Teen Simple Blogs - Teen Simple

Prom Night Skincare Essentials!

2013-04-24T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It's that time of year again! Yes, exams may be looming, but after all of the hard work and revision comes the time for fun. For some, that might mean summer holidays packed with adventure, but for others it means only one thing – prom night!

We had our prom nights circled on our calendars (before the days of smart phones!) months in advance, planning every detail – from our dress to the hair style we'd be rocking on the night. But there are some other essentials to remember, and one of those is skincare!
There are plenty of ways that you can prepare your skin for the big night in advance. In the past we've posted loads of top tips for prom-perfect skin, things like:

• Getting the right skincare routine for your skin in place, and choosing the perfect Simple range (for example, Spotless Skin if you're prone to breakouts, or Clear Skin if you suffer with oiliness)

• Drinking plenty of water, eating the right foods and getting lots of sleep – all of these things are super important for your skin!

• Managing any stresses (which can lead to breakouts). Spend time with those who make you happy, or have a girly sleepover with lots of laughs (but plenty of sleep too!)But whilst this advice is brilliant, there are some essential tips to remember for the prom day/night itself!

• Keep a Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper on hand during the day. If you have an emergency breakout, the Spot Zapper can help to tackle it.

• If you're going to be wearing make up (or even if you're not!) make sure your skin is thoroughly nourished. Try cleansing with the Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash and moisturising with the Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser before applying make up for a flawless, even result.

• The Simple Eye Make-Up Corrector Pen is ideal for touching up those eye make up mistakes. If you're attempting a fun cat-eye flick, or a fancy eyeliner design, avoid any disasters by keeping the Corrector Pen in your make up bag.

• You can even use Simple products to enhance your make up look! Our Simple Star, Charlotte, loves to use the Radiance Moisturiser as a highlighter, dabbing a little on her cheekbones to complete a look. The light-reflecting particles help to give you a gorgeous glow!

• Dry lips are never a good look, so keep the Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser in your bag. It also doubles as a beautiful gloss, which will look cute in your prom photos.

So if you're heading for your prom in the coming months, remember to keep your skincare Simple. Have a great time, take lots of pictures and make amazing memories!
Love, Simple x

Skincare Catastrophes: Solved!

2013-04-23T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Skincare disasters are never fun – not only can they stress you out, which can cause more issues with your skin, but they can leave you feeling down and less confident. Luckily, Simple is here to help!

We recognise many of the problems that skin faces, and have designed our products to help you out. Here are some of the most common skincare catastrophes – solved!

Breakouts

So, picture the scene: it's the day of your big date, you've got butterflies
in your stomach and you're looking forward to the evening. The last thing you want to see is a blemish, yet there it is. You might be tempted to cover it in concealer, but try reaching for the Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper instead. It is designed to work quickly to reduce the appearance of your spot and leave you with date-ready skin.

Blackheads

Blackheads are incredibly common, and super annoying! If you're stressing about them, you're not alone. But don't panic: there is a solution! Try using the Simple Spotless Skin Blackhead
Eliminating Face Scrub – it exfoliates and smooths the skin and helps to get rid of blackheads. Add it in as an extra step in your skincare routine – the extra couple of minutes will be worth it when you start to see results.

Dry Skin

Moisturiser is always a skincare essential, but if you have dry skin it's super important to never skip this step. The Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser is perfect for dry skin,
especially if you're prone to spots and blemishes. You may be worried that moisturiser
could block your pores and lead to more skin problems, but it's not the case.
This product also contains spot-fighting ingredients to actively help your skin
stay gorgeously clear.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can be problematic, but we're here to help get it under control! If you are prone to breakouts the Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser could also work for you, but if you're
really struggling with oiliness take a look at the Simple Clear Skin Oil-Balancing Moisturiser. It gives your skin the moisture it needs whilst controlling oil – Simple!

So follow our tips and beat those skincare catastrophes! Never let skincare worries stop you from having fun and feeling great – if you have any questions, or would like some skincare advice, please do get in touch.

Love,

Simple x

Cleansing Materclass: How to prep your skin for make-up

2012-12-12T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

December is truly the party month, and we all know that preparation is key!

Fortunately for you guys, Celebrity Make Up Artist and Simple Skincare Expert Caroline Frazer is on hand to give out some great tips about preparing your skin for the party season.

By taking care of your skin, you're creating a great base for make up. This is essential for ensuring that it is even and flawless.

Here are some of my top tips for achieving that perfect base.

Start by exfoliating your face and body in the shower a week or two in advance

Exfoliating will clear dead skin cells, stimulate circulation and bring oxygen to the surface of the skin, leaving you fresh faced. It will also help get rid of those pesky blackheads. Use the Simple Spotless Skin Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub (RRP £2.99) two or three times before the party as it contains tiny rice granules that gently exfoliate and brighten skin.

Keep hydrated

This will help to keep your skin clear and bright. If you are well hydrated, there is more chance you'll have naturally sparkly eyes too! It will also help keep your breath fresh too just in case the opportunity for a cheeky peck arises!

Don't forget your eye brows!

Shape your eye brows a day or so beforehand. The shape of your brows is crucial for framing your face. I recommend visiting a beautician for expert advice on the shape which works for your face. Doing it a few days before will ensure any redness has gone on party day!

On the day - get that glow!

On the day of the party it’s vital to create the perfect base for make-up by channelling one of the years key beauty trends; glowing and illuminated skin. The Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser SPF10 (RRP £6.99) is my top tip for cheating your way to a brighter complexion.

Simply put it on before you apply BB cream, bronzer or tinted moisturiser. It will sit perfectly underneath leaving you with a natural glow.

Have a fabulous Christmas guys!

Caroline.

For more of Caroline's expert advice, be sure to stay tuned. The other members of the Simple Advisory Board will also be sharing some of their knowledge in the coming days – for all of the latest tips, check out our Facebook and Twitter pages (the links will be just below!)

Facebook: CLICK HERE

Twitter: CLICK HERE

Spotlight On Talent update!

2012-10-24T17:39:02.6800000+00:00

The Spotlight On Talent judges met today to deliberate..... who deserves to win a £15,000 scholarship fund to invest in their talent?

There are ten fantastic finalists competiting to win this fanastic prize. We will be annoucing the winner on Wednesday so watch this space!

See who the final ten are! Click here.

Here is a sneak peak of the judges at Simple HQ picking the winner.

Vote now!

2012-10-05T16:21:30.6230000+00:00

Vote now for the person you think deserves to win £15,000 to invest in their talent!

The competition closes at midnight tomorrow (Saturday 6th October) so there is no time to waste! You could help change the life of one lucky individual.

CLICK HERE to vote.

What stresses you out about your skin?

2012-08-16T18:41:42.1370000+00:00

We all have little (or even big) things which make us feel stressed abour our skin when we look in the mirror.

What stresses you out about your skin? Is it those annoying wrinkles that have appeared from nowhere, or spots that just won't go away? Or perhaps you have dry patches along with oily skin and have no idea what combination of products will work best?

Let us know what your skin niggles are here. And if you've already solved your skin dilemma then we want to hear how you did it!

Teen Now award

2012-07-20T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

We’ve always known our Kind To Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub is ace at making even the dullest skin gleam with health and now it seems everyone else agrees with us because it has won the accolade of ‘Fave exfoliator’ from Teen Now. This was voted for by Teen Now readers so we’re incredibly chuffed to win this award!

The team at Teen Now sent us these delish cupcakes to say congratulations. Needless to say, they didn't hang around for long. There was an immediate tea break for us to enjoy our win.

To celebrate we are giving you the chance to win one of ten Smoothing Facial Scrubs. Click here to enter.

Have you tried any of our facial scrubs? Let us know which is your favourite below.

Watch this space

2012-07-19T16:27:56.8570000+00:00

If you are aged 13 to 21, ambitious, creative and confident, you need to watch this space because next month we’ll be revealing an unbelievably brilliant competition that could potentially change the life of one extremely lucky young person.

Be the first to hear what this amazing opportunity is all about by liking our Facebook page. Winning will take time, talent and determination…. Have you got what it takes? All will be revealed very soon. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

https://www.facebook.com/simpleskincare

One night, two maps, four people and lots of fields…

2012-07-19T16:22:50.5830000+00:00

A prestigious award given for dedication and stamina on a weekend away in a field. The duke of Edinburgh award is recognised nationwide. It involves navigating your way through countryside using only a map and a compass expecting you to somehow miraculously end up at the correct campsite; if you can call it a camp site.

I did my bronze expedition during the drought season, it’s a shame that the weather never seemed to receive the memo about this “drought” and decided to not only drop temperatures below zero but to rain for the entire weekend.

