We start the new year with resolutions, undoubtedly broken half way through, but this year why don’t you start with a new skincare regime and stick to it. Around the winter our skin really does suffer, all that time out fighting the cold, wind and rain combined with the late nights and early mornings; not forgetting the piled on make-up and alcohol consumption leaves skin dry and dehydrated.

The skin is one of the largest organs of the body, it gives us clues to its own health and reflects the health of other body systems this is why it is important to keep it healthy. It varies in thickness on different parts of the body, for instance it is thinnest on the eyelids and lips and thickest on the soles of your feet and palms of your hands, it is imperative to take care of the skin on your face because it is light and sensitive. The skin can be divided in to two parts the epidermis and dermis.

The epidermis is the surface layer of the skin these are the outermost skin cells which are constantly lost through wear and tear. There is no blood supply to these layers and so all the cells are dead. The only living cells are those right at the bottom where nourishment is provided by a blood supply from the dermis. The cells in the bottom layer keep producing daughter cells which are pushed upward towards the surface where they die and are rubbed off. The epidermis consists of five layers which all do different things. They let the sun through giving us Vitimin D, produce Keratin a protein that protects the skin, and they contain the pigment Melanin which gives us our skin colour. The Dermis is under the Epidermis, this is called the true skin it contains blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, sweat glands and oil glands. It is made up of elastic connective tissues and has the main job of holding the skin in shape, giving it the ability to resume its original position that’s why it will return to shape straight after you pinch it. 

Daily you should cleanse, tone and moisturise using specific products for your skin. All brands cater for different skin types and it will say what type it is on the bottle. Do not wash your face with soap or baby wipes these will push dirt in to your pores and clog them, causing spots. Start by getting some cotton pads with a dab of cleanser applied to them. Use this to cleanse your face, using warm water to open the pores and get all the dirt out. Next wipe your face with a plain cotton pad soaked in warm water. Now to tone, use cold water on the pad, add some toner and wipe your face, the cold water will close the pores ready for the last step, moisturising. This should be done every morning and night, never go to bed with your make-up on and always moisturise to protect your skin.

Weekly you should give yourself one or two facials. First cleanse your face by putting boiling water in a bowl, put your face over the steam and cover your head and bowl with a towel let the steam gently open up your porse. If you have oily skin put a few drops of Tea Tree oil in the water, for sensitive or dry skin try some rose oil and for combination skin try witch Hazel. Next step in our facial is exfoliation. If your skin is dry, exfoliate twice a week to rid the layer of dead cells. If you have oily skin exfoliate once a week but be gentle if you are too rough it could cause your sebaciouse glands to produce more oil to protect the skin. If you have combination skin exfoliate your whole face once a week and exfoliate just your dry patches on the second facial of the week. After your exfoliation you should apply a face mask. For oily skin you should use a tea tree clay mask apply it generously to the whole of your face and let it dry for 10 minuets before washing it off. Dry skin reacts better to a moisturising face mask that doesn’t dry try a Sink in Vitamin E mask. An Aloe Vera or chamomile and rose protective mask would be best for sensitive skin. For combination skin you should use the tea tree mask on the T-zone and a moisturising mask on the dry cheeks. Lastly to complete your facial moisturise using a cream specifically designed for your skin type and always apply in an upward motion.

It is important to take time out for yourself to relax especially after exams and coursework deadlines, and what better way to do this than by spoiling yourself with a spa treatment. As we all know beauty treatments are an essential part of maintaining a healthy body and good skin. However, the expense makes it hard to keep up a pampering regime, especially on a student’s budget. But there is a way that you can pamper yourself regularly at a fraction of the price.

Top quality treatments are on offer to the public in luxurious hair and beauty salons and drop in nail bars. These services are provided in hundreds of beauty schools and colleges across the UK. All treatments are carried out by students trained in the industry’s latest techniques by experts resulting in professional treatments at prices which are hard to beat.

Hairdressing, make-up, Beauty and holistic therapy students need models to provide extensive practice to gain competence as a vital part of their training. So you can lend a freshly manicured hand to students like yourselves and the future of the beauty industry, while pampering yourself. The services are provided under the strictest supervision of lecturers and are only performed after the student has undergone training and practice on each other. All treatments on offer are carried out according to industry standards giving us the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range of usually expensive luxurious treatments.

