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Hair & Skincare for New Mums

Hair & Skincare for New Mums

If you’d told me a year ago that I would need a new beauty routine once I’d given birth, I’d have laughed in your face and assumed it was a marketing gimmick. Clearly I was shocked when I found that my skin and hair had indeed changed once again (check out my pregnancy skincare tips here). As a new mum I really didn’t need another thing to worry about, but it happened nevertheless – spots, dry skin, reactions I’ve never had before, treatments not lasting as long as they did before pregnancy… the list goes on.

Skincare for New Mums

  • You might find that your skin is more sensitive since giving birth and it can be useful to add products specifically for sensitive skin to your routine – I switched my daily microfoliant to a daily milkfoliant instead.
  • For those that are breastfeeding, you will still need to avoid certain ingredients such as retinol, salicylic acid and hydroquinone.
  • Nipple balm is a must – I’ve tried a few and found the Lansinoh nipple cream to be the best, especially since you don’t need to remove it before breastfeeding.
  • If you find your skin is drier than usual, I swear by Palmer’s cocoa butter lotion for the body, and Drunk Elephant miracle butter for the face.

Haircare for New Mums

With all the changes happening in your body, you may have noticed your hair looking thicker and shinier during pregnancy. This is because of the hormone changes taking place, leading to less hair shedding. Unfortunately this doesn’t continue after birth; in fact you’ll probably notice you lose more hair than you did before pregnancy and it’s not as thick as it was. Thankfully this hair lose is only temporary and there are things you can do to help.

  • Use a volumising shampoo and conditioner/one made for fine hair.
  • Rosemary oil is a great ingredient – look for products that use it rather than applying the oil directly. I use the Aromatics Rosemary Root Enhancer.
  • Avoid over brushing your hair – contrary to some old wives tales, brushing your hair does not promote growth, it actually pulls at the hair.
  • Consider getting a new hair style that makes your hair appear fuller/thicker – I went for the pixie cut I’d always dreamed about. Plus shorter hair is a lot less hassle when you don’t even have time for a shower.
  • Eat a balanced diet and take post-pregnancy supplements. I’m currently taking Vitabiotics Pregnacare.

Check out more of my beauty and pregnancy articles.
Words and pictures are my own.

  • a selection of skincare for new mums, including nipple cream and body lotion, stands on a bathroom windowsill
  • a selection of skincare for new mums, including nipple cream and body lotion, stands on a bathroom windowsill
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5 Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter

  • Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter
  • Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter

5 Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter

Last week I woke up to dry lips – a sure sign for me that colder weather had hit. Winter can be tough on all of us. The combination of lack of sunlight, harsh wind & rain, and cold weather is not ideal. It’s fair to say that we all suffer a little at this time of year. As someone with sensitive skin, I’m always cautious about taking extra care. I thought I’d share my 5 skincare tips for surviving winter with you all.

1. Moisturise like there’s no tomorrow

This is pretty much a given. But did you think about changing up your daily moisturiser? It can be tempting to use up the last of your light summer product, but winter calls for something with a bit more oomf.

Product recommendations: Dr Ceuracle Royal Vita Propolis 33 Cream, The Inkey List Vitamin B, C and E Moisturiser, Dermalogica Awaken Peptide Eye Gel

2. Turn down the heating

Well yes and no. Central heating is pretty much a necessity in the UK during Winter. But it’s pretty dehydrating on your skin. this change can contribute to drying out your skin. If you can set a timer or specific temp, try to stick to this.

Product recommendations: Hey Dewy Portable Facial Humidifier, Panasonic EH-XS01 Facial Steamer

3. Don’t forget to exfoliate

If your skin is dry, it may seem like exfoliating is a no-go but that isn’t the case. Exfoliating is still very important during the winter months, just try not to overdo it. Stick to once a week, and use a gentle, daily exfoliator in-between.

Product recommendations: By Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant*, Huxley Sweet Therapy Scrub Mask

4. Look after your hair, hands and lips

Cold weather, harsh winds… it can all contribute towards dry skin, and your hair, hands and lips are no different. They can often be overlooked but they should still be a part of your skincare routine. Basically, just moisturise the hell out of your body this winter!

Product recommendations: LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask, Dermalogica Conditioning Hand & Body Wash, Aromatica Rosemary Scalp Shampoo, Hello Sunday the One for Your Hands – Hand Cream Spf30

5. You still need to wear sunscreen!

A lot of people don’t realise that you still need to wear sunscreen in winter. Just because the sun may have disappeared, doesn’t mean it’s harmful UV rays have. Sunscreen is a must all-year-round!

Product recommendations: Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk SPF50+, Ultra Violette Queen Screen Lightweight Skinscreen Spf50+

Check out more of my skincare saviours and tips here.

Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter
  • Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter
  • Skincare Tips for Surviving Winter
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Spring Beauty Essentials | My 2019 Recommendations

Spring Beauty EssentialsMy Spring Beauty Essentials | 2019 Recommendations

With a change of season, comes a change in my beauty routine. Long gone are the cold winter nights, cloudy days and lack of sunlight which brought dry and dull skin. New obstacles arise, with hotter days and more time spent outside. Thankfully I am fully prepared this year. My recent trip to Japan helped a lot, as it meant I was able to stock up on some old favourites, as well as some new products I researched before/during my visit. That said, in 2019 I’ve continued to keep my beauty routine pretty varied in terms of origins & brands – with items coming from UK, Japan, Korea and France (amongst others).

I’ll be spending this spring focusing on the basics; healthy skin and hair, fresh scents and a fully prepped base with minimal make-up. So without further ado, here are my spring beauty essentials for 2019.

My Spring Beauty Essentials

I’ve always been an advocate for taking care of your skin first, and I think that’s pretty apparent with this list, as you can see I haven’t added any new make-up products to my cupboard. But I think the most obvious change from my winter beauty products, is the addition of lighter creams and stronger SPFs. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is practical, and it works.

Don’t forget to check out more of my beauty recommendations and let me know in the comments which products you’ll be coveting in spring 2019.

Spring Beauty EssentialsSpring Beauty Essentials Spring Beauty Essentials Spring Beauty Essentials Spring Beauty Essentials

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The Canary Hair Salon and Vegan Cafe | Beauty

The Canary hairThe Canary Hair Salon & Cafe* | Bethnal Green, E2 6QA | Nearest Tube: Bethnal Green | Website

You know I love lifestyle stores. So imagine my joy when I was invited down to The Canary hair salon in Bethnal Green. Now I wasn’t giddy purely because I was getting a hair cut – although I do often feel like that – but because The Canary is a little different to most hair salons in London. Attached to their salon is a cafe. A vegetarian and vegan cafe at that! Good coffee. Good food. Good hair. You can’t ask for more!

The food

I popped by on a Saturday around 12. We grabbed a chair in the well lit space, and ordered a couple of coffees, which I handily paid for with my Drip App. I was introduced to my stylist Emma as I sipped on mine (flat white, no sugar), and I automatically felt relaxed. After my haircut we had a bite to eat. I had a blueberry muffin, and Ben tried a mushroom and tarragon croissant. We both agreed that the food was fresh and delicious. Even better, it tasted homemade.

The haircut

When I did eventually hop in the seat, we chatted about what I wanted done. I asked whether I should get some layers put in; something I hated years ago but somehow felt might finally suit me. Emma told me that she thought my sharp bob suited me style perfectly, and that layers might ruin what I was going for. She was so right, and I’m glad she said it, because it stopped me getting a hair cut I would have undoubtedly hated afterwards. No one was rushing me, and Emma seemed very professional and easy going. Conversation flowed smoothly throughout, so there were no awkward silences, and I was done in about an hour.

Final thoughts on The Canary hair salon…

As I suspected, Emma was very professional and did a wonderful job on my haircut. My fringe wasn’t exactly how I like it, but I’m pretty fussy about my hair. That said, overall I was happy with my hair cut. The Canary is still a little quiet, but with such friendly staff it comes to life. I have my favourite hair salon (because it’s directly under my apartment), but I would still go back for a coffee and to chill out. Whether you’re after a cut, or some sustenance, The Canary is worth stopping by for sure. Prices for womens cuts start at £56 and mens at £45.

You can visit The Canary at 61 Old Bethnal Green Road, London or online here.
Make sure to check out Drip App for some of London’s best independent coffee shops!

The Canary hair The Canary hair The Canary hair The Canary hair The Canary hair

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A London Life… at London Fashion Week

london-fashion-week-ss16-the-apartment-wellaThe Apartment | London Fashion Week SS16

London Fashion Week. You may have seen my last round up of it, earlier this week. I can’t believe it was three weeks ago already! But could I go back and do it all over again? Would I hang out at The Apartment and have my hair done by Wella again? Hell yeah! Would I shove myself through hoards of fashion-y types? Maybe. More importantly, would I ever want to set eyes on Brewer Street car park again? Yeah, probably not. But you gotta take the highs with the lows. After all that’s part of the fun of London Fashion Week, right?

So what did I get up to on the Saturday? There was… hair styling; at The Apartment. Plenty of wandering around the Royal Academy of Arts, thanks to Open House London. Where we also happened to take some outfit shots. And of course there was some more nibbling of sweet treats, courtesy of Aubaine. It’s such a shame I wasn’t able to continue my adventure on the Sunday, but I had a pretty awesome time whilst it lasted. You can see the rest of my London fashion week adventures on the blog though.