With a rucksack that was full to bursting I should have known that the weekend was not going to go well when I arrived at the drop off point only to discover that I also had to fit a whole tent in the bag too. This may not seem very much but my group had to walk 20km per day carrying this bag and all of the other items already in there. It soon became apparent that after roughly 5 minutes of walking we would need to remove our waterproofs from the bag because it had already started to rain.

We powered on through the rain and tried to figure out where we actually were on more than one occasion. It’s very hard to navigate when the only land mark you have a hedgerow and you can’t see over the top of a hill.

Hills… Lincolnshire is known as one of the flattest counties around but the staff had managed to make sure our routes went over every single hill in the whole area. I was literally tipping backwards at some point because of the weight of the kit and the incline of the climb.

After all of the struggling it was amazing to discover that we were the first people to camp; this is a huge relief because my team and another had a huge rivalry going, but the thought of getting warm and dry was just as satisfying.

A whole night of wind whistling through tents combined with constant rain meant that the next day none of us were exactly chirpy, the day started with some porridge which we made with water and had to add Haribo too as we had no sugar (never try this it is disgusting!).

Packed up tents. Cleaned all cooking equipment. Set off into yet more rain. We passed village after village and went through field after field stopping for lunch somewhere along the way. 100% rain for the whole day. Everywhere we went the rain kept pouring down.

We were 20 minutes’ walk away from the end when a red minibus drove up to us. You have no idea how ecstatic we were to see a van driving towards us. It pulled over and threw us in the back, apparently our group was the only one to have passed and the expedition had been called off due to 6 people getting hypothermia. It was not the most successful weekend I have experienced; but I can’t have been all bad because my silver expedition is in a few weeks…

Radio Broadcasting Work Experience

2012-07-19T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Over this last week (2nd July 2012 – 6th July 2012) I have been doing work experience through my school, a scheme to get year 10 students thinking about what they want to do when they leave school and give them a taste of it. I chose to work in a radio station, as I want to go onto college and learn all about Photography and Radio broadcasting.

I have already had experience in Radio broadcasting as my school had a radio and I would present the morning show, and last year I spoke about the young carers festival that I attended, I also got to do radio presenting there. This year very last minute I got the call of did I want to go to the young carers festival, of course I jumped at the chance and I am really pleased I did, as not only did I get to present my own show on Sunday night, plus other bits or presenting, but I was also allowed backstage, and on the stage filming some of the music acts. I returned home on the Sunday evening, and my work Experience started on the Monday morning.

It is our local community radio station, all the presenters are volunteers, I found that I was not the only one there doing work experience, there was a university student there and also a Spanish student. At first we were all asked to go in and watch one of the presenters and see what it was all about, It was really interesting watching how different presenters did things, their habits and how they spoke. We were told that we probably would not speak on the first day it was just about soaking up the atomsphere, for me because I had just come back from a weekend of doing Radio, I wanted to get stuck in and luckily the presenter that came on at 1pm gave us all the opportunity to not just say a few words but to really get involved in the program. After his show I went home, the following morning was a female presenter that again did not expect us to sit their quietly, I really enjoyed that I could join in and participate in the program having my own views. There were only a couple of presenters during the course of my week that I was not allowed to get involved, and these did not allow any of the work experience students to even be in the room. My favourite presenter, who was called the Raspberry, was in everyday, he was funny, and took the micky out of me if I said something wrong, but it was done in a nice way and taught me to not get nervous about saying something wrong, but to laugh about it. On the Thursday afternoon, a presenter did not Turn up, I and the other work Experience boy from university were quick to step in and say we would do it, through lack of anyone else being able to, we were given a two hour show to present, that was the best part of my whole week there. I know I will take a lot away from the experiences at the local community radio station and from the young carers festival, I am looking forward to going to college and learning even more about this area.

Your Festival Skincare Sorted…. For A Tenner!

2012-07-19T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

For many, the summer months mean only one thing – festivals!

Festivals can be expensive, with tickets, camping equipment and travel costs adding up – we’re on hand to help keep your skincare costs down!

Here are three different Simple skincare bundle ideas for approximately £10*.....

Festival Skincare Idea 1

Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes – clearly an absolute essential!
Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Day Cream – this contains sunscreens which can help protect your skin from the sun.
Simple Kind To Lips Essential Lip Balm – it’s small enough to pop into your pocket and your lips will thank you for it! Plus it contains SPF 15 - your lips need protecting from the sun too.

Festival Skincare Idea 2

Simple Kind To Skin Exfoliating Facial Wipes – if, after a muddy day at a festival, you feel the need for an exfoliation, these wipes will do the job quickly!
Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser – this moisturiser is just right for those warm summer festival days.
Simple Radiance Brightening Eye Cream – disguise the look of eyes that haven’t seen too much sleep!

Festival Skincare Idea 3

Simple Radiance Brightening Cleansing Wipes – tired skin can look dull, so do your festival skin a favour with the Radiance wipes!
Simple Kind To Skin Puriying Cleansing Lotion – if you’re at a festival with good wash facilities, refresh your skin with our Purifying Cleanser. All you need is cotton wool pads - no water necessary!
Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream – give your skin a good chance of looking fresh in the morning by using a night cream full of Vital Vitamins!

We hope that you have a simply fantastic time at whichever festivals you’re attending this summer! Let us know which ones you go to, which acts you see and most importantly, what the weather was like ;)

Simple x

* based on recommended retail prices

Festival Skincare For A Tenner!

2012-07-13T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

For many, the summer months mean only one thing – festivals!

Whilst festivals are fantastic for nurturing your love of music, they can be less than wonderful for nurturing your skin. That’s why we’ve put together some ideas for keeping your skin looking as good as your dancing during the festival season!

Festivals can be expensive, with tickets, camping equipment and travel costs adding up – we’re on hand to help keep your skincare costs down!

Here are three different Simple skincare bundle ideas for approximately £10*.....

Festival Skincare Idea 1
Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes – clearly an absolute essential!
Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Day Cream – this contains sunscreens which can help protect your skin from the sun.
Simple Kind To Lips Essential Lip Balm – it’s small enough to pop into your pocket and your lips will thank you for it! Plus it contains SPF 15 - your lips need protecting from the sun too.

Festival Skincare Idea 2
Simple Kind To Skin Exfoliating Facial Wipes – if, after a muddy day at a festival, you feel the need for an exfoliation, these wipes will do the job quickly!
Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser – this moisturiser is just right for those warm summer festival days.
Simple Radiance Brightening Eye Cream – disguise the look of eyes that haven’t seen too much sleep!

Festival Skincare Idea 3
Simple Radiance Brightening Cleansing Wipes – tired skin can look dull, so do your festival skin a favour with the Radiance wipes!
Simple Kind To Skin Puriying Cleansing Lotion – if you’re at a festival with good wash facilities, refresh your skin with our Purifying Cleanser. All you need is cotton wool pads - no water necessary!
Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream – give your skin a good chance of looking fresh in the morning by using a night cream full of Vital Vitamins!

We hope that you have a simply fantastic time at whichever festivals you’re attending this summer! Let us know which ones you go to, which acts you see and most importantly, what the weather was like ;)

Simple x

* based on recommended retail prices

Mother’s Day Hamper Competition!

2012-03-12T09:28:28.0570000+00:00

Hi everyone,

I always know that Mother’s Day is just around the corner when I start to see daffodils popping up everywhere – they always make me smile as they’ve actually begun to remind me of my mum!

Sometimes it can be a little tricky to pick out a gift for your mum on Mother’s Day but luckily Simple are on hand to help.

There are few things more luxurious than having a good pamper session, and mums deserve a rest once in a while! That’s why we’ve decided to run a Mother’s Day competition; we’re giving away a little hamper of Simple goodies for our winner to give to their mum next Sunday.

So, what do you have to do to enter?

It’s Simple! The competition will run onTwitter over the next two days.

Simply tweet us and tell us something you’ve done for your mum on Mother’s Day within 140 characters. The one that makes us smile the most will win the hamper!

Our Twitter page can be found here: http://www.twitter.com/simpleskin

Just for fun, here are some facts about Mother’s Day you might not have known:

* Mother’s Day can be traced back as far as Roman times!
* Flowers have traditionally been given as gifts on Mother’s Day since around the sixteenth century.
* Simnel cake is traditionally eaten on the day after being made by a daughter for her mother. If only I could bake!
* In the United States, Mother’s Day is the biggest holiday for long-distance phone calling, even beating off competition from Christmas Day!

We hope you enjoy our competition, good luck!

Charlotte x

How are we going to cope without X Factor?

