16 Ways To Stay Healthy This Winter

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

I really struggle to stay healthy during the winter especially as I have a low immune system but over the years I've picked up a few tips for staying healthy which may help you this winter.

1) Get the Flu jab
Flu jabs are free on the NHS for those who are considered more vulnerable. This includes women who are pregnant, those with diabetes, those with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma (if on steroids) those with chronic Kidney disease, those with hepatitis and those with a weaker immune system due to medication or chemotherapy. The flu jab is also free for carers looking after someone else who is sick and disabled as well as for frontline health and social care workers. See the NHS page for more info.

The flu jab is available to everyone nationwide at most chemists, and it costs around £5-10. I recommend having one if you work with the public or in a setting with lots of people such as in a school, if you're self employed and can't afford time off or if you spend a lot of time on public transport. (I used to take a tram and then two trains to work in the morning & then same again in the evening and worked out that I was in close contact with at least 160 commuters a day in packed carriages.)

2) Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
Follow the steps in this videos from the NHS.

3) Use Hand Sanitisers and Wipes
When you're out and not near a toilet use hand sanitisers and wipes. Look for the antibacterial ones. Carex Complete Moisture Plus Hand gel is good because it also moisturisers your hands at the same time whereas continued use with some hand gels can leave your hands dry and sore. It also smells nice too and is small enough to pop it into your handbag and take it with you. I use these to wipe down my mobile phone too, because mobiles heat up creating the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. I often leave my mobile out on café coffee tables and library desks and use them after handling cash etc, so my mobile probably isn't very clean. This also cuts down spots developing around the cheek/jaw area too. Be careful when cleaning mobiles to turn them off first and be careful not to get the speaker too damp.

4) Try Not To Touch Your Face
I'm definitely guilty of touching my face and resting my chin on my hand, or having my hand near my mouth. Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact and enter the body through the mouth, eyes and nose. Therefore try not to touch your mouth and nose and avoid rubbing your eyes after handling things if you can't wash them first. At work this would be things such as an office stapler, photocopier or shared computer, on a shopping trip it would be cash and handrails on public transport. This should also cut down spots breaking out on your face as well.

5) Cover any minor cuts or papercuts with a plaster 
Open cuts are another entry point for germs and bacteria, especially if it's on your hands which are constantly touching things and being exposed to situations like handling money, opening doors etc  and so can pick up bacteria, germs and viruses.




6) Wipe Clean Your Desk First if You're Going to Eat
It has been found that the average workplace desk can be 400 times dirtier than the office toilet seat according to The Cleaning Services group (Medicare Daily.) Office toilets contain around 49 microbes, or “germs” per square inch on average, while office telephones can have over 25,000 germs per square inch,  keyboards and computer mice contain between 1,000 to 3,000 germs. Germs like the common cold can last on computer keyboards and mice for up to 72 hours and  MRSA can last anywhere between six weeks to seven months. Not washing your hands, eating at your desk, and not sanitising your desk at all adds to the high germ count. Wiping down surfaces with a anti-bacterial  wet wipe, soap or cleaning spray before you eat as well as a regularly wiping down the office telephone, keyboard and mouse will help.

7) Don't Light Up
Smoking a single cigarette can damage the hairs that line the nose for 30-40 minutes which means they aren't able to sweep cold and flu viruses out of nasal passages. Smoking also weakens the immune system even if it's passive smoking.

8) Don't share razors, toothbrushes, cigarettes, lipbalm, lipsticks, waterbottles, glasses and cutlery with others.
Sharing razors and toothbrushes is bad idea because there's a higher risk of contracting Hepatitus C as bleeding gums and razor nicks can cause blood to be transfered from one person to another. If you've forgotton to pack your toothbrush do this instead- gargle with water to remove visible grime and then wash you pointer finger. Put toothpaste on this finger to brush your teeth and gums. If you've forgotton your toothpatse as well, use a tissue or soft clean cloth to rub along your teeth then spit out any tartar and plaque you scraped off. Afterwards swish water in your mouth and spit it out. Mint and gum can also be used as alternative to toothpaste.

Sharing lipbalm, lipstick, waterbottles, drinks and cigarettes will increase the risk of getting and passing on coldsores, cough, colds and flu with the exchange of germs in our saliva.

Photo by Superkitina on Unsplash

9) Be a Savvy Shopper..Pay With Contactless.
As well as being quicker paying by contactless means that you don't have to actually touch the pin key pad which will have been handled by tens if not hundreds of hands belonging to people with coughs, colds etc. I would definitely recommend paying this way in a chemist.

10) Wrap Up Warm- Wear Scarves, Snoods, Hats, Vests and Thermal Underwear
If your job requires a lot of speaking such as call centre work or teaching I've found that keeping your throat and neck warm by wearing a scarf or snood really protects your from coughs and sore throats. Having asthma I find snoods great as they keep both your nose and mouth warm. Wool and fleece are good fabrics. Even wearing a vest or t-shirt under your shirt/top can make a difference. I'd say that thermal underwear is a good investment, silk is great as it's light but keeps you warm. I've bought mine from Patra they're a little bit pricey but they're worth it.

