Garnier Honey Treasures

Garnier Honey Treasures

I thought that considering I repurchased these yesterday, it was about time that I wrote this post! I bought these back in Summer when my hair and skin were both in need of some serious rehydration, and I thought this collection my do the trick.

I love honey, and it is actually fairly healthy, particularly good for a sore throat. I have also read that is is good for your skin to, for moisture and fading scaring. I even once went as far as smearing honey all over my face as a face mask, after reading something on Pinterest probably! And I remember it actually left my skin feeling very moisturised. I also remember that is wasn't worth the mess it created (honey drips off the face!). Either way, the idea of using some kind of honey in a beauty product intrigued me.

The body moisturiser is lovely. It doesn't smell too over powering so it is perfect to put on after a morning shower and then spray some perfume on. But what I really love is how moisturising it is considering how quickly it sinks into the skin. I love moisturising, no one wants dry flaking skin, especially at this time of year. But the whole faff of moisturising and then waving your arms about while it sinks in before you can put your clothes on is just a pain! Particularly at this time of year when it is freezing! So in that sense I love this product, it's brilliant. I pat myself down after a shower and then apply this really quickly while still in the shower so I don't have to meet the cold air for as long as possible. And then by the time I am out and have decided what I'm wearing it has already sunk in!

The hair mask is just as great and low maintenance. It takes 3-5 minutes, although sometime I leave it on a bit longer if my hair needs some extra care. I apply this and almost massage it in to the ends of my hair after shampooing. And then while I wash my face and body and exfoliate I just leave it in. So by the time that I have finished the rest of my shower routine it is ready to rinse out. After using this my hair feels and looks a lot healthier and most nourished.

For the price point I think both of these products are pretty amazing. And the fact that they make two quite tedious, but fairly necessary tasks so quick and simple is a huge selling point! Would definietly recommend!

Speak soon xx

bareMinerals Skin Makeup

bareMinerals Skin Makeup 

For a long time now I have been having a few problems with my skin. It's not really bad but I do have a few spots and a few scars from previous blemishes. I also have pretty sensitive skin and I was starting to find that wearing quite heavy makeup to university everyday wasn't really helping my situation. For nights out and special occasions I still do wear foundation that makes my skin look flawless but I wanted something lighter that I could wear on a daily basis with my makeup looking cakey or clogging my pores. 

I'd heard a lot about mineral makeup before and it was actually recommend to me by my dermatologist that I went to see a few months ago. She described it as makeup that was good for you skin and said that in the long term it may even help to clear my skin. At first I had my worries. Mineral makeup seemed to me like something for people with perfect skin that just wanted to make it look even more flawless. And I had nowhere near perfect skin and the reason that I wore foundation was to hide my blemishes and I didn't think that mineral makeup would be able to give me the coverage that I wanted. 

During the Christmas break I went with my mum to the bareMinerals counter to ask them a few questions and have a look at the products. The lady was so helpful and asked me a few questions about my skin type before trying a few different shades on me to help my find the perfect colour match. I left with two different shades on each half on my face (not really visible) and was advised to go outside, have a look and see which colour I preferred. I also wanted to have a chance to think about it and really deicide if this is what I wanted to spend quite a bit of money on. 

I came back the next day and bought the slightly darker shade of powder and the primer and apart from a couple of nights out it is all that I have worn on my skin since. 

It is definitely a much lighter coverage than I was previously wearing but it still evens out my skin and covers most of what I want to be covered. What I really love about this though is how natural it looks. Often it doesn't look like I am wearing any skin makeup at all. There are no visible brush strokes or cakey areas it just looks and feels like my own skin. I still do have to wear a little bit of concealer under my eyes and on a few blemishes but I was still doing that when I wore foundation anyway. Also unlike foundation which seams to slide off your face during the day this has a really long lasting power. 

Here is quite a close up picture of me wearing the makeup. As you can see my skin isn't at all perfect but the makeup does look really natural and you can still see my skin through the makeup. 

Hope this post was helpful to some of you. I really would recommend mineral makeup like these for something to wear on a daily basis. They just look and feel so natural and I actually think since I have been wearing this my skin has started to improve slightly. Also I have been using both of these nearly everyday for 2 months now and I can tell these are going to last em a long time, which is good as they weren't exactly the cheapest makeup that I have ever bought! xx

bareMinerals Skin Makeup

bareMinerals Skin Makeup 

For a long time now I have been having a few problems with my skin. It's not really bad but I do have a few spots and a few scars from previous blemishes. I also have pretty sensitive skin and I was starting to find that wearing quite heavy makeup to university everyday wasn't really helping my situation. For nights out and special occasions I still do wear foundation that makes my skin look flawless but I wanted something lighter that I could wear on a daily basis with my makeup looking cakey or clogging my pores. 

I'd heard a lot about mineral makeup before and it was actually recommend to me by my dermatologist that I went to see a few months ago. She described it as makeup that was good for you skin and said that in the long term it may even help to clear my skin. At first I had my worries. Mineral makeup seemed to me like something for people with perfect skin that just wanted to make it look even more flawless. And I had nowhere near perfect skin and the reason that I wore foundation was to hide my blemishes and I didn't think that mineral makeup would be able to give me the coverage that I wanted. 

