Just Keep Glowing
Over the past few weeks we are all learning to adapt to being at home, working from home, exercising at home ETC, and for many women getting used to hubbies being around 24/7…(haha!). The beauty industry has definitely been dealt a massive blow with businesses having to change the way they operate with many smaller and upcoming brands facing potential financial hardship.
I love the beauty industry not just because of the incredible products but for the social interactions I have with aestheticians, doctors, makeup artists, sales teams and YOU lovely people. However, the beauty of technology is that it can connect us still and that extends to our friends in the beauty industry. So that’s why this blog post is dedicating to keeping your glow no matter the lack of normalcy we are currently feeling and how I turned self-isolation into an opportunity to still connect with beauty experts on self-care.
This past week I was honoured to be able to try two skin consultations, one with Lion/ne and the other with Florina, the amazing aesthetician @linnaeanliving who I most recently had an Orveda Facial with at Linnaean Living (a favorite I’ve written about before!). Here’s a recap of my lovely experiences with both of them below!
LION/NE London - The Creators & Curators of Your Bathroom Shelf
Usually Lion/ne is an in-person consultation with the option I chose to consist of a ‘skin-mind-gut- assessment and a 360 degree skin diagnoses using the OBSERV skin diagnostic tool. OBSERV uses skin fluorescence and polarised light illumination technology to look deep into the skins layers to highlight any skin conditions that potentially could surface before they do (something impossible to see with the human eye), enabling diagnosis and the correct skincare to ensure those potential skin conditions are kept at bay and managed accordingly. Had to geek out there, it’s seriously just that cool.
However, they naturally had to adjust their consultations with social distancing and the need to stay at home. So I was directed to fill out an online skin questionnaire and take images of my AM/PM routine and other skincare products prior to my appointment that would take place online.
It was 30 minutes of pure bliss for a GLOWGETTER, discussing skincare, having my skin queries answered, I mean, being at home 24/7 is a new environment for the skin and it needs time to adapts and comes with its own problems because there are even free radicals in your home! They listened to my skin frustrations and helped me see what was going on holistically and consciously…. We went through a whole list of my products and what was suitable for my skin concerns at this time.
AIMS
- Make informed skincare decisions
- Declutter and simplify your routine
OUTCOMES
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER - With some inside knowledge of particular ingredients and obviously skin frustrations we can make informed ‘conscious choices’ to what we use on our skin. I have been suffering from
KEEP IT SIMPLE - It is so tempting to buy all the ’new’ products that the beauty world has sold to us, but beauty is PERSONAL and what works for someone may not work for you. The goal is to get to a place where we are using the right products and not overcomplicating our routine.
MISSING INGREDIENTS - by going through the overall skin wellness and taking into account the products being used for your skin they can suggestion particular ingredients needed to GLOW GLOW GLOW!
TIPS & TRICKS
MOISTURISER CANNOT PENETRATE OIL - Oil-based serum penetrates the skins’ deeper layers and will create a barrier for the moisturiser to lock in hydration. What this means is that oils are only gatekeepers so apply them last and then seal it in with that face serum you love.
DONT OVERDO certain ingredients - The Vitamin C serum I have in my AM and PM routine is crucial, however, due to my rosacea it may be worth adding it in once a day instead of twice.
THE AREA AROUND YOUR EYES IS THE KEY TO WHATS GOING ON OVERALL - If you are suffering from dry skin around the eyes your system is dry.
THE VERDICT
It was a great experience and such a nice break from being mama, wife, and momtrepreneur. A major must try in my book! They bring the expertise right into the comfort of your home and with the questionnaire and photos I sent earlier it was easier for them to personalize my session and make the most of my half-hour.
LINNAEAN LIVING - BEAUTY AUDIT & LIFESTYLE SKINCARE ADJUSTMENTS
And because I’m THAT much of a skincare fanatic, a few days later I tried the online skin consultation with the lovely Florina, the aesthetician from Linnaean Living. Having had a few appointments before I 100% trust her view on my skin. It was great as she knows my skin and since I have had strange flare-ups of my rosacea and also pimples, she could really understand my concerns.
I quickly learned that my innocent few nibbles on ice cream or sweets in the evening were likely contributing to my flare-ups and who would have thought my regular HOT honey, ginger and lemons could be making my rosacea worse.
We did a whole Beauty Audit and she encouraged me to go through what I was using and also how I need to adapt my skin to the changes in my lifestyle right now.
AIMS
- Beauty Audit
- Discuss skin concerns based on current lifestyle
OUTCOMES
KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE! - Part of conscious beauty is being powered with the knowledge to make conscious choices for yourself and the environment. Linnaean Living is completely in line with my conscious beauty journey, their beauty shelves are filled with consciously curated skincare, from natural to more cosmeceutical product lines and naturally I AM OBSESSED.
TIPS & TRICKS
Don’t forget your overall skin surface - The skin on your body, when we are home and in central heating, our skin is getting super dehydrated, we also have TIME, time to not rush our showers and/or baths and instead enjoy staying fresh and revitalising our overall skin wellness.
SPF - Yes glow getters, even that bit of sun coming from our windows we need to wear SPF even if we are not going out, also the blue light we are getting off our endless technology use is something we should all want to avoid too much of on our skin. It’s good to trade in mindless Instagram scolding for a good ol’ fashioned book or a walk outside or cooking a meal with loved ones. Whatever gets you away from that screen, the better!
SOME NEW PRODUCTS
- I am adding the @grownalchemist detox mist to my routine, it is crucial to help with the effects of blue light from our phones, laptops, etc… and so easy to apply… no excuses, just leave it on your desk and spray spray spray.
- @Orveda Healing Sap AKA the GLOW SHOT - I have been using too many active ingredients which usually is fine but due to new lifestyle changes I need products to help calm and hydrate my skin. Even my masking should be with products that just help CALM and HYDRATE rather than being too REJUVENATING.
- @Saintirisadriatica purity pasta for a full-body glow made right here in the UK.
After the consultation, they sent me an email with what we discussed and with a few key products I was interested in to help with my skin concerns. It was a thorough beauty audit that I would highly recommend.
Let’s support our beauty community and remember self-isolation is also time for self-care. GLOW ON!
XO Steph
P.S. @ruuby app has adapted to the new WFH lifestyle and created a new list of services such as PT sessions, GP consultations, Therapy, Reiki and something I am definitely going to try the Tarot card reading…. be sure to add them to your list too!