11) Drinking Hot drinks
I've found having a hot drink after being stuck in the cold or rain really helps to stop cold and coughs developing- mainly I drink hot Ribena and Barley Water once I've got home.

12)  Use Cold Defence Nasal  spray
I haven't actually tried this but have heard that some people swear by Cold Defence Nasal sprays.

13) Exercise
Just taking a brisk walk for 30-45 minutes a day boosts the immune system and can reduce infections such as colds.

14)  Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fats.
A diet of fresh fruit and vegetables that vary in colour (e,g.  Red cabbage/red onions/aubergines, oranges, yellow peppers and greens) should give you all the vitamins you need. Proteins are important as well as eating food that is low in sugar and fat. Personally I think a good diet definitely helps but I find that it doesn't make much difference to me as my immune system is so rubbish. Obviously loading up on chocolate, pastries and sweets isn't going to give you the nutrients your body needs, leaving it vulnerable picking up viruses without a strong immune system to fight them.

15) Taking Vitamin and Oil Supplements
It may be a good idea to stock up on vitamin and oil supplements during the winter. I used to order them online from Healthy Direct which is now become Healthy Span, I found that they were good value for money offering higher strengths than Boots/Superdrug at reasonable prices. Alternatively Holland and Barrett's sell a variety of high quality supplements although I find them expensive.

16) Get Some Rest
Try not to burn the candles at both ends. Although you may not feel stressed, late nights and early rises due to late night work or socialising can put a strain on your immune system and leave you feeling run down and vulnerable to illness. Make sure you catch up on your sleep and have a night/day in and have some me time- having a nice bath, cosy up reading a book or watching movies anything that makes you relax, slow down and rest.

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Highlighting Dome & Lip Liner Fixer Review

The Body Shop Lip Liner Fixer is a transparent lip liner that is designed to keep your lipstick in one place and prevent lipsticks from bleeding into any fine lines. I'm lucky in that lipsticks rarely bleed on me, but I love using this for lip glosses that move all over the place and leave you looking like a toddler who's just eaten a strawberry lolly. You simply draw around your lips first and then apply lipstick or lip gloss and it shouldn't budge past the lip liner line.  It feels really soft and creamy since it contains moisturising marula oil, castor oil and Jojoba oil. It also contains beeswax to help to create the barrier effect but this ingredient might not suit vegans. Overall it feels lightweight on the lips and very comfortable and smells like honey. The Body Shop Lip Liner Fixer is retractable so there's no need to sharpen and waste product that way. In a pinch you could also use this to keep your brows in place as it contains wax. The price isn't bad for such a unique product (£8) and since it is transparent it will go with any coloured lipstick or lip gloss so it's good value for money.

There are three Honey Bronze Highlighting Domes, 01 a silvery highlighter, 02 a shimmery blush and 03 a shimmery Bronzer. I chose the shimmery blush because it seemed the most pigmented. The packaging is cute with a screw top lid and similar in size to a pot of lip balm. As part of the Honey Bronze line it's dark brown and gold and of course contains honey in it's ingredients. The colour is  a gorgeous pink with gold shimmer through it and pretty much the same shade as The Balm Hot Mama blush but in a cream form. (You can see the comparison photos on Monica's Blog Beauty In Five Minutes.) There is a slight golden sheen when applied to the face but it's very natural looking and not glittery at all, mostly it's a just got out from the cold red rosy cheek colour. You can apply the blusher straight from the dome but I found it best to use a finger to apply the product right where you want it and you can layer the product easier this way. The dome is hard to keep it's shape but the blusher is soft and warms up with fingers making it easy to blend. Best of all it's long wearing and so you don't need to lock in the colour by applying powder blush on top, it will last the whole day by itself, though it fades a little after 8 hours. It has a sweet honey, rosewater and fruity smell but the smell isn't overpowering. The price of this cream blush is quite reasonable at £8 for 6.5g, you get a lot for your money and I think it will last me a long time. I'd say that both these two products were a good buy and i'd definitely recommend them.

      What have you bought lately from The Body Shop? What do you recommend?

Both the Lip Liner Fixer and Honey Bronze Highlighting Domes are available from The Body Shop.

13 Autumn Winter 2016-17 Makeup Trends

1. Red Lips
 You can never go wrong with a classic red lip, so buying a red lipstick will always be a safe investment. Joseph went for tomato red lips with makeup artist Lynsey Alexander describing the look as "Modern and fresh, with a nod to the Eighties punk lip." At Pringle, models wore Lord & Berry's matte red lip crayon in Vertige.  At Proenza Schouler slicked down masculine/androgynous hair was balanced by a feminine red lip.

Left: Schouler Indigital- Centre Joseph Imaxtree Right Pringle

2. Rouge Noir and Gothic 
In the autumn and winter seasons you can get away with wearing darker colours and this season the lady is a Vamp. Dark red, almost black lips in matte, satin or gloss finishes were everywhere. Over at Mary Katrantzou MAC make up artists went for a velvet 'stamped on' heart shaped lips. They used MAC lip pencil in Burgundy with a coat of MAC's Retro Matte Liquid lipcolour in Dance with Me on top. At Gareth Pugh, models faces were distorted by an elastic band under the cheekbones which gave the face a strange, fuller look. The dark lacquered pouts were created by using MAC's lip pencil in Burgundy and Lip Mix in Black Crimson and Orange mixed together. Louis Vuitton and Sibling, also sported glossy lips while Creature of the wind paired dark lips with Kardashian inspired corn rows.