They offer everything from waxing, manicures, pedicures, brow and lash tinting and perming, to facials including body treatments, tanning, make-up, acrylic nails and not forgetting hairdressing treatments. All is available for a tenth of the price. Some of these salons also offer the latest technical advances in skin care like non surgical facelifts, microdermabrasion, laser hair removal, ‘skin light’ and even body lifts. These are all new highly sought after treatments available to all. There are also saunas, steam rooms, tanning booths and gyms in some of these salons for you to use.

You can get a 75 minute massage, manicure and pedicure, body cleanse and facial for under £30.00, and no I’m not forgetting a zero. Although bare in mind that prices may vary in each college salon, and for the level of therapist you may book with.

There is a tiny downside though, it’s not a huge deal, but treatments are usually given in a large room in curtained areas rather than a single beauty room, the treatments may take a little longer than in a spa, and appointments are only available Monday to Friday. But who cares about that when you’re being pampered without a pull on your purse strings?

Some places you may want to book in to:

London College of Beauty Therapy 0207 208 1302

East London Beauty Academy 0208 981 2558

South Thames College 0208 918 7075

Hammersmith and West London College, Voila 0207 565 1265

London College of Fashion 0207 514 7400

London School Of Beauty, Esthetique 0207 580 0355

Lewisham College, T’ien 0208 320 2901

So, here you are at the beginning of your university life. Time to make a new start, a new you and here are a few tips to help you cope on your way.

1. Hung over from Fresher’s week?

To recover quickly from the night before, set your alarm for an hour before you are due to get up for lectures. When the dreaded alarm rings take a paracetamol with a glass of water containing a vitamin tablet replenishing any lost vitamins and minerals (Berocca, is preferred by many). Go back to sleep for an hour but, don’t forget to reset your alarm. For breakfast have bread, butter and golden syrup this replenishes potassium, sodium and fructose speeding up recovery. Avoid coffee as it’s a diuretic and will cause further dehydration. Also avoid aspirin and fizzy drinks as they may upset the stomach.

2. Running late with Bed Head?

For quick and easy clean looking hair, spray it with a dry shampoo (Batiste, is the best, it caters for all hair colours so dark hair won’t be left looking white). Part your hair and apply some volumising powder to your roots and massage in to your scalp with your finger tips giving automatic lift without having to back comb (GOT2B Schwarzkopf, is good and affordable). Now give your hair a good brush out and if more volume is needed back comb the roots and give it a quick squirt of hairspray (Silvikrin, is great and cheap). If your ends are looking a little dry, rub a dab of straightening serum (Pantene Pro-V ice shine serum ) in your palms and run through the ends of your hair.

3. Looking pale and tired?

The eyes are the main focal point of the face if they look sore, and puffy your whole demeanour will look tired and run down. So start by placing either an ice cold slice of cucumber or a cold camomile teabag to the eyelids for 10 – 15 minutes, this will brighten the whites of the eyes and lesson puffiness. Now cleanse your skin by mashing up a cucumber and brushing it on your face leave for 10 minutes, cleaning and closing pores, then rinse it off. Lastly smother your face with a daily moisturiser (Oil of Olay complete care, is a good affordable option and also contains SPF 15 protecting your skin from the sun).

4. Want to hide behind make-up?

Sometimes when we look tired it is easy to pile the make-up on, but this can make you look worse. Simply apply some liquid foundation to the face and some concealer under the eyes and across the cheek bones, making your face look brighter (Bourjois brush concealer £7.49, is perfect). Next lightly brush a bronzing powder on top and finish with mascara and lipstick. If you don’t have time to apply a whole face of make-up just pop on a red lipstick this will pull the attention to the lips and make you look sassy and natural. Lastly to keep your make-up on all day give your face a quick squirt of hairspray.

5. Hand Bag essentials:

A few items can help you get through those hard days, first a small tin of Vaseline (Lip therapy with Aloe vera £1.39) this always comes in handy in the winter to combat chapped dry hands and lips, and in the summer to protect the skin, it will also stop frizzy hair if you pull a little through the ends with your palms. Nail varnish not only helps with chipped nails but also stops a run in your tights and it can reinforce a loose button by applying it to the breaking thread. Plasters are a must have in any bag, they can help with minor accidents, also if you have a unravelling hem use a plaster to hold it in place, and if your shoes are flopping on and off you can stick a plaster or two in the heel.

