The Beauty Cupboard Archives - Page 3 of 10

Dr Raj Acquilla launches YUVA MEDI-SPA

When it comes to aesthetics, education and trust are key. We’re constantly searching for innovative new ways to turn back the clock and retain or regain our youthful appearance and because of this, the aesthetics market is booming. Selecting an aesthetics practitioner is difficult, after-all, you’re trusting this person with your face and potentially how it might look for 12 months after any treatment you elect to have, that’s a scary thought right? You can do research and ask friends, but ultimately it’s your decision and you’d be surprised how many people I’ve spoken to who cite “proximity to home” as their top priority when selecting a practitioner. Me personally? I’d travel for the right practitioner any day of the week, if it means the difference between being a Leslie Ash or a Margot Robbie then distance isn’t a factor. Fortunately, from the moment you enter the prestigious new YUVA MEDI-SPA in Alderley Edge, you know you’re in safe hands.

Founded by award winning doctor and aesthetics educator Dr Raj Acquilla, YUVA MEDI-SPA is a cut above other offerings in the UK. Not strictly brand new, the clinic is the second in Acquilla’s expanding portfolio and opened to a three month wait list back in April 2017. After months of planning, the official press launch was set for the end of September, yes, they’re that in demand and there’ll be more on the press launch in my follow up post.

Dr Raj Acquilla

YUVA MEDI-SPA occupies an entire mansion house and former recording studio with its own pretty gardens and parking, it’s a pretty spectacular setting and a step away from the usual high street pop up clinics. Acquilla’s vision for YUVA MEDI-SPA was grand: to take the traditional idea of a medi-spa and turn it on its head. Acquilla wanted to step away from the expected clinical environment and create something luxurious, unique and beautiful. Ultimately, a place where patients could feel relaxed, reassured, not rushed, and enjoy their aesthetic journey.

“Our philosophy is to make our patients not only look but feel better about themselves through proven, safe and effective procedures. We pride ourselves on listening to their needs so that we can tailor and deliver a treatment plan that suits their individual goals. We understand the emotions that are attached to age-related changes in appearance and endeavour to make all our patients experience and journey with us a memorable and positive one.” Dr Raj Acquilla, Founder of YUVA MEDI-SPA

YUVA has certainly achieved that, everything aspect of the clinic has been planned with the client in mind. From the furnishings and calming colour scheme of soft grey and gold, to the individual waiting areas, the medi-spa is focussed entirely on patient experience and comfort. I chatted to Dr Acquilla and he told me that patients don’t want to have to sit with other patients before or after having treatment, they want to be able to relax alone and leave when they’re ready without worrying about being rushed out to make space for the next patient. With that in mind, Acquilla decided that despite the fact that this would cut down treatment space, it was something that absolutely had to be factored in.

Private Waiting area at YUVA MEDI-SPA

Private Treatment room at YUVA MEDI-SPA

Communal Waiting Area at YUVA MEDI-SPA

WHAT HAPPENS AT YUVA MEDI-SPA?

YUVA is on the cutting edge when it comes to aesthetic treatments. With a whole range of injectables available as with most clinics, YUVA also offers non-invasive, non-surgical, proven treatments such as HydraFacial. There’s a whole suite of A-List treatment available at YUVA, all of it tried, tested and proven. Acquilla has a hard and fast rule when it comes to offering new treatments, everything he and his team offer must be backed up, certified and proven meaning that you’ll never be a guinea pig and you’ll never be ‘The First’.

