Vitamin C: Get Your Glow Back

“Topical vitamin C is a science-backed, dermatologist-favourite ingredient that may help slow early skin ageing, prevent sun damage, and improve the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and acne. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, meaning it fights harmful free radicals (toxins) that come in contact with your skin from external sources like air pollution, or from inside the body as a result of normal processes like your metabolism. Free radicals can damage the skin, and applying topical vitamin C can combat free radicals and may improve the skin’s overall appearance.”

(Source: Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School)

Yes kittens, you read the source of that quote correctly – Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. You’d think I’d just pack up and leave it at that now, wouldn’t you? But no, I’m going to continue to waffle for just a bit longer!

The Problem

The appearance of uneven skin tone on the face, chest, and hands is a clear sign of ageing skin, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Whether caused by sun damage or other skin issues, when your complexion has been robbed of its natural glow and is starting to look dull or you’re struggling with dark spots and post-blemish marks, Vitamin C is your knight in glowing armour who will visibly return your skin to a vibrant, healthy state!

How Vitamin C Supports Skin Care

 When you think about Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid), your mind probably jumps to the tablets in your health store to stomp on coughs and colds. But I’m talking topical application here and this highly potent nutrient offers many benefits for the skin, including the potential to:

  • Make collagen, used to keep skin youthful and plump
  • Heal wounds
  • Maintain and repair damaged skin and cartilage
  • Diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
  • Brighten up complexion
  • Even skin tone
  • Reduce the appearance of dark spots
  • Prevent premature ageing

So, using our Vitamin C topically result in just some of the following benefits:

Reduce Undereye Circles

The dark circles under your eyes are a network of teeny tiny blood vessels just under the skin. Vitamin C strengthens this thin, delicate skin also making skin more elastic and resilient, helping conceal the blood vessels underneath.

Collagen Production

Collagen is the building block of skin, hair, muscles, and tendons, and it is what keeps our skin looking youthful and smooth. And guess what? Vitamin C is absolutely essential for producing it in the body!

As we age, collagen production slows down, which leads to sagging skin (ouch!). Vitamin C accelerates the production of both collagen and elastin, which help keep the skin plump and firm restoring a more youthful, smooth appearance.

Treats Hyperpigmentation

This common condition is characterised by the development of darker spots on the skin (you’ve probably heard them called ‘age spots’ in not-so-friendly tones), most often caused by overexposure to the sun’s UV rays and environmental stresses. Although harmless, hyperpigmentation can make your skin appear older. Vitamin C doesn’t have an effect on normal skin colour only the abnormal melanin deposits caused by sun damage. 

Hydrates Skin

Without sufficient moisture, the top layer of skin starts to dry out, leading to itchy, scaly skin and premature ageing. Hydration is vital to keeping your skin healthy and youthful-looking. Vitamin C is clinically proven to help skin retain water, keeping it plump and smooth and preventing it from becoming too oily or dry.

Reduces Redness

Blotchy, uneven, and red skin can result from a number of factors, including inflammatory skin conditions (e.g. eczema and rosacea), sun exposure, hormones, and medical conditions. But you don’t have to live with skin redness, thanks to vitamin C. This powerhouse vitamin minimises redness thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, also helping mend damaged capillaries that cause skin redness, creating a smoother, more even complexion.

Incorporating Vitamin C Into Your Skincare Routine

 When you’re young and convinced of your own invulnerability, levels of this powerful antioxidant in the skin are abundant, but they naturally deplete as you age. Vitamin C skincare products such as serums and moisturisers can help supplement, leading to skin that feels firmer and has a brighter, more even complexion.

Whether your skin is dry, oily, or a combination, vitamin C is beneficial for skin health, helping it look and feel healthier and younger longer.

I prefer to use a serum for my Vitamin C fixe as they tend to be more concentrated and more readily absorbed – yay!. When purchasing a vitamin C serum, look for dark bottles. Vitamin C breaks down when exposed to light or air, so dark glass bottles help maintain their efficacy and stability.

Are you ready to incorporate vitamin C into your daily skin routine? Let’s go but be warned, it’s very simple!

I prefer to apply my serum in the morning as it’s a great protector against pollution and all the other yuckies my skin has to withstand each day.