Left: Louis Vuitton Getty Images Centre Mary Katrantzou Getty Images Right Creature of The Wind. Getty/Nars 

Left Sibling Imaxtree Centre Bottega Veneta Getty Images Right: Gareth Pugh Getty Images

 At Dior lips were also lacquered, with make up artist Peter Phillips first outlining the lips with Dior Contour Lipliner in Poison, filling them in with black eyeliner and applying Rouge Dior lipstick in Poison 962. He then used a kleenex to blot the lips, reapplied the lipstick and added Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Bulle for a mirror finish.  Even pale girls can pull off the look, just look at Rodarte. Celebrated makeup artist James Kaliardos wanted to create a "beautifully romantic (look) with a contrast of deep colour." He applied Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu and Nars Audacious Lipstick in Liv. Although the lips look black at Nicholas K, makeup artists used Stila's All Day Liquid Lipstick in Chianti which is actually a dark purple.

Left: Nicolas K Getty Images Centre:  Dior Getty Images Right: Rodarte Nars

3. Illuminated Skin

At Mcqueen makeup artist Lucia Peroni used a rose gold highlighter RMS Master Mixer. Eye makeup was kept smudgy to keep the look contemporary. Over at Valentino legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath applied iridescent powder across the cheekbones, eyelids and cupids bow. Makeup artists at Alexander Wang used Nars Sheer Glow Foundation for a fresh faced, radiant glow.

Left: Alexander McQueen Getty Images Centre Valentino Indigital Right Alexander Wang Nars

4. Full Brows
To achieve the 'ethereal tough girl' at Rodarte, brows were brushed up and then darkened with black mascara. James Kaliardos explained that it was important "to only get it on the hairs, not the skin; it thickens the brow and shapes it and gives a strength that's important." At Topshop brows were kept natural and brushed up with Topshop Sculpting Brow Gel. At Ralph Lauren brows were kept thick and natural looking.

Left: Rodarte Nars Centre Ralph Lauren Imaxtree Right: Topshop Unique Topshop Unique

5. Flushed Cheeks
The concept behind the look at Marchesa was as if the model had come to life from an 1800's John Singer portrait. 'A retouched one' makeup artist Bobbi Brown added. She used Bobbi Brown Retouching powder in Rose and Pink to give a watered down pink blush and a luminous finish to the skin. The look at Prabal Gurung was inspired by Lord Byron's poem 'She Walks In Beauty.' Blush was used to achieve a wild, romantic windswept appearance. Rosy cheeks were also spotted at Tanya Taylor.

Left: Tanya Taylor Nars Centre: Marchesa Isidore Montag Right: Pabal Gurung Isidore Montag

6. Lashes
Attention seeking lashes still maintained their popularity on the catwalks. At Jason Wu, makeup artist Yadim gave models clumpy lashes using Maybelline The Colossal Spider Effect Mascara paired with glossy eye lids. He said to skip the roots of the lashes and instead "swish the tip of the wand back and forth across the ends so it bunches the lashes together into four or five really thick ones then leaves a bunch of long separated ones. It gives them a punk rock edge." Volumising mascara as well as double sets of false lashes were applied at Anna Sui. Makeup artists at Carven layered waterproof mascara because it is thicker and stiffer, on both upper and lower lashes to get the thick spidery look.

Left: Jason Wu Moroccan Oil Centre Anna Sui Imaxtree Right Carven Imaxtree

 7. Statement Liner
At Kenzo, Lynsey Alexander described the concept as "naughty Japanese schoolgirls meets Sailor moon." Graphic lines were drawn with MAC Chromaline Liner in Black Black. Then MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in On the Hunt was painted on top. Finally MAC 3D Glitter in Silver was added to the inner corners of the eyes to give a futuristic feel. Ryan Lo opted for 60's inspired lashes and graphic double liner. Tom Pecheux decribed the look at Altuzarra as “Street, graphic, sculptural Picasso." Mac's Fluidline pen in Retro Black was used on the eyes and lips were kept minimal with lip conditioner.

Left Kenzo Getty Images Centre Altuzarra Indigital Right Rylan Lo Getty Images

8. Graphic Eyes
Topshop Beauty Consultant Hannah Murray fused '60s and punk. Graphic eye flicks were first drawn on with Topshop Black Kohl in Coal and over-lined with Topshop Liquid Liner in Black Cab for the 60's wet look. Kohl was applied under the lower lashes for an edgy, all night partying look topped with Topshop Party Proof Mascara. At Oscar De La Renta makeup artist Dianne Kendal created a graphic eye by drawing a rectangular shape from the centre of the eye towards the outer corners. Then she went upwards into a point like a cat eye and then along the crease of the eyelid. She used MAC Powerpoint eye pencil in Engraved, then layered cream shadow and black shadow to set it. For the lips concealer was with mixed with lipstick for a matte, neutral finish. Eye makeup at Giamba wasn't as precise for a rock and roll vibe.

