Tag Archives: aging

Beauty Resolutions To Stick With

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The New Year always brings out the best of intentions for everyone whether or not these last is another thing, unlike those pesky Christmas pounds. Some resolutions are worth keeping however and these beauty resolutions will pay off in years to come.

Beauty review, Glowing skin, good beauty products.

Throw Out Your Old Makeup

Old makeup is a breeding ground for bacteria. See that little pot icon with a number and an ‘m’ inside on the back of your products? That is the expiry date in months from when they are opened. It will help if you keep a note of when the product was opened as it is easy to forget. Mascara should be replaced every six months and anything over a year old should probably be thrown out. Make sure you wash your makeup brushes too. Wash in warm, soapy water and then leave them to air dry. You can clean them with some mild shampoo or washing up liquid.

 

Give Your Hair a Break From Heat Damage

Blow drys and hair straighteners can cause significant damage to hair. Hair can end up drier than the Sahara and could even break off. The best way to prevent further damage is to stop using hair dryers and straighteners. Cutting down your use if you can’t quit will help but also use a heat protection spray and a weekly hair mask.

 

Have a Weekly Facial

You don’t need to go to a professional for a facial. You can do one at home yourself. Double cleanse your face, use a good scrub and then apply a face mask. Regular exfoliation helps skin renew itself as we age and a good face mask will give skin a good amount of moisture.

Do it weekly and your skin will thank you. A facial massage is under-rated and really makes a difference to your skin. It leaves you looking fresher and more toned. Use a face oil and gently massage your skin in circular movements. Work upwards and tap your eye socket starting from the outside.

 

Stop Sleeping in Your Makeup

This is a huge beauty no-no and not just for your pillow; your skin repairs itself at night but your skin needs to be able to breathe for this to happen. If it is covered in makeup your pores will be suffocated. Free radicals and dead skin cells also build up on the skin if you don’t wash your face. Wash your face as soon as you get in or keep some cleansing wipes handy. Keep the cleansing wipes to a minimum however as they are not as good as washing your face properly.

 

Always Wear Sunblock

Beauty decisions you make now will affect your looks for the rest of your life. Putting in effort now means looking good ten years down the line. The most important one you can make is to use an SPF everyday. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen which protects from UVA rays, which are ageing, and UVB rays, which burn. It is not just vanity. This will also protect you from skin cancer, something that should be taken more seriously than it is. Wear at least an SPF 15 everyday. You can buy good moisturisers which have an SPF in but wearing a foundation with one in is not enough, you won’t wear enough to get the benefit nor will it cover all of the needed areas. A foundation with an SPF is still a good idea, just make sure you also use a moisturiser or separate sunscreen.

 

What is your beauty resolution?

 

 

 

Is This The Best Women’s Magazine Cover Ever? We Think So

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The Australian Women’s Weekly has trumped every other women’s magazine cover by featuring Turia Pitt as it’s cover star. 26-year-old Pitt was running a marathon three years ago when she was caught in a bushfire and was left with scars over 65 per cent of her body. Pitt said: “I feel humbled, For me it sends the message that confidence equals beauty.”

bestwomensmagazinecover

Pitt has had over 100 operations, and she spent over two years in hospital. She even lost all the fingers on one of her hands. It is a brave move from Women’s Weekly but it shouldn’t have to be. There should be more diversity in race, age and disability in our media.

Before I go to sleep poster

The poster for Before I Go To Sleep doesn’t do equality any favours however, showing Colin Firth and Mark Strong with wrinkles, looking handsome but looking their age, while Nicole Kidman’s face looks like it has been sandblasted. It seems that women are still not allowed to age in Hollywood, but men are. Firth and Strong look great and are allowed to age, but for Kidman you get the feeling it would be the end of her career. Kidman is 47, Firth is 53 and Strong is 50. I mean, god forbid a 47-year-old woman looks like a 47-year-old woman.

It is not Kidman’s fault of course. She is just a product of her environment. But I can’t help feeling that actresses who nip and tuck everything are perpetrating the problem. I think it is time we made a stand. What do you think?

Ageing isn’t just skin deep – Muscular Ageing

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Nexus PR hosted a magnificent event at 34 restaurant, with equally amazing people w, experts in their field, discussed about the myths and recommendations regarding our own bodies.

