Give back with your beauty fixes

We all have our favourite makeup brands and go to products but there are some in particular that we should begin to favour slightly more, mainly down to their commitment to supporting and giving something back to charities close to their heart. So, why not begin looking beyond those go to names and start choosing products that not only ultimately make you look and feel good but see you helping to give something back to the world. 

Keep reading for some of our favourite products that help you do just that...

Bonne Mine Palette 

Instantly waking up your skin, Laura Mercier’s Bonne Mine Palette leaves skin with a healthy and natural ‘no makeup’ glow. Totally weightless, this creamy formula is easy to blend and evens the skin’s texture for that perfect finish. With 100% of the profits going directly towards the Laura Mercier Ovarian Cancer fund, to raise awareness and fund research for the disease it is a great product to invest in. 

Available at Selfridge’s and sephora.com, RRP £37.00

Pretty Pink Ribbon Lip Gloss Collection

To support the efforts of the Breast cancer awareness campaign, Bobbi Brown have produced their limited edition Pretty Pink Ribbon Lip Gloss collection. A gorgeous selection of four pink and creamy shades that help any female go from ‘being pretty to pretty powerful’ with every £5 from every sale going toward the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 

Bobbiebrown.co.uk, RRP £35.00

 

Bee Happy Body butter 

Inspired by the environment and plight of the honeybee, Beefayre has created a luxury beauty, fragrance and home ware range, which donates 3% of its total profits donated to the bee conservation. At the moment, we love their Bee Happy Body butter perfect for lathering up with - a creamy concoction of cocoa and shea butter creams,  it’s natural infusion of  orange and jasmine essential oils help sooth your skin whilst it’s fresh, citrus fragrance boosts your mood and feelings. 

Beefayre.com, RRP £15.95

Dragon Fruit lip butter

The body shop’s scrumptious Dragon fruit lip butter is not only great for keeping your lips super soft and hydrated this Autumn but 100% of the profits are being split across their chosen three charities; Erb's Palsy Group, Wild Futures and Book-cycle. Deliciously zesty, this buttery balm is the perfect addition to your make up bag!

The body shop, £4.00

‘Paint for life trio’

In aid of Breast Cancer awareness this month, Beauty UK have developed the ‘paint for life trio’! A gorgeous range of three vibrant shades of pink, each individually named, ‘hope’, ‘strength’ and ‘love’ which have been inspired to continue to raise awareness and generate funds for Cancer research UK. Not only do these shades make the perfect addition to your nail polish collection but a £1 from every set sold will be directly donated to breast cancer research. 

Superdrug, beautyukcosmetics.com, £5.99

Autumn Beauty trends

Summer might have been and gone, but these autumn beauty trends are reason enough to get excited over the new season

As we sadly leave summer behind, we enter into a new and exciting season. This calls for an update on our beauty bag essentials to ensure we stay on trend. From electric colours to cat-like flicks, the focus is on the eyes this fall – going bolder and brighter than usual. However, for those who prefer a subtler look, don’t fret as the natural look still remains.

Here at WHL, we have compiled a list of the top trends to embrace this autumn with some of our favourite must-have beauty products.

The lash effect

Definition is key this autumn when it comes to your eyes – false lashes, volumising mascaras and slick eyeliners are a necessity to prepare you for the trending heavy smokey eyes look. Try Revlon Bold Lacquer (£9.99, boots.com) – perfect for creating those sought-after lashes – teamed with Glo Precise Micro Eyeliner (£9, beautyexpert.co.uk) for added definition.


 All about blue

 
Blue eye makeup is making an interesting comeback from the 90s this season, with shades of sapphire, azure, cobalt and teal making an appearance. When it comes to creating bold, bold, electric eyes, it’s all about pushing the boundaries and experimenting with your application. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Stick (£4.49, boots.com) is great for experimenting with the vibrant colour.


Go metallic
 
Those who love a bit of glitter are in luck as metallics are taking centre stage this season, from a light dusting of shimmer in the corner of the eyes to full-blown gold lips and glittery eyelids. Try Lavera Illuminating Blue Galaxy Eye Shadow (£11.50, pravera.co.uk) which hits two trends in one with metallic flicks and a gorgeous blue glow.