Left Topshop Unique Getty Images Centre: Giamba Indigital Right: Oscar De La Renta Indigital

9. Glitter 

Eyelids with just a wash of glitter were seen at Jenny Packham using Bobbi Brown Sequin Eye Shadow.  Generously applied yellow gold glitter was spotted at John Richmond. For Emanuel Ungaro, makeup artist Val Garland created a "rock revolutionary party girl in green" inspired by the '70s.  She applied MAC Eye Shadow Pro Palette in Bottle Green onto lids. Then using MAC's Mixing Medium as glue she applied MAC Glitter in 3D Brass Gold on the top eyelids and MAC Creme Liner in Black under the eyes.

Left: John Richmond Imaxtree Centre: Jenny Packham Rex Features Right Emanuel Ungaro Getty Images

Glitter made an unusual appearance at Burberry where Burberry's Shimmer Dust showered from the outer eyes onto the cheek. Val Garland's take on Giambattista Valli's triumphant celebration of women was that  "every woman should have a silver lining in her life." She took this literally with bold silver glitter liner drawn underneath the brow. MAC's Silver Pigment was added to MAC's Mixing Medium to create the silver liner. Once that set more mixing meduim went on top to act as glue for MAC's 3D Silver Glitter. At Tommy Hilfiger, Val Garland applied gold glitter over a taupe cream eye shadow.

Left: Giambattista Valli Indigital Centre Burberry Indigital Right Tommy Hilfiger Getty Images

10. Peach Eye Shadow
Pastel peach was a surprising choice for the autumn-winter shows since pastels are usually associated with spring and summer. At Prabal Gurung lids were peachy and the skin had a peachy glow to it as well. For BCBG Val Garland used Jay manuel Ultimate lipgloss in Desire, a peach lipgloss over a cream eye shadow to achieve a molton effect. She then lined eyes with Jay Manuel Creme liner in Captive on lighter skin tones and in Outlaw for darker skin tones. Peach was seen on both eyes and lips at Rochas.

Left: Rochas Imaxtree Centre: BCBG Imaxtree Right:Prabal Gurung Imaxtree

11. Smoky eyes
At Alberta Ferretti, makeup artist Diane Kendall was inspired by  'girls in the morning after a night out' and she made this 'morning after look' much more sexy than in real life! She used MAC Kohl Power eye pencil in Feline on the lash lines layered with Mac's Mixing Medium Shine for this lived in look. For Chloe, make up artist Aaron De May teamed the "worn in look" with "a slight toughness." He used MAC Modern Twist Kajal Liner in Squid along the waterline, dragging it down under the eyes before wiping the colour away with a cotton bud dipped in gloss. Sixties icon Talitha Getty inspired the look at Lhuillier. The look represented the girl that is "so cool the only thing she does is her eyeliner." This "little black eye" is a vinyl finish created by layering a cream liner MAC Creme Liner in Black then a gel liner MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack then a clear lip gloss and rough mascara only on the bottom lashes. MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Divine and Mademoiselle were worn the lips.

Left: Alberta Ferretti Imaxtree Centre: Chloe Imaxtree Right Monique Lhuillier Imaxtree

Over at Vin & Omi makeup artists Sam Chapman and Nicola Haste (Pixiwoo) used Collection's Eyebrow Kit as eye shadow for their smoky look. For Moschino, Tom Pecheux went for a "sexy 90's" smoky eye. In contrast, the look he created for Ellie Saab was more rock and roll. He applied MAC Taupe Blush on the lid taking it all the way up to the brow and under the lower lashes creating an large oval shape. He then drew a darkened an almond shape inside using MAC Fluidline gel liner in Backtrack. Finally MAC Pigment in Dark Soul was dabbed on top of the gel liner. Pechaux explained that "It was important the eyes look big and to feel like there's a dark circle inside the taupe oval, otherwise it becomes a makeup commercial in the '90's."

Left: Vin & Omi Danny Collins Centre: Ellie Saab Getty Images Right: Moschino Imaxtree

12. Textured eyes 
For Chanel Tom Pecheux was influenced by the famous Chanel quilted bags and used Chanel Soft Touch eye shadow in Midnight to produce a quilted effect to match the quilted jacket worn by the models. Thick mascara and pink lips completed this look. At Vaccarello, Pecheux was inspired by the earrings from the collection because they had "the shape of a cat's eye" and re-purposed them. He filled in the lids with L'oreal Paris Infalliable Gel Lacquer Liner and set it with L'oreal Paris Colour Riche Eye Shadow in Noir C'est Noir. He then glued the deconstructed earrings onto the outer eyes with spirit gum.To bring the look together he traced cream liner along the bottom edge of the earring. At Holly Fulton eyelids were given a broken glass effect. To achieve this look makeup artist Sam Bryant wet eyes with MAC's Mixing Medium, added adhesive in the crease and placed a sheet of silver metal leaf on top using a buffing brush to break it up in random pieces for the 'shards of glass'.