It’s no surprise that the media control the way people think about their bodies, as it is always in plain sight, no matter where we go and they don’t always tell the full story. Top physiotherapist Sammy Margo spoke about Children & teens, 20’s & 30’s getting into good habits and the Hot & Cold heroes. Double world champion British rower and personal fitness trainer Toby Garbett spoke about Middle Aged spread and Exercise = Independence. Angus Hunter from Stirling University spoke about Structures, Stretching and the science behind it. Colin Brown speaking on the relevance of Deep Heat and Deep Freeze as the Hot and Cold Heroes!

Credit: Wikipedia

Credit: Wikipedia

As you would expect with the Grosvenor Square restaurant, it was amazing and the food was perfect… I can’t jump ahead, as so much happened before the meal, which has relevance to the actual event.

Sammy Margo, started off with an intro, as expected and went on to speak about the relevance of Collagen. It is more in our muscle than given credit! A decline in Collagen creates sagging skin, but also takes its toll on our muscles, hair and nails. Muscle wastage and loss of power impacts our daily lives. A lack of exercise, modern technology and increased obesity are fuelling a surge of muscle problems, whatever your age!

Sammy’s stats sound like a horror story and it is more frightening because these stats are backed up with facts, but the solutions are there! As a custodian of your body, you have to take more responsibility of it and your children, as they follow by example, more than what you teach. This is reflected in the teenage and young adult stats that show a decline in exercise and more reliant on technology and being unsociable by being on social websites!

The numbers increase as the age increases, as aches, pains and stiffness are all far too common ailments. An incredible 71% (7 out of 10) people didn’t know that we lost muscle mass as we aged. The medical term for age related muscle mass loss is, Sarcopenia. The rate and extent of muscle loss is down to Genetics, diet and lifestyle. The adage, “Use it, or lose it” is wholly relevant.

Sammy highlights that whilst “growing pains” are a reality, our good habits are supposed to be habitual by the time we are in our 20’s and 30’s. It is imperative to encourage children to be more active by setting the example yourself. They are more likely to do it because you are and not because you force them to, whether it is for the betterment of their health, or not!

30 to 40 year olds are likely to take up new sports, but more likely to fail to follow through with that sport! Failure to warm up is a common failure and leads to stiffness, injuries and could be a cause of turning people away from sports and training. However, simple things to help alleviate bad posture and stiffness at work could be standing whilst on the phone rather than sitting. Also, not leaning back on the chair and tilting the pelvis to maintain posture will help also.

Sammy pointed out that preparation for pregnancy can lead to a smoother post natal recovery. A strengthened core is something worth considering for the load bearing on the area as a whole. And learning to lift correctly will always stand you in good stead.

As extensive as her talk was, it covered a vast amount of things that should technically be standard knowledge to us! It’s our bodies, so some care in making sure it’s maintained is the least we can do for it.

After a well deserved applause, Sammy made way for Toby to discuss our middle aged spread. Only a quarter of 30-40 year olds studied said they worked out at least 3 times a week. Unfortunately the amount was halved in the age group 41-50. This is reflected in the amount that suffer a daily pain, or discomfort. 13% for the 35-39 year olds and 22% for 46-49 year olds. Are we making excuses, or is it something to do with our age? Technically, as we age, we suffer a weakness of the skeletal muscle, but do we use adequate treatment for it? Hot and Cold treatment is probably the last thing we think of doing, when it should be the first!

In menopausal women, the loss of oestrogen can have a domino effect of increased weight, loss of muscle mass and strength and declining bone density. When the hot flushes occur this often makes women shy away from exercise. Almost one-in-three people over the age of 60 will suffer a fall due to muscle weakness. Skeletal muscle dysfunction in the elderly can be deadly.

Toby mentioned a couple of things, which should ring a bell, or two, for some people when I put it for you to read. “The moment we lose the ability to squat, we lose our independence to get on and off the toilet!” An exercise that keeps that alone is worth doing! Even if you did it for 5 minutes a day, I am sure you would be able to evaluate the extent of your need to increase, or improve your technique and exercise.

Another exercise worth considering is the rotator cuff. Even if you go to the gym, you have to ask whether, or not you cater for this exercise. The easier it is to take your jumper of and put one on shows how well your rotator cuff is. Yes, those are things we take for granted. Going to the toilet and getting dressed.

