Longer Lasting Lashes

June 25, 2016 | Beauty tips, Lashes / Brows / Waxing | Comments (0)

 

The key to longer lasting lashes is all about teamwork between you and your lash specialist.

Your lash specialist will give you a full set of luscious lashes and provide an infill every 2-4 weeks to bring your lashes back to life! Lashes should all be personalised to suit you. Whether you are looking for; length, fullness, natural or eye catching there are lots of options in the Individual and Russian Volume range to suit your individual style. All you need to do between your infill appointments, is look after your lashes using a few simple tips to ensure they last as long as possible and you keep your natural lashes nice and healthy.

So here’s what you need to do…

-Allow the glue to bond between your natural lash and your lash extension for 48 hours by avoiding water, steam, saunas, swimming and sweat. Lashes may fall out early if the glue isn’t given enough time to dry so wash around the eyes and avoid rubbing.

-Protect the bond between your natural lash and your lash extension by using a clear coating sealant for a glossy high shine or black coating sealant for a more dramatic mascara look for Individual Lashes only.

– Avoid using mascara or strip lash adhesive with your lash extensions as these products will clump your lashes together and the weight from the products will pull on your lashes causing your lashes to fall about before they are ready.

– Time to train yourself to sleep on your back- this may be tricky at first for those of you that sleep face down in your pillow but to keep your lashes looking perfectly gorgeous everyday you will soon get use to this. The pressure from sleeping on your lashes will causes your lashes to fall out sooner.

– Oil will break down the bond between your natural lash and lash extension therefore avoid oily eye make-up and stick to a non-oily eye makeup remover, a water based product is perfect.  Cleanse your eye area morning and night with your eye makeup remover on a cotton wool bud to remove eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara from your bottom lashes and to keep the skin around your eye area fresh and clean.  Breaking the bond with oily products will cause the lashes to fall out and make Russian Volume lash fans close up leaving you with clumpy, sparse lashes.

– Your lashes have been pre curled and picked specially for you, so avoid eyelash curlers and perming as these will destroy your lash extensions, ensure your lash specialist discusses your desired lash look before your treatment begins.

– Now you have an extension on your lashes let’s treat these like your hair and give them a little comb morning and night after cleansing and once dry to keep your lashes amazing from one appointment to the next.

As your own lashes will naturally fall out a new lash will regrow. At your 2-4 week lash infill appointment your lash specialist will apply new lash extensions to new natural lashes.  Therefore it is essential you follow our longer lasting lashes tips to keep your natural lashes healthy and keep your new lashes fuller for longer!

I hope you find this information useful, and if you have any questions about the lash extensions I offer, feel free to comment below or call our salon.

Victoria xxx

Protect your Brows

June 17, 2016 | Beauty tips, Microblading & PMU | Comment (13)

Microblading protection

The Importance of using a sunscreen containing Zinc oxide to protect your permanent makeup or Microblading.

Have you ever noticed that permanent makeup or microbladed  brows can turn a slightly ‘pinky’ shade over time? This is quite often due to a lack of knowledge on how to keep your brows protected, avoiding exposure to harmful rays from the sun.

 I don’t know about you, but I find it much easier to follow advice if I know WHY I should be following it… So here is a brief (as brief as possible) explanation on why you need to be protecting your beautiful new eyebrows post procedure.

This is also the BEST advice I could possibly give you on protecting your skin from premature ageing through sun exposure. So I hope you enjoy the read, and find this information useful, if you have any questions on this subject, please feel free to comment below.

It is so important that you protect your Permanent makeup or Microblading treatment (especially brows) from UVA or UVB. The harmful rays of the sun can dramatically fade the implanted pigment. Not only can it fade your permanent makeup, but it can change the colour of your pigment over time.

The reason this colour change occurs, is due to the fact that our chosen colour of pigment, for example brown, is made up of a combination of colours, i.e. red, blue, green, yellow, white, black. Whereas yellow and green are the weakest colours, leaving the skin first, red and blue are the strongest, therefore are the last colours to leave your skin. For this reason, overtime, you could experience brows turning a ‘pinky’ or ‘orangey’ shade with inadequate aftercare.

It can be known that just 1 hour of sun exposure can have a huge effect on your treatment, and this can be accelerated even more when teamed up with a hormonal imbalance.

