The importance of suncream

Finally, it seems summer has arrived! With a week of glorious sunshine and rather balmy temperatures, which look set to continue for a good few weeks, I think we can guarantee a year we can all manage a good tan. 

But, with most of us catching a few rays on our lunch hour and with a sun kissed bronzed complexion the goal in mind, are we all looking after our skin as we should?

I was shocked to hear that as a ivory skinned, (fake) red head, I should be wearing an Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 in the UK and 50 abroad. This news put a pretty big dampener on my pride of wearing an SPF of 15 at the local park in the midday sun. No wonder I was suffering with a touch of the lobster look- according to Boots Soltan, SPF 15 is recommended for olive, naturally tanned skin only. Not me then!

What I find most worrying though, is that I am a BIG cancer research campaigner. As a committee member of North West Cancer Research I presumed I was pretty clued up on my skin cancer prevention. How wrong I was.

So, what should we be looking for in our SPF? 

Well, we need UVB protection to stop us from burning and protection from UVA will prevent us from ageing prematurely, so a suncream that provides BOTH UVA and UVB protection is a MUST.

Which level of SPF should I choose? 

The easiest way to work your what you need is to think of this equation- (get your maths head on!) For example, if it  20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning pink, using an SPF 15 sunscreen should prevent reddening for 15 times longer, which is about about five hours. However, experts recon light/fair/pale skin tones should use SPF 30 in UK climate and 30-50+ in a hot-very hot climate, where as olive and naturally/easily tanned complexions can wear SPF 15 in the UK and 30-50 in hot-very hot climates. Not too sure? Speak to a sun care consultant at stores such as Boots. 

When should I apply?

Apply a full shot glass amount to your entire body 30 minutes before exposing your skin to the sun. Re-apply after two hours or if your skin feels hot or is reddening. Always re-apply after swimming.

My favourite suncream is one introduced to me at QVC- and is used by most guest experts and all presenters that I have met during my time there.

UltraSun, a Swiss company founded in 1992, are specialists in sun care. With all their products being perfume, oil and emulsifier free they are perfect for the most sensitive of skins and ensure you don't experience the dreaded 'prickly heat'. 

Price wise, Ultrasun isn't majorly expensive, esepcially if you buy through QVC who have some fantastic kits available.

So as this lovely sunshine continues, make sure you take a moment to make sure your skin is protected. I fear it's something we may live to regret otherwise.

The Red Lippy Project

If you have enjoyed reading my past blog posts then you'll be well aware of the following two facts-

1. I love wearing every shade of Red Lipstick (not that this page title gives that away...)

2. I am a great supporter of raising awareness of cancer and finally finding a cure.

So, when I heard about the Eve Appeal joining forces with The Red Lippy Project during Cervical Screening Awareness Week, I knew getting involved would be right up my street. 

From the 9th, until the 15th June, I'll be rocking a new shade of red every day, in the hope it will spark conversations leading to the topic of cervical screening. Which, lets be honest girls, is a topic we all shy away from more often than we should. If Movember has worked in getting our guys checking themselves, then a girly gossip over a MAC lipstick should surely be easy?!

Cervical screening, or smear tests as we most commonly refer to the process as, is a topic my close friends and I have discussed at length, especially since the sad passing of Jade Goody back in 2009 and the introduction of the HPV vaccine in schools.

Until we reached the screening age of 25 last year, we often left in limbo- too old for the vaccine and too young for screening. What about us? What if our health is already in danger?

That said,  when my 25th birthday arrived, along with the clearly marked NHS letter, I honestly couldn't of been more scared. So scared, that I was nearly in the 32% of 25-29 year olds who missed their first screening.  Thankfully, during a routine doctors appointment 9 months later, my GP put her foot down. I wasn't leaving until it was done. 

And, honestly? It was nowhere near as bad as I imagined and thankfully I was one of the lucky ones, my results came back clear.

So ladies, lets get involved and encourage all of our female friends to attend screening!

 'Be bold, be glamorous, and join the Red Lippy Project'

You can follow the fun by visiting their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

To finacially support the Eve Appeal's important research, you can also donate here

Look Good Feel Better

I will be the first to admit, that I have never really been a fan of Angelina Jolie. As an avid 'Friends' lover, I was most definitely on Team Aniston during the 00's Pitt-fight.

But today, my opinion changed. 

 This morning Angelina bravely revealed that she carries the faulty gene BRCA1 and has taken the hard decision to have a preventative mastectomy, reducing her risk of developing breast cancer from 87% to less than 5%.

For any women, this must be a terrifying decision., but it must be especially so, working in the public eye where every inch of your appearance is critisied. It hard to even imagine. 


Cancer, and the research into genetic mutations is a topic very close to my heart, and since I began my training ten years ago, I have been itching to 'give something back' and work with women going through tough times. But it wasn't until a few years ago that I heard about Look Good Feel Better, a charity which works with women who have developed cancer.

I came across the programme whilst working for Max Factor in 2008, at my local Boots store. Various members of staff from each cosmetic house took it in turns to volunteer at the local hospital workshop where women suffering from different types of cancer would come for a relaxed and informative skincare and make-up lesson.

I then came across more information about the charity,  through my admiration for top make-up artist Caroline Barnes' work. I was under the impression that LGFB only accepted volunteers from employed cosmetic consultants rather than freelance make-up artists, but seeing Caroline's support convinced me to give the team at LGFB a call and offer my services at the Liverpool centre. 

 LGFB use a 12 step programme, using the products kindly donated to each of the women by many cosmetic houses such as Chanel, Elizabeth Arden and Clarins.  Usually there is eight ladies attending the workshop, all various age ranges and at different stages of treatment- but all there to leave the Cancer chat at the door. This is their ME time. 

Once the women complete the session, they all admit they feel gorgeous. 

More importantly, they can recreate the look at home, meaning they can feel and look fabulous every single day! Working with these ladies is inspiring. Their 'positive energy' and thirst for life is infectious and as far as I'm concerned, this is my most important job as a make-up artist. 

For more information, and to volunteer, please visit

LookGoodFeelBetter

You can read more information on BRCA and Angelina Jolie's experience by visiting 
My Medical Choice

Max factor's UK ambassador and long term Look Good Feel Better supporter, Caroline Barnes, demonstrates the 12-step skincare and make-up regime on the Confidence Kit DVD, offered to all patients, for a small donation, through the website.