Ole Henriksen Winners

Apologies for the delay in announcing the winners. They have now been chosen via Rafflecopter and are listed here: Ole Winners.

If you are listed please email here with your address. If you are unsure whether or not it is you, please contact us from the email address that you entered with. 15 people called Kristina entered the last competition, I have your details, if you do not hear back from me, please assume it is another person with your name! *phew*

Thank you so much for entering! :)

Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel and a crazy Giveaway.

Regular readers will know that a few of us have been trialing overnight treatments - especially for acne/combination skins. The reviews of the La Roche Posay kit and Vichy's Dermatox are coming next.

I've been using Ole's Invigorating Night Gel for a few weeks and it's a must-have for either acne, combination or prone-to-random-hormonal-swollen-red-spots/bumps skins.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Algae Extract, Glycerin, Calcium Ascorbate, Sorbitol, Tocopherol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum)

There is a definite knack to using this. It's an oil-free gel that absorbs almost instantaneously so the temptation is to apply more. Don't. It's a treatment, not a moisturiser. I use this underneath either an oil, an overnight treatment or a hydrating moisturiser. 

It is very light and laden with glycolic and lactic acids and fruit sugars making it both a resurfacing and clarifying overnight treat.

For more information on Ole Henriksen and the Invigorating Night Gel look here: www.olehenriksen.com

The lovely team at Ole Henriksen are offering 15 readers. Yes, fifteen readers, the opportunity to win one for themselves.

Enter via Rafflecopter below.

• UK only
• Subscribe to my You Tube Channel
• No cash alternatives offered

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Experts. How to get ahead as a facialist - Ole Henriksen

Ole Henriksen opened his first clinic in LA in the early 70's. Since then he's gone on to build a huge empire including his own eponymous brand and has a huge following - including me.

I sat down with Ole and asked him for his top tips for any facialist/student aesthetician trying to build their experience/break into the industry.
I asked for five tips - being Ole he delivered - and then some!

• have a passion - this is number one - always
• find the best school that you can afford
• apply yourself - aim to be the best
• success in life is all about discipline 
• read everything you can - books, magazines, blogs - everything related to the industry
• aim to graduate with honours or distinction 
• do your research and apply to the best spa or clinic in your area
• go out and sell yourself

Trade test...

• offer to audition if necessary (trade test)
• plan well head of time
• arrive 30 minutes early - for your trade test and for the job when you get it
• set up your room the way you like it
• show off your skills - this is no time to be shy
• execute a beautiful, fluid treatment

When you get the job...

• apply yourself wholeheartedly
• be early, presentable and ready - every single day
• make an impression and build a following

During treatments...

• ask your client about their concerns
• engage them
• be brilliant at skin analysis
• educate your client
• treatments should be indulgent and pampering but effective.
• split your treatments into 3 parts:
  opening - prep and skin analysis
  middle - cleansing/steam/extractions
  end - massage, soothe, pamper
• do not hard sell
• talk to them about their diet and lifestyle

Post-treatment...

• call them in between visits to see how they are getting on and how their skin reacted to the treatment

Branch out on your own...

• build a big following - you are there to serve your clients
• always remember - Success is a gift
• never go through the motions during your treatments
• customize your treatments

And having so many of my own - I asked Ole for his pet peeves when it comes to treatments

• noisy treatments - be organised - your client doesn't want to hear you clanging bottles all over the place
• never leave your client unattended - so unprofessional
• being too heavy-handed - you need your treatment to have fluid of movement
• long fingernails - so uncomfortable for the client and so unhygienic
• an unprepared, messy treatment room - no excuse
• being unengaged - which brings us back to number one - show your passion to every client - and if you lose your passion, change jobs - it's not fair to people who pay good money for an expert treatment

The brilliant Ole Henriksen launches on QVC UK on Wednesday 4th June at 6pm for a full hour.

He has further shows through the week:

June 4th @11pm

June 5th @8pm

June 6th @ 9pm

Huge thanks to Ole for his help - and if you haven't seen him in action you must catch him on QVC - you won't be disappointed. 

www.olehenriksen.com

Instagram Saturday

Mother's Day present from my babygirl. A defaced picture frame of us at her Christening.

Said 'Babygirl' loving the new One Direction fragrance 

Revisited this album from Everything but the Girl - sublime.

Hit pan on my favourite blusher. NARS Sin - simply the best blusher ever made.

