Did you know that non-surgical cosmetic procedures are currently almost entirely unregulated in the UK? Scary, but true. Procedures like wrinkle-relaxing injections, dermal fillers, derma rolling and even laser therapy can legally be performed in the UK by anyone, regardless of their skills, experience and qualifications.
That’s right – anyone can set up as a non-surgical cosmetic practitioner and offer treatments right out of their living room, using cheap products that they’ve bought on eBay, and they wouldn’t be breaking a single law.
This has massive implications for anyone interested in these types of procedures. Each of them already comes with associated risks, and that’s before you add an untrained, unethical practitioner into the mix.
So in the interest of keeping you all safe, I have highlighted some of the main risks involved in some of the most popular treatments, so that you’re aware of how important it is to select a properly qualified practitioner.
Botulinum Toxin Injections
Whilst botulinum toxin injections are relatively safe when performed by an experienced doctor, nurse or dentist, problems can arise if they are administered incorrectly. The most common side effects include swelling and bruising at the injection site along with headaches and flu-like symptoms, but if injections aren’t placed correctly they can spread to adjacent areas and cause problems like:
- Drooping eyelids
- Crooked smile
- Uneven eyebrows
Dermal Fillers
Most side effects associated with dermal fillers happen shortly after they’ve been injected, with the most common being bruising, redness, swelling, pain and tenderness. However, there are also several less common side effects that can also arise, including:
- Nodules that may need to be surgically removed
- Infection
- scarring
- Allergic reactions
- Tissue death
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is an effective way of removing unwanted hair, but as the treatment involves the use of highly concentrated lasers it should only be carried out by a properly qualified professional. Normal side effects include your skin looking and feeling sunburned, but treatment can also result in:
- Blisters
- Burns
- Permanent scarring
- Changes in skin colour
Avoid Untrained Practitioners
Unfortunately, as the popularity of non-surgical cosmetic procedures has risen, so have the number of untrained individuals masquerading as professionals. A quick search on the Internet will bring up hundreds of practitioners in your area, and sorting through them can be daunting and confusing, so how do you differentiate the good from the bad?
New regulatory body Save Face have set up a centralised register of non-surgical practitioners, each who have been vetted against a strict set of objective standards to ensure their safety. By using their search engine, you can be sure that the practitioner you select has been individually assessed on site by a Save Face Clinical Assessor.
If you are considering a non-surgical cosmetic procedure, then safety should be your number one concern. Whilst cut-rate deals might be tempting, they should be avoided at all costs. After all, is it really worth risking your health to save a few pounds?
Author – Save Face can help connect you with qualified, safe and credible non-surgical cosmetic practitioners by providing a centralised register of Save Face Accredited Practitioners. Use their multi-faceted search engine to make sure you stay safe and not sorry when you undergo a non-surgical cosmetic procedure
Over the past month, I have been using a new shampoo that I am totally loving. I don’t normally fall in love with a shampoo (usually more of a conditioner worshipper!) but I am putting it down to this product as to why my hair has proved to be a lot more manageable. For the first time in a long while, my hair has started to feel stronger, and as I regularly lighten my hair and use heat appliances you can imagine how weak my hair eventually got. So here we go, introducing Dr Schedu Berlin Keratin Collagen Shampoo…
Dr. Schedu’s Keratin Collagen Shampoo is enriched with natural minerals and salts that are only found in the Dead Sea. Combined with reconstructive keratin, collagen and amino acids, the shampoo is specifically designed to strengthen and nourish damaged hair and give a beautiful shine.
The products ensure a balanced pH value, and I love using a shampoo which is free from silicone, parabens, paraffin, ammonia and formaldehyde. I always find if you want to care for your hair, using a product as pure as possible will maintain rather than strip your hair’s volume, shine, smoothness and colour brilliance. Dr Schedu’s shampoo is also 100% cruelty-free and for every bottle sold, they donate €1 to the orphans in war torn countries.