If using one, now is the time for your chemical exfoliant

…drumroll please…

Some people experience a mild tingling sensation when first using Vitamin C so you might want to try using it every second day to start with if that applies to you. Some tingling is normal though so don’t panic!

So, do you think Vitamin C would be something to help you out with your own skincare concerns? Or are you already a convert and want to share your tips/stories? I’d love to see your comments below!

Love, light & blessings

Katie

 

Retinol: Skincare Wonder Drug

The miracle ingredient that has the whole beauty world abuzz is Retinol.

Never heard of it? That’s ok, here’s the lowdown on what it is and how to use it!

This Vitamin A molecule just could be the single best ingredient in skincare. Pretty big claim, huh? Well, keep reading…

This antioxidant increases skin cell turnover rate, communicating with the skin and telling it how to look and behave younger. More than 70 years of research has clearly shown it’s one of the most effective anti-ageing ingredients for softening the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, refining skin texture, and improving uneven skin tone. It also helps minimise enlarged pores and reignites firmer-feeling skin, reduces acne, treats dark spots/mild acne scars, and reverses sun damage. Phew! I’m exhausted just hearing about what this magical molecule delivers!

Retinol is an amazing skincare must-have but there’s a catch – isn’t there always? It can be high maintenance to introduce into your skincare routine but if you do it the right way (that’s what I’m here for!), you’ll be incorporating the most fantastic ingredient and ensure your skin makes the most of all its benefits.

So, here are my 5 tips for adding Retinol to your skincare routine!

1) Be The Turtle, Not The Hare

Because of how Retinol works, it’s the kind of skincare ingredient dermatologists ask you to gently ease yourself into – not just jump in willy-nilly!

I understand the temptation to use just that little bit extra or apply it a bit more often than advised, considering Retinol is an absolutely fantastic proven anti-ageing, radiance-boosting, and future-proofing skincare ingredient. But Retinol and your skin need more time than other skincare ingredients to get to know each other. It’s tempting to pole-vault into using this little wonder but that’s a recipe for dry, irritated skin. Erm, no thanks!

My tip? Start with applying your Retinol product twice a week for around a fortnight. If your skin tolerates it well (ie. no irritation, excessive dryness etc), up the dose to three or four times a week for another two weeks. If your skin is crying out for you to do it daily by then, go for it or if your skin is just fine and dandy at your current frequency that’s awesome!

While your skin adapts to Retinol it might feel drier than usual or more sensitive. This should eventually stop as your skin adjusts to this powerhouse ingredient. If you’re not experiencing any of these symptoms though, remember that these side effects aren’t an indication of whether or not it is working. If you don’t experience them, it just means you’re one of the lucky ones!

If your skin feels extremely dry, peeling, and red, you may have overdone it – in this case, you’re better off letting your skin’s moisture barrier heal with some super-soothing skincare ingredients like panthenol and niacinamide, before giving Retinol another go – and taking it slower this time!

2) Pause All Other Actives

This is what most people struggle with – giving up their other actives (temporarily) to let their skin adjust to Retinol. This is an emphatically suggested tip that goes hand-in-hand with starting Retinol slowly. (Okay, so ‘emphatically suggested’ is a euphemism for ‘you must do this’!)

What is an ‘active’ you may well ask? Actives are ingredients that have been scientifically proven to change the structure of your skin at a cellular level. They’re the ingredients that work to repair, rejuvenate, hydrate, protect and nourish cells. Clever little buttons, aren’t they?

Retinol is a powerful game-changer but doesn’t like to share the spotlight with all of these other lovelies and can react with dryness and irritation. But, fear not! You can reintroduce all of your other goodies (think AHAs, BHAs, and Vitamin C) after you’ve cemented your relationship with Retinol. My tip is to give it a month before bringing them back into the fold, and perhaps 1-2 at a time.

3) Be Ready To Commit!

Retinol takes commitment – using it in your skincare routine isn’t a matter of using it when you remember! Retinol fundamentally influences how your skin behaves, and you’re not going to get the results you want with inconsistent usage. It’s not a skincare ingredient for those with beauty commitment issues – you’ve got to be all in with Retinol!

