As always, the Professional Beauty show 2010 held at the Manchester Central didn’t disappoint. Here are a few of my personal highlights:

Dermalogica

Skin health professionals Dermalogica by far had the most amazing stand at this years Professional Beauty show. They were offering people the chance to take part in their new ‘skin mapping’ service which involved a five minute appointment with a qualified dermatologist. My face was analysed zone by zone on swanky new ipads believe it or not and it turns out i have comedones, dilated capillaries, and slight dehydration, none of which i realised i had. I was then given free samples of five different products that she felt would help my skin not to mention all the information i could ever need on these problem areas which was emailed straight across to me for future reference.

Something else i found quite interesting is that Chinese diagnosis, one of the philosophies behind face mapping is based on the belief that the skin provides an outside view into the body’s internal health. For example, having breakouts in zone 12 (the chin) could indicate hormonal imbalance possibly caused by stress. By far, the best five minutes i have spent in a long while.

He-Shi

Now until today i had never heard of this self tan range from Ireland, but I’m glad i found it. I had a complementary spray tan with one of their lovely beauty therapists and was completely surprised at how quickly this product dries. I was literally able to get dressed straight after the tan was applied, it didn’t smell awful AND i didn’t have to spend the rest of my time at the show feeling wet and looking like i had rolled in mud! It was so light on the skin and developed into a gorgeous golden brown colour that i am more than impressed with.

He-Shi launched in Ireland in 2004 and is rapidly becoming the number one product in professional tanning. Make sure you look out for this little beauty at a salon near you!!!

White Again – Teeth Whitening Gel

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a White Again teeth whitening home kit that promises results within one day. Available as a 7, 14, and 28 day program, the results are supposed to last up to two years. This non-abrasive gel says it will not harm or weaken my teeth enamel and is used by leading dentists throughout the UK and Europe.

The kit came with a generous bottle of gel and quite a few clear strips that seem less messy and intrusive than many other home teeth whitening kits i have tried in the past. It also had an easy to understand instructions booklet.

Keep checking back as i plan to take some before and after photos and share my progress and thoughts on this product as i use it!!!!

Woods of Windor forget me not body butter

Prolong your tan by keeping your skin moisturised. The drier the skin, the quicker your colour will fade and this gorgeous beeswax based cream is a real treat for the skin. Click here to buy.

Urban Decay Matte eyeshadowNude / flesh coloured shades really complement any tan and this stunning eyeshadow from Urban Decay is pigment rich and easy to blend. Click here to buy!

Go Brown Daily Tan Moisturising Lotion

If your after a bit of extra colour, this daily moisturising lotion with a hint of tan is perfect. It helps to keep skin soft and moisturised whilst adding a gorgeous glow that can be built up gradually to suit you. Click here to buy! ]]> http://warpaintboutique.com/boutiqueblog/archives/288/feed 0 http://warpaintboutique.com/boutiqueblog/archives/284 http://warpaintboutique.com/boutiqueblog/archives/284#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:24:51 +0000 amie http://warpaintboutique.com/boutiqueblog/?p=284

I had such a great day visiting last year that i have decided to visit again for 2010. Professional Beauty Manchester is the UK’s largest health & beauty event outside London attracting trade professionals in the health & beauty market. 

Anyone working within or interested in the beauty industry can expect to see the following:

• The largest selection of UK and International brands in the North.
• Networking opportunities
• Exclusive show only offers
• Free masterclasses from industry leaders
• New product showcases
• Free parking and goody bag

Warpaint is visiting on the Monday so make sure you come and say hi if you see us there.

So the first thing i loved about Bourjois So Laque nail varnish was the shades available. Rose corset is the perfect day colour where as Prune Vinyl is stunning for a night out.  When i used the product the one thing that stood out was the fact it had a fan shaped brush. This allowed the product to glide on quickly and smoothly without leaving clumps or over running the edge of the nail bed which is something i always do when applying nail polish.

I only needed one coat of So Laque and was pleasantly suprised at how intense the colour was. Once the product had dried, the colour was so shiny. This is down to the fact the product is enriched with vinyl which also helps with strength. I was also pleased that even though im forever knocking my nails, i did get a full 5-6 days wear before i needed to re-do my nails.

I am not currently wearing nail extensions / acrylic nails but i often do and what especially appealed to me about this product was that it is acetone free so if i choose to wear it over my false nails, it wont damage them. This is fairly typical of most Bourjois nail polishes in the range. Another thing i tried which worked really well was i used some ‘smile line’ guides to get a straight line and painted the colour ‘fuschsia Provoc’ on my tips followed by a glitter polish. This was a really funky modern take on the traditional french manicured look and i absolutely loved the effect it gave.  

