Beauty – Glow Concierge

February 1, 2022

7

WHY DO MY NAILS CHIP SO MUCH MORE IN WINTER?

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Fashion, Health | No Comments

Even with gellack on, have you noticed how much shorter your manicures last in winter? From chips, shattered nails and even the entire gellack polish coming off in one piece, manicures just don’t last as long. Why is this?

The main reason for chipped or even shattered nails in winter is the cold. Our nails are so much drier and more prone to damage.

During cold weather, the nail plate becomes dehydrated, resulting in peeling and splitting nails, which fray at the edges. As a consequence, the nails may break and become more fragile, and can easily catch on clothing. You can chip a nail from doing the slightest thing, even with gellack.

The reason gellack can lift and slide off in one piece is also connected to this, we use more moisturizers and oils in winter, which in turn makes the nail bed greasy meaning gellack doesn’t bond as well.

Here are a few tricks to help make your manicure last a bit longer in winter.

Don’t soak the nails before a manicure – soaking them can distort the nail and when you paint over this, it then shrinks and causes the polish to chip.
Don’t forget to push back the cuticles, if you get polish on the cuticles it peels more easily and will ruin your manicure
Use a cuticle oil – while oils and moisturisers can cause lifting of the polish, it will help to keep your nails healthy. It’s important not to use oil based products on your nails before applying colour. Make sure to cleanse the nails before applying colour, using an acid free primer can help with this issue.
Rubber gloves! Don’t do washing up or use cleaning products without putting on some rubber gloves, the hot water and chemicals will weaken the gellack.
Don’t cut your nails between manicure appointments, this will cause the seal to break, which can result in lifting and peeling of the nail polish.

Your Glow Concierge

January 7, 2022

7

FACIAL MASSAGE │ KEY BENEFITS│HOW TO IMPLEMENT INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Massage | No Comments

For many, life has in part become a never ending quest to find the magical pill that will keep their face and neck young forever. We google what products celebrities are using, jealously ask our fitter friends, and hopelessly buy every cream that promises to make us look as if we were 20.

But what if the secret is not the creams and serums themselves? Does the way we apply our daily skincare actually matter? Continue reading to find out how facial massage works and what benefits it has to offer if done regularly.

BENEFITS

As with any massage, applying pressure to the tissues activates the lymphatic system, which is responsible for clearing away toxins. Even a couple of minutes of massaging movements can already have a mild effect on strengthening your immune system and removing excess waste and water from the face.

The facial massage works like a wake-up call for muscles and tissues under the skin. As a result, they start working harder, which shapes the facial oval and makes the skin look firmer and fresher.

Moreover, there are so many mental benefits to this treatment. It is great at decreasing signs of anxiety and make you feel fresher afterwards. If done with oils known for their relaxing qualities, for example lavender, facial massage calms down and facilitates falling asleep.

CAN I DO IT AT HOME?

The best thing about this technique is that it can be easily implemented into your daily routine. Take the serum or cream that you use daily and spend more time massaging it into the face. This will both activate the facial muscles and facilitate the absorption.

Having this treatment with a professional once a month can be an effective addition to your own efforts. It is also the time to ask for some tips or new techniques that will help you address the areas of concern.

HOW TO DO IT?

Facial Massage is an amazing technique, but don’t start with it just yet. The direction of the movements is the most important part. Often the advice you can find on the internet will turn out to be fraudulent, showing you the techniques that will do more harm than good.

We recommend booking a facial massage and asking your provider about the right ways to do it, before starting to do it on your own.

Glow Concierge providers Caterina and Eleftheria both have many years of experience in this area. After a 45-minute session, you will not only look fresher but will be equipped with all their advice and expertise to transform the way your face looks.

December 25, 2021

9

LUCKY OUTFITS TO CELEBRATE 2022

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Fashion, Party | No Comments

2021 is almost over, which means everyone has probably already started getting their hopes up about the next year. Every time, we hope for a brighter future, and many would even start believing in magic tricks to increase the chances of it happening.

So what can you do to make 2022 ‘your’ year? The answer is in colours!

According to the Chinese Astrology, the next year will be the year of a black/blue water tiger. In some cultures, people believe that having a tiger figure at home will serve to bring luck during the next year. However, the colour palette of the outfit is also very important. Astrologists advise wearing cold colours during the New Year’s celebrations, or even going with a tiger print.

