I've been Spruced... Again!

If you read my last blog post about Spruce Moose you will of seen what spruce moose was all about, but if you didn’t I will just quickly recap. Spruce Moose is a salon in Harrogate, which is the UK’s first unisex membership beauty salon to be opened. They offer a huge selection of brow, nail, waxing, tanning and massage services all available with or without appointments. The monthly membership is £9.99 a month and that gets you 40% off all treatments, they also offer an express range so you can be in and out within 30 minutes, so if your always having beauty treatments this will work out well for you because it will cost you a lot less than high-street prices. You don’t have to be a member either you can just turn up or book yourself in at any time but you will pay full price. So the key is to become a member to pop in at anytime and receive discounted treatments whenever you like.

After the amazing service I had from Spruce Moose at my last visit, I knew I would have to book in for a quick holiday spruce up with my up coming trip to Rome. (Which was amazing by the way!)

I opted for a gel manicure, pedicure and leg wax. I went to have my legs waxed first but unfortunately my leg hair was too short, the beauty therapist Katie said it would just break the hairs and not actually pull them out, so it would just give the same effect as shaving. It put me at ease, knowing they know what they are talking about and didn't just do the treatment knowing they were too short, she kindly asked if I would like an alternative treatment instead, but I just decided on my gel manicure and pedicure. (I have re-booked for my wanted leg wax now I’ve learnt to grow my leg hair a bit longer! Oops!)

The lovely Claire who is also a beauty therapist and the assistant manager then greeted me. She took me over to a rainbow of gelish colours to choose from for my manicure and pedicure. I opted for 'Wild Blossom’, which was like a tropical red; I thought it would go well with my trip to Italy! She was extremely thorough and a real perfectionist. She then took me over to the pedicure area where I got to sit in a massage chair with a state of the art foot spa while the treatment was happening, which was just pure luxury.
The salon on a whole is pure luxury actually, the decor and interior sets it apart from other salons as well as their impeccable service. They have really thought of everything in this salon to give the client the best possible experience and they really do deserve the recognition.

Give them a visit at www.sprucemoose.com and become a member today!

How I Whiten My Teeth & Keep Them White!

I have been a Dental Nurse for almost 8 years, so it’s really important to me to have nice white teeth. When I was younger I used to suck my thumb, which made my teeth stick out and that made me quite self-conscious of how I looked, so because of that I needed a brace as a teenager so now I like to make sure I maintain a healthy smile.

A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear so I’m all for supporting a nice healthy smile! So I will take you through what I do and what I recommend.

Step 1: You wouldn’t build a house without strong foundations and the same goes with your teeth, healthy teeth and gums is a must before starting any sort of cosmetic treatment or teeth whitening. Brush your teeth twice a day, morning and night for 2 minutes everyday and visit your Dentist/Hygienist every 6-12 months; depending on your oral health, your dentist should let you know how often you need to visit.

Step 2: I use a custom made whitening tray with whitening gel placed into them, which I then wear to go to bed in and then take them out the next morning. You will need an impression of your teeth usually done by your dentist or dental care professional and then a week later your whitening trays are usually ready to fit, you are then given tubes of whitening gel which are usually 6% hydrogen peroxide and 5%, 10% or 16% carbamide peroxide. These professional materials are designed for use under dental supervision as part of a professional treatment, so I wouldn’t recommend buying any sort of tooth whitening kit off the Internet. Once you have your whitening trays and whitening gel, insert a small amount of gel into each tooth and wear for at least 2 hours. Whilst you have them in you cannot eat or drink, so I find going to bed in them works best for me. You can experience sensitivity with this method of tooth whitening so if this happens to you, use a de-sensitizing toothpaste like sensodyne and you should be fine. You can determine how white you want them, the more you keep whitening them the whiter they will go, so once your happy with your shade, stop and just top it up when you feel you need to.  I haven’t whitened my teeth since before Christmas and they have stayed white and I’ll tell you how in step 3.

