Beauty Emergencies

As women we are all familiar with bad hair days, "fat" days, and days when nothing in ones wardrobe looks right. As tempting as it can be to hibernate at home in old trackpants and a t-shirt, often there are ways to combat "Beauty Emergencies" (as I have dubbed them), and they can often be very quick and easy to undertake.

If you are fortunate enough to have a professional on call, then this is the first stop. Some issues such as home hair colour gone bad do need professional assistance. However, as most of us don't have personal make up artists/hair dressers/beauty therapists at our beck and call, below you will find some simple solutions to some very frustrating problems.

"Help! My skin has broken out and it looks terrible. How can I clear it up quickly?"

Skin can break out at any stage in life, and this is largly due to hormonal levels which increase oil production. The first and most important step is cleansing. Most of us are guilty of over cleansing and scrubbing, which is one of the worst things you can do for your skin. Switch to a gentle water based cleanser like Cetaphil, use tepid water instead of hot or ice cold (which can irritate skin). Avoid anything with alcohol, menthol or fragrance as these are all known irritants for the skin. Do not over exfoliate skin, treat it very gently, and instead of a mechanical exfoliater, look for a chemical exfoliant with salicylic acid (BHA) or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). These acids gently exfoliate away dead surface skin cells, and in the case of BHA, exfoliate the pore itself.

• Only use a small amount of moisturiser where your skin is dry. The area where you are breaking out already has excess oil, so do not further congest the area by placing moisturiser on it. Avoid heavy moisturisers, drying alcohol based toners and oily foundations.

• Use a benzoyl peroxide product like Brevoxyl or Benzac to disinfect the area. Start with a low percentage like 2.5% to avoid irritation.

• Avoid the temptation to squeeze pimples, this can lead to scarring if done incorrectly. If you do want to squeeze, ensure you have clean hands, and only apply gentle pressure either side of the pimple. Disinfect with a benzoyl peroxide product afterwards.

• To conceal a blemish, use a good concealer in the exact shade of your skin, and pat on a thin layer gently. Apply a second layer if needed, and finish with a dusting of transluscent powder.

Skincare solutions can offer great results, but if your skin isn't clearing up, consider visiting your GP or a dermatologist who may prescribe an alternative treatment.

"I've woken up and I'm having a majorly bad hair day, and I'm in a rush, what do I do?"

Forget BHDS (bad hair days) and get yourself some GHDS! An absolute must have. And yes, they do stand for Good Hair Day. These straighteners can tame even the frizziest hair in a matter of minutes.Don't have a pair? See below for more BHD tips.

• Slick your hair back into a chic ponytail, keep a stash of clear, non snag, rubber band hair ties in your bathroom, these give a very polished look. A spritz of hairspray onto your hairbrush before smoothing down hair will tame any flyaways.

• Pop on a cute headband over your ponytail, or consider a head scarf or a stylish hat if the situation is particularly dire.

• If hair is greasy and you have no time to wash, reach for a dry shampoo which can absorb excess oil. A great way to stretch out days between shampooing, and excellent for when you are short of time.

• Twist hair into a messy low bun, and fasten with bobby pins. Finish with a spritz of hairspray.

"I self tanned and now I'm all streaky and patchy-help!"

Unfortunately, the best solution for this dilemma is time. Self tan will fade after about a week, sometimes sooner, but you can speed it up with exfoliation. Use exfoliating gloves, a loofah or a scrub. Exfoliate using firm circular motions, but don't over scrub your skin. Another option to try is the St Tropez self tan remover, this is essentially a body scrub specifically designed to remove self tan. Whatever you do, don't try and hide mistakes with more tanner on top! This will only make the original streaking look more noticable.

"I've had an allergic reaction to something I've put on my skin, and broken out in an itchy rash. How do I ge my skin to look and feel normal again?"

First of all, if you can identify the product that caused the reaction, stop using it immediately. Allergic reactions can occur even from products you have been using for a long time. Given the huge number of ingredients in beauty products it can be hard to figure out what's causing the allergy, but often it can be the fragrance in a product, or even your washing powder on clothes that's causing the allergy. Consider switching to a fragrance free cleanser and moisturiser until the reaction abates.

Applying a thin layer of over the counter hydrocortisone cream such as Skin Calm can relieve itching, redness, and inflammation. These products are only suitable for short term use on non broken skin, but are extremely effective. Using an oral antihistamine tablet like Claratyne or Telfast in conjunction with a cream is also a great idea to assist in relieving allergic symptoms. Keep skincare simple until the reaction clears, and avoid irritants such as fragrance, soap and hot water.

"Help! I only have ten minutes to get ready!"

Basic makeup steps that can be undertaken in a flash....

1. Pat concealer on to any areas that need coverage such as under the eyes or blemishes. Make sure your concealer matches your skin colour perfectly.

2. Give cheeks a touch of colour with a sweep of bronzing powder.

3. Apply mascara! This is one product that can make a huge difference, even without any other make up on. Wiggle the brush through lashes for even distribution, and do a second coat before the first one dries.

4. Finish with a touch of lipstick or a coloured gloss.

If hair is clean, apply a product to give texure (like a paste or spray), and tousle hair with your fingers to achieve a sexy bed hair, à la Kate Moss. Alternatively, sweep hair into a ponytail as outlined above. The last step? A spritz of your favourite perfume as you rush out the door. As Coco Chanel once famously said, "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future".

xoxo