I have used this on several occasions and the only thing bad I can say about this product is that it is rather pricey and the colour isn’t the best on my skin type. Unfortunately it came out an orangey sort of colour but other than that its light weight & instant so if you’re in need of a bit of colour for a night out this is perfect for you, it does wash of in the shower so you would have to keep topping it up. PRICE: £20.43

FAKE BAKE MOUSSE:

This little beauty comes with everything you will need including instructions on how to apply it and gloves so your hands won’t be stained with evidence of how you got your beautiful natural looking tan. It leaves you streak free and dries quickly onto the skin,  which means you don’t have to hang around waiting for it to dry. PRICE: £22.05

SIENNA X MIST:

This is the one I love the best, it smells amazing not like most fake tans which linger with that biscuit sort of smell.  It gives a natural all over coverage and the way to apply it is pretty simple, just make sure you give it a good shake and hold it about a inch away from the face and body. Only thing is you might want someone to spray the back of your legs and back other than that the rest is easy to do yourself. It doesn’t leave you looking streaky and dries instantly. The tan should last you about 4 days but in between they is no rule to say you can’t keep topping up if you need to, so go for it. PRICE: £15.95

Written by Hannah Perkins (laser technician)

Laser is a light based treatment and like any light it is attracted to darker pigmented objects and reflected by lighter fairer objects

In the body our hair and skin colour is made up of melanin and the more melanin our skin or hair contains the darker it is.

Therefore the perfect candidate for laser to work, is to have dark hair to attract and absorb the maximum amount of heat from the laser, and light skin to encourage the laser light to focus solely on the hair follicles. It will not work on grey, white, light blonde or ginger hairs as it will not be able to pick up on any melanin.

An example of this is to picture a hot sunny day. If I was to wear a black top and black trousers I am going to attract the sunlight and feel very hot, however If I was to wear a white top and white trousers I would reflect the sunlight keep me cooler. This works the same with hairs, the darker the thicker the hair the more effective the laser will be. The lighter the finer the hair the less effective the laser will be.

The bigger the contrast between hair and skin colour is also more beneficial. If the skin is light and the hair is dark it will be easier for the laser to attack the hair whilst keeping the skin at a very low risk of damage. However if the skin is dark and the hair is dark then the laser will be attracted to both skin and hair therefore lower settings have to be used to protect the skin which means results can take longer to see.

Some laser machines can now be used safely and effectively on afro Caribbean skin types and successful results can be achieved however it is important to remember that due to the nature of how the laser works, it is likely that a permanent reduction will take a lot longer on average to see.

This is the same if the skin is pale and the hair is light, the laser will be completely reflected from the area having very little impact.

We cannot laser over tattoos, regardless of colour or size. Due to laser being attracted to darker pigment, the laser would cause burns and blistering if it was to be applied to an area with a tattoo. If the tattoo is small then the laser can be carried out safely around the area. However if the tattoo is large and there is a risk of the laser touching the tattoo then we could not carry out treatment near that area.

If you suffer from keloid scaring, depending on skin type and hair colour, we do not always recommend laser.

Finally if you’re pregnant although the treatment is safe, it is recommend to wait until after the birth of your baby before carrying on with laser treatments. This is mainly due the fact that laser hair removal and its outcomes can be dependent on hormones and during pregnancy hormone fluctuation can course hair growth, having a negative result on laser effectiveness, so it is best to wait until hormones resettle after pregnancy to get the best results.

Written by Hannah Perkins (laser clinician)

It is best to keep the skin as natural as possible so try to avoid the following things:

4-6 weeks prior to treatment

• High levels of sun exposure
• Sun beds
• Tanning products
• Harsh facials
• Waxing, threading, epilating, and plucking

2 Weeks before treatment avoid:

• Hair removal creams
• bleaching

Aftercare

The following things are important to remember after your laser session:

• Avoid Hot baths or showers (make sure to use luke warm water for 24 hours)
• Avoid steamer rooms & saunas for 24 hours
• Avoid swimming for 24 hours
• Avoid the gym or any form of exercise for 24 hours
• Avoid perfume products and harsh exfoliates which can irritated the skin for 24 hours
• Wear factor 30 sun protection on the treated area when exposing to UV rays
• Apply Aloe Vera is skin feels dry or warm
• Do not pick or scratch the treated area
• Make up can be worn immediately after the treatment unless there is sensitivity
• Use power instead of deodorant on the underarms for 24 hours
• Do not use any other methods of hair removal such as waxing, tweezing, threading or epilating between treatments.

Possible side effects

• Immediately after treatment there may be redness or swelling at the treatment area and it may feel like mild sun burn
• In most cases redness we disappear within 20 minutes to 3 hours after treatment however it is important to bear in mind that the skin can have redness for up to 3 days in some circumstances which is perfectly normal.
• If you are experiencing follicular erythema (heat bumps around the hair follicle) you can apply iced water to help take it down
• It is strongly advised to wear factor 30+ throughout treatment if the area treated is going to be exposed to UV rays. Failure to protect the treated area can lead to pigmentation and sun damage.

Written By Hannah Perkins (laser technician)

That was until my best friend told me about an item that she recently purchased which I had to admit looked lovely on her skin.