Angus Hunter covered an area I am an advocate for… Stretching! As I am a firm believer that there is no excuse forego stretching. Before your feet even touch the floor, you could have done a basic stretch that encompasses the whole body and takes about 5 minutes. However, it’s not about me, it’s about the presentation.

He has a quote from Shakespeare, which appeals to the actor in me, “… The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper’s pantaloon, ith spectacles on nose and pouch on side; his youthful hose, well sav’d, a word too wide, for his shrunk shank…”

After we learnt the scientific word for the loss of muscle, we learn the word for the loss of strength, “Dynapenia”! The basics are without the muscle to support the strength, you will be lacking with increasing muscle loss. Granted Angus was far more scientific, but the statistics are the things that show how age and lack of muscle stimulus affects us as we age!

I found the fact that massaging and stretching have similar effects on the muscle interesting! They both lengthen the muscle and release muscle stress. Duration of both also determined the amount of stress alleviated and the length. There is no clear evidence on the most effective type of stretching.

Genetics play a part on the type of muscle you have and can help your sport dependant on the type you have. The 3 classifications are type I fibres, which are known also as Slow Twitch. Type IIa fibres, which are Fast Twitch. Type IIb/X fibre, which are also Fast Twitch, these have the shortest time to peak tension as opposed to the Slow Twitch which has the longest!

Collagen is considered the glue that holds us together, given it comes from the Greek word, Kolla, which means glue. Type 1 is the toughest and found in ligaments, tendons and bones. Type 2 is found in cartilage and the jelly (vitreous humour) inside the eye. Type 3 is the most thin and elastic found in the skin, lungs and blood vessels. About 25% of the body comes as Collagen and this declines as we age, hence the wrinkles, dry hair and brittle nails!

With all this knowledge, does it make it any easier to understand? Yes… and no. Always, the more information you have the better to make an informed decision it is! However, it means that the media have to get off their butt and make it so that it is something we read, not just whilst you’re waiting at the doctors, but actually as an everyday concept! It should be relevant to food, sunbathing, exercise, ageing and wellbeing! An article here, or there is great, but more of it makes it common knowledge and not a stranger to conversation with your doctor, personal trainer, neighbour, or child. It really is that important.

Even hot and cold treatment. How many people know the 4 distinct phases? Bleeding, Swelling, Proliferation and Remodelling… Just in case you had forgotten. Cold happens during the swelling phase and heat benefits the proliferation phase! Because those 2 phase overlap, there is about 72 hours after swelling and cold to treat it that heat treatment helps the proliferation phase.

Generally you can tell if it’s a swelling, as you can touch it and feel it! Calor (heat), Dolor (pain), Rubor (redness) and Tumor (swelling)… Loss of function is easier to determine. I can throw more science and figures into the hot and cold therapy, but ultimately, it showed that biology is something we should know better than we do! A basic knowledge of our own body, symptoms and maintenance is sorely (!) lacking. Many injuries reoccur when we return to strenuous training too soon and when care and recovery has been hurried, or ignored.

The amazing speakers were justified in coming together for the presentation and Deep Heat and Deep Freeze were amazing to have advanced their products from the pain inducing prank of my youth. As much as I have left out, I could go on and put all instances verbatim, but the onus is on us to be more proactive, knowledgeable and honest about how we look after and maintain our own bodies. We also owe it to the next generation not to sell them short that knowledge, as it should be as common as going online to chat to our friends on Facebook.

To end this, I am going to go through the amazing high protein meal that was relevant to the event as a whole.

Starter, Smoked Salmon and Brown Bread. Main, Roast Saddle and Grilled rack of Cornish Lamb, with a Pea Polenta Croquette and Sautéed Girolles. That is a wild mushroom, to save you Googling it. There were also some New Potatoes, which cover the high carbs for the meal. Dessert, was a light Peach Melba Meringue.

All were delicious and appreciated, as we all partook in a small demonstration of posture exercises before eating.