2011-12-15T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

As the weekend approaches, I know what many of you will be thinking…“what am I going to do without theX Factor on Saturday and Sunday nights?!” It seems like just yesterday that we were all sitting watching the first auditions; giggling at some, gazing in awe at others and making our predictions for the finalists. But alas, it is over now, with girl group Little Mix making X Factor history when they were crowned the overall winners last Sunday night.

One great thing about this year’s competition was the sheer diversity of the acts – there was something for everyone. Whether you loved the bad-boy rock from Frankie, the novelty of Johnny, the quirkiness of Kitty or the power vocals from Mischa – their performances were guaranteed to get us all chatting.

It seemed that this year was all about the glamour – I’ve never seen so many funky make up looks, apart from perhaps on a high fashion runway. Let’s hope the contestants all had a good Simple skincare routine in place to cleanse their skin after the shows!! Check out some of the Little Mix make-up vids here.... Some of the outfits and stage set ups were breath-taking – Kitty’s rendition of It’s Oh So Quiet, complete with its Alice in Wonderland theme, stood out for me. Love her or hate her, she can put on a show!

I couldn’t help feeling a pang of pride as Little Mix won – to see a group of girls who are a similar age to me achieving their dream is fantastic! I’ve been trying to resist typing the words ‘girl power’ throughout this article…but they had to slip out eventually!

So, is this truly the return of the girl band? With boy band Westlife hanging up their microphones for good any day now, perhaps the way is being paved for the girls. Little Mix have that winning combination of great voices, awesome style and fierce attitude – it clearly won over the X Factor viewers, will it win over the world?

Were you happy that Little Mix won? Who did you vote for throughout the live shows? Drop us a tweet and let us know! @simplecouk

Charlotte x

Young Journalist Of The Year Award Winner

2011-12-14T15:39:23.0400000+00:00

Feeling like you need some inspiration or a personal target for 2012? Ever thought about journalism as a career?

The winner of the Young Journalist Of The Year Awards in the GG2 Leadership Awards was annouced today as Nazia Parveen from Blackburn, Lancashire. Nazia, who left school when she was 17 and put herself through college, currently writes for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Congratulations Nazia!

Read more here on the Daily Mail website.

A big Simple welcome to our newest Junior Board member!

2011-12-06T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

And the winner is....

We had hundreds of fantastic entries from all over the U.K. Clearly you guys know a lot about skincare. We were impressed and...OK, just a little bit worried about our jobs!

There could only be one winner though and she is.... Alexandra Luo, age 16 from Oxford!

We asked her a few questions so you could get to know her a bit better.

What is your favourite colour?
Electric blue

What is your dream career?
I would love to become an events planner. Its such a creative industry and the possibilities for each occasion are endless!

What is your favourite Simple product?
The Kind To Eyes Eye Make-up Corrector Pen. It's great for when I am in a rush in the mornings!

Who do you most admire and why?
Helena Rubinstein is definitely my idol! She married quality and image to create a beauty empire that is still thriving many years after she has gone.

What is your favourite band or singer?
My favourite singer is Beyonce.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Falling over in high heels is never a good situation to be caught in!

What is your favourite food or dish?
My favourite food is prawn cocktail!

Which festival are you going to or would like to be going to next summer ?
V festival! The acts are amazing and I love camping festivals.

Which make-up essential couldn't you live without?
Mascara. It defines the eyes subtly for an au natural look!

Any other info people would be interested to know about you?
I have a white fluffy cat with mismatched eyes and I would love to have a dog. However I don't think my cat would be so enthusiastic!

The judges were mega impressed with how much Alexandra already knows about Simple so we are sure she’ll hit the ground running at her first meeting in 2012.

There were also 2 runners up... well done to Tamara Corthine and Robyn Kellar. You guys also did exceptionally well to get so far.

Thank you to all who entered. There will be more opportunities to join the Junior Board of Skincare Advisors in 2012 so watch this space all you budding skincare experts.

Until then you can catch up on what the team have been up to by checking out the pics on our Facebook page from their last meeting at Simple HQ in August.

Clear skin doesn't need to be something you only see in airbrushed pictures in magazines!

2011-11-08T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Clear skin doesn't need to be something you only see in airbrushed pictures in magazines. Oh no!

To get a spotless face we recommend picking up some products from the rather brilliant Simple Spotless Skin range – and using them! They use zinc and chamomile to help banish those zits and, because it's Simple, you know that none of the products will aggravate your skin.

For your first step to spotless skin, grab our Simple Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash which will help you to get a spotless face thanks to its deep cleansing action and natural antibacterial goodness.

When you have a little more time to play with, our Spotless Skin Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub keeps your skin free from dead skin cells, dirt and impurities which equals... you guess it, a helping hand in fighting spots.

If you're out and about then keep a pack of Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes in your bag so that you can quickly remove all traces of make-up and other impurities that can cause spots and blemishes.

Another good product to keep handy is the Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper which contains witch hazel and lavender to visibly reduce the redness and size of your spots. It zaps spots in just 4 hours so next time you feel that dreaded tingle, grab this zapper and use it on the 'suspected' area. This way you are fighting that annoying spot before it makes it's full appearance.

Finally, to leave your skin shine-free while maintaining its natural moisture level, use Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser.

We'll help you get a spotless face from ....... day one! All the products in the Simple Spotless Skin range have been developed especially to give you visibly clearer skin from the first time you use them.

On the up: Hot new star Conor Maynard

2011-10-18T11:10:17.4270000+00:00

If you haven't heard of Conor Maynard yet then you need to retune your music antennae. Forget X Factor, this guy can seriously sing!

Check out Conor's YouTube channel to hear the many covers he's done, some of which he's recorded with his equally talented mate Anth. And it doesn't hurt that this Brighton-based 18-year-old is also rather good-looking!

Enjoy!

Going back to school? Simple has some great tips – and prizes

2011-09-02T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It's September, which means it's back to school time. Argh. But also hurrah. Argh because, well, days can no longer be spent vegging out doing nothing more strenuous than changing the TV channel. But hurrah because it's back to hanging out with friends all day and happily moaning about algebra, gossiping about that bloke in the year above and discussing which top will look best with those trousers your mate's lending you.

To help make going back to school even smoother this term we've got some great tips.

First of all, pack your school bag and make your lunch the night before. It will allow you a few more precious minutes in bed in the morning – after getting up late all summer holidays it will probably be a bit of a shock getting up at 7am so be nice to yourself, let yourself have an extra fifteen minute kip.

Along the same theme, sort out your clothes the night before as well. Not only will it give you more snoozetime, you'll be able to spend time making sure that the clothes you'll be wearing on your first day back will make you feel confident and happy.

Clear, healthy-looking skin will also help boost your confidence levels. The Simple Spotless Skin range has a great Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub, an Anti-Blemish Moisturiser, a Triple Action Face Wash and Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes, while the Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper helps fight spots in just four hours – perfect.

Eat some breakfast. It will keep your energy levels up for the first part of the day, making it easier to concentrate on lessons. Remember a healthy snack for breaktime as it will keep you going until lunch. It will also stop you spending your money on junk food from the vending machine.

Our final tip for going back to school? Enter the fab competition we're running with Tatty Teddy where you can win a rather brilliant prize pack of Simple Spotless Skin products and oh-so-cute Me To You Sketchbook treats worth £45. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Enter now to make this term one to remember! While you're at it, share your back to school tips here.

Have a great term,
Teen Simple x

Announcing the winners of the Teen Simple Blogging Competition!

2011-08-24T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It's been a fun few weeks reading all the entries you guys have sent us for the Teen Simple Blogging Competition. The standard of writing was very high so needless to say it's been a mighty tough decision for the judges to select the three lucky winners.

So without further ado the winners are......

WINNER of Staying 'gorgeous on the go' - how do you fit skincare into your day? LUCY SOFRONIOU. Runners up Prabjot Mann & Izzy Perrin

WINNER of Have you suffered from poor “skin-esteem” and how did you deal with it? JESS LEONARD. Runners up Chisomo Phiri & Holly Mitchell

WINNER of What makes you feel confident? JESSICA COZENS. Runners up Sam Hutchinson & Abbey (no surname)

The winners blogs will be uploaded here next week so check back then to see their winning words. You are assured of a really good read.

The runners up have all won a pack of Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes.

A massive well done to all the winners and runners up!

What would you ask? The WINNERS are..

2011-08-16T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

A couple of weeks ago we asked you guys to submit questions for Tegan to ask Caroline Frazer, our Simple Skincare Expert and oh-so famous celebrity make-up artist, for her August blog on Teen Skincare. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions via Twitter, Facebook and the Teen Simple blogs.

The lucky five below have each won a pack of Spotless Skin Quick Fix Wipes!