I was a little wary of trying it as her skin tones are a different to mine as she is quite fair with blonde hair, whereas I have olive skin with dark hair, but I took myself of to Debenhams where the beauty assistant gave me a tester of the bronzer and the moment I saw it swept across my cheekbones, I knew I had to buy it.

It is amazing, not orangey like most bronzers you get; it gives you a healthy bronzed defined look across the cheeks and also comes in 5 different colours so you match it exactly to your skin type. It’s available for about £27.00 but it’s worth every penny!

If you don’t believe me pop into your nearest Debenhams or Selfridges.

I purchased some of mine last year and they have come back into fashion for another summer. I love these skirts because you can practically wear them any time of year and in any sort of weather with a pair of flip flops & crop top or with biker boots and a chunky granddad cardigan. You can always jazz up the skirts with a nice waist belt as well.

Asymmetric skirts are a new rage that has just hit the UK this year along with Asymmetric dresses, just like maxi skirts you can team these skirts up with pretty top & some Dr. Martens coming into autumn.

I really think these little beauties; they are keepers all throughout the year.

What do you think?

Written by Hannah Perkins (laser clinician)

This style is when your hair is dyed much lighter towards the ends, or your hair colour has just grown out leaving you with darker roots and lighter ends. The most popular colour I am seeing is darker at the top and caramel colour towards the ends, which looks so lovely, although you can go a little crazy and have pink or blue ends, if you can pull it off.

It’s perfect for the summer so if you looking to do something a bit more edgy with your hair try it!

By Hannah Perkins (laser clinician)

I had to write a blog about my all time favourite shop, that being Topshop. I can’t fault any of their clothes there is always a great selection whatever you are looking for. I have recently just come back from holiday and my whole suitcase was full of Topshop bits and bobs, shorts, crop tops and pretty dresses. My recent purchases that I could not help buying in a few different colours was this beautiful sun dress

I have this dress in a peach, yellow and red and they all looked amazing on holiday, especially with a tan. You can also dress it up and down creating different looks.

My next purchase is going to be a leather jacket with a really cool fringe design giving it that rock chick appeal and I do love a bit of leather coming into the autumn period, you can wear it casual over a dress and a cute pair of flats or dress it up with a pair of skinny jeans and heels .

By Hannah Perkins (laser clinician)

But they are something you could style with lots of different outfits, mix and match, such as in the summer with a nice pretty dress and a denim jacket and in the winter with a pair of leggings, long top & a chunky granddad cardigan, I have also seen a lot of girls funk it up with a tutu skirt, crop top, which I think looks lovely, rock chic.

It’s a risky fashion, but if you can pull it off, then why not?

The pros

Swimming is a water based exercise that uses both the upper and the lower body, and can reduce body weight by up to 90%, reducing stress on joints and giving the entire body a full workout. Swimming can improve joint mobility, and can be great for people with orthopaedic issues such as arthritis. Swimming can also give up to 800 times the resistance that air does.

Running is a very energetic and based exercise, which works primarily the lower half of the body. It’s high intensity raises the heart rate considerably improving cardio vascular and respiratory functioning and the high impact of running can also stimulate bone growth.

The cons

Due to running being high impact it can cause injury due to repeated strain on joints and soft tissue, in the long run it can cause poor posture. Depending on the type of physique you want to achieve, running is likely to give a slimmer, fitter build, whereas swimming will encourage a more muscular, leaner frame.

Swimming can be time consuming and also can be difficult to learn for some. Getting the breathing technique is important with swimming in order to sustain energy for longer.

Article written by Charlotte O’Brien – Specialist Laser Clinician at Onyx Cosmetic Clinic

I have two wardrobes in my house! The boring work, food shopping, chore wardrobe and then the fun, colourful, petticoat filled 1950’s wardrobe!

It seems as we are getting further and further into the future more and more of us want to be back living the past! And why wouldn’t we?

Second hand clothes, now known as vintage seems to be the latest fashion with more and more people cutting up there Dotty P store card and instead hitting London’s best vintage fairs and charity shops!

Whether it’s the beads and stitching of the 20’s, the polka dots and petticoats of the 50’s or the A lines and psychedelic colours of the 60’s more and more people are reverting back to what there grandma’s and great grandma’s used to wear! And really you can’t blame them!

At many of the fairs all over England you can find some great pieces at fantastic prices! And even though it may be over 50 years old, the quality is far better than what we get in the shops today.

Depending on just how much you love your era there is so much you can do. Looking on the net I can find a 40’s/50’s lindy hop or jive social every night of the week, dance classes for all stages, vintage festivals all year round and great shops all over London!

The vintage world is getting bigger and bigger by the day, and although there are still people out there that would not been seen dead in something second hand, I however would find it completely unacceptable to hit town in hot pants and cheeks on show! I think they too will be hanging up there boob tube for something a little more sophisticated!

A suspender belt and stockings under a fitted pencil skirt seems to me to be more far sexier that actually having your stocking tops on show. Let’s leave something to the imagination now ladies!

Article written by Charlotte O’Brien – Specialist Laser Clinician at Onyx Cosmetic Clinic