My appreciation of all that was presented to me at 34 Restaurant by Nexus PR and respective speakers was far more than this article can put into words and there are a lot of them.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads Review

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I have previously reviewed Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum, which I loved and thought made a real difference to my skin. It was even our product of the year so I had high hopes for the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads. The first thing I have to say about them is how convenient they are. Usually exfoliating requires massaging a scrub into your face and I always worry I am rubbing too much or not enough.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial PadsreviewThese are just presoaked pads which smell of citrus (which is lovely and soft- not overpowering), and have bumps on one side. You wipe it over your face, neck and decolletage.The pads are small but do the entire area. It says use the pads once or twice a day. I do it almost every day.

I don’t have any wrinkles yet but the pads leave my skin brighter and exfoliated. I feel my overall skin texture and tone has improved. In fact an annoying patch of dryness that was so noticeable on my neck it actually looked a bit orange has now gone. The pads also have witch hazel and blue daisy in them to soothe and tone.

I love these pads. They are a mild chemical peel but are still gentle and they do not sting my sensitive skin. They leave a temporary tackiness just after they are applied but this does not linger. I highly recommend these pads and at £12.95 for 60 pads they are very cheap for what they are. A warning though: these are a mild chemical peel so after you have used them you must use an SPF if you go out.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads are available from Boots and Superdrug.

First-ever anti-ageing supplement range launches at Harrods

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  BOXHollywood comes to Harrods

First-ever anti-ageing supplement range launches at Harrods

California’s favourite supplement brand, Nature’s Plus, is launching a groundbreaking new range of anti-ageing supplements to help promote the youthful vitality of Harrods’ finest.

The Nature’s Plus AgeLoss range is an entirely new approach to promoting good health, it works to counteract harmful free radicals that can lead to inflammation whilst also giving the body a healthy boost.

Step 1
With Vitamin D for healthy immune function1, antioxidant vitamins and minerals* and organic whole foods, Nature’s Plus AgeLoss First Day provides unparalleled nutritional activity.

Step 2
AgeLoss Women’s Multi features a vibrant offering of botanicals and amino acids to support a woman’s quality of life, it is the first-ever women’s multivitamin enhanced to promote youthful, restorative wellness in the female body’s organs and systems via specialised antioxidant nutrition.2

Step 3
Customise your quality-of-life programme by selecting the individual formulas in the AgeLoss range most appropriate for the bodily systems you wish to address. Each product employs specialised antioxidant blends, each designed to uniquely address the free radicals of specific tissues or systems.

·      Promote a healthy digestive system with Digestion Support†
·      Uplift your energy levels with Energy Support†
·      Take care of your eyesight with Eye Support†
·      Maintain your joint health with Joint Support†
·      Feel on top form with Immune Support†
·      Promote a radiant skin with Skin Support†

Maintaining good health is now just as easy as picking a new dress.

 

• Nature’s Plus AgeLoss range is available at Harrods
• AgeLoss Women’s Multi £28.45 (for 60 tablets)
• AgeLoss First Day £47.45 (for 90 tablets)

Vanessa Bailey & Richard Perryman on Three Days Film | Film interview

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When I interviewed Vanessa Bailey and Richard Perryman about their new film, Three Days, we had so much fun and laughed so hard. Vanessa has co-written and is starring in the age gap romance alongside Richard who is fresh out of drama school. Vanessa is beautiful and talented but doesn’t seem to know it, as is Richard. They are both also wonderful company and building quite a following for their film which will start shooting early next year. To find out more, read on….

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Tell us about your character.

Richard Perryman: ‘I am playing James, a recent graduate, a young guy who does odd jobs. He is flyering for a jazz club and has a care-free lifestyle. He is not really looking for love but just by chance it happens. We were talking about this earlier. It just happens and he is not looking for a long term thing. It just happens to him and he can’t really get away. [laughter]

Vanessa Bailey: [laughing] He can’t really get away! These two characters are not the two people you would expect to see in a relationship. Not just with the age gap, which does sometimes happen, but also with their personalities. She is no a cougar, she is not predatory. She hasn’t been walking around looking for impressionable young leafleters to drag back to her hotel room. He’s not a lad.

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Richard: It’s not a trophy for him.

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Vanessa: It is just a sexual connection between them.

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Richard: Well, not the main one.

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Vanessa: [laughing] No, not the main one. It is about two real people. It is about finding what that connection would be and how it would work out in real life. They are not caricatures. It is not about romantic cliches. If two people really did connect, how would that work. Can it work?

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Richard: Can that relationship last or is it just a fling?

