Honey, I’m Doing it Fair Trade.

As ethics moves from our kitchen cupboards and into our bathroom cupboards, then so does the baffling question: “What came first – the ethical chicken or the ethical egg?”

Which is why we ask ourselves another question: “Can conscience have a beauty regime?”

Bring questions like that into beauty and we begin to see a range of products that, as well as being packed with natural ingredients – yum, have their foundations built on fair-trade.

Fairtrade Fortnight starts this month and Boots is about to add another product to their Fair-trade arsenal, and this one sounds like it is going to be just as bee-eautiful as the rest.

The launch of Boots’ Runny-Honey Body Butter comes at the time when we’re all more conscious about what goes into the things we buy and where they come from. Stephen Johnson, Boot’s sustainable development manager says: “Our Extracts range uses natural ingredients sourced from around the world. This not only provides us with great products but, by working with the Fair-trade Foundation, we ensure a fair price is paid for the produce.”

It’s great that vanity is dismissing compunction from our beauty regime, with no compromise on performance benefits. “I love the new Honey Body Butter – it smells beautiful and leaves my skin feeling great,” says fashionista, Mica Paris, “I have always been an advocate of helping disadvantaged communities around the world.”

The honey used in the body butter is sourced from farms located in the foothills of the Andes. The Apicoop co-operative, in Chile, farm the honey, which is a by-product from bees pollinating the Ulmo Tree, a plant native to South America. The tree produces a delicate flower, which gives the honey a delicate and sweet flavour – perfect for us to use on our skin as it isn’t overpowering, just delicate and enticing.

Honey is overlooked when it comes to benefits; most people use it as an alternative to sugar, however, it’s up there with the rest of the super-foods: it has antioxidant properties, of course, and contains alpha hydroxy acids, which are used in many anti-aging creams and serums and are believed to smooth fine lines, wrinkles and fight skin damage.

Runny Honey Body Butter will be released later this month. Fair-trade Fortnight is about creating awareness; try and do something each day to be a part of it, even if you just buy a bar of fair-trade chocolate, it still helps. I suggest that you make it a pleasure for yourself each day – use fair-trade beauty products for the fortnight. Find out more about events at http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/fairtrade_fortnight/default.aspx

To find out where and what Fair-trade products you can buy and visit  http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/products/retail_products/default.aspx

Art Students Raise Money For Haitians

The earthquake which flattened Haiti over two weeks ago may have destroyed homes, buildings and lives, but the disaster has awoken something closer to home and unique in humanity.

The disaster has stirred our sense of duty to our fellow man, the natural reflex to help another human in need. We may not see it often, but it’s always there, waiting.

Read more

And then there was… DIET

 

 It is a word that we speak with dread and sometimes embarrassment. A word which we whisper quietly when asked: “Are you having dessert?” But this word, which we fear and hate, often ends with freedom and satisfaction.

  Diet is the only way which we can justify our edible regrets. We eat that extra chocolate because we know, in our minds, that tomorrow is a fresh start and it won’t matter. 

  They have become a commodity; we have infinitive options and we’re always getting a new one. But which ones actually work? Is it better to go crazy and crash diet, or should we consider what the long term effects are and, instead, have a complete lifestyle change?

 Crash diets have been around for decades and involve dangerously low calorie intake and rediculous meal plans – the egg diet, the cabbage diet and the juice diet.

 Weight loss works because we use more calories than we consume. A healthy balanced lifestyle and daily exercise will do the same as a crash diet, but takes a little longer.

 I tested a crash diet for four days, I did plan on doing it for a week – I found it impossible. Here is my diary from four days on the Porridge diet, a diet which cuts calorie consumption to about 800 or less a day – two bowls of porridge and a low calorie meal.

 Day One, Friday:

I decided, the night before I started, not to binge on all foods fatty and sugary, but to eat a healthy balanced meal and have a glass of red wine – I didn’t see the point in going crazy.

 I started my day with - yes, you guessed it - porridge with honey (170Kcal) and a large cup of coffee. I feel fine, in-fact I felt normal and full until 1pm, which is when I had lunch – a pack of Sushi from Boots (about 284Kcal), Carrot Sticks (about 56Kcal) and a bottle of water.

 When I get home I am starving but, because I had my non-porridge meal at lunch time, I have to eat Porridge – which I eat with sugar to ease my disappointment and I treat myself to a glass of wine.

