbed into the skin well leaving a sheer glow. The scent is also delicately fragranced and non-irritating to the eyes.

I have been using a few drops massaged into my face at night after cleansing, but it can easily be used during the day as part of a morning routine. I have also massaged some onto my feet and popped on some socks before bed and waking up with wonderfully soft toes!

Dr Organics Organic Vitamin E Pure Oil Complex is suitable for vegetarians and vegans furthermore the whole Dr Organics line is against animal testing, double bonus!