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Vanessa: And we don’t know the answer yet.

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Richard: I think they are probably both going into it thinking it is just a fling. And not expecting to find that they actually fall in love.

Age gap relationships are popular in film at the moment. Why do you think they are popular and what is your favourite?

Vanessa: I really liked the ITV one, Leaving, although I kinda thought they had stolen our thunder because we had written the script before it came out. What appealed to me about that one, and about Three Days, is most of the other films, the age gape in The Graduate isn’t that big. There is only six-years between them because they are playing up and down. So what I really liked about the ITV one was that they had Helen McCrory who is really gorgeous. They were able to make the audience believe. It was a slightly different story and it was about self-improvement. That one would be my favourite because it was anchored in real life. You can recognise it in real life. Whereas with the other ones, they are lovely stories, but they are not real.

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Richard: I have only seen The Graduate. I think with that one he has that relationship thrust upon him. It is much darker. She is more of a cougar and she reels him in. This is more of a chance. It is a more filmic story.

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Vanessa: It is more of a romance. It is not dark in any way. Which is more challenging. There is no gender game. It is more, ‘why has this happened and what should we do with it?’.

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Why do you think there is still a stigma attached to the older women/younger man thing?

Richard: There has been a rise in those type of films. I think there is a stigma attached but it is becoming less and less. There is still that taboo and it is still fine with older men and younger women.

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Vanessa: Again, we were talking about that earlier. I think with the older man and younger women, largely they are a physical manifestation of his success and being sexually attractive to women. It is more of a trophy thing. It is interesting because, as you said, the storyline is really popular. We have 1,300 people following us on Twitter. We have no media, no trailer, nothing really about the film, but I think the story has lots of appeal. We have a lot of different people following us. Younger girls, 17 or 18 years old and older men.

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We had a guy who said when I was in my 20s I had a relationship with a women who was 20 years older than me because it is common. See I am 43.

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Richard: And I am 22.

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Vanessa: Oh my god it has gotten bigger! What is that gap?

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Richard: 21 years.

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Vanessa: Yes, 21 years. That is quite a big gap.

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Richard: It’s not that big.

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Vanessa: Oh, bless you. We can make it work. But I think people are really fascinated by that. I am not going to name names but I had a lot of people say I had this relationship with this women who was 20 years older than me. It is really interesting. It does actually happen but I don’t think film shows that as much as the older guy.

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Another issue with younger men with older women is the fertility issue….

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Vanessa: Yes, I think that is true. It doesn’t work quite as well from a family point of view, biologically the other way around. Maybe some women are at the point when they don’t want to have kids.

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Richard: I think going into that relationship they won’t really think about it and then when they did the pressure would start adding on to it. Like, ‘what do we do?’

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Vanessa: I was talking to some friends about it and they were like, ‘lucky you’ and then I was thinking, no, because in reality when you are an older women it is hard. You have insecurities.

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Richard: Yeah, you were saying to me that when we go out people will be like, ‘Your son is waiting for you’ or ‘Is that your mum?’ or something. Which would be really tough.

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Vanessa: [laughing] There is always a 21-year-old girl around the corner and you are getting older, and you look older, and the point of this, of Three Days, is also when older women are portrayed in films they don’t look their age. They have had all of that plastic surgery and they don’t look their age. I do look my age [she doesn’t] so it is not like, yeah, she is a hot 43 but she looks 33. She is just 43. So there is that whole physical insecurity.

There is also this myth that is spread that men get better looking as they get older but women don’t. It places a lot of pressure on women and it also happens a lot in film. Then when you do get a part it is not a really good part. In this film it is a women in a really good role, which could actually have a lot of significance.

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Vanessa: And that is the great thing about indie film. You have raised a great point actually and that is the good thing about Three Days. There are not the parts out there that actresses my age necessarily want to play. You get typecast in commercials and then you have to wait until you are 75 to play a dowager in Downton Abbey. There is a massive gap in-between. You are just wandering around wondering what you are going to do. A few of us do have a natural look so you are not going to get the barmaid parts or the cougar parts. So I kind of wanted to come up with a part that a lot of women my age would want to play because it is interesting and it is fun. There is a massive gap for older actresses.

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How did you come on-board

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Richard: I didn’t really do anything.

