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Hello Beautiful Diamonds,

Sorry it has been a while; I have been busy with my new business and getting my house ready for selling. Wish me luck…….

So on to Brows….

If you are like me, you have probably tried so many brow pencils, dips, powder, and gels you could set up shop!

Brows have changed so much through the years. Never has so much care and attention went into caring for your brows.

But brows have always been important.

In Egyptian timed both men and women wore makeup for its supernatural powers. As an homage to the God Horus, heavily lined eyes were the focal point of the face, which meant that eyebrows needed to be equally as prominent. They darkened, arched, and elongated brows by painting on carbon and black oxide substances. Cleopatra was most definitely the pioneer of the bold brow look. The brows shape changed through the ages defining our face and adapting to the trends.

1920s: thin and rounded arches

1930s: strong and arched brows

1940s: full and natural arches

1950s: arched and brushed eyebrows

1960s: short and mod brows

1970s: waxed and arched eyebrows

1980s: thick and natural brows

1990s: skinny brows

2000s: pencil-thin arches

2010s: the natural brow

2020s: the Instagram brow

I think I have found one that I will be sticking with for a while- THE MORPHY SET.

I purchase it about two months ago in Java. *

What you get- £20 Great Value

• Micro Brow Pencil
• Brow Setting Gel in Translucent
• Brow Cream
• M158 Angle Liner/Spoolie Brush
• Highlighter Stick in Oh Brow Baby

The Colours you can buy.

• Macadamia / light blonde with warm undertones – NEW
• Praline / light blonde with cool undertones – NEW
• Biscotti / light taupe with cool undertones
• Hazelnut / taupe with neutral undertones
• Latte / soft brown with cool undertones
• Almond / warm brown with warm undertones
• Mocha / rich brown with warm undertones
• Cold Brew / brown with neutral undertones – NEW
• Java / deep brown with neutral undertones *
• Chocolate Mousse / soft black with neutral undertones

I am loving every product in the set, start by brushing the brows in the direction of the hair growth with the spoolie (Brush that looks like a mascara wand). It is a great brush, having the spoolie and the angle brush together is perfect. The spoolie catches all the hairs and brushes through your brows easily. The angle end is the perfect shape and size to work with(M158), It is great for applying your liquid/gel eye liners too. 

Then use the Micro Brow Pencil to create a defining line for the bottom of the brow. The pencil is nice and fine so it a natural definition and not a hard thick false looking brow, and it does not drag on the skin like some pencils do, it also stays put which is a must! Continue building definition with hair-like strokes to create shape.

Now lightly apply Brow Cream using the angled brush to fill in and define the shape, the cream is smooth and glides on, and the is no crumbling and again it stays on. Starting at the head of the brow. Create strokes that mimic the natural growth pattern of the hair. Create downward strokes at the top of the brow to create a fullness.

The Highlighter Stick is the next step to Define underneath the brow to create a nice sharp, clean line. I just use the pencil under the brow, then blend with my concealer brush, it blends well. The finish by applying the clear Brow Setting gel and your ready to rock those brows.

Quick Tip

I have to say I have been conditioning my brow with Caster oil (Heritage store)every night after applying my eye cream (Hanzz and Heidii) for the last two months and I can see and feel the difference, my skin under my brows isn’t dry and my brows look and feel healthier and fuller.

Love your brows…..

Love Helena XxX

Morphe | Micro Brow Pencil | Cult Beauty

Hanzz and Heidii Eye cream-@Helenam22 | Linktree

Heritage Store | Castor Oil | Cult Beauty | Cult Beauty

Hi Beautiful Diamonds,

As you know I love lipstick, it is just the best! You can tailor it to your outfit, it can make you smile and feel pretty when your sad and its normally with you for all those special moments.

So, I have been trying Natalie Grace cosmetics and I am not disappointed.

What Natalie says-

I created this brand not just because I love makeup, but I love how it makes woman feel. Knowing on your wedding day your wearing “I do” or “Every After”, Every day you are wearing my products and they make you feel pretty and ready for the day ahead. Do not let anyone stop you from being the best version of you.

                      Love Natalie

How inspiring is that! Natalie is a successful Bridal Make up Artist who has been helping woman celebrate the special day for over 6 years. Your wedding day is especially important, and you want to look and feel your most beautiful self, and this range will certainly help you do that.