This shampoo is produced exclusively in Germany by leading dermatologists and scientists, therefore you can view the product and see how to shop here. I massage this in for 3 minutes, which is recommended to let the product really work it’s magic. I can also be quite guilt for washing my hair daily, but this shampoo is so gentle that it is effective for everyday cleansing. The high keratin ensures smooth, soft, moisturized hair by surrounding each hair shaft like a film, treating fine breaks, increasing volume, smoothing and protecting.
Don’t just take my word for it! You may have noticed two bottles of the shampoo wrapped up all pretty in the photos, and yes- they are to giveaway! I have x2 bottles available to win via instagram, so just make sure you enter below which takes you to my instagram page and you could be one of the lucky winners…
One of my main loves in life is food. Eating out is possibly my favourite ‘activity’ – I would possibly even put it up there in front of shopping, therefore living in Manchester city center is a pretty ideal location to feed my hobby. The latest place I visited last week is a place I’m sure was created to suit people like me; an all you can eat buffet, with a difference.
With cuisines from around the world, Peachy Keens is an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant in The Printworks, centrally located in Manchester. Exploring all food options from Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Mexican and Japanese, you have starters, mains and deserts to fill you up for an entire week! The best thing about this buffet eatery is that it differs from others due to the fact it features ‘live cooking’. I was really impressed to see chefs situated around certain cuisines, freshly cooking and preparing extra food options, such as pasta’s, bolognese, naan breads, stir fry’s and meats on the grill. During my particular visit, I was really feeling like an over-indulgence Italian feast, therefore I had a penne pasta with a meaty bolognese tomato sauce cooked up for me.
Deserts are my biggest weakness, and usually when I eat at all-you-can-eat buffets I get slightly disappointed at the selection of mini deserts that just seem overfilled with cream and jellies. Thankfully, Peachy Keens restored my faith in buffet style deserts, with so many cake options where you can take whatever sized slice you like, as well a hot deserts such as apple crumble with custard, and mini chocolate brownies. They have a pancake section too, where a desert chef will make pancakes for you with a variety of toppings. No excuse not to embrace your sweet tooth…
Peachy Keens is a great place to go if there are a few of you dining out, and love a range of food varieties and themes. If you can’t decide on a cuisine, then Peachy Keens covers every type of food you can think of, so everyone in your group will be satisfied in some shape or form! Just by being able to see the chef’s cooking away behind all the food stations gives you the safe feeling all the food is being cooked and prepared freshly, which is a nice feeling to have when you eat at a world buffet.
I’ll definitley be returning here; it is affordable, with attentive staff, and provides the greatest amount of choice. Worth a visit if you are dining in Manchester for sure!
And we’re off! Ladies Day season is officially beginning, which means it’s a time to celebrate glamorous hats, hair and heels. But the most important factor for preparing for the races is, of course, finding that all important dress. Some say there is a races etiquette that needs to be followed, whilst others indulge in their own creativity and aim to dress as unusual and quirky as possible.
Here, I explore how to stand out from the crowd during this year’s 2015 Ladies Day season, looking into all the latest fashion recommendations and hottest dresses from the retailers. For an event that requires ‘Formal Daywear’ when the weather is so unpredictable can be quite difficult, therefore it’s good to opt for something that will look classy with or without a little shawl, jacket or shoulder shrug. Let’s take a look at what the retailers have to offer…
Firstly, shift style dresses are not always the first thought when it comes to Ladies Day, but these beautiful fresh coloured designs from Warehouse are perfect to team up with bear legs, stilettos and a plain coloured hat. They are classic and comfy, yet have that luxe appearance and appear very ‘ladylike’
Forever Unique have also just launched their Sweet Peach collection in time for the Spring season to kick in, which incorporates glamorous designs in pastel and bold colour palettes, with sparkling embellishing’s and decorative finishing’s. This pretty peach bandeau style dress would look perfect with a subtle faux tan and matching peach clutch bag
For a slightly different look, opt for a smart, classy co-ordinates set in a soft shade, like this Abby Blue Bandage Co-ordinate set. The knee length skirt paired with the matching cropped top work well to create the illusion of a slim line pencil dress with a more unique look.
To work a floral print into your outfit, Lipsy have some new designs which will look amazing for field fashion! Subtle flower blooms and delicate lace prints featured on these two sweetheart neckline dresses are perfect for Spring fashion, and will guarantee you will look ultra-feminine and stylish.
