Masterclass - Basic Body Care

Aka - Body talk

Ok, so we know what your skin is and how to look after the face, but that's only a small part of your bodies skin. It is no good to have that lovely luminous face with the rest of you looking a little below par. This entry  is also perfect timing as the weather here in the UK has been bea-ti-ful enough to think about removing layers and showing a little bit more skin (for the one minute as the clouds part maybe!)

There is nothing really scary about the body, if you have the good foundation for the facial skin you can transfer this over to the body. So let's go over a few basics and how we adapt these to the rest of the body:

Cleansing - This can be either bath or shower, this is personal preference, I like a shower because it's quicker, easier to do maintenance and I feel cleaner out of it. The main thing is to make sure the water is not too hot (which I am guilty of in the winter), this can dry out the skin more, leaving it red and inflamed. I realised this what was causing my poor skin feeling dry and itchy and have decreased the heat in my water. Shower/bath gel? Purely your choice but if you have drier skin look for moisturising one to get some extra nutrients in the skin.

Exfoliation - The skin on  your body also regenerates like your face so it also benefits from having an extra hand. Body scrubs have larger grains in and come in grains (like ground nuts etc.), sugar and salt (which dissolves into the skin). Rub in circular motions towards the heart (to help your circulation, which then can carry oxygen and waste around, another way of getting some glow). Avoid inflamed and dry areas as it can only make it worse.

Moisturising - My mum is a teacher of all my first exploration into skin care, out of all the things she taught me there is one things that i now do without thinking. When you come out of the bath rather than jut towel off straight away I use a flannel to take the most of the water off while leaving the skin slightly damp, then massaging the lotion in (towards the heart again), relax in the steam (pop a face mask on now - your pores are more open and willing to be cleaned out), then pat the skin dry (saves distressing the skin).

Does it matter how much you clean? I try and shower every other day if it's a normal week, more if I need to (or husband complains that I smell - nice). Every person is different in this, some people can get away with less some with more.

Next - Hair Removal

Brand Masterclass - Lancome

Founded in 1935 by Armand Petitjean in France, Lancôme celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010. Petitjean’s motive was simple: to create a beauty brand that would deliver French elegance around the world. The name “Lancôme” was inspired by the ruins of a castle, Le Château de Lancosme, while the roses in the area inspired the company’s symbol of the single golden rose.

Armand Petitjean

Armand Petitjean was already 50 years old when he start Lancome, and originally was an importer of goods from around Europe, but he has also work in the French foreign office and, more notably, for Francois Coty, a skilled perfumer. However, Petitjean did not approve of the path Coty was taking his brand, rather than focusing on quality he was going towards the mass market line.

Pettijean decided he wanted to be prestige market or not all, with that he gathered several like minded colleagues including d’Ornano brothers, the chemist Pierre Velon, and Georges Delhomme, Coty’s former design director. While they created he put together Lancome, “Why did I create Lancome?” he said one day, “Because I had seen that two American brands had taken control of the beauty industry. A French brand should be up alongside them.”

They launched with five fragrances - Tropiques, Conquete, Kypre, Tendres Nuits, and Bocages, as well as their bottles ornamented with gold, orchids, green forests, or moldings of cargo ropes, were a snub to the ascetically geometric Art Deco of the moment.

After the building success from critics, he turned to Dr. Medynski, a veteran professor whose recent discovery of stabilising horse serum in skin care, and the industrial chemist Pierre Velon. Together they created the Nutirx range, a regenerating night cream, and a range that still sells in high numbers to this day.

In 1938 saw the start of Lancome make-up with Rose de France, a pale pink rose scented lipstick that soft and creamy, truly against the lipsticks of the time that were indelible and dry. It was an instant best seller.



1953 Tresor Magazine Advert

Lancome was the forefront of beauty of many years,  rapidly established itself with three branches of cosmetic activity, each with its own emblem: a rose for perfumery, a cherub for makeup, and a lotus flower for skin-care products. Behind the scenes things were not so calm, Petijean's son decided that he did want to enter the business, and he was given no choice but to start looking at alternatives.

Many companies started to woo Lancome - Revlon, Yardley, Payot, but all had one thing in common, they were not french. Until L'Oreal approached them in 1967 with already great influence in the international market and a large money backing, they were the choice. 3 years later Petitjean passed away at the age of 84.