 Day one and only about 680 calories – that scares me, but I feel fine. The glass of wine was probably another 60-70 calories. 

 Day Two, Saturday:

 I have to get up early to go to work; I’m starving and seriously considering blowing my non-Porridge meal on breakfast; I resist and eat Porridge with honey again and have a glass of water.

 I feel strange, my stomach didn’t feel full after breakfast, but I don’t want to blow calories on lunch, so I have a bowl of Porridge and explain to my colleagues, who are bewildered, why I am starving but, only eating Porridge and drinking water. 

 After lunch I felt a bit dizzy and my face gained a friend (a spot). I’m not happy, I’m hungry, spotty and lightheaded. 

 Dinner time, and I can look forward to a meal with more substance: Couscous, Spinach, Rocket, Watercress, Tomato and Olives all drenched in Balsamic Vinegar (approx 239Kcal) and then 100g of Blackberries (161Kcal). It felt like a feast, I would have ate the plate too. 

 End of day three total = 740 calories and I feel strange; I always eat when I’m hungry, but I eat healthily, so not eating when my body is telling me, panics me a bit and I cave: I eat a 30g portion of Olives (30Kcal). 

 Day Three, Sunday: 

 My skin looks terrible, I have clear skin and very rarely get spots, but today it looks white and blotchy, plus my friend looks like he’s raided the fridge – he is a lovely shade of red and a little bigger than when he first appeared on my cheek. 

 Breakfast and Lunch are no different from Saturday. I practically drool over the Haribo in Tesco. I start to understand how desperate someone must be before they decide to crash diet like this, instead of choosing a healthier lifestyle – scary. 

 Dinner is a treat. I make some Pasta and my own Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Onion (about 328Kcal). I don’t feel like eating anything else and go to bed early with around 668 calories in me – looking at the amount I was eating scares me, but at the time it did feel like a lot. 

 Day Four, Monday:

 I don’t feel bad at all today, I guess the extra sleep did me some good. 

  I brave a Jacket Potato with Beans for lunch, from a shabby van in town, I figure it’s about 300 calories max. The Potato went down just nicely and filled me up, or this was the fullest I had felt in a few days, until I go home for dinner. 

 Blew my ’real’ food at lunch time, so I demolish a bowl of Porridge for dinner – with maple syrup this time. 

  Day four was a strange day. I felt fine, but my body craved nutrition and variety. 640 calories for Monday. 

 Day Five, Tuesday:

 It is silly now, I could go on for another two days and it is tempting to do it for a week, but I know it will do more bad than good – I eat toast for breakfast and weigh myself: I’ve lost 4 pounds in four days. The Porridge Diet came up with the goods but, if I had continued, at what cost? 

 Over the four days, I consumed 2,828 calories, That’s 328 more than the Government reccomends I should consume in one day - I under-ate by 7,172 calories. My skin changed from clear and even to a blotchy, red mess. Most of the time I was tired, dizzy and moody - not worth the weight loss.         

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas must-haves for men. Clothes Show Live style!

 The Clothes Show Live, at the NEC in Birmingham, is not the place to go if fashion runs your life, however, it is the place to be if you just like to get an idea of what to wear and what’s currently on trend.

 The fashion show was more about the performance and entertaining a crowd full of eager Tweens and industry wannabies than it was hard-fashion. In-spite of this, there were a few excellent pieces for guys this Christmas.

 The most exciting items had to be the shoes. Guys normally get a bit of a bad deal when it comes to shoes and trend; they’re either too sporty, too jazzy or just boring. This time though, they were just right.

Military Boots from All Saints, £165.

They may cost a fair bit, but they will last a long time.

 

  

   

 

 

 

 

Dr.Martens (DNs), £70-£150  from Dr.Martens.com.

  How can you say no to such an icon? You may have had a pair as a child, so you can have a pair as an adult. This pair cost £70 on the site. They come in plain colours and in patent too, but you could go for classic black. Dr Martens were a big player at the Clothes show, some of the guys wore pink patent.

 

 

 

 

Circus fashion crept upon us last winter. This Christmas it’s back and it’s on E. There were a lot of sequin and patent pants on the catwalk, but don’t appeal to most guys. Here are some other options, which are a bit less ‘uhoh!’ and a lot more ‘bravo!’ 

Silver Super Skinny Trousers, £50, from Top Man, also available in bronze. Wear them with military boots and a black blazer to tone them down. Wear with the burgundy blazer below and a tweed bow tie as a festive statement.