The YUVA menu has you covered top to toe with an extensive range of treatments including Wrinkle Relaxing Injections, Dermal Fillers, The Liquid Facelift, HydraFacial, Skin Peels, Spotlight Treatment, Body Shaping and Skin Tightening with Exilis, Photo-rejuvenation with IPL, CO2RE Fractional Laser resurfacing treatment, Exilis RF Skin Tightening and rejuvenation for the face and neck, Laser and IPL for Vascular Lesions and Thread Veins, Injections for Excessive Sweating, Laser Hair Removal, Laser Tattoo Removal and the highest quality, results driven skincare solutions to address every concern including the ZO range developed by Dr Obagi. Phew, that’s some list right? But it doesn’t end there, Acquila is one of the most recognised and applauded global aesthetic educators, where new treatments and products are made available, he’s there, watching and waiting for long term efficacy to be proven.

THE A-TEAM

Sidebar, there is no B-Team, YUVA’s team is made up of the best talent in the business. Dr Acquilla has hand selected every member of his team and when you consider that all of them are amongst the Top 20 Injectors in the UK, it’s safe to say that you’re in good hands at YUVA. The team ethos is to never administer treatment that isn’t needed, when it comes to aesthetics there’s a level of trust between patient and practitioner and with the team at YUVA, you’re given options based on your desired outcome and quite often, they’re not what you might expect.

Emma Chan is YUVA’S Advanced Aesthetic Nurse, and one of the first Advanced Nurse Practitioners in the UK. Chan is a visiting Associate Practitioner at YUVA and a faculty member for the renowned RA Academy masterclasses, teaching doctors and nurses around the globe.

Dr Liesel Holler is YUVA’s skin maestro, having graduated from Ulmea University in Sweden in 2005 this uber talented doctor moved away from abdominal surgery and anaesthesia to focus fully on aesthetics. The former Miss Peru turned down a TV career for medicine and aesthetics.

Dr Raj Acquilla is one of the UK’s most respected aesthetic doctors known for his natural looking results and his dislike for over inflated lips. Driven by his passion for science and safety in beauty, Acquilla has been a practicing doctor for 18 years.

Like what you hear? I’ll be bringing you the verdict on a live treatment at the official launch of YUVA MEDI-SPA but if you’re too keen to wait, then you can contact the clinic to book a consultation on 01625 322430.

Pixie xo

SHOW BEAUTY BRAIDS BY SHOW DRY

You already know I’m a huge fan of SHOW Beauty, I could wax lyrical about the products all day long. SHOW Beauty is one of those brands that you’re either aware of because you use and love it, or admire it from afar, or you’ve never heard of it. If you fall into the latter, then let me give you the skinny: SHOW Beauty is a luxury haircare brand born out of founder Tamara Ecclestone’s love for beautiful products, scents and ingredients that really work. In a nutshell, it’s like having your cake and eating it, it’s the very best of the best and it fuses the luxury fragrance industry, with the haircare market to give a truly unique range of high quality, sulphate free hair products that leave you smelling better than Harrods Fragrance Hall.

So, you know that there’s a range of products that’s constantly being researched and expanded because you’ve obviously read my posts on the launch of Lux Volume, SHOW Beauty and the SHOW Beauty Hair fragrance right? Well, London is also home to the physical arm of the business: SHOW DRY.

SHOW DRY is the ultimate blowdry bar. Not only is it home to some of the best Hair Artistes in the business, it’s also a very cleverly thought out business that’s pitched perfectly to the needs of the client. Ecclestone frequents the salon herself and every new member of staff inducted must first blowdry Ecclestone’s hair in her signature style, as well as create a custom up do. That’s quite the test when you think Ecclestone’s hair is literally her crowning glory.

The salons themselves are uniform, the signature black and gold detailing oozes polished elegance, whilst the blush pink cuts through with a feminine edge. My regular SHOW DRY salon is in Notting Hill and they always ‘manage’ my hair for me throughout each season of London Fashion Week. I’m not too proud to say that I’ve been brought forward from second to front row because of an awesome braided up do by SHOW DRY during the FW17 show season and if that’s not a high five moment then I don’t know what is.

