Shop For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Frostie

Every year, almost 50,000 women in the UK receive the devastating news that they have breast cancer. That’s around one woman every 10 minutes. It’s time to put an end to this disease and that’s why Breakthrough is asking UK shoppers to help us stop breast cancer for good.

We’ve joined forces with high street favourites such as Debenhams, Laura Ashley and River Island, alongside beauty heavyweights Avon and ghd, to launch exclusive products to raise vital funds during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Each item carries a minimum 10% donation to Breakthrough’s life-saving work and, with prices starting from as little as £3.15, the collection carries something for everyone; Avon and ghd have your beauty needs covered, delicious berry shades are showcased in fashion pieces from designers at Debenhams and Damsel in a dress and a statement t-shirt from River Island, with bright kitchen accessories and tea-time staples available from Laura Ashley and Debenhams.

As an extra treat, bottlegreen has become bottlepink with a limited edition Pomegranate & Elderflower Cordial, complete with scrumptious cake recipe for 2014’s Breakthrough Bake Off, and M&S has created the beautiful ‘In the Pink’ bouquet.

There are a handful of items not yet on the lookbook that I have also copied in below. Jewellery brand Stella & Dot’s Strength and Inspire bracelets are priced at £35.00 each whilst the delicate Hope necklace is priced at £32.00. Made in Chelsea’s Riley Uggla has also designed an exclusive Live Your Life heart sweater with How Do I Save the World, which will retail at £20.00.

1. ghd Coral Bird of Paradise Styler, £129.00 – £10 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available at exclusive premier salons and www.ghdhair.com

2. Avon’s Ultra Glazewear lip gloss in Pink Watermelon, reduced price of £3.50 (R.R.P £6.50) for Breast Cancer Awareness Month -£1 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available at www.avon.uk.com or through local representative

3. Bottlepink Pomegranate & Elderflower Cordial (500ml), RRP £3.15 – 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available in all major supermarkets

4. Debenhams Floozie by Frost French Flower Statement Necklace, RRP £22.00 – Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 25% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation. Available in-store and online at www.debenhams.com

5. Debenhams Think Pink Hangers, RRP £12.00 – Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 25% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation. Available in sizes 8 to 20, in-store and online at www.debenhams.com

6. Laura Ashley Darcey Spot China Cup and Saucer, RRP £12.00 – 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available in most stores and at www.lauraashley.com

7. River Island Fashion Is T-shirt, RRP £18.00 – 30% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available in stores and online at www.riverisland.com

8. Damsel in a dress Obsession dress, £189.00 – 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available from www.damselinadress.co.uk and in select John Lewis and House of Fraser stores UK-wide (also have lifestyle shot)

9. Stella & Dot Inspire Bracelet, RRP £35.00 – 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available via www.stellaanddot.com or local stylists

10. Stella & Dot Strength Bracelet, RRP £35.00 – 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available via www.stellaanddot.com or local stylists

11. Stella & Dot Hope Necklace, RRP £32.00 – net proceeds go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available via www.stellaanddot.com or local stylists

12. Riley Uggla’s Live Your Life Heart Sweater, RRP £20.00 – 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available at www.howdoisavetheworld.com

Leticia Haute Coiffure and “the fastest blowout in London”

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Kesh

Luxury independent hair and beauty salon Leticia Haute Coiffure has been famed on being able to fully cater to their clients needs. The salon provides exclusive hair and beauty services including non bleached highlights and premium Brazilian blow-drys, to waxing, facials and even fashion styling. Perfect for women who are constantly on the go and in need of preening, the salon works on a membership basis with prices starting from £180 a month offering a round the clock service either at the salon, hotel or even in your own home. Another hidden gem within this Marylebone salon is that award winning, Creative Director, Pierre Doumit, has developed a signature 15 minute blowout which is said to work on any hair type and perfect for busy London women.