You can also adapt the outfit to your wishes for 2022!

RED

Red is quite a common colour that always takes a dominant role when it comes to Lunar celebrations. It has grown to represent joy and ambition, as well as bring good luck and good fortune.

BLUE

As already mentioned, blue is the lucky colour of 2022 (from the water tiger). Moreover, the colour is known for its ability to induce feelings of calm and relaxation. And in many Latin American countries it is associated with hope and good health.

PURPLE

For a long time, this colour has been associated with royalty. Even though the time has passed, in some cultures it is still considered a good sign to wear purple on New Year’s Eve if you wish to achieve career success in the coming year.

There are way more colours out there, and each of them eventually will represent something good in some culture. The main point is that you feel lucky in your outfit!

Whatever the colour you pick, we wish you to believe in yourself and the luck will come to you! Happy New Year & don’t forget to treat yourself in 2022 – it might just be your key to success;)

Your Glow Concierge

December 17, 2021

8

WINTER HAIR TRENDS 2021

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Fashion, Party | No Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, a time of crackling fires, red wine and parties! We’ve taken a look at the latest hair trends for winter. Some of them might be quite surprising!

Hands up who remembers the ‘zig zag’ parting of the 90s?! Is it really true that its making a come back this winter? If Bella Hadid is anything to go by then that is a resounding yes!

Icy blonde is here to stay! Who dallied with a beachy, honey blonde this summer? Time to return to that icy ashy blonde that we love so much! This hue isn’t just reserved for long locks, as proven by Cynthia Erivo, who has recently made it her signature look.

Unexpected accessories have been seen on every catwalk and every magazine this last month! Have you been eyeing up those Prada hair clips? With party season upon us, who can resist a sparkly hair clip reminiscent of our youth?!

When it comes to hair colors for winter, your options are endless. Making the most of your colour palette is vital, and violet pink is still in…thank the lord ! It’s a subtle, soft shade, like the spring blossoms yet to arrive.

Curls are back! Tight curls, loose curls, shaggy curls, you name it and its been on the catwalk this autumn. Whichever way you look, curls are having a major moment, don’t forget to use a heat protectant while styling to protect your hair.

Your Glow Concierge

December 11, 2021

8

CHRISTMAS MANICURE IDEAS

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Party | No Comments

The festive season has begun, the streets are lightning up with decorations, the city smells of “Glühwein” and the stores are filled with shoppers looking for the perfect gift. Many of us, inspired by this Christmas atmosphere, have begun to decorate the house and seek to bring as many red and sparkly things into our lives as possible.

This time of the year is also a perfect occasion to go crazy with your manicure. Even if you are used to wearing nude colors or just french on your nails, you can get seduced by the bright red colors that are surrounding you during Christmas.

We went through works of many world-renowned nail artists and found some easy-to-make, gorgeous Christmas Mani ideas:

GLITTER!

The first and the most obvious decision for Christmas is glitter. However, you can always be playful with it. Ask your provider what colors she/he has, and maybe you’ll stumble upon the most unusual and bright tone.

It’s also an option to apply sparkly polish only on the tip of your nail, creating a beautiful french manicure

COLORFUL FRENCH AND REVERSED FRENCH

We already mentioned how you can alter the standard french manicure to get a completely unique pattern. Take red, green, silver or gold colors and go on experimenting.

CRYSTALS

Even the simplest one-color manicure can get so much more exciting with just a couple of sparkling crystals.

BLOBS

This beautiful technique has become extremely popular recently. This manicure is quite easy to make and will always look different.

FESTIVE DOTS

You can be so imaginative with this dots manicure. Use your imagination, choose the colors you want and get a playful and beautiful manicure in the end.

Now, what can be better than sitting at your home in a cozy blanket and creating Christmas nail art together with your provider.

Your Glow Concierge

December 3, 2021

9

PREPPING FOR CHRISTMAS – PRO STYLE!

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Home, Party | No Comments

I’m Rose, the founder of Glow Concierge and I love Christmas! I’m literally obsessed, like a small child! In fact, I probably get way more excited than most children. I have Christmas carefully planned out by about August, Christmas presents sourced and bought insanely early (I have a spreadsheet organised by spring!), stockings prepared, and the house decorated in an abundance of green foliage, lights and baubles.

