Laser Hair Removal: 1st Treatment

First things first, Laser Hair Removal is not a fun experience... I have two tattoos and found the pain of this treatment to be very... uncomfortable to say the least! I had been previously been told to shave my legs 24 hours prior to my first treatment. Of course I was 20 mins late to the appointment and lets say the receptionist was less than pleased....

The aesthetician applied a gel to my legs (the same gel used in ultrasounds) along with sectioning each area of leg with a pen - to ensure that nothing was missed. Once I was prepped she began to apply the heated laser and I was told that the pain would vary depending on the area of the leg. The pressure of the laser could be reduced if the pain became too much -  I definitely found my knees and round my ankles to be the most painful. I am hoping that as the amount of hair reduces so will the pain!

As soon as we were finished, I was covered in an assortment of lotions including sun cream - sun cream is essential as the lasered areas are prone to darkening (I am guilty of not applying this daily, when you don't live in a hot country it really isn't something you think of!)

The treatment took around 30 mins and involved a lot less hassle than having to get your legs waxed. After leaving the clinic it was still super hot outside and with the heated laser freshly off my skin I could feel my legs burning up! I was a little panicked, but by the next morning everything was completely fine. There has been no drastic changes to report on yet but I have noticed that a quite a lot of my ingrown hairs have disappeared. Which is really encouraging as I know that the treatment is working!

July Beauty Favourites

Being a newbie on the beauty scene I am excited to be doing my first ever July favourites post!

The Skincare - It's safe to say that my focus is currently on kitting out my legs so I had to give the Perfect Legs Skin Miracle a try. I was surprised when this product pumped out a caramel coloured lotion but when blended in, it immediately gave a great subtle glow. Along with this, the product features Vitamin C and E which helps to even out skin tone. When first applied it's quite tacky so I would advise to leave it to dry for 20 mins as the colour does transfer. I have been slapping on the Nivea Pure & Senstive Sun Lotion partially because the heat is out of control in London but also because it being a requirement in the aftercare of Laser Hair Removal treatment. This month the Caludalie Vinosource SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum has been the answer to all my summer skin woes. It's a lightweight and nourishing serum that leaves my face feeling hydrated and glowy. I don't think this product works as well in winter as it doesn't give the moisture that my dry skin needs but for summer it's definitely a winner!

The Make-Up - Accompanying the June 2013 edition of Elle UK was a sample of "They're Real!" Beyond Mascara from Benefit. I prefer my lashes to look volumised yet separated (the thick clumpy look is not for me!) and this mascara ticks all the boxes - as soon as it finished I dashed straight onto ASOS to pick up the full size! Pinks & oranges have been my go-to shades this summer and I haven't stopped using the YSL Babydoll nail polish. I try to be as neat as possible when applying polish - but it doesn't always work out that way and I end up be super frustrated! However, with YSL polishes I always find the easy applicator and pigmented formula ensures a one-coat application that is fuss free.

The Scents -  From Diptique candles to Jo Malone soaps, I will put my hands up and say that I am a scent addict. I can safely say that I inherited this from my mum and for my 21st birthday she gifted me the Valentina by Valentino perfume along with a few bits from Jo Malone. The Lime Basil and Mandarin bath oil from Jo Malone has been a staple in my evening bath routine and I love that the scent lingers on my skin until morning.

Red Magazine: Free REN Beauty Samples!

Whilst browsing the ever-growing magazine section in Selfridges I spotted Red magazine were giving away REN beauty samples. Beauty counters these days rarely give out samples and even if they do it's a minuscule bit of moisturiser that will barely cover your face! I'm normally quite apprehensive when trying samples due to my sensitive skin but REN is one my favourite beauty brands so I  know they won't disappoint! 