Lancome in the modern era still hold the original ideals that the founding father created. French cultural values and the French perception of elegance and beauty as a whole.

Brand Masterclass - M.A.C. Cosmetics

M.A.C. Cosmetics or Makeup Artist Cosmetics was created in 1984 by Photographer Frank Tostan and Salon chain owner Frank Angelo, seeing a gap in the market for specialised cosmetics for fashion photo shoots. Tostan was the idea and creative mind behind M.A.C. before partnering with Angelo, he experimented with formulas with his brother in law and chemist Victor Casale.  Original product lines were designed for Makeup artists who needed heavy cosmetics, cake makeup ad stage makeup needed for the heavy light of photography.

Already having connections in the industry, they spread the M.A.C. word through these contacts. The quality and durability of the products soon promoted the brand and won endorsements by stars like Pamela Anderson, Debbie Harry, and Boy George. They opened their first store in New York in 1991, with the first European in Paris in 1996. They now have 1,500 locations in 78 countries.

In 1994 the partners sold 51% of the business to Esteé Lauder with the full takeover being completed in 1998 after the passing of Frank Angelo. Esteé Lauder kept the original philosophy of the owners work as well as the continued VIVA Glam campaign that raises funds and awareness of AIDS through limited edition collections.

"All ages, All races, All sexes"

Masterclass - Eyes

aka - all about the peepers B )

I wanted to write this one seperate after writing one of the others, I could easily see the other blog entry doubling in size!

Your eyes are supposibily the windows to the soul, I know when I met my husband it was his eyes that I loved. We met when I was 15 and him 13 (cradle snatcher I Know), he has some really soft blue eyes that always twinkled when he was up to trouble (or at least thinking it), he still has that 13 yr old twinkle now. The great things about eyes they don't really age and they are individual to each person. Unfortantly, its the area around the eyes that give it all away!

Your eyes are also an opeining (things can get in and can get out). These can be a course of irritation and the list of illness can be very long. With anything that causes longterm irritation or anything that you feel doesn't feel "right" get it checked out by your GP (espically if people are running away in horror!). There one thing that floats around that is true: the skin around your eye is thinner, can be one of the dryest area, and most sensitive; so anything that you do chose to go on this area should be designed for that area.

Cleansers for here are designed with two things in mind - To take eye make up off as well as the dirt and grime that collects over the day on your lashes and eyelids. I find if you do wear waterproof mascara to find something is a little more oilier as this will dissolve any mascara, some you can find designed for senstive eyes as well. I did have to try out (and give away) a few brands before I found the perfect one so prepared to invest time and money into finding the right one (I ended up with a Boots own one that cost £1.42 and it does the job perfectly, while allergic to some that are £20 odd).

Same as washing the face the next bit to rehydrate, now this is where the big battle starts. People are very divided on whether its worth it. The main difference between an eye cream formula and a face cream formula is that an eye cream has less additives and more emoliments (yummy moisture stuff) than face cream. I would never take both of them right up to eye but up to the boney bit of the eye socket. I do notice the difference when I have used one, a lot more freasher and brighter. You can even use your serum around here as well as they're texture are very light and its concertrated in ingrediants.

Next week: The rest of the body (because that needs TLC too!)

Masterclass - Skin Types

aka. Know your enemy (and make it a friend)

We are all not the same, we all have different needs and requirements for ourselves. Like ourselves, skin typing is not exclusive, you will find as we go through this that you could fall into more than one category. Over time you'll also find that you'll skin will also travel from one section to another, factors that can change this are:

* Aging (sorry)
* Pregnancy
* Stress
* Smoking (honesty give it up, you'll skin will love you in weeks!)
* Pollution (most notably the London smog)
* Medication
* Weather (going from heat to cold then heat then cold)

So why do we have skin categories? It just makes life easier for the customer and the companies, I have never ever have seen a product that can do everything that everyone requires. This gives the company focus to produce products for a certain need, as different skin types have different needs.
Right, down to basics, there are four skin types, each with their own characteristics that sets them apart from one another:

Normal Skin
Uber rare to find, one with no problems that looks fresh clear and perfect. I think of this of skin before hormones (and life) kicks in. Soft, springy, even toned and colour. This what you are aiming for when you add a foundation to skin. Product wise you can use anything that doesn't strip the skin of moisture
support of your skin.