The thing I can’t plan early for though is myself! I of course want to match the house and be as sparkly and preened as can be! Of course waxing, lashes, manicure and pedicure can be planned a little in advance, maybe a week to 10 days maximum if I’m using gellack on the nails. At the moment, I’m loving a bit of a mix with my manicures. I love a couple of nails in one colour, then another couple nude with the other colour as a tip. Of course I also add a bit of sparkle! I think the French style is so elegant and when you modernise it a bit with a smaller tip or a sparkly edge to it then it looks great. It doesn’t always have to be red or green, I have an amazing coppery brown sparkly colour that I’m obsessed with at the moment. For my lashes I tend to go for a lash lift most of the time, but Christmas demands extensions!

The week before I’ll have a facial to make sure my skin is as prepared as it can be for the onslaught of too much chocolate and champagne, and not enough sleep! I am pretty good about my skincare routine in general, but at this time of year when it’s so cold and dry, I could probably try a bit harder! That’s why a good facial is so important. I’ve got a Microneedling appointment booked for next week and a facial one week before Christmas. I also just bought a new serum from Dermalogica which is amazing!

Lastly I will book a hair appointment a couple of days before Christmas to make sure my colour is on point and a good blow dry lasts a good few days, so it should still be looking good on Christmas morning, the last thing you want to be doing on Christmas Day is trying to find time to do your hair!

Makeup – I’d love to have someone come to me on Christmas Day, but I leave that to the parties beforehand! I absolutely love dressing up and having my hair and makeup done before a party! A couple of friends and I usually do it together, which keeps the cost down and makes it a bit of an event. We’ll have a glass of wine, music and get in the mood for going out…or indeed staying in!

November 20, 2021

9

COMMON MOISTURISER MISTAKES

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Health | No Comments

Do you sometimes find that your moisturiser just doesn’t seem to be doing the job? You’ve bought a new, much hyped product, and you don’t get what all the fuss is about?

One common mistake is to moisturise when your skin is dry, your skin should be clean and slightly damp for the best results. Damp skin will help lock in the moisture, it really needs to penetrate the skin which it won’t do if the skin is dry.

Make sure you apply the moisturiser with clean hands! Sounds obvious, but I bet it’s something you forget occasionally.

Do you apply your moisturiser as gently as you should? Often we slap it on quickly and give it a quick rub, the skin on your face and neck is very thin and more sensitive than the rest of your body and needs to be treated accordingly.

Don’t forget your neck and décolletage, ensure you rub it in with an upward motion. The skin here is just as delicate and thin and a facial moisturiser will work better than a body one.

Does your moisturiser contain any harmful ingredients? All the marketing will of course say no, but maybe you need to check. Sulfates for example can actually dry out your skin in the long run, literally the opposite of what you’re trying to do.

We love Dermalogia products at Glow Concierge, try a facial with Laura to see how you like their products, or you can order directly with Dermalogica and take advantage of your Glow discount of 10% using the code glow10 (code is case-sensitive)

Your Glow Concierge

November 6, 2021

6

THE CLASSIC RED LIP

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Fashion | No Comments

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘a swipe of red lipstick’ but of course we know that it’s never that simple to apply the perfect red lip! Red lipstick is simple, classic and bold, but for many, applying it takes time, effort and attention to detail. One thing is for sure, it’s never just a swipe!

The best way to apply red lipstick, or any lipstick for that matter is to start with a lip scrub, this eliminates dry skin and any lumps and bumps that stop the lipstick looking flawless. Next comes a lip liner, make sure it’s sharpened. I start with the Cupids Bow followed by the centre of the lower lip and then I connect it all up as symmetrically as I can. This is usually when most of us notice how totally asymmetric our lips actually are! You can always add a bit of liner to try and even the sides up a bit. Pro tip: the lip liner can also be used as a base to lock in the colour for longer lasting lip colour. Use a lip brush to apply the lipstick for the best results.

Any mistakes should never be wiped with a finger, use a cotton bud with a tiny bit of water to correct any mishaps. If you’re worried about bleeding, then you can apply some concealer around the lips beforehand and some translucent powder.

For Red Lipstick you can’t beat Chanel in my opinion, so many shades of red to choose from, but my favourite is Rouge Allure. For matte then Christian Louboutin Dramadouce is pretty unbeatable, but it does come with a pretty hefty price tag. NYC Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam is a great alternative for a fraction of the price.

