How To Get Smooth, Clear And Beautiful Skin

It's great that we can put on makeup which instantly boosts our complexions and gives us a healthy glow, but wouldn't it be great to look like that without makeup too? Here are some great tips that I have picked up over time and tried myself and I can honestly say that they will improve and refine your skin.

Using A Facial Scrub

• Using a facial scrub two or three times a week will remove dead skin cells and allow younger cells to be revealed, which immediately brightens your complexion.
• Don't be tempted to scrub too vigorously as you could end up with not only a sore face, but a red one as well.
• You don't have to spend a fortune on a facial scrub either -St Ives do a great range which I am currently using and so do Marks and Spencers.

Use A Day Cream And A Night Cream

• A day cream is designed to protect the skin from the elements in the daytime, such as drying wind and the sun's rays, so always use one with an SPF of at least 15.
• Oh dear, dear dear - yes, even I have been known to fall into bed with full make up on - hence mascara all over the pillowcase in the morning - but this is a major beauty error.
• So after remembering to cleanse at night, apply a good nightcream and make sure you massage your face whilst you apply it as this also helps to rid the skin of toxins.

Just Little Changes To Your Lifestyle Can Help Your Skin To Glow

• I know, I know, we've mentioned it before, but drink, drink and drink more water every day as this flushes away toxins in the skin.
• There's nothing like a good workout to give you a healthy glow, so get out there and take that autumnal walk or go for that little jog after work.
• Remember your sunscreen even if you are in the cloudy UK, the sun's rays can still damage the structure of your skin and there is nothing less likely to "glow" than wrinkled skin.

If you have some personal beauty tips on how you get your "glow" come and let us know.

 

Gok Wan's Invaluable Advice

I was listening to an interview with Gok Wan on the radio earlier on today when he was talking about his new book - "How to Dress: Your Complete Style Guide for Every Occasion". I have to admit I was pretty surprised, as I have not been too big a fan of Gok in the past, finding him slightly over the top and just a tiny bit annoying. However, listening to him on the way home in the car he was extremely entertaining and he really did speak about things which had me nodding along in agreement.

Gok Really Does Understand Women

He does seem to genuinely understand women and the way we are about clothes. For instance, one of his anecdotes related to the rush to the high street stores to buy a whole new wardrobe before going on holiday abroad because, as we all know, it would totally spoil the whole holiday if we didn't have a new outfit for every night (which I was totally agreeing with).

He then pointed out that most women pack all their "gorgeous" new purchases in their suitcase with the tags still attached and the items not tried on.  He described how this then leads to total disappointment when, in that Greek or Caribbean hotel room, the new item when tried on is not quite as imagined, i.e. it does not fit, it is too tight, it looks hideous etc. Gok totally understands how, for us girls, this can TOTALLY ruin the holiday - I was nodding in agreement so much by this point my sunglasses fell off! (By the way, this is also the point on the holiday when your other half has departed the room for the hotel bar in desperation telling you to meet him down there when you are finally ready.)

The Book

As I have only just managed to get hold of a copy today, I haven't had chance to read all of Gok's book yet, but believe me, as well as giving good advice, it's also good for a giggle. The chapters cover Underwear, Workwear, Going Out, Holidays(!), Weddings and lots more.

If you have got hold of a copy of Gok's book come and share your reviews with all of us at Fashion Tips.

Gok's Book: How to Dress: Your Complete Style Guide for Every Occasion

How To Choose The Right Colour Eye Shadow For You

Fashion will dictate the colours we should be wearing for the season even for our eyes. Magazines will state whether we should be wearing bright or muted, matt or sparkling or shimmering colours and even our age determines the type of eye shadow that will suit us. So, it can be very difficult to decide in the beauty store what is the right colour to choose and what will suit our complexion and enhance our eye colour.

Help! I Don't Know Which Colour Is Going To Suit Me And Look Right

Here are some guidelines that can be really helpful, and I would suggest looking through the shades which match your own eye colour and decide from there on the specific one for you - it could be that your favourite colour is blue, that you like to wear bright clothes or that you prefer muted browns and greys. These personal choices will help you choose the right colours for you. 

Brown Eyes

Brown eyes will look brilliant in all shades of pink (see my entry "Pink To Make The Boys Wink"), brown, deep blue and plum. Which one is for you will also depend on your complexion - olive skins and brown eyes will look lovely in shades of brown or pink and fairer skinned girls will suit shades that range from pink to plum.

Green and Hazel Eyes

Hazel eyes can appear to change colour and sometimes reflect more greys, greens or blues. However, more often than not they appear to be more green, and colours that work with both hazel and green eyes are deep greens, khakis and browns. Try matching these to what you are wearing.