Flawless décor


With the natural look remaining very much on trend this season, makeup kits should be packed with taupe eye shadows and great highlighters for perfect contouring and illuminating. Famous makeup artist, Mally Roncal recommends sweeping a sheer shimmer powder along the top of your cheekbones and just under your temples to create natural-looking yet killer cheekbones. Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand (£25, smashbox.co.uk) works wonders for creating that radiant glow and natural dewy finish.

Colour me brown

The everlasting smokey eye look still remains this autumn but this time it has taken a coppery turn, with makeup artists playing with greys and browns to create a simple, sultry daytime look. Keep the structure loose and blend your lines – it’s all about creating a soft, modern look with a cool tone. Invest in Bobbi Brown Smokey Nudes Eye Palette (£48, bobbibrown.co.uk) – a great collection of colours to achieve the look in an instant.

Best self help books

We’ve put our feet up and had a good read to bring you some of the best self-help books out there.
 
There is a lot of controversy over self-help books and if they actually work, however top psychological experts do recommend them as the next best thing to seeking therapy when looking for inspiration and support in changing our habits or coping with life’s stresses. In fact, self-help books are among some of the best-selling books out there, maybe because they are not overtly marketed as self-help but as manuals on how to cope with aspects of your life.

So to find out what the fuss was about, I dug into three of some of the most highly rated and here’s what I discovered:

The Secret by Rhonda Bryne

A firm favourite of Oprah, who tirelessly campaigned to put this book on every bookshelf in America, The Secret raked in a reported $300 million within a year of its release. Written by a formally unemployed Australian TV producer, The Secret teaches you how to make all your dreams come true and challenges you into positive thinking and to start creating life-changing results in all aspects of your life such as wealth, health and happiness. Based on the underlying concept of laws of attraction, the book teaches you that when you think a thought, you attract similar thoughts and as a result you create your future life. It is an incredible book if you open up your mind and can be a life changing experience for those who read it.

£10.49, amazon.co.uk

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie 
 
A simple but challenging thing, worrying is now a major part of most people’s lives causing misery, fear and depression. Yet this classic novel from Carnegie offers a set of practical formulas that we, as readers can put into action every single day, teaching you lessons that will stay with you for the rest of your life and help you to make it happier. To this day, more than six million people have learnt how to eliminate fear and worry, embracing a full and active lifestyle. A fascinating read and easy to apply, it deals with fundamental emotions and ideas, so embrace the advice and let it change and improve the way you handle life.

£6.29, amazon.co.uk

The Power of Now: A guide of Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

Simple and clear, Tolle’s writing is supportive and allows readers to really understand the concept and power of ‘living in the now’. While not originally fresh, Tolle is able to explain complicated concepts in an accessible way and encourages individuals to be more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness. A challenging journey, The Power of Now can radically change lives for the better as it helps people embrace their true self. A book to be revisited again and again, The Power of Now is an international bestseller, inspiring those that read it today like it did a decade ago.

£6.99, m.waterstones.com

Post-Holiday blues

Suffering from a cast of the post-holiday blues? We’re here to here to make sure you feel awesome all autumn.


We all know how much coming back from summer holidays can be depressing and stressful, sinking back into endless emails, boring household tasks and miserable weather but research has shown that it also has a negative effect on our concentration and mood levels in the work place. British Summer fruits conducted a study, which found that on average it takes Brits around four days to reach their usual level of productivity with lack of concentration being the worst side effect. In fact, nearly 17% of participants admitted to making silly mistakes on important tasks and missing deadlines. Yikes!

Post summer, as the need to be beach-body perfect passes we tend to let the pounds creep on. Leading nutritionist Dora Walsh says ‘low mood and low concentration are key symptoms of the post-holiday blues but a snack of sweets will only exacerbate this by giving people a sugar high and an almighty crash soon after’.

But don’t panic, we have pulled together a list of top tips to beat these negative symptoms, stop you from piling on the pounds and actually improve your productivity at work.