Dry Skin
This is more skin that is moisture deficient, leaving the skin dry to touch. There would be lack of elasticity to skin, as well as dullness and flakiness. The pores (where sebum is produced) is small and tight, cell regeneration also is slowly (hence the dullness its the higher rate of dead skin cells). Unfortunately on of the most common characteristics is that your skin will look older, that is why it is good to use a creamy exfoliate to support the cell regeneration process. Due to lack of moisture dry skin is more prone to be sensitive because it doesn't have that barrier. Please invest in a beautiful creamy moisturiser, you'll skin will thank you for it.

Oily Skin
Is the complete opposite to dry, this is your skin working overtime and producing more sebum that you need. This produces that sheen on the skin, but don't mistake this for glow (that's a delicate softness, oily just looks you've dipped your face in chip oil). This skin will normally have enlarged pores, will look dull because the dead cells sit around in the oil and the blood circulation is sluggish. Unfortunately this skin will suffer with more blemishes and spots, on the good side it'll have great tone and can protect the skin from early aging. This skin will need to look more for products that are designed for your skin (oil free is a key thing), a very light lotion will be great as well as matifying serum/primer to look less shiny.

Combination Skin
Basically this has a mixture of the above, the most common combination is dry cheeks and a slightly oilier nose and forehead (this would be me). This all about maintenance and there are products out there what can balance this skin out. You might find that your skin changes like the wind blowing and you will need to change your routine season to season. I find that I get oilier in summer (where I convert to lotion) and drier in the winter (where  go to cream).

These skin types provide a basis to start on, after this you then look at the needs of the skin (anti-aging, even skin tone etc.). When I asked about people abut the skin there are two questions I normally ask is the following: What concerns you about your skin (an old habit from Lauder but it a one that always gets the answers I want) and want do you want the end result to be (keeping in mind that nearly all adverts are airbrushed within an inch of their lives)? Out of everything please just be honest with any consultants, the more honest you are with us, the more informed we are and the more we can help you look your best.

Next week - Eyes

Masterclass - Moisturisers

aka. Your skin needs a drink.

Firstly a few more skin basics - Your skin contains 20% of your body's water reserves. Most of this is in the lower layer (dermis) of the skin, however, like the cell regeneration it work its way up to the top layer (epidermis) where it'll evaporate away. Skin protects itself by production of sebum, protecting cells by creating a complex mix of subtances and finally filling more gaps with lipids (like fats) which forms a watertight barrier.

Moisturiser is there to offer a support to this system, it's not just something to slap on, it is something to think about.

Any basis of a moisturiser cream is a mixture of oil and water, whether it is your one pound special or Creme de la Mer. Lotions have an ingrediant called glycrine (a sugar syrup that is simular to lipids) or sobitol (a reduction of glycrine), this then means that the concetration of oil used can be lowered, which produces the lighter fluid moistrusier. This is why if you read any ingrediant lists on products "aqua" (posh word for "water") appears first as it is the ingrediant that there is the most of.

Into this is where we find the differences in each brand/formulation - vitamins, minerals, SPF, the list you can image is endless (I cannot remember the brand but there is one out there which boosts it has over 300 ingrediants - I would hate to learn that list!). SPF (Sun Protection Factor) would make you bog standard moisturiser into an anti-aging moitursier. This will protect the skin from the sun rays (bonus points if you can get one with UV filters, but not sun screen as these are very rich with oil and can feel heavy), and delay damage to the skin which can lead to wrinkles.

Ok so why is La Pairie creams (avg. 300-400 pounds a go), when theres something else for a tenner? It all comes down to those extra ingrediants that are being added (like gold flakes, cavier - These are very rare thus very expensive to put in. Not to forget that that these companies have put in hours of research to create something no one else has etc.)

What you need to think about two things - What do I want it to do for me? (Protection, cure dryness, makes skin less red etc.) and I think the more important, how much am I willing to spend up to? When I'm looking for a new product to invest in (personal or business) I read blogs, customer review sites, magazines - This is so I know what is out there, what my money can get (and do I need to save up if I fall in love with something), but also what the customer REALLY thinks (because a great product can be great for them/you and worth a look, but a continued bad product is worth a wide birth!).

