A total of 538 athletes make up Team GB but certain faces have already become Olympic favourites.
Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Keri-Anne Payne and Tom Daley are all championing beauty and bodycare campaigns as they prepare for the 2012 spotlight.
From track and field, to pool and diving platform, these Olympians are proving athletes can step up to the style podium too.
Lisa Haynes discovers their fast track secrets to groomed glory.
JESSICA ENNIS
Heptathlete Jessica Ennis, 26, is the face of Olay Essentials.
Q: DESCRIBE YOUR DAILY BEAUTY ROUTINE?
A: I’m training pretty much every day so it’s important for me to keep my skin clean and hydrated. I’ll start off by cleansing my skin in the morning with a smoothing scrub you can use in the shower. Then I’ll always protect my skin with an SPF as a lot of my training is outdoors. The Olay Essentials Complete Care SPF30 is ideal as it’s really light so doesn’t clog my pores and make me sweat more.
Q: DO YOU WEAR MAKE-UP TO TRAIN OR COMPETE?
A: Absolutely. I wear make up every day when I’m training – I always like to look and feel my best. I’ll wear an oil-free foundation then apply black eyeliner and mascara. I’m an eyeliner addict and love dark smoky eyes for a night out.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR MUST-HAVE BEAUTY PRODUCTS?
A: Bobbi Brown cosmetics – especially their foundations. I also love MAC for eyeliners and mascaras, and they also do a lovely Lip Conditioner.
Q: HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RECOVER AFTER A HARD TRAINING SESSION?
A: I love a long hot soak in the bath. My favourite product is the Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak – it smells a bit like Deep Heat! When I have some downtime, I love to go to a spa with friends. I don’t really have massages as I have plenty of painful sports ones during training!
Q: ANY PLANS FOR A PRE-OLYMPICS MAKEOVER?
A: I’ll probably have my hair coloured and my nails neatened up.
VICTORIA PENDLETON
Track cyclist Victoria Pendleton, 31, is the face of Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek.
Q: WHAT’S YOUR MAKE-UP MANTRA?
A: It’s always been important to me to look good when I’m racing. I even like to have painted nails when I ride. I like the saying, ‘Look good, feel good, go good!’ I definitely think looking good helps you feel more confident so I’ll wear a little mascara, tinted moisturiser and lip balm. I always reapply before getting up on the podium.

Q: WHICH AREAS REALLY SUFFER BECAUSE OF YOUR SPORT?
A: Training with a helmet on every day means my hair is prone to a lot of frizz so I need a haircare regime that helps protect against helmet hair! I love to leave in a hydrating smoothing product after washing like Pantene’s Smooth & Sleek 24h Frizz Fighter to combat any frizziness.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR MUST-HAVE BEAUTY PRODUCTS?
A: I love Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream or Neom Organics Moroccan Blush Rose Oil for some indulgent pampering. In my make-up bag I rely on Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF20, By Terry Touche Veloutee highlighting concealer and Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy.

Q: WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FEATURE TO ACCENTUATE FOR A NIGHT OUT?
A: My hair, of course! It’s crammed into a hot helmet pretty much every day so when I’m glamming up, I love to really make my hair stand out.

Q: ANY PLANS FOR A PRE-OLYMPICS MAKEOVER?
A: I’ll definitely have a trim before the Olympics, go for a facial and have my nails done. I certainly won’t have much time to pamper myself during the Games!

According to the London 2012 website London’s biggest sporting event of the year (in recent years!) kicks off in 21 days and 3 hours.

Whether you have your tickets and can’t wait for the events to begin or you’re planning on getting out of town to avoiding the mayhem, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t smell the part.

In a particularly sporty vein Puma have teamed up with the sprinter Usain Bolt to bring us the limited edition PUMA Yellow [£10 for 20ml edt], a fresh and fruity fragrance inspired by his home, Jamaica. The perfume opens with juicy bergamot and apple and dries down to a lingering warm base of sandalwood and cedar wood. Tickets or no tickets, spritz away we say!

