Tag Archives: Step-By-Step

10 Things To Look Out For In A Perfect Facial

A decent facial can work wonders for your skin and also your stress levels!

Here are Sam’s top tips on what to look for during a first class facial treatment!


Consultation – this is often overlooked but a great consultation is vital to understand your skin’s needs. Your therapist should find out everything from how long you spend in the sun (ie are you an avid gardener) to how long you have to spend on your regime and what your goals are. They should listen and summarise what you want from the facial.


The Room – is it relaxing? Does it smell good?  Is it warm enough? Ambience is key to relaxation.  A heated bed is totally expected now, and the bed should be covered in layers of towels or blankets to wrap you up in once your body gets cooler.


Hygiene – a bugbear of mine is dirty hands – they should be washed in front of you! Fresh breath is also vital – I always pop a Smint in before going near anyone’s face.  It’s just curtesy.  Oh and clean towels -I don’t want to see tide marks from the lady before!


To chat or not to chat – sometimes I want to know what is going on my skin – sometimes I want to shut up and chill out. Your therapist should read this (or just ask you at the start).


The Cleanse – Just because it is a cleanse doesn’t mean it needs to be rushed. My cleanse is like a massage.  It should feel thorough but luxurious and if I have congestion around my nose they should focus on it (even if it is purely to make me feel like they listened). No area should be missed (ie sides of neck, and shoulders if they are going to massage as I don’t want dirty oil massaging into my lovely clean skin!). And never ever ever cover both nostrils. I would like to breathe without having to open my mouth.


Removal – yes this is important! I don’t want soggy cotton wool, or sponges that have been used on every client before me. (Remember hygiene…) Some aromatic warm clean mitts please. Every bit of my face should be covered – there is nothing worse than a bit of cleanser over your top lip or a load of exfoliant being massaged round your face afterwards.


The massage – and relax….. This should be in time to the music, very slow – firm on the right places, soft on the others.  Sweeping movements that seem flawless until you have no idea which hand is where. The best compliment for a therapist is a snoring client believe it or not.


Thou shalt not leave your client – during the mask. Ever.  And I want choices – a boring hand and arm massage is not for me, but extra time on my tense shoulders of a decent foot massage will get me coming back again and again. If I’m going straight home then a scalp massage with oil is simply divine.


Clean up – I don’t want to leave with a) mask up my nose, b) oil in my hair if I have requested otherwise, or c) a slick of over  applied moisturiser.


Aftercare – therapists seem to think we don’t want to buy! I love to be told by my hairdresser what will help my hair and my clients want to know what will improve their skin.

Don’t just throw us out of the door – tell me what I need, offer me some water and somewhere to “come round” and one of the nicest things I have had is my therapist calling me to see how my skin was a few days later.  Treatment plans are also lovely especially running up to something like a wedding.

The Step-By-Step Guide to Smokey Eye Makeup from A Lesbian

Makeup can be a little a taboo for lesbians. Is it just for femmes? Can you wear makeup if your a little butch? The answer is make-up can be for everyone.

And one look which certainly makes a statement for both butch and femmes is the Smokey Eye.

However, achieving a sophisticated rather than clownish look isn’t always easy. Here is our ultimate how-to guide to the perfect smokey eyes.

Step 1: First, start with a primer as a base. A good primer applied to your entire eyelid will help enhance the color of your eye shawdow and keep it in place.

Step 2: Now select your shadow you want to use. You will need three colors: a shimmer that will work as a highlighter, a matte color that’s a shade darker than your skin tone and a contour color which could be matte or shimmer. Choose shades that suit your natural eye color. For example, a deep shade of purple looks great with green eyes.

Step 3: After choosing your colors, apply your highlight color right below your eyebrows and at the inner corners of your eyelid.

Step 4: Now apply the matte color. Start along your lash line and apply the eye shadow towards the crease of your eyelid, blending it with highlight.

Step 5: After applying the matte color, it’s time for the contour color. Once again start from your lash line up to the crease of your eyelid and blend it well with matte color to avoid any harsh line.

Step 6: Finally, apply eyeliner to the top and bottom of your lash line, followed by a few coats of mascara to give volume to your eyelashes.

Here you go! Your smokey eyes are perfected. To complete your look, apply a soft lip color and you are ready to go.

Or – Watch this ‘Drunk Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial’