You know the usual drill for avoiding irritated skin: wash your face in the evening and avoid aggressive scrubs. But what about the rest of the skin stuff? Pimples and breakouts are caused by a number of things you’re probably doing on the daily (pizza – I'm looking at you). Here are the six ‘skin sins’ that are causing spots, so you can change your habits for good. Except the pizza-eating.  By Rachel Spedding

Beards have been having a major comeback moment recently- no doubt because shaving is just *too* much effort when we’re not leaving the house anyway. Now though, it seems the beard trend is here to stay, and we’re 100% here for it.  Growing a beard might seem as simple as just foregoing the razor and letting time do its thing, but anyone who’s tried to grow a lush and dense beard, or even a little trying-but-not-trying stubble, will tell you that there are a whole host of issues that can come with it. We’re talking itchiness, frizz, dry skin and…

It might have taken what seems like years, but the sun has finally arrived(!!), which means it’s time for picnics in the park, drinks in the beer garden and an actual *social life* - Is this a dream? What it also means is that we should be taking extra care of our skin. In true British-teenager-in-the-2000s style, I remember the days where my ‘sun care’ consisted of repeatedly saying ‘my foundation has SPF 10 in it’, and occasionally coating myself in factor two tanning oil (honestly, shudder).  Now though, SPF is the cornerstone of any good skincare routine, and any…

With sunnier days comes the arrival of freckles, the little brown spots that decorate faces in the summer months. Some of us love them, others hide them with foundation and a whole load of people - who aren’t genetically-blessed in that department - are creating them with makeup. We’re firmly in the love-them camp (ok, and the drawing-them-on camp). Here’s how to embrace and highlight your freckles. By Beth Ludolf

We all know the annoyance of the period breakout. As if the bloating, cramps and tendency to cry whilst listening to Drivers License (just us?) wasn’t punishment enough. As soon as Aunt Flo takes up residence, so do her unwelcome pimple pals but what about other symptoms PMS (Pre-Menstrual Skin)? The 7-10 days before your period can throw up a whole host of pesky skin problems thanks to wildly fluctuating hormones. From bacne to sunburn it can wreak havoc with your complexion but luckily there’s plenty you can do to fight back... By Jo Hoare

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year, it’s that a lack of professional hair help can make a gal consider doing some crazy things. A kitchen scissor cut, a DIY fringe, a box bleach job? Yep, there was a time when I would have tried anything for a change-up. I mean, with the amount of drama we’ve experienced lately, it made sense for our hairstyles to match.  Now though, with the light at the end of the tunnel in view and things getting closer to (the new) normal by the day, you might be wanting your hair…

When Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish, and Dylan Sprouse hop on a hair trend, you know it has to be cool. Recently, a bunch of our fave celebs have been ditching their signature colours for this season’s hottest new colour on the block: vanilla blonde. And honestly, although we’ll sorely miss Billie’s iconic green and black ‘do and Selena’s glossy brunette locks, we’re not mad about it. Why? Because this shade is kind of to die for.  The world of blonde hair might have been dominated by icy cool shades and white-silver tones over the past few years, but we’re so…

Say it with me: Y2K is everything right now. Shoulder bags, Juicy tracksuits, and low-rise jeans? Check, check, check. One of our fave Y2K popstar-inspired trends at the moment is one that Tiktokers and red carpet A-listers alike are loving - the bubble braid.  We’ve been seeing them everywhere- ‘Rising Star’ Brit Award winner Griff wore an ah-mazing oversized bubble braid for her live Brit performance, Gigi Hadid rocked (adorable) mini versions for her 24th birthday celebrations, and Priyanka Chopra looked insanely sleek and sophisticated with her red-carpet bubble braid at this year’s BAFTA Awards.  Honestly? Bubble braids might just…

If you’ve spent most of 2021 scrolling through Tiktok (because let’s face it, what else has there been to do), you’ll most likely have come across 3 things: Addison Rae, *that* feta pasta, and the holy grail of beauty routines; Gua Sha.  The technique is a firm fave amongst celebs and influencers, and involves scraping an insanely aesthetic-looking tool across the face, with the goal of achieving ultimate lifting-plumping results.  It’s said to have countless health and beauty benefits, and has been hailed as the secret to healthy, glowing skin. What’s more? Celebs including Lizzo, Kendall Jenner, and Miranda Kerr…

Without being too dramatic, is there anything better than a red carpet? There’s just something so magical about admiring the drama, the fashion, the insanely extra hair and beauty - and all from the comfort of your couch? Winner.  And let’s be honest- in a year where the closest thing most of us have had to dressing *up* is putting on clean joggers to pop to the shops (just me?), last night’s Brit Awards were a more-than- welcome injection of some major glam into the year.  Because it’s the Brits, the vibe was all about fun and extravagance - with…

Eid al- Fitr is fast approaching and we’re already thinking about what henna we’re going to get. From chic minimalist designs to bold, intricate patterns there are so many styles to choose from - and if you're anything like us you’re having a hard time picking just one. But don’t worry, we’ve put together some of our favourite designs that are giving us serious henna envy.  By Louise Carleton    

