Jessica GELeration - Day 3

Just thought I'd update you on how my new Sexy Siren Jessica GELeration nails are getting on...

I'm pleased to report I'm still in love! They are looking fabulous - no chips, wearing or lifting and they are SUPER shiny still and look how thin they are! I've had so many compliments.

Will report back later in the week...

Beautiful Cupcake Gallery - Cameos

From being tiny I've been fascinated by cameos; my mum had Wedgewood cameo eggs and brooches and I was constantly looking at them and stroking them... I love to stroke - maybe that's why I massage for a living ;o)

For my 21st birthday I was given a beautiful antique jade cameo by my colleagues, but sadly it got damaged beyond repair.

I also adore cupcakes and am fascinated and amazed at how intricate they can be. So here is the start of my Beautiful Cupcake Gallery. They look far too pretty to eat don't they?

How beautiful is this Vanilla Bean cupcake from Rachel's Custom Cakes? It's decorated with Swiss meringue butter cream and fondant decorations - yum yum. Oh and hand-painted with edible gold dust no less - wow!

Katie Cakes love the pretty pearls

Vintage Pearl & Cameo Cupcakes Cupcake Pictures the vintage pearls and lacy cases give these an incredibly elegant feel - as a true cameo should be.

Wonderful Wide World of Cupcakes blog in Perth, Australia - I absolutely love the presentation on gorgeous tray, stunning - lucky Perth!

One of our local "mum's who make", I have had some very clever and very tasty cakes from Bev http://www.bakethatandparty.co.uk/

My Pamper Time is Over :o(

Well I'm back and what a lovely afternoon I've had, I feel like a new woman! And this picture shows exactly how I am feeling about Jessica GELeration!

My GELeration nails look amazing. After what probably felt that an hour to the poor therapist, I eventually decided to have the Sexy Siren colour and its soooooo pretty!

So is it a Polish or is it a Gel? Well it paints like polish, but performs like gel - a perfect combination. Jessica's philosophy is to develop the long term health of your natural nails and this has been carried on with GELeration hurray! The whole process is kind to your nails. Weak, broken or bitten nails can be revived and refreshed. Great as an ongoing maintenance treatment, for an occasion, or to help grow your nails.

Like all the Jessica range this product is amazing, it has really blown me away. GELeration is a new generation in soak-off nail system. It is a "hybrid" between a gel and a polish, it doesn't chip, fade or peel and it's super shiny with no need to use a top coat. It is much thinner than I expected so looks super natural. It dries in seconds so you leave the salon with dry nails - don't tell your man though - we still need a good excuse not to do the washing up!! Your nails look like new every day and super shiny. It's removed in minutes with a special soak off solution.

For fellow therapists who haven't tried GELeration yet, the product literally does paint on like a varnish, I was a bit sceptical but it really does, it's not thick like the older systems in the pots. It is much quicker to do than and a lot easier, plus as the bottle is getting low you don't get those awful stringy, claggy bits you get with varnishes  - so no waste, a definite plus. You can cure them under a UV lamp or LED lamp.

Jessica recommend you use their intensive conditioning Phenomen Oil at home to keep your cuticles and nails in tip top condition. Lucky I have lots of that in my home salon! I'll report back with how they last over the next few weeks. In the meantime I'm going to be flashing my pretty hands to the world!

I will cover my  Aveda Chocolate Sensation facial in another post - off to relax now, then friends for a curry - yum yum!

Have a fabulous weekend x

Pamper Time Soon

Off for my long awaited pamper very soon. Just been on Jessica Nail's website to have a nosy at the colour selection for their GELeration soak off gel polish - hmm think a big chunk of my appointment is going to be spent choosing one of these gorgeous colours! So much to choose from hurray!

Here's a before picture - crickey I've got my mums veiny hands lol! Will let report back on the new nails later and the new face after my Aveda Chocolate Sensation facial - sorry guys no pic of my face without makeup! Enjoy your Saturday! x

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My Pampering Weekend Coming Up

I'm really looking forward to a nice long pampering this weekend - a perfect Christmas present from my lovely hubby and gorgeous little boy. 

I have been treated to an Aveda Chocolate Sensation Facial with Revitalising Eye Treatment - this is a luxury facial using the super anti-oxidant and moisturising properties of chocolate to leave the skin, soothed, hydrated and glowing. Perfect - just what I need to get my skin ready for spring, and repair the winter damage from the cold weather and central heating.

