I’m a bit of a beauty obsessive (naturally). I love a full face of makeup, will rarely leave the house brow-less, and I'm a sucker for a gel mani at my local nail bar. I do the ‘beauty stuff’ because it makes me feel good, and there's something about being done-up that satisfies my Geordie roots. We beautify for a number of reasons; here are 17 women (with interesting careers, across a whole bunch of industries), telling us why they do it. By Rachel Spedding

In the last 12 months, ‘how to prevent grey hair’ has become a breakout Google search. It seems the beauty landscape is divided, by those who are keen to cover their greys, and those lathering in the purple shampoo to achieve it (you're on trend, silver foxes). If you’re team ‘cover up’, keep reading. We spoke to the hair pros at Wella to get the expert intel on what to do when the greys appear. By Rachel Spedding

At 15, my sister asked me to dye her hair platinum blonde. I grabbed a paintbrush – only the finest equipment used in my salon (bathroom) – some cling film, and a box of hair dye. £5 from Bodycare, naturally. I applied it. Waited thirty mins. Then unstripped the cling film from her hair, to reveal a speckled colour selection of brown, Sunny-D-yellow, and deep orange. We both learnt a lesson that day; my sister would only ever trust the salon, and I was to move far, far away from her for a good few months. Older, wiser, and with…

How 'bad' is bleaching? Is balayage different to ombré? Will I have to wear this beret forever to hide my dodgy at-home dye job? We spoke to Suzanne Alphonse – Wella’s Technical Education Manager – to answer our big q's on hair colouring. Here's everything you need to know, according to a pro.

It’s a weird premise, but turns out,  spraying a highly-concentrated stream of oxygen molecules to the skin’s epidermis can make it glow – a lot. The oxygen facial takes up to an hour, nourishes skin, and promotes collagen growth. The technique is favoured by celebs, and the Treatwell office (the quest for glow is eternal in Holborn). Fancy it? You will once you’ve read this.

Dermaplaning – the rumours tell us that it exfoliates skin, encourages glow, and removes facial fuzz. Fine. The tool used? A surgical scalpel. Right. It's a hot topic in the Treatwell office, so we did our research; here are the three things to know about 2019’s cult facial. By Rachel Spedding

Though 90% of our manicure trips end with nude-coated fingertips, there’s something about new-season trends that keep our eyes looking toward the catwalk. The past few weeks have seen all sorts of fingertip goodness, from claw-like extensions, to well-groomed bare nails. From New York, straight to London, (and all the OTT clothing in between), here are the 6 nail looks that have caught our attention, that’ll definitely be trying out next time. Probably. By Rachel Spedding

For some (ahem) Valentine's Day is good for one thing only – finding posh chocolate, reduced, the day after. But, there's heart-shaped joy to be found beyond the card shop... inside the nail salon. Pink and red is pretty much the best colour combo these days – Glossier, we thank you – so it's easy to see why these wondrous patterns look so great. Mini hearts, gold accents, I'm a sucker for it all. Try stickers if nail art is a little too advanced for your painting abilities or leave it to the pros at the salon for a longer-lasting *smudge-free* finish. Oh, and side…

When it comes to booking a spa day, I’m on the look-out for three key things: nice venue, indulgent treatments, and a relaxation space (ideally peppered with great snacks, and unlimited tea). This week, I headed to York Hall in Bethnal Green – the East London offering of the Spa Experience chain – to see if I could add another place to my ‘top spot’ list. By Rachel Spedding

Despite its Victorian-torture-device aesthetic, ‘dermarolling’ is a conversation topic that keeps popping up in our office, and on Instagram. From Kim K's vampire facial, to the rise in microneedling treatments, it seems we're all seeking that radiant glow invasive procedures offer. So, what can you expect from an at-home dermaroller and, more importantly, is it going to hurt?  By Rachel Spedding

Confessions all round: I've been an eyebrow waxer since '08 (my estimate of the year brows became a 'thing'). It was habit to slink into the salon, ask for a tidy up, and await the strip application. Sure, things looked fine, excess hair was removed and my sunglasses were positioned to hide the raccoon stripe of red stamped on my forehead (even in -10 North Eastern temperatures, FYI), but I was so darn intrigued by the world of threading. Researching and writing about it's popularity, and envying a number of pals with sharp, distinct brow shapes, it was time to succumb.…

Humidity, kinks, disappearance of kirby grips – thick hair life can be tough. There are hairstyles that work your thicker tresses to all their voluminous magic, and they're right here. Well, 17 of them. There’s power in a good fringe. Go 'full' if your hair is straight in texture, blow dry 'under' with a barrel brush to curl, spritz with hairspray and part in the middle for the ‘good kind of curtains’ – think Zoey Deschanel. The half-up-half-down. Back comb your hair at the root to add height, then take hair from the sides and push up. Hold in place…

