For 1.5 years, Lynne, Chris, Jessica and Katja have written about beauty on LOOKING GOOD, NO MATTER WHAT.

Jessica discovered a new beauty fictionary, Chris celebrated the 100th birthday of NIVEA and Lynne talked about beauty mishaps.

We would like to be able to tell you lots more personal stories related to the topic of LOOKING GOOD, NO MATTER WHAT. So that we can experience the best of these ourselves and tell you about them later in our blog, we’re taking a bit of time out. A summer break.

The LOOKING GOOD blog will still be available for you to browse through.

We wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to discussing autumn beauty on LOOKING GOOD, NO MATTER WHAT.

Warm regards,

Mareice, for the editorial team

I don’t mind though, as my red hair was a choice and not the prison sentence so many red heads see it as being. To be fair, I’m over the moon I found red hair later in life. I didn’t suffer the torment of being a red-headed child, an orange beacon to neigbourhood bullies, different from the rest of the flock at a time in life when being different was a punishable offense. As a self-selected adult red head people still look shocked when they learn that my ‘condition’ is self inflicted.

Why did I do it? Many reasons… it’s fun, colourful, makes the eyes pop and, after all, IT’S ONLY HAIR, people (I will never understand those married to one hair colour for life).

Mostly, I blame it on my inner Contrarian; in a world where everyone covets blonde hair I did what came naturally to me – the opposite.

Also – full disclosure – my dad has auburn hair. So does my mother’s sister. So do a couple of my dad’s brothers. So do my cousins. It’s safe to say I had a pretty good idea that the colour would suit me. I didn’t walk blindly into the world of being a red head.

If you’re thinking about joining Team Red, I’ve stockpiled a few handy observations on life as red head. Having entered the realm of the red head after 25 years of life as a blonde, I feel like a cultural anthropologist in the field.

So here’s an abridged field report to date:

1. Being a red head is like Marmite – people love it or they hate it.

2. Even though you’re an adult, a certain type of man still thinks it’s funny to ask you if all your hair is red, ignoring the fact that your mousy eyebrows (if you don’t dye them) clearly answer his juvenile question. [author's note: you'll get this sort of comment, it seems, mainly in America, where men have the collective flirting IQ of, say, a puddle of rain water.]

3. You will become acquainted with a type of man I call the red-head fetishist. Usually harmless but annoying, like a mosquito and drawn to you like they are light. Sadly, you can’t turn off your hair and make them go away, at least not in the moment.

4. Red hair is having a moment thanks to follicular endorsement from Christina Henricks, Florence Welsh and Rihanna. Hipsters. Love. It.

5. Red hair seems to gives all strata of society carte blanche to comment – good, bad and weird — like an online community without a manager. You’ll hear cries of ‘hey, red’ yelled from cars passing by. Strangers almost accusatorily ask you ‘is that real’? Which leads me to the next point…

6. Blonde hair and a tan hide a multitude of beauty sins, whether committed by errant genes or bad habits. Would Paris Hilton be as *cough, cough* attractive with red hair and pale skin? Nope. Red heads don’t have the luxury of hiding behind behind a mask of tan and blonde. You must be ready to experience a higher level of scrutiny.

7. That said, if you’re faux red and have skin that tans, you’ll really freak out the peanut gallery. Everyone thinks that if you have red hair you must have pale skin. I disagree. .

8. People blame your red hair for all sorts of things. Stand up for yourself in a recent meeting? They’ll say it’s because of your fiery temperament, naturellement due to your red hair, even if it’s not real. Ser-i-ous-ly.

9. You start to see red heads everywhere when you never noticed them before, like men with mustaches who can instantly pick each other out of a crowded room. It’s like red-head radar.

10. Dying hair red takes dogged dedication because it fades quicker than all other colours.

11. Box dye for red hair does not work. It lifts hair colour too much, leaving it brassy orange. If you want to DIY, buy the professional stuff.

12. Red lipstick looks awesome with red hair. Ignore the so-called experts.

13. So do red clothes.

14. Green clothes make you look like a Christmas tree, contrary to what these same so-called experts say. Someone started humming ‘Oh Christmas Tree’ when they were stood next to me while I did the green-on-red thing. In May. I’m certain it wasn’t the season that inspired his festive spirit.

