BROW HEAVEN

HD Brows... 7 Steps to the perfect brow

I wanted to talk to ya'll about my new eyebrows... my new HD brows to be precise.

As many of you know, brows are my thing.. If I was stuck on a desert island, a brow pencil would be my item of choice.

I'd been thinking of doing the HD brows course for a while, and I managed to get a cancellation on their 2 day course at the beginning of July (the waiting list for these courses is ridic!).

The training was fantastic, I learnt so much in a small space of time and the trainers were so hands on, I came away feeling really confident about being let loose onto the general public!

So basically, I wanted to give you all a low down on what HD brows are, and why they're so different from any other brow shaping treatment.

HD brows is a seven step treatment process, which involves tinting, waxing, threading, tweezing and shaping the brows with pencil and shadow powder.

A proven design formula is used on each and every client, so although everyones eyebrows will look slightly different, you will always receive the same procedure in terms of quality. The techniques used in this process focus on long term results and ULTIMATE brow design so its not just about removing hair, its about growing that brow back into a desired shape for that person.

A number of factors are taken into account before each treatments starts, including bone structure, face shape, personality and style and age, so a thorough consultation beforehand is always done.

Once the treatment has finished (which can take up to an hour), the client is given all the correct aftercare guidelines and reccomended products that are going to help them eventually achieve the ultimate brow for them. Generally people will need them doing every 3-4 weeks depending on hair growth so it is a manageable treatment to have.

I personally, love the look of HD brows, they're more defined, sharp and better shaped. I've always said when I do my makeup lessons that just doing your eyebrows in the morning will make a massive difference to how you look as it frames your face completely.

It will make you look and feel younger instantly... always a bonus!

I'm now doing this treatment at The Skin Sanctuary in Stockton Heath and at Roberta Beauty on King Street in Knutsford.

I promise you, you will LOVE it!

See you soon x



Summer Days with The Skin Sanctuary Come and join Lauren for a free personalised skin consultation in relaxed and peaceful surroundings, and enjoy a drink of your choice on arrival. Skin Treatments include * Firming Enzyme Facial * Glycolic Peel * Pumpkin Peel * TCA Peel * Dermaroller Other treatments available at the Skin Sanctuary * Nouveau Lash Extensions * Makeup Lessons * Occasion Makeup * Youngblood Makeup *Dermaquest Skincare And coming soon.... HD BROWS Appointments are available at The Skin Sanctuary in Stockton Heath and Roberta Beauty Redefined in Knutsford.   www.theskinsanctuary.com Please call 07761 825190 or 01565 754221 for more information on all our treatments.



Its just DUST.....

Hello fellow beauty buffs... so I was away a little longer than intended :)

Last time I was here, I said I wanted to talk about Hair Dust... well... here goes..

So as you'll have noticed from my last blog, I'd been getting my knickers in a twist for a while about thickening my hair and giving it some MAJOR volume. I'd heard all about hair dust from my hairdresser and other beautyholics, so last time I was in, I decided there was no better time than then to dig deep into my purse and try this stuff out.

I opted for Label.m resurrection style dust (though there are many more out there on the market of course). As far as I'm aware this is only available in hair salons, namely Toni and Guy and you can also get it online.

As far as using this goes, its pretty simple. Once you've dried your hair, sprinkle the dust (and I mean sprinkle!) into your root line and then gently rub it into your hair with your fingers, or use a comb to backcomb at the root for more intense volume (the top of the pot is dotted with tiny holes so it will come out bit by bit).You do instantly get some noticeable volume, and once you've finished, it stays in your hair so if it does go a little limp throughout the day, you just mess it up again with your fingers and you get instant volume.

Great if you like that 'just got out of bed' look and can be used on short and long hairstyles, neat or messy. I think the only downside to this is if you use too much of it, it leaves a horrible texture in your hair.. so do use spraringly.

I really enjoy using this product, you can't really go wrong with it and it actually works...finally :)

xxx

Busy busy Bumble bee...

Hi everyone, sorry I've been away for while... didn't realise how busy April was going to be!

Anyways... I'm going to be talking about something other than makeup and skin today... HAIR!!

I don't know about you, but I constantly have flat, dull lifeless (cue Cheryl Cole..) hair.. particularly at the roots. And of course I've fallen for all the marketing hype with this shampoo and that conditioner that claims to thicken my hair and give it volume and shine etc etc... blah blah blah... what a load of tosh ey?!

So I was talking to my friend about it a few weeks ago and she suggested I try Bumble and Bumble Thickening spray. Her hair always looks fab so I ordered from the love that is Space NK, and it arrived ready to be tried immediately!

I have to say I was sceptical.. nothing had ever worked before on my hair so why would this? But I was pleasantly surprised... and after all, it didn't win In Style best beauty buy for 2012 for nothing.

After towl drying your hair, you spray this all over (I particularly spray into and underneath my roots for a bit of extra ooommppphh!). Then blow dry as normal, or in my case, blast it dry with my fingers.

Its as simple as that.

It doesn't get as much volume in there as I thought it would (I'm not sure what I was expecting..80's bouffant??!) but it certainly gives the hair a lot more texture and a little height at the root and thats a quick blast with the hairdryer. If you blow dry it properly and take a little more time, this will give plenty of height at the root and texture which still leaves movement in that swish swish.

