A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

My Dad ensured that, growing up, I was registered with a great dentist and that when the time came, I had access to whatever appropriate orthodontic treatment was needed.  Because of this, I was able to mostly avoid the overcrowding and hereditary overbite that plagues my family.  My teeth aren’t perfect but I got a great start in life thanks to someone who cared.

Which is why it’s pretty shocking that in my adult life, I’ve taken my oral care for granted.

Sure, I brush twice a day (mostly) and I visit the dentist every six months… but do nothing above and beyond this to take care of my teeth and gums.  Let’s just say… it’s starting to show.  Since having Leila, my gums have deteriorated and I’m starting to realise that if I want to keep my teeth into my senior years (as my Dad has done), I need to up my game.  I don’t have any fillings but I’ve recently had some fissures sealed to prevent what would have led to inevitable tooth decay, basically… I’m on borrowed time!

A very rare full Lipglossiping grin!

A couple of weeks ago, I had a nasty wakeup call.  There I was, happily tucking into some peanuts when all of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain and immediately directed my tongue to the source of the discomfort.  Directly above one of my top canine teeth, I could feel a lump.  This area of gum has given me problems in the past, although nothing major… some bleeding when brushing, a little tenderness, almost always the sorest bit during the dental examination with the pointy probe…

…It was a damn peanut shard!  My gum was far too soft (read: unhealthy) in that area and I’d managed to push a piece of peanut into the pocket between the gum and tooth.  A pocket that, in theory, shouldn’t be “loose” enough for that to happen.

It felt like something out of Alien and hurt like hell.  I took myself off to the bathroom and after a lot of swearing and “owwing”, managed to push the peanut back out.  Needless to say, I lost my appetite for anymore peanuts that evening.

Since then, I’ve been nursing a rather poorly section of gum.  Obviously, the incident had caused a bit of trauma to the area which became inflamed and very tender to the touch.  The gum had been pushed back from the toothline and had a horizontal cut where the peanut had done some damage.

One of the great thing about gums though, is that they’re pretty good at healing quickly.  Ten days later and they’re nearly back to normal.  The incident has made me acutely aware of the need to take care of, not only my teeth, but my gums.

I’ve stepped up my routine… and here’s how I’ve been doing it.

1. Brush your teeth twice a day, without fail

I’m sure we’ve all done it… it’s late, we’re tired… we fall into bed without brushing our teeth.  No biggie, right?  We’ll brush them really well in the morning.  Well… wrong.  Whilst some dentists advocate brushing your teeth after meals, I’m not going that far… it’s not practical.  I do however, hereby solemnly swear to brush my teeth before bed every night without fail.

Make sure that you’re brushing your teeth for long enough too!  Two to three minutes is the recommended length of time we should be brushing for.  It’s amazing how slowly that goes when you’re stood there with a toothbrush in your gob!

The timer that comes with the Oral-B Triumph 5000 is fantastic for keeping you on your toes.

2. Buy a toothbrush aimed at sensitive teeth and gums

I use an electric toothbrush daily but until my gums have toughened up a little, I’m taking the pressure down a notch.  There’s no point brushing away at soft, bleeding gums with something as abrasive as a hedgehog.  It’s with this in mind that I’ve bought a pack of “sensitive” replacement brush heads.  Hopefully it won’t be long before they can take the pressure of something a little firmer again.

3. Floss, floss, and then floss some more

Flossing just wasn’t a “thing” we did when I was growing up.  I remember watching Pretty Woman and not understanding what the flossing scene was about at all.  However, this is the one thing that my dentist implores me to do more of, every time I visit her.  Because my teeth are packed in quite tightly, I genuinely struggle with getting the floss between my tombstones… the best I’ve found are these Crest Glide Floss Picks because you can adjust the tension of the string, making it easier to actually get the floss in there.  The wishbone-shaped handles also mean that you don’t have to contort to reach the back teeth.