I do love a bit of Ole.

THE most beautiful gift box from Tory Burch - if you're struggling to give a good gift - this is effortless. It's now holding the necklaces from my last Instagram catch-up. 

Clinique's new Lash Power mascara - water-resistance without the allergic reactions to waterPROOF.

OSKIA Restoration Oil - in testing now.

Peacocks delaying me on my way to work!

Trying to keep 4 kids full is never-ending. There was a time when our fridge was always empty. I never, ever take it for-granted.

I can't help feeling like my Nana (in the picture behind) is laughing at the craziness of my family - and joining in - wherever she is.

One of the best reviews on Amazon.

My new lovely blues.

THIS. Especially this week.

This. To keep me going through NEXT week.

Instagram catch-up

Raved about this moisturiser

Sold a lot of that moisturiser at this event

Ran out of this lushness. Every last drop.

A little light metal reading.

Cleansed with all 3 of these at the same time.  (One after the other!) Just for fun. :)

Used these a LOT

Captured something new (Shard) behind something very, very old (The Tower)

Drove past Stonehenge on the way home from Devon. Not a bad view...

Added these to the bathroom to make sure I never run out.

THIS! Always this!

Showed how FABULOUS you can look if you use Perricone's New Mask. You're welcome.

Shouted at Perricone for discontinuing this

*in Country heaven with the Dixie Chicks*

Trialled this new SPF from Dr Lens that is bloody amazing.

Had some statement necklace addiction issues

Stopped the cat eating Karl's doll

Celebrated 10 years of this wonder product

Met Zoe Newlove - who is lovely - go read her blog.

Behaved like schoolgirls with Ree at the launch of Viktor & Rolf's beautiful new fragrance #Bonbon - Yes we took a shameless selfie with them behind us.

Screamed like a girl (appropriately) when I saw this monogrammed bottle just pour moi! (Although it does mean I can't EVER use it!)

Cried 5 times waiting for Sheila at the airport - the Grandmother meeting her grandkids for the first time literally had all of us sobbing *cries thinking about it*

Took my Babygirl to the Tower. Didn't leave her there though. Also - I should really wear different clothes occasionally.

Travel Bag - or 'How to turn a dehydrating flight into a spa session'

Last week I spent over 20 hours on an airplane. That's not much for some but it is for me. There are a few conditions that really compromise your skin - one of them is an airplane. All that recirculated air, no fresh air and everyone else's germs. Ugh.

The picture above is what I took last week, but the essence of it can be used and altered by anyone, with any skin type, on any budget.

Left to right:

The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Cleansing Wipes - for basic forehead, cheeks and chin makeup removal. I also had Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes which I love, but ran out of them on the plane. Any 'won't burn your face off' wipes will suffice. Yes, wipes on the blog. Fannies, flights and festivals.

Muji travel bottle filled with The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. Soak one cotton pad at a time, hold gently over the eye and swipe across, down and away. Turn the cotton over and repeat - then do the same on the other eye. Please don't rub your eyes like you're using a pencil eraser.

aesop Travel bottle filled with P50. Your usual exfoliating toner/lotion goes here. Use a saturated cotton pad and swipe it all over. I take it across the entire face, under the eyes, the eyelids and over the lips (P50 tastes grim). You aren't getting a proper cleanse here so this can help you out.

Georgia Louise Hydrating Rose Water (travel pack size) - a good spray toner/mist will be your most used product on an airplane. A normal can of Evian will just dehydrate you - it just works better as a toner/floral water etc. Any good alcohol free toner can be used and decanted in to the spray version of the Muji bottles above. Spray liberally. And frequently. Even when the people around you look annoyed. :)

Chantecaille Nano Gold Energising Eye Serum - (gold tube lying flat) God I love this product. No sugar coating - it's prohibitively expensive - so much so that I literally save it for using when I fly. You can substitute any similar roller-ball-effect cooling eye product from pretty much anyone. The joy in using something like this when you fly - for me - is the cooling effect and the hygiene. Look Ma! No hands! I reapply this whenever I can feel I need it. No stiff directions - depends on the length of the flight, your skin etc..

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum  (small size) - love love love this. Massive antioxidant boost to help protect against what is essentially a locked room of free radicals and other people's germs. Also, smells delicious (not relevant, but joyous nonetheless) and gives you a lovely glow. Nice if like me, long-haul flying leaves you looking like you've given birth. No-one, NO-ONE steps off a plane looking like a supermodel. Not even supermodels. They go straight to the toilets in the VIP section with their 'team'. Stop with the nonsense.