The only downside with this is it can leave the hair feeling a little straw as you do have to saturate the hair with spray before drying.. all in all though, worth trying if you're struggling with volumising products. Only one that has done anything to my hair so far!

So next time I will be reviewing the wonder that is hair dust.. and the new Giles Deacon makeup range for New Look.. exciting stuff ladies, hope you enjoy!

See you soon

L xx

DermaQuest Glycolic Cleanser

I just wanted to do a quick review on this product which I've now been using for a about a week...

This is the Glyco Creamy Cleanser from DermaQuest. It has 15% glycolic acid in it (the highest you are allowed to use in a cleanser) which as some of you may or may not know does a multitude of amazing things to your skin

- Exfoliates

- Hydrates

- Increases cell turnover

- Clears blackheads

- Stimulates collagen and elastin

To name but a few!

How to use...

Use P.M and do a double cleanse with it. You can use it normally as a cleanser, or leave it on for up to 3 minutes as a cleansing mask. Thoroughly and deeply cleanses so skin feels squeaky clean afterwards.

You really do see a difference with this cleanser, my skin has been smoother and much more even just after a week of using it.. and considering its a cleanser, it does a hell of a lot. Really good for age management, breakout skin and preparation for skin peels.

Retails at £32, so little more expensive that your bog standard cleanser, but it can last you up to 3 months (you don't need to use a lot of it either).

My verdict?? Buy it.. so worth it.

See you soon!

Lauren x

Magic Minerals...

Ok I admit it, I used to be a bit of a makeup snob... I thought all the best makeup, was the expensive stuff.. the most widely used, the most popular, the most this, the most that... how wrong I was.

As long as the makeup you're using is working for you, quality wise, price wise, looks wise, then it really doesn't matter. Don't get me wrong, I love my luxurious products (who doesn't!) but I also love the high street brands, and its good to have a proper mix of everything in your makeup bag.

One makeup trend that I was never sure about when it first came out, was mineral makeup. I remember when it started appearing on counters in Selfridges, I thought, how can you use powder based foundation? The pigments mustn't be as good as normal makeup? It won't look as good surely??

Once again, how wrong I was....

Last year I was introduced to Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics - a pure natural mineral range of makeup that was developed by Pauline Youngblood, initially for people who had severely traumatised skin from laser treatments and cosmetic surgery. There was nothing else on the market at the time was up to standard.

And so she formulated a natural mineral foundation that didn't clog the skin but still looked amazing. That was 10 years ago, and there is now a full makeup range..

And is this makeup range up to scratch? Yeah it is!!

The whole of the Youngblood range is amazing.. its luxurious, creates a healthy natural glow, won't block pore or cause spots, free of fragrance, oil, talc, parabens and artificial dyes and it has a natural sun protection factor in, so all of it can be used on any skin type.

I have to say, after using this on my makeup clients, I was and they were, amazed at how good their skin looked. You get a beautiful glow from the loose and the liquid foundations

£31

£35

Both foundations are buildable in coverage, and the powder can be used as a finishing powder on top of the liquid as it gives a gorgeous sheen when buffed into the skin. There is more choice in colour in the loose foundation but the liquids can always be mixed together to get a mid colour for in between seasons.

In a nutshell these foundations are great for your skin because they are actually full of minerals so great for those sensitive people.

I also wanted to mention the high definition powder... this is beautiful. Not only does it mattify where needed like a bog standard powder, but this also helps the skin to look utterly flawless all day long and leaves the skin feeling really really soft.

£32

I could go on and on about each and every product they do but it would take too long! But just know this, this makeup needs to be in your kit. If only one or two of the products, its lovely and really easy to work with.

If anyone is interested in looking at any of the products in the range, I am selling it at Cheshire Makeup HQ! So please get in touch.

See you soon xxx



Ultimate Rejuvenation

Its time for another peel update! This week I am completely loving

'PUMPKIN PEELS'

I've been doing these now for about a month on clients, and the feedback I've had from doing them has been fantastic.

There are two types, Primary Pumpkin (milder, usually clients will start off with this and progress to the power through the course of treatment) and Power Pumpkin (more powerful, both DermaQuest).

This treatment isnt actually a peel, its a powerful resurfacer that

* Supports age management

* Stimulates collagen for hydrated, plumped and smooth skin

* Fades mild pigmentation which will be lightened with the treatment resulting in a more even toned skin.

* Decreases existing acne and aids in preventing new lesions

* Improves skin hydration

It uses the power of 3 acids, Glycolic, Lactic and Salicylic, and also the pumpkin pulp which is enzymatic (imagine a little pac man, munching away on your skin!).

When the pumpkin is on your skin, you will feel some tingling and it can get a little hot, but it will start to cool and is left on the skin for a maximum of 10 minutes.

The initial result is redness on the skin (which will go down after a couple of hours) and a tightening of the skin. The treatments are done in courses of 6 1-2 weeks apart and can be done 2-3 times a year.

So as you can hear, this resurfacer is the business! People will start saying how good you look, how amazing your skin looks, and you will feel amazing!

I'm starting these on myself this week, I can't wait to see the results.. if you're interested, please get in touch, consultations are free and you can ask as many questions as you like.

See you soon!

xxx