I saw the Light... with Beauty Angel

With 70% of my friends having already given in to the lure of Botox, Fillers, Collagen and treatments that burn your skin off leaving you red for days, I am even more determined to grow old gracefully.....ok, maybe not gracefully..... that is probably the wrong selection of word... but definitely with as little help as possible, for as long as possible. Don't get me wrong, I am all for a little tweak here and there if you are unhappy with how you look, it is after all, all about personal happiness... but I am simply SO scared of something going horribly wrong.... and as soon as the B word is mentioned, images of some very unfortunate looking celebs spring to the forefront of my mind!!

This is exactly why I am taking you all on my journey with me... from never cleansing,  toning or moisturising... to maybe even, at the very end, a little 'tweaking' of my own... however at the present moment, I am testing and bringing to you all, the best non-invasive treatments and products I can find.... 

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Cucumba Salon, on Poland Street, W1 for a sneak peek at Beauty Angel's, revolutionary Energising Light Treatment (ELT) brought to us by JK Group, having only just hit the UK!

The aim of this treatment is to rejuvenate and revitalise the skin while boosting the production of collagen naturally, however more importantly for me, its safe, non-invasive, uses no lasers, UV lights, injections or surgery.

Now for the technical stuff...... Unlike any other light therapy product, the Beauty Angel ELT uses a broad active light spectrum of 570 – 850 nanometres, instead of selective wavelengths.  Light induced skin rejuvenation is apparently more effective when several spectral ranges are applied at the same time. The equipment is aimed to stimulate the skin in order to naturally build collagen and elastin for a significant reduction in the major signs of visible ageing.

The  Beauty Angel ELT makes use of various spectral components of light to encourage the regenerative processes as well as boosting blood circulation in the skin. The light is effective in all of the epidermal layers, even deep down, where it is able to improve metabolic processes. It influences the supply of oxygen, and the energy and water balance – all key functions to ensure a fresh, healthy complexion, regeneration, and rejuvenation. 

The treatment is completely suitable for all skin types, which is great as often I find some treatments to be too harsh on my super sensitive skin! The Beauty Angel ELT was very gentle with me and after my 20 minute session I felt that my skin was more radiant. Unlike some treatments similar to Beauty Angel ELT, I found the process very calming and I was totally relaxed throughout...so much so that I fell asleep!

  

Due to how gentle the treatment is, it is able to be be used over wide areas of the body, and is ideal for the face, neck and décolletage. I was advised that the best results were achieved with three sessions per week over a 5-10 week period.

In the short-term, I was informed that clients are expected to notice that their skin is more soft and supple skin. I definitely noticed an increase in my skins hydration, and the treatment left my skin glowing! Longer term, clients are believed to see a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, age and pigment spots fade, swelling around the eyes is reduced. This is 100% a problem area for me and I will be going back to into the salon whenever I can for a top up.....!

The flagship stores that are part of the launch for the Beauty Angel ELT in the UK are Spa Illuminata in Mayfair http://www.spailluminata.com 020 7499 7775 and Cucumba Salon in Soho http://www.cucumba.co.uk/  020 7734 2020.  

Call to book your Beauty Angel ELT therapy NOW!

Follow Beauty Angel on Twitter @BeautyAngelUK 

Follow Beauty Angel on Facebook Beauty Angel Europe FB

Sophy Robson - Setting Nail Art Nuclear

After taking inspiration from the lovely Liz Matthews (Founder of Liz Matthews PR and super cool chick) nails, as featured in InStyle Magazine this month, I contacted the lovely lady herself to find out where she gets her talons taken care of.....

Liz Matthews in InStyle Mag

Liz directed me to Sophy Robson, and my love of nail art has been ignited! Having always been a very plain girl, I am now super excited to head down to Hari's Salon on the Kings Road, London for an appointment in their nail salon - where all manicurists have been hand selected and fully trained by Sophy herself....

Sophy's innovative designs have been seen on the likes of Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Lily Cooper (Allen) and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Her customised nail art has also been spotted in numerous publications, and on the runway at both the TopShop and Giles Deacon catwalk shows at Fashion Week!

