BEAUTY & BODY POST-PARTY S.O.S: THE MORNING AFTER...

 via Trendland here

With the festive season upon us, we're bound to have a crazy night or two, or maybe even three... wake up, feeling rather yuck, reminents of make-up still on the face if not on the pillow, not to mention the stonking headache... Oh and the chilly temperatures aren't exactly going to help make you glow on a Winters day either. So what now? Bet you're regretting that black Sambuca or Gold Tequila shot you had at 3am now aren't you?

 Party Dolls shoot via Vogue Nippon, Jan 2013 shot by Ellen Von Unwerth via here

Yes, I've been there, possibly one too many times, God knows how I survived a week of debauchery in Ibiza many, many moons ago... and all those mid-week champagne & canape work events too. Did I mention that overdoing it, by that I mean work far too hard, play even harder and not get enough sleep will do all kinds of wacky stuff to your body? Add alcohol consumption to that equation... It'll look like you've had your entire soul sucked out from you... and all you can do following the aftermath is mumble, shake & move like a Zombie.

If you're gonna party hard this season, make sure you're prepped in a big way - not just beautifying, but sort yourself out on the inside first as that's always going to take a beating first, before there are tell-tale signs on the surface.
I once did the milk thistle supplement thing, which worked for me as I never woke up with a hangover, not once.It basically protects the liver and produces new cells and also is fantastic at detoxifying. I would have started taking this at the beginning of December or at least a couple of days before the big night out & after.

Before the big night, feed well and up your intake of anti-inflammatory foods, such as salmon, avocados, nuts, brocolli, berries, anything rich in Omega-3 and plenty of fluids - mainly water. I didn't believe Mr. Perseus first, but he said to have a spoonful (or a shot if you're that eager) of olive oil before going out for drinks, it helps line the stomach a little... Anyone tried that one?
Also, drinking coconut water before, staying hydrated throughout the night & after will help you recover quicker as it's high in Vitamin C and high levels of electrolyte potassium (or eat a banana the next day, also high in potassium) - which your body will have had depleted levels of from the alcohol.


If you're prone to puffy eyes, start moisturizing the under-eye area well (an eye cream  with Vit. K to help firm and reduce dark under-eye cricles) and again before applying make up. Keep your lips moisturized too, as alcohol intake can be very drying, as can the cold weather.
If you have time and feel kind of alive, go have a work out, it'll take care and rid of all the toxins and give you back your healthy glow! That or go mad with the warpaint!

Alcohol dehydrates, which means dulling the skin and exacerbating any skin irrations you may have, hence the dry or blotchy red skin. I haven't tried this but the Korres Party Survival kit sure sounds good!

My fave face savers: Clarins Flash balm, Bright Here Bright Now by Soap & Glory,  will help as will Benefits 'That Gal'  face primer with a peachy tint.
A true (Winter) life saver and great value for money product is Liz Earles Instant Boost Skin tonic triple set for around £25. It'll wake up your skin and re-hydrate, perfect for winter months and dealing with the hangover from hell.
Wear a Mineral based foundation and perhaps a layer of mineral based loose powder on top to stop the booze from oozing out of your pores!
If you hair is in a real state the next day and you're running late for work or whatever, Dry shampoo will be your best friend, I love Batiste dry shampoo spray. The cherry one smells lush!


 Did you dance the night away? Can you still feel your feet? I'd recommend some peppermint foot lotion and lathering your feet with it before slipping on a pair of socks and comfy shoes. If they took a real hammering, get some anti-inflammatory gel like Ibulieve or Voltoren (It think there are equivalents across the globe) and massage soles of the feet.


Fyi, burning the candle at both ends is just asking for it and I'd say no amount of wonder cream or pill or anything is going to really help you in a flash, so just go easy party girl! Oh and stay well away from the fast food joint after a crazy all nighter, all that grease will just make you feel worse the next day... Have Marmite (loaded with Vit B) on toast or Eggs Benedict (- eggs will give you energy & it contains cysteine which helps break down the hangover-causing toxin) in the morning instead. If it's the weekend, get as much sleep in as possible!

So there we have it loves! I guess that now I'm with bump, you guys can do all the partying on my behalf!

 Are you all set for the weekend now? Good stuff! 

Have fun & and may the fashion force be with you!

x.o.x.o

Life Saver's - Beauty SOS

This heat is causing all kinds of crazy but i'm armed with some life saver essentials which take me through summer & get me sorted in a jiffy.

Ok, i'm going to start with something really interesting - Stella of Shopping Therapy commented on a recent post, wishing Yiannis Marketakis - Make Up extraordinaire, would reveal some beauty/make up secrets, such as 'how do you prevent make up from melting or sliding off your face in this heat?'

I'm going to reveal the secret to preventing a sweaty face (it worked on Whitney Houston & Britney when they perform!)... Ok, so you need to mix 'Ban Clear Gel Deodorant (only available in the US, but Sure Women Crystal Clear Aqua Deodorant Stick, £1.95, works too) with a foundation that has a good finish - it just means that the foundation will prime/stick better to your skin.

