#saw some examples of parts of the writing being highlighted but im not too sure how i feel about that yet

[midnights-wish]

put this together as a mix of different things i kind of liked; i'm not sure i'm too happy with it, feels like something is missing.

i also want to make it a little more colourful, but i'm not sure how — was thinking to add colours depending on the most prevalent colour of the book cover, but then the whole journal would be too colourful for my liking.

thoughts? tipps? tricks? help?

[th3okamid3mon]

Spies in disguise, weirdly wholesome (Spoilers)

This movie was so freaking weird. I thought Blue Sky Studios was so dead, the only movie I´ve seen from them was Ice Age and Robots, and Ice Age went downhill after the 3rd movie. But this??? This could be their revival.

Sinopsis: 

Lance Sterling is one of the best spies in the agency. He loves his job and does it really well but when a bad guy starts harming different people across the world using his face, Sterling has to clear up his name in any way possible with the help of a young scientist called Walter Beckett. Problem is, though, the same scientist tried a very complex experiment on him by accident which result on him turning into something everybody hates: a pigeon. 

Animation: 

I´m sure Blue Sky has made more animated movies than just Ice Age, but being completely honest I literally only knew that one. I loved that movie, I also like Robots, but the rest they´ve made aren´t as striking to me. 

As an animation studio they know what they are doing, it is really good. The details in the water and rocks, all the backgrounds? They all look awesome!

It´s no Klaus though. In comparison to other movies, this is pretty much blends with the rest of the CGI movies there exist. Ice Age and Robots had a very distinctive style, but this one? This looks like something Pixar would do (they kind of went a bit downhill, Toy Story 4 was not needed and The Incredibles 2 felt off and incomplete, animation was fine, writing meh. I hope Onward and Soul are better. Fingers crossed.) I also thought Dreamworks made it. It´s not very... original as in the style of the animation. 

The lighting was cool as hell!! The first scene in Japan WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME. It had amazing highlights and it was perfect blend in the atmosphere. The darks werent so obscure you couldnt see anything and when a certain light hit the character it was a great contrast. 

The design of the characters were really great, the background characters looked kind of the same though. It was like the main characters were anime protagonists in this case, not only because of the design but because they use more striking and hotter colors in them while the background characters had really opaque palettes. 

Story and Characters: 

So.. Disclaimer: Spy movies taken seriously is not my thing. I HATE Mission Imposible. I HATE JAMES BOND 1, 2, 3, INIFINITE WHATEVER. I hate them, they are boring and the main characters are worst than Superman (Who, by the way, I also HATE. not the animated one, just the live action one. LIKE BATMAN I HA-). That´s because they portray them as all mighty, powerful, type of card of all traits. Making them too useful and too able makes it boring and it makes you question Why do they even have a freaking team with them?

In this case you have the all mighty, hella cool and able Lance Sterling. He works alone, he is able to do everything and anything, right? Well, at least he is charismatic and such. Of course you have to add something to him so he isn´t just a cocky super human spy. What do you do? GIVE. HIM. AN. OBSTACLE. AND. MAKE. IT. HILARIOUS. Thank god this is comedy. 

It was a really weird premise for the super spy to become a pigeon. From all animals, a Pigeon? Uh... Yeah, sure? This director and writer do know how to make this shit work. And BOI was this really interesting. 

So it goes like this: Sterling goes against a bad guy who isn´t even the main bad guyTM. He does his cool fighting montage during which POOF, GLITTER! Glitter..? Da fuq? And he rolls with it because if he doesn´t he COULD DIE. (I know there´s the flashback montage for Walter at the beginning but bare with me). He gets the briefcase, which had a very dangerous and powerful machine which in spanish is called LITERALLY ASESINO (MURDERER) , LA-DI-DA-DI-DA he goes back to the agency and... The briefcase is empty and some agent comes all of the sudden and has some recording where it is shown HE stole it and killed some guys in Japan with it.

But he escaped, relax. 

Now, previously he had fired Walter because he got into Sterling´s things and put the glitter bomb, which actually did his purpose: distract and make everyone happy. 

Walter is actually a curious character to me. He has good intentions, he just wants to make a safer world and all his inventions in comparison to the rest are to minimize damage and to protect not only the spies but also the villains. Now days we have characters who are mostly all in favor to not kill, because killing is wrong. It´s not a new thing, its a pretty old concept, but it is mostly seen in TV shows (at least from the movies I´ve seen, even if the hero doesn´t want to kill, the villain still ends up dead somehow). From all the movies I´ve seen, there were several that didn´t killed the villain but... I didn´t like them at all because the villain didnt even made sense (IM LOOKING AT YOU FROZEN 1 AND THE INCREDIBLES 2, FUCKING WASTE OF MONEY AND VILLAINS, SO HELP ME GO-) 

I dont know why Walter stick to me so much more than any other characters in other movies. His motivations were always for the greater good even as a kid. The biggest inspiration in his life was and is his mother, and I think because of her dead that motivation became even stronger. His whole personality and genuine care into his work to help others leaks in everything he does. It´s in your face, ALL THE TIME, but in a good way? It isnt at the point of being annoying, it´s weird how they manage to make such a nice character with certain points that are quirky without making him annoying. 