During the Christmas break I went with my mum to the bareMinerals counter to ask them a few questions and have a look at the products. The lady was so helpful and asked me a few questions about my skin type before trying a few different shades on me to help my find the perfect colour match. I left with two different shades on each half on my face (not really visible) and was advised to go outside, have a look and see which colour I preferred. I also wanted to have a chance to think about it and really deicide if this is what I wanted to spend quite a bit of money on. 

I came back the next day and bought the slightly darker shade of powder and the primer and apart from a couple of nights out it is all that I have worn on my skin since. 

It is definitely a much lighter coverage than I was previously wearing but it still evens out my skin and covers most of what I want to be covered. What I really love about this though is how natural it looks. Often it doesn't look like I am wearing any skin makeup at all. There are no visible brush strokes or cakey areas it just looks and feels like my own skin. I still do have to wear a little bit of concealer under my eyes and on a few blemishes but I was still doing that when I wore foundation anyway. Also unlike foundation which seams to slide off your face during the day this has a really long lasting power. 

Here is quite a close up picture of me wearing the makeup. As you can see my skin isn't at all perfect but the makeup does look really natural and you can still see my skin through the makeup. 

Hope this post was helpful to some of you. I really would recommend mineral makeup like these for something to wear on a daily basis. They just look and feel so natural and I actually think since I have been wearing this my skin has started to improve slightly. Also I have been using both of these nearly everyday for 2 months now and I can tell these are going to last em a long time, which is good as they weren't exactly the cheapest makeup that I have ever bought! xx

Neutrogena Skin Care Rountine

Neutrogena Skin Care Rountine

I haven't written about my skincare routine for quite a long time on the blog and considering that I have been using these products probably about 4 months now I feel like I can talk to you about how I have been getting on with them. 

Since about the age of 14 I've had some problems with my skin. It's not awful, I know that some people have a lot worse but it is enough to make me pretty self concious. Over the years I have tried so many different products hoping to find the one, but I never really have. Some have just been awful and really irritated my skin and others have worked for a little while. 

So before I talk to you about these products I just wanted to say that they aren't miracle workers. Your skin isn't just about the products that you put on it, there are so many other factors. I like to think I eat pretty healthily, drink enough water and get enough sleep most of the time. But the fact is that right now I am still in my teens and spots are a totally normal thing. So I realise that a skin care routine probably isn't going to make all my spots disappear but I just need something that isn't going to make me breakout more than I naturally will. And I have faith that my skin will continue to improve as I get older and don't have as many hormones flying all over the place!

Anyway, back to the products. After a particularly bad skin patch several months ago I went to the doctors and she recommend Neutrogena as the best high street brand for skin care. She said most of their products contain Salicylic Acid which is the best ingredient for fighting spots. I picked up this pink grapefruit facial wash and so far I am really impressed. It smells really nice and leaves my skin feeling really clean and fresh but it is still gentle enough on my sensitive skin. I definitely do still get spots but since using these Neutrogena products I think my skin had cleared up a bit and become a lot less "bumpy". 

About a week later I went back to Boots and picked up the blackhead eliminating lotion and the oil-free moisturiser. I had always though I had dry skin so had always used really thick heavy moisturisers. But it turns out that was probably what was clogging up my pores as I actually have normal/combination skin that can get a little sensitive. I use the blackhead eliminating lotion a bit like a toner and it only took about 2/3 weeks to see the reduction in my blackheads, especially around my nose. I also now only use a tiny bit of the moisturiser and concentrate this mostly on my cheeks where my skin gets driest. Sometimes when you do have spots the best thing that you can do is leave them to dry out on their own rather than coat them in millions of different potions and lotions. 

If you are looking for a quick fix to perfect skin, like the majority of products these aren't going to deliver. But they are good ones in my opinion particularly for younger more acne prone skin. Hope you have found this helpful in some way. Or at least if you do suffer from bad skin then know that you are not alone and that hopefully it will go with time.

Speak soon xx

Neutrogena Skin Care Rountine

Neutrogena Skin Care Rountine

I haven't written about my skincare routine for quite a long time on the blog and considering that I have been using these products probably about 4 months now I feel like I can talk to you about how I have been getting on with them. 

Since about the age of 14 I've had some problems with my skin. It's not awful, I know that some people have a lot worse but it is enough to make me pretty self concious. Over the years I have tried so many different products hoping to find the one, but I never really have. Some have just been awful and really irritated my skin and others have worked for a little while. 

So before I talk to you about these products I just wanted to say that they aren't miracle workers. Your skin isn't just about the products that you put on it, there are so many other factors. I like to think I eat pretty healthily, drink enough water and get enough sleep most of the time. But the fact is that right now I am still in my teens and spots are a totally normal thing. So I realise that a skin care routine probably isn't going to make all my spots disappear but I just need something that isn't going to make me breakout more than I naturally will. And I have faith that my skin will continue to improve as I get older and don't have as many hormones flying all over the place!

Anyway, back to the products. After a particularly bad skin patch several months ago I went to the doctors and she recommend Neutrogena as the best high street brand for skin care. She said most of their products contain Salicylic Acid which is the best ingredient for fighting spots. I picked up this pink grapefruit facial wash and so far I am really impressed. It smells really nice and leaves my skin feeling really clean and fresh but it is still gentle enough on my sensitive skin. I definitely do still get spots but since using these Neutrogena products I think my skin had cleared up a bit and become a lot less "bumpy". 