Step 3: Curaprox Black is White/White is Black toothpaste. Curaprox is a Swiss company who strive on making top quality, high end products. I was lucky enough to be sent their new black – yes black, toothpaste to try, firstly I was really dubious but this actually works. Unlike typical whitening toothpastes that contain abrasive particles and bleaching agents which erode enamel, This toothpaste uses activated carbon to gently absorb and remove stain particles that discolour your teeth without wearing any enamel away, leaving you with healthy white teeth. It also contains a blue optical filter which reduces yellow discolouration making your teeth instantly look whiter, not only that but it tastes amazing and leaves your mouth feeling minty fresh. It comes with a Curaprox CS 5460 manual toothbrush, which is the best manual toothbrush I have ever used! It is so soft and contains 5460 extra fine specially designed filaments offering incomparable gentleness and efficiency, it also guarantees that the brush will not have a aggressive or eroding impact on your teeth without compromising the clean fresh feeling. I have been using this for about 2 months now and haven’t whitening my teeth since before Christmas so I know this product really does work. Hands down converted to these 2 products! You can buy these products at some professional dentists and larger boots UK stores RRP’s at £19.95.

So that is my 3 steps to whitening your teeth which I hope you found helpful, if you have any questions leave me a comment and I will do my best to get back to you. Thank you for reading and Happy Whitening! J

*DISCLAIMER

I may not have paid for everything I talk about but I am not in ANY way obliged to mention these products and if I have done so, it is because I genuinely like them. I would never recommend a brand/product that I didn't truly love and believe in.

I Was on TV: Katie Piper's Face to Face

Katie Piper has always been a massive inspiration to me as well as many others, I remember watching her documentary years ago thinking I wish I had her confidence and now here I am today involved in a TV programme with Katie! It was a surreal and proud moment.

Over a year ago I was asked if I wanted to take part in a beauty TV programme, so I had been doing bits of filming here and there and having to keep quiet about what I was doing. I got to travel down to London and meet some amazing people as well as getting the whole entire beauty lounge in Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge to ourselves at 6am in the morning! It was very exciting and an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.

The programme was about different people whose lives are affected in some way by a skin condition and want to know beauty tips on how to cover their imperfections, I was there to share my beauty tips and meet another girl like myself, Lisa – who was also born with a port wine stain birthmark, it was my job to do her make up, but little did she know I also had a birthmark. I remember feeling very nervous, as I know what make up works for me, but sometimes what works for you may not work for somebody else, but she loved her make over so I was very pleased! I am by no means an expert, but make up and beauty is a hobby of mine and something I love doing.

The show is said to encourage individuals to accept themselves and believe that make-up is not a way to hide but a way to empower and stay in control. I’ve accepted myself and my flaws but I also love make up. Make up is just a tool to enhance the beauty the already exists.

If I can inspire at least one person to show it's ok to be who you are, make up or not, I will be a happy girl!

The show was called ‘Katie Piper’s Face to Face’ it was on Channel 4, if you missed you will be able to watch it on 4OD (Channel 4 On Demand) or just click this link to watch now http://bit.ly/2oYRUfT  have you seen it? Let me know what you thought! 

The make up I used was Veil Cover Cream, a product which I know, love and have used for years, I can highly recommend it. You can order it online at www.veilcovercream.com if you enter ‘AMY2017’ at checkout you will also receive 5% off, so if your looking for something to cover vitiligo, birthmarks, port wine stains, rosacea, acne, pigmentation, scars, eczema, psoriasis, varicose veins and unwanted tattoos then you should definitely give this a try!

My Top 5 March Favourites

♥ Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer – Custard

I have been looking for a concealer for a while and I know that this one was highly rated, so I went to Space NK and got them to match me with my correct shade. It comes in 16 different shades so I wasn’t sure which one would work best for me, they gave me the shade custard which matches my skin and foundation perfectly, I could of gone slightly lighter just so my under eyes could be brightened up to give me that contour look. But I’m happy with the choice they gave me and it does a really good job!  The consistency of the concealer is light, creamy and satiny/velvet like, it comes with an applicator so it’s easy to apply. I recommend only using a small amount, maybe just a few dots under your eye and then any where else you want to cover because a small bit goes a long way. Then I gently pat and blend it into my skin with a damp Beauty Blender, and set with a little powder. I typically apply this over my foundation. I would definitely recommend this if your wondering which concealer to go for, it has medium - high, buildable coverage without being cakey or too heavy, I purchased this for £23 and its well worth the hype.

♥ Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

This powder is great for setting your make up, it makes your make up last all day, leaving your skin feeling silky smooth and flawless. It’s so finely milled it feels very satin like, it also applies like a dream. I apply this using my Charlotte Tilbury powder and sculpt brush, I leave it to bake on my under eyes and cheekbones after applying foundation and concealer and it really brightens up my under eyes and defines my cheekbones more. Then with a bigger powder brush I dust it over the rest of my face to set the rest of my foundation. I got bought this for Christmas from feel unique, it cost £29 and you get a decent amount of powder which will last me many more months, so well worth the money.

