From Precious
2010
Skincare Seduction...
Fall in love with my selection of skincare products to smooth, soothe and soften. Are you ready to be seduced?
Nude Moisturising Body Polish
Reveal your most smoothest, brightest skin with this beautifully fragranced
scrub. Its blend of fine organic sugar and hibiscus monoi gently moisturises
as it polishes from top to toe.
£28.00 www.nudeskincare.com
Spoil Me Naked - Coco de Mer Bath Foam
Bring on the bubbles and soak up some 'me-time' with this indulgent bubble
bath. Packed with natural plant and coconut-derived ingredients, you'll be
enveloped in everlasting creamy bubbles - and what's the perfect accompaniment?
A glass of something chilled.
£3.99 www.nakedbodycare.co.uk
Aromatherapy Associated Enrich Body Butter
Exotically scented with sweet jasmine, patchouli and tonka bean, this jar of
enriching butter is ultra nourishing for your skin. It transforms dull, dry
patches for a smooth, healthy texture - leaving it irresistible to touch.
£30.75 www.aromatherapyassociates.com
Yvonne Ottley-Awuah is a professional blogger
and founder of The Simply Fab Company, the mobile beauty spa. Her team
of well-being specialists provide luxury beauty and massage treatments
in the privacy of homes and the convenience of offices London-wide. www.thefabcompany.co.uk
Ode to Ojon Hair Intensive Repair
The winter months have been cruel to my hair,
The sleet and the snow left it worse for wear.
My usual shampoo and conditioner failed,
I was starting to worry, the ends were so frail.
But low and behold on one weekend eve,
I tuned into shopping channel QVC,
And there was the product, all gorgeous and brown;
The intensive repair treatment fit for my crown.
I ordered a pot and never looked back,
And one treatment later, my hair is on track,
No longer wispy, or looking distressed,
My tresses are healthy, hydrated and blessed.
Ladies, as you might have guessed, I'm completely smitten with Ojon's iconic Intensive Repair Treatment; the hair rejuvenator that instantly improves the condition of dry hair. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Ojon is a natural product range that contains a high concentration of pure Ojon oil, originally sourced from the remote tropical rainforests of Central America.
Founder, Denis Simioni, discovered the benefits of this key ingredient whilst on vacation in Hondras. He met with the Taiwa people whose name means 'The people of beautiful hair', and learnt how the indigenous tribe kept their locks luscious with nut extracts from the Ojon tree. Thankfully, their best-kept secret to super healthy hair is now ours for the knowing.
Amazingly, it takes just one treatment to feel a noticeable difference and I can vouch for that. The beauty of this restorative treatment is that it nourishes without weighing hair down, regardless of whether hair is au natural or chemically treated. So if your hair has been feeling weak or brittle, try the ancient ritual of an Ojon oil masque. Your hair will thank you for it! Until next time, stay beautiful.
Ojon Intensive Repair 500ml, £60.50 is available at www.qvcuk.com
Yvonne Ottley-Awuah is a professional blogger
and founder of The Simply Fab Company, the mobile beauty spa. Her team
of well-being specialists provide luxury beauty and massage treatments
in the privacy of homes and the convenience of offices London-wide. www.thefabcompany.co.uk
All Sweetness and Light
Fast-track your Spring beauty indulgences with my pick of sweet treats and illuminating must-haves. These products will leave you smelling gorgeous and your skin looking deliciously dewy. Go sweetie!
1. Ricci Ricci Eau de Parfum
Designer Nina Ricci describes her muse for this fragrance as an urban heroine;
glamourous and audacious. Channel your inner temptress with this zesty scent.
The floral notes of moonflower, bergamot and rose are fresh and deliciously
flirty.
£18.49
2. Jelly Pong Pong Gourmet Chocolate
Lip Therapy
Enjoy the taste of rich chocolate without the calories! Jelly
Pong Pong's Gourmet Lip Therapy contains real cocoa to soothe and rejuvenate your lips, while tasting like the
real thing.
£13.00
3. Ann Summers Miss Massage Lotion
With the smell of a strawberry sundae and the texture of a rich souffle, this
lotion gives your skin a beautiful sheen with a delicate shimmer. It's perfect
for treating your skin to a daily dessert or indulging your lover with a
luscious massage (naughty but nice).