Naveena
Kat
Cally
Liz
Jasmine

Watch out - your Spotless Skin treat is on it's way to you!

There were so many questions to pick from that we asked Caroline to answer a few of them right here on the Teen Simple blogs. Click here to read more.

Teen Simple. x

Simple ways to enjoy the half-term break!

2011-05-23T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Revision, exams, more revision, more exams... The summer term can feel exhausting at times. This half-term give yourself a proper break by having a laugh with your friends the Simple way. All you need is SingStar (or possibly a DVD if your singing talents have more in common with Jedward than Rihanna), a group of your best mates, a large bag of popcorn and some beauty products for a relaxed evening packed with giggles.

We're pretty awful at singing but we do know what products you need for a girly night of pampering. First up are facials, and for these we've got plenty of spot-zapping choices for teens (you can save money by buying our Get Spotless pack). Manicures and pedicures are always loads of fun – dollop on moisturiser for soft hands and feet before treating your nails to some funky new colours [http://www.barrym.com/glitter-nail-paint] topped with pretty stickers and cute gems [http://www.nailtopia.co.uk/].

You'll wake up looking and feeling great after your evening of pampering and silliness, making you more than ready to handle the rest of the term. After all, you have only a few more weeks of school before the summer holidays – goodbye stress, hello fun!

Get Spotless Skin - It's Simple

2011-05-19T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

You know that horrible feeling – you’re getting ready to go and meet that gorgeous boy you’ve had your eye on for months, or even putting your dress on for the school prom, and disaster strikes – a spot! Even if it’s an on-going problem, spots don’t make you feel good, which isn’t great for your confidence. A skincare routine seems like a lot of effort, but once you get into it (and maybe even enjoy it!) you’ll see how fab the results can be. Luckily, Simple have a great range for spot-prone teen skin – the Simple Spotless Skin range. I used to get spots as a teenager, until I started out with a skincare routine – it’s really worth it.

Cleansing
Dirt and clogged pores (urgh!) can be a major cause of spots, so cleansing is really important. The Spotless range has a couple of great products for getting rid of any grime hidden away – the cleanser Simple Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash cleanses your skin and contains spot-fighting ingredients like Zinc. If you find blackheads popping up on your skin, the Simple Spotless Skin Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub is here to help! Blackheads can be frustrating, but with the right products you can say hello to a clearer complexion and a glow of confidence. If you’re a make-up fan, we know that it can sometimes be more tempting to hop into bed and watch the latest episode of Glee rather than taking your make up off fully – that’s where the Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes come in handy!

Moisturising
You might think that moisturising is something only your mum needs to think about, but that’s not the case – anyone can get dry skin, no matter what their age, and if your skin is prone to spots the Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser is perfect. It helps your skin stay hydrated throughout the day and it also gives you shine control – there’s nothing worse than feeling that someone is trying to check their reflection in your forehead!!

Spot Zapping
All of the Simple Spotless products are designed to give you results from Day 1, but just in case of those spot emergencies, the Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper is on hand! The spot-fighting ingredients visibly reduce the redness and size of the spot without causing any irritation to your skin. A complete lifesaver!

It’s amazing what a good skincare routine can really do, and once you start you’ll wonder how your skin coped before. And with Simple, spots can be tackled on even sensitive skin.

For more great advice and to see how easy looking after your skin really is visit Tegan's May blog at http://www.youtube.com/simplecouk#p/u/0/Yym_835DhOc
Charlotte x

Have you seen our Facebook competition?

2011-04-21T12:12:01.4370000+00:00

We haven't been shouting out about this loudly enough!

There is a competition on our Teen Simple Facebook page at the moment and we want you all to enter. We love things which make us smile so this month we are asking all our lovely Teen Simple fans to upload a picture of any Simple Spotless Skin product in an unusual place...

Last time we had pics of Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Wipes at 40,000 feet and on a lilo in the Carribean. Genius! It doesn't have to be in some far-flung exotic place though...The more imaginative the better. The best pic will win a special Simple treat so get snapping guys!

The countdown has begun..... only a week to go!

2011-04-21T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

We're rather overexcited about the royal wedding. Not because we're getting an extra bank holiday, although that is pretty darn good. Oh no, the real reason we're looking forward to this is finding out what Kate's dress looks like!

So far she's shown herself to be a bit of style icon with her obvious love for high street shops (see, we knew she was just like us, she just happens to be marrying a prince in true fairytale style) as well as cool designer labels such as Burberry and Issa London

According to Huffingtonpost.com she's getting her dress made by the very talented Sophie Cranston, the woman behind the Libélula label – we really hope she is designing Kate's wedding dress because her designs are, quite frankly, gorgeous with not a meringue in sight. Sleek, sophisticated and stylish without being over-the-top, they have Kate written all over them.

What do you guys think about the royal wedding? Are you excited? Perhaps you're hosting a street party or watching on the box? Whatever you think get involved in the wedding chatter here.

The countdown has begun.... only a week to go!

x

How to get the beach look... even if you're not going to the beach!

2011-04-21T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

No school, gorgeous weather, lots of hot blokes wandering around town... Life is good.

And thanks to Simple it's about to get better, because we've just launched our Sun-Kissed Moisture Cream, a fabulous combination of vitamin goodness and gentle tanning agents.

We all know that frying in the sun isn't good for us, but having a bit of colour makes us feel like beach goddesses – this clever moisturiser will let you get some colour the safe way. Sun-Kissed Moisture Cream lets you gently build up a tan (no scary orange faces for us, thanks) while keeping your skin hydrated and happy.

To complete the beach goddess look try spritzing a bit of salt water through your hair when it's towel-dried for surfer-style curls that will make you look effortlessly cool.

So there you have it!

Be sure you let us know how you get on here or on the Teen Simple Facebook page... and whether you managed to catch the eye of that hot lifeguard!

Eye make-up becomes simple!

2011-03-23T10:12:12.5200000+00:00

You know when you've spent ages applying your eyeshadow, just to muck it all up by streaking some mascara in the wrong place...and how that means you either have to a) start again, which means missing your lift into town or b) wipe both eyes free from make-up and haphazardly apply new make-up without poking your eye out while in your mate's car?

Nightmare.

But not for much longer thanks to our special scientist bods here at Simple. We've come up with a truly brilliant new product – the Kind To Eyes Eye Make-Up Corrector Pen.

It removes any mistakes, even those made with blooming-hard-to-remove-but-we-love-it-anyway waterproof mascara, leaving the rest of your eye make-up untouched. Result. And as it is enriched with vitamins your delicate eye area will be happy as well.

You'll be able to get your hands on this awesome new product from today exclusively at Boots stores as well as Boots.com. Well, if you're quick you'll be able to, because we predict this little pen of wonder is going to fly off the shelves.

Give it a go and tell us what you think!

Get a celeb pout for Valentines's Day

2011-02-11T09:12:41.9100000+00:00

Red roses, boxes of chocolate and tacky cards – yup, it's Valentine's Day again.

It can be a little (oh okay, totally) cheesy at times, but secretly we rather like it. We may not actually have our dream man yet (but one day Alex Pettyfer will realise that he's meant to be with us), but we do have a perfect pout thanks to the amazing Caroline Frazer, Celebrity Make-up Artist and Simple Advisory Board Skincare Expert.

Who's she, you ask? Only our fave make-up expert and the woman with all the answers on how to make your lips look as gorgeous as your favourite celeb's. Not only does she explain how to get full, luscious lips like Angelina Jolie or Miley Cyrus's rosebud look, but she also has great advice on how to combat any problems like dryness. Caroline rocks, basically. As do Simple Kind To Lips products .We heart them too. A lot. It is Valentine's Day after all.

Click here to read all Caroline's advice!

My photo shoot at Shout magazine!

2011-01-25T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

15th January 2011..... A date that probably does not mean much to most of you, but to me it was a date I had been looking forward to for a long time! When I had won the Teen Simple Star Competition, part of the prize was to have a makeover and photo shoot, and yes, the 15th January was that date.

Living down in Torbay, travelling anywhere takes hours. The photo shoot being in London meant at the very least 5 hours of driving in a car and then adding another hour on as getting lost is something we do often!

The photo shoot started at 10.00a.m. Inside the bright white warehouse style studio, there was the make-up artist with her huge range of make up, a wardrobe girl sorting out the rails of clothing that had been bought along, the Fashion Editor from Shout Magazine, Liz from Simple and lastly the photographer.

The hair and make-up took about an hour to do but this was about the same time as it took the photographer to set up all of his equipment. I loved getting all dressed up in different clothes from what I would normally wear, having make up professionally put on and my hair groomed like it had never known before. The photographer was really nice and friendly so it made it easy for me to pose and do all the things he asked of me at the shoot, accept be able to walk in a pair of shoes that had heels like I hadn’t worn before and couldn’t walk or stand in!