Blue Eyes

For a dramatic look with blue eyes choose dark grey or black - personally I love dark brown shadow over my own blue eyes are it seems to make them so much more blue! Other shades to choose from are purples, taupes and blues.

If you have experimented with different colours and styles of eye shadow let us know how you have got on - or if you have had a professional make-over you may have learned some great tips which you can pass on to Makeup Tips readers.

How To Dress to Have Slimmer Legs and Thighs

Yes, it's official - one of the areas of the body that women feel most uncomfortable with is their thighs. It's probably the first place to add on the pounds with even a slight weight gain, and even going to the gym can accentuate the thighs as well if you opt for muscle pumping exercises. I guess if we are sensible we don't really want to slim down to the extremes of Amy Winehouse's spindly pins, but we can change some of the things we wear to show off our thighs and legs to the best advantage.

• Wearing a skirt - how many of us are stuck in the rut of wearing a trouser suit to work - I know I've worked with girls for years that I have never seen wear anything but trousers. Skirts are very feminine and also extremely practical and stylish for the winter when worn with opaque tights, boots and a jacket. It's easy to give the impression that you have made much more of an effort with this look - and it's so easy.
• If you are looking for trousers, wide legged pants hide a multitude of sins. Its brilliant this season as wide leg or slouch trousers are so in style. Wide legged pants fall much more elegantly from the hips and float over the thighs.
• If you have been looking for more fitted trousers or jeans it can be totally humiliating in the changing rooms when they get stuck just over your knees. This can be a problem as many women have small waists and larger thighs, so go for a size up from your normal one, and the tops of the trouser legs should fit neatly. The problem here that the waist will be too large and jeans will bag out at the back. It is worth having items professionally tailored in this situation when you are investing in designer jeans or tailored suits. Alterations can even be done online.
• Remember too that there are loads of great bodyshapers available such as Spanx which create a streamlined silhouette - see the entry "Top Tips for Dressing To Be Slim".

I guess we could all diet to the extreme, but where's the fun in that - after all that is what fashion is for - to make us feel great about ourselves.

If you would like to share any problems or tips or have any questions contact us here at fashion-tips.co.uk

 

Some Great Tips On How To Keep Your Eyes Looking Youthful and Beautiful

It is now said that 30 is the new 20 and 40 is the new 30 and so on, which I totally agree with, as generally all our lifestyles have changed and we are still partying way into our 50s! However, although we might feel like that on the inside our bodies on the outside don't always agree with this new phenomenon. It's pretty easy to hide those greys and get a new hairdo, but when it comes to eyes and skin it's a bit more difficult unless you are going to opt for Botox or surgery. However, here are some makeup and beauty tips which can take 10 years off your eyes and have them looking their young and beautiful best.

Preparation For Eye-Makeup

• Cleanse your eye area thoroughly using an eye makeup remover. Celebrity Beauty Tip: Use Johnson's Baby Wipes to remove eye-makeup and refresh your face.
• Apply your eye cream or invest in a lifting cream such as Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift which retails at around £15.50. This helps to lift skin, as well as treating any puffiness and dark shadows.

Foundation And Concealer

• Apply foundation to your face and blend it in around your eye area. There are some great foundations available for mature skins such as Clinique Repairwear Anti Ageing Makeup SPF15 and Loreal Age Perfect Skin Supporting & Hydrating Makeup.
• Apply any concealer that is required - see the entry on "How To Get Rid Of Dark Circles Under The Eyes" if you have problems with shadows. I've mentioned in that entry about using a concealer such as YSL Touche Eclat which brightens and disguises imperfections as well as covering them.

Powder

• Where fine lines are involved, it's sometimes better not to powder, but if you feel that you need this "setting" agent then look for a powder with light reflecting qualities, such as Clinique Gentle Light Powder which uses it's light reflecting qualities to diffuse light away from lines and imperfections. Brush this over your eye-lids as a base for your eyeshadow.

Eyeshadow And Eyeliner

• Now apply your eyeshadow and use matte or semi-matte muted shades and blend in carefully over the lids. Apply eyeliner to the top and bottom eyelids just outside the lash line and smudge to create a smokey look. Using a darker eyeliner gives definition back to the eye, and dark brown is probably more flattering than black for a daytime look.

The above are great makeup tips, but I also think that following these health and beauty tips below are so important and also easy:

• Drink lots of water to keep your eyes and skin hydrated and fresh.
• Get as much sleep as you can to avoid tiredness lines.
• Don't frown - as my mum always told me - the expression might "stick" - now I get what she meant - lines!
• Don't pull your skin unnecessarily when cleansing, washing etc.
• Eat a good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Don't smoke - smokers are much more likely to get lined faces.

Ageing happens to everyone, but it doesn't always have to happen soon, and we can do lots of things to keep it at bay!

If you have any great anti-ageing tips let's hear them here.