Also make sure you watch a few how-to videos on flossing, I was shocked at how far “around” you’re supposed to floss, hooking the tape across the tooth rather than just up and down inbetween the gaps.  It definitely takes some practice to get it right, but in my case… it’s the one thing that will sort out my gum problems more than any other.  I’d love one of those water/air jet flossers but I need to stop buying more exciting things save up some pennies first!

4. Use a specialist mouthwash

I’m actually anti-mouthwash, so this is going against my core principles!  When I first met Mr. L, he was a Listerine addict… drying out his mouth and gums daily with the alcohol-rich formula.  However, I do believe that in the short-term, the right kind of mouthwash will help improve inflammed gums.  I’ve been using Superdrug’s own brand of Chlorhexadine mouthwash (0.2%), it contains the same active ingredient you’ll find in Corsodyl but is a little cheaper.

Chlorhexadine can stain your teeth if used regularly (although it will polish off), so I’m only planning on using this in the short-term.  Alternatively… Oraldene, Colgate Peroxyl, or a cheap-as-chips 3% hydrogen peroxide solution should do the same thing.

5. Book an appointment with a dental hygienist

My dentist is fabulous and although I have, in the past, qualified for free dental treatment on the NHS… I haven’t used it.  I dearly love and support our NHS in the UK but whilst on the books at our “local” practice, not once did I see the same dentist, the continuity of care was terrible and I was only entitled to a scale and polish if deemed clinically necessary (widely open to interpretation!).

In other words, preventative measures are often kept to a bare minimum, understandable… but not ideal.  If you can afford it, consider booking an annual visit to a hygienist.  I pay my (private) dentist £45, twice a year… and for this, I get an annual check-up and a scale and polish every six months.  Anything else is charged as and when it’s needed, my last visit included the sealing of a fissure on one of my molars to prevent decay.  This cost me an extra £10.  Again, this is a preventitive measure that the NHS just can’t afford to provide to its patients.

Having said that, an NHS dentist is infinitely better than NO dentist at all!  Get on your dentist’s books people!

Do you take good care of your gums?  Are you a dentist’s dream… or their worst nightmare?!

No, really!  You see, I’ve been taking mine for granted.

The weather has been lovely hasn’t it?  I’ve been blissfully ignoring the fact that in less than 6-months time, thanks to my Raynaud’s, I’ll be grimacing at the big freeze that numbs my toes… making each step ironically burn with the cold.

So, why have I been reminded of this so prematurely?  Well, a few weeks ago, I managed to do myself a mischief thanks to a pair of wholly unsuitable shoes and a streetful of cobbles.  I didn’t even know I’d done it… but as the week progressed, it became more and more painful to put one of my feet to the ground.

“What could it be?!”  I asked everyone around me…

Eventually, I spoke to a doctor who decided that it sounded like Plantar Fasciitis.  That’s easy for him to say… I can’t pronounce it!  What it meant was that I’d “angered” the band of connective tissue that runs between the ball of the foot and the heel.  Effectively, that bit under the arch.  It got me thinking about just how serious a podiatry problem can be, how fully it can impact your day-to-day life, and how we just don’t really like to talk about our feet!

Well, let’s break that taboo today.

Got bunions before your time?  Thought it was only your Mum who needed corn plasters?  Calluses best described as barnacles?

The thing is… foot problems are often associated with the elderly.  My local surgery has a visiting chiropodist who comes on a Wednesday afternoon… the waiting room is FULL of lovely nana’s queueing up to have their feet checked.  I don’t know anyone under the age of 70 who regularly visits a podiatrist to have treatment, but I know plenty of people who should.

Well, let’s change that.

If you have any foot-related questions, leave a comment below and I’ll send them to leading podiatrist, Dr. Tariq Khan who works with Carnation footcare.  Follow-up post coming soon!