I purchase the trio and saved 10% (£35.10) it arrived beautifully packaged , with a handwritten note inside, such attention to detail was a beautiful touch. The product packaging is a beautiful pearl white box with gold writing, a touch of luxury at an affordable price.

• 

The lipstick “KISS THE BRIDE” (£16) 4g

It is a medium toned matte, but creamy lipstick, it is a perfect blend of warm pink with a hint of peach, it is a great colour for most skin tones. It is infused with Shea butter which keeps your lips soft and hydrated, it is also enriched with mineral oil to protect against dehydration. It glides on effortlessly and your lips instantly feel soothed and nourished. The colour looks so good on, I will definitely be trying out more colours in the range. I love that it has a little mirror on the top so if you are like me and you sometimes you keep lipstick in your bra, you can re-apply anywhere. It also has a perfect magnetic click back into place, so you will not lose the lid.

 The pencil “PASSION” (£11) 1g

Passion lip liner is a lovely mauve tone, which will pair with most pink/Mauve tone lipstick or gloss, it is enriched with Vitamin E and is so easy to apply, there is no dragging or pulling of your lips and the colour is impactful straight away, I hate when your excited with a purchase of a lip liner and it either drags/pulls or you wonder where is the colour! This one gives you quality and value.

The Gloss “ROMANCE” (£12) 8g

Romance gloss is a high shine shimmery warm pink with a hint of peach, enriched with Shea butter and beautiful scent of vanilla, gives the smoothest application with no streaking and is not sticky. Love that! The gloss also has the cuties little gold mirror on the lid, a lovely finishing touch to an already beautifully packaged product.

Colour swatches-

• 

Natalie has done an amazing job in creating this range, you can tell it has been designed with love, passion, and the desire to help you look and feel wonderful. So, if you’re a bride looking for that perfect colour for your big day or you’re looking for a new luxurious lipstick range at a great price, then give Natalie Grace Cosmetics a try.

Shine like a Diamond,

Love Helena XxX

Natalie Grace Cosmetics. Inspired by Real Brides.

Hi Beautiful Diamonds,

The NYX Honey Dew Me Up primer retails at £15, which is a little more expensive than other drugstore options; but affordable. Its 22ml glass jar and comes with a spatula for application, which is useful, but I would prefer a pump action. The primer consistency is like a sticky gel formula, it has a lovely golden colour with little light-reflective flakes; enriched with honey and collagen. It has a sweet but fresh scent.

  What NYX have to say about this primer:

“Perfect as a primer, the formula also neutralises the appearance of discolouration and redness. Thanks to collagen, tiny, suspended gold flakes and honey extract, the sublimely textured primer imparts much-needed moisture and helps to firm skin, fighting unwanted signs of ageing.”

I have mature combination skin and it left my skin smooth, hydrated but slightly tacky, not a feeling I used to on my skin, but I understand their reasoning behind it.

The Honey Dew Me Up primer did create a smooth cooling base for my foundation. It does keep my makeup in place, but I was disappointed the gold speckles did not show up at all when applied, I was so excited to try it based on the gold fleck, I thought it would give my skin a glass effect but sadly no. My skin did not glow or have a sheen to it and there was not a reduction in redness, but I am not highly coloured anyway. but my skin did feel hydrated and smooth and comfortable so I would say it is a good, effective primer, and worth a try.

I do like how hydrating this primer is, and I would recommend it for both dry and combination skin types – although dry skin will would like this more. To sum up, Honey Dew Me Up gets a 7/10 Whilst it does not live up to all its claims of ‘glowing, discolouration-free skin’, it is still a reliable primer that makes your skin feel smooth and hydrated.

Happy Priming Diamonds

Love Helena XxX

Link to product                             

NYX Professional Makeup| Honey Dew Me Up Primer | Cult Beauty

Victorians did not like the sun. I can’t understand that! They were not the only ones in Greek and Roman times, women whitened their skin with lead paint and chalk to a literally deathly pallor and Elizabethan ladies painted on blue veins to affect translucent skin. WHY!

It wasn’t until Ms Coco Chanel skipped off a yacht, sporting a beautiful, bronzed skin in early 1920’s, It definitely wasn’t intentional, but then being tanned was suddenly ‘the ‘in’ thing’.

