Say bye bye to hayfever with these beauty back ups

Hayfever is so bloody annoying. Itchy eyes? Check. Runny nose? Check. Smudged eye make up? Check. I know just how frustrating it can be and how much it affects your day. Fear no more, here are some life-saving(no exaggeration) beauty products which offer hayfever sufferers some extra aid this season. Now these products won't completely cure your hayfever but they do help ease symptoms. So put that tissue down and read on for some hayfever helpers!

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion �10.75

When eyes become irritated and puffy from hayfever this product really does work wonders. Just pour some onto a cotton pad and hold over your eyes for a few minutes. I keep this in the fridge for a refreshing & soothing eye lotion. 

Collection Fix Me Up Long Lasting Make Up Fixer �5.99

So you're covered in the eye make up department with a waterproof mascara; but how to you keep the rest of your make up in place when your eyes are watering? This spray mist helps to keep make up in place and stops foundation going patchy or fading. This spray feels weightless on the skin and doesn't leave the skin feeling sticky. 

New Look Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses with a large frame or ones that wrap around helps protect eyes from pesky pollen!

Glo Minerals Water Resistant Mascara* �16.00

This mascara from Glo Minerals resists water as it is predominately oil based. I find this easier to remove then water-proof mascaras. The good thing about this formula is that it's quick drying. If you have hayfever  you'll know how annoying it is when you apply your mascara then suffer a sneezing attack - not a good look. 

Simple Eye Roll-on �4.99

If you eye bags are big enough to qualify for extra baggage allowance, you might want to give this a go! You can read my full review of this here. 

Moonie Face Cloth �5.99 (for three)

An unlikely hayfever helper you might think but this tip is really useful! To de-puff under eye bags, soak your Moonie in water and gently rinse out. Smooth the Moonie back into it's original shape and lay it flat in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and lightly press under your eyes for 30 seconds. Ta-da! No more puffy eyes.

No7 Stay perfect Mascara �12.95

This is the newest mascara from No7, it stays put all day and it really is waterproof. Unlike other mascara's you can only remove this with warm water! This is my current go-to mascara as hayfever keeps making my eyes water like crazy - cue awkward 'No, I'm not crying I promise' response. This is also hypo-allergenic so perfect if your eyes are a bit sensitive. 

Jurlique Rose Love Balm* �10.00

This natural salve helps to soften and protect skin. I use this multi-purpose balm around my nose to block pollen from getting up there! It has a light rose scent and comes in a compact tin which is handy for popping in your handbag. 

Ok, time for the serious stuff. You can purchase plenty of hayfever products from your local chemist, Boots, Superdrug or supermarket. Depending on what you prefer you can take tablets, nasal sprays or eye drops/sprays. Above are some that I use but everyone is different. If you are suffering really badly & nothing seems to be working, visiting you doctor. They may be able to prescribe you something stronger or give you an allergy test. 

Hope this hayfever posts helps you! If you have any hayfever tips or products that help you let me know in the comments :) x

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Mother's day handmade gift idea under �5

It feels like Mother's Day came round really quickly this year! I don't know about you but I always struggle to think of interesting, cool gifts to give my mum. If flowers or chocolates just aren't special enough for your mum this year don't worry, I've got your back. 

If you get your unhealthy beauty obsession from your mama she's going to love a pack of natural, handmade Moonies. Go on, she deserves some pampering. 

For the first time EVER Moonies are going on sale. A pack of 3 Moonies are now on offer for just �5.99 �4.99. We also have some cute handmade Neil keyrings on sale for only �2.99 �1.99. Offer ends Thursday 7 March so be quick!

Each Moonie is lovingly handmade with natural, un-bleached muslin. Only the best for your mum. 

If you have no idea what a Moonie is click here to find out more.

Visit our online shop here to grab your Mother's Day special offer before they all go! You can read what our  smashing customer's had to say about their Moonies here.  

Hope you have a lovely Mother's Day this year :)

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New limited edition Christmas Moonies!

Holy moly, it's nearly Christmas! Have you bought all your Christmas Presents yet? I've still got quite a few people to buy for, I think a bit of online shopping is in need! I wanted to share with you some new products I've added to the Moonie shop recently. If you have no idea what 'Moonie' is, you're missing out! Have a little read of this post as it explains everything.

Firstly, I've designed a little santa Neil! Perfecting for popping on the Christmas tree. Retails for �2.99 *FREE postage this month.
'Brand new for Christmas 2012. Forget fairies and gold stars,your Christmas tree needs a Neil. 
Lovingly hand crafted from brown jute and felt.'

