Gone are the days of ergonomic chairs and standing desks – for now at least. If (like me) the sofa is your newfound working space, your posture has probably taken just as much of a hit recently as your social life. This can cause muscle tension, headaches and poor circulation. Here’s a few things you can do to maintain good posture while working from home. By Beth Ludolf

Cleanse and exfoliate First things first, always clean your face first. Use a face wash to remove any impurities and then go in with a light scrub. Skipping cleansing means dirt and dead skin cells can clog your razor and blunt the blade which is a definite shortcut to razor burn, nicks and cuts. The exfoliation helps with ingrown hairs too - it’s a win-win.    Prep the skin  The best time to shave is after a shower. The warmth of the steam hydrates the skin, opens the pores and softens the hairs - making them easier to cut and…

This is not a drill. Summer holidays might be back on the agenda. And if they're not, well, we’ll be heading immediately to the park – bikini on, playing wave sounds through our headphones, closing our eyes and imagining we’re actually living the island life. Top of the agenda (well, after a Piña Colada tinny), is a tan. So, here’s what you need to know about the best (and safest) way to get a natural tan.

It would be dramatic to say that hair removal is the bane of my life, but hair removal is the bane of my life. I wish I was comfortable going au natural, but sadly I’m not – maybe one day, when the pursuit for dolphin-smooth skin becomes too much for me. I’ve tried four different methods of hair removal to see which is the best (or least-awful) for *down there*, to save you the time – and the pain. By Beth Ludolf

Contrary to popular opinion, waxing isn’t actually that bad – you just need to make sure the conditions are right. Think of it like this, say you went out for a picnic (bare with us), it started raining and you forgot the crisps, you probably wouldn’t enjoy the picnic. Well, waxing is like that but instead of checking the weather and remembering the snacks, you need to time your appointment and steer clear of alcohol beforehand. Here are the waxing mistakes you should avoid. By Beth Ludolf

#NoMoreNoShows “No shows”, where someone books an appointment but doesn’t turn up on the day, without letting the salon know in advance – have been a problem in the industry for some time. In fact, reports state that 33.7% of people have “no-showed” at some point. Right now, after months of closure and reopening with reduced capacity, the hair and beauty industry is struggling. The industry needs our support more than ever before. We’re supporting the #NoMoreNoShows campaign, which aims to educate customers on the potentially devastating effects of not turning up to their booking and the impact that this loss…

Until you’ve had a facial, it’s easy to think of it as, well, a glorified face wash and, I guess on some level, it kind of is. It’s still worth getting one though – even just for that proper squeaky-clean feeling alone. If you’re thinking of giving it a go, here’s some of the stuff you might be wondering about. By Beth Ludolf

It’s summer which means we’ve all swapped our jumpers for t-shirts, trainers for sandals (pedicure, anyone?) and our jeans for shorts. Yep, bare legs. But, do you ever find your legs covered in weird black dots? Well, it turns out these are pretty common. They’re actually (informally) known as ‘strawberry legs’. The cause? Clogged pores. Here’s how to prevent them from forming. By Beth Ludolf

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBwkjzGgXe5/   https://www.instagram.com/p/B5DnmvvgttP/   https://www.instagram.com/p/CCeyxTvH0jX/   https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8xhT4jBxl/   https://www.instagram.com/p/B9pOCvYH7v-/   https://www.instagram.com/p/CClprLMAXnl/   https://www.instagram.com/p/B_fnmd0DOc4/   Nail salons are finally open (hallelujah). With Treatwell, you can book beauty online at all your favourite salons – simple, hassle-free, and you can do it on the go. Discover amazing salons in your area.

Washing, drying and styling your hair in one evening is a lot. It takes ages and you get all hot from using the hairdryer. But, when you leave your hair to air dry it goes frizzy and then you have to spend longer styling it (rock, hard place). Don’t worry, we’ve got you. This is the frizz-free way to air dry your hair. Life-changing. By Beth Ludolf

I saw a meme the other day that said: “my eyebrows literally need a haircut, not a wax” and, well – I can relate. Lockdown was the perfect opportunity to grow out your brows, without having to worry about that seriously unruly phase. But, with salons hopefully reopening soon (please), it’s time to hand them over to a professional. We spoke to the unrivalled queen of brows, Shavata, about which treatments to try. By Beth Ludolf

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBzKu3Qp7It/   Emily Ratajkowski   Eternal brunette and mega babe, EmRata, switched it up with a surfer-girl-meets-Sharon-Tate warm, honey blonde. The style is surprisingly low-maintenance too. Well, for a blonde anyway. Dark roots minimise upkeep (and ramp up the effortless cool), while the yellow undertone is far easier to maintain than cool, ashy tones. Bleached hair naturally has a yellow undertone, so it’s just about softening that, with toner or purple shampoo, to a buttery hue.    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCET9wiBzGI/   Kaia Gerber   When you’re the daughter of Cindy Crawford (the OG supermodel), you can pretty much get away with any…

