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Get to know Deciem Skincare Ranges

5/5/2017

The Ordinary | NIOD | Hylamide

Deciem are the parent company of all the brands that we are all growing to know and adore. The Ordinary, Hylamide and NIOD skincare ranges are the 'children' of Deciem and all have differing levels of efficacy and this is reflected in the pricing.

The Ordinary, which is presently outstripping more expensive product ranges, largely due to its no-nonsense approach to high level skincare whilst retailing at a purse friendly level, is most people's current 'go to' range. Scientifically developed, effective, fast acting ingredients that can turn skin around in a thrice at an 'nth of the price of higher priced serums. What's not to make you want to whip out your credit card and click the checkout button?

I'm delighted with the incredibly fast results given to me by my dainty glass, pipette topped bottles. My craggy 40-something skin has been crying out for some intensive TLC and using a combination of the rather wonderful Buffet, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Matrixyl 10% and Natural Moisturising Factors + HA my once arid face has started to glow with vitality. As the aging process has progressed my long working hours and often times poor attention to my skin, has taken a grip and I have started to notice a marked crepey situtation creeping into my eye area. I have to be honest, this became a bit of a panic situation (sound the alarums!) and I was at a loss to know what to do about it. I have played with many eye serums and creams over the years and although I have been reasonably pleased with the results I had yet to find the elixir of youthful peepers.

Then I discovered Hylamide from Deciem.

In general, I am not a fan of most eye creams/serums as they do little and on the whole cause puffiness whilst not really living up to the marketing hype. However, I was desperate and not wanting to contemplate going under the knife to sort out my crinkly eyes I knew something had to be done.

Ta-da! My saviour is two inches tall, dressed in a gloriously green frock and in a matter of three weeks the windows to my world are looking fresher and more taut.

Hylamide Subq Eyes Advanced Serum has helped hold back the march of time and works in total harmony with the serums I am using from The Ordinary. This is a big winner for me as I hate to leave product in a half used bottle just because it isn't compatible with my new beauty 'love'. Like I said, this is a win win situation and I am chuffed.

Almost immediately I noticed a change, not a massive one at first but as the days passed and, as I applied eyeliner to my upper lashline, the line became smoother with fewer lumps and bumps needing to be corrected. Three weeks in and my eye makeup glides on effortlessly harkening back to my youth when such things as zig-zagging eyeliner was totally unknown territory. In addition, and as a huge bonus, the dark circles that were forming like pools of blue-black water crushed up against my nose and migrating out under my lower lash line have diminished. I can't comment on puffiness as thankfully it is not something that I have ever had to battle. All in all though I am thrilled with these results and will continue to cherish my bottle of Subq Eyes Advanced Serum.

With the startling results from Subq Eyes Advanced Serum it got me looking into Hylamide's Subq Anti-age.

'If there’s anything to be excited about in anti-ageing skin care, it’s Hylamide SubQ.'
British Beauty Blogger

Hylamide Subq Anti-Age is a highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides and biotechnological technologies that target rehydration, while improving the look of lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and textural damage.

Containing Copper Lysinate/Prolinate which is a Swiss technology (this country does know its skincare) brings an overall improvement in skin health and age. Then theres the added bonus of Matrixyl (already one of my fave serums from The Ordinary) and Nonapeptide-3 Retino Complex that promotes better anti-aging results than retinol alone and with less irritation. I am liking this already!

As if this isn't enough, packed into this serum, are 5 (yes five!) different Hyaluronic compounds that set to targeting surface hydration and elasticity of the skin. These swiftly get on with rehydration and plumping of the skin giving a really healthy look. Within two weeks skin will start to feel more comfortable, the surface texture improved and giving lasting rehydration. It also supports a better skin barrier.

I am a total magnet for anything containing algae as it really does shore up sagging skin. I am not prepared to go down quietly in this department and for some years now have been slathering on marine algae. When I saw that Subq Anti-Age contains both Antartic and Hawaiian algae I was sold.

It is to be used morning and night after cleansing followed by Subq Eyes and any other Hylamide Boosters (I particularly like Booster C25).

If you need this in your life you can lay your hands on it here

In my quest for an ever youthful visage I have been drawn to NIOD the top level of skincare from the Deciem family. NIOD products target improvements at a deeper dermal level than their sister ranges (The Ordinary and Hylamide). Results take a little longer to manifest themselves but the work starts deep down, setting the stage for longer lasting, more dramatic results. The baffling science can make these products daunting especially given that they are more costly than either Hylamide or The Ordinary. The pricing does reflect the longer term more beneficial results given by NIOD products. I have long been a fan of NIOD Photography Fluid Opacity 12% using it in my work as a bridal make up artist. The light refraction prisms and topical photo-finishing technologies transform skin to look instantly better in real life and on camera. Used under or mixed with foundation skin is given an instant lift and a flawless camera ready look. Nothing will prise this away from me.

Madonna can tell you that even superstars age and whilst we concentrate on facial rejuvenation we often forget that our necks can give the game away. This is why I'm leaving nothing to chance and getting on with bringing lustre back to what my children call the 'start of turkey neck'. To avoid the need of putting them all up for adoption for crimes against my ego I have reached out to NIOD Neck Elasticity Catalyst. Heck, if it's good enough for the Domestic Goddess, Nigella Lawson, then thats all I need to know. Ms Lawson is looking mighty fine these days.

‘anti-scraggy neck cream that actually works'
Nigella Lawson

Key ingredients include glycerin, which helps the skin maintain moisture, also helping the skin feel plumper, and silicones, which help to smoothe the skin and improve the appearance of the neck. Chuck into the mix a combination of potent peptides that increase the firmness of the neck area and I have myself an effective weapon to use against Mother Nature's rampage.

Is there nothing that Deciem's life changing products can't do?

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The Ordinary: The Not So Ordinary Skincare Company

12/4/2017

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“clinical formulations with integrity”

Once in a while something marvellous happens in your life, a game changer, an all round indispensible something that makes everything all good again. That time is now, well that is to say, it has been since The Ordinary skincare range was launched at the end of Summer 2016. God bless Brandon Truaxe (founder of Deciem) for filling a gaping chasm in modern beauty. This skincare line is growing to become the hottest thing in beauty since the invention of the eyelash curler. I was already a huge fan of Truaxe's NIOD range and my Pro-Makeup Kit is never without a bottle or two of my fave Photography Fluid, so when I heard about the launch of The Ordinary I just had to find out more. Wow, does this stuff do what it says it does, not only that, but it is over generously kind to my rather thread worn pockets. Shouting Hurrah and running off to ask how I could get involved in this fabulousness the rather lovely people (Monkeys as they call themselves) at Deciem said yes “join the family”. I hyperventilated and squealed before heading off to load up my stockist shopping cart in readiness for today.

I know you want to know more...

The Ordinary succeeds by keeping it 'real'. No fancy gimmicks, no glitter and bows, just straightforward active ingredients packed into a neat black and white box. No antsy fancy names just active ingredients that actually work. Hallelujah! To top it off the entire product range is affordable to all. This company have packed their products full of great stuff and even though their ingredients are up there with the high end labels (who try to justify charging an additional eye watering amount to their serums by giving them glam names along the lines of 'Unicorn Tears of the Mountain Sea') The Ordinary tell you what the product is by using its active component's name: Its Matrixyl, Salicylic Acid, Vitamin C Suspension, plain and simple. However, there is nothing simple behind the development of these miracles in bottles, well there simply couldn't be could there? I mean, they work and, they work to a level that would make most skincare companies weep into their mocha chocca latte. Everyone is talking, writing, blogging and vlogging about The Ordinary. Little wonder when, within two weeks of launching, 30,000 products had been sold. It became an overnight global phenomenon. Not least due to the super pocket friendly pricing - There are 10 serums ranging from 4.90€ to 14.80€. 'Nuff said really.

"The Ordinary brings to market ingredients that are well known, well proven, but typically overpriced and disguised as 'new' innovation. There is nothing 'luxurious' or 'educated' about overpaying for a commodity, no matter how effective that commodity is. Skincare is not like fragrance or fashion – it is functional and it is not about telling stories" – Brandon Truaxe (Deciem Founder)

I am so excited about The Ordinary (to be honest I've not been this thrilled since I got a teepee for my 10th birthday) so much so that I have dipped my toe into the world of online beauty sales. Stock has been bought, delivered, sorted and uploaded to the new webshop (Vata Beauty - Beauty Shop). I am slightly concerned that, even though I have diligently planned the whole operation to ensure that there will be adequate numbers of each product available, word has spread and products are already flying out of the door pre webshop launch. Such is the cult status of The Ordinary and its associated products (NIOD and Hylamide – also in the webshop) that holding on to these boxes of heaven sent goodies is proving to be a bit of a balancing act. I will be keeping my eye on stock levels and replenishing as fast as is humanly possible. Additional products are being constantly uploaded, so if you can't find what you are looking for please let me know and I will get back to you with an update. As with all things new there are likely to be some minor settling in issues but, we will get there.

The Ordinary - Colours

The new Colours Foundation range is due for release before the end of April and Deciem are working hard to fulfill all the pre-orders in time for its launch however, there may be a little delay in getting it out to all stockists straightaway. Once we have some of these highly demanded bottles of colour in stock they will be added into the Beauty Shop.

A client recently said to me that when she reads product descriptions for The Ordinary she wishes that she had a GCSE in Science. It's true that the explanations can be daunting but I am here to walk you through the important stuff, to unravel the science to tell you how to use what and when plus what would best suit individual skin types. Deciem (the mother ship of The Ordinary) have helpfully put together a chart on how to use all their little beauties and it is uber helpful and can be found below.

Without making this blog a million word tome I am going to proffer a brief outline of one or two of the best selling products. As I am sure that there will be some significant eye spinning if I were to throw it at you all at once, I will revisit this in my next blog in a little more depth, but for now I shall leave you with these gems:

Niacinamide 10% + 1% Zinc – This deals with just about everything: reduces fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, redness and skin sallowness whilst increasing elasticity. It can help to alleviate the symptoms of rosacea by oomphing up the hydaration and barrier function of the uppermost layer of skin. This stuff is the bomb! GET IT HERE

Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% - Full on 23% of Ascorbic Acid laden into the Vitamin C Suspension combined with Hyaluronic Acid brightens skin and protects against aging. Ideally applied at night time to smooth the skin and create a morning glow. GET IT HERE

Buffet – A blend of 11 amino acids and 5 peptide complexes that target multiple signs of aging. Peptides are the complexes (those things that some beauty brands charge large amounts for) which help to relax stressy, wrinkle causing, muscles. The amino and hyaluronic acid combination set about leaving your complexion smooth and plump with a healthy glow. Suitable for all skin types. GET IT HERE

Hylauronic Acid 2% + B5 – Lightweight, easily absorbed serum which works to rehydrate skin on a multi-depth level. A combination of 3 types of hyaluronic acid with Vitamin B5 to offer lasting hydration and visible plumping of the skin. A good one for mature skin that needs a moisture boost whilst improving skin texture. Buy it here link

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA – Non-greasy moisturiser that protects and nourishes and effectively hydrates skin. Skin will feel smoother, softer and more supple. Buy it here link

We have also provided some example regimens below:

Example regimen for general signs of age:
AM: Buffet, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5; PM: Buffet, Advanced Retinoid 2%, 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil

Example regimen for pigmentation issues:
AM: Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Solution 10%; PM: Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% or Advanced Retinoid 2%

Example regimen for dehydration:
AM: Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA; PM: Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, 100% Plant-Derived Squalane

Note: If using CAIS from our NIOD brand, it is important that CAIS is applied at least 30 seconds before the application of the following products from The Ordinary: Lactic Acid 5%/10% + HA 2%, Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%.

In general terms, water formulations should be applied before oil formulations and we recommend using a maximum of three serum formulations in a single regimen. The table below offers a summary on how our formulations can be combined into a regimen:

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June Bugs Weddings - Feature

7/7/2015

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Proud to have my work featured on Junebug Weddings in the USA today. In September 2014 a terrifically talented team collaborated to put this styled French chateau wedding elopement shoot together. Organised by Joanna Burgess at My Dream French Wedding and photographed by Australian Wedding Photographer Nicholas Purcell of Nicholas Purcell Studios. Hair created by Emna Willett of Emma Louise Hairstylist, Flowers designed by Lisa Gatenby of French Flower Style and Make Up by me, Claire Jones at Vata Beauty.