I was sent to try this service out and when better to try then slap bang in the middle of London Fashion Week. With shows backed up all day, I barely had an hour to spare and wanted to put “the fastest blowout in London” to the test.

myself and Pierre

On arrival the vibe was generally chilled out and Pierre and his amazing team of staff were on hand to grant your each and every demand. I didn’t really have much of an idea of the kind of style I wanted but I was pretty sure that I would be more than safe in Pierres expert hands. The staff were chatty and friendly from the get go and are more than welcoming. I was then left in the safe hands of Pierre and asked if I would like a head massage. Absolutely, I jumped at the chance especially when the craziness of Fashion Week kicked in. The massage was insane, I would have just stayed for it alone. The blowdry itself was a super speedy 15 minutes, if that, with the help of Pierre’s lovely assistant. My hair was revived and volumised and bigger than Bardots. As well as that, Pierre asked me if I would like adjustments and showed me how to create the volume I had asked for which personally is a huge plus when hair stylists show you how to recreate a gorgeous style at home.

As I was leaving, I couldn’t help but swoon over the nails of the girl who works in the salon. Turns out the manicurist based in the salon is a nail art goddess. All in all an amazing experience, speedy, friendly and it helps that they’re all good at their jobs too, if a 15 minute blow dry is what you’re after, I assure you Pierre will stick to his word.

Simple Steps To Improve Self-Confidence

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Aidan

Feeling at ease with your body is something many people struggle with. Such feelings can eat away at self-confidence and make it harder to assert yourself in life. Sometimes, other people’s attitudes and messages in the media can make it even more difficult, but there are things you can do to fight back and learn to love yourself.

Identify problem attitudes

Do you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about your body when you’re dressing, showering or shopping? Try to spot such thoughts developing and stop yourself. You probably wouldn’t make negative comments to a friend in that way, so why do it to yourself? Instead, focus on parts of your body that you like, even if they don’t seem as important. Practice thinking positively about them and remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be appreciated.

Share thoughts with friends

Social convention means that often we don’t complement each other enough. If you have friends who also need more body confidence arrange to get together and tell each other what you admire about one another’s appearance. Alternatively, you might prefer to do it using anonymous notes if you’re shy. You might be surprised by how much friends like or even envy aspects of the way you look that you never considered previously.

Focus on fitness

Even if you’re overweight, disabled or getting on in years, there will usually be something you can do to increase your fitness level. Exercise lowers levels of cortisone, the stress hormone and makes the body look better. You can even do exercises for your face to reduce lines and wrinkles; a sort of natural facelift.

Dress to flatter your figure

Everyone likes to feel sexy and you can find clothing to suit all shapes and sizes online, including fantastic plus sized lingerie deals. Rather than worrying about what doesn’t look good on you, seek out stores that specialize in clothing designed for bodies like yours, whatever shape you are. You don’t have to look like a model, because in reality people are attracted by many different aspects of an individual, such as sense of humor, stylishness and intelligence.

Love your style

Part of learning to love your body is about understanding how to see it on your own terms, which involves choosing clothes that flatter your shape and selecting colors and patterns that reflect your personality rather than concerning yourself with following fashion. That way you don’t need to worry about being compared to other people and you can instead focus on simply being who you are.

Despite the fact that women’s magazines tend to focus on hairstyles and waist measurements, studies show again and again that one of the most attractive assets anyone can have is self-confidence. Once you are comfortable in your own skin and enjoy the way you look it will show in the way you walk, the way you dance, even the way you smile; all things that will make an impression on others. Most importantly, they will make you feel good about yourself.

Taking Small Steps To Improve Your Health

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Aidan

Many of us whose waistline is on an expansion mission know there are simple solutions to rein in weight gain. In many cases, a healthy lifestyle is seen as being too much effort, but the truth is that just a few small changes to lifestyle and diet can see a massive difference to health and wellbeing and in most cases you will hardly notice a difference to daily routine.

Why is it important to stay healthy?

Eating properly and having the right amount of exercise are key to your ability to fight off illness and disease. The immune system needs the right amount of nutrients to remain strong in order to work efficiently, but it is also hampered when you are overweight and out of shape. Additional factors to consider if you want to improve your health include the damaging effects of smoking and alcohol consumption. Both of these can lead to illness and also reduce the effectiveness of your immune system.