6. Other Quick tips:

These quick and easy tips will help you while on the move. If your hair is limp half way through the day use some hand sanitizer on the roots to remove the grease. Forgotten your lip gloss? Use some honey, not only will your lips be shiny but the natural ingredients will leave your lips smooth. For an important date curl your eyelashes, you can use a spoon by placing the concave side on your eye allowing your eyelashes to curl upwards around it. If you’re in need for a Smokey eye and have no make-up you can light a match, blow it out and when its cooled down drag it across your eyelid for a Smokey line, the matchstick boxes scratchy strip also works as a emery board.

Being a make up artist, hair dresser and Beauty Therapist I have worked for hundreds of clients for photoshoots and weddings. The question I get asked most about is ethnic skins.

Historically ethnic women and minority skins have always found it almost impossible to find beauty products to compliment their skins. But now it is easier to find foundations for darker skin tones that compliment the natural colour.

Thankfully companies have realised there is a huge gap in the market, with over 15% of make-up counters in Selfridges now catering for darker skins. Companies have finally started to produce blushers, eye shadows and lipsticks that suit darker skins. More importantly they have started manufacturing foundations with enough pigmentation to smooth away imperfections and leave a natural glow.

Finding foundation and concealers to suit darker skin is extremely hard, black skin includes a range of skin tones, if the colour is wrong you end up with an ashy grey look. Generally the rule is that lighter brown skin has a yellowish undertone whereas a darker brown skin has a combination of yellow and red. Foundation for darker tones must not be too pink or contain too much titanium dioxide; these will give the skin an ashen look.

Dark tones don’t seem to suffer from dry skin as lighter tones do. Darker skin reflects light differently giving off a kind of luminosity; this does not mean it is oily. Excess shine can be controlled by using oil free bases and powders. New light reflecting pigments in some foundations and powders will also help cover the shine, but be careful of very matt bases as they can turn the skin grey.

Foundation should be tested on lighter skin first if you suffer from hyper pigmentation. You should choose a colour in-between the pigmentations. There are concealers that cover darker spots, these should be matched to your normal skin tone and worn under the foundation. It is important to remember that your skin tone changes with the seasons, you may need a darker foundation in the summer than in the winter. To set the foundation, use either a translucent or bronzing powder and if you’re out for a night on the town spray a little hairspray over it.

If you have dark skin you can pull off stronger make-up looks than light skin. You can get away with wearing dark colours that only make light skins look paler. Bronze, shimmery beiges and deep browns, as well as olive and emerald green, sapphire blue, plum and pastel shades can be good eye colours. Metallic’s compliment the natural luminosity of dark skin, while black mascara and eyeliner highlights the eyelashes. Warm light brown peach to cinnamon tones will soften and define cheeks. Deep berry shades of lipsticks suit darker skins perfectly. However, remember that while dramatic colours suit your colouring, apply the makeup lightly to keep it looking fresh and up to date, also it is either heavy eyes or lips, never both.

When shopping for make-up that suits your complexion it is important to shop around. Big department stores such as Selfridges, Debenhams and House of Frasier have counters which cater for darker skin tones. Some of these are Becca, Bobby Brown, Fashion fair, Iman, Illamasqua, Mac, Black up and K Beverly Knights new brand, which came out in September. Most of these counters offer free advice, foundation fittings and sometimes make-overs, use them. Don’t buy the first product you try, as you may find something better by another brand. Don’t buy without checking the foundation in daylight, as the lighting may alter the tone, walk out of the shop and check it still looks good. Request samples so you can try at home before spending your student loan. If you like a foundation that you tried look for it on-line as it may be cheaper.

Big brands such as Dior, Estee Lauder and Clinique are starting to tap in to the dark skincare market and are currently working on new ranges like Lancôme’s Colour Id range. These brands will be a little more expensive but can be tested in store with a make-up artist.

Long-time brands like MaxFactor, Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris and Revlon have also started to cater for darker skins although their range only goes to a dark cappuccino, and these are hard to find. A new brand however has emerged alongside these older brands called Sleek this is manufactured specifically for dark skins. These brands are cheaper than the others but you can’t try them in store or get advice. They are good if you’re already familiar with your colour and don’t need to check your shade. This can also be said for brands which are currently only on sale on-line like Mary Kay and Black Opal.

Shellfish could help reduce signs of ageing

Scientists from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA, discovered that nanoparticles found in the shells of lobsters and prawns can stimulate stem cell growth.

The nano particles, called chitosan, could have potential in enhancing the appearance of ageing skin and accelerate the wound-healing process.

Tests on skin cell fibroblasts and keratinocytes found that the particles have skin regenerative properties.These results could have huge implications on anti-ageing and scar-reducing beauty products.

Chitosan is a natural, non-toxic, particle that can be obtained from shells of shrimps, lobsters and the beaks of octopi and squid.

Tights should not be worn instead of leggings. I don’t understand why girls seem to feel the need to prance around with a short t-shirt and only tights to cover their modesty it’s just not necessary.

Last week as I was standing on the escalator on my way home from work I looked up to be faced with, what can only be described as, an almost bare bottom. I was horrified and had no idea where to look. It seemed however, that I was the only one since I was surrounded by aghast men who were ogling this young girls behind. She seemed blissfully unaware but I decided there and then I should let people know that tights are not an ideal leg covering when wearing a t-shirt.

I have noticed this ridiculous trend snowballing in to fashion over the last two years and I’m not quite sure how it has made it this far. I have two theories though. The first theory is that the trend of the t-shirt dress from last summer somehow confused many girls who decided that they either couldn’t afford one, although that is impossible with such cheap retail outlets about, or that an ordinary t-shirt would suffice. Well it doesn’t, everyone can see your rump! My second theory, although even more unbelievable, is that a few women are confused with the difference between footless tights and leggings. Well just for all you bum flaunters, here is the difference, tights are translucent.

Most of the girls following this trend, I have noticed, look like they have miscoloured stick legs just poking out of a baggy old t-shirt. It’s obscene and it’s downright vile for any girl to wear. However, if your legs look like twiglets that are about to break do not reveal them to the world with clod hopper boots on the ends. Plus sizes you’re not getting away with it either, don’t think for one minute that the meat on your legs combined with compensating boots for ballet shoes is any better, it’s still unflattering.

Lastly girls if you feel that you must flaunt this look, please, for the love of god wear some decent underwear. There are quite a few types and brands out there that don’t just cater for the big granny fanny but the young modest woman who dislikes the feeling of dental floss between her bum cheeks.

Bubble bath:

Mix two cups of clear light shampoo, three cups of water, and two teaspoons of salt together. Add a few drops of a food colouring of your choice and ten drops of an essential oil like rose or lavender.

Bath Sachet:

Take a handful of the ingredients of your choice (listed below), wrap it in a square of muslin cloth and secure with a rubber band. Now it’s ready to use in your bath, for a better look use ribbon around the band.

Rose: Lifts spirits Lavender: Relaxes

Camomile: Calms and soothes Rosemary: Clears the mind

Bath Oil:

Half fill an empty perfume bottle with olive oil and give it a good shake.

Body Scrub:

Chocolate – Get five tablespoons of sunflower oil, 4 tablespoons of soft brown sugar, one heaped teaspoon of cocoa (not hot chocolate) and mix thoroughly. Use as a scrub while your in the shower.

Lime – Mix five tablespoons of caster sugar; add five drops of lime essential oil. Never use more essential oil than specified as it is strong.

Lip Gloss:

Put a little petroleum jelly in a microwavable bowl and melt it a little. In a separate bowl mix together one teaspoon of water and a powdered drink mix of your choice, mix it together until it is completely dissolved and add some food colouring. Add it to the petroleum jelly and dispense in to a pot.

Perfume:

Rose – Half fill a jar with rose petals, add water to three quarters of the glass, leave in a sunny place for two days then strain the liquid.

Rose scent – put rose petals in a clear container, add two cups of distilled water and quarter cup of vodka. Put a stopper on the container, shake well and leave in a sunny place. For stronger scent add two drops of rose oil.

Lavender scent – Use the same recipe as the rose scent but use one and a half cups of lavender.