My Skincare Routine

My Skincare Routine

As I move into my 20's I only recently started changing up my skin care routine, thinking that sticking to what I know would hel
p my skin...but unfortunately still struggling with break outs regularly meant I needed to change it up and stay away from products I have been using since I was 13. Now with the clearest my skin has ever been I wanted to share with you guys the products I use twice a day to rid myself of excess oils and stop break outs from coming. 

The first product I always start with is my Origins Checks and Balances frothy face wash, one I saw on Cosmopolitan recommend list on Snapchat and knew I had to try it for myself. On the website it says it is suited to all skin types from normal to oily but since I have been using it for a few months now I wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't have oily skin as you can get dry patches when used frequently. Fortunately for me, I have
oily skin which I have been trying to help for a while now but nothing seemed to work until this. You only need a pea size amount of product as a little goes a long way which means it lasts around 6 months, maybe longer depending on how much product actually comes out (the amount of times I didn't realise until my face is lathered is too many to count) which makes the price very reasonable. I have noticed that it does make the skin feel a little tight after but when you moisturise you can't tell. I don't think I will be using a different face wash for a while now! Since the first time I used it my face has looked less oily, I rarely get spots apart from the odd hormonal one! I would 100% recommend to anyone who is struggling with oily skin!. 

After washing I use my Lush Tea Tree Water with a cotton pad to close up the pores and prep ready for the other products. You only need about 3 squirts of it and that covers the whole face, the smell is amazing and I'm on my second bottle! The main reason I love this toner is how good my skin looks and smells like after using it, my skin almost has a matte look and if a break out comes it will almost be gone by the morning. Again the larger size bottle has lasted me about 8 months of constant use so it is well worth the price!.

The next product is a new one to my routine, The Body Shop had a 3 for 2 on and since I already had 2 things the lady at the counter helped me choose  the Tea Tree Oil once we talked about my
oily skin at the check out and thank god she did! It is a pure concentrate oil you can either mix with you moisturiser or put on straight after toner but before moisturiser (which is my preferred method) which helps balance out the oils in your skin and prevent break outs. It completely mattifys your face and soaks almost instantly. I use a drop on my forehead, nose, both cheeks and chin to completely cover my face as when I used a drop on the forehead and t-zone the rest of my face was still flaring up. Considering how good this actually is, it is very affordable and can be used multipurpose to help with products drying out as well!.

After the Tea Tree Oil has soaked in I use my Neutrogena Water Boost Gel Moisteriser which has a nice light weight feel to it. This is another recent purchase for me, I've been using it for about 3 months now and it fully
hydrates my skin keeping away dry patches, if I want to add serums to it as well it
mixes really nicely and doesn't separate from it. This is a little pricey but it is worth it if you just want something to hydrate your skin without anything else added in.

Every other night (or at least once a week) I use my Nip & Fab Bee Sting Repair shot either as the concentrate or mixed with my moisturiser to help with fine lines on my forehead or to lightly plump my cheeks. I normally put a drop on my finger and work that down one cheek and up my forehead then another on the other side, it is quite watery so you do need to work fast to stop it from running straight off again! I'm not sure if it does make a difference but I think my fine lines are less prominent since I have been using it. 

Last of all I use my e.l.f acne gel on any break  outs so they are either gone or not so visible, this is honestly the best break out solution I have found, it is mild on the skin but works a wonder! 

Since using these products my skin is almost completely cleared (apart from old break out scars from when I didn't know better!) and I hope this helps you find products for you! Links down below to all products mentioned.

https://www.origins.co.uk/product/15342/11226/skincare/cleanse/face-wash-and-cleanser/checks-and-balances/frothy-face-wash

https://uk.lush.com/products/tea-tree-water

https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/face/view-all/tea-tree-anti-imperfection-daily-solution/p/p001103

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Face-Gels/Neutrogena-Hydro-Boost%C2%AE-Water-Gel-Moisturiser-50ml/p/722849

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Face-Serums/NipFab-Bee-Sting-Fix-Repair-shot-30ml/p/723540?singleResultSearchPage=true

https://www.superdrug.com/e-l-f-/e-l-f-Acne-Fighting-Gel-Clear/p/735169?singleResultSearchPage=true

The Body Shop Spring/Summer Feel Good Box

The Body Shop Spring/Summer Feel Good Box

Since I have started going to The Body Shop more and testing out their products I saw their spring/summer feel good box on their website and decided to try it out as everything in the box I have been either looking at trying or it sounded really nice to try out. The packaging matches the theme with the bold colours but opening it up everything is wrapped in black tissue paper held together with The Body Shop logo tape keeping everything hidden until you rip it open. Inside there are pamper treats as well as one of their matte lipsticks all perfectly going with the season.  Inside you get a matte lipstick in the shade Havana Red Matte, the British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter, Swietenia Fresh Flora perfume, Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask, the Oils Of Life Sleeping Cream and the Drops Of Youth Concentrate which is a lot for the $12 it costs!. The product I am most looking forward to trying is the Drops of Youth Concentrate as I have been wanting to try it since I first went in!.