For me, dewy skin is always on the agenda. So, when images of high-gloss skin started circulating my Instagram feed, I had to find the source. Was it a vinyl facemask? A juicy skin serum? Alas, no – it's a filter – created by French artist Johanna Jaskowska. No dog ears involved; @johwska's filter is cool, and it's getting ever more popular. So, inspired to get my skin close to just-dipped-my-face-in-vaseline levels, beyond the screen of my iPhone 8, I'm booking in for a treatment. There are three I'd suggest for glowing skin, and they're explained below. No petroleum jelly involved. By…

We’ve heard promising things for season 5 of Peaky Blinders. David Beckham’s potential cameo, Tommy’s entrée to politics, and the rumoured return of Tom Hardy – pray with us. One thing we do know? The Shelby’s have great hair. Arthur’s is up for debate. But, on the whole, the Shelby’s have great hair. It seems the majority of the UK agree, with ‘Peaky Blinders haircut’ a top search on Google in 2018. To get the coveted cut, ask your barber for a ‘crop’, with short back and sides, and extra length left up top. A ‘sweeping fringe’ at the front means…

Another awards night, another round of great hair and beauty looks. While, of course, I'm just as excited about recognising acting talent as Emma Stone's hair colour, it's important to indulge in fun things on a Monday. Because it's Monday. Everyone was looking dapper as always (Timothée Chalamet, well done on being you) – but, these are the looks that got me screenshotting the red carpet last night. Nails, eyes, 10/10 hairstyles – here are our top 8. By Rachel Spedding

Gather round – get close, real close – now shout it from the heavens, Ella-Eyre-style, because we just got paid. Like time passing on a Tuesday afternoon, or waiting for the tour at the end of Grand Designs, January has moved painfully slowly. It’s been filled with packed lunches, turning down social events, and balaclavas (for the cold, obviously). So, now that the funds have arrived, I’m going for it – americano, not filter; wine, not water; and beauty treatments, by the bucketload. Here are the treatments to invest in, this payday. By Rachel Spedding

Alright, the third Monday in January is set to be the most miserable of all, and it’s coming. But, let us not premeditate glumness. Instead, let’s just plan to do something that makes us feel really, really good. For me, that’s buying a posh coffee, instead of going instant. It’s making a whole plate of potato wedges for tea. It’s ordering on ASOS (Klarna, obviously), and not filtering by ‘lowest to highest’. Oh, and it’s booking a treatment – or two – and kicking back in the salon for many hours. Join me? By Rachel Spedding

It’s nice to feel good about our hair. Whether that’s a fresh bleach job that’s got you feeling all Malfoy again, or post-shampoo-scrub after a night on your mate’s sofa. We spoke to the real hair pros – the ones making magic happen in the salon chair – to find out which trends are sure to go the distance this year. From haircut styles, to new-season colour, here are the four ‘trends’ to try this 2019. By Rachel Spedding

To me, there’s one key benefit of coffee – it gets me through the day. A life without the wondrous ripple of caffeine soaring through my veins is not a life I wish to discuss. Good news though – turns out – there’s more to that morning cup o’ joe than just good taste. The environment, our beauty routine… coffee grounds are majorly multipurpose. Here are six things that prove they’re magic beans. By Rachel Spedding

Alright, we've talked 2019 hair trends, and though the return of copper is sure to be huge this year, Google searches for 'brown hair' are rising (and you're about to see why). Just like tonal blondes, going 'brunette' doesn't mean committing to one shade all over. Talk to your stylist about face-framing colour techniques; toffee-toned babylights, toasted chestnut shades (think deep, rich red), or try balayage. All of which will add dimension to chocolatey locks. So, how about styling brunette tresses? According to Helen Davis, of Pickles & Co salon, "creating a natural look is starting to become popular, not…

Internet searches are pretty revealing: 'IKEA Malm drawers', 'are Dennis Quaid and Harrison Ford related?', ‘what time does Dominos in Willesden shut?'. Along with the generic help-me-solve-my-problem searches, each year, Google round up the most-asked beauty questions. From magnetic eyelashes (yes, really), to finding the right concealer for you, here are the top 10. With the answers too, obviously. By Rachel Spedding

For some, seeing in the new year means catching up on hair cuts. Ticking ‘trim’ off the life admin list, or indulging in a little salon time (because we’ve stuck out this ‘January’ thing for quite long enough), could mean trying something new. And shoulder-length hair, my looking-for-inspiration friends, is the cut you should try. It inspires flashbacks of the ‘growing out’ phase we all endured after mum’s insistence of having a bob throughout our childhood (ahead of her time on the trends it would seem). It’s not so short that ‘transformation’ springs to mind, but it’s a definite shift…

It's January. The cheese is gone, the bubbles are drank, and what remains is a new year attitude to be a better version of the year previous. My advice? Sack off the pressure, and head for a spa day. Here, when sat amidst another kind of bubbles (the jacuzzi kind), you’ll be forced to sit back and think about good stuff. Like travel plans for the new year, or what will feature on the afternoon tea menu.  I headed to the – aptly named – Chilworth Spa at Paddington Hotel to do just that.