To try out Bourjois So Laque nail enamel for yourself click here!!!

As i previously blogged, i am on a mission to grow my hair super long  as quickly as i possibly can and i plan to share my tips, experiences and progress with you guys along the way.

I decided to ask Warpaint Boutiques facebook fans to see if they had any handy tips i could try. I got some really good ones so i thought i would share these and update you on what i am trying out in my quest for longer hair.

“My hair only grows long when I actually take care of it. First I try not to use the straightners on it too much. Even if it’s looking like a poodle, I won’t do it! Just wear it up or something. Then before I wash it, I know this sounds gross, but I leave olive or coconut oil in it for ages, before washing it out. And then I use leave in conditioner. Anything to keep it from drying out and breaking basically! My hair grew in no time when I started doing this” - Farah Syed

“protein is good for hair growth like eating lots of fish, eggs, beans and soy is supposed to be realllyyy good like tofu” – Katie Heyes

So after reading the tips this morning i went out and picked up a little tub of coconut oil. The directions for use on the back say it can be used as a leave in conditioner by taking a small amount and rubbing my hands together until it melts and then apply to the ends of my hair and work my way up avoiding the roots. It also says i can use it as a hair and scalp mask by massaging it into my scalp for 5 minutes then putting a shower cap or towel on my head and leave on either overnight for very dry hair or upto 2 hours if you have oily-normal hair. You then wash this out with a gentle shampoo.

What i liked the most about this tip is how cheap you can pick up a tub of coconut oil making it a really cost effective way to help achieve longer hair. It’s also nice that i can use this product on my skin to make it softer. I plan to give this a try tonight and repeat a few times a week if all goes well and i will blog about my results of using coconut oil on my hair in a few weeks time.

If you have a good tip you think i should try let me know by posting on my facebook wall! Click here! Dont forget to become a fan of Warpaint Boutique

Tanning Disasters

Streaky patches? Orange hands? Try evening out your skin tone by rubbing with a body scrub. Alternatively, you could try cutting a lemon in half, squeezing the juice onto a cotton bud and wiping over the streaky areas as this helps to dilute. To avoid a streaky tan, always ensure you apply moisturiser to any dry parts of skin, especially your knees, elbows, and fingers and make sure you blend blend blend!!

Spots & pimples

We all know that sinking feeling when the day before a big event a huge spot decideds to rear its ugly head. Try dabbing a tiny bit of toothpaste on it overnight as this dries out the spot and also helps to reduce swelling. Never pick your spots as this can lead to scarring.

Puffy eyes

This is a nice easy one… just sit back and relax with a slice of cucumber over each eye. The coolness of the cucumber helps to soothe the eyes and because of its anti-inflammatory properties it also helps reduce the puffiness.

Flat hair

The worst thing you can do is keep piling on the products as this just makes your hair heavier and even flatter. Try misting your hair with some water and then use your hands to work it through. This helps to reactive the products already in your hair.

Nails

Try sprizting a little bit of hairspray on your nails to give them a bit of a shine.

I remember being really young when i could almost sit on my long blonde hair. It was my pride and joy. When i was about 13, a friend of mine had a sister who was studying hair dressing and against my better judgement i let her cut my hair into a shoulder length bob.

Fast forward 10 years and add the fact i have spent most of this time wearing heavy hair extensions, dyeing in highlights and straightening it almost daily and i still have shoulder length hair which is considerably thinner than i remember. After a long contemplation in the mirror the other night i decided i am officially on a mission to grow my hair as long as i can in as short a time as possible.

I started with a bit of online research and discovered that hair growth is roughly 1.25cm or 0.5 inches per month. This means that in a year i could expect an extra 6 inches of hair growth. However i also learnt that with age hairgrowth can slow down to as little as 0.1 inch per month. Im hoping that at 24 years old this doesnt apply to me. I also learnt that hair grows at about the same speed all over your head. I always thought my fringe grew quicker as i seem to need this trimming quite regular but this is because i have it just above my eyebrows, and any growth that occurs is more obvious.

On average the human head has 100,000 strands of hair on it and by time hair reaches shoulder length it is approxamately 2 years old.

On the market today there is many shampoos, conditioners, tablets and general hair care techniques that claim to speed up the process of hair growth. Where as i dont think there is an answer to instant hair growth, i am curious to see if any of the available options could accelerate how quickly my hair can grow.