Watch your snacks

Resist the temptation to snack on a chocolate bar and instead prepare a bowl of healthy fruit with a spoon of natural yogurt in advance. Dora recommends including lots of berries as ‘they are high in resveratrol polyphenols, which keep our blood flowing to the brain – essential when trying to catch up on a week’s work and battle the dreaded email inbox.

they are high in resveratrol polyphenols, which keep our blood flowing to the brain

Use your holiday to give your daily routine a boost

Elaine Magee, Doctor for WebMD’s weight-loss clinic says that a holiday can actually kick start a healthy eating routine, ‘usually, whilst away you eat out a lot so when you come home, everyone is looking forward to home-cooked meals. So embrace that and use it for motivation into cooking healthy meals rich in vitamins and nutrients’.
Try these speedy recipes to get you in the mood.
Avocado supreme
½ avocado – rich in omega-6 fats, great for brain function
Handful of prawns
Buckwheat noodles – packed with vitamin B for a healthy nervous system
Chopped garlic
Simply mix all the above together.
Blueberry brain booster smoothie
1 cup of blueberries – increase blood flow to the brain for increased concentration
1 banana – tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, so helps boost your mood
2 cups of oat milk
1 pinch of cinnamon – helps to regulate blood sugar
1 tablespoon of manuka honey – great for your immunity
1 scoop of whey powder – helps keeps you full and boosts muscle recovery

Get some early nights

Don’t overdo it as you step off the plane and avoid scheduling in lots of social activities the week you get back in favour of an early night. Lack of sleep affects so many aspects of our lives and by getting in the zzzs you’ll be much more alert at work without having to reach for the caffeine.

Take your lunch break

Despite the heavy workload, remember to take your lunch break and get away from your desk. One of the reasons why we feel so great when we are on holiday is because we are outdoors much more than usual, so get out and spend more time in natural daylight as it will help to boost the levels of happy endorphins in your brain.

Get active 

Surprisingly, most people don’t put weight on while away because they tend to be more active –such as walking around tourist attractions, running after children or swimming in the sea. So use this as motivation to start including more exercise in your life, whether it’s walking instead of getting the bus halfway or increasing the number of times you hit the gym, not only will it keep you fit but it boosts your energy and mood levels.

Fitness First Home Run

Want to combine your commute with your workout? Fitness First Home Run could save you time and get you fit


Calling all Londoners! If you want to kill two birds with one stone and get fit on your commute home why not sign up to the Fitness First Home Run? Rewriting your journey home, the expert team have put together a variety of guided routes for commuters to join and run home their way. Fast or slow, beginner or marathon runner, everyone can get involved as the Fitness First team take the hassle, frustration and most importantly bags out of your journey.
Running home is such a great way to squeeze a workout into a hectic lifestyle and Home Run London leaves no excuse for missing your weekly workouts due to work commitments, lack of time or hassle of carrying bags. Taking away the fear of getting lost and the burden of heavy bags, the guided tours are there to help commuters not only find an easier, stress-free way of getting home but also an opportunity to increase fitness levels, slim down and indulge in London’s iconic attractions. In addition, by running home and not to work, you are left without the ‘shower-less workplace’ excuse, so don’t even try it!
The idea is to sign up for a season (which is around 6 weeks long) for £15 and then book into both runs, which occur each week. Simply hand over your bags at the beginning before being reunited at the end – simple! Fitness First members have no excuse, as your membership means you can sign up for free!
Depending on the whereabouts of your final destination, you can choose from four different routes each week; Liverpool Street to Stratford, Bank to Clapham Junction via Waterloo, Tottenham Court Road to Highbury and Canary Wharf to Waterloo.
To find out more about the routes, check out Home Run London or the hashtag #GetFitGetHome!

Waterproof mascara

Don’t you hate it when you finish off at the gym after a grueling workout or hop out of the pool after some intensive laps and you find black streaks smeared across your cheeks? Try these waterproof mascaras to stop smudges in their tracks.
 
While mascara is a classic make-up bag staple for most, if you’re an active bod, you’ll need to go waterproof to avoid the dreaded raccoon look! As an added bonus, waterproof mascara can help curl stubbornly straight lashes and actually holds them better than most volumising mascaras.

So, whether you’re heading to the pool this summer, want to be prepared for an unannounced British downpour or are off to the gym to hone that beach-perfect body, check out our top picks to make sure you stay panda-eye free.