The accessories were wonderful, a table filled with so many lovely items and I was really pleased when they told me I was allowed to choose some of them to keep.

The time passed far too quickly, after a quick talk with the Fashion Editor from Shout Magazine it was time to make the five hour journey home.

Time to wait until March 2nd when Shout Magazine will publish some of the shots, but you can head over to Simple's YouTube channel next week where you can watch my vlog showing some of the photo shoot.

Tegan x

Minimalism – the hot new make-up trend

2011-01-24T15:40:24.4270000+00:00

here's a trend that will suit every budget – make-up is going minimalist.

Just take a look at the models who stomped the catwalk for British designer Christopher Kane's spring/summer 2011 show – their natural faces contrasted brilliantly with the acid-bright clothes

The minimalist look is easy to achieve and rather gorgeous. The key to it is clear skin, so make sure you follow your cleanse, tone and moisturise routine religiously, exercise regularly, eat a well-balanced diet and drink lots of water.

To achieve this look use a light base or tinted moisturiser, add a little highlighter to your cheeks....we love Benefit's High Beam (worth the investment we promise!) while Barry M's shimmer pencils are ace, reasonably priced at £4.59 and can be used on eyes and lips as well.

Slick on some lip balm, our Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser and add a little shading to the eyes, try Topshop's cream eye shadows, £7.

Don't use any powder: the idea is to look as natural as possible. Powder can add a bit of a formal air to your look – save it for when you get papped on the red carpet or, in our world, when you're a bridesmaid.

If you do have some spots you'll still be able to rock this look because the highlighters let you draw attention to certain parts of your face, i.e. your lovely cheekbones rather than that zit that actually no-one else has noticed apart from you.

And don't forget to tidy up your eyebrows. Full but neat is the aim – just five minutes with a pair of tweezers like these ones from Boots, £1.89, can totally transform your face.

There you have it, how to rock the minimalist look the Simple way!

x

We need your help!

2011-01-21T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Simple needs your help!

We are doing a survey of 11 - 17 year olds on how they feel about their skin, the products they use and the things which stress them out..... want to help? We'd be eternally grateful (ok slight exaggeration!) if you would click here to go to our e-survey where you can tell us what you think. Every opinion counts!

Thanks!

The 2011 BRIT Awards are nearly here!

2011-01-14T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It’s that time of the year again when we look to The 2011 BRIT Awards to lift our January blues. Everyone at Teen Simple HQ has been eagerly awaiting the nominee announcement particularly as we are all huge (and we mean HUGE) Take That and Tinie Tempah fans. Plus we totally love the re-styled award statue by our British style queen, Vivienne Westwood. Our favourite fashionista, Fearne Cotton, hosted a special event to announce the nominations which is being screened tonight. There is only a month now until we see them all battle it out at The O2 in London on Tuesday 15th February. Oh the suspense...! For the full listings head to: http://www.brits.co.uk/news/2011/2011-nominees

Top skincare tips from Caroline Frazer, resident Skincare Expert

2011-01-14T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Caroline Frazer, our resident Simple Skincare Expert and member of the Simple Advisory Board, is a font of knowledge when it comes to skincare and how best to ensure you keep those pesky zits at bay.

Read her spot-on (wink) advice here on everything from blackheads and oily skin to whether you can make a difference to your skin in a week....

Don’t forget you can ask the Simple Advisory Board a question the blogs or on our Teen Simple Facebook page too.

Your problem:
I’m having yet another breakout of spots and they are quite sore and very noticeable! Are there any ideal products that will reduce the redness in a few days?

Caroline says:
Try using products that are formulated for skin that is prone to breakouts that only contain gentle ingredients as you don’t want to make your skin more sore.

The Simple Spotless Skin range includes a Blackhead Eliminating Face Scrub, a Triple Action Face Wash, a Rapid Action Spot Zapper, an Anti-Blemish Moisturiser and Quick Fix Wipes plus is clinically proven to show results from day one.

It contains:
- Zinc PCA, a natural ingredient which absorbs excess oil to help prevent spots coming in the first place
- Chamomile is skin soothing and is an anti-irritant (perfect for those itchy spots which you just want to scratch, pick and annoy you)
- Witch hazel which tones and tightens pores to help improve your skins complexion
- Phytospingosine helps to fight spots and blemishes to get rid of the spots you have got fast

If you do break out in spots, try using the Rapid Action Spot Zapper as soon as it appears. This has been proven to zap spots in just 4 hours! Really try not to touch, pick or squeeze any spots or blackheads unless you really must as this can cause scarring. See Simple’s Teen Simple blog on blackheads for more information on this.

Your problem:
You get spots under your skin and on your forehead. You are not sure if it’s down to stress or the skincare regime you are currently using.

Caroline says:
Simple facial skincare products are alcohol free so they won’t dry your skin or strip it of its own natural oils.
Stress can have a huge impact on skin health and can lead to breakouts. Deep breathing will really get oxygen into your lungs and therefore into your skin, leading to a brighter, less stressed look.

Your question:
Are two-in-one products as good as a separate face wash, cleanser and toner?

Caroline says:
It really depends on what you want to get out of your skincare routine, your skin type and how much time you have.
Most people have combination skin. A key characteristic of this is that you will find your t-zone (forehead, chin and nose) will feel greasy, whilst the skin around your cheeks will feel much drier. If this sounds like you, try using Simple Kind To Skin Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser followed by Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser. It contains a blend of active ingredients and vitamin goodness to visibly reduce the size of pores helping to leave skin feeling refreshed and clarified.
If you have normal skin try the new Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser which is full of multi-vitamin goodness and added moisturisers.

Your problem:
I have sensitive combination skin. After washing my face my skin gets very dry so I have to moisturise but then I get spots. How can I get the balance right?

Caroline says:
This is a very common problem.
Using a creamy cleanser such as Simple Kind To Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion instead of a soap-based one will help clean without stripping the skin. When the skin is stripped of its natural oils it can start to overproduce sebum to compensate and this in turn can lead to outbreaks.
Don’t feel that you have to use moisturiser all over – you can use it just in the dry patches. Try using a moisturiser such as Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser, which is formulated with Zinc PCA to help keep spots under control.

Radio One announced Teen Awards Winners

2010-11-17T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Last Sunday was the first ever Radio 1 Teen Awards at Hammersmith Apollo in London. The audience got to see Katy Perry, The Wanted, Taylor Swift, JLS, Professor Green and Pixie Lott, as well as celebrating some dauntingly inspirational teens.

We are positively green with envy.

If, like us, you are slightly gutted you weren't there, now's the time to cheer up. Turn on the telly tonight at 7pm, flick over to BBC3 and you can watch the show from the comfort of your sofa. Hurrah!

Get your Christmas shopping sorted.... early!

2010-11-03T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Surprise your family... Get your shopping sorted before Christmas Eve.

Grannies, aunts, sisters and friends will be fighting over our special packs on sale in Superdrug, which include Fresh Faced Beauty, Goddess To Go, Goodness Goddess and Sparkle.

And as the last three packs come with 10% off any purchase at Figleaves along with free postage, you can guarantee your popularity on Christmas morning.

For more information, click here to see what's on offer or head to your nearest Superdrug store now. All Simple Skincare Christmas gifts are on a 3 for 2 offer so you'll save some pennies too which means more for your new party lip gloss.

Only at Superdrug!

Winning the Teen Simple Star competition!

2010-11-02T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Hi, my name is Tegan and I am the lucky winner of the Teen Simple Star Competition!

I felt really lucky to get to the Top Ten and could not wait for Beauty Boot Camp. As the day got nearer my excitement grew and I became more hyperactive, my mum who was coming with me, had to keep telling me to calm down.

To get to Solihull for the Beauty Boot Camp we had to leave a day before as I live down in Devon so I had to ask my school permission to take the day off. We also had to spend over 4 hrs on a train, half of that time we shared a carriage with a screaming child.

Saturday 18th September - they day of the final!

My excitement is like nothing I have ever felt before! Even Christmas does not come near to the feeling! My mum and I walked into Simple HQ and it all suddenly became so real. I was nervous yet really happy and excited to get the day started wanting it all to be so good and it really was good! I made friends with some of the girls and we had a good time. We had to answer questions about Simple, take part in challenges, talk about ourselves and do a presentation while knowing that we were being filmed and trying not to think about it.