15. Red hair’s a great conversation starter – although walk away from any conversations that starts with bullet point two.

Would you go red?

image credit

But there’s a simple – and often more affordable – way to get luminous skin and shiny locks by way of your digestive tract. That’s right, we’re talking about the original beauty supplement – tea!

Traditional tea comes in green, white and black from the leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant. Herbal teas – also known as tisanes – are everything else we know as tea.

Not only is this stuff packed with powerful antioxidants, you are spoiled for choice when choosing a tea to drink for specific beauty and health concerns.

Just add water!

Best for Anti-Ageing

White Tea

Trained Naturopath and owner of the London shop Content Beauty/Wellbeing Imelda Burke swears by white tea saying her “favourite for skin would have to be white tea, which has strong anti-inflammatory characteristics – great for skin and ageing in general… and even acne and eczema”.

Burke says that white tea “has high levels of catechins, a polyphenol compound that’s responsible for protecting skin from UV damage”.  And we have science on our side.  A Kingston University study in 2009 showed that white tea has high anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-collagenase, and anti-elastase properties which could potentially slow the enzymatic break-down of elastin and collagen, traits which accompany ageing. Plus, white tea has the highest level of antioxidants of all teas.

Runners-up:

• Green tea (particularly Matcha) boosts metabolism, full of antioxidants
• Rooibos is full of AHAs, vitamin C, Zinc and antioxidants for a health complexion and helps to ease stress and digestive issues.

Best All-Arounder

Nettle

Nettles are packed with vitamins (A, C, E, K…), amino acids and minerals (particularly calcium) and grow like, ahem, weeds in many parts of the world, London included. The taste is smooth and palatable although slightly bitter, which is great to curb cravings and, according to Naturopath-in-training Elspeth Waters, to kick start a liver detox. She says it’s a very cleansing tea, strengthens blood to ensure a steady flow of healthy nutrients to the complexion and acts as a mild laxative.

“If you suffer from under-eye bags, the nettle will help the kidneys drain the excess fluid” she says, because of its gently diuretic effect.

Pair it with Dandelion, Burdock and Fennel for a serious cleanse, which Waters says should help maintain a clear complexion as well.

It’s good for everything from maintaining urinary tract health to use as a hair tonic.

Runners-up:

• Green tea (particularly Matcha) boosts metabolism, full of antioxidants
• Black tea

Best for Calming Complexions

Licorice

It’s super tasty in candy form, but licorice is also a brilliant tea for red, ruddy complexions. It’s naturally anti-inflammatory and can even be found in topical skincare targeting redness, like Eucerin’s Anti-Redness Range. Waters says it’s also a mild adaptogen, “meaning it helps us to deal with stress – vital for looking vibrant and healthy”. The only downside is that it can raise blood pressure, says Waters, so shouldn’t be drunk in excess by those with hypertension.

Runners-up:

• Chamomile
• Valerian

How To Make It:
Waters says that “in general, a therapeutic dose of herbal tea is one heaped teaspoon of each herb or 2 teabags. As with all teas, once you’ve poured on boiling water cover the cup and leave it to infuse for 10 minutes to get the full benefit.”

Learn More:

Resources

• Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine
• Reference Guide for Herbs
• Medline Plus

Articles

• http://www.ivillage.com/top-10-health-benefits-drinking-tea/4-a-108301
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5281046.stm
• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/14361.php
• http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2269/Health-Benefits-of-Coffee-Vs-Tea-Infographic.html
• http://www.teausa.com/general/teaandhealth/218g.cfm
• http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medicine/articles/18696.aspx
• http://www.liveandfeel.com/medicinalplants/nettle.html

Studies

• http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w02/tea.html
• http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea

Wikis

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea

Being fond of spa treatments, I rushed after checking in my cabin to book a treatment. Unfortunately I was not the only one dreaming about relaxing and soothing care and I was too late! Instead, I could go to the relaxation zones that offered short neck and hand massages.  It was a good opportunity to discover the new range of NIVEA natural products, such as the Pure & Natural hand cream.

