New Skincare routine

New Skincare Routine

The battle with my skin has been a long and enduring one! Since I was about 13 I started getting oily and spotty skin - typical for a teenager, but now I've just turned 23 and it's been pretty much the same situation. I've tried and tested so many products to aid my battle with hormonal skin, from face masks, washes, gels, and creams...I thought I'd tried them all! But last month I got to talking with a women on a beauty counter in boots who has the same kind of skin problems as me, yet her make up looked perfect and told me of an unlikely skincare trio that's done her wonders. I had only gone to her for a foundation (I found a winner, blog post to come soon!) and I came out with a whole new regime! I have held off mentioning these products for a while, as I didn't want them to turn out rubbish like all the others I've tried. I was a little sceptical of this brand's skincare as I usually associate them with make up, but I've tried and tested them for a month or more now. Here's my verdict:

From left to right:

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed - Super self heating deep pore detox mask. It does exactly what it says on the tin...err tube! When rubbing the mask into your skin you can feel small beads bursting and creating a warming effect. It sounds a bit strange but it feels amazing, the heat is meant to help clear out the pores and leave skin feeling beautifully fresh and soft too! Now most masks I use haven't done wonders for me other than soft skin, but I've used this mask twice a week for over a month and it's really helped clear the horrid blackheads on my nose, I feel it's also helped keep spots away, I've hardly had any since using this range.

Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It - A facial scrub with a pore refining formula of super fruit Yuzu and Micromud. This is completely the opposite to what I normally buy, this is a gentle scrub which is good for everyday use without damaging skin. This is apparently better for us oily/acne skin people as its less stress to the skin, where as I would normally buy the most rough scrub I could find like the Lush Sea Salt scrub and really work that into my face once a week. This left me dry (and extremely red!) which I thought was a good thing - being oily, but this only makes my skin try harder to produce more oils later to hydrate my skin again. So lesson learnt! A gentle daily scrub is much better for the long term as it gradually improves your skin's texture and complexion. I've seen a vast improvement with this product and I couldn't recommend it more!

Soap & Glory The Fab Pore - A micro smoothing moisture lotion, again with the super fruit Yuzu and detox boosting/pore shrinking complex. That is a lot to promise within just one moisturiser! I've struggled with creams more than other products, getting ones too rich, not hydrating enough and just generally not for the right skin type. This is perfect for day and night use, it's light yet thick enough to make me feel hydrated, I'm also not too shiny after use which is perfect for make up application! I sound like a broken record here but again I think this really works, my pores do seem a lot smaller in size or gone! My skin doesn't get oily much anymore, but it feels healthy - an almost dewy effect I've never had before! This Trio of skin care is by far the best I've use and combined has made such a difference to my skin, I'm not worried anymore about people seeing me without make up and that's something I haven't felt in a lonnng time!

Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot - Finally I thought I'd give a little mention to this Vichy spot gel, it's a fast acting anti-imperfection targeted care to minimise marks. And it does just that! On the rare occasion now that I do get a spot or can feel one coming, just put a dot of this gel onto the clean skin, the following day the spot is either gone or very much reduced! I actually think there's magic in this...surely! There is Salicylic acid in there so it could always be that!

I wanted to test these products thoroughly before claiming how good they were, but I can safely say now that they're amazing, if your like me with oily or problematic skin then I highly recommend this range! Well done Soap & Glory, killin' it on the make up and skin care front!

Please comment if you have tried any of these products too or what your holy grail skin care items are! Lets help each other win the war with our skin!

Thanks for reading :)

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Autumn Staples: Skin Care

Autumn Staples: Skin Care

Welcome back! This week I am following on from my previous post: seasonal make up staples, with Skin care. Because it's starting to get colder, (or if your from the UK...a lot colder!) it's all about keeping your skin moisturised, soft and exfoliated. These things are pretty much important all year round, but with all the windy and cold weather it really starts to take its' toll on your skin, especially your face! As I've mentioned before I have oily/combination skin and even with my skin type hydrating my skin is still important, as it can be dehydrated as well as oily! Who'd have thought it! So here are some of my favourite skin saviours:

 

From Left to Right:

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter - Even though your face is very important to look after doesn't mean we should forget about our body too! I've been a fan of soap and glory creams for a good few years now, they are just so moisturising and the skin soaks it up really well, so you aren't left feeling sticky when you just want to get dressed! I think they feel very luxurious for the price and do the job perfectly. It's also the different scents that keep me coming back, this one is more of a clean/fresh smell which is really nice post shower. I definitely recommend you giving them a sniff in store!

Malin  + Goetz Lip Moisturiser- This item sounded so odd that I had to buy it! I've seen many different kinds of lip balms and chap sticks but this looked completely different, and it is! I can only describe it as a thick clear gel, it's quite heavy and unusual feeling at first. But as I used it more I'd say it's more of a treatment for your lips than a lipbalm you use daily. I apply a small amount to my lips after using a lip scrub and let it sink in, usually at night time, when you wake your lips look and feel amazing!