My tip? Stick with one Retinol product (preferably a serum) at a time to really make sure you’re giving your skin the best shot when it comes to Retinol. 

4) SPF Is Your Queen

Think of Retinol and SPF as being inseparable because they have to be. You MUST (yes, I just yelled that – sorry) use SPF while you use Retinol (and AHAs) in your beauty routine. Why? Well, Retinol makes us more sensitive to UV rays and sunlight decreases the efficacy of the product.

On top of that, we’re working hard here to reverse the signs of sun damage, am I right? When it comes down to it, minimising the causes of photoaging is equally as important as treating existing signs with a powerful ingredient like Retinol. So, if you use Retinol without sunscreen, you’re basically chasing your tail, ie. causing more photodamage while still trying to patch up the existing signs. You won’t see any real results without the sunscreen – it’s that simple!

4) Epic Hydration

This is crucial – especially in the early stages of using Retinol. Many people find that their regular moisturiser just doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. To help your skin along in the Retinol journey, really amp up your hydration and moisture – even if you have oily skin.

Great ways to do this include adding a hydrating serum (or two) to your routine, using a facial spray, regular moisture-rich face masks, using a facial oil, and using an occlusive like papaw ointment on very dry spots to help reduce any visible flaky bits and dryness.

Using ingredients like panthenol, niacinamide, and ceramides can help your skin adapt to Retinol better, too – they help to support a healthy moisture barrier, keeping that essential hydration in your skin and keeping dryness at bay. Yippee!

Still trying to sort out your perfect skincare routine? Let me do it for you with this skincare quiz or email me at katie @ ladylikemagick . com

Now that you know my five top tips for adding this anti-ageing powerhouse to your skincare routine, will you be starting Retinol any time soon?

Love, light & blessings,

Katie xo

P.S. For the sake of transparency, some of the links provided on this blog are ‘affiliate links.’ Although I may be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase (ie. Younique), I am totally committed to high standards of integrity and quality. I DO NOT promote brands or products I do not believe meet these standards, and I only promote brands I purchase myself. In essence, if I don’t love it, I won’t be linking to it!

How to Put Together a Skin Care Routine

I don’t know about you but with all the skincare products available to us, it can become a tad confusing – but it’s vital – that we understand how products work together and the correct order in which to use them if you want the best results for your visage.

I’m going to do my best to break this down into a simple guide so you can put together a routine that’s easy to follow.

Whether you’re just wanting to put together a simple routine or you’re interested in advanced skincare steps to address specific needs, here’s what you need to know…

There are some products that are essential to all skin types no matter what your concerns.

Morning Routine

Cleanser

Start your day off with a cleanser – no ifs or buts.

Younique has a great cleanser imbued with the replenishing properties of aloe leaf and other nourishing ingredients. It is a customisable cleansing base and is certain to refresh your face and prepare your skin for a new, personal skincare routine. Target your individual skin concerns by adding three hand-selected boosters of your choice to the YOU·OLOGY cleanser base—transforming it into the most personal and powerful cleanser that’s ever been part of your skincare at home.

With the boosters included, you can even leave it on as a face mask for 15-20…I love a multi-tasking product!

Next on the agenda is my favourite – YOU·OLOGY rose water toning spritz.

This crisp, invigorating toning spritz refreshes skin—and your skincare routine—with rose water. Specially formulated using rose extract and beneficial vitamins, the YOU·OLOGY rose water toning spritz can be used throughout the day to awaken and soothe your skin. Add this misting spray to the mix when doing your skincare at home and experience skin that always comes out refreshed, ready, and smelling like roses.

Formulated with

  • Rose extract
  • Bitter orange flower extract
  • Sodium hyaluronate

Exfoliant

Leave on exfoliant is the next essential in your routine. If you have sensitive skin, only use in the evenings and skip the morning application.

My favourite is Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant.

Last but not least is a moisturiser with SPF. My go-to is Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30.

Essential Evening Routine

Cleanser used in your morning routine.

Leave-on exfoliant used in your morning routine.

YOU·OLOGY night cream without SPF.

Enhance your skincare at home by targeting your individual skin concerns with the customizable YOU·OLOGY night cream. This night cream’s base includes nourishing ingredients that hydrate your skin and complete your YOU·OLOGY skincare routine. Mix in any three boosters of your choice, which blend seamlessly through MicroSperse® Technology, to transform this night cream into a personalized skincare solution that goes to work while you go to sleep. 

