Winter dry skin skincare regimen

Since coming to Switzerland and experiencing my first European winter, my skin has simply freaked the fuck out. Lots of little bumps, dry patches, full on pimples that wouldn’t go away. Being super smart, I’d forgotten to bring my thickest winter creams, but I managed to work out a decent skincare routine with what I had and what I could …

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Fact-check Friday: What’s the deal with parabens in cosmetics?

Today’s Fact-check Friday focuses on one of the most unfairly demonised of chemicals in beauty products: parabens. You probably own at least one beauty product that proudly declares itself to be paraben-free – is there any reason to buy more, or is it pure marketing? What are parabens? Parabens are chemicals derived from a chemical called parahydroxybenzoic acid, with this …

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Nail blogger secrets for pretty nails 3: Clean-up is your sneaky BFF

Part 3 of the Nail Blogger Secrets series is devoted to clean-up. Clean-up and quick dry top coat were the two discoveries that converted me from casual nail fan to full-blown addict. Life-changing? Yes, I would say so! Click through for part 1 (top coats) and part 2 (nail maintenance). Most nail bloggers and Instagram girls don’t need to airbrush …

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Fact-check Friday: How do quick-dry products work?

Today’s Fact-check Friday is on nail polish, keeping in theme with the Nail Blogger Secrets series. In particular, how can adding something on top of your mani make it dry faster? Science knows the answer. Science always knows. (Not really, otherwise science would stop.) Don’t forget – send me your beauty science questions and I’ll answer them if I can! …

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What’s in my handbag? Travel edition

I’m hoping it’s not just me and I’m not outing myself as an irredeemable weirdo – I LOVE looking at what beauty products other people use. I love going through other girls’ handbag stashes, and when I’m in someone’s bathroom I can’t resist taking a peek at what products they’ve got in there. (I can feel everyone revoking their dinner …

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Nail blogger secrets for pretty nails 2: Prep that base

Here’s the second installment of my Nail Blogger Secrets series (you can check out the first post on top coats here). Today we’re discussing the prep work before you slap on a colourful polish – it’s more important than the polishing itself! We’re going to cover the whole shebang of routines, including diet, moisturisers, cuticle removers, nail strengtheners, filing, and …

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Nail blogger secrets for pretty nails 1: Top coat the mother

Here’s a series I’ve wanted to write for a long time. Like many other nail addicts, I’m a bit sick of people assuming that: the only reason our nails look good is an ungodly amount of Photoshop; and/or it takes a lot of skill or special equipment to get nice nails. Neither of these is true. There are tons of …

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Project 100 Pan: Empties 61-70

I’ve been hauling a bit while overseas – I brought a lot of products to use, but failed miserably at estimating how much I needed, and the things I would miss the most. So while I’m still aiming to rack up the empties, I’m giving myself a lot of slack in the new buys department. It’s definitely made me think …

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