A good moisturiser is a real investment, when a jar runs out and if it still doing wonderful things for you be faithful to your love. Only you know when it's time to move onto another moistrusier lover.
Next time - The minefield of skin types.

Masterclass - Serums

When I first started in the beauty industry, serums were a buzz word for the elite to the point that it wasn't until I worked for Estee Lauder and discovered Advance Night Repair that I even what a serum was. Serums are an intensive formulation that contains nurtients, vitamins, antioxidents and other ingredients, depending on the concern for the skin. They can be put onto the face, neck and even around the eye area, are easily absorbed and leave no residue behind.

These started out as something that was added to the moisturiser, then with anything within the beauty industry they discovered that they could create smaller molcules that can penetate the skin deeper (but here were only talking one or two of the layers, but sometimes that can make all the difference) which is why they are recommended to go onto clean skin first so they can maximise the benefits. Of course as the industry moved along technology means that now its gone from being elite to the mass market, the key exampe in this is Boot's No.7 Protect adn Perfect that caused mass hyistria when the BBC said that this in their scienticific test was proved to be most effective against some big names (which all released statements discrediting the research of course).

Serums are formulated to work alongside your moisturiser, not to replace it. Think of it as this the serum is a bucket and the mosturiser is the water. The serum acts as a collector for the mosituriser and acts as a effective holder. A key ingredient that does this is Hylaronic Acid (When I first training I always got this wrong and mixed it up with a poison instead, you could imagine the surprise face from customers), this is a protein that natural occurs in the skin. You will also some level of vitamin C and E that have huge benefits, vitamin C supports anti-oxident production and collegen productions, with vitamin E is an active anti-oxident.

Each formulation of serum will be diffrent depending on the needs of the customer. I find that serums fall into two catagories: Prevention and anti-aging. Prevention I have found have anti-oxidents, vitamins, and recently radiance. Anti-aging will have, as well as vitamins, collegen boosters, smoothing textures and moisturer retainers. Any company worth their salt would let you try the serum for at least a week before investment (or have a very good returns policy in place) as the best way to know if this is good for you (like moistursers and foundations) is to actually try them in your routinue. 

One final note - I know some of the best serums can be costly investments, however plesae take into that the amount you will use at a time would be tiny, about the size of a pea up to a 5p piece. There are 3 things if anything you'll need to invest time and money in because they make that much of a difference: Foundation, moisturisers and serum.

Mastrclass - Cleansing

Aka - Scrub-a-dub-dub

Last time we learnt how awesome skin is, so now it's time to start looking after it. The first step is to make it clean - we know that our skin is a barrier that keeps dirt out, however that dirt stays on your skin. The result is off colour skin that can be prone to spots (as dirt is one of their main causes). It can also look dull and feel gritty as dirt collects.

Every cleansers aim is to remove make up, dead skin cells, oil, dirt and other pollutants to the skin. This then leaves skin look a lot brighter, cleaner and smoother, but also makes a clear smooth canvas that any make up that goes on easily and bringing out the best of what you use. Out there, there are different kinds of cleanser/washing/scrubbing items, my aim in this is go through each one so you can make correct decision for your skin:

Cream/Lotion/milk cleanser - This is the main one you will see on the market, it works massging it into the skin and then using a cotton pad to wipe over the skin (using it damp so it doesn't drag on the skin and makes it less irritable for the skin). Cream is the richest that is best for dry skin, while lotion/milk is the lightest and is best for less drier skin.  I wouldn't use these on your eyes becuse it can sting, in the next few weeks we'll go through eye care as well as cleansing.

Gel - Works the same as above but its a lighter consistancy. It feels much fresher on the skin and is great for oiler skins as this can still cleanse but panic the skin into producing more natural oil.

Oil - Another area that is more suited to drier skin, massage in and wipe off like a cream. The only reservaton I have about this is that it can leave a slightly oil residue behind. I have tried ones that start like oil and when apllied to skin turns into a lotion (Lancome's Huile Douceur Cleansing oil is the one I've tried), I do find that they are not really designed for heavy make wearers as it losens it but doesn't remove.

