My Travel makeup

I have been lucky enough to go on a long weekend break with my friends to Rome - cue obligatory selfie in Colosseum.

This time we could take luggage in the hold - so hubby says "Will most of your case be taken up by makeup?" (Cheeky!!)

But I had a little box of goodies to take with - the Absolu Au Naturel from Lancome.  I had to get it from Duty Free but the colours work great with my skin tones.  Being a freckle face with pink cheeks does not go well with the usual bronze and golds put into a lot of "natural" palettes.

So this little treasure box has 8 eye shadows, 2 concealers, a highlighter, lip gloss, lip colour, mini mascara, powder, brown eyeliner, lightening pencil, lip brush, shadow brush and highlighter brush, in a really tidy black case.

I did have to also take my Smashbox tinted moisturiser, my Dior Addict gloss, and my Benefit blusher box - but that was it!  So I had colours and makeup for daytime roaming and evening socialising.

Even if I had only had a carry on bag I would have been fine with these products.

The eye shadows, go on beautifully, and the colours all looked great.  I used the black shadow as an eyeliner with the small brush and it looked great, although if you prefer a real smoky eye or strong eyeliner look then a black pencil will also be needed.

So for short trips away, this lovely kit is now the first thing I pack.

I haven't quite mastered the art of the "selfie" but I love this photo of me with my beautiful girls off to visit family, and I've used my Absolu au Naturel kit.  Please forgive the eyebrows I know they needed doing but I ran out of time.

So, there is my first makeup kit review.  I'm not your usual beauty blogger but I do love to try out new beauty products and makeup.

Peace and kindness to all

Anna :-)

Lash Extensions - the good, the bad and the dangerous!

So lash extensions - love them or hate them there are a lot of beauty therapists out there doing lash extensions and they are becoming extremely popular. 

The Good

They are fantastic for those people that love the glamorous look of long, full lashes without the hassle of mascara that runs down your face.  For those ladies with hardly any lashes they really feel like a god send as they feel almost made up as soon as they get out of bed.

The lashes open up your eyes and open the window to your soul!  

I always use lovely gel pads that are gentle around the eyes, a high quality, fast drying glue to avoid lashes clumping together, and always ensure that the lashes are NOT too heavy or long for the client's natural lashes.  I like to use 0.15, 0.10 and 0.05 lashes to give a more natural look that is also better for the lashes.

Having the lashes applied means that you have to lie down for up to 2 hours and RELAX!  When the client opens their eyes and smile with delight - I am a very happy Lasher.

The Bad

Sometimes, sadly people can become allergic to be allergic to the glue that is used.  This  is why I always insist on a patch test at least 48 hours prior to the first set of extensions.  

Occasionally, I have come across lashes that are meant for temporary party lashes (cluster lashes) glued on with lash extension glue.  This worries me.  This will put too much stress on your natural lash with a possibility of them being pulled out - most definitely NOT what any of us want to see.

Cluster lashes with so much glue on the lashes it doesn't allow them to be cleaned or shed properly. 

The Dangerous

Poorly applied lashes can damage your own natural lashes, this may also cause other problems such as styes.

Application without a patch test is a NO NO!  An allergic reaction is not pretty and may be permanently damaging.

I have worked hard to ensure that whenever I do a set of lashes, there is correct lash isolation, the extensions is not too heavy or long, and that my equipment is sterilised after every client (no cross contamination on my lash table!).

I also LISTEN to what my clients want.  If they want a more natural set, then that is what I do for them. If they want fluffier lashes I use the very fine lashes (then I can put 2/3 on).

The best part of my Lash business - my lovely regular clients that come back after 2-3 weeks for their infills telling me that they can't live without their lashes!

I'll post more pictures up on my Facebook page as I start to take more photos.  

Take care all and hope to see you soon

Anna xx

Shrinking Violet Body Wrap - What you want to know!

So as you may know I have been doing Shrinking Violet Body Wraps for over 2 years now - WOW where has that time gone.

Lots of people want to know more about it so here goes with a run down of what it is, what the treatment entails and other information.

 Shrinking Violet inch loss body wraps are made by Tibby Olivier - a UK company.  They are a clinically proven, specially formulated wrap system. Independent clinical trials have proven one treatment can reduce fat by up to 2.5% with results showing after just 60minutes.

 The main ingredient is an active phospholipid solution that is pre-blended with essential oils (which smells amazing) carrying a cellulite blend. This active ingredient has previously been used in fat jabs- an injection used to reduce fat by injecting directly into the fatty tissue. But don’t worry, this method is non invasive and totally pain free.  In fact it is a fabulous treatment to relax into.

During the treatment you will be wrapped up in a film called Wrapture. Your arms and legs are wrapped separately to ensure you are comfortable and you then leave the wrap on for 60 minutes. You are covered up and nice and warm with our heated blanket, cosy and relaxing.  There is also an option to have a mini facial or head massage whilst you are wrapped.

There is no need to shower after your wrap- the shrinking violet solution is left on the skin for 12hours after your treatment as the solution remains active.

You may notice is a slight increase in urination for up to 2 days after the wrap.  Many of my clients also report that they sleep really well afterwards and their skin feels fantastic too.



You can jump start a new and slimmer you with a combination of Shrinking Violet Inch Loss wraps, exercise and healthy eating for optimum results. The inches you lose after your wrap will only come back if you continue to eat excess calories and do not follow the pre and aftercare advice.

Now you may want to know how many wraps you need!
The amount of wraps you have depends on the results you want to see. Some clients just have had one or two before a night out, holiday or special occasion. Where as some have a course of 6, 8 or 10 to achieve the a cumulative result.

