Facial Massage 101

This simple massage is a really effective way to soothe your skin & get the best result from your facial oil. It’s a simple synergistic blend of massage & acupressure movements. This treatment will stimulate your circulation & kick start cell regeneration ensuring your skin has a fresh, rosy glow.

Technique

Allow your hands to mirror each other in a gentle unhurried way.

Preparation

Cleanse your skin & allow it to rest for 5 minutes. This will ensure your skin has recovered its natural balance and will enable the facial oil to penetrate more efficiently.

Warm Up

Using the thumb & index finger of each hand; start at the inner edge of eyebrows & pinch gently, working outwards towards your ears. Pinch along till you reach the end of your brows. Do twice.
Using same pinching action move hands down to centre of chin and work along jaw to ears.

Facial Massage
Place a small amount of facial oil (remember you only need the tiniest amount) onto the palm of your hand. Dip in fingertips & then gently rub palms together to distribute the oil evenly.

Step One
With one palm resting lightly on the base of your throat and the other palm just below it, gently sweep the palm upwards (one hand following the other). Using the same sweeping motion work outwards to each ear ensuring your neck has been covered with the facial oil.

Step Two
Place palms on your jaw with fingertips resting on cheekbones at each side of nose. With a light sweeping touch, smooth the fingertips up by the sides of the nose, middle of forehead, then down towards temples and back to jawline. Do twice.

Step Three
Place the flat pad of ring finger on inner edge of eyebrow. Using the underlying bone as a guide; start at the inner eyebrow & with a smoothing action work outwards, around cheekbones & back to the top of nose. Do Twice.

Step Four
With the fingertips of each hand touching at the centre of the forehead(arms raised, elbows out) smooth outwards towards temple. Do Twice.

Step Five
With fingertips on temples slowly work in circular motion. Do Twice.

Step Six
With fingertips at both sides of nostril and using cheekbone as your guide use a comfortable pressure to sweep fingertips upwards towards ears. Do Twice.

Step Seven
With flat pad of fingers use small gentle circular motions around the face & neck (but avoid delicate eye area). Then with a gentle tapping action (like tapping a keyboard, but quicker!) use the pads of your fingers to tap all around face & neck. Gently tap eye area (working outwards towards ears) it’s a great depuffing trick! Alternate these two moves for about a minute.

Step Eight
With the back of one hand gently pat under your chin. Do about thirty.

Step Nine
Repeat steps 1 & 2.

Step Ten
Then starting at top of ears, using thumb and index finger pinch around your ear working all the way down to your lobe. This is a lovely way to finish the massage as all your reflexology points are present on the ear lobe, so this simple action will refresh and restore.

Cleansing 101

My cleansing routine may seem a little bit different to what you are used to, but believe me that extra minute or so of gentle cleansing will reward you with a naturally gorgeous glow.

Cleansing your skin is quite simply the most important step in your skincare routine. Gentle cleansing will ensure that dead skin cells, excess oil, dirt & makeup are removed. Your skin's natural oil (sebum) needs to flow freely onto your skin to perform its own natural moisturizing and healing action. If skin has not been cleansed effectively, your pores get blocked, the natural oil becomes trapped causing infection and breakouts to occur. If skin has not been well cleansed it does take on a dingy appearance with the development of blackheads, whiteheads & enlarged pores. On the other hand overzealous cleansing damages skin and causes sensitivity, dry patches and excess sebum production.

Cleansing Technique
I divide cleansing into an am & pm routine. Your morning cleanse need not be too rigorous, you just simply need to remove any surface oils or excess product that may remain on your skin and ensure your skin is perfectly prepared for the day ahead.

Be Kind To Yourself!
Remember we aren't trying to recreate the opening scene from Mommie Dearest here, gentle is the key word! I am always shocked when new clients tell me of their cleansing routine be it harsh products or harsh action. Scrubs are for kitchen floors not gorgeous faces! Harsh treatment will only upset your skin, while a gentle soothing touch will ensure a fresh and fabulous glow! The aim of the cleanse is to gently remove any surface debris and free the pores to release their own natural moisturizer.

Morning Cleanse
Simply fill a basin with warm water and add 20 drops of Rose Skin Tonic. Swish & swirl this skin balancing blend into the water. Soak a clean, cotton flannel in the water, wring out and place the flannel over your face & neck for about 10 seconds. This simple step will warm up your skin, stimulate circulation and attract any skin debris to the flannel. Rinse & wring out the flannel. Fold the flannel into a small rectangle then covering one section of skin at a time gently press flannel into skin, roll and release. Repeat this action around face & neck. Finally splash face & neck for 30 seconds and pat your skin dry with a soft, fluffy towel (keep your own separate towel especially for skincare). DO NOT share a towel or use any old towel that's just hanging around! Make your cleansing routine a real ritual and a spirited start to the day. Allow your skin to rest for about 5 minutes before applying your SPF and make up.