I went through the Research & Development exhibition and could meet Joachim Löw, German national football team trainer and guest, testing one of NIVEA R&D state of art device to measure eye wrinkle depth. A few minutes later, he met another guest star: Rihanna.
The voice of NIVEA 100 year celebration, Rihanna gave a private concert with her big hits but also the new song “California Kind Bed”, which will accompany the whole anniversary campaign internationally. We had the chance that night to see in premiere the video of this song. I captured some of the best sequences of the concert:

A dinner with fantastic artistic shows followed and a big birthday cake was made for this occasion. I could not resist eating a part of this edible blue tin and was lucky enough the following morning to attend a fitness workout led by Sarah Maxwell, the international coach NIVEA is working with.

I experimented on that 2nd day the rest of interactive installations, such as a large touchscreen sphere which enables guests to discover NIVEA’s history. There is so much to know about that timeless product!
Did you know?
•    NIVEA means “the snow white one” and it is derived from the Latin word nix/nivis (meaning snow)
•    Before being in 1925 the famous blue tin, the NIVEA packaging was yellow and green
•    If you lined up all the tins of NIVEA that have been sold up to the present day they would almost reach the moon
•    NIVEA crème has many talents: after-gym mask, eye make-up remover or even hair styler
•    The company held casting events to find NIVEA girls alongside boys for its advertising campaign in the 30’s already!!!
•    NIVEA skin research experts developed the 1st stable water-in-oil emulsion (Nivea creme, the 1st body milk, the 1st after shave without alcohol and were the 1st to introduce the coenzyme Q10 into anti-aging skin care for the mass market)
Tell me now…what NIVEA stands for you? What memories do you have with this brand?

The foundation I used the most was the one from Nivea, the Make-Up Teint Delight Foundation, because it looks very natural and glowing on the face. Its gel texture is very easy to apply and not too thick. Then, I always use translucent or very natural powder to set the make-up. You can be very generous around the eyes to help cover the eye shadow powder that may remain there after use.
Re. the blusher,  I prefer rose or apricot colors for a natural highlight on the cheekbones. Not need to be too generous when you apply it, otherwise it won’t look natural. Why not apply some again just before the dinner?
EYES : you may not have thought about them until that Day, but false eye lashes are really a must. If you don’t feel comfortable putting them one, then ask a makeup artist to show you in a store.  I did not use the full false eye lash but just some parts of it, which are easier to apply in the eye corner and look definitively more natural.  You can buy precut lashes or cut yourself full lashes according to the desired length. All my friends have been really impressed and satisfied with the results.
You thought you would never use your waterproof mascara outside the pool and the beach? Well, think about having it into your beauty case for that Day full of emotion…and tears!

LIPS : avoid using vivid colors, especially as your eyes will already have a great focus with eye shadow, liner, mascara and false lashes. The most natural and convenient product is a lip gloss. You minimize the risk of stains on your dress or the cheeks of your guests or future husband, you can apply and reapply it, even without finding a mirror.

HAIR : well, you may want to look like a princess that day and the hairdresser will be more than happy to take care of you and express his/her creativity, using hair spray, curling irons and plenty of accessories. I’ve noticed unfortunately that those beehive hair styles with flowers and butterflies just look a little jaded. Try to encourage your hairdresser to create a simple and elegant style. Rehearsals are really essential before the wedding.

My last advice is not to forget to book a photographer during that makeup session, because this prep time is always very exciting, fun and also unseen. Your future husband will be more than happy to discover what went on backstage.

In London, I walk 4+ miles daily without ostentatious trainers and other garish accoutrement screaming to the world “I’M EXERCISING”! Invisible exercise is inevitable, running up the escalator from the Tube and heaving shopping home on foot.

To save myself from preaching to the choir, we’ve ferreted out free outdoor activities that go above and beyond the normal daily activity of a European. For my fellow Americans, the list might read ‘walk 100 feet to the shop instead of driving, stand up to turn the television channel, etc.’ but there’s no need for such hand holding here.

Tai Chi

Can be done en masse when the sun’s shining and the morning dew’s just starting to dry on young spring blades of grass under foot. Think slow, controlled movement, balance, breathing, and focus. No equipment needed, just loose clothing. These classes are becoming quite popular in many Western cities, along with Yoga, Pilates, Capoeria and more.

