Liz Earle high altitude team…

Earlier this year our CEO challenged 3 of us to do a tandem skydive to help raise money for the UKSA (check out their website at www.uksa.org/).  Well, we accepted the challenge with enthusiastic apprehension safe in the knowledge that the intended jump was months away!  Then eek… suddenly the day had arrived and very early on the morning of Saturday 6th June we met up at Netheravon Army Airfield in Salisbury. 

After being checked in and undergoing a short briefing session, unfortunately we then had to spend 7 ‘nail biting’ hours due to bad weather conditions waiting for the wind to die down and visibility to improve before we got our ‘call to action’.  As you can imagine we spent these in a state of agitation with many many trips to the loo and a considerable quantity of rescue remedy being consumed! 

At last we got the ‘green light’ so kitted out and paired with an instructor we set off in a very small plane to a height of 13,000 ft – at which point we whipped out our Aftersun Gels (containing high altitude lavender) and started wrapping to the astonishment of the rest of the crew…  Sarah took this even further and jumped still clutching her Aftersun.  Suddenly the door opened and one by one we were sitting on the edge of the plane with our legs dangling in the wind and before we could really think about it we were freefalling at 120 miles per hour -  45 seconds and 7,000 ft later our parachutes deployed and we slowly came down to earth!

We all had the most amazing and exhilarating experience not only by helping to raise over £1500 for charity but stepping well and truly out of our comfort zones.

Would we do it again?  You bet!

To see the jumps check out www.watchmyskydive.com (type in / and our names below)

Sarah Ferrari-Badjie (Customer Centre Manager)
“The next day I stepped out of my house feeling 10ft taller and afraid of nothing”.

Michael Marshall-Clarke ( Head of Creative)
“Words cannot describe the euphoria and sense of freedom you feel as you plummet earthwards...I’ve never felt so alive!!”

Tracy  Hastain (Customer & Brand Relationship Manager)
“Elation and amazement that I actually went through with it and how brilliant it’s made me feel”.

Men, grooming & cars

For those of you men out there who own a car, you are likely to understand the importance of treating it with respect: cleaning it, feeding it with the correct fuel, and polishing it daily to protect its delicate exterior. So why is it that when it comes to skin grooming, so many men will refuse to use anything other than soap? Guys, it is very simple... your skin is the largest organ on the body and without the correct care and attention it could eventually end up looking like an old banger rather than a pristine supercar!

What’s wrong with a bit of soap and water?
With my wedding only 3 months away, I have been busy caring not only for my skin, but also my fiancé’s. It wasn’t an easy job convincing a police officer that he should swap his 1-minute soap and water routine for an extra 4 minutes in front of the mirror every day (in his opinion, not very macho!). But once I’d explained how a skincare routine can really affect the functions of the skin and how shaving and alkaline-based soaps can aggravate, he agreed to replace his bar of soap with our Liz Earle for Men Cleanse & Polish. As soon as he noticed the difference it made to his skin, he couldn’t wait to try the rest of our Men’s range and was very impressed with the results. He no longer has redness (caused by shaving) and his skin looks healthier and even younger!  He is constantly admiring his ‘new face’ and has now set about trying to convert his fellow officers! 

Skin Maintenance 
Liz describes cleansing as ‘the cornerstone of skincare’ and I totally agree.  Before shaving, a good cleanse will lift off dirt and grime, make shaving less irritating and clear your skin of nasty bacteria. When shaving, don’t forget to use a clean razor (old, rusted razors must be binned!) and shave in the direction your beard grows. Our Sensitive Shave Cream has been formulated to help you achieve a closer, smoother shave, whilst soothing and calming the skin. For a really close shave my top tip would be to soak a towelling cloth in hot water first and then press this against the face. Leaving on the skin for just over 30 seconds can expand the hairs by up to a third and make them much easier to cut. To reduce painful in-growing hairs, exfoliate with our Face Scrub after shaving. Finally always apply After-Shaving Moisturiser; it contains a herb extract called self-heal to help soothe small razor cuts and razor burn quickly, plus seals in moisture to help make your skin appear smoother, softer and younger-looking. 

Once you have got the hang of your skin grooming routine, don’t forget your eye area (women always notice this).  Apply a pea-sized amount of Daily Eye Repair along the eye bone socket every morning over your moisturiser.

So guys, if my blog has inspired you to re-think your grooming regime and you want to find out more about Liz Earle For Men why not join us on 19th June at our London flagship store for our men’s skincare event. Alternatively we have great skincare advisors who are always on hand to answer any grooming questions you may have and all you have to do is email them on naturallyactive.co.uk or call 01983 813913 and they’ll be happy to offer you practical advice.

Happy grooming!
Jo