As a cosmetic tattooist, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is regarding “lips”. Clients are always asking, “Why are my lips thinning? Why are my lips the same color as my face, with no definition?” or “My lips are no longer flushed and full.” All this is true, since aging is a fact of life and it happens to all of us. As we get older, we lose that extra collagen in our face which gives lips that youthful appearance. However, there are a few alternatives in today’s world of beauty and medical science. Clients have several choices. You can opt for lip fillers such as Juvederm or Restylane. Either of these can last anywhere from 4 to 8 month depending on the client, and the treatment is expensive. Another choice is permanent makeup. Through cosmetic tattooing you can redefine the shape of the lip and add color, thus creating the illusion of a fuller and well defined lip. Even though permanent makeup fades a little with the sun, it’s still permanent. You’ll always have a soft color in your lips and definition making permanent makeup a longer lasting choice and more cost efficient. Here is an example of the process. Share your thoughts with me as you read this blog and enjoy! ~The Evolution of Lips

http://www.ndpermanentmakeup.com/lips%20Portfolio.html

A special thanks to my client Ann for allowing the use of her photograph with this blog. You are indeed a sweet and beautiful lady….

It’s a bathroom cabinet staple, with a cult following amongst A-Listers and ordinary women alike, and now Kerastase Masquintense is celebrating 25 years of leading the way in prescriptive haircare.

A life without hair masques is one that many full-bodied barnets would not care to imagine, but until the launch of Kerastase’s then-called Masque L’Huile de Mais in 1987, the only defense against bad hair was humble conditioner. It’s the stuff of hair-mares.

‘Masquintense is literally an SOS product for parched and distressed hair,’ says Kerastase ambassador Darren Fowler. ‘It’s like a drink of water for dehydrated locks.’

It’s only right, then, that the birthday of such a trail blazing beauty product be properly celebrated – launching next month, a ’25 ans’ pot will be available for a limited time.

Here’s to 25 glorious, well-coiffed, years!

The kit includes tiny, caviar-like pearl beads which can be sprinkled over wet nails to create a three-dimensional manicure, as well as a Ciaté Paint Pot nail varnish in a complementary shade.

“The inspiration behind the Caviar Manicure came about when I was looking to create three-dimensional nails for a cover shoot and wanted to develop something feminine, indulgent yet delicately extravagant,” said Ciaté’s creative director Charlotte Knight.

Sets come in black, white and multi. £18 each at ciaté.co.uk from March 26.

OK. Let’s start from the beginning.

The MoroccanOil Treatment is said to contain the legendary Argan Oil. If you have never heard of Argan oil, it is explained here in Wikipedia. Argan oil is produced from the kernels of argan tree fruit. These trees only grow in a few regions, like Morocco, so this oil is one of the rarest in the world due the small supply and the limited growing area – hence the high price and the hype. Argan oil is a legendary oil that is rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Argan oil is said to have many treatment benefits, including hydrating skin, it allegedly has anti aging properties and has been rumored to be good for toning and firming. It is also believed to help with various skin conditions.

Normally the oil is produced by first stripping the soft pulp from the nuts. Then they are cured in the sun. The nuts are cracked open and the seeds removed. They roast the seeds add water and grind the nuts into a thick paste. The paste is then squeezed and the oil is extracted.

BUT

There is documentation that there is another way to produce this oil. The breaking of the nut shells is labor intensive. And like good humans that we all are, we always look for a way to make things easier. In come the goats. The Moroccans found that it is easier to have the goats to eat the fruit from the Argan tree, wait for the seeds pass through the goat’s digestive track, and collect the now softer, partially digested seed from the er…um…other end. The digested seeds are easier to break open but I do believe that the “scent” of the “product” leaves much to be desired. Is it true? Yes. Do most companies use this practice to extract the oils? NO! Don’t worry. The MoroccanOil or Argan oil you put on your face, hair and salad dressing most likely did not come out of a goats butt! I just liked the idea of being able to write about a goat’s poop on my blog!
hee hee! The goats actually climb the tree to get to the fruit. How cute is this?

Imagine waking up every morning, looking in the mirror and feeling radiant, as if your true beauty is shining through. Now imagine being able to do this without any cosmetics at all. This is the beauty of permanent makeup.

Permanent makeup is a cosmetic tattooing technique that resembles the look of makeup but will not rub off, smudge or smear. It transforms your face twenty-four hours a day to give you the look you truly want, despite your busy schedule.

Sam Choudhary is a Permanent Makeup Expert with Natural Define Beauty Group who has been practicing permanent makeup techniques for more than six years. She has studied all over Europe and theUnited Statesand continues to focus on learning and offering the latest cutting edge technology for natural looking permanent makeup.