About a week later I went back to Boots and picked up the blackhead eliminating lotion and the oil-free moisturiser. I had always though I had dry skin so had always used really thick heavy moisturisers. But it turns out that was probably what was clogging up my pores as I actually have normal/combination skin that can get a little sensitive. I use the blackhead eliminating lotion a bit like a toner and it only took about 2/3 weeks to see the reduction in my blackheads, especially around my nose. I also now only use a tiny bit of the moisturiser and concentrate this mostly on my cheeks where my skin gets driest. Sometimes when you do have spots the best thing that you can do is leave them to dry out on their own rather than coat them in millions of different potions and lotions. 

If you are looking for a quick fix to perfect skin, like the majority of products these aren't going to deliver. But they are good ones in my opinion particularly for younger more acne prone skin. Hope you have found this helpful in some way. Or at least if you do suffer from bad skin then know that you are not alone and that hopefully it will go with time.

Speak soon xx

Simple Makeup For Lectures, School or Work

Simple Makeup For Lectures, School or Work

Being at uni and having early lectures means that when I wake up in the morning I usually don't have a lot of time as I want to have the longest lie in possible. But I still want to look nice and like I have made a bit of an effort. Recently I have been reaching for the same products every morning that are so quick and easy to use so I thought that I would share them all with you. 

My makeup:

Skin

• Clinique even better makeup SPF 15 (in 03 ivory)
• Rimmel wakeup me up concealer 
• Collection concealer (Medium 03)
• Boujois healthy balance powder (53 light beige)
• Sleek blusher (suede)
• Boujois chocolate bronzing powder (51)

Eyebrows

• Natural Collection eyeshadow (crushed walnut)
• Collection colour lash clear mascara

Eyes

• MUA undressed eyeshadow palette (shades 3 and 5)
• Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner in black 
• The Bdy Shop define and lengthen mascara 

Lips

• Vaseline
• Topshop lipstick (mink)

Hope you liked this quick makeup post. Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products and what you think of them. xx

Simple Makeup For Lectures, School or Work

Simple Makeup For Lectures, School or Work

Being at uni and having early lectures means that when I wake up in the morning I usually don't have a lot of time as I want to have the longest lie in possible. But I still want to look nice and like I have made a bit of an effort. Recently I have been reaching for the same products every morning that are so quick and easy to use so I thought that I would share them all with you. 

My makeup:

Skin

• Clinique even better makeup SPF 15 (in 03 ivory)
• Rimmel wakeup me up concealer 
• Collection concealer (Medium 03)
• Boujois healthy balance powder (53 light beige)
• Sleek blusher (suede)
• Boujois chocolate bronzing powder (51)

Eyebrows

• Natural Collection eyeshadow (crushed walnut)
• Collection colour lash clear mascara

Eyes

• MUA undressed eyeshadow palette (shades 3 and 5)
• Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner in black 
• The Bdy Shop define and lengthen mascara 

Lips

• Vaseline
• Topshop lipstick (mink)

Hope you liked this quick makeup post. Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products and what you think of them. xx

The Best Face Mask Combination

The Best Face Mask Combination

A few weeks ago I was watching an Essie Button video where she talked a little bit about using two face masks together; a deep cleanse one to remove impurities and then a moisturising one to replenish the skin afterwards. Whenever I used a face mask I always looked at my skin and decided which type of face mask I needed more. But clay face masks can be a little drying and moisturising face masks can feel like they are just clogging up your pores. 

So I tried this idea out by first doing my normal face routine, then using the Manuka Honey radiance face mask followed by the Vitamin E moisture face mask. Afterwards I was pretty impressed by the results and I think that there are very few moments where my skin has felt that clean and fresh. And the moisture face mask had prevented my skin from feeling dry after the clay mask. 

However the really improvement could be seen the morning after. When I woke up my skin just looked so much better and smoother. And the few under the skin spots that I could feel coming though before had all significantly gone down or gone altogether! I was just so impressed by what this has done to my skin. Recently I have been trying a few different skin product and thinking a bit more about what I eat and my skin is really starting to improve. And I think this combination of masks is definitely contributing to the improvement. 

I have also done detailed reviews of both of these mask before so you can have a read of those by clicking on the links below. 
The Body Shop Vitamin E face mask
Good Things Manuake Honey radiance clay face mask

The Best Face Mask Combination

The Best Face Mask Combination

A few weeks ago I was watching an Essie Button video where she talked a little bit about using two face masks together; a deep cleanse one to remove impurities and then a moisturising one to replenish the skin afterwards. Whenever I used a face mask I always looked at my skin and decided which type of face mask I needed more. But clay face masks can be a little drying and moisturising face masks can feel like they are just clogging up your pores. 

So I tried this idea out by first doing my normal face routine, then using the Manuka Honey radiance face mask followed by the Vitamin E moisture face mask. Afterwards I was pretty impressed by the results and I think that there are very few moments where my skin has felt that clean and fresh. And the moisture face mask had prevented my skin from feeling dry after the clay mask. 

However the really improvement could be seen the morning after. When I woke up my skin just looked so much better and smoother. And the few under the skin spots that I could feel coming though before had all significantly gone down or gone altogether! I was just so impressed by what this has done to my skin. Recently I have been trying a few different skin product and thinking a bit more about what I eat and my skin is really starting to improve. And I think this combination of masks is definitely contributing to the improvement. 

