Magical cream - London

 

There is one cream that has served me well for a long time. Thankfully it’s not up there with the Creme de la Mer’s or other equally as financially crippling potions that are on the market these days. There is of course a place for luxury products, but the cream that has been a constant to me for as many years as I can remember you can buy in your local supermarket. Never fear I’m not asking you to skip on down to Asda there is still some sense of the elite here – introducing Waitrose 'Baby Bottom Butter'. 

As you can see the consistency is more of a balm than a cream it’s very thick in the pot but when applied it doesn’t give the feeling of being to heavy or clogging up ones pores.However I wouldn’t recommend this for all over your face unless you have abnormally dry skin this is really for use on problem dry patches, on lips or to be applied around the eyes before bed for a bit of a moisture injection.

I recently got a random patch of very dry skin on my chin; I have pretty sensitive skin so this kind of thing is no surprise to me. But it made me remember all the colds the constant nose blowing or dry eyes, and patches of eczema that needed soothing, all I need do was reach for my faithful Bottom Butter. The one pot used wherever necessary and seemingly sparingly has kept me going for quite some time, the label fell off long ago! Sensitive enough to use on babies’ bottoms this wonder formula should be a staple in anyone’s cupboard. 

Things to be wary of:

Nothing! I can't fault this product! There is also an offer on at Waitrose at the moment, buy it now!

www.waitrose.com

Mobile Beautician - London

Being beautified at home is such a treat! I am always on the look out for skilled beauticians to pamper me in the comforts of my own home. There is nothing nicer than not having to move after a facial or not risk scuffing your new pedicure on the journey back.

I was recently put in touch with a very sweet lady Karmala who will travel to your home day or night and bring along all the tools necessary to make you look and feel amazing! Last night I opted for a Dermalogica facial (you can read about this great skin care range here www.dermalogica.com) and a much needed eyebrow thread.

The facial was nothing short of dreamy and included being properly steamed and extracted - I find so many places are reluctant to do extraction these days, which is a shame as I think is pretty essential for a really good deep cleanse and to get rid of all those London nasties! My eyebrows are now tamed and looking much better too.

My friend Milly opted for a de stressing Indian head massage, and judging on how blissed out she was afterward I'd say it was a great success! 

Take a look at Karmal's price list, for a home visit minus 30% from everything listed. Such a bargain! 

KARMALA – PRICE LIST

Threading & Eye Treatments	Prices
Eyebrows	£7.00
Upper Lip	£6.00
Chin	£6.00
Eyebrow tint	£10.00
Eyelash tint	£15.00
Eyebrow & Eyelash tint	£20.00
Nails
File & polish	£9.00
Manicure	£20.00
Deluxe Manicure	£30.00
Luxury Pedicure	£40.00
Shellac Manicure	£30.00
Shellac Paint	£25.00
Shellac Removal	£5.00
Massages
Indian Head Massage 20 min	£20.00
Express Massage 30 mins	£25.00
Waxing
Eyebrows	£10.00
Upper Lip	£8.00
Under arms	£10.00
Half arms	£15.00
¾ arms	£18.00
Full arms	£20.00
Full legs	£25.00
Half legs	£20.00
Bikini	£12.00
G-string bikini	£18.00
Brazilian	£25.00
Hollywood	£35.00
Hot wax, additional	£5.00
Facial Treatments
Express Facial	£30.00
Prescriptive or Dermalogica Facial	£50.00
75 min Facial	£60.00

You can contact her via email Kthapa.t@gmail.com

My favourite shampoo

I have been flitting from shampoo to shampoo for years and not paying that much attention to what I am putting on my locks, often just grabbing anything I can find in the bathroom. Whilst doing so I came across a fantastic brand -  Phyto. The range contains over 700 active ingredients all of which are 95% botanical and comes in a recyclable aluminium or glass bottle, being non-porous this helps minimise the use of preservatives.

There is a broad selection of products to choose from depending on your hair requirements. I have longish dark hair which is fine but it can get very dry, I opted for the 'Nutrition Extreme ultra nourishing shampoo'  followed by the 'Densium Mask' which is fantastic if you hair needs a bit of tlc after too much styling, but for every day use I go for the 'Baume Repair conditioner'. My hairdresser has commented on how heathy and shiny my hair has been since I started using it, and recently when I ran out I noticed how quickly it became a bit dull - I have now restocked! I particularly like that this shampoo gives my hair a much needed moisture injection without making it greasy and flat which often happens with my fine hair. In addition I've used the 'Defisant Smoothing Balm', this is basically a hair serum to sort out those flyaways, only a very tiny amount smoothed over damp hair gives a great finish without weighing your hair down, and the tube seems to last forever!

Things to be wary of:

This product is a bit pricey but you buy it on line which reduces the cost slightly,a good investment in my opinion.

www.bathandunwind.com

Semi permanent lashes - London

As someone who is lacking in the eyelash department I have been keen to try semi permanent falsies. My first port of call was Glammalash www.glammalash.com. Yasmin will travel all over London for a prearranged fee to lash you up in the comforts of your own home.

I was surprised by the thickness and how rigid the lashes were, because of this it is important to try and touch your eyes as little as possible once they have been applied so as not to pull out any of the lashes, this includes washing your face removing makeup etc, this is a bit weird to begin with but in my opinion worth the overall effect, they really did look great and I have been given lots of compliments! The only thing I would say is that I did look like I was about to go for a night on the town all the time, which can be a little alarming at work! They are however perfect for an event or holiday. Thank you Yasmin!

Last night I decided to try somewhere a little closer to home. Love Lash www.love-lash.com is right around the corner from me so it couldn’t have been easier, but they do offer home visits if required.

A s I had recently had a visit from Glammalash I only booked myself in for a filler appointment but I soon realised the lashes used were a lot finer and all of them needed to be removed and replaced. The end result was very natural and a lot softer finish but due to limited time before the next client not quite as full as I would have liked, but as I am so close I can always pop back later in the week! I didn’t feel self-conscious about going into work today, and a bit of mascara will take me from day into night. They are expected to last for two to three weeks before the next filler and the same rules apply with touching your eyes to try and keep them intact for as long as possible.

Things to be wary of:

As with all fake eyelashes it is important to remember that you are literally gluing something to your eye so when the lashes fall out of their own accord or you accidentally pull them off your own lashes are going to be pulled out too, eyelash technicians recommend having a rest period every so often to let your own eyelashes recover.