Compact Mineral Powder Versus Loose Minerals

Having used Loose Mineral powder make up for the last few years, I was interested in the new compact mineral powders that I have seen recently advertised.

I love the coverage and finish of the loose mineral powder but thought the ease and practicality of the compact version was worth exploring.

After trying a couple of top brand compacts, I found that neither gave as good coverage as the loose powders and one was a little bit chalky in texture.

It's recommended that you use with a powder brush (same as with the loose) but, personally, the effect was just dusting the skin slightly with colour.

You need an excellent complexion to begin with!

Therefore my advice is to stick with the loose mineral powders for better coverage and only opt for compact mineral powders to apply over foundation for a smoother glow to the skin.

My fave loose mineral powders are L'Oreal, Bare Minerals, Clinique and Elizabeth Arden.

Vaseline for Nails

Lately I seem to keep finding 'good old staples'

Products that we used to use years ago and tend to forget about as there's always something new on the market.

With the weather getting a bit colder here in Dubai!
My cuticles get very dry, so I have been massaging a well known nail oil into them each night for the past week.

A little bit of difference but not much as I thought the oil felt too thin in texture to work.

Then I remembered a girl that I worked with years ago in a beauty salon.
She told me to use Vaseline on my nails.

Last night I massaged Vaseline around my nails and there is a huge difference in the texture of the skin this morning.

It also reminds me of when I lived in Africa 24 years ago, where most women used to use Vaseline on their faces every evening and what beautiful skins they had.
It's an oldie but a goody!

Super Amazing Bio Oil

For those that have forgotten just how good this product really is!

Bio Oil is amazing and not at all expensive. Available from Boots Pharmacy.

I have recently had a small op to remove a lump from my arm and the scar left a slight keloid (raised skin) I started massaging the area with Bio Oil each night and have only only been doing this for the past 5 days.

After day 2 the scar started to soften and smooth, so hopefully after 8 weeks of treatment it will be less noticeable.

Remember also that Bio Oil is great for an extra boost for dehydrated skin, uneven skin, aging skin and stretch marks.

Just massage at night into the face or body after cleansing and feel how soft the skin is next morning.

Diamond Peel Results

I am loving the fantastic results that I am getting from my new Diamond Peel Microdermabrasion.

Many of my clients have started 6 weekly courses and have even had their husbands noticing the difference in their complexions after just two weeks!

When a man notices, that's really saying something!

The results are great if you are looking for anti age, skin smoothing and glowing skin.

I am also getting fantastic results on a few of my teenage clients who are suffering from dry acne and hard pimples, especially on the cheeks.

A teenage client had her first Diamond Peel yesterday and her mum could not believe the immediate results when she came to pick her up.

Below is a testimonial from one of my clients.

"Fabulous treatment today with Hazel. No dryness or tightness from treatment.
 Noticed smoothness and brightness of skin immediately and it was a totally painless and enjoyable experience.
My husband had been on a work trip and noticed that my skin looked brighter!
Can't wait to see the results after six sessions!"

Impala Foundations and Cosmetics

Have finally been sorting through my make up kit and have replaced my foundations.

It can be a very costly exercise when you are using the top brands, so I'm always on the lookout for budget brands that work well.

Impala Cosmetics have a fabulous range and the foundations are a definite favourite.

With colours that match skin tones perfectly and prices that are unbelievable.

I can get 5 Impala foundations for the cost of one luxury brand foundation!

They have Oil Free which is long lasting with an SPF 15 and Collagen Foundation which contains Vitamin E.
The Collagen foundation is also waterproof which makes it very long lasting,  perfect for hot climates like Dubai.

Impala are only in two select locations in Dubai, one is Lulu Hypermarket in Barsha and the second is located in Town Centre Springs.

Throughout December I will be at the Impala Kiosk Springs to provide ladies with ten minute make overs, along with hints and tips.

Hope to see you there.

Clarisonic Mia 2 facial Cleanser

If you're like me, then you will always be on the look out for new beauty gadgets!
Some can be quite expensive and not always worth the money.

Here's something that's worth every penny/dirham!

I had researched the Clarisonic Mia 2 facial cleansing machine and found it was extremely popular, so had to give it a go!
We clean our skin and remove make up daily with cleansers or facial washes but is this really enough?

Regular facials result in squeaky clean skin but what do we do between facials for that extra deep cleanse?

Cleansing with the Clarisonic Mia 2 cleans skin 6 times better than usual hand/face washing.

I loved the feel of my skin after cleansing with this and it can be done in only one minute.

Excessive cleansing or using the wrong cleansing brush head could result in skin irritation, so I would recommend to go steady at first and maybe only use every other day to begin with.

Take extra care if you have acne, as this could also inflame it, but over time I am sure that the extra cleanliness will work wonders for all skin types.

As the machine is quite expensive, I wanted to find an alternative for those on a budget or those with 'beauty conscious' daughters!

Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Cleansing System looks similar and comes in at less than half the price!

Launch of New Diamond Peel Machine Today!

So today's the day that my new Diamond Peel Machine goes into action!

With facials booked today and tomorrow, I'm off to a great start.

My clients were lined up ready to be polished to perfection!

And with Christmas only a few weeks away, we will all be welcoming new skins along with the New Year!

I have my own second treatment today, which will be fun trying to do it on myself!

The plan is to treat my skin every week for 6 to 8 weeks.

It feels so smooth, looks brighter and my serums and creams are definately working better than ever.

Look out for client testimonials over the next few days.

New Diamond Peel Machine coming to Dubai!

Over recent weeks, I have been trying out Diamond Peel treatments.

We are all looking to achieve the best skin results without having to resort to surgery.
Rejuvenate and renew are the key things to focus on.

After my first treatment, which I have to stress is absolutely pain free, my skin felt soft, silky and tighter.

Regular treatments will improve texture, firmness, collagen production and will help fine lines, pigmentation and acne.

With such great results I had to have my own professional machine for myself and my clients.

Therefore, I researched and found a great machine only available in the UK with professional training.

I trained at The Angel Academy of Teaching & Training in Essex
The founder of the academy, the lovely Deborah Kelly was my trainer.

Here I am unpacking my new Diamond Peel Microdermabrasion machine.

Great machine, great results for all skin types. Will be happy to get back to Dubai tomorrow and start using the machine.

My clients will all look ten years younger!

The Best Budget Mascara and Eye Make Up Remover?

I'm always asked 'What is the best mascara?' and my view is not always to blow the budget. So, a good mascara that doesn't smudge, great for contact lens wearers, easy to remove and Non Waterproof!

I know, you're thinking that its too good to be true!

We all have our favourites but after 25 years in the make up industry, I have tried quite a few mascaras.
Max Factor is my all time favourite. Masterpiece is amazing in Rich Black but I have to say that good old 2000 Calorie still works a treat for thickening lashes.

Removing mascara is so easy with L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make Up Remover. They also have an eye make up remover for waterproof eye make up but I find the oily consistency too much for my lenses.

Halloween

Today I did the make up for the 'Maya' restaurant at The Royal Meridien here in Dubai.

This was the Halloween theme for their staff

Here are the his and hers versions of Spook!

I had such fun doing this. All the staff wanted to know was 'How do I get this off??' !!

Happy Halloween everyone. I hope you're doing something fun with your pumpkins!