Formulated with

  • Niacinamide
  • Echium seed oil
  • Olive oil 
  • Shea butter

Advanced Routine Steps

The essential routine provides the basics of your routine and will work on its own for normal skin. But if you have more complicated or stubborn problems – think ageing, enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, redness or blemishes – you’re going to need to add a bit more to your procedure.

So now we need to consider layering in some treatments to address your concerns.

Here’s an example of what such a routine might look like.

Advanced Routine: MORNING

  1. Cleanser
  2. Toner
  3. Leave-on exfoliant
  4. Targeted treatments, which may include specialised blemish-fighting products, boosters, serums, etc. Apply the blemish treatment (if applicable) first, then layer the rest in order of thinnest to thickest texture.
  5. Moisturiser with SPF

Younique has also just released YOU·OLOGY 7-day vitamin C treatment.

Can you say hero product?!

How can you get brighter-, smoother-, younger-looking skin? The answer lies in this innovative vitamin C facial treatment and its synergistic team of good-for-you ingredients. Niacinamide (a blend of vitamin B3 known to help calm irritation and redness) and squalane (a natural plant extract known to help hydrate skin) go hand in hand so you can put this vitamin C facial treatment to work knowing that it’ll leave your skin looking and feeling great.

This treatment’s booster beads boast a high concentration of 26% vitamin C, making it a standout way to incorporate vitamin C into your skincare routine. Use it in lieu of your daily serum throughout your treatment and feel the difference a concentration of high-quality ingredients can make.

Supercharge your skincare and C for yourself!

Advanced Routine: EVENING

  1. Cleanser
  2. Toner
  3. Leave-on exfoliant
  4. Targeted treatments of your choice, as mentioned above. If you’re using several treatments at once, you may find it best to alternate by applying some in the morning and others at night.
  5. Moisturiser (without SPF)

How Each Product Works

Cleanser
A gentle cleanser removes excess oil, dirt, impurities, sunscreen, and makeup. Starting with a clean face allows the skincare products you use afterwards to work even better. Skipping this essential step can lead to clogged pores, dry patches, puffy eyes, and redness.

Toner

Well-formulated toners add vital skin-replenishing ingredients immediately after cleansing. Toners instantly give skin a generous amount of the important substances it needs to hydrate, refresh, and rebalance. They also help remove the last traces of makeup you may have missed during cleansing.

Exfoliant

Leave-on AHA and BHA exfoliants gently remove built-up dead skin for smoother, noticeably renewed skin. Sun damage and other factors hinder the skin’s natural shedding process. Exfoliants step in to eliminate this build-up, which would otherwise cause issues such as clogged pores, uneven tone, and dull, rough skin.

Blemish Treatment

A benzoyl peroxide acne treatment works on contact to disrupt the causes of blemishes. Research shows that benzoyl peroxide is a crucial step if you want to minimise existing breakouts, while simultaneously preventing future blemishes. With consistent use, blemish treatments reduce breakouts, control excess oil, soothe skin, and visibly calm redness.

Serum Treatments

Serums help soften the visible signs of ageing for healthier, younger-looking skin.
Filled with antioxidants and other anti-ageing ingredients, serum treatments help defend your skin from environmental assault, including the visible effects of pollution.

Moisturiser with SPF

This essential morning step keeps your skin protected from the short- and long-term visible effects of sun damage. Sunscreens with antioxidants are essential to protect your skin from UV light exposure, which is the #1 cause of wrinkles, uneven skin tone, loss of firmness, and many other signs of ageing.

Moisturiser (without SPF)

State-of-the-art moisturisers instantly lock in hydration, while delivering additional beneficial ingredients. Moisturisers improve the skin’s hydration balance, helping to keep it feeling smooth, plumped, and soft.

What About Eye Creams?

I left this step out of our routine guide because your regular daytime and night-time moisturisers can absolutely be applied around your eyes. However, if you wish to use a separate eye product, choose based on how dry the skin around your eyes is and on other concerns you might have, such as wrinkles, or puffiness. During the day, always apply your eye cream before sunscreen, or look for an eye cream that has built-in sun protection.