♥ Original Pink Beauty Blender

You could buy the most expensive makeup in the world, but if you're not applying it well, it's never going to look right and I can’t believe I only discovered these a few months ago! They make applying your make up so easy, especially blending concealer under/around your eyes and nose as it gets into all the little nooks and crannies. You can use this egg-shaped tool to apply all kinds of makeup, even powders, although I think the most common use is for foundation and concealer. I always dampen and wring out any excess water from my beauty blender before use as it makes it soft and springy and gives your make up a beautiful dewy finish. Mine came with a mini ‘blendercleanser’ to keep the sponge clean and if it’s well looked after it can last up to 6 months. This retails at £18, but this is definitely a game changer in the make up world so if you haven’t got yourself one, go, go, go! You wont be disappointed.

♥ Illamasqua Beyond Powder – Epic

Believe it or not my boyfriend bought me this at Christmas and I didn’t even ask for it, I walked past it in Selfridges and tested it on my hand and I was like ‘wow I love this, its so pretty’ he then took a picture of it when I wasn’t looking and got me it for Christmas, he’s a good one! Anyway back to this. This is like a warm bronze shimmer and is so pretty! You could use it as an all over illuminating finish or just as a highlighter. It makes your skin look natural, golden and glowing, I can’t wait until summer when I have a bit of a tan because I think they will compliment each other well. You can even use it as an eye shadow if you use a damp eye shadow brush. I’m not sure how much it was but it retails online at £32. Because this product is so nice it has made me want to try more of their gorgeous products, have you tried any illamasqua products? Let me know in the comments!

♥ Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips – Kidman’s Kiss

Charlotte Tilbury matte revolution lipsticks are the one! They never fail to disappoint me, this month was my birthday month so I treated myself to a new lipstick, I wanted something spring like and this one was pretty and pink, also named after Nicole Kidman. Not only do I love the colour of this but it lasts me up to 6 hours and goes perfectly with the Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat in pillow talk. The formula of this lipstick is gorgeous. It feels so soft and comfortable on my lips and doesn’t make them feel dry at all like some matte lipsticks do. I can highly recommend these lipsticks they cost £24 but are so worth it, I will definitely be buying more shades soon!

My Top 5 February Favourites!

1.  Becca Backlight Priming Filter

I always moisturise and prime my skin before applying my foundation and I’ve been using this primer religiously for the past month as I feel like it makes my skin really glow, it is said to ‘be makeup primer to help blur imperfections and impart a radiant glow.’ It definitely does do that! It creates the most gorgeous luminous glow. I have tried this under various liquid foundations and powder foundations and it has worked well with medium and full coverage foundations on my normal-to-dry skin. Even with medium-to-full coverage, the added pearlescent glow of the primer comes through slightly. You could even just apply to bare skin for an all over dewy finish or just use it under your base of choice. Price wise it retails at £32 but it is definitely worth it.

2. Garnier Micellar Water

I was a bit dubious about this product before I tried it, I don’t know why because its brilliant stuff.  I use this every morning on a cotton pad to get rid of grime and dirt from around my eyes and face. It makes my face feel refreshed and gives me a clean base ready for applying moisturiser, primer and make up for the day. I also use this last thing at night after I’ve removed my make up (with my Eve Lom facial cleanser which I blogged about last month) just to get those last tough bits of mascara off from under my eyes. It smells so nice and comes in different combinations, which I can’t wait to try. I wouldn’t recommend this to take off all your make up as when I tried it took me about 5 cotton pads and it still didn’t fully remove it, but its great for removing dirt and grime and small amounts of make up! You can pick this up fairly cheap, I bought this from Superdrug for £3 on offer, bargain! Will definitely be purchasing this again, think I will try the oil infused micellar water next!

3. Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream

I had been on the hunt for a good moisturiser for ages, I kept finding some too thick, too greasy and took ages to soak in, but I had read amazing reviews about this so I bought the 50ml pot to try and see if I liked it, however I now wish I bought the 125ml pot, I’m definitely converted to this, my skin has been so much better since using this. I often get dry skin so this works well for me, the moisturiser is really lightweight and is thin in consistency, which makes it easy to absorb into the skin. I have even converted my boyfriend into using this and his skin is so much better too! It makes my skin feel so soft and plump. It also acts as a great base for under makeup.  I paid £24.50 for the 50ml pot but I recommend buying the 125ml pot as you get more for your money, this is a must in my skincare routine and I will definitely be purchasing this again.

4. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Silk Bloom Shampoo & Conditioner

I have been using this shampoo and conditioner since September last year, but I’ve not yet blogged about it so I thought I would add it to my February fave's because it is a favourite after all. But since using this my hair has grown loads and has been in great condition, it leaves my hair feeling silky smooth and I don’t need to wash my hair half as much as I did. I bleached my hair years ago and it absolutely ruined my hair, so now I’m always really cautious about what I use on my hair and take good care in what I use. This has definitely helped bringing my hair into a healthy state and I’m now converted, the shampoo lasts me 3 months and the conditioner lasts me 5-6 months so its well worth the money, I purchased this from Look Fantastic at £45 for both and will definitely be buying again.

5. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat

This is one of my make up holy grails! This is a must in my make up bag, I currently have the shade ‘iconic nude’ which goes with any pink or nude shades of lipstick. The rich velvety pencil glides on so smoothly, is really pigmented and has a waterproof formula so it doesn’t smudge and it lasts all day, which I love. It gives my lips great shape for the perfect pout and I’m yet to come across another lip pencil as good as this! Its my birthday next month so can’t wait to buy more colours. These pencils are £16 but they are really high quality and last ages so

Have you tried any of these? What do you think and what are your favourites?

If you use Look Fantastic use my friend referral code (AMY-R16S) for £5 off any orders over £25. Exclusions apply.

My Top 5 January Favourites!

I am always on the look out for new beauty products! So I wanted to share with you my top 5 favourites from this month! Obviously I know everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you but I like to find what the best ones are, not just for myself, but so I can share them with all of you. So in no particular order…

1. Eve Lom Facial Cleanser

I have just recently written a blog post on this, as I loved it so much! But this is just incredible and an excellent alternative to face wipes leaving your skin super soft! Check out my last blog post to read more :) 

http://bit.ly/2js55E5

2. Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' Mascara

I have been looking for a good mascara for a while now and this was highly rated in the YouTube and blogging world so I thought I'd give it a try and see what it was like. After eventually getting hold it… (it always seemed to be out of stock!) I really like it! No wonder it sells out quickly! It doesn't smudge as the day goes on and is really black and applies nicely not making my lashes look like spiders legs, it gives my lashes more volume and length! I can highly recommend this and I will definitely be purchasing it again if I can get hold of it! 

http://bit.ly/2kdSkKm

3. The Balm Cosmetics - Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer

This seemed to be a favourite amongst other beauty bloggers and YouTuber's so I wanted to see what the hype was all about! I now know why it was so hyped, it is just amazing, if you are looking for a highlighter then look no further! This is so pigmented and glides on the skin beautifully.  I use my Laura Mercier fan brush to beam up my cheek bones, Cupid's bow, brow bones, tip of my nose and the inner corners of my eyes. Definitely holds a secure place in my make up bag!

http://bit.ly/1gZlqVE

4. Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)able Foundation 

I always find it really difficult to find myself a good coverage foundation with having a birthmark on the left side of my face, but I heard that this foundation was really good for full coverage. It is hard to get hold of as they are only in certain stores so I had to buy it online, but I found a website which you type in what shade foundation you are in other brands and it matches you with the right one! Which was a perfect find as I had no idea what shade to get and with it being £37 a bottle I wanted it to be right. The website was https://findation.com/. They matched me up with ‘Ivory Medium’, which was spot-on and went well with my skin tone! This foundation is worth every single penny, it is probably the best full coverage liquid foundation I’ve got now, it goes on really nicely and doesn’t look cakey on my skin! I managed to get it online from John Lewis but they sell it in Harrods too. I will write another blog post about this soon and probably do a YouTube tutorial as its that good it deserves more attention! So keep a look out.

http://bit.ly/2dkmjRe

5. Zoeva Rose Gold Eye Set Volume 2

This year I said to myself I wanted to get better at doing my eye make up. So with that I decided to get myself a set of Zoeva brushes after Christmas. A make up artist said to me a few months ago to apply good eye make up you need a set of decent brushes to help, these brushes definitely proved that. I loved the fact that these were rose gold and looked very pretty too, There are 12 brushes to buff in under-eye concealer; shade and shape the lids; smudge your eyeliner; and blend colour into the smallest creases of the eye – as well as being able to create a gorgeous cat’s eye flick, and take your brows to the next level. I bought these from Cult Beauty and they are very helpful as it lets you know on the product information which brush does what. If you want to invest in a good set of brushes I would highly recommend these!

http://bit.ly/2kdPbtW

What were your January favourites? Leave me a comment and let me know J