Ok, back to the story without spoiling much and going to the point, they both start working out how Sterling as a pigeon can do his spy work and Walter works on an antidote while also helping Sterling with the spy work. Question: Is it original? I dont know. Does it matter? No. 

Look, the concept of a character turning into something is not really original and as spy movies we all KNOW in all 9 levels of Mictlan that Spy theme movies are not original at all. Spy Kids? That was slightly more original than any other spy movie I ever seen AND I LOVED IT. The important manner here is and will always be the characters which... Well... Will Smith acted as Will Smith, or well.. I watch in spanish... wait... 

Ok, I already knew Mario Filio was the official Will Smith voice Actor... 

HOLY SHIT, EMILIO TREVIÑO IS MILES MORALES TOO?!?!? 

Where was I...? Ah, yeah. 

As a plot, it had pretty much a lot of dark themes and several heavy spots. For example: The talk between Will- I MEAN Sterling and Walter in the boat, where they talk about how to fight the villain we saw a bit more of them. We already knew the motivation for Walter, but Sterling? The cocky cock has feelings? WHO WOULD´VE KNOWN! He really doesnt want people to get killed and it gets to him, because that form limits him a lot. Walter is so stress too, they both want the best for the people and they argue but in a manner that makes it a bit heavy. Walter is still young and too dreamy, Sterling has worked in the battle field, he tells Walter  you have to fight fire with fire and doing it Walter´s way is not gonna work because bad people doesnt care about the good people. Walter replies that there are no good or bad, only people. (UM... I HAVE A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH THAT?? But I will discuss it later.) 

There some scenes i did not expect to get emotional and it quickly returns to comedy but not as awkwardly as I would thought. It´s a fun movie, if it wants too it gets a tad heavy and if it wants to it becomes extremely dumb. It´s a weird blend, the concept is super dumb but the plot and the characters teaches you certain things like: People still get hurt even if you acted with the best intentions. Sometimes to solve a problem you need to think in another way. Kindness is a powerful weapon. And most importantly: Weird is good. 

Conclusion: 

So... It was a really fun movie. Weirdly wholesome, weirdly good! Pretty good actually, it didn´t get me much as other movies but it did stick to me. It has good animation, the characters are enjoyable and charismatic, the super good boi is Walter MY GOD, HE DESERVES THAT JOB HE GOT. Sterling is a good pal once he sees the value in Walter. That part with the egg was strange but Walter made it have sense and they both rolled with it and it was pretty cool.

Now, the messages are good. I understand people are people and such. You shouldnt kill because its wrong. I mean, the villain DID kind of had second thoughts after Walter saved him from falling after turning the droid off, which was SO COOL TO HAVE KILLIAN LOOK LIKE THAT. He didn´t had to say shit, just that look of ¨Huh... That kid did save me even after I tried to kill him...¨ Yes, give me more shown not tell. THIS MOVIE HAD A LOT OF SHOW NO TELL, THANK YOU. 

Still, bad people not always want to change. Some bad people stay bad, and sometimes we will have to fight back. We had movies like The Incredibles 2 or Steven Universe: The Movie shown what should we do and what happens to the villains. They had a backstory, they had their motives, as heartbreaking their backstories were what they did was wrong and at least one of them in those examples were punished for their wrongdoing. Steven in the movie fought back instead of getting himself hurt. 

In this movie, the villain was kind of kept a mystery, his backstory wasn´t a flashback or anything, it was told by the character but I think that was a good thing because the pain in his eyes and the anger he felt leaked from his explanation to Sterling. Even when he was explicitly a bad guy from the beginning, before even the movie started, we can see that those bad guys, in fact, are people too, and as the good people they can get hurt too because they have families, friends, pets, interests, hobbies and more. Walter does have a point, they are just people so we shouldn´t kill them. I guess the problem I have with the saying ¨There´s no good or bad, just people¨ is that the people who do bad things, people like Killian, they hurt and murder so many people and I am not fine with those kind of people. I say Eye for an eye, but then again ¨Eye for an Eye and everyone gets blind¨. 

I dont know why or how they manage to get somehow complex in movie where a person LITERALLY TURNS INTO A FEMALE PIGEON. Oh, yeah, by the way. Sterling becomes a female pigeon because Walter uses a feather of his female pet pigeon. 

I had low expectations and came out impressed and howling with laughter even after getting home. I do recommend this movie for his whole ridiculousness and for his weird but wholesome character development, bonding, different characters and final message. 

Weird is good and we need weird to make the world a better, safer place. 