I will let you know how it goes - I'm extremely excited; I've never had one of their facials but have heard great things about them. No doubt I'll pick up some great ideas too - if I don't fall asleep that is!

I think is incredibly important to keep up-to-date with new trends and experience other brands when you work in any industry - I must say research in this business is bloomin marvellous! 

So... I'm also getting to try out Jessica's GELeration gels!! I'm off to visit their website now to choose a colour! I may even get them in the salon - watch this space...

First glance at Liz Earle's New Make-up Range

OOOO I'm excited, I've just seen on the Beauty Bible Facebook page sighting of Liz Earle's new make up range - Liz Earle Colour.

Can't wait to try it - Liz is one of my top inspirational ladies, her books are amazing and her products. Love the simple clean packaging. John Lewis - I'll be there as soon as it hits the shelves!

Get the Best out of Waxing

It takes up to 4 treatments to really see the benefits of waxing – so start now and get the best results for a super smooth for Spring and Summer.

You should have 3 weeks hair growth before you have your first wax (first ever or after a break). 

It is normal to not be completely smooth when you first start having waxing. Following the Wax Queen Lori Nestore's methods, I never tweeze the small hairs left as they are at a different stage of the “hair growth cycle” and we want all the hair to be long enough to wax at each visit. It really does work – my regular waxing clients now have none or very little short hairs after their monthly waxing sessions. 

Waxing the hairs every 4 weeks will encourage the “hair growth cycle” to be in sync, allow the skin to become used to waxing - making it less painful and making you hair free for longer! Leaving more time between waxing will start the whole process all over again.

Many salons offer courses for treatments which saves you money  – my salon does 6 for the price of 5 or 10 for the price of 12.

Planning Your Waxing Session
You should stop doing any hair removal approximately 2-3 weeks (depending on the speed of your own hair growth) before your waxing appointment, this will ensure your hairs are at least) 1/2 - 3/4 cm long (the recommended length so there is enough hair for the wax to grip onto and for comfortable removal). You can always trim the hair with scissors if it's much longer.

For the ladies I would highly recommend avoiding the couple of days before your due to start your monthly cycle and during, purely because your pain threshold is generally lower during this time.

Preparing For Your Waxing Session
To get the best results you should exfoliate the area the day before your appointment in the bath or shower using a loofah, body scrub or exfoliating mitt, this will remove any dead skin cells and lift the hairs ready for waxing.

On the day of your treatment avoid applying any body lotion to the area as this could prevent the wax from attaching to the hairs.

In Between Waxing Sessions

Shaving and hair removal creams stimulate the hair growth making it come back quicker, thicker and darker and will knock the “hair growth cycle” out of sync, so please don’t be tempted to use these in between appointments – be patient and it will really pay off.

To prevent ingrown hairs, after your skin has calmed down, gently exfoliate the skin 2-3 times a week in the bath or shower using a loofah, body scrub or exfoliating mitt. 

It's definitely worth investing in a good Aloe Vera based after wax product to use after your session and the next few days to cool and soothe the area and speed up the healing process. Your therapist will stock these.

Using body lotion on the area every day will help keep the skin soft, supple and help the new hairs push through normally.

Great Beauty Storage Idea

I just love these pretty vintage tea tins - much nicer than a modern cardboard box and eco-friendly as you can recycle them!

They would look stunning on your dressing table for storing jewellery, cotton wool or make-up brushes, the possibilities are endless...

Image via Ruby Rhino

Are you using the right Lip Balm?

Want gorgeous, kissable lips like these? Then read on...

Unlike the rest of our skin and face our lips do not produce sebum (keeps our skin and hair moisturised). That is why they get chapped and dehydrated, especially in the dry and cold seasons.

Mineral oil or Paraffin (cheap by-products of petroleum) based lip balms draw moisture away from the lips making you lick them, drying them out further. You should try to look for a lip balm that contains shea butter or beeswax which attracts moisture from the air to the lips and conditions them. You might be surprised to hear that famous brands like Carmex, Dior and Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream all contain petroleum based ingredients.

Now you may be thinking "but I can’t live without my Vaseline" – just take a minute to think why you are lip balm addict?

Is it because as soon as it's worn off, your lips are dry again and desperate for more? Or...

Is because it’s your wonder product and it keeps you lips soft all day long and you hardly ever have to reapply?

If you are using the right lip balm you shouldn't have to constantly reapply. So next time you go to buy a lip balm – have a close look at the ingredient list. Don’t we all long for smooth kissable lips?!

Here are some natural balms I love.