 

 

 

Metallic pants may not appeal to you right now. These Religion Slim Trousers are exclusive to Asos.com, £65. Great because you can wear them all year and aren’t metallic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dandy is making a long awaited come back. In honour of this, blazers and dikkie bows are now essential. Here is a Burgundy Poachers Jacket, £140, from Top Man. This would look dandy with most pant choices, but I would suggest sticking with skinny jeans or trousers to get a sleek silhouette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not feeling the Poachers Jacket, then how about velvet? The classic-cut of Asos’ tipped velvet jacket is soft, looks great open, and looks even better closed. £70, Asos.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Could it really be Christmas without tartan thrown in somewhere? Top Man, £36. This would look great, open, in the summer with a band t-shirt, bleached denim three quarters and military boots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you need to accessorize, shop around for bow ties. Velvet or tweed in a neutral or rich colour will make a subtle but alternative statement. Wear with white shirts, or if you dare to be a little more impactful, find a contrasting print which will add a little more interest to the ensemble.

 Although it was a bit of a theatre, the Clothes Show was inspirational, a great way for the younger or ignorant to see what fashion can be, which is, what you want it to be.

 

  

Quite a Spectacle

Last week Keira Knightley was spotted wearing these black rimmed Geek-Goddess glasses, which finish her ensemble just nicely.

Putting on a pair of glasses, as if they were a pair of shoes, to finish off an outfit is a great idea, and having more than one pair to wear is an even better idea – it means you can create a multitude of outfits.

If you’re going to take a leaf from the Keira book, then here are the top five frames (in no order).

Want to work the ‘Geek Chic’ look quietly? Then try Red or Dead 35. The shape of the frame will be flattering on most faces; they come in either brown or black and are the pinnacleof today’s take on Geek eye wear. (£125 from Specsavers)

Not for the faint-hearted, but certainly for the enthusiast. Catrina, from Specsavers, are a well and truly vintage frame. These frames will work well with an eclectic charity shop look. (£75)

Delve further into the world of ‘ True Geek’ with these Kester frames. More splendid than gross, Uma Thurman works frames almost identical to these. (£25 from Specsavers)

Modern Style, from Oakley at Vision Express, are a happy medium between Outrageously Geek and New-age-Geek. They would work really well with any outfit both geek and none-geek. (£140)

You would be silly to turn these beauties down. A full plastic frame from Burberry at Vision Express. These little spectacles are a statement on the tip of a nose. They’re the ultimate “look at me looking at you” glasses. (£179)

There is no excuse now, try working glasses into your everyday outfits – it just adds another level of excitement, interchangeability and interest.

Skin care for men

Guys your skin care regime should extend beyond soap and water.

 There are so many amazing brands and products which take no time to use and benefit your skin almost immediately.

Cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturise.

 Replace generic soap with a cleanser specific to your skin type.

 Clinique has a variety of solid and liquid cleansers for greasy to normal skin. A solid bar will be easier to use as it will just take place of your old soap and can be used without difficulty in the shower.

 This bit is probably going to sound a bit strange, especially if you’re new to the world of skincare.

 Exfoliation removes dead skin cells more effectively than, well, not exfoliating. Clarins for Men, Active Face Scrub, promises to deep clean and resurface your skin “super-quick” .

 Lack of dead skin cells on your face means your skin will look and feel brigher.

 If you thought exfoliating was a bit strange, then toning is going to appear more-so.

 Boots Botanics has a selection of toners which are made up of plant extracts and authenticated by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Toners are specific to skin types - from sensitive to oily - so get which ever suits you.

 Toning gets rid of the dead skin cells that are left behind after cleansing – it makes your skin feel tingly and really clean.

 Moisturise is the most important part; you should do it daily to restore essential oils and moisture which your skin loses throughout the day.

 Again, this is specific to skin type, so go for one which suits your skin most.

 Lancome for Men has created a gel moisturiser, Hydrix, which will add moisture to your face as soon as you use it – amazing after a night out because that’s when your skin loses a lot of moisture.

 It is vital to the health and longevity of your skin to do all of this at least once a day – apart from exfoliating, which you should only do once a week.

 Having a good skin care regime is essential; it is the difference between healthy and young looking skin - which will last well into your future. And dull lifeless skin which will make you look older much faster than you ought to.

  If you’re not sure what skin type you are or what products will be most beneficial to your skin, make time to visit a skin care counter to get exactly what you need.

