Welcome to the eighth instalment of The Littlest Polkadot Beauty Collaboration Corner! This beauty section explores all things cosmetics, brands, and skincare with the help of a much sought after Irish Make Up Artists and Beauty Bloggers. It is a beauty section with a twist, as there is a feature on a different Beauty professional each week! They  will be talking you through the  different aspects of the cosmetics industry, with their own various opinions on certain brands, experiences, and techniques! There will be interviews, Q & A sections, Vlogs, and tutorials featured in this section throughout the coming months! I adore all things make-up, and love to watch tutorials , and find new techniques, so I thought, why not liaise with the amazingly talented ladies we have here in Ireland to bring you home grown tutorials, and tips, at the click of a button! If you are a new follower, and you have missed the other instalments, simply have a look around my blog, and you will find them .:)

Meet this week’s beauty expert… Jacqueline from beauty blog GlitznGlamm.

Jacqueline Connolly runs the beauty blog ‘GlitznGlamm’, and is an avid fan of all things beauty related. Not only does she run an amazing beauty blog, Jacqueline has also set up her very own jewellery and accesories store called ‘GlitznGlamm Jewellery and Accesories’. She has kindly collaborated with The Littlest Polkadot and shared some beauty hacks with us! A very nifty little feature if I do say so myself.. Have a read! 🙂

Show Jacqueline some love across her various social media platforms..

 Website: https://glitznglamm.com/

Facebook: Glitznglamm blog

Instagram: http://instagram.com/glitznglamm_jewellery

Snapchat: glitznglamm

Coconut oil – Soft hair

Coconut is such a versatile product to have around the house whether it’s in the kitchen for cooking or the bathroom as part of your beauty regime. I find it great for making my hair soft and silky. I apply it before bed to the ends of my hair, then wash my hair the next morning and voila!

Activated charcoal – White teeth
Activated charcoal is a black powder that I use when brushing my teeth. I get it in capsule form from Holland & Barrett. I cut a capsule open with scissors and apply the activated charcoal onto my toothpaste on my brush and then brush! It is black so it can be quite strange the first time to use it and see your mouth all black but it all washes all perfect and you are left with shiny clean teeth. I use it about twice a week but you could probably use it more if you wanted to. If you go looking to buy activated charcoal, make sure it definitely is ACTIVATED not simply charcoal.

Bread soda
This is an inexpensive alternative to store bought clarifying shampoos. Sprinkle a one euro coin sized amount into your shampoo in the palm of your hand. Wash and rinse as usual. You will have shiny hair, free from product build up. For a facial and body scrub, mix three parts bread soda to one part water and scrub those dead skin cells away!

Water – Vitality 
Water is essential to our health and the every day functioning of our body and mind. Everyone requires different quantities in relation to our activity level. Obviously someone that works out or leads a busy lifestyle will need more that someone with a sedentary lifestyle. Water is the first and last thing I consume each day.

Sleep – Recovery
We all know this is a necessity. As with water, we all need varying amounts of sleep but generally we should get eight hours each night. When we are sleeping, our cells are renewed and we recover from our day of activity.

Skincare Routine 
It is very important to have a daily skincare routine. Make sure to choose skincare products that suit your type of skin and your age. Someone at twenty will have different skincare needs than someone in their thirty’s. I have 4 basic skincare steps in my routine (along with scrubs & masks a couple of times a week).
1. Cleanse
2. Tone
3. Serum
4. Moisturise.

Tan Preparation 
The key to tanning is preparation! Make sure you exfoliate your skin before applying tan and only apply tan after your have had a shower because you need a clean, blank canvas free of any of your skins natural oils so that your tan can be even and develop.

Remove your make up – ALWAYS!
This is a no brainer. Never go to bed with the days make up still on you no, matter how tired or drunk you may be. The next morning you’ll regret going to sleep with it on but you’ll definitely never regret taking it off!

Hygiene – Make Up Tools
Make sure to always keep your make up brushes clean and hygienic or your will see the results of bad hygiene on your skin. How often you clean them depends on how often they are used. If you wear make up every day then you should definitely be washing your brushes at least once a week.

Switch products to suit the season
In spring and summer we should be using lighter products than we use in autumn/winter. The skin need to breathe in the warmer months so instead of using a full coverage foundation, try using maybe a tinted moisturiser or lighter coverage foundation. The same goes for face cream. If you need a rich moisturiser in winter swap to a light one in summer.

Cotton buds 
These are so handy for correcting make up mistakes.

Alcohol free toner
There are plenty of alcohol free toners available to buy now and you are better off using them instead of the ones containing alcohol as they are very drying on the skin.

Cream products (blusher, eye-shadow, contour)
Always set any cream products you use with a translucent powder.

Eyeshadow primer
Only use it where you will be applying colour and it will help the colour stay and last longer.

Healthy scalp
Use a clarifying shampoo once every week or so to remove any product build up. Apple cider vinegar is a good, natural alternative to shop bought clarifying shampoos. Mix a quarter cup of organic apple cider vinegar and one cup of water and then follow with your usual conditioner.

Get the best from products

The best time to apply lotions and potions to the face and body is straight after a shower. That way, your skin is a clean blank canvas that will absorb the products so they can do their job correctly.

Have you tried any of these tips or products? Let me know what you think and which you like best.

The Littlest Polkadot would like to extend a huge then you to Jacqueline for taking time out of her busy schedule to collaborate with us to pass on some of her favourite beauty hacks to beauty lovers everywhere. Check her out on social media and show some love to her amazing blog ‘GlitznGlamm’.

Until next week! x