When it comes to hats, sometimes ladies can be a little afraid of going too over-sized, or even too under-sized. Play it safe with a saucer style which mix the elements of a hat and a fascinator in two from Debenhams:
To finish of your Ladies Day look, chose some dainty jewels for accessories so that they let your dress do the talking. Practise your posture, and go for a dewy, Spring inspired make up look with fluttery lashes and soft pink lips.
Field day fashion at its sweetest!
I held off producing a post reviewing the Urban Decay NAKED eyeshadow palette at first as I know it’s not a new product, and there are hundreds of reviews online sharing to readers how fabulous this product is. That in mind, I didn’t feel it needed anymore reviews about how amazing it is. But I have noticed since owning this palette that I don’t seem to use any of my other eyeshadow palettes, therefore I feel it’s only fair to join the nation and rave about this to you all!
Based on a colour palette of neutrals, the 12 bronze-hue shades Naked eyeshadow palette compliment all eye colours and include matte, satin, shimmer and sparkle, so you can pick from a range of textures. The shades range from pale champagnes to deep gunmetal, so you can layer up which ever shades you like for a sheer, shimmery natural looking day time eye, or a smokey evening look. The 12 stunning shades are the following; Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep and Gunmetal. For work, I’ve been using Virgin (the lightest shade) as a base, with Naked (the third one along, a matte, neutral brown) over the top and a little bit of Buck in the outer crease. But for evening, I’ve been using all these shades below to create a striking grey-mixed-with-brown dark eye look..
After layering up the six shades, and blending in the darkest Gunmetal shade into the lower eyelid, it creates a shimmery evening eye that blends greys and soft browns together. If you have blue eyes, then take note because greys and browns are the perfect shades for helping blue eyes ‘pop’ and look that little bit clearer and wider!
I have finished the look off with liquid eyeliner from Essence (it’s the felt-tip pen liner I have previously blogged about here) and Lancome Hypnose Doll Eye mascara, which I love love love!
So this is my ultimate weekend night eyeshadow look, made easy by Urban Decay for having such a fantastic eyeshadow palette which makes layering up different looks so easy and achievable. For £37, it’s a staple set that you’ll rely on everyday, and lasts for ages. Fully recommend!
I’m not usually one to have designer items. As much as I wish I had a wardrobe full of premium labels and collections, I have to be realistic and settle with the High Street. However, something suddenly changed. I now own a Michael Kors clutch bag, and I am truly in love. And now I see why people become so attached to their beloved designer accessories. It’s the most beautiful designer treat for yourself, or would make a fantastic gift for Valentines Day (get hinting to your fella’s). And bringing in the beauty element too – don’t you agree it goes perfectly well with my new gel nails I got done for the weekend at the Brazilian Wax Company?
I have styled up my gorgeous Michael Kors Jet Set Clutch Bag, from Harvey Nichols, with my Warehouse jumpsuit and newly polished dark grey nails. It’s not often I get the time to treat myself, but for a gel nail application at Brazilian Wax Company it only costs £15, and the service and professionalism is incredible. I haven’t had my nails done for such a long time, and I absolutely love my shiny grey nails! Anyway, I will post about them next week, so for now, I wanted to showcase this beautiful clutch bag which comes in a range of three colours, and is small enough to put on your Valentines Day treat list for your partner. If you feel a little bit cheeky asking for a designer accessory, Harvey Nichols have a stunning range of clutch bags, bracelets, earrings, iPhone 5 cases etc, all under labels such as Michael Kors, Valentino and Moschino (to name a few) that can cost £150 and below. My little beaut of a bag is £75, and in my eyes, worth every penny!
Do you have a favourite designer accessory? Or do you have one on your Valentines Day list this year? Share with my how you would style yours up!
Bringing a touch of sports luxe into my daily look – here is the lovely Iliana Sports Luxe Silver Glitter Crop Top, from She Likes. Just a little post today to highlight the look, teamed with pale blue ankle jeans for a laid back, casual mid week vibe…
The top is currently in sale for £10, which is pretty amazing for a top that can be paired with jeans and a jacket for casual, lazy-day attire, or matched with a black mini skirt and blazer for a much more dressier look. I love a good versatile top!