Confession: I'm not the best at applying makeup. No matter how many Youtube tutorials I watch, Pinterest pics I study, or TikTok trends I scroll through, (and believe me, it’s a lot), I just can’t seem to get the hang of it.  Luckily, 2021’s most notable makeup trend is surprisingly doable- which means it’s one that I can absolutely get on board with. Earlier in the year- the ‘2016 vs 2021’ makeup challenge was trending on TikTok. The trend took a nostalgic look back to those sweet, sweet pre-covid times, and showed how makeup trends have changed since then. On…

If you’re anything like me, your nails have been *through it* this past year. Excessive handwashing? Check. An at-home gel kit that peeled off later that day? Check. A DIY nail art attempt that looked like a toddler had let loose with their crayons? Check. (Okay, maybe some of these are just me, but you get the gist.) Luckily, salons are officially back, which means we can finally get back to our true happy place, the nail salon (insert heavenly choir noises here). This season, our insta feeds have been full of brights, pastels, and all things *joyful*. With spring…

We dreamt about a lot of things during lockdown - nights at the pub, seeing our friends, and a sweet, sweet haircut. Something we’ll never take for granted again.  While scrolling through Instagram and saving endless amounts of inspiration pics probably wasn’t helping the frustration of not being able to head to the salon, it does at least mean that when they did finally reopen we knew exactly what we wanted. Curtain bangs, in case you were wondering.  Curtain bangs are great. They’re notoriously cool (Alexa Chung made sure of that), less high maintenance than you might think and actually…

Lockdown had us pining for the hairdressers, saving hair inspo left, right and centre, and dreaming of all the new looks we would try out once normality resumed. One style that kept catching our eye was locs; a hairstyle that’s becoming ever more popular with both men and women who want to show off their natural hair with pride - in a stylish and easy to manage way. Although locs are pretty low maintenance, there are some things you need to know when it comes to starting and caring for your locs. Loc expert Deborah at La Aibamania gave us…

This awards season has been a *tad* unusual - we think that’s fair to say. However, last night’s Oscars treated us to an IRL (!!!) red carpet moment, and boy, was it worth the wait. From Andra Day’s oh-so 2021 'no-makeup' makeup, to Amanda Seyfried’s classic Hollywood glam -  here are our fave hair and beauty looks from the 2021 Academy Awards. Beth Ryan

We counted down the minutes. We planned our outfits weeks in advance. At times, we thought the day might never actually arrive. But, hallelujah, the 12th finally rolled around, and we were officially allowed back in that sacred British institution - the beer garden.  Cut to one week later, and there is a small chance that you may have over-indulged a little. Hey, we’re right there with you, and we won’t judge. Your skin, on the other hand, might be feeling less than impressed.  If the visible effects of this week’s antics are showing on your face (we’re talking puffiness,…

Lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted and with less than a week to go until Step 2 of the lockdown roadmap comes into effect we’re already looking ahead and compiling a list of all the things we can’t wait to do come the 12th of April - and beyond. Here are the top 15 things we’re looking forward to the most. What’s on your list? WRITTEN BY Louise Carleton

Gyms are open again, which means (sadly) no more excuses. Sweating it out might do wonders for our bodies and minds, but our skin? Not so much. If you find that your skin is feeling dull, dehydrated, or breaking out - it may be your workout habits that are to blame. To keep your skin *and* body feeling healthy, bear these tips in mind. You got this.

If you’re anything like us you’re counting down the days until salons can reopen. It’s been a long time since we sat in the salon chair and when we say our hair is crying out for some TLC, we mean it. We spoke to afro Hairdresser extraordinaire, Debora at La Aibamania to find out what we can do in preparation for our first appointment back in the salon. Here are her top three tips:

We’ve let our unruly brows run riot in lockdown, so an eyebrow shape is top of the list when salons reopen - there’s not long to go. Some of us have taken matters into our own hands, getting pretty good at shaping our brows (or doing just enough to keep the monobrow at bay).  With just over a month to go now is the perfect time to put down the tweezers, leave the wax strips to one side and let those brows grow. A grown-out brow will give your therapist lots to work with and help you achieve a new…

What should I do if the hair is too long? Remember, your hair should be no less than a quarter of an inch long. If it’s too long, Sofia suggests giving it a trim, “make sure you leave about 1 cm of growth though, to make sure the wax can pick the hairs up”. If you’re not confident trimming it yourself (it can be trickier than you think), your therapist can do this for you before your wax.  If I resorted back to shaving during lockdown, will my first wax hurt more? You’re not alone in worrying about the pain…

#NoMoreNoShows “No shows”, where someone books an appointment but doesn’t turn up on the day, without letting the salon know in advance - have been a problem in the industry for some time. In fact, reports state that 33.7% of people have “no-showed” at some point.  Right now, after months of closure and reopening with reduced capacity, the hair and beauty industry is struggling. The industry needs our support more than ever before. We’re supporting the #NoMoreNoShows campaign, which aims to educate customers on the potentially devastating effects of not turning up to their booking and the impact that this loss…