Now knowing the facts, I’m sure you would like to hear more about the best way to protect your permanent makeup or Microblading treatment as much as possible to help prevent colour fade or change.  So here is a detailed explanation of why you should opt for a sunscreen containing Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide, not only will this increase the longevity of your treatment results, it will make you think about how to protect your skin from premature ageing, win win J

Sunscreen or sunblock?

Sunscreen refers to products that allow the Sun’s rays to penetrate the skin but filter SOME of the radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum. The UV rays get altered to a safer wavelength and are released. The chemical interaction between the sunscreen and UV allows the sunscreen to absorb the UV before it penetrates the skin.

Sunscreen offers protection from UVA and UVB, however sunscreen ingredients have the ability to deteriorate at a faster rate once exposed to sunlight, hence some radiation is able to penetrate the skin. Some sunscreen products offer no protection against UV-A radiation whatsoever. Products often contain a mixture of physical and chemical block ingredients

Sunblock works by preventing the Suns rays from reaching your skin – either by reflecting them away or ‘Nano technology’ (making molecules really small) some sun blocking ingredients are now invisible to the eye, so you don’t get that white ghost look. The main active ingredients in sunblock’s are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Physical or Chemical sunscreens, what is the difference?

Physical

A physical ingredient sits on your skin’s surface forming a protective barrier and doesn’t have the ability to be absorbed into your skin. As mentioned previously, Nano technology now means that physical sunscreens can be absorbed a little, preventing the sunscreen leaving that white residue on the skin. Light is either absorbed into the ingredient or reflected away from your body back into the atmosphere similar to a mirror or tin foil. Making this the BEST form of protection for our permanent makeup and to protect against premature ageing.
Physical Sunscreen Ingredients
Titanium dioxide- Titanium dioxide offers protection from UVB and short UVA radiation, but not long wave UVA. Titanium dioxide is also non-irritating.
Zinc oxide- Zinc oxide offers broad-spectrum protection (UVB and most of UVA). Arguably the best broad-spectrum protection available.

Chemical

Some of them absorb (soak up) the ultraviolet light as it tries to pass through them. Chemical sunscreens are not immediately effective, requiring a 20-30-minute delay after application before it becomes effective, whereas physical sunscreens are immediately effective. A chemical sunscreen ingredient absorbs sunlight to prevent sun damage but is also absorbed into your skin. Some people experience allergic reactions and burning eyes when perspiring. Chemical sunscreens DO NOT protect our implanted pigment from premature fading, and can be the cause of age spots and pigmentation.

In Summary

Titanium Dioxide or zinc oxide, are the only ingredients found in sunscreens that act as a mirror on the surface of the skin, blocking UVB and most of UVA radiation from entering your skin. Therefore, I will only recommend that you use a sunscreen containing zinc oxide for maximum protection. This should become part of your daily beauty routine, so a facial moisturizer containing SPF 30 or above and zinc oxide would be ideal to fit conveniently into your routine. However, a dedicated ‘tattoo stick’ can be used daily as a cheaper alternative.

You can do some research on your existing face creams to see if they contain this vital ingredient, or amazon is a great resource for finding these products, if you type in SPF containing zinc oxide, or tattoo stick, it will come up with lots of options. Alternatively, you can ask a member of our team to show you the recommended products that we have to sell in salon for your convenience.

Rebecca xxx

Keep Calm and love your skin

June 15, 2016 | Beauty tips, Skincare | Comments (0)

perfect skin

Our Top 10 Tips for healthy, glowing skin

We get asked a lot in salon what our top tips would be to keeping your skin clear and healthy. Whilst we love the product range we use in salon, as it contains a high level of active ingredients that really get to work on your skin, correcting any imbalances that may be causing a breakout, we also have some good old fashioned tips that will help you achieve that glowing complexion, and most don’t cost a penny. So here are the ultimate rules we like to follow….

Sunscreen- a girls’ best friend

 90% of wrinkles are caused by sun damage, and as we know, prevention is much better than cure. When choosing a sunscreen, be sure to check the ingredients and invest in one that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These ingredients act as a mirror on the skin, allowing the harmful UVA and UVB rays to bounce of your skin before penetration. They are far superior to any chemical sunscreen that works by soaking into your skin and blocking harmful rays from underneath the surface. Be sure to use your sunscreen daily, even through the winter months for maximum protection. We recommend investing in a daily moisturiser with SPF30 or above which contains zinc oxide. We like to use any product from the use Image prevention plus range.