Beauty Food

It is the era of paranoia and fear. A time full of facts about food: what they do to you, what they could do to you and what they don’t do to you. This is the era of food-a-phobia.

 The babble about which foods cause what disease is never going to end. As more ‘experts’ research every aspect of what we consume, it’s inevitable that we’re going to have a phobia of what we eat.

 Enter the Super Foods, our heros, our saviour.  

  A great day could start with a bowl of porridge oats.  They are filling and slow burning; they will keep you going till lunch. They are high in Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamins E  and B and a bowl full has oodles of Protein.

 If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, then think about your skin: the Vitamin E in porridge can help improve your skin and it’s great if you are stressed and tired.

 If you’re constantly tired and stressed, then lines and wrinkles are going to appear more rapidly. Pomegranate seeds are full of Alagin, a super nutrient which increases your body’s ability to preserve collagen – the thing that people pay to have injected into their faces… why not make an investment now and eat a pomegranate a day? They’re in season right now.

 You may have eaten them in a muffin or in pancakes, but do them some justice and eat them on their own once in a while, because the Blueberry, when it comes to Super Foods, is like a king.

 Packed full of fiber and free radical fighting antioxidants, these little berries help to prevent cell-structure damage caused by the sun, stress and exercise; which can lead to fine lines, wrinkles and a reduction in skins firmness.  

Experts recommend eating at least half a cup a day.

 Probably one of the easiest and cheapest of all Super Foods is Spinach. Like the Sprout, it’s reputation precedes it and is constantly shunned as boring and disgusting. 

 Try Baby Leaf Spinach in a salad or a pitta or even wilt it in a frying pan with some garlic and onion – delightful.

 Spinach is bursting with Beta-Carotene, which helps skin hold onto elasticity and helps fight against sun damage – so please, just give Spinach a chance, otherwise the consequences could be far worse than the parental threats of: You won’t grow up to be big and strong.” 

 Apart from being a healthy and handy snack to have between meals, nuts and seeds contain lots of useful fats, such as the highly regarded Omega 3.

 Along with Fibre, Protein, Calcium, Vitamin E and a long list of other nutritional pluses, nuts and seeds contain lignins, which have cancer-fighting properties. So go, erm, nuts! But make sure they are unsalted, unsweetened and aren’t chocolate covered, because that’s just counter productive.

 Moving on to our celebrities of late, the Acai and Goji berries, they seem to be every where, but why are they so good for us? 

 It is said that Goji berries, pound for pound, have more vitamin C than oranges; they contain 18 kinds of Amino acids; more Beta-Carotene than carrots, which can help fight heart disease, defend against cancer and help protect skin from sun damage. Some experts even say that [wink] they can raise your libido.

 Some fats are good fats, these fats are called Monounsaturated fats, and can help with digestive and cardiovascular health; that’s why it has been suggested Acai berries can help you loose weight.

 As well as helping with weight loss, the Acai berry has 10 times the amount of antioxidants than grapes and they help with muscle contraction and regeneration - which is all great, especially if you go to the gym a lot.

  The theme of maintaining healthy skin is preventing sun damage – so not too much sun exposure. Also you should keep your skin hydrated by drinking a lot of water, but why not try drinking something that is going to do two things at once?

 Green Tea has been drank for centuries by the Chinese and contains many antioxidants which can help prevent sun damage boost your metabolism – it has been said that Green Tea can reverse the effects of ageing too.

  If you’re addicted to chocolate, then you’re going to love this: Dark chocolate (65% and above) has health benefits; it can lower your blood pressure, lower your colestoral and it releases good endorphins when you eat it.

 Only 1/3 of the fat in Dark Chocolate is bad for you, which means some of the fatty acids in chocolate are good for you, such as: Oleic Acid, which is a monounsaturate – this helps lower cholesterol; Stearic Acid, which is a saturated fat, (bad normally) but this one has a neutral effect on cholesterol; and Palmitic Acid, which is the one that causes heart disease and raises cholesterol – bad, but in moderation it’s ok.

  Two out of three is good though, and it means you can eat a small bar of dark chocolate everyday, Try Green and Blacks 85% bar.

 Last Super food that is easy to include in your diet is Olive oil.

 Once again, it has those monounsaturated fats in it – the good ones. It contains Vitamin E and has cancer preventing properties. So cook with it, use it in salad dressings and throw out your vegetable oil.

  So, 10 little tips to healthier skin and, potentially, a happier you.