SheLikes currently has new collections coming in often now that we are approaching February, so keep an eye out for affordable, trend lead Spring 2015 fashions.
Today I wanted to share with you all two beauty products I am currently loving at the moment, which incorporate natural ingredients. You have probably heard a lot of hype over the past year about coconut oil and rosehip oil- the media have been labelling them hero products within the beauty world, and in general, everybody seems to be shifting over to using natural beauty products in aid of keeping harsh chemicals and ingredients away from their skin. The products I have been working into my daily regimes are from Phytacol and Coconoil, and it’s safe to say I am in love with both…
I try to use natural products when I can, but in a world where there seems to be a different product for every little concern – and some magical ones at that- it can be quite difficult when you faced with overwhelming choices on the High Street. Many a time I have gone weeks using Tea Tree and Aloe Vera based products, only to then find I’m mixing it up with harsh salicyic acids to help with breakouts, or AHA products to fade away redness.
When I was introduced to the products above, I was relieved to have the excuse again to slip back into my natural beauty product regime. Coconut oil is always raved about; and this brand in particular – Coconoil- has some fantastic reviews. Coconoil Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is careful produced from the finest organically grown coconuts in Sri Lanka. By using traditional methods of production, it retains all healthy qualities to provide a completely natural oil. As well as it’s uses for beauty, it’s also fantastic for cooking, being a healthy alternative to cooking oils, bringing extra flavours and providing energy
The texture of Coconoil is of a slightly stiff wax, with it’s main beauty properties being to provide glowing skin upon application to face and body, and one of nature’s best ways to beat dry skin. I have been smoothing this onto certain dry patches on my arms over the past month, along with also mixing it up with other kitchen ingredients to provide nourishing face masks and also hair masks! I mixed the Coconoil with honey and left on my hair for half an hour, using this as an intensive hair mask. I can’t begin to tell you how amazing my hair smelt afterwards, and how soft and silky it was to touch! I now try and use this concoction twice a week, as my hair is very dry from constantly lightening and applying heat.
In terms of Rosehip Oil, this is the first time I have used a product like this that also comes in a lotion form as well as an oil. The two products come as PhytaOil and PhytaLotion, and are both incredible little heroes!
As you may know, Rosehip oil is popular for it’s scar healing properties, along with stretch mark fading, intensive moisturising and acting as a powerful antioxidant, so everything it promotes is beneficial to me. The lotion is lovely- it doesn’t feel like you are putting an oil into your skin, and even though in this case it is completely fine to smooth this oil into skin, some people feel happier using a lotion texture. Me for one…
If you are looking to improve skin tone, texture and help reduce wrinkles at the same time, utilising rosehip is the best way of naturally doing this. Working this wonder product into your regime is fantastic- I have noticed my skin reacts to these two products wonderfully, with no initial redness or breakouts- just smooth, supple skin from the word go. I have been using the PhytaLotion in particular for 3 weeks now, and feel like the redness to my skin has calmed down a lot and my skin is looking really healthy. It also has a natural, fresh scent.
Rosehip oil naturally contains Vitamins A and E, along with natural oils of apricot kernal, jojoba seed, lavener, lime and geranium, which help with the skins regenerative process. In both of these products – the Coconoil and Rosehip, there are no traces at all of mineral oils, synthectic preservatives or added fragrances.
I can’t love these natural products enough! Take a look at the information below, but first, do a little bit of your own research and you’ll see just how popular and well loved they are, by people like myself and beauty experts alike.
PhtyaLotion: £9.99
PhytaOil: £10.99
Coconoil: £6.99
Living in the city has so many perks, but it also has one major downside – when it snows, it doesn’t stick here. So all of you posting your beautiful snowy scenery photos, you have won; I have none to show, except attempts at capturing the dull, dismal sleet that has fallen and created a grey Manchester City Center.
