Blog - Be Beautiful Hair & Beauty

July Blog: Is Your Tan Really Worth It?

July 1, 2016 By Be Beautiful Hair & Beauty 6 Comments

We all love a holiday and the feeling of just being able to “get away” from it all. There is no better feeling than sand between your toes and the warm sun on your skin. Therefore this month, I wanted to share some things you can do to keep your skin looking at its best this Summer.

I am sure that we have all seen people on holiday, applying their tanning oil and practically cooking themselves in the midday sun, just to get that all important tan. However, with skin cancer figures increasing each year, is it all really worth it? Damage to our skin caused by the sun is often irreversible, leaving us looking older than we are, and who wants that? (As women, we spend a fortune each year on beauty creams, lotions and potions to give us the appearance of younger looking skin!)

It’s no secret how passionate I am about spray tanning and the benefits it gives, but this is so much more than that. You can still have that “ultimate tan” you dream of, but in a completely safe and streak free way. Plus, with the good old British Summer, we can never be sure if the sun will make an appearance from one day to the next.

I am proud to work with the market leaders in tanning, Sienna X. The solutions they create offer a shade to suit every skin tone, with no streaks and definitely no “Orange.” So, my question is, can we really afford not to fake it?

The only thing a spray tan won’t give you, is skin cancer and premature ageing! For me, that’s a win,win! I can still have the appearance of looking beautifully tanned, but without any of the risk! Here are some other handy tips and tricks to keep you safe in the sun….

It is recommend that sunscreen should be applied at least half an hour before going out in the sun and for ultimate coverage, look for SPF25 and upwards. This will protect against the UVA and UVB rays. The UVA rays are those which penetrate the deeper layer of the skin and the UVB rays are those that cause the superficial layers of the skin.

Taking time out of the sun is so important, especially when it’s at it’s highest point. A good tip to remember is pay attention to your shadow. If your shadow is shorter than you are, then take a rest and find some shade.

Wearing a sarong and a hat will work wonders for giving you a break from the midday sun and ensure that you regularly re-apply your sunscreen throughout the day.

We all know how much better we feel with a tan, it’s all part of the appeal of going on holiday. If this has resonated with you, I would love for you to leave a comment for me below. Maybe you’ve never tried a spray tan and this has made you think differently about them? Or maybe you are someone who just couldn’t leave home without your tanning oil and low factor sunscreen, but all I ask is that you ask yourself this question; Is your tan really worth it?….

Love,

Nina x

June Blog: Summer Beauty Must-Haves

June 1, 2016 By Be Beautiful Hair & Beauty 10 Comments

With Summer just around the corner and holidays being planned, I thought I would share some of my beauty must haves with you.

When on holiday, I don’t know about you, but my hair just doesn’t behave in the same way that it does at home. Humidity, change in water and lower voltage of a hairdryer can all play their part. However my secret weapon… Salt spray! By using a salt spray, this really helps to give your hair volume and texture. It works really well for most hair lengths, and for those of you with mid to long hair, this product will really help create that “beach wave” look. Simply spray into towel dried hair, gently scrunch into mid-lengths and ends and leave to dry naturally.

I can’t leave home without my kirby grips. These are great to use when you want to get your hair off your face. For those with longer hair, a hair-up that’s really quick and easy is; tie hair back in to a ponytail. Then take small sections from the pony tail and wrap them over your finger, creating a barrel curl, place outside of the ponytail and secure into place with your grip and ta-dah you’re done!

A tinted moisturiser is perfect for holidays. It’s not as heavy as foundation, so can still let your skin breathe. Many of them also contain SPF, which makes them equally great for both day and evening.

Would you like to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter? If so, apply a nude eye pencil to the lower water line. This will really make your eyes stand out and give your evening look some extra va va voom!

Try swapping your normal lippy for a lip gloss. If your skin is fair, opt for a light pink or peach hue. If you are a darker skin tone, apricot or rose tones will compliment your skin beautifully. A good quality bronzer is also a Summer essential. I really love the ones with a slight shimmer to them, rather than a matte finish. A light dusting over your cheek bones will really enhance your holiday glow.