http://junebugweddings.com/wedding-blog/french-wedding-inspiration-chateau-la-durantie/

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Most Frequently Questions Asked about Bridal Make Up

19/6/2015

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So, you he has popped the question and giddily you have accepted the marriage proposal and are now in full swing with your wedding preparations. No matter where your wedding destination is, by this time, you have started to compile a 'tick list' of everything you want for your big day. After choosing your venue, dress, flowers and cake your mind will turn to the pampering part of your day, ie, hair and make up. Should you be thinking about tying the knot overseas then finding hair and make up professionals can seem daunting. As a MUA here in France my brides tell me that their biggest worry about using an overseas professional is not knowing who to employ and more importantly, should they locate someone, will their style of make up suit their own?

Follow these tips and you should have an easy ride in engaging the services of just the right person for you.

I'm marrying in France is there a directory of English speaking suppliers I can use?

There are a number of online directories that you can access, not all being equal though. Some of them will offer suppliers but not necessarily ones who speak enough or any English. A relatively new bridal resource, and one that I would highly recommend and one that is continually growing, is Brides in France (www.bridesinfrance.com). This company was founded by a Bridal hair specialist following conversations with brides who had found it incredibly difficult to locate suitable, highly experienced, professional, English speaking suppliers in France.

How can I be sure that my MUA is experienced and qualified?

Ask your MUA for testimonials from previous brides, ask them to send photos of their work or to be directed to their website to view the work they have done and, if need be, check their qualifications. Most MUA's have social media pages so go detective and check out their professional pages. Busy MUAs will be posting their work online and blogging about what's going on in their working world.

Will I need to pay a deposit?

It is highly likely that you will be required to secure your booking with a deposit as good MUA's get booked up well in advance. Some, including myself, have bookings up to two years in advance. This deposit will ensure that this date is kept for you unless you change your mind. Deposits are generally non refundable unless your MUA is unable to honour the booking for any reason whereupon they should reimburse you the deposit.

Do I need a make up trial?

A trial is a great way to finalise your wedding look especially if you can co-ordinate it with your hair stylist and have both done on the same day, or even better, at the same time. However, an experienced and talented MUA will be more than able to assess what you are looking for in the run up to the wedding and also on the day. With the ability these days to video call, send photos and link to each other's Pinterest and Instagram accounts it is easier than ever to exchange ideas and plan ahead.

What will I have to pay for?

Your MUA will provide all that you need to create your make up look. Most MUAs have bulging make up kits with products to cover all skin issues and a huge array of colour pallettes for lips, eyes and cheeks. As a general rule of thumb your expenses will cover make up for you, the bride and your bridesmaids. Some brides like to pay for the two mothers to have their make up done as a special treat too. In general, guests will pay for their own make up and hair styling, having booked in with the stylist and MUA through the bride in advance of the wedding. Be prepared to send photos of everyone who will require your MUA's services as these pics really do help.

Are there any other expenses to take into consideration?

Travel expenses are often added to your quote from your MUA as many of us travel long distances to attend to our brides. These expenses will cover the cost of petrol, flights and occasionally accommodation, if needed.

Can my MUA advise on skin care in the run up to my wedding?

Not all MUAs are created the same although there are those who are specifically trained in skin care. As a skin care specialist myself I take the time to advise my brides on the appropriate skin care to optimise their skin in readiness for their bridal make up. It may mean changing your current routine or adding a new product. This is advice can be invaluable and worth the financial investment. Your MUA will offer this advice for free. If you aren't going to be using a professional MUA it is advisable to make an appointment with a reputable salon or spa for a skin consultation and book monthly facials with them in the run up to your marriage.

My MUA has a deposit but I can't get hold of her, what can I do?

Sadly, this does happen but, thankfully, rarely. If you have tried several times to make contact with your MUA but are just not managing to connect with them then my advice is to accept that possibly your deposit is lost and make contact with another MUA following all the above tips in finding the right one. Before looking at other MUAs send an email noting your concern and emphasising the fact that you will need to look elsewhere for assistance should you not hear back from them making sure that you give a deadline for a response. If this doesn't work then leave feedback on the missing MUA's social media site to alert other would be brides of the situation. Communication is key when working with those overseas and trust all important.

Can I do my own make up?

