Mythbusters part II - Your beauty questions answered

Hey Lovelies,


So i'm bringing you part II of the Mythbusters series and today we're going to concentrate on body products and knowledge. So lets get going.....


If I exfoliate it will bring my false tan off?

TRUE & FALSE: When you have a false tan whether it be done at home or in a salon the best way to keep it looking nice it to maintain it. So yes unfortunately that does mean that after the tan is applied you're going to have to look after it. Your skin naturally sheds at different stages which means if you leave you tan to naturally come off you may find it goes patchy. If you regularly exfoliate - this doesn't have to be vigorous exfoliation just as long as you're getting the top layer of dead skin off, your skin will fall off more evenly keeping your tan more even for longer. Another way to hold onto your tan better is to moisturise regularly too. By doing these two things you actually keep the tan for longer. 

I should shave/wax before putting on tan?

FALSE: You should always do any prep for a tan i.e. shaving at least 24 hours prior. When you shave or wax you open up the pores and the hair follicles, if you then apply tan you can run the risk of the tan getting into the pore/follicle and when these then close it traps the tan inside leaving lots of brown little dots on the skin. Not the desired look. Also waxing and shaving stimulate the skin, if you then apply a high chemical product such as tan you can cause allergic reactions within the skin. 

My body isn't dry, i should still moisturise?

TRUE: Prevention is better than the cure, whether you are dry, oily or normal on your face or body you should always moisturise. The more you do it the better but at least aim for 3 times a week to try and keep the moisture levels high in your skin. The skin on our bodies goes through a lot such as hands in and out of water, feet in different shoes or no shoes at all, arms in and out of cold weather and warm clothing. Really make sure you concentrate on particularly dry areas such as knees, elbows, feet and hands. 

I have cellulite there's no cure?

FALSE: There are different grades of cellulite from the odd bump here and there to a leg full of orange peel. Once it gets to a grade 4 it's hard to treat but there are some cures. Cellulite is fat cells that get trapped between sub-cutaneous skin cells (top surface skin cells) this then create the bumpy effect that we know of as 'cellulite'. The best way to get rid of cellulite is to detox, so increase your water intake to 2-3 litres a day and cut right back on all sugars, salt and high fat. If the cellulite is a low grade exercises can help. By toning the area you move the fat along. A great way is dry brushing the area and vigorously rubbing in special anti cellulite treatments into the area. The vigorous rubbing stimulates circulation and breaks down the fat deposits in the hope they'll be reabsorbed back into our system. You can completely get rid of cellulite but you have to work on diet, exercise and products. 

I wash regularly but i still have spots on my back, this is normal?

TRUE: You can be the cleanest person on this earth and still get spots. If you get them on you back (known as bacne) it tends to be a hormonal reason. Just make sure you're rinsing your shampoo from your body correctly to not leave any traces on the skin. That after exercise or a hot day you're showering thoroughly - try using a back brush to really clean the area, and drink more water to try and flush the skin. All these put aside it's perfectly normal and you're not doing anything wrong. The sun can help clear up acne but please use the proper SPF, if it really bothers you go to your GP and see if they can  provide you with any treatments. 


I shall be doing some specific mythbusters soon, such as one for nails, sun care etc please let me know if you want me to cover a specific topic. 

Much love

lizzie xxx

HD Brows - Your questions answered......

Hey Guys, hope you're all well. I was listening to the radio the other morning and the presenters were taking the mickey out of some girls eyebrows and when they draw them on, they then went on to discuss HD brows and what they were exactly and nobody knew. A listener then text in saying they were 'Heavily tinted brows to make them strong and bold looking'........wrong. So i thought id share with you exactly what HD's are and what it involves =) 


HD brows are High Definition brows. They are a certain shape and done in a very specific way. It is the 7 steps to the perfect eyebrows. 

Here is the process:

1. Your therapist will have a brief consultation to have a look at your brows and explain the process. Please remember that 20% will go into the shape on first go, 60% will achieve it in a few treatments and 20% will never achieve the shape. 

2. Depending on how experienced/confident your therapist is he/she may draw a guideline shape to follow, the more experienced therapist will not need to do this as they can look at someone and see the shape instantly. 

3. They will tint your brows - Yes they will go outside your natural hair line to catch any little hairs above or below (especially if you have thinner eyebrows)

4. They will remove the tint and wax below your brows

5. The will measure your brows with thread to ensure they are equal

6. Next they will pluck out any stray hairs or hairs outside the line they don't want. They will also brush and trim any hairs to create a smooth line. 

7. They will thread above the eyebrow to ensure a clean line above and to blend any little fluffy hairs with the forehead. 

8. They will get you to look at the brows and check you are happy, then ask you to hold the mirror as they apply the HD powder from the pallet to suit your colour, they will fill in one of your brows and explain how to do it yourself as they do it. They may get you to do the second one or they may do both for you. 

The treatment takes around 45 minutes, the more regularly you go the quicker the treatment becomes as they will be able to follow the previous shape instead of having to create a new one every time. 

Despite belief HD brows aren't all about having thick dark eyebrows, yes the tint is darker but it fades a lot in 24 hours. A good therapist should look at your hair and colouring and decide what shade tint to go to suit you. The HD's are about very groomed eyebrows to enhance the natural shape not about dark slugs plonked on your forehead. 

If you have very thin eyebrows you may struggle to get the shape. We recommend you go every 4-6 weeks for them doing. Some of our clients have HD then book a normal tint and wax (waxed still in the HD shape) then book for HD again. Alternating can save money but i would recommend you go to the same therapist who did your HD's. 

You need a special HD tint test 24 hours prior to your first appointment. It's a stronger tint so you need a patch test to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction, you only do this once as the salon will keep on record that you've had the test. Be aware if you change salons you should be asked to do a test every time you go to a new salon. If you walk into a new salon and say you've had it done elsewhere and they do the treatment with no record of a tint test they have poor practice. 

I recommend you get the HD pallett after your treatment. They come in three different colours. Bombshell (blondes) Foxy (brunette) Vamp (dark to black) It is a powder to fill your brows in, they are completely smudge proof so especially like me with oily skin you wont find your brows half way above or below your face in the middle of the day. The kit is £20. My boss has had her pallet for 2 years and still going strong - beats any pencil. This powder transfers heavily so use as little as possible on a brush for the more natural look. 

Cost of treatment in the North of the UK ranges from £25-£35. This may vary depending on where you live. It seems expensive but you're paying for the labour. Where else will someone spend 45 minutes measuring, tinting, waxing plucking and threading your brows to get them perfect. 

Brows really shape your face and done correctly can look absolutely amazing. 

I hope this clears a few queries for you about HDs and that maybe you'll think about getting them in the future. If you have anymore questions leave them in the comments below and i shall get back to you ASAP. 

 Love Lizzie xx

**Please note these pictures are not mine. They are from google images and credit goes to the person who uploaded them.