However, if you don't fancy that (I'm not sure I would, but then i don't wear foundation) try using a primer such as an Marini Skin Research Prime, £55 or Benefits 'That Gals" brightening face primer - available in the US, to UK & in Sephora.

Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour cream is first aid in a bottle. Yes, I know it has a unique scent, not everyone loves it, but i've been buying this beauty SOS in a bottle for years. I carry it everywhere all year round, as you never know when you need to help soothe & rehydrate chapped lips, skin (if caught in full gale force winds), burns, scrapes...it also looks great as a natural lip gloss, can be smoothed over eyes and cheekbone area for a healthy sheen and natural glow too. See it's like miracle in a bottle! I always pick this up from Duty Free or Superdrug in the UK who always seem to do the most amazing offers! Oh and a little goes a long way!

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - Clarins just works for me, this product pops out a lot - to brighten up winter complexion, but more importantly there's something in this product which helps give boost radiance. I use this after i've slapped on my daily moisturiser with SPF, then give my cheeks a quick pinch for colour if you don't use blusher! I don't really wear much make up in summer, but for a night out, water proof mascara is a lifesaver, you don't really want it smudging and sliding into the corner of your eyes, no one like to see a mascara bogey!

I love a good leave-in conditioner like the one by Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance, smells yum and does wonders if you've been for a swim in the sea or are caught up in the summer sun.

Keep lipsticks, eye pencils and some make up in the fridge. In these scorching temperature I always stash everything in a clear zip lock bag in the fridge and take out at least 10 mins before i really need it.

Some of you guys are on holiday or have just returned - if you want to keep that tan, keep moisturizing! Have always loved Palmer's Cocoa Butter - cheap and bloody efficient, also love the Soap and Glory ranges of butters, and the Body Shop range of Body butters - i'm a sucker for body butters, please don't judge! There are also lots of products which do After Sun Tan prolongers too such as Piz Buin & Nivea.

Wet wipes or Cleansing face wipes - those are handy in all kinds of situations!

Last of all... Totally random and unrelated - Alka Seltzer - I wish they sold this in Greece. I usually stock up when in the UK. This is your hangover & headaches fixer upper! Honestly, this works brilliantly - i think the equivalent in Greece is Dupon - the effervescent version.

So what beauty nightmares have some of you experienced this summer and what products have essentially saved you from drama?

Have a fab fab weekend everyone!!!
x.o.x.o

images via Boots, Piz Buin

Beauty: Priming Power

You gotta love Benefit for launching this product, available at House of Fraser -£19.50
Did I mention they have a special 2 day 25% discount thingy on selected brands happening online from midnight this Wednesday?
Get your plastic ready kids.

Shopping list: Beauty

I love all things to do with fashion & beauty. With beauty, the stuffs gotta work and be at a reasonable price. That said I don't and paying for something that produces effective end results and is simply amazing, than opting out for something cheaper and not so great. Given a comparison, beauty in Greece comes with a whopping price tag. I haven't quite gotten used to and neither found the ideal equivalent to Rimmel or should I say 'high street' beauty & make up. My supplies are running low ladies, which inevitably suggests a flying trip to the UK soon. Yippee!!! I've already started drafting up my initial list of beauty goodies I want & need. I don't know about you, but these products have never failed me and depending on budgets these are some of the most amazing, really works wonders beauty products. This one sensational product doesn't really fit into any particular category purely because it does everything - my best friend & I used to carry a tube everywhere!!! Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour cream - great for chapped Lips, glossy cheeks, soothes scrapes (& burns) and you can mix with powder eye shadow and create a oil slick kinda look.

Face/skincare:

Simple Vital Vitamins Night cream - in the morning my skin feels soft, what a delight. I also love the Clarins Multi-active Night/Day cream, Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (£26.50) for those emergency days and the Olay range of day creams with SPF. My mum used to use the Olay Classic care beauty fluid - 100ml religiously and has great skin (but i might put that down to genes). After they changed the brand name from 'Oil of Ulay' to 'Olay' the scent and the actual lotion seems to have changed too. I'm not loving it so much now. Have used Lancôme and also Estée Lauder too, they're ok for me but why pay more when you can get something that works just as well? I've got some Dr. Nick Lowe anti ageing creams I bought before to use next, so will report on that another time. I don't really buy into the anti-ageing cream stuff but I am reaching the age where lines are showing. Right now I just make sure I slap on the SPF everyday & try (being the operative word) to eat well to prevent further damage. Greece is getting sunnier by the day now and getting a sun tan just isn't a priority anymore. Not when you know that 10/20/50 years down the line you'll end up looking leathery - think the lady from 'There's Something about Mary' (shudder).

Make-Up: I love to play so much and experiment on my girls.

Lips:

Cheap & expensive glossies in tubes are great as long as they don't have an overly sticky consistency, which i find that this is the case with Lancomes Juicy Tubes (but I just so love the smell and yummy colours). You do get super shiny lips though.