The day was over too soon and it was time to hear the top 3 -Victoria, Kaitlin and I! I was happy for Kaitlin as I had spent most of the day with her and becoming friends. It was really hard to hold back how I felt but I think my smile gave most of it away especially as what happened next was to hear my name spoken as being the winner! I was face to face with Suzie Leigh (Stardoll TV presenter and Junior Board member) asking how I felt.... amazing was the only thing I could say right then and as I looked over and saw my mum crying I know she was happy for me too! As my mum tried to dodge one of the photographers getting a picture of her crying, I went through a mix of emotions, being happy and amazed for myself, but also disappointed for Kaitlin to not win.

I do not remember seeing all the other girls leaving but did manage to speak to Kaitlin before she left. I stayed behind having more pictures taken and my interview with Shout magazine which comes out November 3rd. I thoroughly enjoyed all the pictures and interviews, I just smiled and smiled as I was so happy the smile just stuck and even the 5 hours it took to get home the smile stayed and I just kept going over it again and again my heart pounding with joy each time!

I can’t wait to start my time officially as the Teen Simple Video Blogger in January 2011 and being part of the Teen Simple team to gain some great experience. Maybe after a few months I will stop smiling, but probably not.

Love Tegan x

We heart Kate Moss' new range at Top Shop!

2010-11-02T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Everybody at Teen Simple HQ is eagerly awaiting pay day so that we can splash out on Kate Moss' stunning new range at Top Shop. We just hope it hangs around long enough for us to grab at least one item....

Check it out here!

x

Money money money

2010-10-20T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

See, we knew that would grab your attention. If you want more cash to splash on the fun things in life, then why not set up your own business? Plenty of teens are setting up their own companies – and doing rather well. Take Christian Owens, who set up his company, Mac Bundle, when he was 14-years-old. By the age of 16 had made his first million, according to the Daily Mail. He's just one example of a 'kidpreneur' ('kid' 'entrepreneur' = kidpreneur. Cunning. Also blooming impossible to say out loud without sounding slightly weird).

For true stories about teens who have made money, check out here. It will give you some great ideas.

Facebook security: the latest news

2010-10-19T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Stop updating your status for two seconds because we've got some Facebook news for you. We know you're pretty savvy about updating your security settings on Facebook so people can only see exactly what you want them to see, but you may have missed the latest announcement and, as it's rather a good one, we wanted to make sure you knew all about it.

Basically, you know that "Argh!" moment when you realise you didn't log out of your Facebook account on your best mate's computer? The one you were using last night? The one you are now absolutely nowhere near, and neither is she, but her annoying little brother is?

Well, now you can keep calm rather than legging it round to her house. All you have to do is log on to Facebook on another computer or phone, and go to Account Settings. It will show you if you're logged in anywhere else and let you log out. Hurrah!

You should get regular reminders from Facebook about your security settings, and if you want to read more security tips at any point then go here.

Simple on screen with Zac!

2010-10-19T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Okay, so we didn't get to meet him – we wouldn't be writing this post if we had, we'd be running around screaming – but thanks to the power of Stardoll TV, our Search For A Teen Simple Star was shown straight after a piece on Zac Efron. That's nearly the same as being his best mate. Or his girlfriend. Really.

And he's just one of the many stars that we share Stardoll TV with. To see all the celebs – and Simple – on Stardoll TV, then click here.

One day left to blog for Channel 4

2010-10-14T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

If you want to be a blogger for Channel 4 then hurry! You've got just one day left until the TV channel's hunt for a blogger aged between 16 and 24 finishes.

Click here to enter

If you've missed the deadline of 15 October then panic not, as us lot at Simple are always looking for brilliantly talented teen bloggers too. So, if you're under 19 and reckon you're a blogging legend, what are you waiting for? Tell us about you and your blog here. Right now.

Gossip on Simple Chat

2010-10-11T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It’s time for a break. So, grab a cup of tea and enjoy a natter with other Simple fans on the new Simple Community Forum. We’ve got topics on fashion, fitness, food, oh, and skincare of course. If you want to know whether that moisturiser will suit your skin type, just log on and ask other Simple users. It’s that easy.

We also have special areas for VIPs and Teens, as well as an FAQ section and a place where you can chat with our consumer relations team.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the forum is THE best place to find out about our new products before anyone else – and the place to let us know what you think of them.

As the forum is still in its infancy this is your chance to shape it into the place that you want it to be. We look forward to meeting you all!

Looking for a TEEN blogger...

2010-10-09T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Hi guys,

We are on the search for teen bloggers to guest blog on the Teen Simple blog site at simple.co.uk. If you'd like to get involved and guest blog for Simple, please drop a line to teen@simple.co.uk telling us a bit about you, what you do, your blog URL etc.

Thanks!
Simple x

Love vintage fashion? The read on.....

2010-10-07T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

If like us you love vintage style, we know you’re going to love Retro Chick! Retro Chick is Teen Simple’s favourite Fashion and Beauty Blogger. She was also our Guest Blogger Judge at the Teen Simple Star Beauty Boot Camp day on 18th September and she really knows her stuff when it comes to sourcing fabulous vintage bargains.

Retro Chick loves trawling Boot Fairs and Charity Shops for amazing vintage finds as well as sharing vintage hair and beauty tips. Her philosophy is about helping you discover your own personal style by finding the best in affordable vintage, and ethical fashion and making it work every day. She has a knack of looking at seasonal trends, fashion & lifestyle and making them completely relevant for today but with a funky vintage twist.

Retro Chick also has her own store on eBay where she sells some gorgeous vintage frills so check it out by clicking here to go to her blog page for more info.

You can check Retro Chick out on Stardoll TV too where she helps us pick the Teen Simple Star at Beauty Boot Camp!

Enjoy

Love Simple x

Write about saving and win an iPad

2010-09-29T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

If you're aged between 13 and 18, then we have found a fab competition for you. Financial Mail is offering teens in full-time education the chance to win an Apple iPad 16GB, worth £400. All you have to do is write an essay on how, if you were a member of the coalition government, you would encourage the nation to save. There's more information and guidelines here, with a category for 13 - to -15year-olds and another for 16- to 18-year-olds. And if you enter the older category then you could win a work experience placement at Financial Mail. Which is a money-can't-buy opportunity for all aspiring journalists.

Click here to enter the competition.

If you decide to enter (the deadline is November 5) then Teen Simple wish you the very best of luck – and don't forget to let us know how you get on.

Beauty Boot Camp at Simple HQ!

2010-09-21T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Our Search for a Teen Simple Star may have ended but it’s just the start of it for our well deserving winner!

Beauty Boot Camp at Simple HQ on Saturday was a fun packed day for all the finalists but there could only be one winner on the day and that was... drum roll..... Tegan Kensa Davies, age 13 from Devon. Tegan totally wowed the judges with her passion for Simple and savvy skincare know-how. Click here to see some sneak peeks from the day.

A massive well done to all the other finalists who were also absolutely fantastic. For exclusive behind the scenes gossip and an interview with the winner see 3rd November issue of Shout Magazine.

You can also catch a peek inside Beauty Boot Camp by checking out Stardoll TV on Wednesday with Sergeant Suzie Leigh from the Junior Board of Skincare Advisors. Put that whistle away Susie!

One stage nearer to finding the Teen Simple Star!

2010-09-09T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

How excited are we?! The 10 Teen Simple finalists have now been announced! It was a tense last few days of the competition with lots of jostling between the top 20 entrants but the lucky final 10 have secured their space and can move into the next stage of the competition.

The lucky girls are: (in no particular order!)

Tegan Davies, age 13 from Devon
Lauren Thompson, age 14 from Aberdeen
Holly Molyneux, age 13 from Chester
Fiona and Zoe Bartle, age 17 from Halifax
Celine Blakely, age 17 from London
Rebecca Fiddes, age 15 from Congleton
Samantha Davidson, age 14 from Edinburgh
Kaitlin Richmond, age 12 from Surbiton
Victoria Howkins, age 13 from St. Neots
Victoria Robinson, age 14 from London

To see their Simple Star profiles, click here.

So, what happens next? It’s going to be tough but there can only be one Teen Simple Star. All 10 finalists have been invited to Simple HQ on Saturday 18th September for the Teen Simple Star Beauty Boot Camp. It’s going to be an action packed day where we put the finalists through their paces to determine who has the personality, values and attitude to win. The lucky winner will bag themselves the role as Official Teen Simple Video Blogger as well as an Honorary Seat on the Simple Junior Board of Skincare Advisors. If that’s not enough they’ll also win a makeover, take part in a photo shoot, get £200 to spend at Roxy and finally receive a year’s supply of Simple products. Not much then....!

Watch this space for all the gossip from the day. You’ll be able to see the final 10 battle it out on Stardoll TV at the end of September.

Love Simple x

Are you up for the challenge?