 To start off with I swatched the lipstick, the colour is perfect for summer as it is nice and bright but doesn't have any orange undertones which I tend to find in most lipsticks in similar shades. The formula is velvety and none drying (I would go to say it is quite moisturising) and stayed on my hand even when I tried to get it off with a make up wipe which is an achievement for just a regular lipstick!. This is defiantly something I will be using all summer!.

 I have quite a lot of body butters from them already but haven't tried the British Rose one yet so it was nice to add to the collection. It smells amazing and makes your skin feel soft after first application! I found this isn't as hard as some of the other body butters they do which is a nice change, I'm not sure if it gave a glow but it certainly made my skin feel amazing and smell amazing too!. If you're looking for a body butter for summer I would recommend this one as it smells like summer and I haven't had any dry patches even when I have been out in the sun!.

The Drops Of Youth Concentrate is something I have been wanting to try for a while now to help with fine lines so I was really excited this was in the feel good box for me to try out. I used it before I went to be, dropping a little on my finger and using it on my forehead leading down to both cheeks before waiting for it to settle. I didn't really notice a change instantly but I think it is more of a building concentrate so I will have to use it for about a month before seeing any difference. I have to say that it does smell amazing and caused no irritation on my skin (thank god) so I will definitely be using it more and letting you guys know how it goes!.

Every time I go in The Body Shop I always see the Oils of Life products and say I will try some out but inside the box is the Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream which is a nice change from using my normal moisturiser before bed. The smell is a little strong for something I would usually put on my face but I gave it the benefit of the doubt getting a dab from the pot and putting it on before I went to sleep. It is a little thicker as I currently use a gel moisturiser but it felt nice. I didn't see much difference but like the Drops Of Youth I am going to use it a little longer for it to have the full effect and let you know!.

The next product I tired out I haven't really noticed they sell (more heading towards the make up or the body butters to notice) so it is a nice treat to try out. The Swietenia Fresh Flora perfume is a little strong compared to what I would usually choose but the sweet smell is very summery compared to my other ones which will be good to go out with in the day time. I love how they tell you exactly what is in it and about the main ingredient as you normally just smell and if you like it buy it.

The last product in the feel good box is the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask which is the perfect trick! I normally use Lush masks but as it was in the box I thought I would give it a go. I love charcoal so was really excited to use this and it really did pay off! I only needed about half the packet to fully cover my face, rubbing in circle motions to cover my whole face then I waited about 10 minutes before rinsing it off again using the circle motions. My skin looked clear and lightly glowing, there was no irritation and it smelled amazing like all Body Shop products do!.

I genuinely can't wait for them to release another seasonal box, every product in this box I have loved using and know I will use again! Plus the box is great for storage.


https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/gifts/for-her/spring-summer-feel-good-box/p/p002390

Intro

Make up is something I've never really been interested in...it might be to do with the fact that growing up there wasn't a female present to teach me which products do what and how to apply them. My dad tried his hardest, bless him, but being a single father was hard enough and growing up he did his best in the make up department when school discos were coming up and other social events we wanted to wear make up for. Moving from primary school to secondary school you learn a bit on your own from new friends and observation. But apart from foundation (a few shades too dark), mascara (applied too thick, like spider legs) and eyeliner (thick with wings heading to your eyebrows) you don't learn much. Already I felt behind compared to other girls my age; their eyebrows plucked to a neat controlled shape, bronzer defined their cheeks, lipstick skillfully applied with lip liner and eyeshadow  blended with presision. Anything different from the little bits of make up I used seemed alien... eventually you learn a bit more but then another trend takes over and you try hard to catch up but suddenly everything in your make up bag is out of trend and your five trends back from the current. The make up world is ever growing and quick, you have your basics; foundation, mascara and eyeliner then you have the trends; contouring, highlighter, glitter everywhere and of course different applicators like the new silisponge by Molly Cosmetics. In this blog I'm going to be honestly reviewing different brands, trends and trying to keep up with is crazy world. I hope you'd like to take the ride with me and maybe learn something new yourself.

~ From A