Next are the new limited edition Christmas Moonies (�6.99), which would make the cutest gift for a skincare lover. It's such a unique, handmade beauty gift - suitable for all ages and skin types.
'Here at Moonie, we think Christmas should be beautifully simple. That's why we've been busy lovingly hand-making some very special Christmas Moonies.

Each Pack contains three natural, un-bleached Moonies which are then carefully hand-wrapped in brown paper, stamped with our exclusive 'Neil' design. Includes a limited edition Christmas Neil adding a festive touch to a perfectly packaged Present.

Moonies are suitable for all ages and skin types making them the ideal Christmas gift.'

I wanted to jazz up the packaging so I designed a Neil stamp and printed it onto brown paper!

 That's everything, happy seasonal shopping! Does anyone else think buying presents for others is the best bit? Make sure your cool enough to follow Neil on twitter here so your the first to know about any special offers or giveaways(hint,hint).

Would love to hear your thoughts on the 2012 Christmas range...View the online shop now :)

Go on. Give someone special a nice face this Christmas.

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Tips on applying and removing face masks.

I bloody love face masks. They are an essential part of my skincare routine and i try to use one at least once a week. Recently i've discovered a few tips that have made applying/removing face masks SO much more easier and enjoyable!

 The latest face mask i've been testing out is this Sea Mask from Mudd. It comes in a re-usable pack which gives you up to 5 applications- I think this is a great idea as I normally only use half of a face mask then have to leave the rest in the pack for another day! So, here's how I apply and remove face masks effortlessly.

• After i've cleansed my skin, I soak a Moonie face cloth in warm water then rinse out and hold it up to my face for 15 seconds. The natural muslin fabric makes it perfect for a gentle face steam which opens up pores, allowing the face mask to penetrate deeper so my skin can get the full benefit.
• Using a flat foundation brush, I squeeze the mask directly onto the brush and apply it to my face. This lets you control where you place the product and get a nice even coverage- no messy fingers! 
• Once the mask has dried, I re-soak my Moonie in warm water and rinse out. I then place it over my face for 15 seconds to soften the mask, I find this makes it easier to remove. Next, with the same Moonie I wipe away the mask. 
• Lastly, I splash my face with cool water to close pores. Hello smooth and refreshed skin!

Ta-dah! Ok, so it's not really exciting but i had to share it with you because it makes using face masks effortless! 

Mudd Sea Mask 5 pack retails for �3.05 from Boots/Superdrug. Moonie face cloths retail for �5.99 from www.moonie.bigcartel.com (FREE P&P & gift with every purchase) 

What are your face masks tips, do you use this method?

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The launch of MOONIE!

After months & months of keeping this under wraps, today is the official launch of my new handmade product, Moonie! A few weeks ago I mentioned in a post that I was going to launch my own skincare product, so this is it! Probably not what you were expecting? A Moonie is a natural, un-bleached face cloth made from muslin. It's designed to revolutionise the way women look after the skin. I wanted to make people aware of the benefits using a Moonie has on the environment and of course, their skin. Using a Moonie is a great alternative to a half-hearted swipe of a face wipe and it has so many different uses. I've included some tips below on ways to use a Moonie.Those were just a few ways you could use your Moonie. They can be used as an everyday essential or a weekly treat. 

I just asked on twitter if you had any questions about Moonie, as promised here are my answers!

I decided to invent a Moonie as I wanted to make face cloths cool again. Nowadays, using a face wipe is really popular way to cleanse skin but the truth is it won't look after your skin as good as a Moonie will. I've also noticed recently a change in the sort of make up we buy and how we wear it. Sheer, light coverage foundations and BB creams have taken the market by storm. Some people have ditched foundation completely! I want you to be able to feel confident wearing a lighter base and I believe that all starts with a good skincare routine. Great skin doesn't have to be complicated, that's my inspiration behind Moonie.

Moonie is suitable for ALL skin types, they don't contain any nasty chemicals so wont irritate your skin. However if you have extremely sensitive skin I would recommend using a Moonie just 1-2 a week.

I was in my kitchen, looking for something to eat, as you do! The radio was on in the background and they were discussing how flannels aren't popular any more and how young people in particular never use them. I had a think about it & completely agreed with everything they were saying. I don't use a flannel & none of my friends do either. I kind of associate them with old people! I wanted to make flannels cool again so started brain storming different ideas, experimenting with designs, shapes, materials,names etc. After coming up with the final design I had to work out how to make it, this was the hardest part! I saved up some money & bought an overlocker sewing machine so I could hand make my Moonies. Once I figured out how to produce them I went about sourcing packaging, materials, labels and coming up with the brand name 'Moonie'. It took me a while to come up with my final design. Setting up a business is a lot harder then I ever imagined, but SO exciting! 