She has found that one of the first questions that women ask when deciding to get permanent makeup is what happens when they decide to change aspects of their look in the future, be it hair color and style or a makeup trend. This is one of the easiest questions to answer, as permanent makeup choices are not about trends or even the color of your hair. A good technician will work with you to enhance your features based on your skin tone for a classic enhancement of your natural beauty. Colors are selected, hand mixed and applied to harmonize with your natural coloring rather than your current look. No matter what hair and trend decisions you may make, your permanent makeup will always look natural.

Well done permanent makeup is designed to be able to be included in a beauty routine. Once your face has healed from the procedure, which will take about a week, you can use topical cosmetics again if you would like. Permanent makeup isn’t about creating a full face makeup look, it is an enhancement of your natural look that can take the place of your every day routine. It provides a base layer for any other look you may want to create, be it a trendy colored shadow or a sultry smudged nighttime look.

When choosing a permanent makeup technician, it is important that you start by asking for a consultation first and talking with him or her about the procedure. Take a look at their look at their portfolio and ask for references if possible – actual clients you can talk to who can tell you about their experience. You should also have the technician you are thinking about demonstrate the makeup look she thinks would be right for you with topical cosmetics. If he or she can’t apply a look you like with makeup, it is unlikely they will be able to tattoo it onto you.

For more information about permanent makeup or to set up a consultation with Sam Choudhury, please visit the Natural Define Beauty Group at NDBeautyGroup.com.

NDbeautygroup.com has been developing products to keep women looking and feeling beautiful for over 10 years.  They offer services such as permanent makeup treatment and skin lightening.  Their newest and one of the most innovative products that they have developed is a professional dermal procedure that is safe and effective to use right from home.

The Dermaroller is a hand-held roller that is lined with small needles (between .02 nd .05 mm).  These needles are designed to puncture the top-most layers of the skin causing miniscule subcutaneous injuries.  These tiny wounds cause stimulation of your body’s natural collagen deposition. The skin heals within 24 hours and the effects of the collagen can last up to a year.

The Dermaroller is designed to work on all parts of your body that may need a boost.  Not only can it help with cellulite and that “orange peel” effect, but it also helps reduce stretch marks, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles and it can even help with hair loss.

ND Beauty Group has also created a package with their patented Dermaroller and the Fast Activ Detox & Inch Loss Body Gel.  The gel helps to eliminate waste products that have built up in your body and been stored in your skin.  When used with a nutritional and exercise regime, the gel can aid in speeding up the detox process. The gel absorbs quickly into the skin without being sticky and can be used alone or with the Dermaroller.  With active ingredients like lavender, juniper, cypress, and rosemary, the benefits are both natural and soothing.

So whether you are looking to tighten up your skin or just want to feel beautiful and refreshed the Dermaroller detox package is an easy and inexpensive way to get the pampered spa feeling and look beautiful.

Sam Choudhary of the Natural Define Beauty Group believes that one way to achieve this goal is permanent makeup. Permanent makeup is a technique that tattoos a specially made ink to enhance your natural beauty.  Your technician will work with you to ensure that you will look incredible even after just waking.

Ms. Choudhary has been in the industry for over six years and is an expert in the Permanent makeup technique. She has trained in natural looking permament makeup techniques in both the United States and Europe. She is dedicated to creating your perfect look with pigments blended in to work with your skin tone.

The idea is to select a basic or classic look that works well for you.  This way you can have this loved look without have to recreate it every morning.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t play with those extra trendy looks or that you will be unable to change your hairstyle or color.  Permanent makeup is intended to match with your skin tone, not your hair or what you’re wearing.  Permanent makeup can also be covered by standard makeup if there is a particular look that you’re just dying to try.

Purchasing quality make up is expensive and the choices!  There are enough brands of just black eyeliner out there to make your head spin.  I know I’ve found myself saying under my breath, with a basket full of makeup accessories, “Who needs all of this makeup?”  That’s why I like the Permanent makeup solution.  Over time the procedure pays for itself every time you don’t have to buy that eyeliner that you used to wear every day.

There’s no worry of smudging permanent makeup.  Because it is tattooed right onto the skin, you can rub your eyes, go to bed, and eat without having to reapply. So convenient!

So whether your New Year’s resolution is to save time, effort, money or just to be extra fabulous this year, consider Natural Define Beauty Group as a key way to help you do it.