What is a colour correction service? A colour correction helps with three things; when the shade of your hair is either too light or too dark, there are unwanted tones or the colour is patchy. “This could be a small tweak, a drastic change or when a box dye has gone wrong,” Natalie explains, “there are usually a few different steps involved, compared to a normal colour service”. How long does a colour correction take?  According to Natalie, “it could be anywhere between a few hours and a few months” depending on the desired look, the colour that’s been done…

You might need to book something different from your usual  “To put it simply, the length of any colour appointment will have to be extended to compensate for the root re-growth,” Carly points out. When you’re booking your appointment you should err on the side of caution, opting for the treatment that gives your stylist the most time - “It’s better to have more time to correct serious re-growth than to book a shorter appointment and have to rebook”. Think of this as just another ‘new normal’.   If you normally get highlights  Book: A full head of highlights  With…

Increased hygiene measures  This one is pretty obvious. You’ll be expected to wash your hands upon arrival and before leaving your appointment. Salons will be allowing extra time during every appointment to thoroughly clean the area – chairs, basins, everything. If you feel unwell (or have been recently), you’ll need to stay at home and reschedule your appointment.   Arriving at your appointment Hoping for a walk-in appointment? Think again. Booking is key to help the salons regulate their customers. When you get to your appointment, waiting areas will be closed (to limit the number of people in the salon), so arriving…

So, it turns out doing makeup is not like ‘riding a bike’ and you can forget how to do it. Winged liner is literally like cracking the Da Vinci code nowadays. Since ditching makeup altogether during lockdown, I’ve actually started to love the natural look. Here are some treatments to try when salons reopen if you’re planning on retiring your beauty blender for good. By Beth Ludolf

What should I do if the hair is too long? Remember, your hair should be no less than a quarter of an inch long. If it’s too long, Sofia suggests giving it a trim, “make sure you leave about 1 cm of growth though, to make sure the wax can pick the hairs up”. If you’re not confident trimming it yourself (it can be trickier than you think), your therapist can do this for you before your wax. If I resorted back to shaving during lockdown, will my first wax hurt more? You’re not alone in worrying about the pain…

What is blue light? We all know about UVA and UVB rays (and wear broad-spectrum SPF every day to protect ourselves, right?). Think of blue light in the same family. “Blue light is a spectrum of light that is emitted mainly by the sun, but also by our digital devices,” Andrea explains “as our use of such devices increases, so does our exposure to blue light”. How does blue light affect the skin? Again, think about how UV rays penetrate the skin at different levels. “Blue light has one of the shortest, highest-energy wavelengths which means it can penetrate the…

What is a mineral sunscreen? Sunscreens can be separated into two categories; physical (or mineral) and chemical. According to Cinzia, “Zinc oxide is a micro-fine mineral that offers broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays.” Mineral sunscreens are safer, better for the skin and also help to protect against blue light (or high-energy visible light) which is emitted from electronic devices.   What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays? UVA and UVB rays affect the skin in different ways. Cinzia says, “While UVB rays affect the skin’s top layer (they’re the ones that cause sunburn and skin…

Skincare can feel like a bit of a minefield, we get you. Keeping up with the latest buzz-ingredients, knowing what they all do and the order to apply them – it can be a lot. We spoke to three skincare professionals about the skincare they actually use, the hero ingredients to look out for and why you should give them a go too. By Beth Ludolf

We keep talking about lockdown’s biggest hair trends – pink hair, buzzcuts, those no-heat curls you do with tights (revolutionary)-  but, let’s be honest, grown-out roots are the number one. Whether we like it or not. Embracing them actually looks pretty darn great but, if that’s not your thing, these hairstyles will help to hide them. By Beth Ludolf

Salons are (hopefully) opening in July and - trust me - by then, our hair is going to need a major refresh - and we already know what we’ll be getting. Face-framing highlights, the Kylie Jenner-approved colour trend that screams summer.  Face-framers are like a more subtle take on the 90s two-tone trend - or The Geri Halliwell, as we call it. Two-tone hair is all about that stark contrast between, well, the two tones (which is why it works so well in rainbow colour). Face-framing highlights are more blended. Think of them as an add-on to balayage.  Lightening the…

Bambi eyes, cat eyes – and now, fox eyes – honestly, who knew the animal kingdom had such nice eye shapes? The fox-eye trend is all about using makeup to elongate and lift the eye shape, making it more – you guessed it- fox-like (think almond eyes x 10). Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner are the poster girls for this one. Here’s how to try it out. By Beth Ludolf