‘Tis the season to party…

Keep Hydrated

…but don’t let your skin suffer by following these simple steps
GET YOUR SLEEP:

It  is essential for glowing skin, so if you have a few late nights planned; try to get to bed earlier on the nights you are not out or even take a nap during the day with cold cucumber or chamomile tea bags on your eyes.  Or try using a lavender eye mask to fully relax your mind and body.

Sleeping with an extra pillow can help reduce fluid build up round the eyes which causes puffiness and bags. (And silk pillows are excellent for stopping creases on your face that over time could lead to increased wrinkles).

Wake yourself up in the morning by splashing cold water on your face a few times to brighten and tighten your skin.  And when you are in the shower, turn the temperature to cold for one minute before you finish.  This will help boost circulation and give you an instant wake-up.

ALWAYS TAKE YOUR MAKEUP OFF:

Get into the habit of always taking your makeup off before going to bed regardless of how big a night you’ve had, as your skin will suffer over the next few days if it’s been left on.

KEEP HYDRATED:

Remember to drink water throughout the night’s partying as this will lessen the after effects the next day.  Hangover headaches are caused from the cells in the brain being excessively dehydrated.  Drink as much water as you can before bed and also when you wake up.  Try to avoid coffee the morning after a big night out, despite the temptation, as caffeine is also a diuretic so will dehydrate the body further.  Although it may feel like a quick pick-me-up, you will feel worse when the effects wear off.  If you really need to have caffeine fix, try green tea instead as it is packed with antioxidants.

Keep your skin well moisturised – spraying rosewater mist onto your face throughout the day will keep your skin hydrated.

BE KIND TO YOUR INSIDES:

During this hectic party season, take a multivitamin to supplement your diet.  Also, taking Echinacea or olive leaf extract will help keep your immune system topped up.  Another herb to assist your body through endless parties is Milk Thistle.  It helps with cleansing the liver, the organ which clears out toxins from the body, particularly alcohol.

Replenish lost nutrients from partying by having some fruit as part of your breakfast and avoiding fry ups and caffeine.

FACE THE DAY:

Less is more when it comes to makeup. Curling your eyelashes before applying mascara will instantly open up your eyes.  Apply a light reflecting concealor under the eyes to fake how awake you really are! And lilac on the eyelids works well to brighten the whole eye area and suits all skin tones.

BellaMUMMA

Nikki Yazxhi - BellaMUMMA

Nikki is a beauty and lifestyle writer who has a gorgeous hubbie and two spunky little boys. Her background is magazines and her freelance stories have featured in COSMOPOLITAN, MARIE CLAIRE and SHOP TIL YOU DROP. She loves {in no particular order} hanging out with her boys, blogging, the beach, dark chocolate, coffee, red wine, clean sheets and snuggling on the couch on Friday nights!

Visit her gorgeous blog today http://www.bellamumma.com

Thanks Nikki for taking the time out of your very busy week to answers a few questions.

Blogging:

Q: What do you love about blogging?

A: I love the fact that it’s all about me – LOL!!! When you freelance you work to a brief or write to the tone of the magazine – with bellaMUMMA it’s what I like and in my own words!

Q: Where do you get your daily inspiration from?

A: Everywhere… I’m always checking out blogs, magazines + I get a lot of info/pix/products sent to me from PR’s!

Beauty:

Q: What is your no.1 beauty ‘must-have’ product?

A: At the moment Moroccanoil – it’s THE BEST product for your hair! It moisturises, repairs and stops the frizzies – {a god-send for my chemically challenged hair!}

Q: What is your essential makeup product(s)?

A: Chanel Lumiere foundation, Maybelline Colossal Mascara and Lanolips lip balm {which you can also dab on your cheeks}!

Q: What is the best makeup tip you’ve been given?

A: When you’re applying mascara, don’t forget to coat the very inner lashes and the top of your lashes, too. Makeup artists do, and they always make us look just terrific, so let’s copy them.

Q: What is the one thing that you religiously do when it comes to your skincare routine?

A: {Try to} take cooler showers… it’s so SO much better for your skin and hair! Hot water dries out your skin and can cause flare-ups! Cooler water also makes your hair look shiner!

Style:

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Pretty casual – maybe a little a little boho!?!

Q: Do you follow trends?

A: Bits and pieces of trends! I’m really conscious of becoming ‘mutton dressed as lamb’!

Fashion:

Q: What is your worst fashion mistake?

A: Hmmm, I made a few when I was younger… hopefully I don’t anymore!!!!!

Q: Do you have a favourite item in your wardrobe?

A: My jeans – can’t live without them!

Q: Who are your favourite designers?

A:Sass & Bide, Morrison, Bassike and May.

Celebrities:

Q: Which celebrity do you admire in terms of beauty & style?

A: Alexa Chung and Sienna MIller – both gorgeous, original and stylish!

Anti-Ageing The Natural Way

Naturally Beautiful

It comes to us all… the inevitable ageing process – it’s only ‘natural’!