YOU·OLOGY eye cream

Brighten up tired-looking eyes with an under-eye eye cream aimed at reducing the appearance of fine lines and dark circles for a more youthful glow. As part of the YOU·OLOGY targeted line, YOU·OLOGY eye cream focuses on concealing the tell-tale signs of age and fatigue with ingredients like nourishing peptides, vitamins A and C, and—everyone’s favourite pick-me-up—caffeine. A good eye cream for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and normal skin, this velvety wonder helps aging eyes look softer, firmer, and tighter with regular use. 

YOU·OLOGY eye mask

Younique’s eye mask is the perfect way to get that slept-like-a-baby look in just a few minutes. The fast-acting formula and ease of use make this one of the best under-eye masks for those with hectic schedules. Caffeine is known to give your skin that energizing boost, while chamomile and hydrogel are known to help calm and soothe puffiness. Plus, it’s full of vitamins C and B3 to help you tackle the day looking refreshed and bright-eyed.

I hope my musings have been able to help you a little in designing a skin routine that suits your needs and lifestyle.

If you have any extra tips, I’d love to hear them!

Love, light & blessings 😘💜✨

Katie

P.S. For the sake of transparency, some of the links provided on this blog are ‘affiliate links.’ Although I may be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase (ie. Younique), I am totally committed to high standards of integrity and quality. I DO NOT promote brands or products I do not believe meet these standards, and I only promote brands I purchase myself. In essence, if I don’t love it, I won’t be linking to it!

GelMoment salon quality manicure at home!

There’s something about a perfectly manicured hand that can elevate an outfit and make you feel really put together. So that’s why I thought I’d give you a simple guide on how to get the perfect at-home manicure using GelMoment.

More people than ever are joining the stay-home salon club by learning to perfect the services they’d normally pay for. And as your number-one nail pal, I’m here to show you just how achievable a stunning at-home mani can be, without all of the confusing bottles, soaking tubs, and small-talk. Speaking of soaking, it’s actually a big no-no. It will inflate your nails before they shrink back to their normal size as they dry out, and this can cause splitting and cracking of your mani – disaster!

Not only is your DIY-style set to be as polished as the professional ones, but our low-tox nail polish formula will also leave you with healthier, happier nails. At GelMoment, we’re well-versed in saying ‘no’ to nasties and ‘heck yes’ to nice-ies!

Our flagship product is a “DIY One-Step-5 FREE – Gel Polish.” Create salon-quality results in minutes, saving you the cost of a professional manicurist. Our polish does not require a base or top coat, cures in 45-60 seconds depending on which of our specially formulated LED lamps you use, and will provide a high gloss finish that lasts at least 14 days.

Our European-based lab meets the highest standards of production while at the same time maintaining a high level of eco-friendly awareness. We pride ourselves on being 5-free, gluten-free, vegan friendly, non-toxic, lead-free and cruelty-free. With a gorgeous selection of colours to choose from and an easy removal system – Flake Off Gel Remover – that is non-damaging to the natural nail; creating beautiful nails has never been easier. 

Since GelMoment only often requires only one coat of product and does not need any base or top coat, it becomes far easier to remove, and in fact, anecdotally we have heard from many of our customers that they have felt their nails becoming stronger and less brittle after trying the GelMoment experience. This too is the reason why it is far easier to remove and actually leaves no damage to the nail as no drills or harsh buffing are required. Even when using the GelMoment nail pusher, it is just the polish that is removed and the nail is left intact. 

With GelMoment, you can experience a beautiful gel manicure from the comfort of your own home, without the hefty price and time loss of going to a salon.

·     It’s SAFE

Our easy removal system is non-damaging to your natural nails, allowing for easy colour changes as often as you like. Our gel polish is also safe to use on children with the proper supervision!

·     It’s 5+ FREE

Eco-friendly, non-toxic, solvent-free, lead-free, latex-free, cruelty-free, and 5+ FREE (No Toluene, no Dibutyl Phthalate, no Formaldehyde, no Formaldehyde Resin, and no Camphor).