The SHOW DRY team live and breathe SHOW Beauty. They know the range inside out, they know the dual purposes of each product and can teach you some hacks that will change your life, like using the Moisture Conditioner as a leave in serum – seriously guys, you blew my mind with that one, cue BOOM emoji. They can prescribe the exact product from the range for your hair’s needs, but more than that, their styling skills are amazing.

When I first partnered with SHOW DRY for show season, I was coming out of a pretty grim period with my hair, remember my post on Overcoming a Hair Disaster? Well this was around the time of said hair disaster and I was very limited on what we could create with what little hair I’d been left with. Because of that, we decided to shoot for some funky braids that would conceal the damage to my hair and still showcase my awesome colour. Fast forward to the SS18 LFW season and I’ve still never actually had a blowdry by SHOW DRY (although I’ve sat next to Tamara Ecclestone whilst she’s had hers done so can vouch) and I’m back here for another braided creation.

What makes SHOW DRY different than other blowdry bars is that here, your every need is catered to. Whilst you’re in the care of the salon, you’re very well looked after. Each station has an iPad Mini with the latest magazines downloaded for you to browse, a lightning charger for your iPhone and a range of products for you to peruse. Your iPad is loaded with a menu from which you can select drinks like Prosecco or custom blend coffee, or light bites like popcorn and other sugary treats whilst you’re coiffed. The salon is both pet and child friendly too with dog bowls for your furry friend and a mini blowdry menu for your mini me.

In my case, my Stylist and I browse the internet for inspiration and find two styles that will work well on my hair and decide to mash them together to create something urban looking that will last for a couple of days. She coats my dry hair in a mixture of SHOW Beauty Finishing Oil and Moisture Conditioner to not only tame it, but to also give it some grip, and gets to work on two African / Dutch braids. Once they’re braided back, she sets about creating two braided buns at the nape and pins them securely. Within around 20 minutes we’ve got a cool, urban style pinned in position and I’m ready to hit up my first show of the day SEMIR x GREENCODE.

SHOW DRY isn’t just about the Bouncy Blowdry – which they do amazingly – they’re also able to create bespoke styles depending on what you’re up to and your own personal style. I’m working on the improving the condition of my hair right now as it’s a little delicate, it did start to thicken up again then had a bit of a dip in both length and condition after misplaced faith in a big name North East hair salon (you can read about that here), but who knows, it may even be thick enough to sport the signature blowdry next season.

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard

KISS Beauty VIP Launch in Newcastle

Last week beauty addicts from all over the North East were treated to a VIP product launch like no other in Newcastle and I was invited along for the scoop.

Set in the plush All About You Spa in the basement of Grey Street Hotel, KISS Products laid on a champagne fuelled party in the quartz crystal lined beauty cave hidden underneath the hotel. With a grey and white colour scheme, the spa lent itself perfectly to the stylish range of peripheral beauty products by this exciting affordable beauty brand.

Specialising in press on nails, glue on nails and strip lashes, KISS Beauty laid on a pop up nail bar allowing us to select our favourite styles from the huge range available, along with Nail Technicians to teach us the best application methods for long lasting results and beauty rooms with Lash Technicians on hand to apply our chosen styles.

With a chance to network with press and other bloggers, this VIP launch event set the bar high & that bar kept the champagne flowing all night long. But what about the all important products?

KISS NAILS

The selection of nails is impressive, there’s a whole range of shapes including square, almond, stiletto and classic. Different lengths from short to uber long, and finishes from matte to glossy, and that’s before we even get into the styles available. Basically if you can think it, they have it. From cool matte dove grey to mirror finish chrome and everything in between, this collection has got it going on. I didn’t get to try any of the nails as I was jetting off to vacation the next morning and had a fresh set of gels, but I took a selection of both the press on and glue on nails home with me to add to my beauty kit.

KISS STRIP LASHES £5+

The other KISS specialty is lashes, with the promise of something for everyone the range doesn’t disappoint. There’s literally a set of lashes to suit every eye shape and occasion, whether you want a flirty flutter or a subtle enhancement, KISS Lashes have got it going on.