Bicester Village Beauty Haul

Travelling outside of London is somewhat of big deal for me (I am a creature of habit) but when it comes to shopping I am pretty much game for whatever and wherever! With ASOS summer hours in full swing - my colleague Carrie & I ventured to Oxford to hit designer outlet Bicester Village. With brands such as Celine, Valentino and Sandro, with up to 70% off it was safe to say that I was more than excited!

On top of this they had an amazing beauty store, in which I of course went a little bit crazy and picked up a few bits...

I headed straight over to the Origins counter and I picked up two bottles of the Checks and Balances face wash - it's something I use daily and they are much larger than the bottles I normally pick up from Selfridges. Carrie introduced me to an amazing perfumier called Penhaligon's. As usual I was drawn in by the beautiful packaging and the fact that the Bluebell perfume was reduced to £10 from £85!

It was a great change from the usual Oxford Street hustle & bustle and the amazing weather made such a difference. I would 100% recommend dropping by as it was definitely an experience - even though it did clear out my wallet...

Laser Hair Removal

I'm not going to deny it, I was nervous about blogging about my laser hair removal experience but if the Karadashian sisters can do it then so can I!

Having Asian skin which is dry & sensitive makes me very prone to ingrown hair and waxing just wasn't giving me the results I was hoping for. I had heard that after each waxing session you were supposed to have less and less hair, but I felt that wasn't happening for me - especially on my legs.

I started to research laser hair removal and immediately realised it came with a hefty price tag. But for me it was more like an investment - the term that anyone in fashion will use when making a big purchase! With summer fast approaching I knew it was too late to get my legs in shape for what was to be a hot summer in London but I decided to book myself into a nearby clinic to see what could be done.

*Forewarning the following is the complete dummies guide to laser hair removal* The treatment would be over 6 months (one session every month) and I was advised to not wax my legs throughout the treatment and only to shave (shaving is definitely not my preferred choice of hair removal). In my consolation I was told the laser light created a heat reaction that would destroy the melanin in the skin and in turn eliminating hair regrowth! With the treatments being spaced over 6 months (one session every month) the process is lengthy and will not be pain free (I found this out in my test patch, ouch didn't even cover it!). But for anyone who is looking for a permanent hair removal treatment that is super low maintenance then I would definitely advise looking into laser hair removal.

I will be blogging about each Laser Hair Removal Session with my first one being on Thursday (eeek!) and if you have any questions in regards to the treatment - drop me a comment below.

Midweek Beauty Routine

Wednesday is the new Sunday - well beauty wise anyway! Over the last few weeks I have replaced my usual Sunday beauty routine to a Wednesday, I feel like a mid-week beauty top-up is just what I need. With the heat turnt up in London, this post is very much catered towards combating warm-weather woes...

Face - After a sweaty tube journey home the first thing I do is grab my simple make- up wipes to get what's left of my make-up off my face. I look to my Honey and Oat 3-in-1 face mask from The Body Shop to cleanse, polish and moisturise my face. I finish off with my Claudalie Vinosource S.0.S thirst quenching serum that restores any moisture lost when sitting in an air-conned office all day!

Skincare - For those of us who are prone to a bit of eczema/ dry-skin the Summer can be somewhat of a stressful time. I can't power through the day without lathering on Lush Dream Cream and with an oatmilk base it instantly cools down hot & itchy skin. But if things get really bad (sounds super dramatic!) then slap on some Itch Relief Cream that will work up to 8 hours.

Hair -  Boots Build Up Removal Expert aka one of the most coveted own-brand Boots products! I can understand why as it does a good job of getting rid of any product build up - I don't use that many hair products but after using this once a week my hair always feels light, fluffy and squeaky clean. I picked up this Vatika Coconut Oil hair treatment whilst in ASDA (finding beauty gems whilst doing the daily food shop is where it's at!) that claims to thicken and volumise your hair - for £3.49 I had to give it a go to see if it actually worked and I will be putting a full review of this up soon....

Nails - Some colours are just made for Summer and "Orange, it's obvious" from Essie just fits the bill.