We’ve been waiting a long time ladies, and summer is well and truly here – finally!  That means it’s time to hit the beach, get in the sea and have a well-deserved ice cream (or two). But if you can’t face pulling out your pasty pins on the sand, a sun tan is the way to go.

If you want a safer way of getting a tan than sunbathing for hours or using a sunbed (people who use sunbeds before the age of 30 increase their risk of skin cancer by 75 per cent), you should consider a spray tanning treatment at a beauty salon.

“Why at a beauty salon?” I hear you cry. Surely you can just use fake tan at home? Well yes, you can, but you may not get the same results.  This article, provided by beautician uniforms specialist SimonJersey.com looks at the pros and cons of each option, then offers preparation and aftercare advice.

self tan at home vs. spray tan at a salon

Self-tan at home
·    Inexpensive – a tub of Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream costs £22 for 125ml
·    Takes a little longer to apply yourself
·    Difficult to apply evenly and get a natural look
·    Can fall victim to streaking

Spray tan at a salon
·    You’re in the care of an experienced beauty therapist
·    Specialist equipment ensures a natural finish
·    Costs around £20 a session
·    It’s less time-consuming than rubbing a lotion all over your body
·    A spray tan dries faster than self-tanning products

Essentially, unless you’re on a really tight budget, it makes sense to go for a salon treatment so that you’re in the capable hands of the professionals for a flawless finish.

To ensure the best possible results, it’s important to correctly prepare your skin before a tanning treatment and to care for it properly afterwards.

Before having a tanning treatment (whether at a salon or at home), make sure you thoroughly exfoliate your skin. If you don’t, you’re at risk of only tanning the top layers of skin, which may soon rub off. Avoid any oil-based exfoliants as they could leave behind residue which could cause streaking. Make sure you moisturise afterwards to help to prolong your tan.

Arrange any other treatments, such as hair colouring, a manicure, waxing or shaving beforehand. If you need to shave your legs and underarms, you need to give your pores time to close afterwards (so shave the day before), but also all of these treatments can remove self-tanning lotion.

If you have a salon treatment on the day of your tan, refrain from wearing make-up (yes, really!), perfume, deodorant or lotions. They will only act as a barrier which will stop the tanning solution from fully penetrating the skin.
After tanning, air dry yourself and wait for at least 20 minutes before putting on any clothing. If you can you should wait until the following day to have a shower so that the solution can penetrate the skin. Avoid using any deodorants, perfumes or moisturisers for about eight hours after your treatment as again, these may stop the tan from developing.

To preserve your bronze tan, wash with a gentle cleanser and moisturise your skin regularly with a Zero-Oil lotion to keep it soft and supple. Don’t forget to slap on high factor sun cream when you’re out an about – just because you look brown it doesn’t mean you’re protected. Choose a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

Which do you prefer?  Are you a dab hand with the self-tan or do you leave your body-bronzing to the professionals?

* this is a guest-blogged sponsored post on behalf of Simon Jersey for which I have received payment.

Who knew that I’d been wasting all this time worrying about how my face looks, spending hundreds upon hundreds of pounds in an effort to soften my skin, zap my zits, and plump up my wrinkles when really… I should have focused on what was happening down below.

Fanny facials.

No, don’t laugh… this is serious business.  THIS is why you’re not sleeping properly at night, you have been neglecting your foof in the most heinous of ways.

Except, don’t be walking into the Ministry of Waxing and asking for a fanny facial, that term is just between you and me… heaven knows, you wouldn’t half look silly.  No, what you need to be demanding for your va-jay-jay is a Brazilian Facial.  Much classier don’t you think?

I am reliably informed that should you wish to pamper your poon, this can also be done immediately after a hair-removal session… a wax and polish if you will.  Convenient.

So, what the heck happens during a Brazilian Facial?  Well, the procedure delivers a full cleanse, exfoliation, and massage to your most delicate area, which will help treat any ingrown hairs, acne problems, moisturise dehydrated skin, and brighten dullness.  Because, let’s face it… who doesn’t want a flashy flange?  (you KNOW I’m loving writing this don’t you).