You can buy these lashes as single packs, containing one pair (these Retail at around £5 upwards), or as a Starter Kit, which contains two pairs and a pair of angled, shaped tweezers that make it easier to get close to the eye (around £8).

My favourite styles are the super full and multilayered Midnight, which are a mink effect strip lash applied with glue to give a wide eyed Victoria’s Secret Angel style look, and the less dramatic xxx, which blends with your own lashes to give a subtle enhancement of thickness and length. I took both on vacation with me and they can be trimmed to fit your own eye shape as with all strip lashes. One thing to remember with these lashes is that the adhesive is sold separately so if you’re stocking up then don’t forget the lash glue.

Yes, they’re fiddly, all strip lashes are. Get over it. Practice makes perfect and it’s worth practicing with lashes as they’re effective if you can persevere and get them right.

KISS GEL LINER KIT £12+

KISS have a few other tricks up their sleeve with the launch of their Perfect Wing Gel Liner Kit. This consists of a small pot of jet black gel liner, a liner brush and a handy little wheel with cut out templates to create the most perfect and even winged liner. Winning.

KISS BEAUTIFUL BROW KIT £10+

There’s also a Beautiful Brow Kit in the KISS arsenal. A quad palette containing two powder shades, one highlighter and a clear fixing wax. With this quad you can create a custom shade to match your brows and fix them in place all day long.

If you’re not great at creating that perfect arch then fear not, this kit contains handy brow stencils that you can play around with to find your perfect shape.

One of the great things about KISS is that it’s a budget brand that’s available all over the highstreet and online, meaning it’s one of the biggest and most accessible ranges on the market. With prices starting at just £5, and even lower in Superdrug if you catch it in their Big Brand Offer, it’s something that’s not just for the big gals, this is something beauty loving teenagers can access too.

Affordable, long lasting and innovative. what’s not to love?

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard

Bio-Essence 24 k Bio-Gold Night Cleanser & Miracle Finisher

If like me, you have sensitive skin, then wearing makeup and removing it after can be something you dread. Admittedly most of my days are spent makeup free but I always indulge in a little face paint if I have an event, show or night out in my schedule. I’m particular about makeup, I tend to steer clear of highstreet makeup ranges and use something more high end, for no reason other than past experience tells me they treat my skin better. If I get it wrong I can end up looking like I’ve been burned by the time it comes to removing it and it can often spur on a breakout in the days following.

My makeup regime is pretty simple: I use YSL Primer, it’s the best thing I’ve found and gives a flawless finish. I follow this with a blend of two or three foundations depending on my colouring at the time, but my faithful products to make my custom shade are by Tom Ford, Chanel and Creme de la Mer. Total that up and that’s one seriously expensive foundation, cue cringe face emoji. I’m hoping my trip to the Fenty Beauty Influencer event during London Fashion Week will solve this once and for all and give me one awesome foundation that will give me that RiRi glow.

I use a Tom Ford bronzing stick to give a light contour, and a Rihanna x MAC Diamond highlighter directly above it, which I top off with a Topshop metallic blush and I’m good to go. I never wear mascara but I do give my lashes a good heavy coating of Nouveau’s Lash Conditioner which gives the appearance of added length without weight. I have pretty long lashes already so LVL Lash treatments stand me in good stead. I use Tom Ford eye palettes for a pop of colour and a slick of DHC liquid liner for a feline flick, but generally I’m pretty low maintenance. I always use Tom Ford and Nanshy brushes to apply my makeup, there’s no competition. I’ve had cheaper brushes and more expensive brushes but these give the best combination for the style of makeup that I wear and I always have a selection of each brand in my arsenal.

