So Now You Have Arrived At Your Holiday Destination - Here's How To Be The Glamorous One By The Pool

In our last article we revealed some smart tips on how to get ready for your summertime beach or poolside break, meaning you would arrive at your destination beautiful and fresh as a daisy. But after a few poolside cocktails on your first evening away, you may not be feeling as refreshed by your holiday as you could be - so here are a few more tips to keep you looking and feeling great.

The Best Essential Holiday Tips To Keep You Looking And Feeling Like A Poolside Goddess

• As you head out for your first day on the beach or by the pool apply (over your high factor suncream on your face) a tinted moisturiser if you feel that you need a little extra colour at the start of your holiday. Add a few generous sweeps of a waterproof mascara and apply a tinted lip gloss. Gorgeous! As your holiday progresses you will probably be able to forget the tinted moisturiser, however, if you do not tan your face at all (ageing we know), then you might want to apply a moisturiser which contains self-tan as well to give you a golden glow that will fool all. This is probably much kinder for your skin in the future.
• Make sure that you have your sunglasses with you at all times - nothing is so un-glamorous (or bad for the skin around your eyes) as someone squinting in the sunshine. And everyone knows (we have learned this from the celebrity pages of magazines) that sunglasses can hide a multitude of sins, including tired eyes from the night before too.
• Leave your hair to dry naturally, encouraging any waves, and spray it with a sun protector (to keep those new high-lights in great condition). If you are not wearing a hat, clip your hair up into a loose chignon - so chic, and also flattering.
• Sun hats are brilliant - and very intriguing. Who doesn't wonder who is underneath a hat with a large brim? They keep your face from getting too much sun and shade your eyes from sun damage as well.
• Whether you are staying in a glam five star spa hotel or a bed and breakfast by the seaside, make sure you have a bottle of water in your beach bag at all times. Water is the cure for hangovers and brings life to our bodies including our skin, especially when its been heated up in the sun. Try and stay away from the alcohol until evenings, unless your want to dehydrate like an old prune in the sun.
• Keep your skin fresh whilst away by showering in a cool shower, and applying plenty of aftersun moisturiser. Look for aftersun lotions which contain Aloe Vera which is soothing for sunburnt skin as it contains natural analgesics (a product which will relieve pain), vitamins A, C and E which help accelerate healing.

Holidays are great fun, especially when you are feeling amazing, happy holidays!

With These Top Beauty Tips For Summer You Will Want To Head For the Beach ... Now!

Whether you are holidaying at home this year and reducing your carbon footstep, or whether you plan to get away to a glorious and glamorous foreign beach destination, it's time to plan your time away and make sure you have all the essential items you need to make your holiday beauty routine run like clockwork.

With these sweet little beauty tips, you will have all the knowledge you need to turn yourself into a summertime princess that turns heads on the beach. In this article we are talking about holiday preparation - don't worry - its all fun. Next time, we have some fantastic tips for you when you are away in the sunshine.

Beauty Tips For The Week Before Your Holidays

• Get yourself to the hairdresser. The least you can do is have your hair trimmed, getting rid of any dry ends which will only split in the sunshine. If you are feeling more adventurous and want to get into the summer spirit, ask your hairdresser if they can add a few high-lights to your hair, giving it a "been on the beach all day" look before you get away. If you are light brown or fair haired, go for a few blond high-lights, and if you are darker ask for some caramel tones to be worked through your hair - either of these give your head an instant sunshine boost.
• It might be a nasty experience at the time, but get waxed rather than shaving. This will last much longer and means you won't have to deal with any nasty stubble on holiday. You should have the waxing done approximately five days before you head away to give your skin time to calm down afterwards.
• Buff your skin all over in the shower everyday with either a skin polisher or body scrub - this will get rid of dead skin cells and promote an all-over smooth glow to your skin. For the week before your go away, apply a moisturiser with added self-tan every other day, to build up a nice glow for the start of your holidays.
• If you want to go a step further, take yourself off to the beauty salon for a spray-tan, especially if you feel this will give you confidence when you first get out your bikini on your hols.
• Try to treat your nails (toes and fingers) nicely for a few weeks before going away, rubbing in some jojoba oil as your nails love this, and let them grow out if your can. The day before you go away, treat yourself to a session at a nail bar and have either a bright polish applied to show off your tan, or have the classic french polish in nude or light pink.
• Lastly, as you might be getting up in the middle of the night catch an early flight or set off on a long drive, try and get an early night. Yes, we know its difficult when you are excited about your holidays, but sleep really is beauty sleep, and you can look forward to a great first day of your holidays feeling refreshed and lovely.

We'll see you next time for some great tips on how to be the glamorous one by the pool!

Shea Butter - A Natural Beauty Product Out of Africa

The sights and sounds of South Africa have been all over the world's TV screens for the last few days and will continue to be for the next month whilst the Football World Cup takes place. So, I decided to look at what else Africa has to offer us - particularly thinking about fashion and beauty and I hit upon the amazing natural product that is shea butter.

Shea butter is an ivory coloured natural fat which is extracted from the seed of the African Shea tree, which can be used as a moisturiser and salve for the skin. The name shea is derived from the name of the tree which is "Sí" in the Bamana language of Mali. Another name it is known by is "Women's Gold" not only because of its amazing properties and colour, but because it is one of the few commodities which is controlled by women in rural Africa, which is just another reason to look for this product and use it.

The Uses and Benefits of Shea Butter

• Shea butter is full of vitamin A and vitamin E as well as complex fatty acids. Now we all know that vitamins are good, but it is the complex fatty acids in shea butter that are what separates the butter from other moisturisers, such as cocoa butter. Fatty acids are not produced by the body but are essential for great skin as they help restore natural elasticity and promote regeneration of skin cells - so you see, keeping your skin younger looking.
• It can be used all over the face and body as a moisturiser both morning and night - it is rapidly absorbed by the skin and does not leave a greasy feel.
• If you have skin discolourations or freckles, shea butter can help fade these marks away by neutralising free radicals that damage your skin so helping you maintain a brighter and clearer skin tone.
• It can be used as a lip salve as it works hard to repair chapped and cracked skin.
• If you suffer from eczema or dermatitis, or cracked and sore skin on your feet or elbows, treat these areas with shea butter at bedtime and your skin will be softer and smoother in the morning.
• Skin which is acne scarred will also benefit from shea butter as again it will help to fade away any scars and marks.

Always look for unrefined shea butter rather than refined, which will have been treated at high temperatures destroying the butter's natural properties and will also, more than likely, have nasty added chemicals.