Tuesday, 22 December 2009

Glam Lash - Michelle goes Glam for Glasgow’s Big Build Appeal


Pop Idol Star and STV presenter, Michelle McManus has added a touch of glamour to Marie Curie Glasgow’s Big Build Appeal becoming the face of the Caledonian Therapy Academy’s (CTA), new product ‘Glam Lash’.
Marie Curie’s loyal supporters at the CTA have pledged to donate 5% of all ‘Glam Lash’ profits to the Big Build Appeal, which is raising £16.1 million for a new Glasgow hospice. ‘Glam Lash’ eyelashes are semi-permanent extensions that can last for up to 3 months, with no damage to the natural lashes – a must have for every girl this party season.
Michelle McManus said: “Being a Glasgow girl, I know what a fantastic job Marie Curie does. The Big Build Appeal is a great cause as a new hospice will allow the charity to continue to care for people in Glasgow for years to come. I’m so glad to help fundraise with the CTA and I hope lots of girlies go glam for a good cause during the party season”.
Work began on the new hospice in April 2008 and the building is now clearly visible. All is on schedule for the hospice to be fully operational by spring 2010 and every single donation brings Marie Curie one step closer to their fundraising target. The Big Build Appeal has now reached £14 million but still needs all the support possible to help raise the remaining £2.1 million.
Karen Milne, capital appeal fundraising manager said: “The Caledonian Therapy Academy has been a great supporter throughout the Big Build Appeal. We are so grateful for their continued fundraising and are delighted that Michelle has come on board to help. Supporters like these are vital in helping us reach our £16.1 million target.”
Louise Prunty, director and principle at the CTA Said: “We are so excited to have Michelle's support in our fundraising efforts for the Big Build Appeal Michelle is an inspiration, who women across the country can relate to. With Michelle’s support we will hopefully put Glam Lash on everyone’s Christmas list this year, allowing us to generate lots of cash for the Big Build Appeal.”

If you would like to follow Michelle’s lead and get glam for a good cause this party season contact the CTA on 0141 334 0080 or visit www.ctacademy.co.uk . For more information on how you can help the Big Build Appeal call 0141 531 1383 or log on to www.bigbuild.org.uk.

Friday, 18 December 2009

From Computer Screen to TV Screen - British Bedroom Make Up Girl Hits The Big Time!

I'm already a huge fan of Lauren Luke who has had the most amazing last year, the 28-year old single mum from South Shields has become an Internet hit through her online make-up tutorials on You Tube & is set to become a millionaire business woman after being snapped up to launch her own product range on TV shopping channel QVC.
Lauren Luke, a former taxi dispatcher whose YouTube DIY make-up tips have been viewed over 65 million times, will made her TV presenter debut on Thursday 17th December.
Lauren, who describes herself as an “every day looking girl”, first started to experiment with make-up as a way to make herself feel better after being bullied at school. She began recording and uploading online demos from her pink and black bedroom in 2007 quickly amassing a loyal following of over 300,000 fans. Now she is aiming to take on the beauty industry with an affordable product range that encourages people to experiment with colour.
She says: “I always dreamed of having my own make-up line where I could develop products that made people feel special - that I myself would be over the moon to wear. The excitement that comes from makeup is something very personal. We all have our own reasons for being so excited by it, mine is definitely because of the colour and the fact it can bring out the best in everyone. We are all doing the same thing with make-up but with our own personal edge.”
Beauty industry experts are predicting big success for the Lauren Luke range – with QVC already being inundated with enquiries despite the products not yet on sale.
Alison Young, beauty expert at QVC, comments: “She already has a huge fan-base who love her unscripted, unrehearsed and down-to-earth tutorials. If she translates that approach onto the TV screen we are sure that her product range will be a huge global hit and help inspire people to follow in her footsteps and make their dreams a reality.”
Check out the exciting new product range on TV Shopping Channel QVC, a few of the pallates are below -

By Lauren Luke - Make-Up Kits


By Lauren Luke - My Smokey Classics


By Lauren Luke - My Sultry Blues


By Lauren Luke - My Vintage Glams

Protect Your Hands From The Snow This Weekend With Neutrogena Norwegian Formula


“Nothing gives your age away like your hands,”… or so the saying goes. With your hands being one of the most exposed areas of your body, it’s no wonder that the skin is more susceptible to dryness, age spots, wrinkles and other signs of skin damage that we try and hide in a pair of gloves! So whatever your age, when the temperature drops it is even more important to look after your hands.
Luckily, Neutrogena is ‘on hand’ with its beauty classic; the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula range of hand creams to keep hands soft and smooth. The Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Creams are the UK’s favourite1, with one hand cream sold every five seconds2. The glycerin enriched formula instantly relieves and soothes dry chapped skin, protecting your hands even in the harshest conditions, leaving them noticeably softer and smoother.
The Norwegian Formula story began at sea over 30 years ago where Norwegian fisherman reported soft supple hands despite the harsh conditions. Neutrogena discovered that the oils in the fish they were handling contained moisturising properties and so they developed a synthetic version of these oils which to this day is integral to the Norwegian Formula range. Today, there are five hand creams in the range:

Norwegian Formula - Concentrated Hand Cream, £3.69 for 50ml:
The number one and number two selling hand cream in the market1; this glycerin enriched concentrated formula protects and provides immediate and lasting relief for even the most dry hands and comes in two variations, scented and unscented - containing over 200 applications in every tube!