13. Colourful Eyes

Jeremy Scott's makeup artist Kubuki described his look as "pin up girls with a pop twist." Crystal studded silver stars were placed under the right eye and MAC Acrylic Paint in High Def Cyan was drawn over the arch of the eyelids. MAC's lipstick in Candy Yum Yum completed the look.
At Fendi, inspired by the concept of "posh girl goes to Burning Man," makeup artist Peter Philips used purple, green, yellow, blue and pink around the eyes. Mugler showcased fiery colours in his collection so Clarins International Artistic Director Eric Antoniotti mixed an orange Clarin's eye shadow with Blue Orchard oil on the back of his hand. He then used his fingers to apply this to the eyelid for a fuss free, bold look.

                                Which is your favourite look? Let me know in the comments.

Left: Jeremy Scott Imaxtree Centre: Mugler Getty Images Right Fendi Getty Images

Disappointing Beauty Products #7

When trying out beauty products there are always going to be some that you don't get on with but for others it's their holy grail. These are just my experiences if you use any of these products and love them then don't stop.

Sanctuary Spa Ultimate Salt Body Scrub 
I really wanted to like this body scrub especially as it has jojoba oil- a scent I love, as well as coconut and almond oil which are famous for their moisturising properties. The salt is anti-septic as well as being good for exfoliation. However after doing a patch test on my leg I found that it made my skin itch and look irritated which was a shame. I'm glad it was only a sample size and that I didn't buy the big jar (though it would look pretty in the bathroom.)

Marks and Spencers Island Escape Sea salt and Bergamot  EDT
This was in M&S's beauty box. While the bottle is really pretty and summery, tinted yellow for the sand and blue for the sea,  I really didn't like the scent. There is only a touch of musk, but to me this smells like men's aftershave- like toned down Lynx- yuk! On M&S's website there are lots of people raving about this but it did not appeal to me at all.

Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Powder 
I liked this translucent powder because the colour is an off white cream shade, which meant that it didn't look ashy on my olive tanned skin. However whenever I use this on my forehead I end up with more spots for some reason.

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo For Dry and Damaged Hair
L'Occitane's shampoo promises silky hair that shines and to repair dry and damaged hair. It has five essential oils (angelica, lavender, geranium, sweet orange and ylang ylang) together with plant derived amino acids they form an anti-breakage complex which helps to repair and smooth the hair fibers. It is silicon free and has a herbal smell due to the essential oils, rather like Neal's Yard products, but on application it smelt like aniseed to me, a scent I hate. The smell does disappear after washing your hair. However immediately after the first wash my hair looked really frizzy on the top of my head and the next day although it was clean it looked stringy and oily despite not actually being oily. My hair looked a little shinier but I don't know if it repaired any damage because my hair didn't really feel nourished. This was a sample, the full size is £17 for 300ml and I felt that there are much cheaper shampoos out there that do a much better job.

Merumuya Melting Cleansing Balm
This has so many good reviews and I felt that it cleaned my skin so well. Unfortunately the next day this gave me spots and the red patches on my face had got even bigger! You can see my full review here.

Primark Egg Makeup Sponge 
This sponge is very firm compared to the Real Techniques sponge and doesn't really increase in size when it's wet. While I found the pointed end useful to apply foundation around the eyes I found that
bouncing it/stippling seemed to darken foundation and sometimes remove it. I didn't really enjoy using this despite all the positive reviews and I found it harder to clean compared to the Real Techniques one.

National Eczema Week 2016: Tips For Living with Eczema

Since it's National Eczema Week I thought I would share my experience and tips to help raise awareness. First of all eczema is a dry and inflammatory skin condition (also known as dermatitis.) Atopic eczema has a genetic basis and is often found in families or people with asthma and hayfever. For people with atopic eczema, "the function of their skin as a barrier to the outside world does not work well, so that irritant and allergy-inducing substances can enter their skin, and may cause dryness and inflammation." Atopic eczema can occur anywhere on the body including the face but it is most common on the creases of the skin, so back of the knees, inner arm, ankles, wrist and neck. It can also appear as coin sized areas of inflammation or small bumps near the hair folicles. Skin will be very itchy, red and dry, and scratch marks (and bleeding) are common which can sometimes lead to infection. It is not contagious at all.

Atopic eczema is common in babies and children, most who grow out of it although some still experience it as adults.  In the UK, 1 in 5 children and 1 in 12 adults have eczema. For some people their eczema is worse in the winter with dry, cracked, sore skin while others find that the hot, sweaty conditions of summer irritates their skin.

My eczema is on my legs, mainly my ankles and knees. When I have flare ups (usually in the summer) my thighs and inner arms get eczema too. I usually use a moisturising/emollient cream prescribed by GP and then use steroids/ hydrocortizone during bad flare ups or if the skin becomes infected. These should only be used occasionally since they are known to thin the skin. I've also tried complimentary therapies, specifically homeopathy and Chinese herbal medicine. However my general advice is to get diagnosed by a doctor first.

