SKINCARE | Cleansing Dry Skin

If you've ever seen my skincare routine post, you'll know I've always been somewhat scared of cleansers. I honestly never used them until recently. I am lucky in having very well-behaved skin, in terms of break outs, so it never really made a difference if I was cleansing it or not. Cleansers have always left my dry, sensitive skin feeling tight and irritated in the past so it just didn't seem worth it to me. It was only in the past few months, as I decided with my mid-twenties were nearing I probably needed to take better care of my skin, that I decided to give them a go again. Apparently the world of cleansers has changed since my last foray into it and things are looking up for people with dry skin. In a surprising turn of events, I've managed to find two cleansers that I really rather enjoy.

GARNIER NOURISHING CLEANSING OIL

This product is, unfortunately, not available in the UK market. I picked it up when I was in the US this summer and my skin was acting up. I'd never even heard of cleansing oils but I'll definitely try some others once I've finished this one. I love using oils to moisturise my skin so I suppose it makes sense that using them to cleanse dry skin works pretty well too. I massage one pump onto my skin and then rinse it off with warm water and it leaves my skin feeling incredibly smooth and soft. 

NO7 BEAUTIFUL SKIN CLEANSING BALM

Another more moisturising cleanser, I've been interested in cleansing balms for a while. It's less messy than an oil, definitely more travel friendly, but I use it in a pretty similar way. Massage it into the skin (which feels lovely, like a thick moisturiser) and wipe it off with a damp flannel or cloth. I get zero irritation or dryness using either of these cleansers, but this one in particular leaves my skin feeling almost soft enough to skip moisturising afterwards.

RECENT FAVOURITES | Summer 2014

I've had an interesting summer so far. The first half was spent enjoying my last few weeks of undergrad life with friends before everyone moved back home, followed by a month of travelling. Now I'm working in an office 9-5 for the rest of the summer so it's been a real mixture. In my travels, and since I've been back, a couple of products I've been using have really stuck out from the rest though.

YORKSHIRE GOLD TEA

This might seem like a bit of an odd one. No, it's not a beauty product. In 2014, I became a tea drinker. I never liked tea before one day, at my friend Zoe's house, she made me a cup of this. And I loved it. I drink my tea black, sometimes with a little bit of honey for some extra antibacterial properties. I'm happy to drink any tea now but this remains my absolute favourite. Since I've been working,  I've been up a lot earlier and as I'm trying not to drink too much coffee, this has been my caffeine kick of choice lately.

LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR DUO

I mentioned this product a long time in my skincare routine post. Generally, I am incredibly lucky with my skin. It's the first thing people compliment me on. However, with travelling a lot and going in and out of planes and buildings with air conditioning and not always keeping up my skincare regimen, came some skin issues this month. My skin was not happy with my mistreatment of it and I had a few (tiny, but irritating to me) break outs to contend with. This restored my skin back to normal in no time at all.

URBAN DECAY ALL NIGHTER SETTING SPRAY

It has been really hot here in the UK. And it was also incredibly hot while I was travelling around. Which is not always great if you're wearing a full face of make up. This product has especially been my saviour for long days at work (or for long nights in sweaty clubs, when I was in Berlin). I spritz it on over my make up and it helps keep things in place all day, no matter how absurdly warm it is outside.

BENEFIT THEY'RE REAL MASCARA

I tried to stay away from this mascara for as long as I possibly could. I knew as soon as I tried it I would love it, and I was right. It has completely replaced my former favourite mascara, the now sadly discontinued Maybelline One by One, in my make up routine. I will be the first to admit: It is ridiculously priced. I bought several tubes in the US as it's a bit cheaper over there. But I have yet to find a mascara I love as much and, for a girl with fairly short, sparse eyelashes, it does wonders so I really hate to be without it.

SKINCARE | Smooth Summer Skin

One of the compliments I most commonly receive in real life is that I have very smooth skin. In the past, I've struggled with very dry, flakey skin but recently, I've made looking after my skin more of a priority. No one likes the tight, uncomfortable feeling of dry skin, especially in the warm summer months. These are the products I consistently use every time I bathe to ensure that my skin feels soft and smooth. 

SOAP & GLORY CLEAN ON ME SHOWER GEL

I've mentioned my love of this product on the blog before. Since discovering this shower gel, I've never deviated from it. It smells fantastic and the creamy formula has a built-in body lotion, to ensure that my skin doesn't feel stripped of its natural oils after showering. Plus it helps keep any pesky keratosis pilaris away (a.k.a. the sore red bumps so many of us get on the backs of our upper arms).

SOAP & GLORY THE BREAKFAST SCRUB

I tend to use this product predominantly on my legs before shaving. I don't shave my legs daily, mostly because I'm not overly bothered about having smooth-shaven legs 24/7. A little bit of stubble never hurt anyone. (Although I'm not confident enough to work the no-shave look.) When I do, I rub a small amount of this into my skin to remove any dead skin and help prevent painful ingrown hairs.

THE BODY SHOP BODY BUTTER

Immediately after I get out of the shower, I moisturise my entire body using this body butter. I have no particular scent preferences; they're all incredible. In the summer I favour fruity scents, like clementine or papaya, while in the winter I lean towards brazil nut or the super moisturising shea butter formula. No other body moisturiser seems to work quite so well though and I always come back to The Body Shop.

RECENT FAVOURITES | Best of 2013

Yes, this is another of those 'best products of 2013' blog posts. No, I will not apologise for being a blogger cliché. If you know anything about me, you know I love lists so this is right up my alley. Hence, I present to you an assortment of products that I came to know and love in this past year.

URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE

I only own the original Naked palette, although I'm now sorely tempted by the Naked 3. I have a modest collection of eyeshadow palettes but the original Naked is always the first one I reach for. For someone with green(ish-blue) eyes, the warm toned colours really suit me. Whenever I travel, this is all the eyeshadow I bring with me. If I could recommend a palette to anyone, it would definitely be this one.

IT'S A 10 MIRACLE LEAVE-IN PRODUCT

My hair is a nightmare. It's long, dry, curly, prone to frizz, and thick. I'm constantly looking for ways to tame it. This is one product that does the trick. I run a few spritzes through wet hair then scrunch it and it stops my hair looking and feeling like straw. Possibly not a good bet for those with fine hair, but my hair needs all the help it can get and this helps along the way.

THE BODY SHOP BODY BUTTER

My skin also suffers with dryness. In the winter I'm prone to sore, itchy skin that feels tight and dried out. It's not the best. Most body moisturisers just don't cut it and leave my skin feeling parched again a few hours after application. The only thing I've found that helps combat my winter dryness is The Body Shop's body butter range. My personal favourite scents are Brazil Nut and Satsuma. 

NARS 'ALBATROSS' HIGHLIGHTING BLUSH POWDER

I used to only wear highlighter on special occasions, or when I could be bothered but recently I've been wearing it most days. Again, it's probably a dry skin thing. I hate a matte face. It just draws attention to dry patches. I've tried several highlighters in various forms, creams, powders, etc. This is my favourite. It blends like a dream and you don't end up looking like a disco ball after applying it.

RIMMEL 'STARRY EYED' LIPSTICK

This is a recent addition to my vampy lipstick collection (I should probably do an updated collection post at some point). I've long been a fan of Rimmel lipsticks. They apply and last well, and they're super cheap. 'Starry Eyed' has been my go-to daytime dark lip of late. Definitely a good one to try out if you're new to the dark lip thing, or want something more everyday appropriate.

LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFECLAR DUO

I mentioned this in my skincare post a while back, but it's still going strong. I'd recommend going and reading that post for more information but basically, it keeps what minimal breakouts I experienced at bay and helps reduce the appearance of pores. It also lasts ages too. I've used mine every day for around 6 months and there's still plenty left in the bottle.

TOM FORD BLACK ORCHID EAU DE PARFUM

I'd wanted this for years and finally received it as a gift for my 21st birthday, back in September. It's a really interesting, androgynous scent. With perfumes, I like intense, unique scents. Nothing that smells like cupcakes or flowers, thank you. It's definitely one to go and smell for yourself. I always get compliments when I wear this.

TARTE 'EXPOSED' AMAZONIAN CLAY BLUSH

Most bloggers worth their salt will likely have heard of this neutral blush. I picked it up on a trip to the US this year and found that it did indeed live up to the hype. If I can't decide what blush to wear, I always end up going for this.  Again, another product I always pack in my travel make-up bag. 

SKINCARE | My Current Routine

I'd never really considered making a skincare post on here before. My skincare routine is agonisingly simple and I'm no dermatologist or even a particularly avid skincare person. I tend to stick to a product if it works for me, and never switch from it. Recently though, a friend asked if I wouldn't mind sharing the extent of my routine in a blog post so I figured I'd oblige. It's very short and sweet, but it works for me.

MY SKIN TYPE

I feel I should first start by saying I have never had bad skin. I've never suffered from acne, only the occasional stress related or hormonal break out. My skin is very sensitive and dry, so I'm wary of trying new products in case I react badly to them. This means I rarely try new skincare products and just try to keep it simple and stick to what I know works. 

DRINK WATER

This is basically my biggest skincare tip. Anyone who knows me knows I drink ridiculous amounts of water every day. I rarely drink juice, squash, or fizzy drinks. I basically only drink water, and buckets of the stuff. I keep a water bottle with me constantly and am always refilling it. I know some people struggle to get into the habit of drinking water but I've always drunk tons of it and I think this really contributes to keeping my skin so clear.

WITCH HAZEL

I use this every night on a cotton pad, and some mornings if I remember, to take off my face make-up (I never use it around my eyes, I use a separate eye make-up remover for that area) and to tone my skin. This is a product I've used religiously ever since I was 13 years old. I've had bad experiences with cleansers and other toners in the past and this has never caused a problem for me. I would like to try an alcohol free witch hazel to compare how that works, but otherwise I never stray from this step.

LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR DUO

This is a newer product I only started using a few months ago. It's a serum that claims to 'correct and unclog' skin. I apply it to my t-zone (which is the only area I ever break out) after I've toned with witch hazel and I like it a lot. It keeps the few break outs I used to experience at bay, and reduces the appearance of any blackheads I may have. I've also heard from several others, with very different skin types to mine, that this product works fantastically on their skin too.

SOAP & GLORY FEEL GOOD FACTOR SPF 25

I began using this as my daily facial moisturiser at the start of summer because I needed a moisturiser with an SPF in it. It's the best facial moisturiser I've tried yet because it's never broken me out or irritated my skin. In the summer my skin is less dry, so I'll be interested to see how well this works in the colder months when I have incredibly dry, flakey skin.

BIO-OIL

This is a product with a few purposes for me. I use it on stretch marks, and on my face at night. It's incredibly moisturising and always leaves my skin looking amazing, almost glowing, the next day. I find it also lessens the appearance of any discolouration of the skin and actually helps with break outs, instead of making them worse. I use this less often in the summer, when my skin is less dry, but in the winter I'll apply one to two drops of Bio-Oil to my face every night and sometimes a drop in the mornings too.