Nail Art by Sophy Robson - Designed exclusively or Hari's Salon, Kings Road, London

Most recently, Sophy's designs were spotted on many of the athletes, who arrived in London back in mid July for the Olympics 2012.... and with over 207 designs being applied to around 15 people a day, I believe Sophy and her team should also be in line for a gold medal!

To make an appointment with one of Sophy's team contact Hari's Salon and their friendly staff will look after you.... I will most definitely be popping in before I jet off on my holidays!

Follow Sophy Robson on Twitter @sophynails

Follow Hari's Salon on Twitter @HARIsSalon

Daniel Galvin - Pamper Central

Daniel Galvin, Marylebone

Despite my grandmothers advice not to mess with mother nature, my naturally 'mousey' hair has been an array of colours since my early teens....
Following these years of hair abuse my tresses have ended up in pretty bad shape, my most recent disaster being the transition from red back to blonde, after some serious hours in the salon, several bleach baths and extremely numb bum my once glossy healthy hair has been left feeling pretty sorry for itself!
Having followed professional advice and left well alone for what seems like an eternity, I finally felt ready to don a gown and get back in the hairdressers chair!
Not prepared to let just anyone loose on my barnet,  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Daniel Galvin's flagship store in Marylebone - which may well now be me second home.
Despite being the favourite for many celebrities, the salon still holds a totally relaxed atmosphere, with everyone being made to be welcome, including some well behaved and very pampered pooches!

Downstairs view of Daniel Galvin Salon, Marylebone

The reception staff are super friendly and efficient and with an in-house cloakroom, you can be assured that your personal effects are taken good care of and the hassle of having to move everything with you from mirror to sink is eradicated.

Super Talented Colourist, Lucy Holbrook

Lucy Holbrook, who has been at the salon for some 17 years took control of my colour. Unlike many colourists I have met with in the past, Lucy focused on the history of my hair, from which colours and treatments I had previously used, down to my complexion, skin tone and eye colour - all of which I had never been asked before, but realise now should all play a big part when deciding a colour that is going to suit the best. Knowing that Lucy has extensive experience at Daniel Galvin certainly put me at ease, but it was her general demeanour that really did it for me, often you are made to feel like just another client, but Lucy has a way of making you feel like you belong, part of their little community, which is why I guess their client base come back visit after visit!

Molly, my Beautiful Stylist

It is my dream to get my hair back to the shape it was all those years ago, before I started experimenting with radical ideas, therefore I wasn't shocked when Molly, my stylist told me straight... Don't mess too much with it, ease up with the straightening irons and just persevere, trimming the split ends off every 6 weeks and within no time it will be back to where it once was. My hair was out of control, so Molly softened it out, and sent me off with shape and confidence restored!

Although admittedly the cost of some of the treatments at Daniel Galvin can appear a little scary, I would definitely agree that this is one of those times when you realise that you get what you pay for... Daniel Galvin isn't just a trip to the hair dressers... its a full day with, drinks, lunch, pamper and therapy session!

Fully Stocked Bar, Daniel Galvin Maryellen

With a fully stocked bar, healthy snacks menu and endless list of beauty treatments to make your visit even more special I am officially their biggest fan and CANNOT wait for my next visit!

Check out Daniel Galvin website for further info

and follow them on Twitter here Daniel Galvin Twitter

Tanning Troubles....

The biggest problem I am posed with on a daily basis is, I live in Essex... don't get me wrong, I love Essex, however.. if you are a tanning novice like myself this can prove a major issue..

It is not even possible to pop to the grocery store, heaven forbid a nightclub with out sticking out like a big white sore thumb if you are not fully tanned up to the max!

I have dabbled with sun beds in the past, but with all the media attention on how UV Rays damage your skin, causing premature ageing and even Cancer it has been a fair few years since I have visited the 'Electric Beach'..... My friends are often trying to tempt me with a 'cheeky 6', but to me its just not worth the risk that later in life I could end up resembling Madge from the TV series 'Benidorm'... plus I couldn't be bothered to get undressed, only to have to put my clothes back on again in 6 minutes...!

Then there was the tan that could be applied by hand in a salon, or heaven forbid at home, (I have seen all sorts of disasters from this, and believe that it should come with one of those 'Do not try this at home' labels that are usually shown on TV programmes when someone is about to jump off the side of a cliff without a harness!) where you would lay down while someone would apply a deep brown goo all over your body, and then send you off home looking like an extra from the Chimney Sweep scenes from 'Mary Poppins' to wash it off yourself the next morning - disaster!

So then came Spray Tanning, I have been dubious... my friends, and even my boyfriend have fallen victim.... some looked ok, and some not so ok... (I wont name any names).

Still, I finally succumbed to giving it a go... I was attending Essex Fashion Week and to be honest I felt I was left with no choice. I managed to find Elaine Freeman who works with Trinitia Tanning, she came highly recommended and being the 'official tanners' for Essex Fashion Week.. looking after models as well as celebrity attendees I figured it was a safe bet!

Elaine came to my home, we hit it off straight away... we sat and spoke about myself for a while so she could get a feel of the kind of person I was, and the kind of tan I would be looking for... straight away this struck me as an amazing attribute as I have seen friends herded like cattle through spray tanning machines all coming out looking exactly the same shade... hardly natural!

The whole tanning process only took around 15 minutes, I was placed in a tent and the solution applied by a tanning gun, it was cold but Elaine kept me informed all the way through of what she would be doing next, how to stand and at one point even held my hand to take away any anxiety I may have been feeling about something going terribly wrong, Elaine was more like a tanning professional and therapist rolled into one!

At the end of my spray tanning experience Elaine went through all the after care instructions I should follow and even provided me with a cheeky bottle of moisturiser to use in order to soften the skin and enhance the tan over the next few days.

I was worried that I would have to go into hiding over night before seeing anyone, but an hour later I was walking through town and trying on clothes... it has dried perfectly and I didn't look like an umpa lumpa!

I guess that the tan stayed with me for around a week, but I am pretty sure if I had a better beauty regime I could have dragged it out another couple of days with use of the cream provided.

Trinitia seems to be going from strength to strength and I am constantly seeing tweets about how amazed people are with their tans, including celebs... They have just signed Linzi Peel ex TOWIE star as the 'face' of Trinitia, and I am pretty sure it is all upwards from here! I just hope they don't get too busy to fit me in again...!

Trinitia Tanning's website is http://www.trinitia.co.uk/
Trinitia Twitter: Trinitia Official
Elaine Freeman Twitter: Elaine Freeman

Beauty - Back to the Future

There is an old saying that 'Mother knows Best', and while I have pretty much listened to MOST of the wise advice handed down to me from my mother, I never really got to grips with the old 'beauty' stuff... Drink lots of water, don't eat fatty foods, Take Vitamins, Cleanse, Tone & Moisturise and the big one....  NEVER step foot outside without doing your hair and make-up...... blah blah blah..... (She sounds like a good candidate for the next intake for TOWIE!)

Up until my late twenties I hadn't really even set foot into a beauty salon, if I bumped into my latest crush in the street without full make up I literally..... didn't care!

Me 'Giving the Finger to Ageing' 26yrs

Could this be me in the Future?

I had always been told I had good skin, slim figure and looked younger than my years... so whenever I got declined entry to night clubs I would console myself with the fact that 'I would be glad of this when I am older'... this is not the case, age and gravity have caught up with me and I need to do something before it is to late!

I am sure I have mentioned in previous BLOG's that I sometimes feel I fell asleep one eve at around 19-20 years old and woke up at 30 wondering what the hell had happened.. still fear not, apparently it is not too late... so, I am going to take you on a journey with me.. sampling some old, new, popular and even some darn right crazy beauty treatments and regimes...

So fire up the time machine and I will see you when I look 21 again!! (fingers crossed)