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Vanessa: That is the joy of Twitter. I am going to write a book. Instead of the Joy of Sex I am going to write The Joy of Twitter, and [to Richard] you are probably too young to even know the book. It was out in the 1970s. [to me] You know the book? [Yes, I know the book] See, women know the book.

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So, Twitter, we were looking for someone. I was looking at showreels because I love watching showreels. I saw Richard’s headshot and someone tweeted a link to a short film he was in called Emmeline, which was gorgeous. So I stalked him. I asked him to be in a film with me.

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Richard: I got an email asking me if I wanted to be in the film. We met up for a coffee. Then I wanted to do it. She reeled me in. We were both on the same page in terms of character and what we wanted for the film.

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Vanessa: What clinched it was that halfway through we were talking about the dialogue and how we wanted it to be really natural, and be very real and he said it should be like ‘Before Sunrise’, which is my favourite film. At that point I was really hoping he wanted to be in the film.

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So it was the power of Twitter and short film. And the mocha that I bought him that I then drank.

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Richard: Yeah, I had a latte and she had my mocha.

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Vanessa: Start as you mean to go on.

Tell us about the process of the film so far.

Vanessa: It has been a long time actually, nearly a year. I wrote it. I wrote a really bad script originally. I sent if to Jon Rennie, our director, and basically what he did was he rewrote it from a cinematic point of view. Jon said he liked the story but this is how he thought the physical journey of the film would go. We have beautiful locations we are filming in. Then he gave it back to me to fill in the dialogue. We knew we had Huw onboard who is just phenomenally good.

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The film is quite like Notting Hill on acid. Huw Walters (Cinematographer) and Jon and myself all worked on Bubbles [an excellent short film. See it] Our composer had seen Bubbles and asked us if we had a composer. Then I looked at his credits and I was like, wow. He has worked with the BBC, with Tom Jones, with loads of people.

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Our hair designer, Jason Hall, also asked to come onboard and he had done London Fashion Week. He was also from twitter. He contacted us and asked us if we needed a hair stylist.

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The producer, Sam Smith-Higgins, was following the film since it started on Facebook and she said she would really like to collaborate and asked if we had a producer. She has an entire production company that she is bringing with her. The Executive Producer, Suzie Boudier, has been a constant source of inspiration.

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The great thing about this film is that everyone has come on-board because they really want to make this film rather than just a film. It has been a really long process. I am really excited.

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How did you approach funding.

Vanessa: We will be crowd funding in February. Consolidating everything in March and then we are shooting in April. We are looking at different crowd funding options at the moment.

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Tell us about you.

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Richard: I just graduated from E15 from a contemporary theatre course. I set up my own theatre company with a couple of friends called Antler. We took two shows up to Edinburgh.

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Vanessa: Who have got some amazing reviews. Should I quote some of them? Richard excels in dry humour. That is what it said.

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Richard: We got some lovely reviews. Since then I have done a short film with the same company. I was lucky to be a part of that. And from that I got this. Which is great and exciting.

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Vanessa: I am completely different. No training. I am a teacher. A music specialist whatever that means. I came out of it after I had my children and decided I wanted to be an actress. So I did a lot of background work just to get into the scene and I was lucky to break that rule that you never become an actor after being an extra. I managed to get there. I have managed to blag my way to some good jobs so far.

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You are so self deprecating

Vanessa: Yes I am. But I have no reason to be here. Once I got Spotlight and a DVD I sent it out and Sam [Samantha from Simon & How, out mutual agent] was the first person to give me an audition. I absolutely love it.

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Do you think the age of the actor is dead and you have to be an actorpreneur and do your own projects.

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Richard: I have only ever done my own projects. So I think, yes, you can’t really trust anyone else to do anything for you. You have to do it yourself. If you are lucky enough you will be handed lots of jobs. It is the luck of the draw. If not you have to go out and do it yourself. [to Vanessa] Like you are doing.

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Vanessa: All actors know that it is a really small pool that people fish from. Especially in television. It is hard and it is not going to talent unfortunately. You see people who work regularly who are not good and lots of people who are very talented who don’t get any work. So, yes, I do think you have to be an actorpreneur.

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Richard: I am very bad at selling myself because I am not on Twitter.

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I often lose roles to people who are more famous or someone’s girlfriend.

