Skincare 101

Considering our skin is the largest organ we have on our body, you would think we would be taking the best care we could of it, however, that's not always the case.  In a world where the likes of Botox is something you can get on the high street and facetune is everybody's best friend,  it seems that we are overlooking many of the basic steps we should be taking in order to maintain our natural complexions. Some of the mistakes we are making when it comes to basic skincare routines are so elementary that they barely warrant their own post, however they are still things that many of us are doing wrong. Here are my top five things to avoid in order to maintain our natural skin as opposed to waiting to have to take preventative measures: 

1. Over washing.  It's a well known fact that facial washes strip natural oils from your skin and unbalances the perfect Ph, which in turn can lead to small wrinkles and lines. Instead of using harsh soaps instead choose a cleansing oil that will use the good oils in your skin to help remove the bad ones.  My favourite is the Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Cleaning Oil, however the brand do a great range for different skin types. 

2. Stick to one product.  Much as with any shampoos and conditioners, you should change your products according to the seasons as your bodies needs change over the year. For example during winter months you should focus on skin hydration and reach for facial serums as the air is drier, where as in the summer you should look to light weight products as the air is more humid.

3. Picking.  It's an open secret that many women like to pick their faces.  What you may not realise, however, is that doing so may completely ruin your skin.  When attacking any blemishes you are actually creating more inflammation underneath which could lead to permanent scars or discolouration.

4. Not wearing sun screen.  I have so many friends who worship the sun and to whom wearing sun screen is an absolute sin.  Whilst they may look lovely and brown what they don't actually realise is the damage that they are doing to their skin.  Our skin is subject to harmful UV Rays all year round, rain or shine and with that kind of exposure, lack of protection can not only lead to melanoma but also wrinkles, sagging skin and brown spots.  Make sure you reach for a moisturiser or foundation with SPF so you don't need to apply too many products to your face - Armani do a great beauty range that all contain SPF.

5. Eating junk food. We all know drinking water helps keep your skin hydrated. But did you also know the benefits other foods can have on your skin? For example Kale is a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that actually neutralise free radicals from UV Rays that can actually get through sunscreen.  Super foods are called super foods for a reason you know.

#👯👯

Normally I don't take notice of updates on my phone, I mean they're usually just bug fixes right? Nothing to get too excited about. Until the last few weeks when I actually started to read what these updates include.

First we had the new emoji update with the iOS 8.3. Ok so there isn't really much use for the people emojis whose gold hair matches their gold skin but being in Australia I found the flags amongst others of some use. 

Again, with the fact that I am now living 10,000 miles away from home, Whatsapps most recent update was of some advantage. Not everyone it seems is comfortable using FaceTime (Hayley and Sam I'm talking to you!) and who has time to attempt to figure out Skype... Whattsapp now however allow you to call  using your internet data as opposed to Cell credit or minutes. (I know there is Viber but I also don't know a single other person that has it). 

Most recently and best of all? Instagram today not only released new filters but have also finally given us the ability to HASHTAG EMOJI'S!!! You know, coz sometimes there just aren't enough words to convey how we truly feel 😎.

H&M kicks off Summer

I might be down under where the sun refuses to do anything but shine, but even I can't ignore that hopeful spring feeling us Europeans always experience this time of year, as soon as the nights begin to shorten. Each of us experience something different that ignites this feeling inside of us. For my sister it's the sound of people mowing their lawns, for myself however it's seeing the new season fashion campaigns. 

From Kristen Stewart's new Chanel ads to the Kate Spade collection featuring Karlie Kloss, summer campaigns never fail to instill a renewed sense of passion within me. One that has particularly resonated over the past few years is H&M's New Icon campaigns. What's not to love, four world famous models, exclusive new music and clothes that'll usually see you through the next few summers. 

This year see's H&M launch summer with another four world famous models - Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes, Natasha Poly and Joan Smalls. 

Pernilla Wohlfahrt, head of design at H&M describes the new line as - "everything I love about the summer - bikinis for long days at the beach, romantic prints on flowing dresses for endless nights with friends"

In keeping with previous New Icon campaigns the television advert, shot by Lachlan Bailey, will debut on April 30th, set to DJ's Axwell and Ingrosso's (Swedish House Mafia, if those names sound familiar) new track 'Sun is Shining' 

Payday Purchase

Have you ever seen a movie with a product that no matter how far and wide you search, you can just never find? Having seen The Holiday the night before I left for Australia, I found myself with this pain in the arse problem. You know the scene I'm sure, where Cameron Diaz' character is in the car checking her itinerary and has that to die for pale blue travel wallet? Well apart from spending £500 in Smythson the options for a decent travel wallet are few and far between. In the UK anyway.

Enter Kikki K. Honestly, I love a good stationary shop and I can spend a lot of time in Paperchase choosing a new diary or pen, this Swedish brand however, put Paperchase on a level with 'Clintons' or 'Birthday' (is that even still a brand?).  Anyway, I digress. After spending a while in the store I finally found the travel wallet I had been looking for, whilst it wasn't pale blue there were a number of colour options and different styles.  I finally settled on the black - I'm way to messy to have gone for the pink even though it was beautiful! 

Marc by Marc Jacobs to be discontinued

                 

After 14 years it seems we are finally saying goodbye to Marc by Marc Jacobs after it was announced this week that the brand will be folding into the main line ahead of their IPO which is looming somwhere in the near future.

Jacobs told WWD 'I've absolutely loved the last few seasons of MbMJ's young, cool, hip shows. It just feels like we weren't doing our job by showing two different collections with two different images'. Although some are still concerned as to how this will all work out, the move is not dissimilar to the one made by Dolce & Gabbana in 2011 who disbanded diffusion line D&G in order to 'put more strength and energy into other collections'.

This is not the first, nor by any means the last big change to happen to the brand in recent years. Robert Duffy, Jacobs business partner is set to take a step back from day to day operations and LVMH are offering more investment, meaning that the parent company will own 80% of the brand whilst Duffy and Jacobs themselves equally share the remaining 20%. 

Furthermore, 2013 saw Marc Jacobs step down from his role at Louis Vuitton among rumours that he was going to focus on his accessories line after the huge success experienced by Michael Kors.  Interestingly he seems to have followed in Kors lead this week after setting up his own Instagram page despite just last month telling Suzy Menkes 'I'm so appalled by the whole Social Media thing, I don't get it. It doesn't appeal to me'. Michael Kors by contrast, has in recent years embraced television advertising, Twitter and Instagram proving how adjusting with the times can be hugely beneficial for a brand after his IPO proved to be one of the most successful in the fashion industry.

The brand, which Marc Jacobs launched in 2001 with Robert Duffy in order to target a younger demographic, is currently headed by Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier, it remains unclear where their future lies or what will happen to the current MbMJ stores.