By the mid-1920s, Factory and mine workers did not have the money to sun themselves on a fancy holiday, so it was only the wealthy who had a suntan.

 Aside from being fashionable, the notice realised how incredibly sliming and flattering it was to be beautiful golden caramel colour.

From the thirties onwards, tanning entered the mainstream, then with the arrival of the first bikinis in the fifties, came the first (near) all-over tan.

The first self-tanning products appeared in the 1960’sand gained popularity because Government health authorities confirmed the links to UV exposure and skin cancer.

At the time it was just a brown dye, nowhere near the sophisticated formulas we use today. A consistent tan became a possibility for those who could not afford to winter in the Caribbean. Some women even used tea bags to tint the skin, the first fake tan product hit the market as “Man Tan”. During World war II.

The early spray and rub on tanners had an off colour which made you look tangoed and the smell was ridiculous, and they did not have conditioners and used an unnatural form of DHA, so you ended up looking like a well-done piece of streaky bacon and smelled like old biscuits!

But theses day that has been resolved, a good job as the market is worth over a billion globally. Today they profile you with a natural glow to a deep chocolate tan and the DHA is derived from plant sources.

Just having a great self-tan is not enough on its own, you must take care of your skin, making sure its hydrated and exfoliated so you get an even long-lasting colour, this will also help your colour fade evenly. Avoid products with heavy oils in them as it can loosen the tan leading to patchiness.

To exfoliate I have been using Clarins body scrub (£30), it contains natural bamboo powders and a hint of ginger, so your skin is smooth and fresh, and to moisturiser I have been using is Bondi sands comes in 500mls bottle with a pump (£9). It has a beautiful coconut scent enriched with Jojoba and vitamin E, it also has antioxidant protection which shields the skin from environmental assaults and leaves my skin hydrated and radiant.

Once my skin is prepared, I put on my gloves and use a GAIYAH self-Tanning mitt (£6), it has an Anti-slip wrist which I love because your glove does not fly off halfway through!!Also remember to shave the day before, this will help your tan last longer.

I normally start at my ankles with my Bondi sand liquid gold (£15) I find this tanner gives me a lovely natural colour, I have tried many over the years and find the colour just was not right on my skin, when I used fake bake, I felt I looked a tinge green, not a good look! Anyway, I work my way up making sure it is even, I get Peter to do my back but if he is not around, I use a back applicator from GAIYAH (£8), missing out my feet, hands and face as I use a Kabuki brush (£7) for those areas. The brush gives a nice even look.

On my face I did use Lancôme Flash gel bronzer (£27.50) which has a lovely texture, leaving my skin golden but sadly Its discontinued. But over the past month I have moved on to Bondi Pure face mist, its lightweight mist is enriched with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and E and is 100% recyclable. I just close my eyes and spray evenly over my face, then blend with my brush. Leave overnight and shower off in the morning. I normally top up my face, neck and hands after 3 days to keep it looking fresh.

Happy Tanning

Helena

Links to products – Asterisks are affiliated links, these help with running costs of the Blog

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 Mascara can be documented in ancient Egypt. Records from around 4000 BC refer to a substance called Kohl that was used to darken eyelashes, eyelids, and eyebrows. Kohl was used to mask the eyes, believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the soul, by both men and women. Often composed of galena; malachite; and charcoal or soot. They added honey and so the kohl would not run. Through Egypt’s influence, kohl usage persisted in the subsequent Babylonian, Greek and Roman empires. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, kohl fell into disuse on the European continent, where it had been considered solely a cosmetic; conversely, it continued to be widely used in the Middle East for religious purposes.

During the Victorian era, social opinion shifted radically towards the promotion of cosmetics, and women were known to spend most of their day occupied with beauty regimens. Great efforts were made to create the illusion of long, dark eyelashes. Attempting this, Victorian women made a type of mascara in their own homes. They would heat a mixture of ash and elderberry juice on a plate and apply the heated mixture to their eyelashes.

The Mascara that we know today, did not develop until the 19th century. A chemist named Eugene Rimmel developed a cosmetic using the newly invented petroleum jelly. The name Rimmel became synonymous with the substance and still translates to “mascara” in the Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Romanian, and Persian languages today.

Across the Atlantic Ocean and at roughly the same time, in 1915, Thomas Lyle Williams created a similar substance for his sister Mabel. In 1917 he started a mail-order business from the product that grew to become the company Maybelline.

The mascara consisted of petroleum jelly and coal in a set ratio. It does not sound like something I would like to use it sound as if it would have been messy, I am glad the modern formula has changed.

Mascara is a true wonder if you have the right formula. It adds volume and length to the individual lashes, whist darkening the colour of the lashes, which draws attention to the eyes and creates definition.

There is different type of mascara-

• Tubing mascaras are the smudge-free formula, while most products cover a lash in pigment, these wrap a load of micro-fibres (or polymers) around them, forming a ‘tube’ of mascara around your lashes, this is good for short, thin sparse lashes. My favourite tubing mascara is Better than sex by Too faced this so amazing, the formula thickens, lengthens, and curls after just one coat for the most luscious, dramatic, and volumized lashes possible.
• Curling mascara is great for stick-straight lashes. Clinique High Impacted mascara can hold the curl for at least 8 hours, it lifts and gives great volume with its curved wand.
• Waterproof mascara is best for People with watery eyes or going to the gym or a wedding. Again, I like Too faced better than sex waterproof mascara, it does everything the original does, and is waterproof.
• Volumizing is amazing for sparse, thin lashes. Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils, makes your lashes look full but not clumpy, it does not flake or crumble and its non-drying, give false lash effect.

Mascara can change your look with a coat! You just pull the wand through your lashes and they are transformed into full vibrant lashes to take on the day!

It is good to prep your lashes as it conditions and boost the benefits of any mascara, I am trying Maybelline lash sensational, also if you are using your eye lash curlers, do it before you apply the mascara, or it can get messy. Do not use anyone else’s mascara because you can transfer bacteria and cause problems for your eyes and try to change it every 3 months. A big mistake that people often make is to pump their mascara-Nooooo, !!!! please do not as it pushes air into the tube causing it to clump and flake faster, so try to gently twist the wand back and forth to pick up the amount you want. Mascara is a wonder product that you do not want to live without. And like lipstick has its on Holiday, its 19^th of February 2021!

Happy Lashing

Helena

Links to Products- Asterisks are affiliated links, these help with the running costs of the Blog

Too Faced | Better Than Sex Mascara | Cult Beauty

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara 8g – LOOKFANTASTIC

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There is so much chat about skin these days, but do you know your skin type?

Skin has a natural protective barrier, which keeps bacteria and harmful substances from entering the body, while limiting water loss and preventing dehydration.

This process keeps skin healthy and moisturised, maintaining its elasticity and firmness.

Your skin type can vary greatly during the course your life.

There are many internal and external factors that determine its condition include climate and pollution, medication, stress, lack of sleep, hereditary factors that influence the levels of sebum, sweat and natural moisturising factors that your skin produces as well as the products that you use and the skincare choices that you make.

Skincare products should be selected to match skin type and address skin condition. So, it is good to be able to understand your skin.

Normal Skin

 Well-balanced skin. The T-zone (forehead, chin and nose) may be bit oily, but overall sebum and moisture is balanced, and the skin is neither too oily nor too dry. fine pores with good blood circulation and has soft, smooth texture with no blemishes and is not prone to sensitivity. Taking care of normal skin is just as important to maintain skins health.

Dry Skin

Produces less sebum than normal skin. As a result of the lack of sebum, the skin lacks the lipids that it needs to retain moisture and build a protective shield against external influences. flakiness in patches a rough and blotchy appearance (sometimes it appears to be prematurely aged) a feeling of tightness possible itchiness.

With a direct connection between the gut and skin health, increasing your daily intake of fats may help with dry skin. Try eating a diet rich in fatty fish, olive oil, and avocados along with a good skin care routine. Do not overdo it with alcohol, caffeine, and coffee as they are diuretics that will cause dehydration. Remember to drink lots of water.”