Water - On the other hand this section is becoming more popular - Lancomes Eau Micellaire has just won Instyle's Best beauty buy for the third year in a row. Put onto a pad (same again damp, you'll find you'll also use less product on this one), and swipe over the face a few times. Great for wearers of light make up and people who want something quick.

Wipes - I like wipes, they use the water cleanser from above and put into individual cloths. However, I like them for a one off been out and I know I should take my make up off but can't do the whole thing. They do not replace a routine, I've found that after I used one that I still need a good wash afterwards because I still felt like I had the cleanser on my skin (I'm a squeekly clean fan).

Washes - Usually comes in foaming gel, After wiping make up off (or use straight away if not wearing any), fill a bowl of warm water (hot can damage the skin), foam up in and rub over face. Wash off when done as easy as that! I like to use a face wash after taking make up off as I feel a lot more clean and fresher.

Scrubs - Can come in a foam or non-foaming, these contains small grains that are used to exfoliate the skin (extra washng to remove any other dirt and cells that are clinging on). Because these are mor agreesive to the skin I would only recommend to use the once/twice a week depending on the needs. i went against this when i was younger and wondered why my poor skin was bright red, it turns up and I was scrubbing my face raw (ow!). A great cost effective way is that I use a fannel to softly massage my cleanser, more gentle and still gives the same glow.

Toners - Are used to clean off excess cleanser (not instead off as this has no real cleansing active ingredients) on the skin as well as refresh. They come as a liquid that you would put onto a damp pad and then wipe over the skin. Some people love them (like my mum) and some people don't, I personally use them more for treatments to wipe any excess off but in my own routinue I find after washing my face everything is removed and it's not needed.

Cleansing the skin makes it ready for any product that you choose to put on top (rather than giving the dirt all the benefits!)

Next time - Serums
 

Masterclass - Skin Basics

Aka. Love your biggest organ!

Your skin features heavily in beauty - There is a huge estimated at 2.1 million dollars spent in 2011, with so much invested how muc do you know about your skin?

Your skin is amazing, but I don't have to tell you that! Skin is what you see, that outer layer which covers your outer body and also clings to those things you don't want it to. It also comes in different textures, colours and finishes. The most fasinacting things about our skin is its core functions:

* Protection - Keeps germs and dirt away, that is why one key care for skin is to clean it regulary.
*Sensation - Contains your nerve endings to tell hot, cold, touch, pressure, vibation and tissue injury.
*Heat regulation - Skin contains its own blood supply greater than what it needs because it preceisely controls energy loss and retention.
* Control of evaporation - Porvides a dry barrier to loss of water.
* Looks and communication - The look of our skin can show our mood, physical state and attractiveness.
* Storage - Can store water and process vitamin D.
* Excretion - Eew! fact: Our sweat contains 1/130th of urine, yum!
*Absoption - The key componant to the beauty industry, all product administration onto the skin will penetrate part of the skin. Other parts of the body rely on this for transport.
*Water resistance - So all those lovely nuritents don't get worked out of the body.
Phew! That thing you look at everyday is a huge part of your body.
You've brought the latest thing and in the small print they point out that it only penetrates the 'Stratum corneum' and of course you go "huh?". Your skin is made of many extremely thin layers which make up three main layers: Epidermis (where stratum corneum is the top layer of this, but I'm going to keep it good and simple), Dermis and Hypodermis. Each one has it's own function:
*Epidermis - This is the part of the skin that is most nurtured by beauty products, and also is the end result of skin rejuvenation. Your skin has a 40 day cycle and ends with the skin shedding. This is why the results of a good skin routine can only be reveled after this time.
*Dermis - This is the layer that contains the collegan fibres that givens the skin its flex. These fibres are the ones that decrease with age so these are the buggers that give you wrinkles as you age as they lose they're strength. These also the ones responsible for stretch marks when these fibres are over stretched and break.
*Hypodermis - The fatty layer of the skin that holds nerve endings, blood vessels, lymph (which supports drainage), and many other complex functions. If you catch yourself and don't bleed you haven't cut deep enough to this layer.

Your skin is tough, flexible and very hard working. It deserves the best care possible to make sure that it does the best job for your body but also makes you look your best.

Next time: Stage One - Cleansing