Woman Scratching Skn via photopin (license)

Common Triggers

The most common are dust and dust mites. Mattresses, duvets and pillows should be enclosed in non-allergenic covers. Vacuum rooms often to limit exposure to dust mites and clean surfaces with a damp cloth. Wash soft toys at high temperatures or freeze them for 24 hours to eliminate any dust mites.  Avoid hoarding and declutter! The more things you have in your room/house the more things you have that get dusty, attracting dust mites and requiring regular cleaning.

Animal dander (particles of old skin shed by animals.) Keep pets out of the bedroom, don't let them sleep on the bed because dogs and cat dander can make eczema worse. Vacuum the house regularly.

Heat Wipe sweat away with a cloth/soft towel. Wear loose clothing. Sleep in a cool room. Having a bath or shower everyday can actually be bad for eczema so spot clean with a flannel face, hands, armpits and private parts.

Cold dry air Buy a dehumidifier and try to keep the humidity above 40%, if possible.

Foods In 10% of cases eczema is triggered by foods such as milk, eggs, citrus fruit, chocolate, peanuts and colouring. While avoiding a certain food it is important maintain a balanced diet with fibre, vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates.

Reacting to stress by habit scratching. Break the Itch scratch cycle (scratching that makes itching worse, which makes you want to scratch more.) Try as much as possible not to scratch eczema. To relieve itching place a metal object against the skin (such as a spoon, drinks can, metal camping mug ) this will cool the skin. You could also wear cotton gloves at night if you tend to scratch in your sleep and use anti-scratch mittens for babies. Keep nails short to minimise the impact of scratching. Find ways to relax such as meditation, yoga and exercise to combat stress.

photo credit: wuestenigel Close up of girl's hand with cream on white background via photopin (license)


Tips for Managing Eczema

• Moisturise frequently with an alcohol free and unscented cream. I use Unguentum M twice a day (morning and evening) but have also used Diprobase (good) and E45 (ok) in the past. Other brands I have not used but may help include Aveeno Eczema Therapy, Cetaphil and Oilatum. Most creams can be prescribed by a GP and put on a repeat prescription form which is often much cheaper in the long run and available in bigger sized containers.
• Wear cotton clothes instead of polyester, nylon, spandex. Cotton will let the skin breathe and absorb sweat.
• Chuck out old clothing that is pilling (bobbly) if it's in direct contact with the skin. The surface isn't smooth and soft anymore and can lead to itching. If it can't be saved by combs or tools that remove pilling ditch it. 
• Wash clothes in Non Biological washing powder and avoid fabric conditioner. (I use Persil Non Bio or Ecover.) 
• Bathe in warm but not hot water.
• Avoid bubble baths, bath bombs and shower gels. This is why there is a conspicuous absence of these on my blog. Perhaps it's not as fun but it means more money to spend on makeup!  Stick to unscented soaps and shampoo. Personally I just use Dove soap but this may not suit everyone. Doctors or a pharmacist will usually suggest a bath oil to clean and moisturise the skin, I use Oilatum bath oil . Be careful when using it to prevent slip ups in the bath. I also use Oilatum to shave my legs when I don't have flare ups. 
• Some people swear by coffee scrubs. (I think this helps the kind of eczema that gets worse in winter.) Brands include Frank, Grounded and Bean Body.
• Salt is a natural antiseptic (and cheap!) so adding a handful to a bath or cupful of salt if you have flare ups, is good for the skin. Adding colloidal oatmeal to your bath or applying it to the skin directly in the form of a paste also helps relieve itching.
• After swimming in a swimming pool, rinse off any chlorine from the pool, as this can irritate the skin.
• Apply moisturiser at least 20 minutes before bedtime to allow it to soak in.
• Keep the bedroom cool and use cotton sheets or a light, natural-fibre duvet. If you have the money choose Egyptian cotton bed sheets in a high thread count. 
• Wear silk Pyjamas. They are more expensive but they keep the skin cool and feel smooth and soft against the skin. It is one of the main things that really helped me. I got mine from Patra. Otherwise choose cotton pyjamas and nightwear and avoid synthetic fabrics like nylon.  
• When you can't sleep because of itchy skin then consider taking antihistamines or at a last resort sleeping pills. These will knock you out and save your skin from hours of scratching and bleeding, sore skin. 

For more information contact the National Eczema Society,  The British Skin Foundation and Allergy UK.

Empties: Sample Edition

Garnier Moisture Match for Dull Skin (Wake Me Up)
This moisturiser is a clear gel which has a cooling effect that is very similar to anti cellulite creams. The gel actually smells like a perfume because it's so heavily fragranced and also has a strong alcoholic scent. The fragrance is fruity and fresh due to the grapefruit fruit extract and lemon fruit extract to energise you and wake you up. However the scent doesn't completely mask the strong alcoholic smell which irritated my eyes and stung a little on application probably due to the fact that alcohol denat is listed as the third ingredient. It does absorb quickly but I'm not sure how moisturising it is. It did wear well under my foundation (sleek oil free compact foundation.) It's also paraban free but does contain silicone (Dimethicone.)
Purchase? No. I like the concept behind this range- having moisturisers targeting different skin conditions but did not like the fact this has so much alcohol in it.

