Skin talk with Julia

Hey beauties, this is an interview I did some weeks ago with Julia from 'Jewels Faces' all in line with 'self love month' this covers the area of skin. Julia is a beautiful loving sister and friend to me and an amazing strong lady all round. I hope you enjoy it. 

First of all please tell us a bit about yourself

I am a young entrepreneur currently studying. I am an aspiring professional make-up artist & skin specialist. I am also a part time freelance hairdresser.  I think I'm just a bubbly *she laughs* bubbly person.

Where did your love for skincare and make-up stem from?

Ermm *she smiles* it actually came out of boredom.  I was at Uni with my girls and exams were over and somehow YouTube make-up videos became my thing.  Then I met a good friend of mine called Alan and his sister was around and she does that type of thing so I wanted to meet her , and not long after I just bumped into her and Alan in the corridor , we had a chat about it and she gave me tips and advice, and as they say the rest is history.

Growing up did you have any complexes towards your skin? If so how did you overcome them?

I was totally fine with it , I was ok my skin was good. I only had the occasional pimple.

How important is the appearance of your skin to you?

*she sighs and gets excited* VERY ITS VERY IMPORTANT its actually crucial I won’t go anywhere if there’s something on my face, it’s very crucial. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have healthy skin.

Now I'm aware that this is a touchy subject but please give a brief explanation of what happened to your arm?

Oh wooooow *she smiles* ermmm *she clears throat* so my arm happened on my first day of uni when I was 18 years old at approximately 8:40 pm.  I was cooking an African dish (Jollof rice) with my friend in our Uni accommodation which was off halls at the time. She had preheated a pot of oil and another pot of plum tomatoes, while I received a phone call upstairs about a beloved friend of mine whose father had passed away. In shock I went to deliver the news to my friend who had forgotten to turn down the heat on the cooker. Still in shock I wasn't aware that the heat was still high and my friend was scared to pour it in because of the noise it makes when her mum does it at home. To cut the long story short I poured the plum tomatoes into the oil, and because it was way too hot some of  it came flying out. My friend was standing too close so I pushed her out of the way and I seriously burnt my arm in the process.

That must have been a very eventful night. Did the burns on your arm give you confidence issues or did you just get on with life as usual?

Hellllll yeah *she laughs* I became an emotional wreck; it gave me a lot of confidence issues. I think I became paro for a while. I thought everyone would know my story and see me as the girl who can’t cook. It was really bad and I was very emotional. I was very insecure and despite the fact that I had a boyfriend at the time it didn't make me feel any better. I couldn't help but think he was going to leave me because of my arm.

How did you feel when you finally saw the depth of the burns and how serious it was?

Like crap, yeah I hated myself; I didn’t like what I was seeing. I remembered when it happened the lady next door took me into her house and the first thing I said after “ I've been burnt, I've been burnt” was “ I'm ugly I'm ugly no one will want me any more”.

Do the scars hold a deeper meaning for you? and if so what

*she laughs* do the scars have a deeper meaning. Yes I believe my scars have taught me that irrespective of what I look like on the outside, and although things may not be so pretty to the eye, God still loves me all the same, and I am no different from how he created me it’s just that my physical appearance has changed. I've only just learnt to appreciate the scars, because they’re  a part of me now, if I woke up one day and the scars weren't there  I would be like “oh my gosh where is my arm”?

What advice would you give to some other ladies out there dealing with similar skin issues be it burns, eczema or just simply the fact that they are not comfortable in their own skin?

Ok first of all they definitely need to learn how to love themselves. Don’t wait for someone to give you the affirmation, because irrespective of how many times someone tells you that if you don’t believe it yourself, it’s always going to be a problem. What I would say although this may sound cliché and I know it may not be easy for everyone to do is pray. I can’t put my God aside I don’t want to sound churchy but he is responsible for my sanity and I prayed my way out of it. In terms of skin you have to know what works best for YOUR skin. Now I know we all fit into categories, however all our skins are individually different because of environmental factors (some people live in hot places some cold) some people need extra moisture/oil, some other not so much. So you just have to know what works best for your skin.

What 3 products would you say did wonders for your skin in terms of restoring it near enough back to its natural state?

I would say bio oil helped a lot with the healing process. E45 started restoring my skin back to its correct skin texture, because it doesn't feel like a burn any more whilst Aloe Vera gel helped by cooling and soothing the burning sensations. Above all God almighty is responsible for the restoration of my skin because it was predicted that I wouldn't get the hyper pigmentation of my skin back but within a few months it came back

In terms of face, what would you advise for ladies dealing with acne, blackhead or scarring?

Ok using your fingers is probably the worst tool to deal with your acne. Reason being your fingers carry so much dirt and bacteria. Underneath your nail beds the amount of dirt and debris that lay there is horrendous, so using that to touch your skin is extremely bad. For skin issues like Eczema use products that help moisturise the skin, but stay away from scented products. For black heads and scarring being a make-up artist I would say find yourself a very good toner, it doesn't have to be expensive. The best toner I have ever used has to be lemon it really works. Though harsh and acidic you can dilute your solution with water to suit your skin. Morning and night would do wonders. Movements used when washing your face should be outwards to stimulate the blood flow and exfoliate two to three times a week to reduce scarring and acne. Finally deal with the real issue as oppose to covering it up with make-up.

Please give any general skin care/ makeup tips you have

Ok I drink a glass of water every morning before brushing my teeth, as gross as it sounds but it actually does increase the suppleness, fruitiness and dewiness of your skin.  I don’t know why but it does. Good skin care equals less make up so you don’t have to wear heavy foundations that clog up your pores. Do be mindful foundation is actually good for you if you live in busy cities like London as it acts a barrier to dirt so it’s not all bad news when it comes to foundation, just wear it in moderation.

As you know we can’t miss out your style so tell us about your style?

I always have to have an item of white on. White vest, top or even white pearl earrings. I love white so it always needs to be in my wardrobe. I'm a handbag and shoe fanatic. I like to change it up when it comes to style. I've definitely changed from tom boyish to modern chic. I'm not all about designers but I definitely believe you must always look good. If you’re an entrepreneur you must be able to represent your brand. I'm not the type of girl to wear pyjamas to the corner shop all in the name of buying bread. My style resonates quite a lot in my makeup   If I'm wearing make up it has to be on point, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I just believe I should always look good. If I look good I don’t need to wait for others to say I do. A smooth application of makeup, a nice hairstyle and a solid outfit and you’re good to go

 Who influences you in terms of your style?

I have to say my boo does influence my wardrobe a lot I won’t lie, if he’s iffy on it I probably won’t buy it because I think he’s a fashionista. Michelle Obama, she’s actually yummy to watch. I quite like brandy and Monica’s look, brandy because she’s always had that class it’s never been hoochy.  I would say Nicole Scherzinger’s hair and make-up is always on point so that influences me.

Finally, what would you say to any lady who may be struggling with self confidence/self esteem issues and wants to become confident and happy in her natural beauty?

You need to be convinced in yourself, tell yourself you’re beautiful. Also eat beautiful because you are what you eat, look after your body and treat it like a temple. You can’t expect to eat junk and get clear skin. Treat your body well. Don’t use and abuse it, because these will all help you on your journey to confidence as you start to see the physical differences.

Where can we find you?

I'm hoping to relaunch my YouTube channel very soon and I'm still deciding whether to keep the old one so for now catch me on twitter @JayLaTrend , follow me on instagram @jewelsfaces and email me at jewelsfaces@hotmail.co.uk for bookings.