A healthy diet

Following a healthy diet will mean that you are providing your body with all the nutrients that you need to stay in good health. With plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet it will be much easier to get the right nutrients. The recommended daily amount is around five portions a day, but some scientists are now recommending that people extend this to seven portions a day, with just two of those as fruit. However, if you are one of those people who rarely eats fresh fruit and vegetables, the first step is to include just some each day. Over time, you can build this up to the right amount.

In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, it is a good idea to make a few swaps so that your unhealthy choices are suddenly much better for you. One example is fries. Replace these with jacket or boiled potatoes and you will cut your fat intake dramatically. White bread can be swapped for wholegrain and you can opt for brown versions of rice and pasta instead of the standard white.

For some it can be difficult to get the balance right, particularly if there are underlying health issues. Herbal and nutritional supplements can be useful here. A good multivitamin can help to redress the balance, but you can also incorporate herbal teas as an easy way to add the benefits of herbs to your diet. Jasmine Tea, for example, is considered to be very calming and perfect for those who suffer from stress and anxiety, both of which can have a negative effect on health.

Don’t forget exercise!

Finally, make sure that you get regular exercise. The jury is still out on just how much exercise a person needs but the good news is that you only have to go for a good walk a few times a week to see a difference. Exercise does not have to be hard work or boring – take up cycling with the family or even try something like ballroom dancing. You will be having so much fun you might not even notice the pounds and inches slipping away!

Research reveals that drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Frostie

More evidence on tea and reduced risk of mortality

Drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%, reveals a study in 13,000 people presented at European Society of Cardiology Congress by Professor Nicolas Danchin from France.

Commenting on the study, Dr Carrie Ruxton from The Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) notes: “This study investigated the risk of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in relation to tea and coffee consumption in a large population of French people at low risk of cardiovascular disease. The study included 131,401 people aged 18 to 95 years who had a health check up at the Paris IPC Preventive Medicine Centre between January 2001 and December 2008. During a mean 3.5 years follow up there were 95 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 632 deaths from non-CVD causes. Tea consumption was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire as one of three classes: none, 1 to 4, or more than 4 cups per day.

“Compared to no tea drinking, tea drinking lowered the risk of non-CVD death by 24% and the trend towards lowering CV mortality was nearly significant. When the analysis was extended to 2011 tea continued to reduce overall mortality during the 6 year period. Most of the effect of tea on non-CV mortality was found in current or ex-smokers, while tea had a neutral effect in non-smokers.

“In this study, tea had a more marked effect on blood pressure than coffee, with a 4-5 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and 3 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure in the heavy tea drinkers, compared to non-drinkers, when adjusted for age. This effect of tea on lowering blood pressure has been found in several earlier studies. A meta-analysis of 25 randomised controlled trials published in the British Journal of Nutrition [1] involving 1476 people found that long term tea intake reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure while acute tea intake had no effect. The blood pressure lowering effect was apparent in people who consumed tea for more than 12 weeks.

“Tea drinkers also had a better cardiovascular risk profile in this new study than people who did not drink tea. For example, tea drinkers had a healthier lifestyle. One-third (34%) of the people who did not drink tea were current smokers compared to 24% of those who drank 1-4 cups per day and 29% of those who drank more than 4 cups. Physical activity increased with the number of cups of tea per day from 43% in the moderate tea drinkers to 46% in the heavy drinkers.”

Dr Catherine Hood from TAP adds; “Overall this study adds to the growing evidence base that tea consumption reduces cardiovascular risk. This is likely related to the flavonoid content of tea. In addition to effects on blood pressure, a study published earlier this year found that drinking more than three cups of tea daily is associated with reduced arterial stiffness.[2] Other previous studies have shown that black tea improves blood flow through the arteries[3] and can reduce the risk of stroke.[4] Two recent meta-analyses have found that tea consumption improves cholesterol profile mainly by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol). [5] [6]

“Tea is a very popular beverage in the UK and these findings across several studies continue to suggest that Britain’s’ favourite beverage is good for cardiovascular health.”