·     It’s BEAUTIFUL

We have a large selection of gorgeous colours to choose from. Whether you’re going out on the town with the girls, heading to the beach, or staying in with your special someone, we’ve got the perfect colours to suit your mood!

·     It’s EASY

GelMoment offers a DIY, One-Step gel polish application concept from the comfort of your own home, saving you the time and cost of a professional manicurist.

·     It’s FAST

With no top or base coat required, our gel polish cures in just 45 to 60 seconds, depending on which one of our LED lamps you choose.

·     It’s DURABLE

Our GelMoment Polishes aren’t just beautiful, they’re durable too! Our gel polish lasts up to 14 days, depending on your nail type.

·     It’s VEGAN-FRIENDLY

Our Gel Polishes are free of any animal by-products and never undergo animal testing.

And now for the long-awaited ultimate at-home manicure in 5 steps:

1. Shape and/or trim your nails 

If you’re an at-home manicure veteran, you probably already keep your nails regularly trimmed enough that you only need a good nail file for this part. If you do need to give your nails a trim, get onto a good pair of nail clippers – we promise you it makes all the difference in not damaging your nails.

After you’ve trimmed them, use a nail file to shape your nails to your heart’s desire. Square, oval, squoval, almond, stiletto – your nail shape will come down to personal preference but remember a slightly shorter simple shape will also help them last a lot longer – less room for chipping!

Step 2. Prep

This is where we get a little bit more technical, but trust me when I say this will make all the difference between a clean at home manicure and a messy one. Whip out your cuticle pusher and start gently pushing your cuticles back using the curved end. Remember to be gentle and avoid metal pushers as they can often be too harsh.

While salons and some people would reach for a cuticle remover (see tip below) at this point, we’d recommend going straight for your nail buffer. Go ahead and gently buff your nails to help smooth out any ridges so that the nail polish will have a smooth surface to apply to. Once you’re done, take your buffer down to your cuticles and use the edge of it to very gently buff at the skin that you’ve just pushed down. So essentially the edge of the buffer should meet where your nail meets your skin. The messy part of the skin should just come away.

Brush away any leftover dust from buffing. This is an important and often overlooked step in the manicure process. Nails are made from keratin and, like your hair, can become oily. Cleanser removes any natural oils without drying out your nails, to create a clean surface for your polish to stick to; resulting in a longer-lasting manicure.

Tip:  I receive plenty of questions about cuticles; should you push them, trim them, stuff them under the bed when no one’s looking, etc. The truth is, your cuticles protect your nail bed from damage and infection, arguably very important things! So, while you mightn’t love them, it’s important that you retain some cuticle integrity for the health of your nails.

3. Paint and polish your nails

So now we’re up to the fun part – painting! Pick your colour, put on your favourite playlist, and let the fun begin!

GelMoment polishes don’t require a base or top coat so you can get straight into the pleasurable part of applying colour.

Start from just under your cuticle and push up to create a ‘wave’ at the base of your nail (this will prevent flooding your cuticles with polish). Now pull the brush down to the tips of your nails in a very thin coat. Two coats of colour tend to be the magic number – or I like to go for three if it’s a lighter colour.

If you need to clean up the edges a bit as you have polish in unwanted places, use your thumbnail (you’ll be painting and curing them last so they’ll be easy to clean up before you finish) or an orange stick to remove the residue.

After applying each coat, cure under your LED light for 45 or 60 seconds (depending on which lamp you have).

Step 4. Let the love in

To complete your ritual, apply one coat of GelMoment Serum to your cuticles, gently massaging them in small circular motions moving towards your hand.

Our Serums are packed with antioxidants and nutrients from a wide range of vitamins, and you will be supplying your nails with protection that will help prevent cracking, dryness, and breakage. They’re also available in a range of gorgeous fragrances so check them out for your favourite.

Do your nails a favour and treat your cuticles to this oil daily before bed, to really allow the potion to work its magic overnight.

5. Hydrate your hands

Now that you’ve paid all this attention to your nails, let’s get your hands in order!

Find a good hand exfoliator and rub it in gently. This will remove any dead skin cells that will stop the absorption of the hand cream you are about to slather on them! Look for a rich emollient preparation that will plump up the skin and remove those pesky, ageing fine lines. My favourite is Neutrogena Norwegian Formula which you can pick up at most chemists.