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Vanessa: Yes, that is frustrating. I can see the other side of that. We all work with people we know because it is better the devil you know.

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Richard: Then that creates those little cliques who work with the same people and you can’t break into it.

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That is why I left Scotland. I had to commute from Glasgow to London because there was the group of Scottish actors who always got work and I could not break into the industry.

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Vanessa: There are a couple of casting directors who fight it. A casting director said to me that he was sick of seeing the same faces in television over and over again.

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And you do. You see the same faces over and over again. We need pioneers who are bringing new faces in and trying to get people seen.

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Richard: But we are a little family. [We all have the same agent. Samantha at Simon & How]

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That’s right.

So is the process to make a short and then a feature film.

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Vanessa: I would love to. I would love to make a feature. Are you playing footsie with me Richard?

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Richard: Yes, I am getting into character.

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Vanessa: Two things with the short film. Firstly, I would like it to get into festivals. But also it is like a calling card. Hopefully people will see this. When we had one of our first meetings with Jon and Huw you could very much see the potential of the film and the ensemble cast. I would love to make a feature film.

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Richard: It has the potential to be a great British film.

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Vanessa: I am such a champion of British film so I would love to make it into a feature.

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What are you shooting on?

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Vanessa: I’m not sure. I have left that to Jon. Not film. Because it is too expensive. We want to do a few different takes on this film and we don’t want to worry about how expensive it would be. I know Jon was talking about filming on mono. So a combination I think.

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What’s next?

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Richard: I just graduated. I am not sure what is next. I am just putting myself out there.

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Vanessa: You are developing….

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Richard: Oh yeah, with my company, Antler, we are constantly developing work. Putting things together and trying out new ideas.

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Vanessa: Everything at the moment is Three Days. Then hopefully after that it will be the festivals. [Vanessa also has a lot of acting work coming up. Including a part in Southcliffe and some short films]

;

Thanks Vanessa and Richard.

;

Director: Jon Rennie @jon_rennie
Writers: Vanessa Bailey, Jon Rennie @vbaileyactor @jon_rennie
Producer: Sam Smith-Higgins http://www.redbeetlefilms.co.uk/ @SamSmith-Higgins
Executive Producer: Suzie Boudier @Superboooo
Cinematographer: Huw Walters http://vimeo.com/user4428776 @huwcamera
Composer: William Goodchild http://www.williamgoodchild.com/ @WGoodchildMusic
PR: FireflyPR http://www.firefly-pr.com/ @FireflyPR

Hair Design: Jason Hall http://www.jasonhallhairdressing.co.uk/ @Jhhair

The Truth About Looking Young

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You may have seen Dr. Rozina Ali’s excellent BBC Horizon programme entitled ‘The Truth About Looking Young’, if not see it here, in which she talked about L’Oreal’s progress in the field of glycobiology and how it is the next big thing in the cosmetics industry. (you can read her article here)

There is a whole new exciting science called glycobiology which looks at lipids and sugars and their role in our bodies. It promises to shed light on the differences between young skin and ageing skin, in particular the role of glycans in repairing damaged skin. This pairs really interesting with our recent skin care report, where together with Mintel l’Oreal found that:

Eye creams and gels

  • Nearly half of all women (46%) use anti-wrinkle eye creams. Eye cream usage is mostly used around the 24 to 54 age groups, for more than half of these women.
  • One in four (26%) 15-24 year olds state that their skincare routine also includes the use of an anti-wrinkle eye cream.

Moisturisers

  • Moisturisers are used by over two-thirds (68%) of women
  • Only 35% use them every day
  • The most popular and highest-volume usage is with young women, with 43% of under 25s using them.

Anti-ageing serums

  • 39% of all British women use anti-ageing serums.
  • As women grow older, 46% of 55-64s using anti-ageing serums as part of their skincare routine.
    L’Oreal have announced a nationally representative UK clinicial trial of YSL Forever Youth Liberator to be published in a journal, which will provide further solid evidence of the anti-ageing effects of glycobiology.

L’Oréal, the leading beauty company will strengthen its understanding of the clinical benefits between the emerging science of glycobiology and skin ageing by commissioning an independent UK-based clinical trial of the Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator skincare range.

