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Party Perfect

It’s party time! Make sure you’re up to date with the latest beauty trends so you can help your customers sparkle and shine throughout the season.

What your hair colour says about you

Do blondes really have more fun? Are brunettes really less ditsy? Salons Direct has delved into the psychology of hair colour to reveal all…

 

All a-flutter

Mascara is a make-up bag staple, but with so many on offer, how can you steer customers towards their perfect match? Caroline Brien has the low-down

Clever brushes and hi-tech formulas mean there has never been a more exciting time to shop for “the one” when it comes to a lash-perfecting mascara. The flip side of this, however, is that such vast choice makes mascara shopping a daunting experience, with research revealing that British women still find mascara language confusing when it comes to claims and results.

When art meets make-up

Lan Nguyen-Grealis is an award-winning make-up artist whose artistic flair has made her a firm favourite with celebrities like Paloma Faith and Pixie Lott

 

Lip service

Encourage your customers to get lippy with Emily Hunter’s guide to the perfect pout

Our long-standing love affair with lips is stronger than ever. According to NPD Group Inc., prestige lip make-up enjoyed double-digit sales growth from January to August 2015 compared with the same period in 2014, jumping 16 per cent to a whopping £54 million.

Man power

New products and innovation mean that the male grooming market is more buoyant than ever. But do you know how to capitalise on the new male cool?

The Merumaya difference

After 27 successful years working for some of the biggest names in beauty, Maleka Dattu risked it all to create Merumaya, her very own skincare brand. She tells Lesley Neil about her journey

Do you look your age?

According to skincare expert Dr Howard Murad, one of the biggest reasons why many of us look older than we are is that we are being battered by “cultural stress”. But what is this and how can we stop it taking its toll?

We’re all familiar with the tell-tale signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, a lack of energy and poor memory, but the way we live and the stress we put ourselves under can mean that many of us age far quicker than we should.

In his latest book, “Conquering Cultural Stress”, renowned skincare expert Dr Howard Murad explains how cultural stress impacts the ageing process and provides effective strategies for removing it from our lives so that we become happier and more youthful.

Hands up!

Treating their hands and nails should be as high on your customers’ beauty lists as their skincare regimes, reveals Laura Pollard

Hands are often cited as being one of the biggest giveaway signs of ageing. The skin is twice as fine on our hands as it is on our faces, plus hands get the most exposure to the sun and other daily elements. Wrinkles, dryness, age spots and sagging skin are common complaints. So while most women use an anti-ageing face cream, it’s important that they treat their hands with the same care.

What customers really want

Beauty is in the eyes of the purse-holder. This article by Nikki Austen, head of insight and strategy at Webb deVlam, will help you to understand what your customers are looking for

The beauty industry has continued to grow and thrive in recent years, with the economic downturn doing little to lessen British consumers’ enthusiasm and thirst for new products and innovative additions to their personal care regimes. But it’s not just products that are evolving. Customers’ tastes and wishes are also constantly in flux.

Getting it right online

Hatty Scaramanga, sales and marketing manager at digital agency Inside Online, explains how beauty retailers can make the most of online sales

When it comes to online beauty searches, established brands dominate. Find out more in this exclusive expert article

Anti-ageing skin care

Ageing is inevitable. But there are lots of ways you can help customers minimise the impact it has on their skin.

Read our advice, then test your knowledge by answering the questions at the end. Your results will be stored in your own personal Learning Log. You can use that to track your learning.

Behind the scenes at the X Factor

with the show’s lead hair stylist, Aaron Carlo

The X Factor is one of the most glamorous shows on TV. But creating all the glitz involves a lot of hard work behind the scenes. And, as lead hair stylist on the show Aaron Carlo explains, it also involves a lot of skill and planning

What’s next for hair?

The most searched-for beauty term on Google isn’t skin care or cosmetics – it’s hair care. And worldwide, we spend an eye-watering $81 billion on looking after our crowning glories every year. So in our hair-obsessed society, how will the market pan out over the coming months?

In collaboration with Unilever, which sells an incredible 38 billion hair care products annually in more than 70 countries, a panel of experts met recently to share their views at a CEW Business Event entitled “What’s next for hair?” Facilitated by Heather Mitchell, global head of PR & Social Media at Unilever Hair, the panel included Flynn Matthews, beauty industry analyst at Google; Jo Lee, vice president of merchandising UK at QVC; Cristel Lundqvist, global technical director at TIGI; Zahra Bishop, beauty buyer at Harvey Nichols, and leading session stylist Aaron Carlo.

Colouring hair at home

Refresh your knowledge of hair colourants and help your customers achieve perfect results at home.

Read our advice, then test your knowledge by answering the questions at the end. Your results will be stored in your own personal Learning Log. You can use that to track your learning.

Time out... with Jenni Falconer

Jenni Falconer has come a long way since she made her TV debut on Cilla Black’s Blind Date. Now a highly accomplished presenter in her own right, Jenni was the perfect host for this year’s Beauty Awards