It’s true what they say…
Mum really does know best! In practically every aspect of my life, the skills I’ve developed and learnt have been largely thanks to my Mum – and yet there were never any tutorials or intense conversations and educational speeches. Instead, I grew up seeing Mum more like a best friend, she taught by example, and in so many ways has shaped who I am today. I always saw my mum as an elegant, kind and feminine woman – a natural beauty and by being so close to her for the past 26 years, it’s safe to say I’ve picked up a fair few beauty tips from her along the way. Some of them are the tips that seem obvious, because we see our nearest and dearest performing them every day, and some were more ‘words of warning’ let’s just say (not over plucking eyebrows or shaving your leg above the knee are tips that spring to mind!) – so today I thought it would be fun to share some of these tips with you!
I’m sure mum would be happy to agree that I’m now able to return the favour, and teach her a few things too – she’s always sending me snaps of new skincare or beauty pieces she’s picked up after reading my rave reviews on the blog, or a new dress she’s bought after catching me wearing it in a vlog, and as I’m sure is the same with many of us, developments in technology mean we can teach our parents / grandparents a thing or two in this area! That’s where Philips comes in, withtheir challenge to educate our nearest and dearest about changes and advancementsin healthcare technology – the Philips Sonicare range being a prime example of just how far technology has come in recent years. I’ll go into that in more detail within the post, but for now – some beauty tips picked up from Mum!
Can you tell where I get my sense of style from?!
“Never go to bed with makeup on” – this was one beauty tip picked up from mum that I always, without fail, adhere to. I started paying about with makeup from an early age, and although mum always opted for a natural look with often no more than a browny pink lip and a subtle coating of mascara (does that sound familiar?!) she had plenty of makeup pieces for me to play with. Her Lancome lipsticks were my favourites to ‘test’ and she would treat herself to compacts from brands like Chanel – so it’s safe to say I had high expectations when discovering beauty products for myself! No matter how natural the makeup, we’d always head up to bed at the same time and remove our makeup together, even if it was just with a face wipe (I’ve now got mum into using Micellar water – but at least they did the job!).
‘Have a pamper night, at least once a week!‘ – when I was younger, we took pamper nights VERY seriously. We had a facial steamer, a massaging bubbly foot bath, and a face mask concoction for every skin problem you could possibly imagine. When it was just us girls in the house, we’d make pampering an absolute priority, and this is something that I always make sure I make time for. Me time is so important, and it’s amazing what just a couple of hours of ‘Bodmin’ (body admin!) can do for your mood!
‘Don’t leave the house without a brush!’ – Mum always looks polished and put together, and the casual ‘scruffy’ look has never been one that’s suited either of us, so I’ve picked up her habit of always carrying a brush with me when I leave the house! While mum and I have totally different hair types, we both like our barnetts to look neat and tidy at all times!
‘Don’t smoke!’ – I can honestly say that mum never explicitly told me not to smoke – but it was more her subtle ‘remarks’ lets say about those that do smoke that really stuck with me – genius really given that I’m sure many teenagers will actively do the exact opposite of what they’re told! Now as adults we know the tremendous damage that smoking does for our health and skin, so I’m grateful to mum for instilling this negative connotation around smoking from such an early age!
Something Old, Something New
Although mum is frequently picking up beauty tips regarding the most innovative and effective new skincare products, and luxurious beauty launches, an area that I wanted to go into more detail with her on is oral hygiene. While for me, my main reason for maintaining a thorough oral health care routine is mostly aesthetic, I understand the long-term importance of healthy smile, and this is what I wanted to share with mum.
As we age, we’re more likely to get gum disease or other oral health problems, so caring for teeth and gums as you grow older is hugely important. Technology and advancements in oral health care products means that we can care for our teeth and gums better than ever, and it’s certainly an area worth investing in. After working with Philips three years ago on a campaign for their Philips Sonicare DiamondClean, I purchased the device in a beautiful rose gold tone for her to use, and she’s never looked back.
Now, with the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean, there’s even more caring technology which works well for us both. Mum has veneers, so she appreciates the gentle yet thorough clean, andthe unique sonic technology that’s able to clean between the teeth, helping to remove plaque build up.Thanks to the new PressureSensor technology there’s also an alert to let you know if you’re brushing too hard,which is really useful as it helps to protect gums from over brushing.
Mum and I are as forgetful as each other, so we both also appreciate the reminder when we need to change our brush heads, as well as the Smart Timer which lets us know how long to clean each section for, and how long to brush our teeth for in total.
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean even has three cleaning modes; Clean, White and Gum Care. All of this technology combined makes it easier for both Mum and I to care for our teeth and gums, helping us maintain naturally heathy teeth for as long as possible, reducing the likelihood of tooth decay, pain and the need for fillings in the years to come.
I’m pretty sure mum was a little overwhelmed with all the smart technology to start with, but after a fun afternoon of playing about with her new device, and me explaining just how easy it was to make the most of it, she couldn’t wait to give it a try!
We had so much fun shooting this!!
The Final Step…
In addition to our Philips Sonicare Protective Cleans, it’s so important to be ultra-thorough at cleaning between the teeth. Flossing the ‘old fashioned’ way is something I struggle to do regularly, but the Philips Sonicare AirFloss Pro is an easy to use, rechargeable inter-dental toothbrush (basically air flosser!) which you can clean your mouth with in just 30 seconds. It projects 3 ‘bursts’ of air and solution between the teeth, removing plaque and helping to improve your overall gum health in just two weeks. It’s easy to use too, with a super slim nozzle, it’s easy to place – and mum and I both had a real laugh and great fun giving it a go together!
Both the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean toothbrush and Philips AirFloss Pro come in a variety of colours, so you can choose a design for each member of the family, old and young!
Once we’d stopped giggling, we discussed how it really is so important to care for our teeth and gums in the short and long term; and how it’s a bit bonkers how we spend hundreds of pounds on our skin, nails and hair throughout the year, and yet many choose not to invest in an effective toothbrush and oral care routine.
I feel certain that our afternoon together really highlighted this fact to mum, and no doubt she’ll soon be telling all her friends about it too!
Hopefully this post may have inspired you to switch up your oral care routine too, and why not share what you’ve learnt with your friends and family too – after all, our smiles are so important, let’s make sure we care for them!