Voila! Your hands and nails are now ready to be shown off to the world – make sure you flap them around madly to draw attention to your works of art!

I’d love to hear if you have any of your own tips for a great at-home mani!

Love, light & blessings 😘💜✨

Katie

P.S. For the sake of transparency, some of the links provided on this blog are ‘affiliate links.’ Although I may be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase (ie. Younique), I am totally committed to high standards of integrity and quality. I DO NOT promote brands or products I do not believe meet these standards, and I only promote brands I purchase myself. In essence, if I don’t love it, I won’t be linking to it!

A Glamour Magick Ritual for Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice (in the Southern Hemisphere it will fall on 21/06/21) marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. This solstice also marks the ‘birth’ of the sun, as the days now begin growing longer – yippee!

It signifies hope, renewal, rebirth and the returning light of the Sun and, with this revitalisation, a new chapter and new opportunities. New dreams, hopes and ideas are born within you at this time of year.

There’s a very special stillness about winter. While appearing dead and frozen deep within new life is quietly unfolding. Our new hopes and dreams are being planted deep within ourselves, and if we nurture these yearnings, they will produce abundance come the warmer months.

This is an ideal time for manifesting. We can use these dark winter days to tap into the magic and mystery of the darkness. It is a great time to create a vision board for the year to come or to meditate on bringing your dreams to life.

These are also days are for resting. We desire being snuggled up in super luxe, soft, cosy blankets (think “hygge” which loosely translates from Danish as a ‘quality of conviviality engendering a feeling of contentment or well-being’). Winter is when we rejuvenate our spirits as it is also vital that we take time to rest and prepare our spirits for the heightened energy of spring and summer.

Just because it’s cold outside and we would like to be cuddled up “hygge” style, doesn’t mean we can escape leaving the house though (rats!), so I’ve put together some ideas to incorporate glamour magick into your routine so you can feel the warmth and love of the Goddesses on your travels.

First and foremost, and only if safe to do so, keep a gold or silver candle burning near you as you go through your glamour magick workings to signify the warmth we are so sadly lacking at the moment and bring some candle magick to the occasion! Sprinkle some frankincense, clove and/or wintergreen around the candle to invoke a feeling of the season, and if you have garnet (motivation & drive while planning new projects), orange calcite (refreshing, ‘out with the old, in the new’ energy), and/or chrysocolla (for that hibernation feeling and introspection). As for any of my rituals, these accoutrements are purely voluntary and will not have an overall impact on your workings; it is always about your intention(s).

Call on Brighid or Isis (Goddesses of the season), and perhaps indulge in some gingerbread/shortbread and a hot cup of cocoa while dwelling on the following:

Skincare

  • Cleanser: you’re washing away the worries, cares and stresses you are carrying to make way for new and shiny intentions. (Try Younique’s customisable cleaners that you can tailor to your exact requirements or Paula’s Choice for high quality cleansers)
  • Toner: refresh and clear your mind to germinate the seeds of what you’re wanting to manifest for the coming seasons of plenty. (I adore the calming properties of Younique’s Rose Water Toning Spritz)
  • Eye cream: see the world through clear, kind and compassionate eyes with a keen eye on what you wish to create in the warmer months ahead. (Try this You.ology Eye Cream to target tired eyes with this skin care powerhouse!)
  • Exfoliant: clear away the debris of your past so you are ready to make room for the blessings to come. (Check out these one’s for a great range to choose from.)
  • Serum & moisturiser: while not only protecting your precious skin from the harsh elements, it will assist you in going about your day smoothly, with ease and grace, secure in the knowledge the Goddesses protect you. (Check out You.ology’s fully customisable serums – I adore the Beauty Uplift Oil – and moisturisers are a great choice. Paula’s Choice also offer a great range of targeted moisturisers)

Dressing with intention

Obviously, we need to rug up at this time of year, but a couple of things you might like to include in your routine are:

  • Tights: to walk the world with poise and grace.
  • Gloves: to touch the world with loving, kind hands.
  • Jumper: to warm your heart
  • A coat or ideally a cloak (very witchy!): to not only protect you from the cold elements but to keep you warm as you ruminate on longer, warmer sunny days to come that will see the manifestation of your dreams and hopes.
  • Scarf: ensure words of love and kindness.