Why Mothers Stop Breastfeeding

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Frostie

It’s not your imagination– all babies go through a difficult period around the same age. Research by Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. and Dr. Hetty van de Rijt Ph.D., authors of The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases Into Magical, has shown that babies make 10 major, predictable, age-linked changes – or leaps – during their first 20 months of their lives taking place around weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 26, 37, 46, 55, 64 and 75. During this time, they will learn more than in any other time. With each leap comes a drastic change in your baby’s mental development, which not only affects his mood, his health, sleeping patterns and the “three C’s” (crying, clinging and crankiness) but also… babies drinking and comfort seeking habits. Unfortunately these Wonder Weeks are often a reason for moms who do not know about these wonder weeks, to stop breast-feeding their child.

With every new wonder week a baby gets a totally new perception of the world. Every Wonder Week is like waking up on a strange planet. A baby did not ask for this, did not see it coming, but suddenly this whole new world was there. What would you do? You would retreat to a well-known and safe place. For a baby that is mom. How would you do that? By literally clinging to your mom. Being one with her, holding on tight and the best way to do that would be via literally sucking yourself to your mom. This is where breast-feeding and Wonder Weeks meet. Whilst on the one hand Wonder weeks are in fact something good and signal progress in development, on the other hand, when the Wonder Weeks are misunderstood, they are often the reason moms give up breastfeeding.

“My daughter was crying so much that I was afraid something was terribly wrong. She wanted to breastfeed constantly. I took her to see the pediatrician, but he couldn’t find anything wrong with her. He said he just needed to get used to my milk and that many infants went through a similar crying phase at 5 weeks. I thought that is was a strange thing to say, because she hadn’t had any problems with my milk until then. Her cousin, who was the same age, kept crying, too, but he was being bottle-fed. When I told the doctor that, he pretended he hadn’t heard, I didn’t push the subject though. I found out about wonder weeks later on, but I keep on wondering why nobody told me about these wonder weeks earlier.” – Julitte’s mom, 5th week

Wonder Weeks and the milk doubting moms:

Wonder Weeks: One of the reasons mothers stop breastfeeding? As the baby gets more Clingy, Cries more and is more Cranky during a wonder week, many mothers start doubting themselves. Are they doing something wrong? If a baby wants to drink so often, does this mean they do not have enough milk? Or is their milk not good enough? Moms who know their baby is in a wonder week, don’t doubt themselves or their milk.

“Around the third wonder week my daughter suddenly started nursing less. After 5 minutes, she would start playing around with my nipple. After that had gone on for two weeks, I decided to start supplementing my milk with formula, but she wouldn’t have any of that either. This phase lasted 4 weeks. During that time I worried she would suffer from some kind of nutrition deficiency, especially when I saw my milk supply starting to diminish. But now she is drinking like she used to again, and my milk supply is as plentiful as ever. Now I know this is normal behavior during a wonder week. I never doubted my milk again since I know when these wonder weeks are.”
– Hannah’s mom, 19 th week.

Wonder Weeks and the exhausted moms:
Even the moms not doubting their milk sometimes give up breastfeeding. Simply because the impact of the leap on the behavior of their child is wearing them out. The moms that know about Wonder Weeks tend to be less exhausted as they know what is happening and that Wonder Weeks are actually a good thing.

Wonder Weeks and the mom of a six month old:
One of the most difficult leaps is the one of relationships, around six months after due date. The exact same time breast milk alone is not enough anymore and most parents start to give solid food as well. Mom is exhausted from the leap, doesn’t sleep or sleeps very poorly, while at the same time her child needs food. Just days after giving the first ‘meals’, the baby is in a much better mood. Often moms explain this whole sequence of events wrongly and seem to think their child was in need of other milk than theirs. While in fact the child just went through another leap and finished the leap when he turned six months.

Wonder Weeks and nipple cracks or abrasions:
Pain is, logically, one of the reasons moms want to stop feeding their child. When a child is in a Wonder Week he wants to drink many times more often than is normally the case. As this is one of the only times a baby is quiet, a mom doesn’t really pay as much attention to the feeding process as she normally would. Often resulting in wrong feeding positions, resulting in i.e. cracked nipples.

Making parents aware of Wonder weeks will enable parents to understand their baby’s behavior much better and will help many moms to continue feeding their child and to make sure these Wonder Weeks are not a reason to give up.

Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. and Dr. Hetty van de Rijt Ph.D. discovered the leap phenomenon while studying chimpanzee mother infant relationships in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania, East-Africa together with Jane Goodall. They are the authors of the book The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby’s Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases Into Magical

Dr. Frans Plooij Ph.D. is always willing to educate professionals about these Wonder weeks, or answer questions via Skype or email. He regularly has Skype sessions with moms around the world.

Suki Waterhouse Shows Off Her 111SKIN Selfie

Posted on August 23, 2014 by Frostie

It’s not every day that we’d take beauty advice from a self-proclaimed ‘Facemask Monster’ but Suki Waterhouse took to Instagram last night to share an insight into her skincare regime.

Suki showed off the 111SKIN Bio Cellulose Mask via video, and while admittedly not her finest look, the mask is a quick and effective weekly treatment that brightens and hydrates – a great choice pre fashion week to ensure catwalk clear skin.

The 111SKIN Bio Cellulose Mask is available from 111SKIN.com and Harrods £20 for a single mask or £85 for a pack of 5

NHP Nutri Argan Beautifying Elixir Beauty Review

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

My hair frequently looks like a frizz bomb. Depending on the weather it ranges from tangled to full-out frizzy nightmare. Finding out about Argan oil has been something of a lifesaver. It truly is a wonder ingredient so I was happy to review NHP Nutri Argan Beautifying Elixir. An intensive, multi-tasking, haircare product. This wonder product can be used everyday and it really does work on my hair. It soothe out the dryness and leaves it looking amazing. You only have to use a few drops so even though it cost £16.80 for 100ml it is still completely worth it. It strengthens hair, leaves it less tangled and protects the hair from free radicals, heat and environmental factors. I can give it the thumbs up, and so can my hair.

Based on organic, certified natural oils of Argan and Macadamia, Beautifying Elixir provides extraordinary smoothness, softness and shine. A precious fluid based on a unique blend of fine oils rich in essential fatty acids and natural anti-oxidisers it is instantly absorbed by the hair.

A few drops revitalise the most problem hair, nourishing it from roots to ends with a lightweight, non-greasy feel.
Free from alcohol, parabens, PEG-PPG, mineral oils and artificial colourants it is enriched with anti-ageing Beta-carotene which helps to restore the energy supply to the hair fibre.

A complete hair wellness treatment, Beautifying Elixir:

Infuses deep moisture and regenerates the fibre of dry, brittle and coloured hair
Strengthens weak hair and controls coarse and untameable hair
Improves comb-ability and helps to provide a frizz-free finish to blow-drying
Protects the hair from free radicals and shields it from potentially damaging external effects including chemicals, heat, pollution and atmospheric agents.

Four ways to use…

Pre-shampoo – apply from root to tip and then massage well to deeply moisturise the scalp and hair. Leave for 10 minutes before shampooing (ideally with NHP Nutri Argan Hair Bath). The hair fibre is immediately replenished and loos revitalised.

Before styling – distribute evenly onto towel blotted hair. Helps to reduce drying time, facilitates styling and contols frizz. Hair is smooth, soft and protected.

Finishing Touch – apply a few drops to dry hair. Imparts an extreme shine and protects the hair fibre from daily external aggressors, prolonging colour life. Leaves the hair silky and manageable.

Intensive salon style treatment – mix with 5ml of NHP Nutri Argan Hair Mask, leave on the hair to absorb for at least ten minutes before rinsing.

NHP – Natural Haircare Program – was developed for professional salon use to care for dry, colour treated or brittle hair in need of superior nourishment to restore the internal balance and to condition the external structure of the hair shaft. Inspired by nature, the NHP Nutri Argan nourishing range is rich in a blend of certified organic Argan Oil and Macadamia Oil to replenish moisture in the hair from the roots to the tips to help regain softness, elasticity and shine. The scalp and hair are also protected thanks to the exclusion of potentially irritating or aggressive synthetic ingredients such as SLES, DEA, parabens, paraffin and colourants. NHP is also kind to the environment as all packaging is 100% recyclable and products are created using renewable and ecological sources of energy.

NHP is available from Giannasso Hair & Beauty Covent Garden, selected hair salons nationwide and online at www.beautybyzara.com. £16.80 for 100ml.

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