All you have to do is follow this simple pre and after care advice to ensure you achieve the best results…
Pre care:
Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks for 24 hours before your wrap
Avoid eating a heavy meal before coming in for your wrap

After care:
Leave the solution on your skin for 12hours after the wrap
Drink at least a litre of water a day
Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks for 72 hours after your wrap
Regular exercise and a good diet to maintain your results.


If you would like any more information regarding wraps, please contact me via Facebook or check out my website.

www.facebook.com/CallaBeautyTreatments
www.calla-beauty.co.uk

Also there have been a lot of write ups in the press about the wraps too.


Here's to a beautiful New Year

Anna x

With many thanks to Kayleigh Marley for sharing with the Tibby Olivier therapists

New Year New You?

So along with the rest of the world I am setting myself a few goals this New Year.

I am going to try to keep them as achievable as possible as I want them to work!!

1.    Continue to eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible each day, and reduce sugar from my diet as much as possible.  According to a lot of research at the moment sugar causes your skin to age very quickly.

2.    Walk at least 30 minutes everyday - definitely possible as I have Cookie to walk! And we will be walking fast (when she's not in the mud!!)

3.    Set myself at least 1 appointment a week to get my eyebrows tinted and waxed, and eyelashes tinted at least! With the new Duchess wax I use my eyebrows won't even be that red - YAY
 My previous before and after picture

4.    Spend some real time with my munchkins.  Screen time for ALL of us needs to be limited and with 2 of them teenagers (well almost 2!) it won't be long before childhood is totally over and I want to make sure that I am there for them when they need me.

My children are the pivot of my life I am so proud of them all and I love the 3 of them to the moon and back.


So I am hoping that by the time I get to Easter I will have reached at least all of these very achievable aims.  They are not huge but I believe they will make a difference to how I feel inside and outside.

Oh and in January, my body is a WINE FREE ZONE - eeeekkk!!
Alcohol dehydrates our bodies and therefore our skin quicker than anything so to help my skin and the rest of me I will be DRY this January.

 
Here's wishing you all a peaceful, gorgeous and wonderful 2015

Anna x

Giving the face a treat

So  today I have woken up and totally frightened myself in the mirror - EEEEEKKK!!!

So after getting all of the munchkins to school I have rushed back and prescribed myself a little facial.  Today I am using 2 masks as I need double the help.

Firstly - Faith Lift from Tibby Olivier

This is to tighten and smooth the skin so on me I have smoothed it around the eyes and forehead, and also my neck

Smells of caramel and works wonders, I've done facials with this and the customers have been amazed at the difference it makes.

Then - Brazenly Honey from Lush

This is good for tired skins, exfoliating, stimulating and nourishing, so as I have suffered from a couple of blemishes this has been applied to my nose and chin

This was a gift from a Mum at school (as she had a freebie) and I thought I would try it out.

So now my face is looking a bit odd (2 masks!) I settle down with my cup of decaf tea

I can feel the Faith Lift drying and tightening. I try not to look in a mirror at this point as it can look very scary!

After 20 minutes, its ready to be taken off.  Using very warm water and soft flannels to soften it, it comes off quite easily.  Just have to make sure I have got it ALL off as it is a translucent gel so you can't see it easily on the skin when it's wet, which means that as little bit dry you look as if you have a weird flaky skin problem - he he he

The blob on my nose is the Brazenly Honey mask in the first picture.

Yay my forehead wrinkles aren't as deep :-)

And the lines around my eyes seem better too

I am so bad at taking selfies so I apologise for the poor quality photos, but I am so happy with the results this morning.

Off to slather on my Faith Lift moisturiser and eye cream now for extra help.

Today is a busy day but I will be making sure that I drink plenty of water and decaf tea to keep up the good work on my skin - after all water is the best medicine for great skin alongside great skin care.

Have a fab day

Anna :-)

Loving the sunshine

I woke up this morning, to a beautiful blue sky -YAY!!

Seeing the sunshine makes everyone so much happier, all that Vitamin D being created by my skin is so good for me, my bones and it is also claimed to help prevent the onset of diabetes (just made sure I put my SPF tinted moisturiser on first - of course!).  Our skin feels much better in good weather too - just avoid sunburn :-)

A walk with Cookie (my dog) in the sunshine is always fun, the rabbits and the guinea pig enjoy the fresh green grass in their run, even the children seemed to get up in a better mood.

So here's one of the reasons
Sunshine boosts levels of the body's serotonin - our natural happy hormone. That's why we tend to feel happier and more energetic when the sun shines. Regular sun can help stave off moderate depression, particularly if combined with exercise, such as a walk in the park especially with a dopey dog. It's also been shown that exercising outdoors creates more endorphins in the body than exercising indoors.

Cookie loves the pond and mud too

 Off to enjoy another walk in the sun and pick my little girl up from school.

Enjoy our lovely spring day everyone

Anna x

Seasons are changing!

So it seems that Summer is over - and at least this year we have had a lovely summer with lots of sunshine.

Now that Autumn is upon us and the evenings are drawing in, our heating is coming on and the wind and rain is battering our faces.

So here are a few tips to get your skin soft and radiant again.

Tip 1
Treat yourself to a Hydrating Facial to pump moisture into your skin.

Cucumber slices are very cooling for the eyes and help to refresh you.  
The old wives tale of cold tea bags is also true - the caffeine left in the tea leaves constricts the blood vessels around the eyes reducing the puffiness we sometimes get there.

Tip 2
Continue using sunscreen.  It is in so many moisturisers available today there really is no excuse!

Tip 3
Exfoliate your skin gently once a week.  This will ensure that old dead skin cells are removed and glowing new cells are on show.

Tip 4 
Nourish your skin from within.  A healthy diet full of all the goodness of skin loving vitamins will give you a real head start.

Here's to a gorgeous Autumn

Anna x