“Honey! I spent all afternoon in the salon… do you notice anything different about me?”

A Brazilian Facial costs £50 and is available from the Ministry of Waxing, Floral Street, Covent Garden.  To learn more, log on to ministryofwaxing.com

When it comes down to it, most body scrubs are pretty low-tech.  A DIY recipe generally involves little more than a simple pairing of an abrasive ingredient with a moisturising agent, et voila!  Body scrub.

It’s all about the exfoliation.

That unmistakable pleasure/pain(!) of scrubbing your skin and physically sloughing off the dead skin cells that clog the surface layer whilst removing grease and other impurities.  Sounds good doesn’t it?  And let’s not forget some of the other benefits of exfoliation which include prepping your skin to welcome moisturiser, self-tan, and masks whilst an increased blood circulation brings a healthy glow to some oft’ neglected areas.

While there are truly limitless moisturising agents available in which to suspend those wonderful exfoliating particles… it’s the hard-working scrubby bits that I’m talking about today.  In particular, the two most commonly found abrasives.

Salt and Sugar.

Salt vs. Sugar

Perhaps you’ve never even considered why you might choose one ingredient over the other.  What are the differences between them and why should you even care?

Read on, and I’ll tell you all you need to know for the next time you’re thinking of making a purchase…

Salt vs Sugar

The major difference between the two is simple; scrubbiness.

Salt is more abrasive and dissolves more slowly than sugar when it comes into contact with water.  Salt is usually the preffered ingredient in scrubs marketed toward a male consumer as it’s presumed that our menfolk prefer a more vigourous scrub!  And because of its slow-dissolving nature, it’s also the scrub ingredient of choice in many spas and other professional places that offer treatments involving manual exfoliation.

Some salts – such as Himalayan and Dead Sea Salt – are also revered for their “healing” properties thanks to a particularly high mineral content.  These are generally considered to have greater therapeutic properties than their sugar counterparts and as a result can be more expensive to incorporate into a finished product.

Salt scrubs should never be used on the face, or indeed any delicate part of the body.  However, feel free to go crazy with them on calloused feet and enjoy stepping out in sandals again with confidence.

Four lovely sugar and salt-based body scrubs to get your skin glowing!

SALT

Elemis Sp@ Home Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow* (£36.50, timetospa.co.uk)

Soap & Glory Flake Away (£7.50, boots.com)

SUGAR

Organic Surge Million Dollar Brown Sugar Body Polish* (£32 £8 on sale!, organicsurge.com)

Marshmallow Blends Lemon Sherbet Sugar Scrub Cubes* (£6, marshamallowblends.co.uk)

Sugar vs Salt

If like me, you’re a more sensitive soul… sugar scrubs will still give you a great manual exfoliation, sloughing away rough skin and leaving behind a smooth surface that begs to be stroked!  Not only is sugar less abrasive than its salty counterpart but it also reacts more kindly to any shaving cuts you may have accrued on your legs, salt stings!

You may also find that during application, sugar scrubs are a little easier to tame.  Salt-based scrubs tend to have less “stick” to the skin… particularly if the salt to base ratio is high.  Sugar, by its very nature, is a lot “stickier” and easier to work into the skin for some hardcore body-pampering.

When all is said and done, the difference between salt and sugar mostly comes down to personal choice and how sensitive your skin is to begin with.  Me?  I adore the therapeutic properties of a good old-fashioned bath salt but I prefer my scrubs to be a little sweeter!

Do you have a preference between sugar or salt-based crubs?

* press sample

There’s something quite exciting about purchasing from indie retailers, when a product isn’t mass-produced and picked from the supermarket shelves you can feel a greater connection with it somehow.

The owner of Marshmallow Blends, Nicoletta is also a beauty blogger… so if anyone knows what we want for our bathtime treats, she’d be pretty high up the list!