The problem I have is when it comes to removing makeup. I’ve used No.7 cleanser which left my face tingling and my lips swollen, as well as a million other high street cleansers which leave my face feeling tight and dry. It’s really difficult to find something that will do the job as well as it needs to be done. Enter Bio-Essence 24k Gold. I was asked to review this budget to mid priced range which is available in Superdrug and I read up on it in advance so I knew what I was in for. At first glance it looks lovely, the packaging plays on the 24k gold theme and is holographic so instantly it looks a lot more expensive than it is. It’s definitely one to be displayed proudly on the bathroom shelf.

Now just as a point of note, I get asked to review a LOT of products, some of which don’t make the grade. I don’t like to give a scathing review of something just for the sake of it, so you’ll tend to find that the things I publish are positive reviews about products that i’ve really enjoyed using and had some great results from. The Bio Essence 24k range is one of those ranges. I used the 24k Bio Gold Skin radiance Night Cleanser and Miracle Finisher literally until the tubes were empty and then was gutted once they’d been used.

Bio-Essence 24k Bio Gold Skin Radiance Night Cleanser £12.99

This cleanser comes with a pump dispenser, it’s creamy in consistency and has a metallic gold finish. It’s been designed to avoid stripping moisture from the skin and adding radiance which works whilst you sleep. You’ll know from experience that finding the right cleanser for your skin type can be tricky as they can often leave skin dry and tight, this one doesn’t. You don’t get that instant pull after using it that makes you want to reach for your moisturiser in seconds. It’s tough – it removes all traces of makeup, but it’s kind to skin leaving it feeling clean and soft. I’ve been following this up with Murad‘s Moisturising Toner which comes as a handy spray, then using my Peach Fox Marine Collagen Eye Gel and a new facial oil from Lumity Life.

Superdrug is your best friend for this product as it’s often on offer, click here to shop it.

Bio-Essence 24k Bio Gold Miracle Finisher £19.99

CULT PRODUCT ALERT. This is a divine product. It’s difficult to describe exactly what this product is, but Ill try anyway. It’s the very last step of your skincare regime, so no matter what your routine is on a morning, you apply this at the very end. It’s super lightweight in texture, almost like a serum, but it’s thicker and feels like velvet on your skin. I guess it’s like a second primer, it finishes the skin in preparation for makeup, or you might choose to wear it on its own if you’re hitting the gym. It’s literally flawless. it closes pores, mattifies, smoothes out imperfections, blurs lines and gives you a glow that wasn’t there before.

That’s just the aesthetic benefits, this product works to form an invisible barrier over the skin to protect it from pollution and other nasties that might be in makeup. It prevents pores from clogging, blackheads from forming and ultimately reduces irritation from any outside element.

My makeup sat better, stayed longer and had a better finish with Miracle Finisher underneath. For only £20 as opposed to a high end primer which costs an average of £42 in the UK, I’d say this product is well worth a punt no matter what your skin type. My advice would be to save this one for day use only, sure it makes you look amazing but it’s a waste of awesomeness if you’re just going to sleep on it. You can shop this product here.

Yes, it’s just skincare but if you’re reading this then it’s probably a topic you’re interested in. For something that is essentially a highstreet beauty product, this is a good, solid, does what it says on the tin range, with a little bit of flair and a whole lot of style. Buy it, try it and glisten like the star that you are, because everything is better in gold.

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

SHOW BEAUTY HAIR FRAGRANCE

Show Beauty is the brain child of billionaire heiress Tamara Ecclestone. Dreamed up by the model and mum of one as a range of beautiful products that would allow women everywhere to tap in to the luxury hair market and feel like a million dollars when using them.

Ecclestone is a shrewd business woman, I’ve met and interviewed her three times now and whilst she’s every bit as beautiful as the images you see in the press, she’s also a super clever lady. She had originally intended on calling her range of hair products Formula One but was refused the use of the name by her father and the godfather of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone which spurred her on to come up with something equally as fabulous.