2010-09-09T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Is your school taking part in the Simple Wellbeing Challenge? Have you even heard of the Simple Wellbeing Challenge? Wondering what on earth we are going on about?.... the read further...

Last year, GMTV's resident psychologist Emma Kenny conducted a totally unique social and scientifically tested experiment for ITV's Tonight show: Make My Kids Happy. The programme involved a group of teenagers at a secondary school agree to...shock.... horror.... stop wearing make up, fake tan and even loose their gadgets such as iPhones and laptops. This may sound completely mad but the objective was to see if these are some of the reasons behind the low self esteem levels amongst some teenagers.

Tests were conducted before and after and .... you guessed it..... they showed dramatic increases in levels of self-esteem amongst students. In order words, the students were happier, more confident and felt better about themselves.

So, we thought that we would set up a similar challenge but open it up to lots of schools across the UK. Over 500 in fact! That’s how the Simple Wellbeing Challenge came about.

The Simple Wellbeing Challenge is taking place during September to October 2010. Not all schools are going the whole way with the experiment – every school is doing it slightly differently however all schools are following a simple 'healthy skin regime' and making one other positive change, for instance, wearing no make up for a 4 week period.
They are also getting lots of free Simple Spotless Skin products!

If your school is taking part in the Simple Wellbeing Challenge, tell us here how you have been getting on! Send any pics you have to wellbeing@simple.co.uk and we will make sure they are put up online.

Don't forget that if your school is taking part, you can bag yourself a half price Wellbeing Challenge pack for £4.99 which is full of Simple Spotless Skin goodies.

If your school isn’t taking part, what do you think about the idea of taking part? Would you give it a go?

We hope you enjoy seeing what the results are!

Love
Simple
x

Grab yourself a FREE pack of Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix wipes now!

2010-08-02T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Do you want a free pack of Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes? Yup, just as we thought. We have got a limited number of absolutely free wipes to dish out to you lovely Teen Simple fans! All you need to do is click here.

The NEW Simple Spotless Skin range has been designed especially for teenage spot-prone skin and is the perfect blend of spot fighting ingredients and antibacterial goodness. Give it a go to get visibly clearer skin from day one! Spot on!

Don't forget to tell us what you think of the range - as always we love getting your feedback. Have you seen our new Teen Simple fan page? Be the first to hear about competitions, freebies and opportunities to get involved with Teen Simple. Click here to check it out now!

Make us chuckle with your stories about Simple!

2010-07-23T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Does your boyfriend steal all your moisturiser or worse still your Cleansing Facial Wipes? Has your wrinkle-free Granny used Simple since she was a young woman? Do you use our Sun Sensitive products on your dog?... OK that’s a little bit far-fetched but you probably get the gist of it. You know we love hearing your stories on how much you love Simple but it’s not all about massaging our ego (well ... ok it is a little bit!)

Here’s what we want. If you have got any stories you can share with us, specifically about our products, we want to hear them. They can be funny, poetic, surprising, anything you like as long as they are about products in the Simple range. It’s a chance for you to share your story, make people laugh, inspire others and make yourself famous! The best quotes or stories will be published on our website. If it’s yours, you will win one product from the range your story is about. What better incentive do you need to start scribbling now!

We would love it if you posted your stories on our Teen Simple Facebook fan page. Click here to check it out. Become a fan and you'll get to hear about exclusive competitions, freebies and all our gossip before anyone else!

Win a Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser

2010-07-16T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It's our 50th anniversary this year (you may have spotted if you've bought a pack of our Cleansing Facial wipes recently!) and we thought we would share our birthday celebrations with our Teen Simple fans. So, we have got an opportunity for you to win one of fifty Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturisers. Our new Intensive Lip Moisturiser is packed with Simple vitamin goodness to keep your lips hydrated, nourished and perfectly kissable.

All you have to do is click here and answer a very easy peasy question. We will then randomly select fifty correct entries. Psssstttttt.... the answer is easy to find if you look on our product pages!

Announcing the winner of the Teen Simple School Prom competition!

2010-06-30T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the Teen Simple School Prom Competition is Holly Sanders from Maidstone in Kent! Thanks to Holly, her school prom on Friday night has been taken over by the Simple School Prom Team who have organised for ... wait for it.... drum roll..... Daisy Dares You to headline to entertainment! But not only that, yes, it gets better – Holly and her crew get a Simple Spotless Skin make-over before jumping in their ride to arrive at the prom by limo. Style! The Simple School Prom Team are also throwing a cocktail reception (non-alcoholic) at the prom too. For all of you going to Holly's school prom have an amazing time and watch out for the paps who will be snapping away! We are exceptionally jealous that our school prom wasn’t that cool!

Win a Roxy T-Shirt PLUS a Simple Get Spotless pack!

2010-06-25T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

It’s been a few weeks now since we launched the brand new Simple Spotless Skin range and the feedback we have had so far has been phenomenal.... it’s simply disappearing off the shelves!
So, we thought what better way to celebrate than to launch a little competition! We have managed to get our hands on a Roxy Active White T-shirt (size: small) and will give it to the Spotless Skin fan who writes the best poem on our fab new range. Get scribing peeps – your witty words could bag you the aforementioned Roxy T-shirt plus a Get Spotless pack which contains all the products in the new range. Don’t delay though because you have only got 10 days to submit your rhyme - the closing date for entries is 4th July. We'll let you know who the winner is on 5th July.
Best of luck!

A week in the life of Simple - my week's work experience

2010-06-21T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Parking up, my body was filled with nerves - what was I going to be doing? Who would I be meeting? I walked into reception with what seemed like a million eyes staring at me. I was on the 4th floor so I decided to take the lift (I’m not usually lazy!).

During the week I did so many interesting and exciting things. From finance (which I can’t say I understood fully) to designing a new product for the Spotless Skin range (watch this space) the week couldn’t have gone faster! I even got to make my own Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash (jealous much?!). It was great insight into what actually happens within a business…a lot more than I originally thought! After making the product I realised how much goodness actually goes into a Simple product and why they’re so effective.

Everything I learnt is going to be so helpful for the future…I have discovered a love for writing (Shakespeare watch out)! I would like to thank the Simple team for an amazing experience and hope I get to experience it again soon!

Win Tickets to the Clothes Show!

2010-06-17T15:41:31.1730000+00:00

The Clothes Show: the hottest fashion and beauty event of the summer!.. And you could win two tickets to this massive event!

To enter the competition, visit this link: www.simple.co.uk/clothesshowtickets and answer the following question:

Which famous supermodel is a fan of our Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes?
(Pssst! The celebrity fan pages might just help you out!)

...it’s as simple as that! (unintentional pun there!)

The closing date is 22nd June…so get entering! The show will be at Earls Court London on Saturday 26th Jun 2010…

…Good Luck!

Have you been watching Stardoll TV?

2010-06-15T18:06:49.1730000+00:00

We are really very excited to let you know that we are featuring on Stardoll TV. If you don’t know what Stardoll is all about, we suggest you definitely head to www.stardoll.com to find out what you are missing.

There will be a new TV episode every 2 weeks crammed full of celebrity gossip, sneak peaks into back stage antics, interviews with the hottest stars and yes, features from your favourite skincare brand Simple. Over the next few months we’ll be talking to you about everything from skincare at festivals to keeping you up to date on what the Junior Board are up to.

This week we are talking about how to get prom ready. Are you in the midst of prom madness? Have you still got to decide on which dress you are going to wear?
If so, stop panicking. If you watch the brand new episode of Stardoll TV you’ll get the low down from our very own Junior Board member Suzie Leigh on how to get prom ready. So, you can stop talking about whether the school hottie spotted you drooling over him earlier (the shame!) and get your prom hat on (um, you know what we mean)

To view the new episode simply click here

Don’t forget use our prom planner and you'll remember everything. Even the tiny details. And your night will rock more than a big, er, rock. Which is rock-tastic indeed.

Bang On Trend Or Bang Out Of Order?

2010-03-18T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Have you spotted the new trend that has emerged in the world of fashion?

Inspired by veteran fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, underwear (you know your knickers, bras and other slinky undergarment accessories) are now being termed “outerwear”…

That’s right fashionistas, we’re talking wearing your knickers over your Miss Sixty's finest or your Myla brassier over your Top Shop skinny-T.

Bang on trend or bang out of order? Have you spotted this trend on the streets of Blighty? Can this look ever work? Is it a look you would be proud to be seen sporting? You tell us! Don’t be shy!

Mother's Day treats at home

2010-02-22T12:38:07.9070000+00:00

Pampering is very important to me and to most girls and women on this planet! Pampering for me is something I associated with sleepovers when I was younger and even now I still share those views. But recently it’s been sidetracked at sleepovers by films, chatting and eating – okay, mostly eating.....