I have also done detailed reviews of both of these mask before so you can have a read of those by clicking on the links below. 
The Body Shop Vitamin E face mask
Good Things Manuake Honey radiance clay face mask

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Healthy Balance Powder

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Healthy Balance Powder

Up until about a month ago I was a total foundation virgin! And that is saying something for someone who loves makeup as much as I do. The first and main reason for this is I hate the idea of having something cakey sitting on my skin all day that feels horrible and doesn’t even look that great. When I thought of foundation I thought of a thick blotchy orange tinted paste, not something I wanted to waste my money on. Also I am very much a BB cream lover, they are light and moisturising but this give all the coverage that I need. Also a bit like perfume shopping the idea of foundation shopping doesn’t really appeal to me. I had no idea where to start trying to find my perfect shade, or if lighting makes a difference or what kind different foundations are even out there. And buying the wrong foundation would be like buying a dress that doesn’t fit properly but not being able to take it back afterwards. And for a student tight on money like me that wasn’t an investment I wanted to risk

However about a month ago I had a prom makeup to buy list and at the top of my list was a foundation. I had wanted to try this one for a while after hearing a lot of good things about it – mostly from Vivianna Does Makeup. She described it as being light and moisturising with a really natural looking finish so it sounded right up my street. So one day on my way to a dance show while I was wondering around Boots when I spotted a buy one get one half price on all Bourjois products I jumped at my opportunity and picked up the foundation and the powder from the same range.

Healthy Mix Foundation

For my first ever foundation I was really impressed by this product. I have the colour 052 and I have to be honest that it was just luck that I picked the right colour as I still have no idea how to shop for foundation! The finish is really lovely and the product goes on really smoothly. I am yet to invest in a foundation brush so at the moment I am just using my fingers and it still blends really well. The finish if the foundation is glowy and sheeny so I found that it worked really well for my skin type. The only thing that I would say is powder in the T zone is a must for setting this in place and preventing the skin from looking oily. I did wear this to my Prom and I had it on for a good 10 hours of dancing in a boiling marquee and by the end of the night it was pretty much all still there so I was super impressed with the staying power. It also made my skin look really lovely in photos. I’m saving this foundation for special occasions like parties and meals out but am really impressed with it so far. If I had one problem though it would be the heavy glass bottle as it means it’s not a very good one for carrying around or taking away with you.

Healthy Balance Powder

The only powder that I have bought for the last two years has been the Rimmel Matte Powder. It does the job and it I pretty cheap and I’ve never really seen the point in spending a load of money on a powder. However this one is about £3 cheaper than the Rimmel one but my god do you get your £3 worth. The first issue that I had with the Rimmel power was the plastic lid which I always ended up cracking and breaking which then meant that my powder was unprotected and it was either going to go all over my other makeup or just crack and go everywhere. At the height on my powder lid-less-ness I was using tin foil to protect my power which not only looked stupid but didn’t really work either. I then resulted on keeping powder lids that I had managed not to break as spares! However this powder has a lovely flip up lid which I can’t see breaking anytime soon (touch wood!). And not only that but it also has a mirror! Which I just think is amazing as it means I don’t have to carry around a separate compact mirror anymore, especially helpful when using a small clutch! There isn’t anything to protect the mirror from the powder so it is often quite powdery but I really doesn’t mind – I’m still in awe of this genius design! The powder itself is also really lovely and never goes cakey over whatever skin makeup I wear. And on no makeup days I love wearing just this and a bit of concealer as it still gives some coverage. Also considering how long I’ve had this and how much I have been using it it barely looks like I’ve scraped the surface! I never thought I would be getting so excited about a powder but this is such an amazing one!  

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Healthy Balance Powder

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Healthy Balance Powder

Up until about a month ago I was a total foundation virgin! And that is saying something for someone who loves makeup as much as I do. The first and main reason for this is I hate the idea of having something cakey sitting on my skin all day that feels horrible and doesn’t even look that great. When I thought of foundation I thought of a thick blotchy orange tinted paste, not something I wanted to waste my money on. Also I am very much a BB cream lover, they are light and moisturising but this give all the coverage that I need. Also a bit like perfume shopping the idea of foundation shopping doesn’t really appeal to me. I had no idea where to start trying to find my perfect shade, or if lighting makes a difference or what kind different foundations are even out there. And buying the wrong foundation would be like buying a dress that doesn’t fit properly but not being able to take it back afterwards. And for a student tight on money like me that wasn’t an investment I wanted to risk

However about a month ago I had a prom makeup to buy list and at the top of my list was a foundation. I had wanted to try this one for a while after hearing a lot of good things about it – mostly from Vivianna Does Makeup. She described it as being light and moisturising with a really natural looking finish so it sounded right up my street. So one day on my way to a dance show while I was wondering around Boots when I spotted a buy one get one half price on all Bourjois products I jumped at my opportunity and picked up the foundation and the powder from the same range.