I have measured my hair and from my crown straight down my back to the longest point it is 38cm long. For the first month of my mission i am going to see if on its own my hair will indeed grow half an inch. I am however going to change a few small things about my usual routine and try a few natural tips that i have come across whilst reading online for example:

• I am going to cut back on caffeine and carbonated soda’s.
• Eat a healthier diet, cut back on foods high in sugar and fat.
• Im going to handle my hair as little as possible, treat it like silk and brush it gently and never when wet.
• Avoid hot water and hair dryers, straighteners etc wherever possible (with exception to the odd night out when i may straighten it and/or wear my extensions as a treat)
• Use hot oil treatments to help protect the hairs shaft. Im going to aim to do this once a week.

In 4 weeks time i will be again measuring my hair to see if i have achieved some hair growth and how much. I will also post regular photos so you guys can see how the condition of my hair is changing. As each month passes i plan to add different vitamins, supplements and even test out shampoos and other options on the market to see if they really do lead to extra hair growth so make sure you keep checking back!!

I was reading this really interesting article today called ‘what men really think of your make up’ and thought i would share my findings.

When we think of sexy make up we more often than not think of dark smoky eyes, a nice bronzed face and vampy shiny lips. Turns out 70% of guys think the exact opposite actually preferring a more fresh faced and natural looking face.

Daily Makeover recently polled 100 men to find out what they really thought of our make up. The men were showed photos of various celebrity ladies both glammed up and looking a bit more natural to see what they preferred and why.

The first celebrity under scrutiny by the men was Ashley Green. A whopping 76% preferred her natural looking make up saying that they felt her heavy eye make up hid her natural beauty.  

Second up was the gorgeous Charlize Theron with 72% loving her natural look because they felt her red lipstick washed her face out and that she looked healthy and glowing with her natural make up.

The guys were then shown Zoe Saldana and 54% loved her looking natural but they actually felt she pulled off both looks quite equally although they did think it would be nicer to wake up to a more natural face.

The next lady was a very obvious choice, the stunning Megan Fox. A massive 82% of men said they didnt care much for the bright red lipstick she was wearing in the glammed up photo.

Last but not least was Latino lovely, Jennifer Lopez. 62% of men preferred her natural look.

The results of this poll did get me thinking and it seems the natural look has made a bit of a comeback recently much to the pleasure of guys everywhere presumably. However i am left slightly disgruntled thinking about all the time i invested in finding the perfect red lipstick to suit my skin tone. Not to mention that for us girls, it can actually be a lot harder to pull off the natural look than just having a done up face.

I am now debating doing a little test to temporarily ditch my usual routine which due to the fact i am super used to doing it everyday, actually takes me no time at all in favour of a new time consuming routine which would involve me appearing fresh faced and natural by the end of it. How long till our men change their mind on everything said above when they realise whats involved in this look? Answers on a postcard please

I was given this really amazing Readers Digest book a few weeks ago called “Foods that harm, Foods that heal”…. Now i’m not really into reading books and i am definately over trying all the fad diets and nutritional advice out there as nothing seems to work for me but i decided to have a skim through this book all the same as just recently i have decided to stop focussing on my weight and start thinking about my overall fitness levels and health.

This book talks about how minor changes to your eating habits can lead to major changes in your health claiming that what you eat not only affects your day to day health but also helps to determine the quality of your life and even how long you will live. It also says that there are few ailments that diet cannot help to prevent, cure or at least make bearable.

So a few pages in i was still feeling a bit dubious about how useful this book was going to be for me as it begins to list different ailments and foods, none of which meant too much to me but then i got to the sections about skin and hair (as you can see, i have my priorities right) and after deciding to trial adding more of the foods it listed for getting shiny hair to my diet, im now a complete convert. All that money spent on expensive shampoos, face creams, and other various lotions and potions and it turned out that my diet was leading to the dullness of my expensive blonde highlights!

We are really excited that Nicola who blogs for The Warpaint Guru (cool name right?) has been reviewing some of our products for us.  These last few weeks we have really enjoyed reading Nicola’s honest product reviews, fabulous make up tips and money saving offers.

Nicola is a 24 year old girl from Scotland with a passion for beauty. She told us how she loves applying make up, talking about make up, writing about make up and of course buying it!! She also loves skincare, soaps, haircare and nails. Nicola hopes to build her reputation as an honest beauty reviewer on her blog as well as try out some make up courses. After just finishing her masters in Chemistry, Nicola is no stranger to living on a tight budget and was particularly excited to stumble across Warpaint Boutique with its variety of quality brands at tiny prices.

Nicola has reviewed two products from up and coming Go Cosmetics which is a fast growing range of high quality designer type products, without the designer high price tag. Click here to browse our Go Cosmetics range. 

If you would like to see what The Warpaint Guru thought of Go Cosmetics you can read her review here and make sure you subscribe to the blog as it really is a good little lunch break read.