Darphin 8 Flower Nectar  (GWP sample size) - I love this oil but only really use it if I have an overnight flight. Whack it on, try and sleep (or get no sleep, end up watching 3 films and exit plane as above) and let it give you a layer of lovely smelling protection. Substitute any of your normal facial oils that you can decant into smaller bottles.

Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion (GWP sample size) - lovely, light, super-hydrating, really good for layering. Substitute any good hydrating, light lotion. You can layer this over other products, add extra layers on during the flight without it rolling...just keeps you soft and hydrated.

Aurelia Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser (trial pack size) - pretty self explanatory. If it's a night flight/red eye: cleanse, P50, spritz, eye, serum or oil, then this. Marvellous.

Ila Day Cream for Glowing Radiance (travel pack size) - OK so my travel products clearly have a theme. Call something 'glowing radiance' and I'm in. Arriving during the day? When the seat belt signs go on for landing I do a quick spritz and apply this. You can substitute any of your daytime moisturisers and decant into travel pots. If you're landing in a hot climate remember your SPF.

Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration (decanted into brown pot front right) - This is probably my current favourite for travel - really seems to keep the moisture in and doesn't 'roll' when you layer. The citrus scent is again brilliant for being up in the Gods with no air.

Carmex/Duwop LipVenom - standard lip and a slightly more 'zingy' one to wake me up when necessary!

Chantecaille Gold Energizing Eye Recovery Mask - these are new. They're nice - but to be honest, I much prefer the roller. It's amazing.




*purchases and samples - no affiliates

Ole Henriksen - Truth is in the Eyes

I love this product. It's one of those that you don't need to use very often and see results from very quickly.

I being the freak that I am, use my exfoliating toners all around the eye area - I always have. This however, goes that step further and really makes the skin smooth and soft and thus much more tolerant to absorbing eye products.

Inci:

Water, Chondrus crispus (Carrageenan), Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycolic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydrolized Rice Bran Protein, Oxio Reductases, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol (preservative), Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Pullulan, Oleth 20, Allantoin, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Calcium Ascorbate, Aloe Vera Extract

It is extremely gentle. Seriously. I've had no adverse reactions to this and heard no reports about problems from readers that have tried it. If you suffer from tired, wrinkled, puffy eyes this could be the answer to your prayers.

More info here: www.olehenriksen.com
$42 US/£38 (approx) UK

Three Do's and Don'ts with Ole Henriksen

My mantra of turning to a Dr or a Facialist when thinking about buying skincare has not altered since meeting Ole Henriksen. Since opening his first Clinic in California in 1975 he has gone on to be one of the most recognisable brands in treatment-led skincare.

When he visited London recently I was fortunate enough to catch up with him for a 1 to 1- and ask him his Top 3's.

Top 3 Don'ts:

1. Don't go to bed with your makeup on - ever. (I already love him)
2. Don't remove eye makeup too vigorously - the area is very sensitive - take it gently.
3. Don't over-treat the skin. Too many actives/scrubs and having the water too hot can damage your skin - don't disrespect your skin.

Top 3 Do's:

1. Cleanse properly - close your eyes and take your time - enjoy your routine.
2. Eyes are the window to the soul - use a good eye cream containing efa's and peptides.
3. Ensure the skin is adequately hydrated and moisturised - use anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids so that the acid mantle is maintained and the skin feels soft to the touch.

And my favourite quote from the man?:

'Women have the right to walk around with no makeup on and glowing skin.'  (seriously dude - we should hang out more)

If you are looking for somewhere to start with Ole's products have a look at this little beauty:

Although I can't look at it without hearing Sofia Vergara in my head shouting 'LOOK INTO MY EYES LOOK INTO MY EYES!' - I LOVE this product.

It's a peel. For your EYES. 

Containing lactic and glycolic acids, micro algae and rice bran protein - apply in the evenings and in the morning it leaves your eyes feeling silky soft and smooth - and more importantly - better able to absorb the ingredients in your AM eye cream - usually peptides - which in turn, gets rid of your lines. Hey Presto!

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Ole Henriksen is available from Harvey Nichols and selected online retailers. Truth is in the Eyes starts from around £39.00 (there are different sizes).