Evening Cleanse
Your evening cleanse is absolutely essential to remove all the dirt & debris of the day. I don't care how tired you are (sorry I was a bit bossy then!) but if you do only one thing for your skin make it a thorough cleanse in the evening.

Step One

Place the clean, soft flannel in a basin of warm water. Warm the cleanser in the palm of your hand. Just taking the time to warm the Borage Cleansing Oil or Palmarosa Cleansing Balm makes the cleanse so much more effective. A warm product clings to the debris on your skin making your cleansing routine a lot more thorough.

Step Two

With the cleanser distributed evenly in your hands, sweep the cleanser upwards over your neck, jawline, sides of nose & forehead.

Step Three

Then sweep outwards towards temples and back down past cheekbones down to the centre of jaw. With a small circular action using the pads of your fingers work product into skin of face & neck.

Step Four

Use this same action around your eye area. Since you are using a gentle touch combined with a smooth and gentle cleanser, don't worry you will not drag or damage this delicate area at all.

Using this simple, circular technique will ensure that your skin circulation is boosted, giving it a helping hand in eliminating its own dirt and debris that will clog pores.

Step Five
Once the cleanser has been gently massaged into skin, wring out the flannel and place over face & neck for about 10 seconds. This simple step will warm up your skin, stimulate circulation and attract any skin debris to the cloth. Rinse & wring out cloth. Fold cloth into a small rectangle then covering one section of skin at a time gently press cloth into skin, roll and release. Repeat this action around face & neck.

Step Six
Final Rinse - Fill basin with fresh, warm water and add 20 drops of Rose Skin Tonic. Swish & swirl this skin balancing blend into the water. Then proceed to splash face & neck for 30 seconds. This will ensure every little bit of debris & excess cleanser is removed. Rose Skin Tonic is a simple blend, which is a totally natural yet utterly effective skin ph balancer with a lovely antibacterial action.

Step Seven

Pat skin dry with a clean towel and wait about 5 minutes before applying your facial oil. Waiting just a few minutes before applying the next step of your skincare routine allows your skin to recover its natural balance, making it in the perfect state to receive the most nourishment from your facial oil.

Five Rules For Winter Skin

Winter takes its toll on your skin and you really need to make that extra bit of effort to protect your skin. But just follow my simple winter skincare rules and your skin reap the benefits from that little bit of extra care.

Rule No 1
WEAR YOUR SUNSCREEN
I know it’s the middle of a glum English winter but you still need to protect your skin and a decent SPF is the very best skincare purchase you can make. Exposure to the sun (even in the middle of winter) seriously speeds up the ageing process of your skin and makes you prone to developing dry skin, age spots, wrinkles and those horrid spider veins. For daily wear just try a simple SPF 15.

Rule No 2
MOISTURIZE TO THE MAX!
Its bad enough that not only does your skin have to combat the brutal weather outside but as soon as you step inside any teeny bit of moisture in the air is sucked out by central heating. Dry air can wreak havoc on your skin making it flake and crack (it even makes those pesky fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable). To combat this its absolutely essential that you cosset your skin throughout the day. In the morning apply a lovely rich balm (like Rose Otto Healing Balm) and throughout the day spray your skin with Miracle Spritz, rich in glycerin (vegetable of course) which draws water into the skin and keeps it there. It also helps add a gorgeous finish to make up (especially mineral bases) and keeps your skin refreshed, soft and glowing throughout the day.

RULE NO 3
BE KIND TO YOUR SKIN
Products that contain active anti-ageing ingredients such as Retinoid's and AHA‘s can really irritate skin making it even drier, itchier and prone to flaking. If you must use them; why not try applying a every alternate evening so your skin is not overwhelmed by those nasty

RULE NO 4
PUCKER UP!
Don’t forget those delectable lips. Keep your lip balm with you at all times and apply frequently. Frequent application ensures that your lips are soft, supple and totally irresistible!

RULE NO 5
BATHE IN THE MOISTURE!
Keep your baths and showers short & sweet. A quick dip of about 15 minutes maximum will add moisture to your skin but any longer any your skin will dry out! Keep the water warm, not HOT! Hot water strips your skin of its natural protective oils and damages skin cells causing dry, itchy skin. After your bath or shower pat skin dry, this action helps the skin retain moisture and is a far more gentle action to use on sensitive skin. Apply your body moisturizer as soon as you can to trap any remaining moisture into the skin. Moisturizers don’t add moisture to the skin, they just trap the water that’s already there. By following these simple steps you will see & feel a difference in your skin.