Aveda Lip Saver SPF 15 soothing and moisturising botanical balm. With antioxidant rich beeswax, refreshing cinnamon leaf, clove and anise oil. Has sunscreen and antioxidants to protect the lips from UV and other harmful environmental factors. £11.50

Neal’s Yard Organic Shea Nut and Rosehip Lip Formula keeps lips soft and smooth with moisture replenishing organic shea nut butter and hydrating rosehip oil. Rich in moisturising vitamins A and E. £7.05

Eve Taylor Seal & Protect Lip Balm SPF 10 vitamin E rich balm with nourishing shea butter and beeswax and hydrating jojoba seed oil. Soothing and healing calendula and a hint of cooling mint and sweet orange. The natural sunscreen protects against the elements all year round great for sun or wind damaged lips. Great on any sore or chapped skin including nose and hands. Available from Rituals Beauty for £4.79

Could there be something other than the weather making your lips dry?
During my consultations I use Eve Taylor’s System of Analysis* to help detect where the skin problem originated, holistically looking at the physical as well as the emotions to help us understand the cause and effect. It really is fascinating stuff!  (By the way beauty therapists don’t diagnose medical conditions - this is a doctor’s role).

* Each part of the body influences the other and if you can find the origin of the cause of a problem you can help restore balance - Eve Taylor OBE

Using this system we know that dry cracked lips can relate to problems with the intestine, so we then look into whether you suffer from things like IBS, constipation or other digestive problems. Little things like changes to your diet and lifestyle can really help.

To order any product from Rituals Beauty, call 0789 4120073 or email hello@ritualsbeauty.co.uk. If you aren't local, I offer a postal service for a little extra cost.

The Marvellous Medicinal Marshmallow

If you suffer from any of the following then grab a Marshmallow. Yes I said Marshmallow...

If you have asthma, bronchitis, respiratory problems, bladder infections, sinusitis, sore throats, fluid retention or digestive problems such as IBS, then marshmallows could help.

The sap from the marshmallow root has a high mucilage content which helps the body expel excess fluid and mucous and can soothe the mucous membranes and a dry hacking cough. Originally it was used medicinally as a remedy for sore throats. Stoma nurses often recommend it for people who have had an ileostomy due to serious digestive complaints including Crohn's disease or bowel cancer.

Marshmallow is a natural source of beta-carotene (antioxidant), amino acids (proteins essential for every bodily function), minerals and vitamins. You can take it as a supplement from Health Food shops or even better treat yourself to some delicious handmade Veggie Marshmallow’s from Moonraker's Marshmallows. NONE VEGGIES please don’t look away, there is a reason I am recommending the veggie ones. This is because they are made with marshmallow root and not gelatine (a protein substance derived from collagen, a natural protein present in the tendons, ligaments, and tissues of animals).

The use of marshmallow to make sweets dates back to Egyptian times. Marshmallows were originally made by whipping the sap of the marshmallow root which was very labour intensive. In the late 19th century, French manufacturers discovered other ways to create a chewy base using egg white or gelatine combined with modified corn starch.

Don’t you just love it when you find out sweets are good for you?! I wonder if Haribo can get rid of headaches?!

Smudged your nails again? Meet your new best friend!

Today is my first jump into the world of blogging!. I have so many people asking for advice on beauty and health matters, it seemed a blog was the best place to expand upon those things and share them with the world.  

So here goes with my first ever post...

Jessica Nails themselves picked up on a post I put on my Rituals Beauty Facebook page today about their amazing "Quick Dry" product and my homemade artwork I did to promote the product. I can't tell you how proud and honoured I was to get recognition and a comment from such a fantastic company. So to celebrate I thought it would make the perfect first post.

Smudged your nails again? 

Well never again with this wonder product - just 1 drop of Jessica Nails "Quick Dry" on each nail gets you touch dry nails in just 60 seconds! It creates an invisible protective film over the polish surface to protect your freshly painted nails from scratching, smudging and wrinkling. Easy, fast and super effective. I always use it in the salon in my manicures and pedicures. 

Available from my salon Rituals Beauty in Newcastle upon Tyne for just £6.95 (7.4ml). To order yours today call 0789 4120073 or email hello@ritualsbeauty.co.uk. If you aren't local, I offer a postal service for a little extra cost.

Thanks for reading my first post and thanks to my lovely clever design blogger Mummy from Designers Block who designed my new blog!

Sara x

Well Here We Go

So this is how you blog is it? This is my website Rituals Beauty