Being attractive without makeup

The below post was taken from a blog that I love and would recommend checking out (http://www.marcandangel.com). It looks at 15 ways to be attractive without the ideas of makeup and fashion.  Have a read and let me know what you think.

Nicole

Be true to your values.  Be honest.  Do your best.  Do things that bring you closer to your dreams.  Take care of yourself, your family, and your friends.  Treat people with respect.  Be the person that makes others feel special.  Be known for your kindness and honesty.

In other words, invest love into your life.  Because when you love life, life will love you back.  And there’s no attraction greater than love.  People will notice the goodness surrounding you, and they will be naturally attracted to you.

1. Do the right thing. – Never be afraid to do what you know in your heart is right, especially if the well being of another person’s feelings is at stake. There is no punishment in the world more severe than the wounds we inflict on our soul when we do what we know is wrong.
2. Stop the gossip and superficial judgments. – Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds gossip about people.  Life is much too short to be lived talking about people, gossiping, and stirring up trouble that has no substance.  If you don’t understand someone, ask questions.  If you don’t agree with them, tell them.  But don’t judge them behind their back to everyone else.
3. Lift others up. – If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up.  To be happy and free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the happiness and freedom of others.  When you put faith, hope, and love together, you can nurture positive ideas, relationships, and dreams in a negative world.
4. Give words of encouragement to those in need. – A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.  We all hit a time when we lose hope and need someone to put their arms around us and say, “I’ve got you right now.  You are not facing this alone.”  Be that person when you can.
5. Be positive. – Think positively; speak properly; apologize rapidly; forgive quickly.  Evolve your being and inspire yourself and others.  Say it out loud, “I am sorry negativity, I have no time for you.  I have far too many positive things to do.”
6. Embrace your uniqueness. – If you don’t embrace your uniqueness, you will spend your entire life striving to conform to the impossibility of being someone else.  By celebrating what makes you different, rather than wasting time trying to be the same, you will discover your unique gifts that nobody else in the world has.
7. Do things for fun and passion. – When you stop doing things for fun and passion, you stop living and you start merely existing.  If you truly want to change your life, you must first change your mind and your actions.  Once you are ready to truly devote your time and energy to what calls to your soul, you will find your life unimaginably enriched.
8. Be gentle. – When you least expect it, something great will come along – something better than you ever planned for.  Mother Nature opens millions of flowers every day without forcing the buds.  Let this be a reminder not to force anything, but to simply give beautiful things enough love and an opportunity to grow naturally.
9. Drop the need to always be right. – Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right.  There are many roads to what’s right.  You cannot judge others by your own past.  They are living a different life than you.  Express your opinions freely and politely, remembering that if your purpose is to ridicule or prove others are wrong, it will only bring bitterness into the world.  Respecting the opinion of others, without judging, always carries more weight than simply being right.
10. Be loyal.  Be honest. – You can’t promise to love someone for the rest of their life, but you can sincerely love them for the rest of yours.  When it comes to relationships, remaining faithful is never an option, but a priority.  Loyalty and honest affection mean everything.
11. Be flexible and keep an open mind. – What looks like an obstacle or road block is oftentimes just life steering you in a better direction.  Be flexible and keep an open mind to all the changes that are forcing you to grow, and helping you better align yourself with your vibration and purpose.
12. Believe in yourself and all that you are. – Know in your heart that there is strength inside you that is greater than the challenges you face.  No one can do it for you – you have to choose to use your wings.
13. Believe in your dreams. – Who you hope to be someday is already a big part of who you are now.  Your dreams are real.  They do not exist in the past; they live in the present, and when you stay committed to doing what needs to be done, you carry them closer to reality as you walk through the gates of tomorrow.
14. Walk the talk. – You can make whatever you want out of your life, but first you have to not be afraid to try.  We all have to start with ourselves.  It is time to walk the talk.  Take the journey of making the difficult decisions and taking action.  Start removing things from your life that are taking away your happiness, and start adding things that bring joy in to your life.
15. Embrace the possibilities of tomorrow. – Don’t let your past dictate who you are, but let it be part of who you will become.  No regrets.  No looking back.  Just hold onto life and move forward.  We have no way of knowing what lies ahead, but that’s what makes the journey even more exciting – that’s what makes life worth living.

Why Go Natural?

In todays society we are constantly being exposed to chemicals and polluntants – its a natural part of life.  So why is that we are willing to use products that contain further chemicals and putting them directly onto our skin? The nature of our skin is such that it can withstand a lot of abuse and to the most part it holds together well.  Unfortunately for the skin, although it is the largest organ of our body it is also the most neglected.  The nutrients that we put into our body are absorbed and used first and formost by our internal organs.  If we are lucky whats left is made available to the skin.  This is one of the reasons that we rely so heavily on skin care products to improve the appearance and health of our skin.

Introducing EarthSentials

With the huge shift towards natural skincare, EarthSentials was launched as a chemical free alternative, and is now available for you to continue your Skin care routine with confidence after your salon consultation. EarthSentials is 100% natural and free from harsh damaging chemicals, so you can have peace of mind, that while the active ingredients are high performing, you are safe.