The answer is, of course, yes! However, a MUA local to your wedding destination will understand the weather conditions and the appropriate make up needed that will not only look flawless in your photographs but will last throughout the entire day. Your usual products may not be up to the heat and humidity of your overseas wedding. If you decide to go it alone then do your research. The internet is an amazing tool.

What do I avoid?

You may be thinking about shaking it up for your wedding day and trying a whole new look. My advice? Don't do it! There are another 364 days in the year to experiment, your wedding day is NOT one of these. It's so important that you feel comfortable in front of the camera and if you are trying out a new look and you are not 100% about it, your discomfort will show in your photographs. Keep the experimentation for a girls' night out.

Which make up products should I invest in?

Without doubt primers should be number one on your list. I favour Urban Decay primers for face and eyes as they never fail.

Foundation should be long wear and contain an SPF and which dries to a matte finish to minimise glare in photos. Guerlain Tenue de Perfection, Dior's Diorskin or Estee Lauder Double Wear all give great buildable coverage with an SPF to protect.

If redness due to roseacea, broken capillaries or a natural high colour is an issue and you want to hide/minimise it I can't recommend Avene's Anti Redness cream enough. Apply under foundation.

There will be tears shed for sure as you say 'I do' to the man of your dreams so waterproof mascara is the way to go. L'Oreal's Telescopic mascara is wonderful at extending lashes without clumping and is easy on the purse. If however, your budget can stretch to it, I love Armani's Eyes to Kill waterproof mascara and it is a staple of my professional kit.

Lip balm is always your friend to keep lips in tip top condition (Bobbi Brown is my fave). It can be smeared onto dry, flaky lips and massaged with a toothbrush to slough away irritating dried skin to help create the perfect pout. If there is one thing to carry with you throughout the day its blotting sheets to minimise oily shine, Sephora sell a handbag sized book of sheets for around 5€. I advise all my brides to put together an emergency kit for the day. This kit should contain a lip balm, blotting sheets, a lipstick and/or gloss, for touch ups throughout the day, and tissues for those Kleenex moments.

Booking a Make up Artist need not be as difficult or as complicated as you might think. Choose wisely, take up references and check out testimonials and photos of previous work. If your MUA has a Pinterest board start pinning and join their network so ideas can be exchanged. Remember that research is everything whether booking a professional or if you decide to fly solo. Finally, take a deep breath, relax and smile because ... guess what? ... you are getting married. Congratulations!

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February 26th, 2015

26/2/2015

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One of the most popular destination wedding locations is France, from its historic chateaux and breath taking views to the beautiful cosmopolitan cityscapes. France offers it all including terrific weather through the wedding season. The glorious sunshine and intense heat is fabulous but brings its own issues vis a vis bridal makeup.

As a MUA and skin therapist living and working here in the South West of France, I know all too well the difficulties faced by brides and their attendants in finding the right skincare routine and coping with the rays of our powerfully hot sun.

Great makeup starts with great skin care. That is, a full cleanse, exfoliate and toning and moisturising routine night and day for at least 6 months before your big day. Hopefully, you will already have a regime in place and can skip the following paragraph. If not, read on. This is important!

You will know if your skin has a tendancy towards oilyness or is dry and tight or perhaps a bit of both. However, I cannot urge you enough to make an appointment with a skin therapist to be properly diagnosed. I have trained with Dermalogica and Elemis and would recommend a visit to a Skin Therapist where your skin will be analysed in detail and where you will be given a full breakdown of your problem areas and how to treat them effectively. Ideally, you should, daily, be undertaking a double cleanse (the first cleanse will remove makeup, grease and dirt, the second will properly cleanse your skin), exfoliating twice a week, toning then applying serums, eye cream and moisturiser. It sounds laborious but every bride will reap the benefits of incorporating a good skincare routine into their life. When your wedding makeup glides on flawlessly and your photos look picture perfect then all the effort will have been totally worth while.

SPF, even on dull, wet, grey days is imperative and even more so once you arrive in sunny France. The supermarket, chemist and makeup shelves are awash with facial SPF bottles. Grab a tube of Factor 30 (minimum) and mix it with your morning moisturiser. This will help keep those pesky UVA and UVB rays at bay. UVA ages our delicate skin and UVB burns, so, with this in mind, a sun protection factor is uber important. After all, why put the effort into a skincare regime if you allow the sun to play havoc with your complexion? Protect and care for your skin and enjoy the result of your efforts. You won't regret it!