 But don’t forget, just because they are called Super Foods, they aren’t going to cause a miracle – you won’t magically loose weight because you ate a pomegranate, and you aren’t going to have the skin of a new-born baby because you drank a cup of Green Tea.

 These things take time and a balanced lifestyle: yes that means exercise and watching what you eat, but it will all be worth it when you have an amazing complexion.

 Try a Super Food salad for lunch for a week and see if you feel any different.

Hangover Day Pamper Hamper

It is one of the few downfalls of an amazing night out, especially if you drank a little more than you originally intended.

 The Hangover cometh and you’re a lazy, ridiculous mess; unrecognisable by all, including yourself. The only thing that you want to do is hide in your bed and feel incredibly sorry for yourself, between thoughts of: “I’m never doing it again!” and flash backs of the cringingly awful things you did or said during the course of the evening, so terrible, you have to hide under the duvet. 

 You could lay in your bed at the mercy of the night before or you could immerse yourself in a day of pampering, detoxing and general chilling.

 

Step One: Showered with coffee before, no? ‘Perk up’ by Philosophy is a three in one trio, each of the three bottles is a shampoo,shower gel and bubble bath – it’s like giving your hair and body a cup of coffee: £32.00 from QVC.

After the shower, moisturise with ‘Vanilla Dee-Lite’ it will leave your skin smelling and feeling fabulous! £10.50 from Lush

Step Two: It’s essential to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise your skin daily: if you don’t already have a skincare regime, then Clinique’s 3 Step skincare routine is an excellent way to start. Check-out your nearest counter for advice.

Step Three: Now that you’ve showered and refreshed your skin, use Soap and Glory’s ‘You Wont Believe Your Eyes,’ which will revitalise and freshen your eyes and reduce puffiness:£9.00 from Boots.

Step Four: Go totally spa-chic with Boots’ Essentials ‘Cucumber 3-Minute Clay Mask’ is full of cucumber and, well, clay – sure to give your skin an extra boost and make you feel uber relaxed and fresh: only £1.99 – from Boots.

Step Five: This bit doesn’t involve any products which you apply from a bottle or a tube… You need to get yourself a rediculously over-sized Hoodie - Superdry is a good place to go, they sell a range which starts from £44.99 and are fleece lined, delightful for a day on the sofa.

Next, you need some friends; I wouldn’t suggest having real people over, you might not be ready to socialise, but a session of Friends the programme will do your soul some good: Amazon.co.uk (from £54.99), and that’s for the whole set.

 So, if you’re not feeling any better by now, I don’t know what to suggest,  perhaps eat a bacon sandwich. If you’re nearly cured, then I’ve done my job.

They worked for me, so they might work for you too.

Origins – Dr Weil Eye Serum

The consequences of late nights, early mornings and stress can take there toll on our skin, and it’s never long before the effects are visible.
Dr Weil for Origins has provided us with just the thing, Mega Mushroom Eye Serum ‘optimises’ skin defences with a formula full of natural ingredients such as, ginger, grape seed, yeast extract and basil. But the ingredient that is most prominent in the serum is the Reishi Mushroom.
Have we finally been handed a miracle to defeat those tired eyes, or is this mushroom serum going to do more justice to a risotto?
Sceptical at first, I used the serum as directed, in the morning and evening, but also, I used it with my current skincare products; after cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturising, it made me think, “is it really worth adding another product to my regime?”
So my ten minutes at the sink were up, I applied the serum, and like a child on Christmas Eve, I went to bed excited and hopeful at the possibilities that the morning might bring.
After a night of broken sleep the alarm sounded, admittedly I had to hit the snooze button a few times, but I soon made the dash to the mirror and I was not disappointed, the serum had done some magic, I wasn’t met by the usual, dull eyed monster that I have grown used to, but a bright and wide eyed boy – amazing! Just think what a whole week could do.
The benefits of a serum for under eye care clearly outweigh the benefits of just using a plain old moisturiser.
Firstly it’s light, so it absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. Secondly, a little goes a long, long way. Thirdly, because it is so light, it can be worn under your makeup without suffocating the skin. These are all worth an extra two minutes in the mirror everyday.
So I would suggest, especially if your eyes are puffy and regularly host dark circles, that you give Dr Andrew Weil’s Mega Mushroom Eye Serum a go, and just see if it helps to reduce your tired puffy looking eyes. If not, then I guess you could add some extra flavour to your next risotto.