Forever Youth Liberator is the first range of products available that are based on research into glycobiology, an area of science that is already the subject of intense research activity. L’Oréal has already conducted numerous clinical studies, with validated objective assessments of outcome, for each of the products in this range before their launch. The company is confident that a new independent UK-based clinical trial, to be published in a peer reviewed journal, will provide further evidence of the skin ageing effectiveness of the Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator products.  These include a new eye serum and night cream which will be launched in the coming months.

Julie McManus, Scientific Director for L’Oréal UK and Ireland said:

“L’Oréal has devoted over 20 years’ research into understanding the role of glycobiology in skin and the changes that occur with age. We have succeeded in developing highly effective products based on glycobiology, protecting the important role that glycans play in healthy skin. We are totally committed to proving the scientific results of our skincare products, which is why we are carrying out a UK-based clinical trial on the Forever Youth Liberator range.”

Forever Youth Liberator serum, cream, nutri cream, cleansing foam and lotion are now available from major department stores and Boots Beauty counters as well as www.yslbeauty.co.uk.

 

Following the success of the face serum, the best-selling product of the range, Yves Saint Laurent will be introducing on the 5th September an eye serum, specifically designed for the area of the face where skin is at its thinnest.

 

How to Avoid Sun Damage.

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We all know that sun damage is the biggest cause of premature ageing…

… So why is it that even celebrities like Simon Cowell and Kim Kardashian are being caught short..?

And it’s not just celebrities who are affected. In a recent survey by sensitive skin experts Eau Thermale Avène, 55% of us in the UK admit to suffering with sun damaged skin, with 54% agreeing that this has an impact on their psychological well-being and 30% recognising that pigmentation makes us look older or less attractive.

To prevent premature ageing and pigmentation Cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Sam Bunting, says “Sun avoidance is crucial; a diet rich in antioxidants may also be beneficial, as is applying topical antioxidants.”

Very High Protection SPF 50+ Emulsion (£15.00, 50ml Boots)

Ideal for those looking for high protection, this non-greasy formula is suitable for face and body application. This light and readily absorbed formula contains oil regulating Cucurbita pepo extract to give normal to combination skin a matte finish.

Hydrance UV Light

Paraben-free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, the Eau Thermale Avène Hydrance Optimale UV SPF20 moisturisers (£14.50, 40ml Boots) are perfect for dealing with the aggressions of everyday life. They offer SPF 20 protection against damaging UV rays (without leaving chalky white marks on the skin) and Pre-tocopheryl which lends an anti-radical action and shields skin from the environment’s harmful effects, e.g. pollution, cold and stress.

Trilogy’s Daily Defence Moisturiser with SPF15 (£28.50 Boots)

Easy to apply and with 100% pure plant oils for long lasting hydration, this lightweight botanical moisturiser includes a new generation SPF15 for effective UVA/UVB protection. By absorbing, reflecting and scattering UV rays, this new generation SPF coats the entire surface of the skin, not just the higher ridges, for maximum protection. It has clinically proven natural actives to help you achieve your best complexion from the first signs of ageing and as your skin matures.

To help reduce future sun damage and erase age spots try Avène’s new D-Pigment (£35, 30ml Boots). Using a trio of skin lightening actives D-Pigment slows down melanin production, lightens the skin, helps to renew cells and provides a protective antioxidant to help prevent new spots and patches appearing. In clinical trials, D-Pigment was found to reduce lentigo hyperpigmentation, by an average of 81%, significantly higher than the placebo after three months.[2] Use D-Pigment as part of your night time regime to leave you with a glowing and even complexion.

To further avoid getting caught out, Bao-Tam Phan, pharmacist and skincare expert at Eau Thermale Avène offers these top tips to keep skin sun-safe:

· Reapply sunscreen frequently, especially after swimming, sports or during prolonged periods of exposure

· Never remain in the sun for long periods – even if using a high SPF product

· Avoid sun exposure between noon and 4pm

· Beware of reflected sun – you can burn even wearing a hat or staying under an umbrella

· Avoid exposing young children (under 3 years) to the sun – protect them with a hat and T-shirt as well as Eau Thermale Avène SPF50+ Very High Protection Mineral Cream even on cloudy days.

· Use the correct amount of sunscreen to get the maximum protection (as a general rule, apply ‘one finger’ of product to the face, and ‘two fingers’ for each other part of the body)