If I can’t succeed at getting in the romantic wintery mood, I’ll try and step into Spring a little early then, and showcase a style taken from the Lavish Alice Spring 2015 collection…
I opted for these lovely pale pink wide leg trousers as an introduction to Spring ’15 from Lavish Alice the other week, which pair up great with soft greys, whites, creams, blacks and light pastels. Lavish Alice have recently launched their new collection which features crisp, clean and simple garments in a gorgeous colour palette of classic colours, so if anything can pull you out of Winter fashion misery, then I reckon this will! Take a look at the new Spring trend range if your looking for some new, fresh wardrobe pieces to introduce once we’ve got this cold snap out of the way…
I of course teamed my cute new trousers with a low back dark grey top, as technically we are still in January, so no point getting all excited about showing my Spring style too early. But as the warmer months approach, I no doubt guess I’ll take inspiration from the model on the website and pair up my pastels with cute crop tops like the look below.
Who else is excited for Spring?
For those that don’t know, I spent the best part of 9 months living in sunny Australia, living the dream in the glorious Sydney. I won’t go into detail in this post, but it truly is the most magical, breath-takingly beautiful place that I am honored to have been able to experience. Unfortunately, due to going into Australia’s Winter time and my job and visa contracts running out, I couldn’t make a visit to Melbourne. I’ve been told that I would love the place; with it’s fashion scene, quirky cafe culture and it’s general laid back vibe. So when I was invited to take part in the Qantas and ASOS Fashion Project to put together my ‘Best Flight Outfit’ to travel to Melbourne for the Jean Paul Gaultier ‘From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk’, I literally jumped at the chance. What a dream!
So here we go, to celebrate Qantas being the official airline for The Fashion Wolrd of Jean Paul Gaultier: From The Sidewalk To The Catwalk Exhibition, now showing in Melbourne, I’ve joined a selection of 20 fashion bloggers to put together my best flight outfit. So here is the logic behind my flying outfit!
With inspiration from ASOS, I decided that the key to the perfect flying outfit is to layer up. During the journey to Melbourne, there are stop off’s at other airports, and who know’s what hot weather is going to be greeting you when you step straight off the plane? You need to layer up to keep warm during the cold air conditioning, but you also need to be comfy, in a roomy outfit, and one that gives you the chance to ‘strip down’ for stopping off at airports and getting off the flight at the red hot destination of Melbourne!
And this is why I have chose the following as key flight items; the Warehouse Cami Crepe Jumpsuit from ASOS, £16, and the ASOS Crop Top with Boxy Kimono Sleeve, £22. The pale blue top is a fresh Summer colour to set the scene for the Melbourne Summertime, plus it is roomy and loungey, with no tight sleeves or colors for any restrictions. The jumpsuit has the same type of fit – it’s a baggy, loose fitting style with a waist rope to pull it in as tight/loose as you like. The legs are loose fitting, so no worries about anything tight clinging to your legs (be really careful about DVT risks when flying long haul), and the best bit is that for a more casual, laid-back look, you can drop the top of the jumpsuit down in true ‘dungaree style’ to reveal a total new look (as above). This look mimics a top and baggy pant style-look, which again is perfect for when you are sat comfortably in your seat, mid way the 24 hour flight…
And the final best bit… you grab your luggage, your tired from all the flying, and you step out at Melbourne airport to be greeted with 30 degree temperatures. Easy – remove the blue crop top, pop your backpack on your shoulders, make sure your wearing trainers/comfy pumps, and you can cool down in your spacious jumpsuit, fitting right in on the other side of the world. What I love about this, is that with just one outfit, you can create 3 different looks for 3 stages of flying, and each one is really fashionable and works in with the whole jumpsuit, ‘all-in-one’ trend that is so big right now!
The colour palette is beautiful, and this is completely ideal for heading to the fashion exhibition in Melbourne. I have to admit it was quite difficult selecting the outfit from ASOS as they have some gorgeous items, and at one point I was tempted to opt for some boyfriend jeans and an oversized hoody. But we have to remember girls; we are long haul flying in style to a fashion exhibition, and there are plenty more creative ways of working up a comfy, spacious, versatile yet stylish outfit! So I’m pretty happy with my selection!
Now wish me luck… you never know, I could be jetting off to Melbourne!