Norwegian Formula - Fast Absorbing Hand Cream, £3.99 for 75ml:
Keep hands hydrated and comforted with this instantly absorbed formula. The light, non-greasy texture instantly melts into the skin for an immediate feeling of comfort and moisturisation, leaving no stickiness or residue.

Norwegian Formula - Hand & Nail Cream, £3.99 for 75ml:
A luxurious rich hand cream that melts into your hands and contains panthenol for complete hand and nail care. Its innovative formula makes nails twice as strong and helps soften cuticles as well as intensively moisturising and nourishing the skin.

Norwegian Formula - Anti-Ageing Hand Cream, £4.49 for 50ml:
Fights the signs of ageing, with an SPF 15 to protect skin from the damaging effects of the sun, and Active Soy to help protect against the appearance of brown spots, leaving hands soft and smooth.

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Dry Skin Solution To The Cold Winter Weather with Skindinavia!


With our cold snap taking hold, it's not the best news if you have dry skin as the cold winter air can make it even worse. The result is often fading, creasing or settling of your makeup into fine lines and pores. There are a couple obvious solutions to help keep your skin and your makeup moist.
One is to moisturize regularly and the other is to use a sulfate free makeup remover at night. You don't need to go for super expensive moisturisers and makeup removers. As long as they both include a few key ingredients you are in good shape.

Here are three very basic ideas that are the cornerstone to keeping skin young -

1. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!!! Even if you are 25 years old or 55 years old, choose a quality moisturiser with some SPF, but don’t be fooled that ANY good moisturiser is an anti-aging treatment.
Now you do not need to spend £100 for a quality moisturizer, but don’t be silly enough to think the £5 products are just as good. Look for some basic quality ingredients like aloe, shea butter and hyaluronic acid. One other specific ingredient to seek out is NaPCA, which mimics the salt in your skin, it has hygroscopic properties that pull moisture to itself, which is constantly hydrating.

2. Invest in an excellent makeup remover. If you sleep with makeup on, it will continue to dehydrate your skin through the night. Use a top quality, sulfate free, makeup remover.

3. Turn your foundation into a moisturizing treatment. Skindinavia have come up with a pretty novel idea, which is to turn the foundation you have on into a moisturizing treatment. Instead of drying, it can actually turn your foundation into a secondary moisturizer. That doesn’t mean a watery mess, it means greatly slowing down the foundation’s ability to steal moisture, and then have it give back the water it takes. This may sound complicated to achieve, but it’s actually really simple.

Skindinavia's 10 Years Younger Makeup Finish is designed to prevent foundation from drying out, simply spritz it 2-4 times over finished makeup. It takes about 3 seconds to do.



It chills the makeup surface which causes drying to slow down greatly, and then it is loaded with a six hydrators that bring more needed moisture to the makeup surface. The result is glowing, dewy foundation that holds in place up to 16 hours. Use this and a quality moisturizer and the difference will amaze you!

Check out the Ten Years Younger make-up finisher.

Friday, 11 December 2009

Xmas Brush Sets - Benefit


Christmas time is always the best time of year to stock up on some make-up new brushes, as all the cosmetic counters have their festive brush sets on offer, plus they're always better value than buying individually.
One of my favourites this year is 'Benefit's Betty Brushes Up On Beauty' which contains four of the most essential brushes for applying make-up, firstly is a blusher brush (doubles up nicely as a powder brush too!), a concealer brush, fluff brush for blending your eyeshadow & a hard angle brush for your eyeliner.. All packed beautifully in the Betty pouch! £19.50 Each from Benefit Counters Nationwide

Thursday, 10 December 2009

The £12 New Year Detox - Cure Your Hungover Skin!!


Just like the rest of our body, in the New Year skin is in need of a good detox. The combination of the party season and cold weather has taken its toll, and spring still seems an eternity away.
We need colour, we need radiance and we don’t want to pay a fortune for it.
The Lily Lolo mineral foundation is a snip at £12, especially when compared to other highstreet alternatives, what’s more – the promise of no chemical nasties; no chemical preservatives, no parabens, no Bismuth Oxychloride or chemical dyes means the products contain the minimum of ingredients (all natural ones) that really perform.
We can all detox our bodies’ safe in the knowledge that we’re not adding unnecessary toxins though the makeup we use.
It’s well known that mineral foundation is actually good for your skin, Lily Lolo mineral foundation includes just enough Mica to give skin a fabulous healthy glow, this mineral has light reflecting properties (instantly minimising fine lines), creating instant radiance, and Titanium Dioxide which has healing properties.
The soft silky powder has a very faint shimmer to it instantly hiding a tired and stressed winter complexion, the results are flawless, glowing healthy skin.
Minerals make a New Year resolution that’s easy to keep – I promise to look after my skin, and buy more natural products.
Lily Lolo foundation saves skin at only £12, and is available in 16 shades from www.lilylolo.co.uk
The full collection is available online and at selected salons nationwide. Prices range from £3.50 - £18.00
A full list of natural ingredients is available online.