Drink your 8 glasses of water daily

We know this is easier said than done, but water really is vital for clear skin. It prevents dehydration which can cause premature ageing, and clears toxins that cause inflammation and blemishes. If drinking water is a struggle, you could always try adding some flavour such as lemon, limes and grapefruit for an added energy boost or chamomile for soothing effects. One glass of warm water first thing in the morning is a great way to kick start your day.

Exfoliate without scrubbing

As we get older, our natural enzymes in our skin work less effectively at removing dead skin cells, resulting in dull, grey skin. You can speed up the cell turnover making your skin appear smoother by adding AHA’s or a glycolic cleanser into your regime. However, be aware of products which don’t contain a high enough concentration of ingredients due to the laws on active ingredients in products sold over the counter, these could be a waste of money. You will want to look for a product which contains around 8%. Expect some initial stinging and dryness at first, whilst your skin gets used to the product. We love Image ‘Clear Cell’ salicylic cleanser and Image ‘Ageless’ glycolic cleanser.

Have patience with your skincare products

Be patient with your products. We’re all guilty of being in a hurry to see instant results from our new products. But patience is the key. It takes around 6 weeks for a new product to get to work and change the structure of your skin. It’s also always a good idea to start by using new lotions and potions only once every other day, whilst your skin gets used to them. Especially when using a good quality product that contains a high level of active ingredients.

Clean your makeup brushes regularly

 You should be cleaning your makeup brushes around 2-3 times per week ideally. Our brushes collect dirt and bacteria which can cause breakouts.

Cleanse your makeup of before bed

Cleansing your makeup off as part of your bedtime routine, not only leaves you feeling fresh and saves your pillow cases from gathering bacteria, but it also prevents a build up of dirt and bacteria on the skin, which can clog pores and cause excessive dryness.

Get your beauty sleep

 If you’re lucky enough to be able to get your 8 hours in, your skin will benefit greatly. Sleep deprivation lowers circulation, making your skin look pale, grey and washed out. Our bodies do most of it’s repairing whilst we sleep so when we’re catching up on our z’s, this will be the best time to rejuvenate our skin. Applying products before bed is also the best time for them to really get to work.

Avoid hot water

 If you suffer from red, ruddy skin, try avoiding very hot baths and showers first thing in the morning. The hot water strips essential oils and aggravates capillaries, creating redness. The older we get, the longer it takes for our skin to return to normal and not look ruddy. When you cleanse your face, be sure to use luke warm water to prevent redness.

Drop dairy

If you suffer from oily skin, it would be a good idea to try cutting out dairy from your diet. Even organic milk contains cow hormones which stimulate oil glands and pores, which can lead to acne. If you must drink milk, then skimmed milk is the best option, as the hormones are concentrated in the full fat kind.

Eat your greens

Eating vegetables or salads which contain a high level of antioxidants and vitamin C, such as spinach and broccoli will help clear skin of free radicals that cause wrinkles and sagging. So make sure you add at least 2 portions of fruit and veg to your diet daily.

RJ’s xxx

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: 5 minutes with Lash & Brow Specialist, Victoria

January 22, 2016 | Beauty tips, Wellbeing | Comments (0)

–Name: Victoria Alexandra Moss

–Role: Lash and Brow Specialist

–What three words would people use to describe you: perfectionist, positive and silly

–What is your most essential item in your handbag: phone

–What is your favourite product at the moment? Nars sheer glow foundation

–What is your favourite treatment to do for others: lashes

–What is  your favourite treatment to have done yourself: facial or back massage

–Any weird and wonderful beauty tips? Beauty comes from within so always be yourself and that will shine through

–Favourite nail polish colour: beige 102 or there’s a really light pink I love with light pink glitter I don’t know the name though but that’s my absolute favourite!!

–If you won the lottery, what would you spend the winnings on? This one’s crazy, I don’t do the lottery but I text rock fm £1000 Friday and I never win. If I won that I’d spend it on things to do with friends and family and buy make-up

–You’re heading off on holiday, what treatments do you have first and why? Lashes because I haven’t gone a day without them in the past 5 years so I’d make sure they were full and fresh and nails because they make you feel great

–If you were a character in a film, who would you be and why? I’ll ask my friends and let you know