Moonie is currently only available to purchase in the UK. However I do have plans to ship international in the future! 

I really wanted to have a 'face' for the brand. So like Rimmel have Kate Moss and L'oreal have Cheryl Cole, I needed my own person! I didn't want it to be myself so I decided to make Neil. He's so cute & I think fit's in nicely with Moonie! 

Neil believes great skin shouldn't be complicated so he is a great ambassador for the product. He has his own twitter account so you can follow what he gets up too- @neilmoonie Or you can even add him as a friend on facebook! 

I hand make every single Moonie with care and the highest quality materials sourced in the UK. Moonies come in packs of three so you can alternate easily between washes. A pack of 3 Moonies retails for �5.99, that's just �1.99 per Moonie! Currently as a special offer, postage is completely FREE to UK residents! Be quick as this offer wont last forever & i have limited stock!

www.moonie.bigcartel.com

Kia & Neil x

So what do you think?!

Moonie All Design Rights Reserved Kia Simpson 2012

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Current skincare routine & launching my own skincare product!

Here is a run down of the skincare products i've been using lately. My skin type is normal/combination. I don't have perfect, flawless skin - but that's boring anyway! I have freckles, scars, blemishes..who doesn't? I've included a photograph of myself without foundation so you can get a better idea of my skin type.I'm really happy with all the products i'm using right now, my skin is too!

Skincare routine 
Jason Apricot Scrubble  �5.29
Jason is a brand i've recently discovered via other beauty blogs. I'm intrigued by natural beauty products & i think it's something i would like to own more of. This natural soap-free face scrub is quite a harsh scrub, which i like as it feels like it's exfoliating my skin. Another thing i like about this is that it  foams, this helps to remove make up and leaves my skin feeling clean.
Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Cleanser*
I have been using this cleanser since April as i think skincare products need to be used for at least 6 weeks to see the results. Antipodes is a brand of natural skincare products from New Zealand. This contains kiwi fruit for it's exfoliating properties and manuka honey for it's antibacterial properties. I apply a 1p sized blob onto my face and massage it in for about 30 seconds. When i rinse it off my skin feels clean and doesn't feel tight or uncomfortable. I love this but i'm not sure i would say it brightens my skin tone. Also, this is quite pricey - �24.99 for 200ml!
Dr.Organic Virgin Olive Oil face mask �5.99
I included this in my skincare routine post over a year ago & still love this. It's my go to face mask! I feel like it does a great job at unclogging pores and leaves my skin looking clear.
Anatomicals Hottie Tottie is Never Spotty Easy Peasy No Squeezy Roll on �3.99
I use this roll on to help fight any spots ! I do tend to get the odd one around my hair line so this comes in handy.
Boots Botanic Soothing Eye Make up Remover �3.99
I bought this because it's an oil based make up remover & i thought it would be gentle around my eyes. I use this after cleansing my face, if there's any eye make up still there i'll dip a cotton bud in the remover & take it off. I love this!
Avene Skin Recovery Cream �12.50
This is my current go to moisturiser. It's really light, doesn't irritate my skin and sinks in quickly. The only thing is i wish it contained SPF!

Launching my own skincare product!
Well, well, well i have some BIG news for you. If you do tend to get over excited about anything beauty related - you are about to wet yourself with excitement! Over the past few months, I've been designing my own skincare product. I've sourced the materials, funded and handmade it myself. I decided to make my own product after listening to a radio show, if i say what they were discussing it would give it away! But I'm SO excited to launch it at the end of the month. I can't reveal what exactly the product is yet but i can tell you it's called MOONIE. I tweeted a picture of the logo here. The product is called MOONIE because of it's shape & the little man underneath the logo is Neil - he's the 'face' of the brand. You can follow Neil on twitter here, he post's lots of interesting things & you'll be the first to find out what the skincare product i'm launching is! Also, you can actually 'add' Neil as a friend on facebook (here) where he'll be posting exclusive pictures and things he gets up too! Fear not if you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account; I'll keep you update on my blog. Also, a few people have asked me to email them directly the latest news and gossip, if you'd like to get in on that leave your email address in the comments or simply email me: kiasimpson@hotmail.com. Phew, now the ramblings over please let me know if you have any questions like how much it's going to cost, what skin type it's suitable for, how many are available...etc. It's been hard work making the product & it's still not 100% finished but I can't wait to share it with you! It will be available to purchase on a online shop i'am currently setting up :) x

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