Nowadays pampering has become so much easier to do and at a much lower cost. For example many magazines will tell you how to make your own face masks and there are fairly inexpensive ones available in stores like Superdrug and Boots.

As Rebecca expressed in her blog, brothers aren’t the best people to pamper you! My mum is the person I go to for advice about beauty and let’s face it, I’ll ask her help for just about anything! But my mum is a busy woman and has almost no time to treat herself. With Mother’s Day coming up I’m considering issuing her with a personalised gift voucher for a pampering session but instead of going to an expensive spa I’ll pamper her instead!

Do you think this is a good idea to pamper mums, friends and siblings at home instead of paying a fortune for them to go to a spa?

Leave me a comment, please! Let me know what you think. What will you be getting your mum this Mother’s Day – and is pampering her at home the best way to save some money and make her feel a million dollars?

Pampering with your siblings?

2010-02-12T12:10:59.2470000+00:00

I have a two year old brother. He is called Daniel, but he introduces himself to everybody as Dan the Man McGrattan. Every morning that I attempt to have a lie-in, without fail, he bursts into my room like a one toddler stampede and makes a beeline for my dressing table. This dressing table is sacred. It is a shrine to my many collections of make-up, skincare and hair stuff, and the little monster loves it all. If I didn't leap from my bed and restrain him each and every time, my brushes would be ruined. My blusher would be smashed on the floor. My Simple wipes would be strewn across the room in little white flags of defeat. As annoying as it is, I wouldn't change my little Danny boy for all the world, but I was just wondering if everybody else had the same kind of relationships with their siblings? I don't have a sister, but my mother borrows enough of my stuff as it is, and I know that's very annoying... So do you have girly pampering sessions with your sisters? Have you ever painted your brother's toenails (I know I have!)? Are there any special skincare routines you have in common, or are attempting to install into their little minds? Leave a comment below and let me know!

What is your must have beauty essential?

2010-02-05T16:11:58.9770000+00:00

We have all got one – our must have, everyday beauty essential that we can’t live without and get stressed out about if we can’t find. It’s the one thing we make sure we never run out of and there is trouble if anyone so much as thinks about borrowing it without asking us first.

Let us know what yours is. It can be anything at all. If it’s a Simple product let us know which one it is so that other Teen Simple users can benefit from your words of wisdom!

Pucker up!

2010-02-05T16:10:14.8370000+00:00

Get ready to pucker up everyone, it’s almost Valentine’s Day - that time of the year when the whole world goes all gooey and everyone looks forward to a kiss (or two if they are lucky) from their beau.

Don’t panic if your lips are not in tip top kissable condition because Simple is here to help. For lusciously kissable lips, why not try our brand new Kind To Lips Essential Lip Balm or our Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser. Both are packed with vitamin goodness to nourish dry lips leaving you with smooth, soft and thoroughly kissable lips.

These new products are available in Superdrug right now so why not give them a try and let us know how you get on!

Blackheads..... how to prevent them and get rid of them

2010-01-15T11:05:41.6970000+00:00

Urgh, blackheads. We all get them and we all hate them. But how do you send them packing if you’ve got them and better still prevent the little wotsits from coming in the first place?

Simple are the skincare experts so check out our simple tricks to keep your skin clear of blackheads for good!

Cleansing routine

Keeping your skin clean is key to ensuring blackheads don’t rear their ugly head anywhere near yours. This means removing all traces of make-up and build up of dirt on your face every day, without fail!

Why not try Simple Clear Skin Exfoliating Wash with witch hazel goodness for healthy clear skin. It leaves your skin perfectly clean and refreshed.

Make sure you rinse your face clean of all face wash or cleanser as leaving a residue can sometimes cause spots, blemishes and blackheads.

Exfoliate, exfoliate!

Gentle exfoliation every other day will help decongest your skin by removing dead skin cells. Being gentle is crucial as you don’t want to upset the natural balance of your skin which can also cause spots and/or blackheads.

Try Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Facial Scrub with witch hazel goodness for healthy clear skin. It’s the perfect blend of active ingredients and exfoliating goodness to remove dead skin cells, dirt and impurities. Plus it’s clinically proven to reduce blackheads in just 7 days!

Water & food

Drink plenty of clear fluid and pack your diet full of fruit and veg. It will do wonders for your skin and general well being.

Make-up

Try to use make-up which doesn’t block your pores – this will help to reduce the occurrence of blackheads in the first place.

Always remove your make-up at the end of the day, no matter how tired you are.

Don’t forget, regularly wash items that you use to apply make-up. These can harbour nasty bacteria which don’t do your skin any favours.

Finally, if you must squeeze….

OK we admit it, we do it too but if you must squeeze do the following:

Wash your hands
Use a tissue or cotton wool bud to GENTLY apply pressure – we cannot stress how important it is to do this as gently as possible to prevent damage to your skin or even worse scarring
Clean the area after you have squeezed to prevent any transfer of bacteria

Why not share your tips with us for getting rid of blackheads!

Christmas is coming...

2009-12-07T14:01:43.1900000+00:00

So it's that time of year again... And I can't say I'm unhappy about that!!! I love, love, love Christmas with a passion, what I don't love is trawling endlessly through the shops looking for presents for people who are impossible to buy for... So what's everybody getting? Me, I'm searching through every single site promising nice stuff for a tv that might possibly look nice in my room, but as a result of my pickiness I probably won't have found something until next year... :(

Which clothing brand do you like the best?

2009-10-21T15:59:05.6770000+00:00

Which do you think is the most aspirational clothing brand; Miss Selfridge, New Look or Roxy?

Una Healy from the Saturdays uses Simple too!

2009-09-03T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Una Healy from The Saturdays even has skin problems! She told Body & Soul Magazine "I've got oily skin, and when I was a teenager, I had pimples on my forehead. I used a heavy concealor to hide them, but it made them worse as it clogged my pores. Nowadays it's all about prevention, so I use Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash.

Does this sound familiar to anyone out there?

Are you a savvy shopper?

2009-06-16T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

When your skin looks good, you feel great and when your clothes look great, well you feel awesome.

Are we right? Naturally !!

We know that Simple Skincare products are affordable to Teens and you know that being a Simple VIP you get access to special promotions on our product packs, sometimes offering 50% off. So saving money on skincare solutions is not a problem for you savvy guys and gals.

A few of us were watching “Mary Queen of Charity Shops” the other night on TV (BBC2) and started chatting about saving money on fashion. We had a chat about what to do about following fashion trends when money is tight and that charity shops at the moment are pretty handy seeing as 80s fashion is back on the scene.

We would love it, if you would share with us your thoughts on how to be a savvy shopper.

By savvy shopper we mean; finding ways to look fashionable without being out of
pocket.

Perhaps you are the first to visit the clearance lines at the end of the shop? you share clothes with your buddies; or maybe the shop phones you up when a sale is on!!

Maybe you have the knack of picking up some gems for your local charity shop, if so tell us about them here, and we too (like Mary Queen of Charity Shops”) can promote these retail stores too.

Anyway enough ramble from us

Feel free to share your tips for saving money on high street fashion & beauty and being an overall savvy shopper.

Are you a new Teen Simple member?

2009-04-22T00:00:00.0000000+00:00

Firstly a big Welcome, thanks ever so much for joining us, we are overjoyed.

If you came via Stardoll that is supertastic too. Stardoll did let us know this morning that there was an issue getting our Virtual Simple Dress out to some of your suites, rest assured that problem is fixed now, so dress should be in your suite shortly.

(Tip: After registering with us, visit Stardoll and your dress will be in your suite, and wipes in Style medoll both in some lovely Simple Skincare bags)

Secondly, letting you know that we are aiming at setting you up with your very own Teen Simple VIP community area, we wish to chat with you first though to find out whether this is something you would like. You will be making the club, which is kinda cool.
As you have registered you will receive emails each month full of tips and advice and links back to new chats within here or the NEW Teen club. The future of which lies in your hands.

In the meantime feel free to let us know in this blog post:
Any initial ideas you may have? Beauty / Fashion / Celebs / Music / Life advice / Teen Simple Stardoll ideas Perhaps we could come up with questions of the week: Is plastic surgery needed for fame?

And if you have used our Teen skincare product we would love to know what you think of them too.

Look forward to seeing you beautiful people back here again soon

Wishes
Teen Simple Team xx

We are a UK brand and so this offer was just available to UK residents. Unfortunately when it comes to blogs, we only accept blog comments in English. The reason being that we don't have a translator in house. We welcome comments from our friends outside the UK but please can these be sent in English. Thanks!