Max Factor Clump Defy Waterproof Mascara

We’re massive fans of Max Factor. The latest waterproof mascara has us hooked, with its ability to apply coat after coat without, as the name suggests, clumpiness due to the well in the brush. With its ability to hold just enough of the product to flick on without overdoing it and its water-resistant, anti-smudge benefits make it ideal for an active lifestyle!

£10.99, Boots




Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara

Perfect for those of you who are constantly on the go, this revolutionary mascara lasts for up to 16 hours smudge free and without flaking. Its patented brush leaves your lashes beautifully long and curled with its tiny bristles reaching even the smallest ones without leaving lumps or flaking.

£19.50, Bobbi Brown


YSL Waterproof Luxurious Mascara

If you are already a fan of YSL’s False Lash Effect mascara, renown for its ability to lengthen, thicken and curl lashes with an immaculate finish, then you’ll love the new waterproof launch. Benefiting from the original’s counterparts lash-enhancing effects, its new range is water-resistance so you can rest assured that you will remain streak free.

£24.50, YSL Beauty


Maybelline New York Great Lash Waterproof Mascara

A personal favourite of mine, Maybelline’s Waterproof Mascara leaves your lashes curled and beautifully defined thanks to its small tapered spiral brush. Slightly on the thicker side, as typical of many waterproof mascaras, it leaves lashes looking cleanly separated and voluminous, yet resistant to sweat from a tough workout. £4.99, Boots

  
MAC False Lash Waterproof Mascara

A favourite with the pros, Mac has recently launched an even longer-lasting, waterproof formula. For up to 12 hours, this new edition stays water, tear and humidity proof thanks to its double-lush brush, which delivers double the level of pigment right to the tips while creating beautifully defined, voluminous lashed. £19.99, MAC

Frozen cocktails

The UK is having a full blown love affair with frozen cocktails, from frozen margaritas to alcoholic twists on favourite childhood ‘slushies’, the US-inspired import is everywhere. Here’s where to get your fix.

KOLD
Entrepreneur, Nick Sotiropoulos has just launched his new range of premium frozen cocktails in the UK. The new KOLD cocktail range, are ‘mixed classic well-loved recipes using high quality, 100% natural ingredients and premium spirits. Stemming from idea of being able to enjoy bar-quality cocktails whenever you want, without the hassle of needing a ton of ingredients, he has produced three classic frozen combinations; the cosmopolitan, mojito and lychee martini and are all-lower in calories due to their natural content.

£6.99, koldcocktails.com

Rocktails

Founders, Helen McAvoy and Naomi Kibble always enjoyed night spent in town drinking cocktails but when trying to recreate them at home, found them frustrating and amateur. As a result, Rocktails came to life offering a premium range of frozen cocktails in three fruity flavours; FrostBerry, Artic Passion and CoolCumber. All blended from a unique fusion of refreshing fruits and vodka with no artificial colours or flavourings, they look and taste fabulous, with the frost effect rivaling some of the top bar-mixologist creations. Keep frozen until 20 minutes before desired consumption and then either squeeze into a glass or drink straight from the single serve pouch.

£4.99, ocado.com

Parrot Bay

Spirit manufacturer, Diageo has launched Parrot Bay ‘freeze and squeeze’ cocktails, which come in a single serve, pouch format, and are ready to drink. There are three flavoursBerry Daiquiri, Citrus Daiquiri and Pina Colada. We like the lot!

£2.50, tesco.com



Smirnoff Sorbet 

Following in the footsteps of Parrot Bay, Smirnoff has released its new range of single serve, ‘freeze and squeeze’ frozen alcoholic drinks. Available in three fruity flavours, the new Sorbet range joins the  brand’s other frozen tipples, including the Smirnoff Apple bite and Smirnoff Ice. Refreshing, delicious and easy to drink.

£2.99, major retailers

MyCocktail


For ultimate cool and convenient cocktails, MyCocktail has produced its new strawberry DaiqGOri and Lime MarGOrita, served in individual pouches and designed to be ‘freezed, squeezed and enjoyed’. For the ideal summery adult slush, the pouches should be kept in the freezer before leaving to stand for five minutes before drinking.

£1, My-Cocktail