From the Professionals blog... Skin & Hair Care During Isolation

Whilst we're all staying at home in isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic, now is a prime time to treat our skin and hair to some time out of the daily routine, enabling us to come out 'the other side' glowing with health, beauty and confidence!

We are very proud at Whitewed to feature some of the most amazingly talented hair stylists and makeup artists, and this month we would like to introduce you to Polly Morton Makeup, Make Up By Carissa, and Georgia Powell Hair & Makeup - all of them have got THE best top tips to share with you!   Make sure to read on...

We're starting with the fabulous Make Up By Carissa!  

Carissa is a professional make up artist based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and offers make up services throughout the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire area.

As well as being a qualified make up artist, Carissa is a full time photographer for her other business, Capture Every Moment, so she knows exactly how to create a lasting look that will be captured perfectly in your photographs!

Here are Carissa's top tips on mastering your skin care routine:

Even as a Make Up Artist I will hold my hands up and say that my skin care routine like many can be a little hit and miss. With work, early mornings, late nights and tiredness, sometimes it’s easier just to wash and go! Since being in lockdown due to covid-19 we all have more time on our hands, so now is the perfect time to get into a routine, a routine we can easily complete but also one we will continue for the future.

There are three easy steps for a great skin care routine:

1. Cleanse Your Skin - Cleansing will remove dirt, oil and any impurities from the surface of your skin. Cleansers come in many forms such as face wash and cream cleansers, I personally use the face wash as I feel this not only cleans your skin but your skin feels so fresh after
2. Use a Toner - Some may say this is not a necessary step and if your happy with just step 1 then that’s fine, you could always try this step later. Personally I think using a Toner is a great step because it just helps removes any remaining traces of dirt that may have been left behind from step 1. Using a Toner will leave the skin feeling clean, soft and hydrated and ready for moisturizer.
3. Finally, Moisturize - Not only will moisturizer help keep your skin soft and hydrated, it will also help protect your skin from any damage from pollution, UV rays and of course make up. I use a primer when applying make up, so during my morning routine I use just a little moisturizer on the skin before the primer, but in the evening I use a lot more so it can work its magic while I sleep!

The most important thing to do when choosing a cleanser for your skin is research products suitable for your skin type and remember to give the products time to work, it can take up to three weeks to start seeing any changes or results. I use the Body Shop range as part of my make up kit and also personally. The "Vitamin E" range is great for all skin types and smells lovely too. Body Shop are still available to order on-line.

Next up, we have a whole host of excellent top tips from Polly Morton Makeup

Polly is a makeup artist based near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, and is a makeup artist with a passion for people, her job is to enhance your beauty naturally. She loves weddings and her job is far more than just putting makeup on you on your day, she's there for you from the day you book until the veil is pinned into place on your wedding day.

Common things that Brides say to me are “I wanted my hair to be a bit longer than this” or “I meant to sort my skin out, but I’ve just not had the time”

We are the midst of a worldwide health pandemic, I can’t quite believe I’ve just written that, I feel like I’ve been sucked into the daily news and often left in disbelief that this is happening to our world. I try my very best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best but I could never have imagined all the weddings and photo shoots I had booked over the next few months have had to be postponed or cancelled. I’m sure when you were planning your big day there would have been nothing at all that you could think would flip your day's plans, but here we are so let’s look at the positives we can take from this situation.

Let's start with your hair - your crowning glory!

A few things that aren’t great for your hair are: blow drying, heated styling irons or tongs, repeated dry shampooing and having it tied up in a hair elastic. The good news is that now we are in isolation you can afford to give your hair a break, treat it to a few days off the heat and let it air dry and hang loose. 

I would recommend a conditioning treatment every couple of weeks, so now is the time to use up all those samples and products you’ve been keeping as a treat (all products have a shelf life so use them all up and enjoy!). For optimum hair hydration, warm a towel on a radiator or in the airing cupboard. Wash your hair, shampoo as you usually would then shampoo the roots again and give your scalp a nice massage, add conditioner and rinse. Towel dry your hair then add a conditioning treatment or hair mask (if you don’t have either of these a regular conditioner will do), comb your hair through and wrap in cling film, take the warmed towel and wrap that on top of the cling film, leave on for around 20 minutes (you can leave it on for longer if you like), rinse and your hair will thank you!

The opportunity to grow your hair may also be a benefit to you, especially if you would like an updo on your big day, often brides desperately try to grow their hair in order to create their dream look so if you’ve had to postpone your wedding by a few months then this will give you more of a chance to add that extra length and strength!

Let's talk eyebrows!

I know it’s currently the fashion to have large brushed up eyebrows but if that isn’t a look I would push for a bride unless it was her natural brow shape. That said I think being on lockdown is a great opportunity for you to rediscover your natural brow shape so step away from the magnifying mirror, put the tweezers down and see where they grow. If you’re taking Zoom calls and feel conscious of your new sprouting eyebrows (they can be a little patchy to start) you can lightly fill the gaps with a brown pomade or pencil and disguise any other seemingly random strays with a concealer. To help with the growth there are various serums available which may aid the growth process.

Once you are ready to reshape your brows, whether you’re doing it yourself or seeing a professional, I would recommend waxing and tweezing to shape over threading. If you are confident enough to reshape your eyebrows yourself follow these simple steps for the right shape to for your face.

1. Brush your eyebrows up using a spooly brush (like the one you use for mascara but without the product) if you add a bit of soap to this it’ll help those stubborn hairs stay up. This will allow you to see the rounded shape of the bottom of your eyebrow which will make it easier to shape.