£3.00 www.annsummers.com
4. Nars Multiple Bronzer
Glow away the Winter blues with the iconic Nars
Multiple; it comes in range bronzing shades to compliment every skin tone and contains
a rich antioxidant formula. The stick-style bronzer blends easily for a mistake-proof
application. Use on the eyes, lips, cheeks or body for an all-over sun-kissed
effect.
£27.00
5. Philosophy Butterscotch Bliss
Beauty brand Philosophy have a sure-fire recipe for pampering with their Butterscotch
Bliss shower gel & bubble bath. It creates a rich, foaming lather to cleanse with a fragrance that
is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.
£9.80 www.philosophy.com
Yvonne Ottley-Awuah is a professional blogger
and founder of The Simply Fab Company, the mobile beauty spa. Her team
of well-being specialists provide luxury beauty and massage treatments
in the privacy of homes and the convenience of offices London-wide. www.thefabcompany.co.uk
New Year, A Fresh Approach to Skincare!
Well the party season is officially over and you may be feeling the aftermath, so make a point in 2010 to revive your skin with a fresh skincare routine. I'm a strong believer that it's beneficial to switch it up sometimes; just as you can get used to tasting certain foods and fancy a change, so can your skin get used to your everyday cleanse, tone and moisturise.
If your skin isn't looking as dewy and supple as you'd like, make some changes this year, and treat yourself to a brightening facial or two. Incorporate some new products into your routine and start refining your diet to get that glow from the inside out. Here are my top tips:
Feast on Fruit
A great way to kick-start your new skin nourishing regime is to snack on foods
rich in antioxidants, so next time you're reaching for the tin of digestives,
substitute your biscuit craving with a fruit salad of strawberries, plum
and blueberries.
Fruits like these work to protect your skin cells and guard against premature aging. Nuts are also fabulous is helping to keep the skin hydrated, so feast on pecans and walnuts instead of a packet of crisps.
Go Organic
What you put onto your skin has long term effects, and research has shown that
the synthetic parabens used to preserve the shelf life of some cosmetic products
have been linked to the premature aging of skin. Consider organic products
for everyday skincare, there are some fantastic natural alternatives that nourish
and feed the skin without the use of harmful chemicals.
Try Pinks Boutique range, designed to help restore the natural balance of your skin. All products feature a tailored combination of herbs, essential oils and plant extracts. The Deep Cleansing Melt at £26.50 is especially good; it contains shea butter, mandarin orange and glycerine for removing impurities whilst helping to restore moisture and elasticity. Use it weekly in a facial massage. For more information on Pinks Boutique, visit www.pinksboutique.com.
Give your skin a Monthly Boost
A facial every four weeks will do wonders for keeping blemishes at bay. Professional
exfoliating and extraction on a regular basis is a great boost for your skin.
Darker skin especially is prone to blemishes that leave behind pigmentation
scarring that can take longer than desired to fade.
Prevention is better than cure; look into having a bespoke facial, personally designed for your skin type once a month. Not only will it help to reduce breakouts, it will also lift dead skin cells and unclog pores for a clearer, brighter complexion.
If your skin suffers from pigmentation scarring regularly, I would recommend you try a course of microdermabrasion; this non invasive treatment is a deep, mechanical exfoliation process which gently resurfaces the outer layers of the skin. Microdermabrasion removes damaged cells and stimulates the skin's natural cell regenerating process. Try Microdermabrasion at Destination Skin, where you could save up to £200 off a course of treatments. Visit: www.destinationskin.com.
Until next time. Stay beautiful.
Dare to go red this Christmas?
Ah it's that time of year again friends! Christmas parties, little black dresses, killer heals, red lipstick; this festive season calls for the effervescent red lipstick, a classic yet always contemporary choice.
Selecting the most complimenting shade for us women of colour is no mean feat, and that's probably why some of us shy away from going red, but when you do find the one; that gem of rich, indulgent colour, you'll be wondering why you hadn't taken the plunge sooner.