Great for de-stressing, coordination, balance…

Find classes throughout the parks of London, Paris’s Quartier Latin, Manhattan’s Bryant Park, Central Park and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens…

Cycling

Some populations depend entirely on their cycles to get around. If you want to take it up a notch from the daily commute, find trails or roads that’ll be less congested, dress for it. If you’re really serious, invest in some sort of computer to track stats so you can chart your progress.

It’s great for cardiovascular health, balance, muscles tone and strength (particularly the legs), stamina…

Map your ride with any number of sites, including Map My Ride,  Transport For London, Cycle Route, VeloRoutes,  Bikely, Pedaling… if you’re an adult and don’t know how to cycle, there are classes to get you started.

Yoga

Yoga in the park is becoming one of the more widely available forms of free group exercise thanks to the likes of lululemon. Yoga is way more fun outside than in a stuffy studio. Usually you’ll have to bring your own mat, but other than that, all you need to do is show up in non-restrictive clothing.

It’s great for de-stressing, stamina, flexibility, better posture…
Find it in Bryant Park, Central Park, throughout London here and here.

Petanque

Maybe not the most strenuous workout, but what a wonderful excuse to spend an afternoon in the park soaking up Vitamin D while relaxing (great for the heart and waistline), socializing and stretching your legs. My favourites are Bryant Park, Les Halles, Tullieres, Primrose Hill, Queens Park. Last time I visited Hamburg’s Planten un Blomen there was a feisty game of petanque being played by a boisterous group of ex-Yugoslavs.

It’s wonderful for relaxation, fresh air, circulation, socializing. Find it in Bryant Park and London Petanque

Swimming

Central London isn’t known for its outdoor pools. But if you can find one, an added bonus to spring swimming outdoors is that the water is often warmer than the air. When it’s not, as with the wonderfully pastoral Hampstead Heath ponds, it can be a refreshing, bracing experience (just as the English would have it). Necessary equipment is any old swimming costume and goggles. Sorted.

It’s great for cardiovascular health, joints, stamina, muscle tone, relaxation, de-stressing… and look here for London pools, Hampstead Ponds, Paris pools, Berlin pools

Other great free outdoor spring activities to consider are gardening (at home, your allotment or a community garden), dancing (festivals, free dance lessons, etc.), joining a local running club…

image credit

At the IMATS in London, the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show, I had the opportunity to speak to the British special-effects make-up artist Cliff Wallace. Cliff is the owner of the company Creature Effects and has worked on numerous international productions, including “Blood Diamond”, “Black Hawk Down”, “King Arthur”, “Mission: Impossible” and “28 Weeks Later”.

He shows us some of his work and explains the challenges facing special-effects make-up, both now and in the future.

Enjoy the video!

Lynne

Some of our entries in the beauty fictionary below are real (often hoisted from the inky pages of some Brit rag).

Others, however, we just really wish would fall into common usage. Don’t you? See if you can figure out which is which:

The New Beauty Fictionary

Fauxtox

Lollipop Head

When one’s body is so emaciated their head that it actually looks like a big, round lollipop atop a stick.

Tweener

A term popularized by recent flop Hall Pass. It’s when a girl/guy of average or below average appearance surrounds herself/himself by even less attractive people to appear hot thanks to her/his company.

Mips

Man hips, as in womanly, child-bearing hips on a man. Much more frequently seen nowadays. Not always seen with Moobs (man boobs), but when the latter happens, the former is usually present as well. These dudes should see the above entry for Spanx and look into a Bro (man bra).

BORSALINO HAT
This is the most masculine one. I find it quite rigid sometimes.
The best clothes : let’s play the popular masculine look with white blouse, a jacket and some derbies
The best make up : nude makeup with fresh highlights on cheeks.

WOOL BONNET
The bonnet gives you a very casual look but you can still opt for a glamorous one. Like the one I found in New York made from glittery wool. Just avoid the multicolour ones for the city and the matching gloves.
The best clothes : play the winter look with a long cardigan or a Moncler jacket.
The best make up : dare clear eye shadows combined with dark mascara and pink or beige gloss on lips.

CAP
Quite casual too, somehow masculine.  But with loose hair and nice makeup, a black cap gives some style to your look.
The best clothes : a nice and large waistcoat (without any hood)
The best make up : give some female  touch and contrast with red lips  !

What is your favourite hat? When and how do you wear it?