Healthy Mix Foundation

For my first ever foundation I was really impressed by this product. I have the colour 052 and I have to be honest that it was just luck that I picked the right colour as I still have no idea how to shop for foundation! The finish is really lovely and the product goes on really smoothly. I am yet to invest in a foundation brush so at the moment I am just using my fingers and it still blends really well. The finish if the foundation is glowy and sheeny so I found that it worked really well for my skin type. The only thing that I would say is powder in the T zone is a must for setting this in place and preventing the skin from looking oily. I did wear this to my Prom and I had it on for a good 10 hours of dancing in a boiling marquee and by the end of the night it was pretty much all still there so I was super impressed with the staying power. It also made my skin look really lovely in photos. I’m saving this foundation for special occasions like parties and meals out but am really impressed with it so far. If I had one problem though it would be the heavy glass bottle as it means it’s not a very good one for carrying around or taking away with you.

Healthy Balance Powder

The only powder that I have bought for the last two years has been the Rimmel Matte Powder. It does the job and it I pretty cheap and I’ve never really seen the point in spending a load of money on a powder. However this one is about £3 cheaper than the Rimmel one but my god do you get your £3 worth. The first issue that I had with the Rimmel power was the plastic lid which I always ended up cracking and breaking which then meant that my powder was unprotected and it was either going to go all over my other makeup or just crack and go everywhere. At the height on my powder lid-less-ness I was using tin foil to protect my power which not only looked stupid but didn’t really work either. I then resulted on keeping powder lids that I had managed not to break as spares! However this powder has a lovely flip up lid which I can’t see breaking anytime soon (touch wood!). And not only that but it also has a mirror! Which I just think is amazing as it means I don’t have to carry around a separate compact mirror anymore, especially helpful when using a small clutch! There isn’t anything to protect the mirror from the powder so it is often quite powdery but I really doesn’t mind – I’m still in awe of this genius design! The powder itself is also really lovely and never goes cakey over whatever skin makeup I wear. And on no makeup days I love wearing just this and a bit of concealer as it still gives some coverage. Also considering how long I’ve had this and how much I have been using it it barely looks like I’ve scraped the surface! I never thought I would be getting so excited about a powder but this is such an amazing one!  

Tips For A Bad Skin Day

Tips For A Bad Skin Day

I'm currently having on of those days where it feel like my skin has just exploded on my face. I had felt like my skin had been getting a lot better recently and over about 2 days I have just suddenly broken out all over my chin. And I know sudden breakouts are a very common thing so I though I would just share some of my tips for deal with a bad skin day.

Know what you are dealing with
Quite often with sudden breakouts you will be able to pin point spots to specific locations on your face. If you can then it really helps to Google why your spots are occurring where they are. Face mapping is a way of doing this. My spots are mostly around my chin and when I searched this I found that it was mostly hormonal which for me does make sense.

Look at your diet
Quite often when my skin isn't having a great time it is because I haven't been eating or drinking sensibly. By doing this you may be able to work out specific food that cause you to break out, for some people it is chocolate or milk. When my skin isn't great I want to hide away and eat even more rubbish and as tempting as this is really try not to do this. Eat rubbish may taste good but it will leave you feeling even more grotty and possibly make you break out further. So really try to eat as much fruit and vegetables as possible.

Drink more water
Firstly it will stop you snacking on rubbish and should make you feel a lot better. And particularly in summer when it gets hotter it is so important to drink enough water. 

Exercise and rest 
Make sure you get enough exercise everyday even if it is just going for a short walk in the fresh air. But also try to get enough sleep every night, it is recommended that you get 7/8 hours. 

Avoid makeup if you can 
I know that sometimes this is difficult if you are going out somewhere during the day or in the evening like I am, but really make an effort to go as long as you can without makeup. This will mean that skin can breathe and your pores won't be clogged up so hopefully spots are able to heal better and faster. If you do find that you have to wear makeup then make sure that it is as light as possible and you take it off properly as soon as you can.

Use a specific spot treatment 
When my skin is looking a little nasty I like to use a spot treatment to help get rid of my breakouts. The one that I really love is the Clinique spot clearing gel as I find that it works so well. I also try and keep my face clean and hydrated throughout the day.

Don't be scared to look crazy!
When I know I'm not going to leave the house and won't be wearing makeup I like to wash my face as usual and then apply quite a thick layer of Sudocrem to the parts of my face that I think look sore or irritated or have a breakout. It means I am wondering round the house with white patches all over my face and I do look a little scary but this works so well. Sudocrem is really gentle as it is meant for babies but it dries out spots without irritating them more and decreases spot scaring. I honestly couldn't like without this stuff!

These are just a few quite natural things that I like to do when I'm having a bad skin day. I understand that different people have different approaches and some people will want to focus on covering up their breakouts. But I find this works in the long term for me and I hope that this will be useful to some people. 

Tips For A Bad Skin Day

Tips For A Bad Skin Day

I'm currently having on of those days where it feel like my skin has just exploded on my face. I had felt like my skin had been getting a lot better recently and over about 2 days I have just suddenly broken out all over my chin. And I know sudden breakouts are a very common thing so I though I would just share some of my tips for deal with a bad skin day.

Know what you are dealing with
Quite often with sudden breakouts you will be able to pin point spots to specific locations on your face. If you can then it really helps to Google why your spots are occurring where they are. Face mapping is a way of doing this. My spots are mostly around my chin and when I searched this I found that it was mostly hormonal which for me does make sense.

