7 Beauty Mistakes You Will Not Make Anymore

Oh, the number of mistakes one can make when applying beauty products! Being the beauty rookie that I am, I'll probably give make-up artists a heart attack. Luckily in our digital age help is always on hand - the countless YouTube tutorials and beauty blogs are here to save the day.

Chances are that you are making the same errors too so I scoured the web to help us get the most of our beauty products. Here's a list of the 7 most common mistakes and how to rectify them:

1. Applying foundation around your face. This is a big no-no. Always start at the centre of your face and work outwards. In this way you will avoid tide lines and product in your hairline.
2. Patting eye cream on before going to bed. Combining eye cream with sleep can cause puffiness. Therefore it is best to apply it in the morning when the congestion can drain away as you are more likely to be standing up for longer periods afterwards.
   
3. Finding the right B spot. Blushers are a tricky lot (hence my stern avoidance of the bunch). Yet they do make a huge difference to how we look. Apply blusher between two imaginary vertical lines - one from the centre of your pupil down to your cheek and another from the end of your eyebrow.
4. Going OTT with hair products. There's nothing worse than mastering a cool new look and then ruining it by using too much hair product. Use these size guidelines to avoid having to re-do your hair-do: shampoo & conditioner - strawberry; mousse - apricot; serum - grape; and oil - blueberry.
5. Not wiggling your mascara. If you really want to get those luscious lashes from the billboard ad then do as the make-up pros and wiggle your wand at the base of your eyelashes before combing through to create volume.
6. Overdoing the nail polish. Using too much of le vernis can cause it to chip so stick to three swipes per coat. Apply one sweep down the centre and then one on either side for an even effect. Oh and if you can invest in a good nail polish - my fav is Chanel Le Vernis which I blogged about earlier. 
   
7. Spraying perfume on your neck. I was really surprised to find out that the best place to apply your favourite fragrance is the collarbone and in the crook of the elbows rather than the neck and wrists. Well now we can smell fresher for longer.

There you go. 7 mistakes you and I will no longer make. 7 ways to get the most out of our beauty products. 7 tips to look good. Take a note and let me know how you get on.

Exclusive: A Day Inside a Fashion & Beauty PR Agency

As the name of the post suggests, I don’t usually write much about personal events and experiences, but considering that the purpose of this blog is to share useful information about looking good, feeling good and doing good in all aspects of life, including career development, I thought it will be very selfish not to.

The day was Thursday the 8th of August and the agency - TALK PR. TALK PR is more than a fashion & beauty PR agency. It specialises in fashion, luxury & lifestyle, beauty, grooming & wellbeing, and technology, innovation & play. Basically it’s the dream workplace for someone like me!

Our schedule was packed with presentations and informal chats with team members from all of the above mentioned areas of expertise as well as a special talk from the founder & editor of La Petite Anglaise Ella Catliff and a group brainstorm session where we had to come up with an event idea for the launch of a new Stella McCartney Adidas collection.

Some of the brands TALK PR works with.

There was so much information given out that I had to take in a significant amount of delicious nibbles (provided by TALK of course) to boost my brain power! 

Here are some bits of information and tips from the day which have stuck with me:

• PR is all about relations - your contacts are gold dust.

• Sometimes PR is also about finding a story where there isn’t one.

• In fact PR is about a lot of things - from event and reputation management, to media placements and crisis communications.

• That is why consistency across all communication activities is key.

• PR content has to connect with an audience without adding to the existing noise of the 5000 daily marketing messages people are bombarded with.

Clearly there are no dull moments in fashion & beauty PR. It is a challenging and varied profession which draws many people from a wide range of backgrounds. 

If you want to find out more whether this is the right career for you I would definitely recommend going to a TALK PR Open Day (the next one is on the 31st of October 2013) and reading Sophie Sterling’s post who also attended an open day in 2012.

How to Get Fit Without the Gym

Hello folks,

I'm writing a quick post from my mobile as I've been left without Internet at home (can you believe this still happens in this day and age?!).

Many times we make excuses or wait for a certain time to get fit(ter), the principle causes being time and money.

Well I've got news for you.  If you really set your mind on getting fit you can do it whether you've got money or not.

How? The Internet is brimming with information.  From nutrition plans to supplements to home workouts - everything you need is at your finger tips.

Use YouTube to find home workout videos which do not use any equipment.  My personal favourites are from Blogilates and Fitness Blender. Look for videos that are suitable for your fitness level (beginner, intermediate or advanced).

Start with 20-minute videos and gradually increase to 30- to 40-minute ones.  Pick a time of the day which is most convenient for you.  I prefer mornings because later in the day I am more likely to be busy and tired. Try to do these home workouts every day (it is recommended to exercise for 30 minutes daily).

Make a schedule of the types of workouts you will do each day. For example, I start my week with lower body/legs workout, followed by upper body/arms & abs, followed by cardio/high intensity interval training.  I repeat these three again on the following three days and end my week with yoga.

All you need is a bit of space in your living room, will power and commitment.  You will start noticing results in 6-12 weeks (but don't forget to eat clean and healthy!) and you will be hooked!

Off you go then.  It's time for a workout!