If you’re still not sure about your ability to apply a flawless red lip, then why not try a makeup lesson from a professional? A lesson usually lasts 1-2 hours and is a great way to learn how to apply anything that you’re not confident about or just to discuss what sort of thing suits your skin tone. Rediscover your perfect makeup routine, talk through your current routine and assess the products you already have and whether they’re the right ones for you. The aim of the lesson is to enhance your best features and give you the confidence to create your perfect style with ease.

Your Glow Concierge

October 16, 2021

7

TOP HALLOWEEN IDEAS FOR 2021

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Party | No Comments

The spooky parties are already on our doorstep, and we have yet to decide how to approach them? Is the same old witch enough? Is there anything more sophisticated, that nobody else is going, to come up with? Let’s see what this Halloween is preparing for us.

Every year Halloween is pretty much a mixture of pop culture and classical spooky characters. So, probably if you watched at least 3 popular shows on Netflix you can already predict how 90% of the party will look like. Bridgeton-like dressed Ladies, Squid Game costumes and Chess Boards (Queen’s Gambit) will overflow the parties. The question is, how to get into that 10% of the most original and yet still recognizable characters.

For a girls’ party, try looking at some top fashion events. For example, Kim Kardashian’s look at Met Gala. Spooky, easy to make and yet stylish dress of black fabric will definitely surprise your friends. In the same direction, you can always look at some music videos that were trending this year. Think Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj. These types of costumes are relatively easy to find in a simple store and customize to your liking.

When everybody else will be looking like they came from the set of the Squid Game, go with older shows. Sex in the City or How I Met Your Mother are still very recognizable and will work perfectly for group costumes.

There’s nothing wrong with getting inspired by your child’s favourite show. Or even a show you liked as a kid. Dressing up as Paw Patrol characters with your whole family can be even more fun than the party itself! Scooby-Doo, Postman Pat, Bob Ross, Totally Spice, Sponge Bob go all the way and recreate these famous creatures with your family, this will definitely be remembered till next Halloween.

Hair and Make-up are very powerful tools when creating animal inspired looks. These might not be the most original, but with all the fuzz around series and celebrities, they can often be forgotten. Draw some shapes around your eyes, and you can already look like a leopard, panda or a dear!

If you are not sure how to make an idea come true, bring it to Aleksandra. She can do Halloween makeup for the whole family in a couple of hours and make you stand out in the crowd.

Your Glow Concierge

October 8, 2021

6

HISTORY OF NAIL TECHNOLOGY

By Glow Concierge | Beauty, Fashion | No Comments

The art of nail care, finds its roots thousands of years ago. For more than 5000 years, both men and women have managed to have well-kept nails, with the assistance of nail technicians.

In 3000 BC, the nail polish a person selected in China, actually reflected their social status, for an example, Royalty wore red and black to indicate their power, and authority. In Acient Egypt, from 5000 to 3000 BC, women would dye their nails with henna to indicate their social status and seductiveness. Women of the lower class wore pastel and neutral shades, while the upper classes wore deep, bright shades.

In Babylonia 3200 BC, men, not women, painted their nails with black and green kohl, an ancient cosmetic. To prepare for war, warriors of Babylon spent hours having their nails prepared, hair curled, and other similar beauty treatments.

The mid-1800s saw the opening of the first salons with nail technicians. With the ‘Sitts Method’ gaining popularity, women of all income levels began to take care of their nails and cuticles. Dr. Sitts, was a European podiatrist who adapted a dental tool for manicure purposes. Previous to this invention, people used acid, a metal rod, and scissors to shape and trim the nails.

During the 1920s, the art of nail care began to broaden in America and Europe, at around the same time the Simplex Manicuring Kit came into existence, with the kit consisting of nail polish, cuticle remover, nail whitener, an orange stick and an emery board. This kit provided an opportunity to aspiring women who longed to become nail technicians as, it offered them the opportunity to practice their skills at home.

The nail-care industry has been growing like never before ever since the invention of modern nail polish. In 2012, the United States witnessed a surging popularity of nail art, in the same year, a short nail-art documentary was released: “NAILgasm”. The film explored the growing trend of nail art, from women across the world to high-fashion runways.

What would the next innovation in nail care be? Leave your guess in the comments under this post, we would love to hear it!

Your Glow Concierge