Oily Skin

 Is used to describe a skin type with heightened sebum production. An over production is known as seborrhoea. Genetics hormonal changes and imbalances medication stress comedogenic cosmetics (make-up products that cause irritation). It may seem like a good idea to use products that dry out your skin, but in the long term that is not a good idea as they stimulate the production of more oil Products which cause your skin to tingle or that contain alcohol should also be avoided. Tingling means irritation and that is never good. It is important to be gentle, a Ph balanced foam cleanser morning, night and after exercise with an oil free moisturiser will help keep the skin healthy. Cutting down on alcohol will help, too much can damage the blood vessels and cause blood vessels and oil glands to enlarge, which will cause pores to also enlarge. Regular exercise and stay hydrated.

Combination skin

Combination skin is, as the name suggests, skin that consists of a mix of skin types. Genetics hormonal changes and imbalances, medication, stress, comedogenic cosmetics (make-up products that cause irritation)

Sensitive skin

 Can exhibit the characteristics of dry skin, oily skin, or combination skin, but they also deal with a great amount of redness and irritation. Normal skin types may also have sensitive skin, but these generally do not overlap. Sensitive skin types can be caused by skin conditions like rosacea or allergies, so it is best to avoid harsh chemical-based skincare treatments. This skin type is also easily inflamed, so it is important to choose the right natural skin care for sensitive skin to avoid any adverse reactions.

This is my third lock down! And this one has changed my mindset, instead of watching Netflix, feeling bored and fed up!

It took the time to think about my health and fitness, maybe it was the fact I was turning 50 in four months! So, a change was needed, I decide to stop drinking through January and do a 5-day detox called the white box by WOO Nutrition. I have never used anything like this before so did not know what to expect!

The white box (Vegan-lactose free) arrived, inside the box contained the 5-day nutritional program for metabolism-efficient weight loss with the daily requirements of vitamins, protein, fats and carbohydrates that our body need, there was also a Nutritional plan included plus a few vegan recipe suggestions.

It also has a few tips-30 minutes of exercise but not to overdo it, drink between 2/3 litres of water per day and no more then 3 cups of coffee! ARRH, I normally drink around 5 per day.

The first two days you start with Liquid Energy 75mls, it has a lovely blackcurrant flavour containing a complex carbohydrate, fruit extracts, astaxanthin and micronutrients to kick start your day!

Then mix your Walnut-Maple syrup flavour protein powder with water. The powder contains pea protein, rice protein, pumpkin seed protein and flavouring. I was not looking forward to this one, but It was quite nice and filling; I took me a while to finish it. (I did have a black coffee too)

Around mid-morning I had the next step-Woo metabolic, I must say, my favourite of the day, as it has a lovely berry flavour, it has 13 natural vitamins, fruit powders and plant extracts, it really gives you a boost of energy. I need this energy my life every day!

So, for lunch, we had roast vegetable with chicken, it is advised not to have potatoes or corn. In the afternoon you have a reset-Wild berry flavoured food supplement with amino acids, vitamins and minerals, I mixed it in some water about 250mls.You must have another reset before bedtime too.

For dinner we had a vegetable stir fry with prawns, two spoons of olive oil. We went for a 30-minute walk and I must say our energy was good, and we were not “hangry” at all, which was pleasant surprise.

Day 3 was a fast day so that was a little bit tougher, Fasting is not something we had ever done before! So, for breakfast we had 1 liquid energy /protein powder, the morning went well, we went for a walk, so far so good, mid-morning we had a metabolic to boost our energy, so we were not feeling too much strain, which was amazing and surprising as we did expect to be very hungry and irritated.

 For lunch, it was a repeat of breakfast, then in afternoon and bedtime was 1x Woo reset, for dinner we had a cup of blue berries with a protein powder. It was strange not having any meals. Waking up on day 4 we felt great, cleansed and energetic. Ready to take on the day 4/5which is a repeat of the first two days, just increasing our water intake.

Day 5/6 we ate normally but healthily with no sugar or alcohol and drinking plenty of water. Good news is I lost 2 kilos (4.4pounds) which I am delighted by, but we felt great which is the main thing, I will be doing it again, I think I would be great to do at the change of season or a couple of times a year to detox and reset my metabolism.

Here’s to continuing my journey!

Want to find out more- https://linktr.ee/Helenam22

It’s never too late to look after yourself and its never too late to eat healthily, and get plenty of rest, to exercise regularly and look after your skin.

you will be amazed at how quickly your skin and body can rejuvenate.