A few weeks ago, she sent me a few bits* from her store and today, I’m sharing my two favourites with you.  One in particular, is a knockout and will be a repurchase.  I’ll even let her hold me to that!

First up is Marshmallow Blend’s Lemon Biscotti Cupcake Soap (£4.50) which looks as much like a traditional bar of soap as I do, Kate Moss.  In it’s ridiculously cute, not-entirely-practical (but who cares) form of a cupcake, it would appeal to most everyone with a sweet tooth.  My daughter adores it and has claimed it as her own.  It has a slight dusting of glitter on-top which I thought might be a bit of a pain in the backside but thankfully disperses after the first use.

The lather is rich and the scent, divine.  It’s not a lively, lemony aroma but a warmed up, fresh from the oven scent with more than a passing nod to some rather-cakey almond smells, not unlike a quitened frangipane!

You can see that the packaging is perfect for gifting and I don’t know a single girl who wouldn’t consider this a lovely gift to receive.  Would be utterly perfect for end-of-year teacher’s presents actually.

The other product that I wanted to talk about today are the contents of this tin.  I’m crazy about it, let me tell you why…

I’m a bit funny about scrubs, a little bit squeamish if you will…  I don’t very much like the sensation of putting my hand into a pot of sugary/salty goo and scooping out a hand-full.  It’s a messy business as you try to juggle the contents of your palm under the shower as the “goo” slips between your fingers and down the plughole before you’ve even gotten it near your body.  Then you’re left digging out granules from under your nails while the water runs cold.  You get the picture.

Marshmallow Blend’s Lemon Sherbet Sugar Scrub Cubes (£6) is one of the best lemon-scented body-care products I’ve ever encountered.  If you like The Body Shop’s lemon range (which is also a nice interpretation of the scent), I implore you to try these.  As a body scrub, they’re pretty much perfect.  They hold their shape when you run a cube over your limbs, softening under the warmth of your touch without giving up completely!  The scent is super-uplifting and zingy without being artificial, it’s a true “happy” scent that goes a very long way to improving your mood on a Monday morning.  I would love to see Marshmallow Blends offer these cubes in more scents.

On the subject of scents, most of the “flavours” available on the website lean towards the gourmand… it would be good to see a little more diversity, less cream more earthiness please!

I expected Nicoletta’s creations to be nice-enough but I’m pleasantly surprised by just how good and (for want of a better word), robust these offerings are.

* press sample

I’m all for spending a little extra time in bed, I can clearly remember my early morning pleas of “just five more minutes Dad?” each morning before school.  How heavenly it is to know that you have full permission to hit the snooze button.

Well, heads up!  Nivea have recently released an in-shower body moisturiser that should definitely go some way to granting your wish.  It’s an allover body conditioner in cream form that you apply whilst in the shower (although not whilst stood under running water, that would be stoop) and rinse off before grabbing your towel.  It’s not a novel idea, LUSH have already done the whole in-shower body moisturising thang with their Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner (one of my fav bodycare products, ever) and let’s face it… there are numerous in-shower body oils on the market already… but… and it’s a big but…

The Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser is likely to be the most budget-friendly of any in-shower moisturising product you’ll come across this year.  They’ve taken a great idea and modified it for the masses.  And who doesn’t want a bit of that?

But the question is, is it any good?

Well… yes and no.

Yes, it’s convenient, saves a bit of time in the mornings and it smells comfortingly Nivea-ish.  At £2.56, it’s nice and cheap and comes in sensible packaging that doesn’t skimp on the quantity.  It’s a solid offering from a brand that regularly deliver good, no-nonsense bodycare products.

But, it’s just not moisturising enough on anything other than a superficial level (unlike the LUSH in-shower moisturiser).