Makeup

Finally, it comes to my personal favourite ritual; my makeup! I like to use the following elements to bring some witchiness into my days:

  • Primer: ready my spirit to receive abundance
  • Foundation: lay a foundation of truth and strength, cloak my insecurities and replace them with confidence.
  • Contour: carve out space for my spirit to expand and grow in love to be the highest version of myself, and achieve my growing intentions.
  • Blusher: bring life, vibrancy and colour to my world, particularly in these grey times.
  • Highlighter: illuminate all the blessings bestowed by the Goddesses, allowing me to rest and ruminate at this time of year.
  • Eyes: lift the veil obscuring truths outside my own, and allow me to see all the miracles of the Universe and beauty of the season (because there is beauty even for a summer-loving witch like myself!).
  • Lips: conjure words of magic, authenticity and love.
  • Setting spray/powder: sprinkle magic along my path.

I hope these elements of my own customary witchy preparations provide you with some ideas for yourself.

I’d also love to hear from you if you have any additions/changes you would make to any of the above.

Love, light & blessings

Katie

P.S. For the sake of transparency, some of the links provided on this blog are ‘affiliate links.’ Although I may be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase (ie. Younique), I am totally committed to high standards of integrity and quality. I DO NOT promote brands or products I do not believe meet these standards, and I only promote brands I purchase myself. In essence, if I don’t love it, I won’t be linking to it!

A simple Litha ritual from the Southern Hemisphere

I can’t believe we have already reached Litha/Summer Solstice, marking the longest daylight hours of the year.

This is a powerful time when both Mother Nature and the Sun are at their fullest, and nature’s energy is of great joy and strength.

Litha (pronounced “LIH-tha”) is a pagan holiday; one of the eight sabbats during the year. Also known as Midsummer, in some traditions, this is when a battle between light and dark takes place.  

The Oak King and the Holly King are battling for control and, as with the seasonal cycles, the balance of power unerringly shifts between them. The Oak King, who represents daylight, rules from Yule/Winter Solstice to Litha as the days steadily get longer. However, during Litha, the Holly King wins this battle, and the days start to get steadily darker until Yule.

Traditions of Litha are borrowed from many ancient cultures. Celts celebrated with hilltop bonfires and dancing. Many people attempted to jump over or through the bonfires for good luck, whilst other European traditions included setting large wheels on fire, and rolling them down a hill into a body of water!

Full-on fire celebrations aren’t exactly practical here in Australia at this time of year so this little Katie-Witch is going to wear flowers in her hair (daisy/dandelion crown anyone?!), and celebrate this day of inner power and brightness by finding a quiet spot outside to meditate about the light and dark forces in the world.

I’ve picked out an area on the grass next to my lushly flowering rose geranium, and after adjusting my flower crown(!), I’ll light a spell candle (in one of the corresponding colours detailed below) anointed with some rose, lavender and eucalyptus oils – in a fire-proof container of course! I find flames in any form are a natural meditative aid for me, so I’ll just gaze into it and let it work its own brand of magick on me.

I do love a blue candle for the oh-so-peaceful energy!

I like to wear my lapis lazuli mala beads around one wrist with tiger’s eye around the other to gather the earth’s energies to me, and breath in the candle anointing oils and the scents of Mother Nature around me to ground myself.

As the candle burns down, I’ll be meditating on the ongoing cycle of light and dark forces in the world and, let’s face it, 2020 has certainly given us all a lot of material to ponder…

When the candle has burned out, I’ll send up a thank you to the Goddess and Universe for this miraculous world we live in, the blessings bestowed upon us, and even the hard lessons we need to learn along the way. I’ll make a small hole in the earth to bury my extinguished candle, and get back on about my day rocking out with my flower festooned hair!

I hope you enjoy this bright, powerful day of the Wheel of the Year, and I’d love to know what you’ll be doing to celebrate so please leave me a comment.

✨Love, light & blessings✨

Katie

Affiliate disclaimer: Please note that any external links to suppliers in this post are done purely for the purpose of spreading the love! I don’t receive any commission, I simply want to share where I source highly quality products xo

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