Merumuya Melting Cleansing Balm

This is probably the only negative review of  Merumaya's Melting cleansing balm which is such as shame as I was so excited and wanted to like it so much and it does seem to work for a lot of people. It smells like grapefruit (although there's no grapefruit instead it's citronelol: lemon.) It contains Echium Seed Oil (RevitElix ™) and Mangosteen extract too. The smell reminded me of Neals Yard's essential oil beauty products. The texture is very oily thanks to the almond oil and it's easy to massage onto dry skin while it emulsifies make up (the 'melting' part.) It then turns milky on contact with water. Then you're supposed to remove the balm with a cloth, I used one of the Liz Earle's muslin cloths. Merumaya recommend normal skins to repeat the cleanse and oiler skins to follow with Merumaya's Luxury Facial wash. Since this easily removed all of my Estée Lauder Double Wear Light foundation,  I can imagine that it would remove a much heavier foundation (i.e. Estee Lauder's Double wear foundation) without any trouble. It doesn't sting when gets into eyes. It can be used to remove eye makeup and I've read several reviews saying its fine but one who woke up with puffy eyes afterwards so I decided to err on the side of caution and to use a separate eye makeup remover instead (as I do with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish.) The next day the red patches on my cheeks got bigger and became sore (they weren't before) and I also got six painful under the skin spots. I did actually test this on half my face and was fine so I then used it all over on a different occasion thinking I would be fine. I think those with sensitive skin or dry skin should not apply this twice in order to prevent dryness and irritation. While it's cheaper than Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and Eve Lom, it is on the more expensive side compared to drugstore/high street cleansers, it retails at £16.50 for 100ml.

Purchase? No. It made my skin worse!

Body Lotions - These both lasted 2 weeks.

Aveeno body Lotion makes your skin feel so incredibly soft, however I didn't really like the smell (It's supposed to smell like oats, and although I eat porridge I couldn't really get with the smell) Purchase? I don't know. Maybe if it was on offer and if my skin was very dry- I would have to mix it with something that smelt nicer!

Garnier Body Intensive 7 days lotion  I absolutely loved the scent, it smells like Shea butter (which is one of the ingredients) sweet without being sickly. However it does contain alcohol and mineral oil which could irritate some skin types. This lotion does leave skin feeling soft  but I think Aveeno pips it to the post in the skin softening stakes and the softening effect lasts longer with Aveeno despite not having a 7 day claim. 
Purchase? Maybe if it's on offer.

Sunscreen 

Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance SPF 15
Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra radiance SP30 has received a lot of criticism for not actually protecting up to SPF 30 according to the Which? study testing sun lotion in 2014. This makes me a little wary of the SPF15. More confusing is that both products seem to be recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation judging by the stamp on the packaging. Anyway it smells so nice and summery, a floral scent combined with coconut and cocoa. The smell isn't overwhelming which is good as I'm sensitive to strongly perfumed cosmetics. The 'Ultra Radiance' effect is gold glitter which is noticeable in sunlight. This maybe a bit too bling/disco ball for some but it would give a glistening highlight when applied to the legs. However SPF15 is pretty low so I'd avoid this if you're pale or are going to be on the beach all day.
Purchase? Probably not, the sun protection factor is too low I usually buy SPF30-35.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
This is L'occitane's best seller and has even been in Vogue's Top 100 beauty products as well as wining a Bella Beauty award in 2015. This is their original 20% Shea formula, and while it does make your hands feel soft and moisturised with minimal grease, I really don't like the smell, it's sort of like baby talc powder. I prefer their Jasmine version.
Purchase? This one, no, but I would buy others in the range.

Perfume

Kenzo Flower in the Air EDP
This perfume smells floral and sweet, however there is a hint of fruit (raspberries) and pink pepper that stop it being too sweet. I tend to go for fruity scents and steer away from sweet floral scents. The raspberries gives it a fruity feel, but more in a sweet way rather than the fresh, light feel of apples in DKNY Be Delicious or other citrus-y perfumes. The top notes are raspberry and pink pepper, the middle notes are floral including rose, magnolia and gardenia. The base note is white musk. This sample is actually a EDP which is unusual since most perfume samples are more often EDT. The scent was strong for the first hour but it did fade through the day. Around 8 hours later I could just about smell the scent on my wrists but no-none else would be able to.
Purchase? I haven't fallen in love with this scent and I would have to in order to spend £51+ on it for the EDP. The EDT is cheaper at around the £30 mark but again this is not a 'must have' for me.

Makeup

Everyday Minerals Face Soft Bronzer 
I got this free with a brush I bought from Everyday Minerals. I think the 'soft' in the name refers to a soft, subtle warming bronzer for light skin tones. It's a pinky orange shade that probably won't show on medium and dark skin tones. On my hand it's close to my skin tone  but on my face it is a very subtle and more orange than brown (I'm roughly Mac NC25/BB warm sand/Estee Lauder intensity one.)  I applied it over liquid foundation and again on moisturised bare skin but it didn't look good either way.
Purchase? No. It's too orange and doesn't really show up. To be honest I'd suit a darker shade.