When you apply the cream in the shower, it feels exactly like you’re rubbing in hair conditioner…. and you can feel it sitting on the surface of your skin, even after rinsing off.  I’m not saying the residue is a bad thing… it’s not.  It leaves skin feeling silky-smooth to the touch, even after drying.  You’ll likely purr to yourself as you stroke your legs.  But that’s as far as the moisturisation goes and as the day wears on, this superficial nourishment doesn’t hang around.

If you actually suffer from dry skin, in any way, shape or form… this is unlikely to be hydrating enough for your skin concerns.  In the winter, this simply wouldn’t last five-seconds on my scratchy shins.

But if you’re heading out for the evening, or simply want to feel all soft and silky for a limited time only… for the price-point, the Nivea option makes for a sound investment.

Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser is priced at around £2.56 for 250ml and is available instore and online at Boots.com and Superdrug.com

* press sample

Beauty dosing. What’s that all about then?

We’re all too aware of the importance that a healthy diet can play when it comes to promoting clear skin, strong nails, and shiny hair and sometimes you only need to make the simplest of changes on the inside to see a profound effect on the surface.  But, let’s say that you’ve upped your water intake, ditched the junk food, and cut down on the booze… what next?  Well, the beauty industry have some clever concoctions up their sleeve to tempt you into exploring some potential shortcuts to a new, even-more-beautiful you!

Let me show you a few that have caught my eye recently:

01:  You don’t need to spend a fortune to take your first, tentative steps into the world of supplementing your standard beauty regime.  Beauty’in Beauty Drink B Focused contains: Vitamin A, C and E, B2, B6,PP, B12, zinc, selenium, guarana and acerola, all of which promise to stimulate the brain and metabolism to help fight fatigue.  The 340ml bottle contains only 8 calories, so dose-up safe in the knowledge that the only thing you’re beefing up is your levels of concentration!  £3.50, selfridges.com

02:  As William Gladstone once said: “If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.” Tea.  It’s everything.  And if you drink as much of it as I do (milk, no sugar), you might aswell make that afternoon cuppa work a little harder!  Viridian Nutrition describe their latest Ultimate Beautea as a “refreshing and cleansing blend of hibiscus flowers, rose petals (rosa damascena), calendula petals, chamomile flowers, licorice root and cleavers leaf.”  £12.00, nutricentre.com

03:  If you’re fretting over the recent appearance of the sunshine and what it means for those “bikini bodies” we’re all supposed to be unveiling (to great applause), I’m on your side.  I somehow haven’t found the motivation to jump out of bed, straight into 400 crunches every morning.  Until that motivation strikes, there’s always the promise of some serious body toning courtesy of Functionalab whose Body Toning Beauty Dose assures a significant improvement in the appearance of cellulite.  The 30-day program contains Grape seed polyphenols which contribute to fat metabolism and the appearance of smoother and firmer body skin. £33, functionalab.co.uk

04:  Planning a heavy night out this weekend?  Been burning the candle at both ends too ferociously?  Faust’s Potions offer something a little bit quirky to help boost your morale and aid in the recovery of the dreaded hangover.  These 25ml vials deliver a much-needed blend of vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts just when your body needs it the most.  If the reviews on Cult Beauty are anything to go by, these should make essential packing for festival goers nationwide this Summer.  £5.99, cultbeauty.co.uk

05:  If beauty comes from within, this Skin Clear supplement program from Perricone MD is bringing out the big guns.  The 30-day regime delivers an impressive 7 tablets a day which include: B-Complex + Vitamin C, Evening Primrose Oil, Tocospan Vitamin E, and Omega 3.  It offers a convenient and no-fuss way to ensure you supplement your skin efficiently with a system formulated to help improve skin’s clarity while providing toning benefits and improving skin’s texture.  £69.50, uk.spacenk.com

06:  Hailing from the oddest-looking tree in the world comes the much-revered Baobab Fruit.  So revered infact, that this fruit – which has three times as much vitamin C as an orange – has long been heralded as a bit of a cure-all for many health complaints.  Containing almost fifty-percent fibre and fourteen essential vitamins and minerals, it knocks spots off many of the other so-called super fruits in existence.  It’s simply not difficult to see the potential beauty benefits from a fruit with almost five times the antioxidants of fresh acai berries!  Aduna’s Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder provides a convenient way to supplement your diet by sprinkling it on your morning cereal/porridge/smoothies and reaping the beauty benefits!  £17.99, aduna.com

Do you beauty dose?