After years of research and development, in which Ecclestone was very hands on, Show Beauty was born and a luxury aesthetic developed intended to up the game of bathroom shelves everywhere. Show Beauty is a range that’s designed to be seen, not confined to a dark cupboard. The signature black and gold bottles with cut glass detailing are reminiscent of dressing table perfume bottles in the fifties and the products have real weight to them.

The range has grown considerably since it’s launch with Ecclestone focussing on one customer need at a time and perfecting it so that it achieves everyone of its objectives. From the weightless volume of the Volume LUX range, to the non sticky Moisture range, each part of this collection has been meticulously planned to tackle the most common hair issues we battle on a day to day basis. The best thing Voyeurs? These products work.

Yes, they’re pricey. That’s the first hurdle. If you want luxury, the finest ingredients and the best, most long lasting and delicate fragrances, then you’re going to have to stump up some cash. The luxury hair market is thriving right now Ecclestone sits atop it as Queen. Full sized Show Beauty products start at £28 for a shampoo or £16 for a travel sized version and the most expensive product is a special edition hair oil with a Swarovski crystal adorned lid topping out at £199. Or you could opt for the non blinged out version of this cult product at a more respectable £50.

One of my favourite products in the range is the hair fragrance. Hair fragrance is a pretty unusual product, it’s an unexpected products and my initial thoughts were that hair fragrance is a stupid, useless idea but then Tom Ford brought out his limited edition Black Orchid for hair and I was a convert. The hair fragrance offering from Show Beauty, aptly named Decadence Hair Fragrance is something special. Designed by a Nose in one of Paris’ top perfumeries under Ecclestone’s close instruction, the brief was to create something deep, beautiful and long lasting that would make women feel amazing when their hair released the fragrance.

Image Courtesy of SHOW Beauty

The bottle itself and the packaging it comes in are pretty damn amazing on their own and that’s before we’ve even got to the golden elixir inside. Packaged in a sturdy black and gold box that’s made to be seen, you’ll find this cut glass bottle topped with rose gold. It’s a bottle that wouldn’t look out of place in Selfridges Famous Beauty Hall and it looks like more than the £55 it costs.

Inside you’ll find a golden potion that sprays with a super fine mist so as not to soak the hair. The scent is heavy and on the darker side of the fragrance spectrum, it reminds me of a fragrance called Amber Absolute by Tom Ford which was discontinued after being so incredibly expensive to mass produce. The rose water base is enhanced by Madagascan vanilla, sensual patchouli (always a winner) and soft white musk, combining with the softest top notes of coconut milk, caramel and almond butter to soften the scent as it’s worn close to the face. Thoughtful eh?

It’s not just something that smells awesome though, this decadent hair perfume packs a punch in the treatment department too. Why not wear my ordinary fragrance on my hair you might ask? Well that’s because it’s super drying to hair. Regular perfume dries out hair making it stiff and prone to breakage, hence this new product market for hair specific fragrance. This one is packed out with Vitamin E, aloe vera and Ultracas G20, along with essential vitamins and minerals, which help to fight free radicals and colour fade.

The whole range has been designed with the same fragrance so that they can be layered and combined. Yes, it’s only hair, but you know the feeling you get when you smell your freshly washed and dried hair? Or when your partner tells you that they remember the way your hair smelled on your first date? Well this is all that and a bag of truffles. It’s not the fresh, light smell you associate with drugstore shampoo, this is heady, deep and dark, the patchouli and vanilla combine to make something that can only be described as Rich People Smell. Plus, if you really love it, the hair fragrance is perfectly safe to use as a regular perfume for skin. Winning.

With everything I try from this range I can’t fail to be impressed, from the packaging to the fragrance and properties that make up the product, no expense has been spared and that’s obvious from the outset. It’s a little piece of luxury that will make you feel and smell amazing.

Pixie xo

I was gifted a bottle of Show Beauty Decadence Hair Fragrance to review and this can be bought at the following retailers for £55.