EarthSentials products are formulated from earth & natures bountiful store, where every ingredient has a purpose.  Inspired by nature, EarthSentials’ ingredients & formulas are created from the purest botanical, organic and mineral substances.  In today’s world, we find that the majority of modern products are synthetically based, mass produced and very expensive, yet we allow ourselves to overload our skin & body with these products and chemicals.  We have to remember that our skin is our largest living and breathing organ of the body.

Our exquisite Natural skin care, offers a ‘prescription range’ developed just for your skin type and condition.  EarthSentials are free from artificial preservatives, colouring, fragrances, perfumes, synthetic chemicals & bulk fillers.  We take great pride in our products which are prepared in small batches to keep the vitamins, botanicals & active ingredients as fresh as possible.  Only the best anti-oxidants and natural preservatives are used.  We stand by our commitment to “care for our earth”.  EarthSentials are NOT tested on animals.

With EarthSentials each and every client’s treatment may be slightly different – and it is only after a professional consultation and diagnosis that we recommend these products be used. Your personal homecare program, which is custom formulated for your skin, offers you the chance to boost your salon treatments at home with genuine and therapeutic results on a deep cellular level, even from their first use. Each ingredient has a purpose, ensuring that your unique skin management program will deliver the best results for you personally. The treatment you will receive will be custom formulated for your individual skin type and current skin condition, including dryness, roseacea, pigmentation, Ageing,Eczema, Psoriasis and many other skin imbalances.

EarthSentials is available at Akeso Natural Beauty.  For your personal consultation please contact 0423 109 336.

Nicole xo

Exfolation – What its all about

In a recent conversation with a client we were talking about the benefits and dangers of exfoliating the skin.  One thing that came to my attention was just how much there can be to know about skin care and how unclear it can often seem.  I hope that this post might help to explain a bit about why we exfoliate.

To start with there are a couple of different forms of exfoliation which can be used depending on the skin type and condition.  The two major types however are manual and chemical and these can come in varying intensities.  Something that is worth remembering is that unless you have a serious skin condition, we only ever want to be dealing with the superficial layers of the skin.  Anything more and you should be speaking to a dermatologist or a doctor.

 Why Exfoliate?

The primary purpose of exoliating is to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.  This gives the skin a smoother appearance and texture which can help with product penetration (such as moisturisers) and also allows for easier and more even makeup application.  Removing dead skin cells also allows the skin to ‘breathe’ better which minimises clogged pores and pimples.

Our skin ‘turns over’ about every 28 days (this slows down the older we get – but thats a whole new topic)  This refers to the time it takes to travel from the base of the skin (dermis) through the layers to the surface.  During this time the cell goes from being fresh, hydrated and healthy to eventually dying as it reaches the surface.  It’s these dead skin cells that we are removing.  By removing them we are encouraging the other skin cells below it to come to the surface faster.  This means that we are seeing healthier more hydrated skin on the surface.

At Home

Typically, your ‘at-home’ skin care routine will involve a manual form of exfoliation over a chemical one.  This is because it is easier and has less chance of damaging the skin. You will find the most common form of exfoliation is a granular scrub which (depending on your skin type and conditions) is used 2-3 times per week after cleansing.

You should choose an exfoliant which has a small grain.  Having a large or rough grain in your exfoliant makes it more likely to scratch you skin and do more harm than good.  You should also have an exfoliant which has some sort of emulsion or base with it.  This makes it more gentle on the skin and again minimises the potential for damaging the skin.  You should be aware of how your skin responds to exfoliating and avoid the temptation to over exfoliate.  Remember that although your skin is constantly changing, it also needs the chance to reproduce healthy new skin cells and over exfoliating can be more harmful than good.

Akeso recommends EarthSentials Facial Earth Peelant. It is volcanic pumice in its purest form.  Just take a small amount on your fingertip and adding it to your cleanser.

Dangers of Exfoliating

Exfoliating, whilst having its benefits can also cause more damage to already fragile or damaged skins.  If you have skin that is already quite sensitive or reddened it is best that you don’t exfoliate so that you don’t aggrivate your skin any further.   If you have older and quite thin skin, it is also best not to exfoliate as you can be more prone to bruising and removing more skin than necessary.  If you have active acne, exfoliating can cause the bacteria to spread. If you are taking any medications contain Retin-A or Accutane (you will know if you are) keep away from the scrubs as well.

If you are ever unsure about what kind of skin care your skin needs, come in for a professional skin consultation.  This will allow us to work out what is happening with your skin and determine what it needs.  Akeso Natural Beauty offers free skin consultations.  Simply contact on 0423 109 336 to make your appointment.

Nicole xo

A woman whose smile is op…

A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears.
Anne Roiphe

Welcome to Akeso!

Akeso Natural Beauty is a home based Beauty Salon in Petrie offering a full range of beauty and relaxation treatments.  To find out more about the treatments offered at Akeso head to www.akesonaturalbeauty.com.  This blog aims to offer insight into the beauty industry and offer helpful advice on all things beauty.  Feel free to leave comments on what you would like to know, questions you have about the world of beauty or things that you have tried and found to work/fail.

Nicole  xo