You may or may not know this about me… but I suffer from Raynaud’s syndrome which basically means that you wouldn’t want to share a bed with me on a cold night.

I’ve always had “poor circulation”, I remember as a small child, my Nan used to wrap my feet up in the bottom of her long nightdress while we slept in an attempt to warm them up.  I’ve lived with cold feet all my life but things only started to get serious a couple of years ago when I noticed my fingers becoming numb in cold weather.

Numb fingers is no joke, it’s a really disconcerting feeling – not exactly painful (it’s when the feeling comes back that they hurt!) but you literally cannot concentrate on anything else while it’s happening.  A most unwelcome sensation.

I’ve learnt to combat the problem with my hands with some great avoidance tactics: gloves are an essential – lined leather or suede are unbeatable.  Warming my hands under the hot tap restores feeling quicker than anything and Mr. L retrieves things from the freezer for me.  As for the tootsies, well… being less accessible than your fingers presents a bit of a problem – also, continuous contact with the frosty ground is never an ideal situation.

If you suffer from cold feet and are feeling the big chill this winter, here are some products that might help thaw you out!

01: Body Essentials Warm Your Sole (£9.99) – A natural chilblain treatment with warming ginger to help improve circulation flow.  I massage a few drops of this into my feet after a bath and pull my bedsocks (#3) straight on for toasty night-time feet!

02: Carnation Pedi Roller (£5.49)* – While this curious device was designed to relieve the pain of Plantar Fasciitis, I use it to encourage sensation back into my feet when things get painful!  It seems to work well to encourage the blood flow… plus it’s kinda fun!

03: SockShop Heat Holders Thermal Socks (£6.00) – These simple-but-effective socks have made the biggest difference to my everyday dealings with Raynauds.  I buy mine at SportsDirect (2 pairs for £10) and although they’re bulkier than normal socks, they’re less cumbersome than welly socks and far, far warmer.  An amazing recommendation by the good people of Twitter!  I want a pair in every colour!

04: Gel Doctor Flosole (£14.95)* – These are great to have on standby if you know you’re going to be standing around in the cold for a considerable period of time.  Kid’s football matches, bonfire night parades, whatever the event – these gel-filled insoles can be pre-heated in warm water before slipping them inside your boots and allowing you to benefit from a long-lasting toasty sensation.  They also offer great cushioning between the soles of your feet and the hard ground below.

05: Microwaveable Slippers (£various) – Not the most practical things in the world (don’t try to walk in them!) but microwaveable slippers are great for slipping on when you’re sat at the computer or relaxing on the sofa.  Just don’t overheat them and burn your feet, ouch!

06: Carnation SilverSock (£9.54)* – Made with pure silver fibre, the Carnation SilverSocks are designed to let your feet breathe whilst keeping them warm in winter and cool in the summer, they work well for me when thicker socks just won’t do.  I also wear these when I’m out exercising… my lame attempts at running made slightly more bearable (and less stinky) by anti-bacterial beauties!

Do you suffer from super cold-feet in the Winter?  Have any tips?

* press sample

Ayurvedic therapies have grown in popularity within the spa world this year.  The ancient holistic practices and treatments from Southern Asia are now increasingly available to book alongside the usual wraps and hot stone therapies.

Ayush Spa in Jersey – the UK’s first Ayurvedic Hotel Spa – is dedicated to the principles of Ayurvedic therapies and even offers its own Indian physician and therapists to preserve the traditions of the ancient therapies.