Look at your diet
Quite often when my skin isn't having a great time it is because I haven't been eating or drinking sensibly. By doing this you may be able to work out specific food that cause you to break out, for some people it is chocolate or milk. When my skin isn't great I want to hide away and eat even more rubbish and as tempting as this is really try not to do this. Eat rubbish may taste good but it will leave you feeling even more grotty and possibly make you break out further. So really try to eat as much fruit and vegetables as possible.

Drink more water
Firstly it will stop you snacking on rubbish and should make you feel a lot better. And particularly in summer when it gets hotter it is so important to drink enough water. 

Exercise and rest 
Make sure you get enough exercise everyday even if it is just going for a short walk in the fresh air. But also try to get enough sleep every night, it is recommended that you get 7/8 hours. 

Avoid makeup if you can 
I know that sometimes this is difficult if you are going out somewhere during the day or in the evening like I am, but really make an effort to go as long as you can without makeup. This will mean that skin can breathe and your pores won't be clogged up so hopefully spots are able to heal better and faster. If you do find that you have to wear makeup then make sure that it is as light as possible and you take it off properly as soon as you can.

Use a specific spot treatment 
When my skin is looking a little nasty I like to use a spot treatment to help get rid of my breakouts. The one that I really love is the Clinique spot clearing gel as I find that it works so well. I also try and keep my face clean and hydrated throughout the day.

Don't be scared to look crazy!
When I know I'm not going to leave the house and won't be wearing makeup I like to wash my face as usual and then apply quite a thick layer of Sudocrem to the parts of my face that I think look sore or irritated or have a breakout. It means I am wondering round the house with white patches all over my face and I do look a little scary but this works so well. Sudocrem is really gentle as it is meant for babies but it dries out spots without irritating them more and decreases spot scaring. I honestly couldn't like without this stuff!

These are just a few quite natural things that I like to do when I'm having a bad skin day. I understand that different people have different approaches and some people will want to focus on covering up their breakouts. But I find this works in the long term for me and I hope that this will be useful to some people. 

Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask

Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask 

I've been searching for a new clay face ask for a while, one that would get really deep into my pores and remove all those impurities, of which my skin has a lot! I didn't know what brand or anything I was looking for which is unusual for my as my beauty shopping list is always full with specific products in specific shades that I've liked the look of from other people's videos or blog posts. But this time on my trip to Boots I was left to wonder round the face mask collections and really reading the back of the product to find what I wanted.

This one really caught my eye as it's a brand that I think might be new because I've never seen or heard of it before and I love trying new products as much as the next beauty blogger. After reading the back I found out that the brand Good Things has been developed by award winning beauty writer Alice Hart-Davis. I remember that when I was younger I got a book written by her for my birthday called Be Beautiful. It was filled with beauty tips and tricks for younger girls such as how to apply blushes and how to deal with spots and fun pampering ideas. I think it was one of the first things to really get me into beauty and makeup and I loved how it was also few factual and scientific as well so I trusted that Alice would know a bit herself about skincare and be able to developed a really great product.

Firstly I love the packaging because it's fun and pretty and reminds me of summer. The second thing I noticed was the smell and I was a little disappointed as it's really not a smell I like. Although I have also realised that the only other clay face mask that I have also smells pretty much exactly like this so maybe that's just a general clay face mask smell. Before I used this I took my makeup off, cleansed and then steamed my face. I try and do this about once a week and afterwards I love to use a good face mask, especially a clay one. The steam really opens up your pores so after when you use a face mask it get get even deeper into your pores to really clear them out.

The product itself applied really smoothly to my face and I applied a nice thick layer like it suggested on the back of the product. I then left it on for 10 minutes before washing it off with warm water. While I was wearing the mask my face started to feel really tight as it dried out pretty quickly but I left it on for the recommend time anyway. I wouldn't really suggest leaving it on my longer as it might get uncomfortable. After taking it off my skin felt so nice and smooth. I applied my Clinique spot gel and lots of my Body Shop Vitamin E moisturiser and I was done. I've used this a couple of times now and each time I am so impressed my how much clearer my skin looks the morning afterwards.

All in all despite the kind of yucky smell I love this product. I think it does great things for my fairly sensitive skin and it is pretty gentle so it would be good for most skin types. So next time your in Boots I recommend checking this one out. And let me know if you've tried anything else from this range because I really want to now. 

Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask

Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask 

I've been searching for a new clay face ask for a while, one that would get really deep into my pores and remove all those impurities, of which my skin has a lot! I didn't know what brand or anything I was looking for which is unusual for my as my beauty shopping list is always full with specific products in specific shades that I've liked the look of from other people's videos or blog posts. But this time on my trip to Boots I was left to wonder round the face mask collections and really reading the back of the product to find what I wanted.

This one really caught my eye as it's a brand that I think might be new because I've never seen or heard of it before and I love trying new products as much as the next beauty blogger. After reading the back I found out that the brand Good Things has been developed by award winning beauty writer Alice Hart-Davis. I remember that when I was younger I got a book written by her for my birthday called Be Beautiful. It was filled with beauty tips and tricks for younger girls such as how to apply blushes and how to deal with spots and fun pampering ideas. I think it was one of the first things to really get me into beauty and makeup and I loved how it was also few factual and scientific as well so I trusted that Alice would know a bit herself about skincare and be able to developed a really great product.