Thanks to V.A (Chopstickpanorama) for the photos of me.

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Kopparberg Urban Forest Festival

kopparberg-urban-forest-festival-hackney-wick-braid-barKopparberg Urban Forest Festival*

I think it’s fair to say that Britain goes a little festival crazy during the Summer. But I’m not in to camping, so I was all set for another festival-less year. That was until I was invited to the Kopparberg Urban Forest Festival. So on the longest day of the year I headed to Hackney Wick to celebrate the Summer Solstice – Swedish style.

I wasn’t entirely certain what to expect from Kopparberg, as I’d missed last year’s offering. The venue might have been slightly smaller than Glastonbury, but it had all the essentials. There were street food trucks, a photo booth, a couple of bars, hair braiding and even a DJ booth. I headed straight to the bar for a frozen Kopparberg. It sounds a little odd, but it’s perfectly refreshing on a hot Summer’s day. Next we went for food…we have our priorities straight. I chose Le Bun, a French twist on the typical American Burger. I went for Le Duck Frites; a duck confit burger with straw fries and champagne slaw. Ben went for a more Scandinavian affair with The Hackney Pearl’s Swedish Meatball Sandwich. We shared our dishes, and truth be told, we couldn’t decide whose was better. Both were delicious, and perfect alongside our ciders. After our mini feast, I decided to join the queue for the braid bar. The Braid Bar is pretty well known among beauty enthusiasts, and celebrities alike. With my short, thin hair, I wasn’t sure if they would be able to do anything. Luckily they cater for all hair types, as I saw whilst watching others have their hair braided. I went for the Eva – two small side braids. It didn’t take too long and I was pretty happy with the result (although I wouldn’t pay £10 for it in-store).

In true Scandinavian style there were plenty of fresh flowers. But instead of crowns, these flowers were being weaved into our braids, and the mens beards. As my braids were so petite and tight, I went for a more delicate look. I really loved how it complimented the style of the braids. Ben had actually had his hair and beard cut that morning, so I was a bit sad that we couldn’t adorn his hair too. We still had plenty of time left though, so we headed to the photobooth and snapped some memories. After a couple more Kopparbergs, the heavens began to open, so we scarpered. It’s fair to say that this is one festival I can definitely see myself going back to.

The Kopparberg Urban Forest is on until July 12th – entry is free.

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SHOW Your Best Side

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SHOW DRY Salon, Notting Hill, London

I love having my hair washed by someone. No I’m not lazy, and no I don’t have some kind of weird fetish. I just find it incredibly relaxing, and after a busy day at work it’s nice to indulge in some pampering. However, having my hair styled by someone else is another thing entirely. I have awkwardly curly, coarse hair, which I apparently seem to hide well. But once a stylist discovers it’s real form, all hell breaks lose. Ok so I may be overdramatising here, but a lot of stylists do find my hair hard to work with. For me, it’s easy. I’ve gotten used to it over the years and I know how to handle it/style it right (all those years have finally paid off). That’s why I like going back to the same hairdresser (once I’ve found a good one). So with this in mind I headed to SHOW’s new salon in Notting Hill with V.A for some hair pampering. Part of me couldn’t wait, and the other part was a little nervous…

My qualms were settled though as we walked through the ornate doors, and into the chic interior. The smell of roses and haircare products filled the air in the predominantly pink and gold salon. Everything was immaculate, from the displays of products that lined the wall right down to the bouquet on the reception desk. It took everything in me not to stand there with my mouth hanging open – this is a classy establishment Emma, don’t mess up. We were greeted by a cheerful member of staff who kindly introduced us to the salon and our stylists. We were taken downstairs for a quick tour before being whisked away to have our hair washed. At this point I came to realise that the smell that had hit me when I walked in was SHOW’s own haircare products; and boy do they smell amazing. It was thanks to this that my shampoo and condition was incredibly relaxing.

After heading back upstairs we were given a glass of bubbles each, and our stylists got to work. Unfortunately my stylist did comment on how awkward my hair was – another one defeated by the genes of my father. Thanks Dad. However she did leave me with soft, bouncy hair. I can’t really blame her for not being able to style it properly – as I explained my hair is very awkward – and the products did actually leave my hair feeling and looking good. As for V.A (with her lovely, approachable hair), she left with some gorgeous, enviable waves. I also saw several other ladies leaving with exceptional blow drys. Overall I can’t complain, and maybe next time I could go back with a bit more time and the same stylist would be more prepared to tackle my mane of hair…or I’d just go for an up-do.

You can check out the services on offer, and book an appointment at SHOW Dry.