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

All We Want For Xmas Is A Key To The Youth Corridor!


Dr Gerald Imber, one of the world’s top plastic surgeons, releases The New Youth Corridor, an updated version of his classic manual on skin and how to hold on to your youthful appearance throughout the adult years. Based on his signature philosophy of prevention, maintenance & correction, and updated with the latest information for a modern and savvier reader, he guides both novices and experts through the causes of aging, the best over-the-counter remedies and most effective professional treatments.
After performing thousands of facelifts, Dr. Imber is convinced that surgery alone is not the answer. The New Youth Corridor outlines his uniquely active approach to aging, representing decades of experience in the field of facial rejuvenation and his belief that diligent daily care can help retain the firmness, radiance and overall beauty of the skin, while self help and small procedures done earlier can stop the clock. Written in plain language, refreshingly honest and completely “fad-free,” each of the 13 chapters provides essential information about maintaining skin’s health and vitality based on the best scientific information and years of clinical experience.

“The Youth Corridor is that period of adult life when you look your youthful, healthy best.” – Dr. Gerald Imber

Just a few highlights from The New Youth Corridor:

Chapters 3 & 4: How and why the skin ages and why it's never too early, or too late, to start protecting your skin. Learn which small steps and tricks, begun as early as your 20's, can have the most lasting results on your appearance.

Chapter 7: Dr. Imber has devised the ultimate skin care regime, including the what, how and why to keep skin looking and feeling its best. Discover why he thinks soap and water is often the best choice for morning cleansing.

Chapter 10: An honest and frank assessment of the most popular injectables, laser resurfacing treatments, peels and implants, including what they really can and can’t do to improve appearance.

The New Youth Corridor launches along with with the Youth Corridor anti-aging skin care regimen, six breakthrough treatment products that capture the essence of Dr. Imber's philosophy toward aging, effectively delivering the most potent anti-oxidants for firmer, smoother, more youthful skin.


Youth Corridor is a line of six, targeted products that utilize a combination of powerful anti-oxidants delivered in a completely new way for unparalleled effectiveness.
Youth Corridor skin care represents Dr. Imber’s decades of experience in the field of facial rejuvenation and his belief that you can maintain a youthful appearance throughout your adult life. This modern, no-nonsense approach to skin care is based on Dr. Imber’s groundbreaking “Youth Corridor” system for prevention, maintenance & correction: Diligent daily care can help retain the firmness, radiance and overall beauty of the skin, while self help and small procedures done earlier can stop the clock.
In that spirit, Youth Corridor utilizes a new and unprecedented combination of Vitamins C, E and melatonin to prevent and correct the signs of aging by directly targeting the harmful inflammation caused by free radical damage. Untreated inflammation and free radical damage have been shown to lead to collagen degradation and elastin cross-linking, which are the major causes of wrinkling and sagging skin. Vitamins C and E have been used in skin care products for years with limited results, but when combined with the natural antioxidant melatonin there is enhanced delivery to the deeper layers of the skin. This combination has been proven to provide far greater anti-inflammatory, anti-aging effect than the use of any these anti-oxidants alone.
Dr. Imber has created an effective daily treatment line consisting of six products centered on his Vitamin C, E and melatonin serum, which meet the daily needs for PROTECTION * MAINTENANCE * CORRECTION, for all skin types and ages.

The 6 Products are -

Antioxidant Boosttm Skin Serum with 10% Vitamin C, E and melatonin - The signature Youth Corridor product and one of the most potent anti-ager available.

Skin Brightener with Botanicals and AHA - An instant radiance booster that increases cell turnover and delivers skin boosting botanicals to improve skin health

Gentle Cleansing Foam with Green Tea Extract - A mild, soap-free cleanser to remove all traces of dirt, oil and makeup without stripping the skin. Green Tea Extract provides additional anti-oxidant protection.

Soothe & Defend Moisturizer with SPF 30 - The perfect daily moisturizer that offers UVA and UVB protection in a lightweight formula.

Gentle Moisturizer with Green Tea Extract - The ultimate, feel-good skin hydrator and soother that can be applied as often as needed for soft, supple skin.

Rejuvenating Eye Cream with Antioxidants and Peptides- A skin-firming treatment cream to protect and repair delicate skin around the eyes.

Book is available from Amazone & products can be bought on line at Youth Corridor