_Say hello to Liz Loves! Each and every week, our Health & Beauty Director, Liz Hambleton, will be revealing her beauty secrets and makeup must-haves direct from Grazia _HQ...__*
New Year, New Portrait
I've been using the same headshot for about 6 years (maybe more!) and as much as love to look back at my plumper cheeks, softer features and youthful glow, I figured it might be time to get with the programme and get a new one taken. And here it is! Photographed by the amazing Simon Emmett (with thanks to L'Oreal Paris) I think it's fair to say I look very grown up and business like (and hopefully only very slightly older than my last one...)
Fibre, Fibre And More Fibre
Protein has hogged the nutritional limelight and somewhere along the line we've forgotton just how important fibre is. I've been making an effort to increase my intake recently without bulking up on beans, pulses or heavier foods. It helps to remove toxins from the body and does wonders for the digestive system. Adding a spoonful of flaxseed mill to my morning smoothie gives me 4g of dietary fibre - almost twice as much as a piece of bread! As does my latest breakfast topping discovery Daylesford Organic Lucuma Powder, (£4.99, Daylesford), plus coconut oil is also a fabulously nutritional source of natural fibre. Pop into your yogurt or take a spoonful each day. Oh, and load up on green veggies which are packed full of natural fibre.
Root Veggies
After souping for about two weeks I've hit a wall and have had to look for other healthy ways to eat as many non-liquid ways to load up on veggies as possible. Roasting has been my saving grace. I load as many root veggies as possible (sweet potato, carrot, swede, parsnips) into a tray and top up with broccoli, celery, onions and peppers. Then lightly cover with walnut oil and my home grown rosemary. One tray makes enough for three, maybe four servings.
Tom Ford Lips And Boys
I've been working my way through the entire collection of Tom Ford Lips and Boys recently. Each lipstick is named after a man who made an impact on his life or inspired him. Justin Timberlake, Colin Firth are both namechecked ('Justin' is a bold magenta and 'Collin' is deep plum) I'm also loving 'Rafael' - a fiery red and 'John' - an easy to wear pink. The lipsticks are small enough to allow you to stash at least 5 in your handbag at anyone time... (£26.00, Selfridge's)
Matching Chanel Make-Up Bags
I run a minimalist ship at Chez Hambleton, so an overflow of beauty products does not sit well with me. That said, I love taking new products home from the office which means that more often than not my make up bag is bursting at the seams. Well, not any more. Thanks to the kind folks at Chanel I now have an identikit make up bag duo; one that holds my the essentials ( think concealer, mascara, tinted moisturisers) and one that holds the more frivolous side of my make up. We're talking lipsticks, lips stains, bronzing powders etc. My dressing table has never looked more organised...