We all know the dangers caused to our skin by UV rays. Therefore a high SPF sunscreen is essential when going on holiday. For those of you that would prefer to fake it, a beautiful spray tan before you go, will leave you feeling radiant and ready for total relaxation! If you’re not one for sitting in the sun or you want to top up your tan whilst you’re away, why not try Sienna X Express Tanning Mist. It’s easy to apply and requires no tanning mitt or gloves!

I hope this has been useful and given you some inspiration and ideas to try. If you would like more tips for getting beach ready, then simply click here to download my Beach Beauty Checklist. You can also find lots more tips and tricks over on my Facebook page or feel free to leave me a comment below.

Love, Nina x

May Blog: Why I LOVE What I Do…

May 1, 2016 By Be Beautiful Hair & Beauty 10 Comments

It’s no secret that I LOVE what I do, therefore I thought I would share exactly why I love my job. Why running my own business is a world away from lie in’s, long lunches and days off and why I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Making People Feel Special…

This is one of the many things I love most, working one to one with my clients and giving them back some well deserved “me-time”. My husband said to me a few weeks ago; “I think it’s pretty special what you do” I was of course very touched by his kind words, but then asked what made him say that? He replied; “You have the ability to change not just how someone looks, but how they feel about themselves. You have the power to change someone’s whole day and I just think that must be an amazing feeling” I of course had never thought about it quite like this, but I can honestly say, that it is the best feeling in the world.

Flexibility…

I really enjoy the fact that to a certain degree, I can work where and when I want to. Now of course, my clients come first and their needs must be met. However, if I choose to finish work on a Saturday at 4.00pm because I am going out for the evening, I can do that. The same way that if I’m doing make-up for a Bride on her Wedding Day, I could potentially be at a venue at 7.00am in the morning and then continue working with other clients that day until 5.00pm.

Variety…

I love the variety that my job brings, no day is ever the same. Some days I can be with clients all day, other days I can be having an office day and writing blogs like this one, creating content for my website or having meetings with suppliers. I also love the fact that my location can change, sometimes I’ll be working from home, the next day I might be pampering employees in a corporate environment. I really enjoy the fact that every day is different!

Creativity…

I love being creative, whether that’s with my clients hair and nails or writing content for my website. I love to write and have recently been asked to write a feature for a Professional Hair & Beauty magazine! I enjoy helping people by giving them inspiration, tips, tricks and ideas. If you are in need of inspiration regarding your hair or nails, or pretty much anything else, my favourite tool is Pinterest; however I have to warn you, it’s very addictive!

Learning…

From when I first started hairdressing, I have always loved to learn and this is still true of me today. The hair and beauty industry is constantly evolving which always really inspires me. I love nothing more than working hard so that I can afford to attend the very best training courses and seminars available.

More Than Meets The Eye…

I am the first one to say that I’m extremely lucky to be doing a job that I fall in love with each and every day! However, people often say to me “You are so lucky you work for yourself, you can do what you want” It always makes me smile, because there is so much more that people don’t see. All the hours that go into it behind the scenes, when I am not working with my lovely clients, I am working on my business. Nothing in my business is outsourced; I don’t have a copy writer who writes my blogs and creates my content. I don’t have a person who updates my website or who looks after my social media and marketing. I do it all! Now please don’t get me wrong, I’m far from moaning that “little old me” is doing everything, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

A friend of mine recently sent me an article, the title; Confessions of a Hairdresser. I couldn’t help but smile whilst reading it and wanted to share some of my personal favourtites; “Hairdressers rarely, if ever, get to finish a hot cup of coffee”. “The Black Sharpie Marker means something completely different to us and often gets used to remove the orange-bleach stains from our work clothes.” “Hairdressers are very protective over their scissors” I can definately relate to all of these! More often than not, I’ll work six days a week and probably three or four evenings, but would I swap it all to go back to Monday to Friday, 9-5? Never in a millions years and why? Because I am happy and most of all because I LOVE what I do!

Love, Nina x