2. Mark out where your brow should start, curve and end with an eyeliner and a something straight as a measuring tool, such as a pen or pencil. See the image and instructions below:

3. Use the marks you’ve made as a guide for you to design the ideal brow shape for you, use a brow pencil to draw through your eyebrow to create the shape.

4. You can trim some of the longer hairs that are visible once your brows are brushed up but do not be tempted to cut too much as you’ll lose the softness of your brows.

5. You can now clearly see which hairs are out of place and can be removed with your tweezers. For more of a painless pluck use one hand to hold the tweezers and the other to support your skin and hold it taught when you’re plucking, also pull the hairs out in the direction that they are growing to cause as little irritation as possible.

...and last, but by no means least, the brilliant Georgia Powell, Hair Stylist & Makeup Artist

Georgia is a talented hair stylist and makeup artist based in Swindon with a passion for bridal.  She specialises in creating photo-ready, long-lasting hair and makeup that will make you feel a million dollars on your wedding day, and here she shares her top tips on skincare, what products to have and how to use them!  

Check out her Facebook account too, as she's posted her everyday skincare routine video - and it's fabulous!  Make sure to check it out!

Skincare: 

Working for the beauty brands that I have has turned me into an absolute skincare junkie! So many people tell me they don’t use any skincare, they’re not that into makeup, or they’re just lucky and already have good skin. But skincare is so much more than just another product in your makeup bag, it can completely transform your skin’s appearance and prevent future damage that you don’t realise is already happening. The difference in how your makeup appears and lasts is backed up by a good skincare regime.

When to start using skincare:

During isolation this is a perfect time to get online, do your research, and get ordering! The sooner you get into a skincare routine the better!

It can often take time for your skin to adjust to a new skincare routine and show results, which is why I wouldn’t recommend trying too many new products less than 6 weeks before your weddings. You want to give time for your skin to settle if it does have any disagreements. 

What products are best for me?

Skincare can be a little intimidating. There’s so much out there, and how do you know you have the right product for you? Trial and error can be difficult when investing in expensive products, which is why premium brands offer samples on counters, travel sized products, or consultations to try the products first! Ask yourself 2 questions, 1. What is your skin type? (Dry, dry combination, oily combination, oily?) . 2. What are your problem areas? (Dark circles, ageing spots, pigmentation, wrinkles, blemishes?)

Always check the product you are buying is suitable for your skin type, and targets your specific problem areas. For example if you use a product designed for dry skin but your skin is oily, it’s going to make your skin worse.

How often should I use my products?

Your skin should be cleansed twice a day. Once in the morning ready to start the day, and then again before bed to remove all makeup, oils and dirt from the day, and allow your skin to repair itself overnight. It takes just 5 minutes to cleanse your skin, which makes it doable even if you have a busy lifestyle! Once you get into your routine you won’t go a day without it. I can literally feel the results after putting on my moisturiser.

What if I’m on a budget?

I am a sucker for a premium brand product after the wonders they’ve done on my skin. Before I got into skincare I always thought it was a pointless, expensive, and wouldn’t work, but I can promise you it really does, and there’s real science behind all of the products. Premium brands don’t bulk their products out with unnecessary ingredients that are common for reactions in the skin, along with years of intense research behind each products (it takes 20 years to create some of Clinique’s products). The industry is endless so it’s easy to get carried away. This can be expensive when buying from my 2 favourite brands - Lancome and Clinique. Build your routine up gradually. Your makeup remover, clarifying lotion / toner, moisturiser and eye cream are your most important products. Everything else can come later. The Ordinary are a low priced skincare brand which many of my clients have had great results from.

How many products do I need, and why?

•Eye makeup remover - Any products which do not state are for the eyes, avoid the eye area. The skin under your eyes is a lot thinner and more sensitive than the rest of the face, and many products are too harsh and will cause damage. Eye makeup remover will soak off heavy liners and waterproof mascara better than all over makeup removers.

•Makeup remover - these come in all forms. Wipes, balms, lotions, oils. I favour a makeup wipe for removing the upper layer of makeup, followed by a lotion to remove everything that’s left using cotton pads. It’s surprising how little makeup a wipe removes.

•Face wash - I don’t personally use a face wash every day, but if your skin needs that extra cleanse these come in a down, liquid, lotion or bar form. Exfoliators provide a deeper cleanse but you shouldn’t be using these more than twice a week as the beads are harsher on the skin.

•Clarifying lotion / toner - this product really is incredible and shows instant results. It removes your upper layer of dead skin cells and releases a new, fresh layer of skin giving you instant brighter and more radiant skin.

•Serum - serums are a thinner consistency to moisturiser and penetrate the deeper layers of skin, not just treat the upper layers. They are designed to prevent damage and ageing for the deeper layers and can instantly brighten the skin.

•Moisturiser - You can use the same moisturiser day and night, or one with an SPF in the day and separate one at night. SPF in your moisturiser is so important if your skin is exposed to being outside frequently as the sun causes so much damage to our skin, even in the winter. Again avoid the eyes, and take down the neck. Moisturiser hydrates the skin and helps prevent ageing.

•Eye cream - only use a grain of rice sized amount on each eye. Where the skin is thinner, if you over hydrate the eyes with cream then over time it can cause the skin to droop.

•Lip oil - I love using a lip oil to keep my lips hydrated and prevent cracking. I always make sure this has an spf in as the skin on your lips is thinner and sensitive like your eyes, and more prone to daylight damage. You can use a balm or lotion.

So there you have it, loads of top tips on how to care for your hair and skin during isolation!  Take advantage of this time, as it won't come again - and let's burst out of our front doors glowing with health, beauty and confidence!

For more information about our brilliant contributors check out their pages - Polly Morton Makeup, Make Up By Carissa & Georgia Powell Hair & Makeup

Happy caring for yourself!

From Team Whitewed