Firstly I love the packaging because it's fun and pretty and reminds me of summer. The second thing I noticed was the smell and I was a little disappointed as it's really not a smell I like. Although I have also realised that the only other clay face mask that I have also smells pretty much exactly like this so maybe that's just a general clay face mask smell. Before I used this I took my makeup off, cleansed and then steamed my face. I try and do this about once a week and afterwards I love to use a good face mask, especially a clay one. The steam really opens up your pores so after when you use a face mask it get get even deeper into your pores to really clear them out.

The product itself applied really smoothly to my face and I applied a nice thick layer like it suggested on the back of the product. I then left it on for 10 minutes before washing it off with warm water. While I was wearing the mask my face started to feel really tight as it dried out pretty quickly but I left it on for the recommend time anyway. I wouldn't really suggest leaving it on my longer as it might get uncomfortable. After taking it off my skin felt so nice and smooth. I applied my Clinique spot gel and lots of my Body Shop Vitamin E moisturiser and I was done. I've used this a couple of times now and each time I am so impressed my how much clearer my skin looks the morning afterwards.

All in all despite the kind of yucky smell I love this product. I think it does great things for my fairly sensitive skin and it is pretty gentle so it would be good for most skin types. So next time your in Boots I recommend checking this one out. And let me know if you've tried anything else from this range because I really want to now. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I picked this up last weekend and I have been trying it out everyday since. I know that is probably not long enough to write a review of the product so this is more of a first impressions post. But I am really undecided and have really mixed opinions and though it would be interesting to let you know my views so far. 

Pros: 

• This removes make up really well - before I have always just asked face wipes to take of my makeup before I do my whole face routine. And I know they aren't meant to be very good but they work really well for me. The only thing I did find was that when I woke up in the morning I would still have some black under my eyes from my mascara or eyeliner. This has none of that, it completely removes every single bit of makeup on my face. 
• The price - I haven't tried Bioderma and don't really know much about it but from what I gather it's fairly expensive and this is only £3.99 for 400ml at the moment in Boots! 
• The product is gentle - after using this my skin feels fresh but not stripped and it doesn't feel dry or tight which I thought was going to be a problem. 
• Really easy and simple to use - just pour a little bit onto a cotton pad and wipe your makeup away. And they bottle is really good and effective. 

Cons

• Stung my eyes a bit - it says you can use it to remove eye makeup so naturally I closed my eyes and then gently wiped my makeup away. But the product still got into my eyes and when it did I found it stung a bit and was kind of uncomfortable. I don't know whether I was doing this wrong or something. Now I have to work really carefully not to get any of this in my eye which is pretty difficult and takes a lot longer. 
• Cotton pads - I don't think I wear a ridiculous amount of makeup at all but to remove all my make up using this product took my 5-6 cotton pads. And that was with trying to use both sides. Compared to only needing one of two face wipes I wasn't sure how I felt about this. 

So as you can see I'm really mixed about this product. There are things that I like about it and things that I don't like. I think that I am going to use a make up wipe first to take of the majority of my makeup and then use this to really make sure that everything is completely off my face. Hope this review/first impression was helpful to anybody thinking about buying this product. And if you have tried it then I would love to know what you think or if you have any other product recommendations that you think I would get on better with.
Thanks for reading :) xx

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I picked this up last weekend and I have been trying it out everyday since. I know that is probably not long enough to write a review of the product so this is more of a first impressions post. But I am really undecided and have really mixed opinions and though it would be interesting to let you know my views so far. 

Pros: 

• This removes make up really well - before I have always just asked face wipes to take of my makeup before I do my whole face routine. And I know they aren't meant to be very good but they work really well for me. The only thing I did find was that when I woke up in the morning I would still have some black under my eyes from my mascara or eyeliner. This has none of that, it completely removes every single bit of makeup on my face. 
• The price - I haven't tried Bioderma and don't really know much about it but from what I gather it's fairly expensive and this is only £3.99 for 400ml at the moment in Boots! 
• The product is gentle - after using this my skin feels fresh but not stripped and it doesn't feel dry or tight which I thought was going to be a problem. 
• Really easy and simple to use - just pour a little bit onto a cotton pad and wipe your makeup away. And they bottle is really good and effective. 

Cons

• Stung my eyes a bit - it says you can use it to remove eye makeup so naturally I closed my eyes and then gently wiped my makeup away. But the product still got into my eyes and when it did I found it stung a bit and was kind of uncomfortable. I don't know whether I was doing this wrong or something. Now I have to work really carefully not to get any of this in my eye which is pretty difficult and takes a lot longer. 
• Cotton pads - I don't think I wear a ridiculous amount of makeup at all but to remove all my make up using this product took my 5-6 cotton pads. And that was with trying to use both sides. Compared to only needing one of two face wipes I wasn't sure how I felt about this. 

So as you can see I'm really mixed about this product. There are things that I like about it and things that I don't like. I think that I am going to use a make up wipe first to take of the majority of my makeup and then use this to really make sure that everything is completely off my face. Hope this review/first impression was helpful to anybody thinking about buying this product. And if you have tried it then I would love to know what you think or if you have any other product recommendations that you think I would get on better with.
Thanks for reading :) xx

Soap And Glory The Fab Pore

Soap And Glory The Fab Pore

  
I love Soap and Glory body products like their shower gels and moisturisers as the packaging is cool and they smell amazing. However I can't really say I'm a true Soap and Glory fan as I have never tried one of their face products. It sounds bad but I didn't think that Soap and Glory specialised in skin products and I was worried about putting something from the brand on my face as I have pretty sensitive skin. A few of weeks ago I was shopping in Boots (as I do every weekend!) with a friend and as we were browsing she grabbed this from the shelf, shoved it in my face and told me that I needed it. I love a good face mask anyway and they are the sort of product where it is always good to have a little selection to use when your skin is doing different things - being dry, breaking out, looking irritated etc. 