If you have any questions on skincare or makeup I am always happy to answer any queries.

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Changing Faces

12/10/2014

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The summer has sadly slipped from our grasp and the leaves are turning a golden hue and starting to fall from the trees. Autumn is here. This is the time when we are thinking about turning up the heating indoors and preparing for the cooler months.

A change in seasons signals a time of change in our beauty regime. You may well be thinking about packing away the last remnants of SPF as the outside temperature drops, however, hang onto that bottle of UV combating cream and put it next to your daily moisturiser. Although it may not be warm enough to contemplate throwing on your bikini those sinister UV rays are still about, in fact they never pack their bags to leave. We are susceptible to UV damage throughout the year. It might be a grey, miserably overcast day but the UVB and UVA rays are always present and these chaps are out for destruction. My advice is to apply SPF of at least 15 throughout the autumn and winter along with your moisturiser. Doing this one little thing each day will stave of the potential damage of ageing sun damage. Seek out an SPF specially designed for the face. French pharmacies stock them year round so are easily sourced and well worth the investment.

Taking time out for a hydrating and vitamin packed restorative facial also pays dividends at this time of year. Post summer stressed and frazzled skin can be soothed back into good health with a nourishing mask. Look for collagen or algae masks to re-plump, rehydrate and reinvigorate sun parched skin or go the whole sensuous hog and opt for a chocolate facial that not only revives a lack lustre complexion but also satisfies the olfactory senses and stimulates those natural feel good factor endorphins. You can't lick at the chocolate mask but it smells good enough to eat and will relax you completely.

And finally, eye cream. Treat your peepers to a twice daily smear of quality eye serum or cream to help refine the delicate skin around the eyes. A little goes a very long way and used regularly can make an enormous difference to the appearance of fine lines and dry crepeiness.

Embrace all that Autumn has to offer, the gorgeous russet foliage, nights warming by the fire and a beautiful year-round complexion.

Claire x

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Eyes Front!

17/8/2014

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It’s been a wee while since my last blog posting… apologies… in my defence I have been bonkers busy in the treatment room and with my gorgeous brides. This summer has been somewhat mental but the most glorious good fun. So many magical moments, smiles and total job satisfaction. Did I mention how much I adore my job?

Last time on here, I wittered on about long lasting, weather proof foundation and I finished off with a promise to witter on some more, this time about primers. I swear by Urban Decay. Both their facial and eyelid primers totally rock. What’s more they have primers to cover all eventualities from tightening and brightening to anti-aging. A dab and smooth of one of the delightfully, if a little naughtily, named Sin, Greed, Eden or Original eye primer potion will see to it that your eye shadow stays put, as vibrant as you first applied it, for a whopping 24 hours. So, not only will your foundation stay put but your eye makeup becomes pretty much indestructible too… Wowzers! I’m loving it and so are my brides. I received a really lovely email from a wedding planner recently complimenting the makeup I had done for the bride, bridesmaids and mother of the bride and saying that, even at midnight, after several glasses of celebratory vino collapso and a proper jig round the dance floor, their makeup was still looking lovely. Proof if ever you need it.

There are so many fabby products that I have been trialling over the last few months. Some have made me go ‘Meh!’ and others have blown my socks off. As a therapist and MUA, I always trial products before using them on my clients. I mean, how can I convincingly say ‘this stuff is amazing’ if I haven’t given it a thorough going over? Every item I wax lyrical about on here (and in the treatment room) has had a full MOT by yours truly. If it doesn’t do what it purports to then I won’t use it or talk about it.

