*WIN* Urban Decay Naked Vault – Twitter Comp [ENDED]

A really quick post to tell you about a very exciting comp just launched on my Twitter - to WIN an Urban Decay Naked Vault. I know!

It’s a simple Twitter follow + RT. So, all you have to do to enter is follow both myself and @UrbanDecay and RT the original tweet, which you can find pinned to my Twitter profile here.

I know the Naked Vault needs no introduction but here’s a quick recap: it contains every single Naked Palette and is worth £185 – if you can still get hold of it that is (I saw it on ebay last week for over £200!)

Rules:
-    RT and Follow @FaceUpBeauty and @UrbanDecay
-    Comp ends midnight Thursday 4th August 2016
-    Open to UK residents only
-    Urban Decay will post the product to the winner 

Best of luck!

NEW: DHC Rich Eye Zone Care Pack – A Quick Fix for the Entire Eye Area

If the skin around your eyes is a particular concern (and let’s face it, it’s the first part of our face to show signs of ageing), then skincare-infused patches are a good way to give it a bit of a boost.

They contain ingredients specifically for the delicate skin around the eyes, and generally they are cheaper to buy than full sheet masks which cover the entire face.

In Conversation: Josh Wood - ‘The Guardian of Colour’

When it comes to hair colourists they don’t get any greater than Josh Wood, ‘the Guardian of Colour’ as he is fondly known. As well as being Wella’s global creative director of colour, he also runs Josh Wood Ateliers, where looks are hot off the catwalk, and he also has his own extensive range of haircare products (you may have seen them stocked widely in M&S).

From Burpees to Brunch with British Military Fitness

When I told friends I was going to be training with British Military Fitness, I was met with a few raised eyebrows and 'good luck - you're going to need it' type messages. Such is its fearsome reputation.

The BMF is outdoor fitness run by former and currently serving British army personnel. It was the first of its kind when Harry Sowerby founded it in 1999, and the format has since been copied widely (they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery).

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Serum + Eye Lift Mask – and a bit about Gwyneth Paltrow

Celebrity endorsements don’t get much better than this: Gwyneth Paltrow teams-up with Juice Beauty for long-term collaborations and becomes the brand’s creative director, make-up.

That announcement from earlier this year, plus the subsequent launch of Paltrow’s Goop by Juice Beauty, a well-received line of organic skincare products, resulted in acreages of media coverage that any brand would die for. The brand has been on my ‘must explore further’ list for some time!

NEW: Su-Man Facial Glow Rejuvenating Mask

I had been saving this new mask from Su-Man (her first ever) for a planned reunion with former work colleagues I hadn’t seen for 15 years. There’s nothing quite like a reunion to create an explosive aura of excitement and panic!

Hey, I hadn’t seen these people for 15 years.  I wanted my skin to be looking at its best! 

Staying Sun Safe This Summer – With Dr Sarah Tonks

Over the coming weeks thousands of us will be jetting off to somewhere hot and sunny for our annual vacation, turning our backs on what has (let’s face it) been a pretty lousy Summer so far (a sad nod to the weather, Euro 2016 and the current political/economic situation).

Living in the UK we don’t get to see much sun, so it’s easy to become a little blasé about the steps we need to take when holidaying in hot climes in order to protect our skin.

Dr Sarah Tonks, an aesthetic specialist par excellence at The Lovely Clinic, recently took time out of her busy schedule kindly to answer questions on sun safety for my readers. As you’ll note from her answers, much of the advice applies equally when on home turf!

My Favourite Way to Relax and Unwind After A Workout

I love my bath. As convenient and invigorating as a shower may be, I’d take a bath instead any day. Nothing relaxes and restores balance in the body quite like a good old soak in the tub – that first dip of a  toe in warm water is a real ‘ooh, ah’ moment!

The most joyous bath-time for me is the post-workout one. It’s then when my muscles are sore and achy, particularly if I’ve been doing a bunch of new exercises or ones I haven’t done in a while. My muscles long for the soothing feel of warm (almost hot) water washing over them. 

June’s Empties – And Favourites

How quickly I use up beauty products sometimes spooks me. I get to the mid-way point in any calendar month and think ‘oh, this month’s empties is going to be meagre’. But by the time I come to do the write it up my little carrier bag of empties is bulging!

And so to June. I used up 17 products last month, almost half (eight) skincare, five body, three hair and one makeup.