Origins Drink up Intensive Mask - This item is definitely a treat for the skin and in general as it is a little on the pricey side of things. But I find you don't need to use it so often which means it lasts, and its just worth it! (At least that's what I tell myself!) I use this at night time as it suggests, apply this instead of moisturiser all over the face, a little goes a long way with me, if your dryer feel free to use more. Simply sleep on it and in the morning your skin will be incredibly soft, feel plumper and healthier.

Mario Badescu Control Cream - Now this may not be a staple for everyone, but for someone like me that has eczema or just dry/flaky skin this is a life saver! Big statement I know, This can be used pretty much anywhere on the body, but I needed this for my face which can be embarrassing when your appear to be scaly!? My eye lids and under eyes got eczema out of nowhere, Ive always had this condition on my legs and arms but you just don't want to put that horrid cream from the doctors on your face! This cream literally halved the dryness in one use, within a week it was gone! My friends have tried this on their dry skin and it worked perfectly on them too.

Lush Lip Scrub - (Popcorn flavour) Yes flavoured lip scrub does sound very odd, I wandered why it matters if it had a flavour, but according to lush you an eat it! Well not literally the whole pot, you take a small heap on a finger and rub away at your lips with it, then when your done you either wipe it away or lick it off your lips! It's made from sugar and a little salt too from what I tasted, the flavouring is added to taste nicer but to be honest I wouldn't recommend the popcorn one! The minty pot is nicer, but no matter which pot it is they all work brilliant at leaving your lips soft and smooth!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil - As someone with oily skin I never thought I would be one to use an oil on my face, it seems wrong! But this one is particularly special, it is part serum also, which changes how it feels completely. The texture is more of a dry oil, which sounds contradictory, but you would have to try it in store to understand. I always feel like oils just sit on the surface on my skin and I notice no real benefit in using it. Where as this Serum-in-Oil seems to sink in really quickly, it isn't overly oily feeling on the skin at all. The result in morning is brilliant and actually noticeable. I use this every other night and my skin is so much plumper and looks much healthier when properly hydrated. I'm converted!

If you missed my last post on my Autumn Make up Staples, Then you can click here to read!

It's a small group really, but they make such a difference to my skin over the colder months! Has anyone else tried these products? Or does anyone else have a favourite they would like to share? Please comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading :)

Autumn Staples: Make up

Autumn Staples:

Makeup.

Autumn is officially here already! That means it's time to whip out your long lasting make up, woolly jumpers and trusty boots. It may just be me but in the colder months I tend to lean more towards the matte side of things, my favourite foundation this summer had been the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. It gave the perfect semi dewy finish for summer, I have oily skin and I hadn't expected it to work so well! But for the past few weeks I have been reaching for my longer lasting, more matte make up goodies. Here are my picks:

(Swatches are Left - Mac Honeylove and Right - Maybelline SuperStay Lipstick in 260 Always Plum)

From left to right they are:

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - (Shade 10) I wear the lightest colour, not only because I'm pale but the highlighting effect really brightens the face. I switch to this concealer over Autumn/winter as it's so hydrating, unlike the Bobbi Brown 'creamy concealer' which is everything but!

Maybelline SuperStay 14hr Lipstick - (Shade 260 Always Plum) I know of some people that really don't get along with this lipstick or find it too matte, but for me this is amazing! Very intense colour pay off from the whole line, a little drying but nothing a little lip balm can't sort out. This colour in particular I love because of the vampy rich look it gives, which many seem to love this time of year.

Mac - (Matte finish, shade Honeylove) Yet another matte lipstick, but mac's formulas I find so creamy even when it is matte, so it's very comfortable on the lips. All year round a nude lip is perfect, this one especially for the matte finish but also the shading is quite close to that of Kylie Jenner's, lips that everyone seems to want to get!

Revlon ColourStay Foundation - (Ivory, Combination/oily) This is my foundation of choice for Autumn/Winter, as with every year's trends skin starts to go matter, more perfected. Usually I like to use matte foundations all year round because I was so oily, but I've found getting older my skin is getting dryer. But either way I still love my trusty Revlon ColourStay, it still allows my skin to breathe and gets a little shiny by the end of the day which looks healthy to me.

Benefit The Pore Fessional - One of my favourite primers, this one is more silicone based rather than water based. I find these type of primers just glide over the skin better, making pores and lines look almost airbrushed. This just makes the skin look so flawless and makes the foundation last much longer, which is what we need in colder and probably wetter weather!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow - (shade 1 Bone) I first bought this last winter, now I don't know how I got by without it! This cream shadow really mattes down the eyelids and creates a neutral base to add shadows to, I have had very oily eyelids for a long time and couldn't really wear much more than eyeliner. This cream shadow creates a great barrier against oils and keeps shadows on top looking vivid and lasting longer without creases.

Soap and Glory Love at First Blush - (shade - Pink, pop and pearl) This blush, as with many soap and glory products are just beautiful to look at! But of course this blush is so pretty on the cheeks too, it's a little more subtle so I wear it a little higher on my cheeks as a highlighter also, as it has an iridescent look to it. Its quite a dusty Rosy colour when swirled together, because of the added light bronze which adds a healthy glow after all that matte finish make up.

These are my Autumn staples, in the next post I'll share some of my skin care picks of the season. Who else likes these products? Or does anyone have their own faves they'd like to share? Please comment below I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading :)