Pineapple Pulp Fiction Facial

After juicing some pineapples, I had a whole load of pineapple pulp left over and I didn’t’ want to throw it away. So, my sister – Jack had a brainwave, to use it as a face mask.

Jack mixed some oats in her pineapple pulp to make the pulp firm and to also act as an exfoliator for when she washed it off.

It smells delicious but more importantly, the results are amazing. My skin feels slightly tingly but it’s glowing, probably all of the active enzymes from the pineapples.

Pineapple Pulp Fiction Facial

Ingredients: Pure pineapple (oats are optional)

Instructions: Pick up in blobs and place in sections over face. Leave on for around 5 minutes and then wash off.

Urgent:Toxic Tools

I must share something with you which is only known by a minority of people, only because they work directly with manufacturers of cosmetic tools.

As soon as I found this out, I just knew I had to share this with you because I couldn't find anything on the internet about it.

We have all these strict EU regulations about ingredients in cosmetics but (as far as I'm aware) no tests to ensure make up tools are safe. To be truly honest with you, the idea had never crossed my mind that brand new make up brushes and (the biggest shocker) a pencil sharpener could possibly contain bacteria which can cause skin/eye infections.

Now for the science part, factories in China use blades for pencil sharpeners which haven't been irradiated. Now, irradiation is a sterilisation process,which kills bacteria on the blades of a sharpener or the natural hairs of a brush. Irradiation is a very complex process (hence why not all factories manufacturing these products do it) but it is necessary to avoid infection.

The really scary thing is some that people who may suffer from eye infections or skin irritation will probably never link it to make up tools, instead blaming a mascara or a foundation.

Now for the solution, go for a German brand pencil sharpener, such as "KUM", most major cosmetic companies use this brand, so you can check with them. I will also be conducting my own research because nobody else has, so I'll compile a list of safe brands for you after my research.

Also, thoroughly wash any new brushes/tools with a brush cleaning/sanitizing product, this is good for new brushes anyway to remove any loose hairs (especially if they are natural hairs which have been sourced without causing animals any harm or distress).

I'll keep you updated with my research.

Keep your make up tools clean and keep away from cheap Chinese sharpeners.

Oh NARS! You're making me blush!

I think I might have to change my blog to ‘make up blush girl’ because I feel like I’m always talking about blushers. If there is one make up item I can’t do without, it is definitely blusher. It brings my skin to life, accentuates my cheekbones, evens out my skin tone and even balances out my features.

One of my favourite brands is NARS and if I had to award NARS for anything, it would have to be ‘The BEST Blusher Award’.

The range of highly pigmented colours, which are available in cream or powder are intense, dreamy, soft, bright and I love how the colours complement all skin tones.

Last weekend I picked up Taos pressed powder blush, a peachy rose with subtle specks of gold shimmer (sold out in Selfridges Oxford St, so I had to go to John Lewis). My tan is majorly fading and Taos managed to bring it back to life! It’s a really soft, warm colour.

From Taos to Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal is as amazing as the inspiration behind its name. A magnificent burnt orange with shimmer, which really makes my skin glow. I look so healthy when I wear Taj Mahal, I know it looks really bright but this is amazing on all skin colours.

I could babble on about blushers all day long, go and visit a NARS counter and see the vast array of colours for yourselves.

Brighten up your face and I promise you it brightens up your day, works for me.

I’m a NARS addict and proud!

x

(Left: Taos /Right: Taj Mahal)

Wonder products from Sephora

So, while my gals were sunbathing on South Beach, I literally spent 3 hours in Sephora in make up Heaven!

I took a whole load of pictures on my Blackberry but I've lost them and now have an i-phone (which I am loving byt he way).

L.A ink tattooist, Kat Von D has her own make up range, which is very dark and quite gothic, some of the eyeliners/eye pencils looked great, perfect for smouldering smokey eyes.

I love Sephora's own range of cosmetics, they are affordable and have a great range of colours for eyes, lips and cheeks. I snapped up some eye pencils and eye liners for around $4 each! The quality is really good, especially for that price. They glide on like the Mac eye pencils.

I had read about ex-model 'Josie Maran's" cosmetic and skincare range in Nylon Magazine. Sephora didn'[t have any cosmetics but they did have the Josia Maran Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser. Argan Oil is found in Morocco and is said to be the secret to youthful skin after Moroccan women who worked with the oil had amazingly youthful skin on their hands.

After being in the burning sun in the Maldives and then Miami, my skin was really dehydrated and alcked it's usual glow. This Argan Oil brought my skin back to life, you can use it on skin, hair and nails. I used it on my skin after being in the sun every day, it glided on with a silky feeling, it feels amazing. I also used it on the ends of my hair which the sun had dried out.

Another product I discovered is 'Fiberwig', it's a mascara product you use on top of mascara instead of false lashes.

I like this product because even though I love the look of false lashes, they can sometimes irritate me, this product fills in gaps and extends lashes using fibres. The results are great, I must warn you though, when you take your make up off at night, the fibres can be a bit annoying because they sort of peel off but I would much rather make sure my make up is taken off properly than rip off false lashes. Ouch!

It is such a massive shame that Sephora was taken out of the U.K! Please come baaaaaaack!