Questions Please!!!

If you have any skincare or make up questions just e-mail them to me at questions@kateloganbeauty.com.

Flawless and Fabulous Skin!

Polished, flawless and gorgeously fabulous. Yes, that can be you with a little help from some perfectly applied foundation. With a myriad of lovely light diffusing formulas you can say goodbye to those teeny imperfections and glow, glow, glow!

The Secret
Finding the right shade is the key to getting the perfect look. When foundation shopping, take a friend (for an honest opinion). Apply the foundation to your jawline, ideally you want the colour just to disappear into your natural skin tone. Step away from the pink toned foundations; they do not suit anyone! Look for yellow toned shades, they are flattering and realistic.

Application

Tools of the Trade - Damp Sponge (wedge shape please!) or foundation brush.

1. Allow your moisturizer to really sink into your skin before you even think about applying your base. If you apply base straight after your moisturizer it will not last (basically it will slide off before you even leave the house!)



2. Dot foundation along your forehead, down your nose, along your chin and finally across those gorgeous cheekbones.



3. With your sponge or brush held deftly in your hand start at the centre of your face and blend, blend, blend with short, downward strokes. Working downwards ensures you don't ruffle up those fine facial hairs and also means you will create a lovely smooth finish. Carry on blending and do not forget the jawline and hairline (remember we aren't recreating retro air hostess look!). Concentrate on the jawline and hairline, gently blending away any telltale foundation lines.



4. Time to camouflage all those teeny tiny imperfections. For dark circles use a light, liquid concealer. Dot on under eye area and gently pat with ring finger to blend. For spots or areas of skin discolouration use a thicker concealer. This is best applied with a small pointed concealer brush. Using a concealer brush allows you to target just the area of redness and avoid that horrid cakey coverage look.



5. Powder time, ladies! Dip a large, fluffy powder brush in translucent powder. Tap to remove any excess powder and lightly sweep across your forehead, nose and chin. A quick spray of Miracle Spritz will "set" your makeup and add a lovely dewy glow.

There you have it 5 simple steps for flawless skin, the rest is up to you!

Do I Need a Make Up Primer

Dear Kate, I hear so much about make up primers, are they worth buying?
Andrea W.

A make up primer is designed to temporarily smooth your skin. It usually contains silicones & polymers which create a smooth surface and waxes which bind with your make up to give it longevity. Not everyone needs a primer. Make up primer is really suited to those who have uneven skin texture (perhaps due to old scars) since they level out the skin. Its also helpful for those whose lip colour feathers due to fine lines or who find that their eye shadow creases easily. From my own experience I have found that after I have used a make up primer it does make application of foundation particularly easy. It just seems to prep the surface of the skin but as for adding longevity to your make up, I'm not convinced!

Tinted Moisturizer - Does it Cover?

Dear Kate, I'm not entirely convinced a tinted moisturizer will give the coverage I need, what do I do?
Nicola T.

Summer is on its way and the last thing you need is that horrid, heavy foundation feeling. Tinted moisturizer will give you a lovely sheer finish that will look flawless if you follow my foolproof action plan for a not so natural, natural look!

Step One - Tools of the Trade
Any base product will look so much better if you apply with a foundation brush. But the secret to a great foundation brush is price, cheap ones work great! Oh dear, I've shocked you. There is a reason behind my cheapness (trust me I speak from experience), pricey, natural bristle brushes really soak up the base whereas with the not so natural bristle foundation brush, the product just sits on it and transfers easily to your skin and provide great coverage.

Step Two - Application
Dot the tinted moisturizer on forehead, nose, cheekbones and jawline. With foundation brush start at centre of face, and use short, downward strokes to ensure smooth coverage. Remember to blend in well around hairline and jawline, this is no time for telltale lines.

Step Three - Conceal, Conceal, Conceal!
Eye Area: Dot concealer under eyes with ring finger.
Spots/Areas of discolouration: With a small pointed concealer brush, dab a thicker formulation concealer on the redness/discolouration only. Then set with a light dusting of a translucent powder.

Step Four - Get the Glow
Embrace the fresh new you by using a sheer cream blush to give just that flash of gorgeous glow! Finally, just a quick spray of Miracle Spritz will ensure your make up stays put and will also leave you with a delectable glow.