I love Pout's Lip plump - in clear, i have no idea why they've shut down but i miss their gorgeous girly products - they absolutely rocked the lips department. Equally good in the plumping department is 'Sexy Mother Pucker' which you can buy at Boots for around £8.
Other amazing Lip glosses i adore are: L'Oreal Glam Shine Lip Gloss - £8
Benefit Lip gloss in 'Kiss' - it's a very soft shade of pink - £14
Also love the Dior lip gloss sticks too. Very delicious.
Mac lipstick in 'Girl about town' - i love this hot pink colour - £12.50
Love Mac for their vibrant variety of Lipstick colours and also YSL lipsticks.

Eyes:

I could go on forever on this section but maybe another time. I have short eyelashes, and as a kid growing up I wanted so badly to have my friends eyelashes which were like 12mm long. What's a girl to do but try every kinda lash extending mascara?

What's working for me are:

Max Factor's Master Piece Max Mascara - £10 - This rocks! Clinique High impact Mascara - £14.50 - This is really good and the wand doesn't clog up to much too. Rimmel Extra super lash mascara w/curled brush - £5 - I also wanted to have curled/upwards lashes too, so i bought this in hope. It's a good all round mascara for everyday use but there are better mascara's. Bourjois Volume Glamour - £8 - Have used this over and over again - tis pretty good.
Someone's just bought me the Dior Showcase Extase mascara - will report back on this another time and also Maybelline Colossal mascara - £7 with it's rubber wand.

Eye shadows

Love YSL, Bobbi Browns Shimmer wash range, Mac for colour and staying power, Shu Uemera - Iridescent colour crayon set - my lovely friend bought this gift from the states and they can be crushed and blended using the finger and has great staying power. I love that you can use the sticks as a high lighter, eye-liner and eye shadow too.
Benefit's Show Offs - £12 Super shimmery product for eyes, lips and cheeks.

Rimmel soft Kohl Eye Pencil - £3 - I cannot live without this product, it's inexpensive and incredibly effective. Easy blending too.

Foundation:

I don't really use foundation anymore, living in a hot climate just doesn't do any good whatsoever, either that or the fact that I'm much more comfortable in my own skin now. In the past I've used L'Oreal's True Match Foundation - £10 or Bobbi Brown - where the colours were matched perfectly to my skin tone.

Concealer

It's worth splurging here mainly because you want to cover up big time and have good staying power! Mac - Moisture cover concealer - £12.50 - doesn't dry out the spot in question. Rimmel Stay matt concealer - £5 - provides a much thicker cover but colours available are not so great which is where Bobbi Brown comes in. Her Creamy Concealer is amazing as is the Corrector (for under the eyes/uneven skin tone) both £16.50. Talk about saving the day...

Bronzer/Blushers

Hmmm, I love bronzers, they transform me from scary, pasty ghost into a glowing human being. I was also bought a gorgeous hot pink cream blush from Milan years ago and all I can say is that it changed my life. Carrie Bradshaw eat your heart out girl! An orange or hot pink cream blush added (by finger tips) in a sweeping upwards motion on your cheekbones/upper apples of your cheek area - mind you only need a little can just give you that healthy, rosy look. Most of my cream blushers and hot coloured powder blushers are from Hong Kong from either Sa-Sa or Bonjour.

I love and religiously use Rimmel's Natural Bronzer - £5.50 but am currently using one by Marbert (at Harrods - i bought this on sale for a fiver-bargain!!) There are a great range of iridescent, shimmery bronzers/blushers out there with varying shade in one set, so as you sweep along you get a highlighter and a deeper colour-depending on what you look you're going for. Bobbi Brown, Dior, Givenchy amongst a few others have excelled in this department.

Highlighters:

Benefits High Beam - £17.50 - I luuuurve this product for adding a swift bit of shine to your cheekbones, under the brow and a few other places... There are more inexpensive versions out there, this is just one 'splurge' product i love to use. I also love H & M (yes as in the fashion chain) for their Shimmer Powder in Gold which I use on the eyes and cheeks sometimes - it's really shimmery! I bought it for around £3-4.

Face cleansers:

Clarins One step Cleanser - £17.50 - I always pick this up at the Duty Free for a lot less, this removes all the nastiness and make-up on your face leaving it soft and smelling wonderful. A cheaper version without the frills but also amazing? Simple Conditioning Eye Make-up Remover - £3 - mainly for the eyes note! Problem skin - I know breakouts are the worst thing that can possibly happen, especially around the time of the month amongst other things. Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing cream wash - £3 or Clean & Clear Blackhead scrub - £3-4. To be honest i can't remember which one rocked it, but it was the one that exfoliates well, leaving no shiny skin and also felt tingly.

Body moisturiser:

Palmers Cocoa Butter Body Lotion - £3.50 - Holy Bananas this is my can't live without product ever! It's cheap, smells so yummy you want to eat it, leaves the skin feeling properly soft and re-hydrated and is simply Wow. I've used this product for like 16 years and counting.

Also need to get more of The Sanctuary's Body Moisture Spray - £5.50 - this is also amazing, smells amazing and leaves the skin super soft. It's not too oily either.

Oh my god, this post is like an essay and i haven't even added images yet. I'm officially a beauty junkie, yikes!