Shampoos

L'oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Luminiser High Shine Shampoo
I have fallen in love the scent of this shampoo, it's very fresh and floral. This shampoo is labelled as a 'high shine shampoo' that uses glycogel shine sealer technology to resurface the hair fibres of impurities that disrupt light reflection and help seal the cuticles, coating hair with a weightless gloss. Typically for a shampoo that promises smooth (and therefore shiny) hair it does contain silicon (dimethicone) but is is free of MI (Methylchloroisothiazolinone)  MCI (Methylisothiazoline) preservatives that can cause an contact dermatitis allergic reaction and nerve damage. My hair was shiny after using this shampoo but because I have straight thick dark hair almost all shampoos make my hair shiny. As promised it didn't weight my hair down but I still needed to wash my hair the next day as it didn't control my oily hair.

Purchase? Probably not because it didn't control my greasy hair as well as my regular Pantene shampoo. But it would be good for other hair types- such as normal or dry hair.

L'oreal Elvive Smooth & Polish perfecting Shampoo
This shampoo contains Keratin-polish to make hair smooth, control flyaways and calm static. The camellia extract also makes hair soft. As well as keratin it contains Silicon (Amodimethicone) but is MI (methylisothiazolinone) and MCI (Methylchloroisothiazolinone) free. The shampoo has a pleasant fresh floral scent (although I preferred the nutri gloss the most.) It left my hair smooth and shiny but as I said earlier that often happens with most shampoos. My hair does feel a little softer and did not get greasy until the evening of second day hair which is as good as my current Pantene shampoo. It does benefit from using a conditioner with it though as I noticed some frizz and my hair was a little drier using this.
Purchase? Yes. I would say it's best for oily hair, this is going on my shopping list, paired with a good conditioner this should be great.

Freedom Pro Strobe Palette & Pro Strobe Cream Review

Freedom Makeup is a budget beauty brand created by the same people behind the popular and successful Makeup Revolution. I was lucky enough to win this in a competition on Georgina's blog She Might Be Loved.

The Freedom Pro Strobe palette is sleek and compact, making it travel friendly with a good sized mirror and a brush to boot! I'm really impressed with the colours, there's not a sight of glitter or orange bronzer to be seen and the powders are finely milled. There are 6 shades, 3 highlight colours and 3 contour colours.

The contour shade in the largest pan is an ashy brown perfect for mimicking shadows and faking chiseled cheekbones. The middle shade is a warm brown which is great for bronzing and is also the darkest shade in the palette which is great for skin tones on the darker side of medium. The final contour shade is a pale brown which would suit lighter skin tones or those who like their contouring to look very subtle. Despite being lighter than the other shades it still shows up on my NC25 skin.

Surprisingly for a palette called 'Pro Strobe' there is only one shimmer highlighter and the other two highlighters are matte. The biggest highlighter pan comes in a shimmer finish, a pinky-silver shade and it gives such a lovely glow and highlights really well. This shade who be good for those with cool skin tones. I have a warmer skin tone and tend to suit more golden shades. There's also a yellow and beige highlighter. I have used the yellow highlighter to set my under eye concealer. The matte highlight shades could be used to 'bake' highlighted areas.

I was really happy that a brush came with the palette, I had a similar shaped Illamasqua one which fell apart and needs gluing. The brush is fairly small (about 14.5cm long including the handle) the same size as the palette, but it's far from useless. The brush head is oval shaped and so soft and dense. I found short strokes worked best and it seemed be better for placing the powder across on the cheek bone and using another brush to blend it (I used Zoeva's 110 face brush to blend.)  I did use the Freedom brush to apply contour along my forehead by dipping powder on one side of the brush and then turned the brush over and used this cleaner side to do the blending.

The powders are long lasting lasting about 6-7 hours on my combination skin. This palette would suit light to medium skin tones, any darker and the contour shades wouldn't show up. This palette is good value for money with 3 contour shades, 3 highlighter shades and a brush for £10.  However I would describe this is as a contour palette rather than a 'strobe' palette because there is only one shimmer shade that gives that dewy, glowing strobe effect. Nevertheless I totally recommend this palette- you get a lot for your buck and the powders are very long wearing!

Onto Freedom's Pro-Strobe Cream. Packaging wise I like the holographic label and the silver cap. The packaging is practical and won't leak if you pop it into your bag.  Freedom claims this cream gives 'a subtle and natural illumination and highlight to the skin.' You can wear it to highlight on top of your makeup to highlight certain areas or wear it all over as an illuminating base. The consistency is like a body lotion and it smells like amaretto (almonds.)

I used this over my foundation. Freedom recommends to use your fingers to apply this cream.  On application it starts off as a white lotion with a hint of pink, and while rubbing into the skin you get this glowy silver-pink dewy highlight. However after about 10 minutes it sinks into the skin and the effect becomes very, very subtle. So just be aware that the full power highlight disappears quickly, leaving a faint trace of colour and becomes more in keeping with the natural look. Unfortunately the Pro-Strobe cream seemed to irritate my sensitive skin. On the whole I think there are better liquid highlighters out there that make more of an impact rather than fizzling out as this seemed to. My Verdict: Priced at £8 I don't think it's worth the money; very disappointing, save those pennies instead.



Pro Strobe palette is available at TAM Beauty  priced at £10 and the Pro strobe cream is £8.