Binky's Dare to Bare Plaited Up-Do Tutorial

Autumn’s kicked into gear and I’m seriously busy at the moment, so I’m trying to streamline my life. And that includes my beauty regime. So I’ve got two speedy ideas for you this week.

First up – make-up, or rather no make-up… Now, you all know how much I adore my beauty kit, but once in a while, I’m so busy that I have to go bare-faced. Well this month we’ve all got added incentive to say no to slap.

You may have heard about an exciting new charity campaign called #DareToBare. It’s being launched by my beauty buddies here at Escentual.com to raise money for Breast Cancer Care during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. #DareToBare is encouraging women to ditch their make-up bags in October and get sponsored for the time they spend completely fresh-faced.

Of course, going without make-up can feel a bit daunting at first. So to boost your confidence, and ensure your bare skin looks naturally gorgeous, Escentual have come up with a Dare to Bare prep kit of five pretty pink products. They’ve created the perfect skincare regime – from cleansing to toning to moisturising – and what’s more, they’re donating 10% of sales to Breast Cancer Care.

Dare To Bare: Pink Prep Kit

Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water
This much-hyped micellar cleanser is mild and gentle and quickly removes all traces of make-up whilst soothing and cooling the skin. Wipe it over your face morning and night with a cotton pad.

Nuxe Gentle Toning Lotion with Rose Petals
After cleansing, use this refreshing toner to prepare your complexion for moisturising. It makes the skin feel smooth, bright and clear. It contains coconut extract and soothing Damascena rose petal water, meaning it’s great for sensitive or easily irritable skin.

Vichy Idealia Life Serum
This wonder serum has recently become one of my skincare staples. It repairs and revitalised damaged skin by leaving a light, non-greasy protective film on the skin’s surface, which protects it from pollution and build up of micro particles during the day. Smooth it over your face morning and night for a complexion so radiant and glowing, you won’t even want to cover it up!

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Morning Eye Rescue
This is the perfect product for tired peepers in need of some TLC. It gently soothes and refreshes your eyes – simply massage it into the eye contour every morning after cleansing. It’s great for blitzing those pesky dark circles, too!

Vichy Idealia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream
If you suffer from uneven skin pigmentation or unrefined pores, this moisturiser will make your skin look and feel even, smooth and radiant. As an added bonus, it smells divine! Apply daily both morning and evening.

It’s a lovely set of products and a brilliant idea, so get involved! Join Escentual’s JustGiving Dare to Bare team and get sponsored to go sans slap, then let everyone know on Twitter and Instagram that you’re raising money by posting your fresh-faced selfie tagged #DareToBare. For more details and to sign up, click here.

Now you’re not spending ages doing your make-up, you’ll have a little extra time to focus on your hairdo. I usually go loose and natural, but just for a change I’ve come up with a plaited style to try. It’s super quick and easy – perfect for work or college days when you need something a little bit smarter than bed head locks.

Quick Plaited Up-Do

First part your hair down the middle with a tail comb, taking the parting all the way to the back.

Now you’ve separated your hair into two equal sections, take one section and, starting just below the ear, plait it all the way down to the ends, then fix with a hair elastic. Plait the other side the same way, then gently loosen a few strands and muss up the plait a little.

Take one plait, fold it over on itself to create a bun and then take it round the back of your head and fix in place with hair grips. Repeat with the other plait.

Finally pull a few strands down at the front and tong into soft curls, then fix the whole look in place with a spritz of Tigi Session Series Work It Hairspray. Voila! Speedy, stylish, spectacular!

Be good, be beautiful!

Binky xxx