If, however, you don’t know your vatas from your pittas and think I’m talking a load of old kapha, don’t worry.  What has been a fairly niche buzzword within the health and beauty industry looks set to hit the mainstream.  And by “mainstream”, I mean, the “high street”.

First up are British clothing brand Monsoon, who are upping the ante with the launch of a bath and body collection, inspired by the Indian practice.  The collection features hand washes, hand and body lotions, moisturisers, body butters, body scrubs and more.  All containing natural, 100% pure plant actives that capture the spirit and knowledge of the ayurvedic tradition.  Prices start from £4.00 and there are even Christmas gift sets available to boost the well-being of your favourite aunties!

Taking the ancient principles to an even lower price point are Palmolive, with the launch of their Ayurituel shower gel range which promises a harmonious body and mind experience to leave you feeling balanced and energised.  Blimey!

The shower gels are available in three varieties: Energy, Joyous, and Tranquility – each containing exotic extracts of Indian origin including: sandalwood, Indian mulberry and neem and patchouli extracts.

You can’t beat a deliciously-scented shower gel on a cold morning and my pick from the range is Energy* (the orange one) with it’s warming combination of Indian Sandalwood & Ginger.  The Ayurituel range is priced at £2.99 each and available from Sainsburys.

Noticed any other buzzwords creeping in that look set to be a feature for 2013?

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Who says you need to spend oodles of money to smell like a goddess in the shower?

Yves Rocher’s Voile d’Ambre Shower Gel defies its (current) sub-£10 price tag and smells more like one of the department store fragrance flankers.  At £7-odd, I don’t use this daily… but it’s perfect for layering under your favourite oriental, woody perfumes and is a great scent choice for ushering in the colder weather.

I’m not going to review it like it’s a perfume… it’s a shower gel after all, and I can only hold a certain amount of excitement for shower gels regardless of how nice they are, but still… the amber in Voile d’Ambre isn’t overpowering but lasts beautifully on my skin.  I’m keen to explore the other shower gels, and perhaps even the perfumes in the Yves Rocher line – I’m glad I added this one to my recent order, it’s so nice to find a new brand (to me) to get my teeth stuck into!

Yves Rocher Voile d’Ambre Shower Gel is currently priced at £7.80 and is available to buy online in the UK from the Yves Rocher website.

So, with the adult testing done and dusted… Lush’s new FUN bars had yet to inspire a huge amount of whooping, or any of the sort of revelry you’d expect from something billed as, well… so. much. FUN.

It was time to get serious and put these curious blobs to the ultimate test.

Leila is pretty hard to please: “But this is BORINGGGG!” being her most used expression this week.  I could practically see the little green bar sweating in its biodegradeable wrapper, readying itself for the ultimate small-child test.  We broke off about a quarter of the packet and Leila looked at it expectantly.

The wetter it gets, the squishier it gets… the squishier it gets, the more bubbles it releases… the more bubbles it releases, the greener the water gets… and so on…

Leila even washed her hair with it, but only after I’d reassured her that it wasn’t going to make her hair go green.  Much. (it didn’t really make her hair go green, the picture below is of me telling her that her hair is green – bad Mum!)

All in all, she had more fun with it than us adults but she’s a total Lushie anyway (favourites being: The Godmother soap, Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment, Karma Bath Melt, and The Comforter).  I was surprised to see that there was still almost half of what we’d broken off remaining, despite Leila having given it a total pummeling – I’d describe these as longer-lasting bubble bars although the scents aren’t quite as full-on (possibly a good thing?!)

Not that this appeared to bother my little bathing belle.  Or, demonic-looking diva as the photo below TOTALLY proves.  Talking of divas…she has already lined up the remaining bars in the order that she’s planning on using them over the coming weeks.

LUSH Fun?  Well… she thought so!

LUSH FUN is available to buy instore and online at lush.co.uk, priced at £5.00 per bar (you should be able to get around 4/5 baths per bar) and 10p from each sale of FUN goes to help children affected by the Fukushima disaster.

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