I’ve spent the last 5 months giving Skin Doctor’s Eye Smooth a run for its money. I am in awe of this eye cream. Not only does it smooth and hydrate the delicate skin around the eyes, it has conditioned my lashes into silky, longer-than-I-could-have-ever-dreamed-of tendrils. I have been a fickle partner to eye creams, chopping and changing my way through most on the market from bargain basement to high end chic, rarely giving myself wholeheartedly to any particular formulation. Eye care has come a long way in the 20 (cough) plus years that I’ve been delicately dabbing it on. Skin Doctor’s seem to have just got ‘it’… and I mean, really got it, to the point that I can see me marrying and settling down with my little pump bottle of consistently performing eye magic. I highly, highly recommend this to anyone but especially to those ladies over a ‘certain’ age who have given up all hope of ever repairing the damage of years of sunbathing, poor skin care and dare I say smoking. Our knight in shining armour… well, in a shiny silver tin… has ridden into town to save we princesses from a life hidden permanently behind dark sunnies. Just for the record, I am a big fan of Jackie O style sunglasses and they definitely have a place in our lives. I also love the Blues Brothers but, ladies, how many of us live in Chicago, have a full tank of gas and are on a mission from God? Mmmm? I’m digressing again… sooo, getting back on track. If you’ve started to feel let down by your peepers give Eye Smooth a 3 month trial (morning and night application and no cheating… twice a day without fail for the full 12 weeks). You will be amazed by the results. Scaly skin diminished, fine lines lessened and a lovely smooth lid on which to layer shadow and a faultless eyeliner outline. After your 3 month trial add Urban Decay eye shadow primer to your makeup routine and amaze yourself and impress your friends with your stunning, revamped eyes.

Claire x

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Beauty Beginnings

2/7/2014

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Welcome to my first ever blog posting. Excited? Moi? Oh good heavens yes!

Let me briefly introduce myself to you. My name is Claire, 'Hello' (**waves excitedly**). I run and own Vata Beauty, a treatment room in rural South West France, where I offer Spa and Beauty Treatments and Make-Up services. I L.O.V.E. my job, absolutely love it. Every day is a total pleasure and I find it hard to believe that what I do is actually classed as 'work'. Surely going to work shouldn't be such a pleasure?

I decided to blog as it occurred to me that as I am constantly recommending products and treatments to clients and friends that I could, in fact, share the info with as many others as wanted to hear about them. So, here I am, offering up my knowledge and sharing with you my beauty finds and loves. A word or warning, I have a tendancy to digress from time to time so do please bear with me!

It's wedding season, and the weather here has been stunning, the brides gorgeous and the venues amazing. Weddings here in South West France are becoming increasingly popular, with an ever growing number of British, American, Canadian and Australian brides choosing the Poitou Charentes and surrounding areas as their Wedding location. It's hardly surprising given the beautiful chateaux that are available here as wedding venues, breathtaking views and the almost continuous summer sunshine.

Marrying here however, means that brides and their attendants should be thinking hard about their wedding make up. An SPF is an absolute must under foundation when the sun is beating down but, argghhh, SPF can cause a white 'flash back' that is very apparent on the photos. In addition, with the intense heat, make up can 'melt' away and lose its lustre, double arghh! All brides want to look flawless throughout the entire day, and rightly so, bearing in mind that you can never be sure when the photographer will want to capture a moment or a guest will whip out their smart phone for a photo opportunity. There is, happily, a solution to both these problems. Foundation specifically designed to stay put for the entire day with a combined SPF (which does not cause the white shine under flash photography) is (yippee!) available in the form of Guerlain's Parure Extreme Fluide. A little goes an awful long way and can be layered for more coverage as required. I find that just a very light sweep of this wonder product gives ample coverage, perfecting and protecting and giving a fabulous finish. The perfect Kodak moment. With a price tag of around 45 euros, its worth hoofing over to a Guerlain Counter to get an exact match before digging into your purse and running off with your new purchase. A top tip for matching foundation to your skin tone is to check the colour against your neck and chest as facial skin tone can differ to the rest of your body and, lets face it, no-one wants to look like their head doesn't belong to their body. No matter how beautifully applied your make-up is, if it doesn't match the rest of you then the overall effect will be lost. Dust over your foundation with a loose translucent powder, I favour Chanel's Poudre Universelle Libre, to set the foundation and minimise shine. Blotting sheets are really handy too to keep in your handbag for a quick touch up throughout your 'Big Day'. With your base chosen and, before you apply, remember your primers for face and eyelids... but more on those next time!

That concludes my first blog. I have so much to share with you and I'm really looking forward to my next instalment. I hope that you have found this of interest and use and that you will join me on my blogging journey.

Claire x

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