Just like when bloggers recommend products you know that they've tried it and used it and are giving their honest opinion. But when a friend recommends something to you and says you NEED it, you can expect it to be good! So I put it in my basket and paid for it with my Boots points. 

The product is like an exfoliator and a mask in one. You massage it into dry skin and then leave it on your face for 5-15 minutes depending on what you feel like. Its a pale mint green colour and smells quite strongly of minty toothpaste or something along those line. Probably not everyone's favourite but I think that it smells refreshing and clean. The mask has quite fine grains in to exfoliate the skin without being irritating or too harsh. 

I am just in love with this product at the moment. I've probably used it 7 times since I bought it and it's like I just touched the surface as a little goes such a long way, so this is going to last me forever. I like to use it just after I've cleansed me face just before toner and moisturiser or any of that stuff. It really does feel like it's just cleaning out my pores and after my skin feels so clear and fresh. And I have actually noticed such an improvement to my skin in the last couple of weeks which I think has been a mix of this mask and my Body Shop Vitamin E daily moisturiser which is just as amazing. 

I've just been so impressed with Soap and Glory and am desperate to try out some more of their skincare products soon. Does anyone have any good recommendations for me? If so please let me know in the comments below. xx

Soap And Glory The Fab Pore

Soap And Glory The Fab Pore

  
I love Soap and Glory body products like their shower gels and moisturisers as the packaging is cool and they smell amazing. However I can't really say I'm a true Soap and Glory fan as I have never tried one of their face products. It sounds bad but I didn't think that Soap and Glory specialised in skin products and I was worried about putting something from the brand on my face as I have pretty sensitive skin. A few of weeks ago I was shopping in Boots (as I do every weekend!) with a friend and as we were browsing she grabbed this from the shelf, shoved it in my face and told me that I needed it. I love a good face mask anyway and they are the sort of product where it is always good to have a little selection to use when your skin is doing different things - being dry, breaking out, looking irritated etc. 

Just like when bloggers recommend products you know that they've tried it and used it and are giving their honest opinion. But when a friend recommends something to you and says you NEED it, you can expect it to be good! So I put it in my basket and paid for it with my Boots points. 

The product is like an exfoliator and a mask in one. You massage it into dry skin and then leave it on your face for 5-15 minutes depending on what you feel like. Its a pale mint green colour and smells quite strongly of minty toothpaste or something along those line. Probably not everyone's favourite but I think that it smells refreshing and clean. The mask has quite fine grains in to exfoliate the skin without being irritating or too harsh. 

I am just in love with this product at the moment. I've probably used it 7 times since I bought it and it's like I just touched the surface as a little goes such a long way, so this is going to last me forever. I like to use it just after I've cleansed me face just before toner and moisturiser or any of that stuff. It really does feel like it's just cleaning out my pores and after my skin feels so clear and fresh. And I have actually noticed such an improvement to my skin in the last couple of weeks which I think has been a mix of this mask and my Body Shop Vitamin E daily moisturiser which is just as amazing. 

I've just been so impressed with Soap and Glory and am desperate to try out some more of their skincare products soon. Does anyone have any good recommendations for me? If so please let me know in the comments below. xx

The Body Shop Bargains

The Body Shop Bargains

I had been meaning to get a new light moisturiser for a while and after hearing a lot of good things about the Body Shop's Vitamin E moisturing cream and never having tried anything from the Body Shop skin care range before I decided it was time to give it a go. It just so happened that when I arrived the body shop last week they were having huge sales! So the bargain hunter in me decided that it was much better value to buy this pack of the skin care set containing the moisturiser I wanted from the Vitamin E range for only £18.

At the same time I was also told that my Body Shop card was running out so I also repurchased that for £5 and received this free Jasmine Blossom perfume which I am in love with. It's basically Spring in a bottle! The Body Shop card in not as good as a Boots card in my opinion, but it does offer 10% off everything you buy and free gifts worth between £5 and £10 when you spend certain amounts so if you shop at The Body Shop often then I would recommend it.

If you read my last post on my updated skin care rountine not to long ago then you might be wondering why I am already changing up my skin rountine after saying I was happy with it. I a my Clinique facial products as they are really good at clearing up my skin. What makes them so good is that they are quite strong and drying and over the last few days it has been a little too drying, hence the need for a good moisturiser. I'm also one of those people that wants to try something as soon as a buy it so for the last few days I have been doing my regular skincare routine in the morning but using these new Body Shop products in the evening.

And I am really pleased with the results so far. The Body Shop collection smells lovely and the Clinique products are still keeping my skin clear but I have also noticed how glowing and healthy looking my skin is as well. At the moments I am really loving using these combinations of products on my skin. But I am slowing becoming one of those people who likes to change things up more often, and I'm still on the hunt for that wonder product so I'm just not saying this combination will last forever. Hope you enjoyed this honest post and let me know in the comments below is you have any skin care product recommendations for me, I'd love to hear them. xx