Maria Papadopoulou and Sarah Stevens, makeup artists at the Simply Fab Company share their tips to pulling off gorgeous red lips:
When choosing lip color you have to consider two things: size of lips and skin tone. If you have beautiful full lips, you can wear darker shades of red. Dark skin tones are beautifully complemented with warm, deep reds, so opt for rich burgundy and deep berry tones. Pillar box shades of reds and paler reds work well with golden brown or tanned skin. If lips are thin, then lighter shades can give the illusion of a fuller lip.
To create the perfect pout, remember these simple rules:
1) Apply concealer around and on the lips to prevent your lipstick
from "bleeding".
2) Line your lips with a lip liner that matches or resembles closely the red
of your lipstick.
3) Use a lip brush to gradually build on colour.
4) Blot, reapply and blot once more to help the colour last the distance.
5) Apply a little lip gloss on the top and bottom middle of your lips for added
moisture and a subtle finish.
6) As red is a such statement colour, it's important to keep the eye makeup
soft.
So there you have it; red lips are this season's hottest beauty accessory, so take the plunge, pucker up and cue the mistletoe.
Until next time. Stay beautiful.
Yvonne Ottley-Awuah is a professional blogger
and founder of The Simply Fab Company, the mobile beauty spa. Her team
of well-being specialists provide luxury beauty and massage treatments
in the privacy of homes and the convenience of offices London-wide. www.thefabcompany.co.uk
Tress Talk: The 5 myths of relaxed hair
In my opinion there are five myths when it comes to black relaxed hair, permit me to school you on them. Believe me, it will save you time and hopefully give you a fresh outlook on looking after your tresses.
Now, I'm not a hair specialist, but I do know a thing or two about it. Mainly from personal experience, mostly trial and error.
The first myth is a biggie. Perhaps the one that most of us will rarely admit to and some may feel a little defensive but, rest assured this is not just my own experience, I'm speaking on behalf of a lot of sisters. We talk about it all the time in my circle of friends. And here it is:
Myth 01:
In order to have our hair styled professionally, we need to visit a 'black hair salon' and spend half the day or more waiting to be seen and being moved from pillar to post - all in the in name of a wash and tong.
My dear sisters, this is something I too believed wholeheartedly
and endured for a long time. Until one morning, I passed my local Rush
salon, a place that I always assumed was just for European hair. I stood
watching curiously as a black stylist worked some serious magic on a woman
with afro hair..
I was actually on my way to my fortnightly treatment and dreading the fact
that despite arriving promptly at 9:15am, there was no guarantee I'd be leaving
there before 2pm. I began to think of what was in store for me...there would
be the obligatory 45 minute wait to be seen. Followed by the unrequested 'extended'
treatment time (whilst the stylist pops out for some 'pea soup' at the West
Indian takeaway), and no visit is complete without the overly long duration
under the dryer, (buying the stylist more time as she starts on another client's
weave.).
I watched the black stylist (who I now know as Loretta) she focused
on just the one client and she seemed so attentive. She clearly knew her
stuff and her client was obviously relaxed, assured, most probably a regular.
I walked in and asked if I could have my hair washed by "the black stylist". The brunette woman behind the reception desk smiled sympathetically and told
me that whilst Loretta had a client directly after, I could be seen by
Georgia. She pointed to the blonde girl trimming an elderly woman's blue
rinse.
"No, you don't understand, my hair is relaxed, she might not know
how to..." I began. The receptionist frowned, "Yes she will, she has several clients with afro hair. She's very experienced." The response threw me, but then I decided to give it a go.
There
was no more than a 10 minute wait to be seen despite having walked in without
an appointment. I was offered a cup of tea (This never happens in my usual
salon). Georgia, the blonde stylist totally surprised and delighted me.
Using Kérastase products - a prescriptive range suitable for all hair types,
she successfully washed, treated and styled my hair to the same standard
as my black stylist in less than one hour. Amazing right?
I was sold on the first visit, and I've continued to go back.
I did feel guilty abandoning my usual salon, but now I've gotten used to
the luxury of a guaranteed 1 hour appointment and the complimentary cup
of char. How refreshing it is to be able to make plans on a Saturday, it's
such a joy!
Ok, so that was the big myth that I just had to set straight. Sorry if I've
ruffled a few feathers in the process, but the fact of the matter is, you don't
need to spend the entire day in a salon to get the job done.
I'm not saying that we should abandon black hair salons, because there are
some fantastic ones out there. But I hope I've given you food for thought,
if like me you've had to endure 'black people time' for too long. So the next
time you're stuck under the dryer, 20 mins into your scheduled dinner date,
why not make a point to research your nearest Rush salon and give them a try.
Visit: www.rush.co.uk/salons
And now for the remaining four:
Myth 02:
We should only wash our hair once every fortnight.
Not necessarily, this rule doesn't apply to all. If you work out at the gym regularly or you use a lot of product in your hair, then washing your hair once every two weeks can do more damage than good.
Your scalp needs to breath and the buildup of sweat and dirt
can cause itchiness and irritate the scalp. Washing once a week/a week
and a half is actually ideal for relaxed hair and if you use a leave-in
conditioner, your hair will retain moisture and won't become brittle, which
is the common fear of washing more frequently.
Myth No 03:
Oiling the scalp is an essential part of a healthy hair regime.
Not when it comes to relaxed hair. For women wearing braids or
natural hair, oiling the scalp can have great benefits, but for relaxed
hair, you can run the risk of making the hair too greasy, sticky and over
saturated. Using a oil sheen spray lightly once a day and incorporating
scalp massage will do the trick.
Myth No 04:
Hair should be relaxed every 6-8 weeks.
I know some women can't stand to see re-growth rearing it's roots after the 6 week period, but if you can, it is advisable to wait a little longer. I learnt this from a hair specialist friend in New Jersey, who educated me on the risks of relaxing the hair too often. It will cause the hair to weaken and be over processed. So ladies, see how long you can go without retouching the new growth. A good stylist can use heat to smooth the roots and you may be surprised that you can wait an extra fortnight before manageability becomes a challenge.
Myth No 05:
Trimming is a bad word.
It's actually a very good word indeed. It will help your hair grow longer and stronger. Don't worry,I too had a phobia of trimming scissors. Especially as my original stylist was incredibly heavy handed; she'd say trim but I knew she really meant 'cut' and no matter how much I'd say 'don't cut my hair, she'd happily chop away.
However now I've learned that a trim is on average half an inch, and anymore than that should only be done if your hair is seriously damaged. Since learning this, I've had my hair trimmed the average amount every 6-8 weeks and the benefits have been really noticeable. Within 6 months, my hair has grown at the healthy rate of 3 inches.
So there you have it, 5 myths that I've hopefully helped you question.
Until next time. Stay beautiful.
Yvonne Ottley-Awuah is a professional blogger
and founder of The Simply Fab Company, the mobile beauty spa. Her team
of well-being specialists provide luxury beauty and massage treatments
in the privacy of homes and the convenience of offices London-wide. www.thefabcompany.co.uk
The Balaton Spa Face Mask - Its a 3 Minute Miracle!
by Julie-Ann Mkembe
This is a face mask with a major fan base of nearly every
beauty editor in the UK, plus its
been hailed as `Fabulous` by Gok Wan, who featured it on his hit TV Show How
to Look Good Naked. After hearing all that I simply had to try it myself.
The Balaton Spa Face Mask is a rich black mask packed with 331 natural ingredients sourced from the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary. Its aim is to cleanse, purify and redefine dull skin and the best thing about it is that it only takes three minutes to work it's magic. It's just like a mini face lift!
This is really easy to use; just stir well
and then apply with your fingers or brush onto clean skin, then wash
off in warm water. It
suits all skin types and is great for both men and women.
Available in
Harrods and Selfridges, the Mask comes in a 100ml Jar which is enough
for 16 full facials and normally costs £24.99.
For Christmas and the New Year, the Mask is on special offer at £19.99, which
also includes FOC, the Balaton Spa Beauty/Travel Bag with 6 x Travel Sized
products worth £24.99.
This offer is available by Mail Order on 0845 2577 257, or online at www.balaton-spa.co.uk