There are millions of products and procedures out there specifically targeting our insecurities of the natural ageing process.  There are the obvious and well publicised anti-ageing treatments, such as face lifts, Botox and the increasingly popular Microdermabrasion and Intense Light Pulse Therapy  – not to mention all the ‘chemical laden’ beauty products that promise ‘miracles’.

I believe that there is an alternative ‘natural way’ when is comes to age defense – it might not give the immediate results or provide the dramatic change you are instantly after; but by investing the time needed to naturally look after your body, you will achieve a glowing complexion and a healthy body. After all, Mother Nature didn’t intend for skincare to be hard – so keep it pure and simple and your body will thank you for it.

Eat ‘Green’ – Natures Super Foods
Antioxidants – vitamins and minerals, mainly found in fruit and vegetables, prevent a damaging process called oxidative stress, caused by pollution, anxiety, ultraviolet light and smoking.  Good sources are: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, garlic, kales, strawberries, spinach, raspberries, brussel sprouts, plums, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beetroot, and avocado. Other great ‘green food’ – Green tea, honey, nuts, oats, oily fish, quinoa, seaweed, spices & herbs and olive oil.

Check out Makeup By Elizabeth – Makeup Artist and Skincare Consultant

Check out Makeup By Elizabeth – Makeup Artist and Skincare Consultant

Top Hair Tips for Your Wedding

How to look your best on your wedding day

Top 5 Bridal Hair Tips from Klaire Clark

Klaire has over 20 years experience in the hairdressing industry; initially trained with Robert Fielding’s of Regent Street and Vidal Sassoon, London; she now lives in Sydney where she continues her love of hairdressing and styling.  I regularly work with and highly recommend Klaire for wedding and formal hairstyling.  Just some of Klaire’s creative flair includes braids, up-styles with flowers, beaded clips, feathers, jewels etc. and she also creates smart, contemporary looks too.

Feeding the Soul

Hayley is an old school friend who became a successful fashion model at a young age before returning to education in her 30′s to acquire a Bsc degree in nutritional therapy. Hayley now has her own nutrition practice in London called Pure Nourishment (Facebook Link here) that is devoted to empowering clients to realise their full potential. Her experience in motivating clients to change their approach to food has inspired a holistic approach that incorporates a greater appreciation of psychological influences and aims to help people achieve improvements through ‘feeding the soul’.

There is no stopping Hayley’s motivation and drive, as she is currently studying a Msc degree in applied sports & exercise nutrition, which has also inspired a fresh approach to her own fitness and exercise program, which is such a valuable aspect of her life as “exercise keeps ‘her’ sane”!

I’m delighted and grateful that Hayley took time out of her very busy schedule to share her thoughts on beauty, health, nutrition and more…

What is your all-time beauty “must have” product?
• I believe in exfoliation, and use a mild, non-abrasive product daily. I don’t however like the idea of anything too harsh like micro-dermabrasion techniques; preferring to work with my body rather than against it.

Living the Natural Way

My lovely friend Karen, who always inspires me with her calm and confident attitude to daily life, shares her thoughts on living the “natural way” and gives us a small insight into her family life. Karen is a gorgeous mother of two beautiful children, a great cook of natural foods, a strong believer in using organic and natural products, an advocate of Rudolf Steiner and an aspiring writer.

1. When and why did you turn to ‘all things natural’?

Hard to say…probably seriously when I became pregnant although I was interested in it before. I wanted to know what I was ingesting into my body and started to read the back of product labels and learning about the chemicals in them.

Natural Beauty Secrets

I have been fortunate to meet some wonderful people throughout my career in the beauty industry; who have shared with me their beauty tips and secrets.
Below are just a few of my favourites:

All- over:
Rosewater Mist is my ultimate beauty ‘must-have’ for its uplifting aroma and multitude of uses.  A great balancing and hydrating toner can also freshen up your makeup throughout the day too. Also great to spritz over your entire body on damp skin just out of the shower.
Improve your circulation and texture of your skin and help eliminate toxins by dry body brushing in circular upward movements before you shower and finishing your shower with cold water.

My beauty faves

I often get asked what my daily beauty routine is, so I thought I’d take a moment to share with some of my top daily essentials.

Very much encouraged by my mother and grandmother; I adopted a good daily skincare routine from my early years.  I learnt about natural skincare and how to apply makeup by watching, researching, experimenting and practicing. From a baby, my mother added rosewater to our baths and taught me about the importance of taking care of myself using natures help.

Top beauty tip:  Remember what you do now will effect the way your skin looks in ten years time – so give your skin the TLC its needs today to see the results tomorrow.  (Oh, and drink plenty of water daily!)

My Top 5 Beauty Must Haves:

Bridal Makeup Tips

Your Special Day Needs a Special Look

As a professional makeup artist who has been specialising in wedding makeup for over 15 years; I thought I’d share with you some of my top tips for wedding day makeup.

It continues to surprise me when brides leave choosing a makeup artist and/or a makeup look to the last minute.  Quite understandably, photographers tend to be one of the first things that brides book, but can you imagine if the photos were ruined as the makeup looked bad?