-Sincerely weird, T.O.D 

[grandieur]

A R I A N E

greetings from your self-proclaimed friend! first of all, i would like to send my apologies if my clingy tactics, unnecessary updates to you about fandoms or my life or my opinions, and my other song choices for your playlist, pissed you off somehow.

in addition, i am extending my sincerest excuses for sending this a link to this blog post six days after you turned eighteen and for giving you a highlighter and a colored pen as a gift. i know you, as a good friend of mine, deserved a better gift for your eighteenth but wait until i get a good-paying job and i’ll treat you to a coffee and other cute friendly things.\

in defense to the stationery materials, the yellow highlighter is cute okay. it reminds me of yoonjin, the eternal roommates ship for some reason. and the teal pen is kinda expensive for a regular colored pen, idk why it was overpriced but i gave it to you because millenial pink and teal colors are like your personalities.

now for the thanks! thank you for being there! i cannot even remember how our friendship started unlike that comfort room anecdote of you and aira (which is similar to how taehyung, the friendly idol, makes friends with other celebrities and humans in the restroom, for example: jang moonbok of p101). was it in ninth grade? eighth grade? my mind is testing me. all i know is that one of the factors which made me interested with you is that we both (and josefina too) shared feelings for that guy we should leave unnamed. gohd, i was gushing when i learned your backstory in preschool and that you share the same birthdate and that aaahhhh. we were bitter i know but that bitterness is the coffee our friendship needed for it to be awaken.

and in tenth grade, i learned about you liking seokjin the way i did?! and i kept on teasing you and claiming he was mine (i was such a possessive fan before and thinking about it now makes me want to vomit) every time you visit the smc classroom. and that you gave me printed photos of me, sigh, i still have them to date. when i knew we shared a same bias, i wondered what’s with our somewhat similar guy preferences lol but that was in the past, because im a queer now and i myself don’t know what i like. also for the books i borrowed! i recall borrowing from you at least once or was it vice versa but still thank you!

now senior high arrived and we transferred to the same school and every time i see you, it was mandatory on my part to either call your name or wave at you or chat with you, or all. then in second semester, you became classmates with my ex-crush and ohgod i don’t want to backtrack on my messages to you because i sound like a pesky wasp inquiring how he is. his looks are gold but nope, past is past.

the epilogue too! oh wow, can you believe we both saw our faves for the first time at the same time? in the same lower box section (but separate seats, which sucks somehow)? i really am grateful for sharing 160730 with you. and also 170506, when i called you for awake and i cried on the phone because seokjin makes me a crybaby. sorry if you didn’t hear him clearly due to my tears but okay, maybe i should send you a copy of jian’s (not mine, because i gave her my camera to shoot the fancam because i went front to call you and cry at his presence and vocals and visuals and lyrics and song) fancam to make up.

i would also like to mention how thankful i am for the spotify playlist. it was like stamping a tradition on our friendship that will transcend schools, and careers. we share too much on our music preferences and i’m happy to gush to someone about an artist most of my peers know nothing about. and for liking my retweets or tweets on my personal twitter. i don’t receive clout so when there’s a notification of someone liking my re/tweets, i smile sometimes.

thank you for everything that has been, kim ariane. me denouncing the fact that you are one of the best people i have met is like me denying that kim seokjin is worldwide handsome. what a joke. your presence in my life is honestly magnificent. our poem to you is real, your presence in our lives really makes our times worthwhile. i don’t know how you do it but i thank the heavens for having a friend in you. that was cheesier than burger king’s four-cheese whopper.

i hope your legality entails you to more happiness you deserve. and sure, more drinks too, but i strive to be that non-alcoholic sober friend in parties so yeah. more things to be cherished. more lifetime to immerse in. more success to achieve. more books to read. more albums and playlists and tracks to hear. more concerts to attend to. more poetry and literature to write. more movies and series to see.  more birthdays to spend. more coffee to drink. more food to taste. more persons to meet. more advocacies to fathom and stand with. more moments with your friends and family. more places to visit. more countries to fly to. more smiles to beam.

belated happiest birthday to you ariane! may the heavenly bodies shine brighter on your life.

[transamorousnetwork]

Letters@The Transamorous Network

Editor's note: In this series, we'll highlight conversations with our readers/viewers. We think folks will benefit from these conversations. All names are made up to protect everyone's privacy and this letter, from a person in Russia who doesn't speak English, has been edited for clarity:

Hi there! Been loving the podcast, which I just discovered...

I have a question, and it feels very uncomfortable to ask as I continue to learn about the complexity involved with trans women and how they transition and the sensitivity around their bodies and not wanting to offend them with stupid or possibly offensive questions...

I'm embarking on my first relationship with a trans woman...we met online and have been hitting it off...we were doing video chat the other night and I noticed for the first time a "5 o clock shadow" in the shape of a goatee on her face. Im doing everything intellectually to try and not judge, or feel anything about her is "lesser," but I can't help but feel a loss of attraction. Im also now struggling with my own journey because although I have been with a trans woman before and im very attracted to trans women, I fear my expectations around appearance are totally warped based on pornography...and now i'm worried about who and what i am actually attracted to and what this all means.

Thank you for having this forum and allowing me to be honest. Again im not trying to be judgmental; I am just having a real emotional struggle around what I saw and how I am supposed to feel about it. Any encouraging words...or you can give me tough love and put me in my place...would be much appreciated:)

Thank you.

Warmly,

Clayton

Hi Clayton,

This is Perry from The Transamorous Network. What a great email you sent. I’m going to explain why, then I’ll get to your question/comment/concern. I’m going to respond thoroughly to it, so this email will probably be a bit long. Just think of it that you’re getting your money’s worth 😂

Sounds like you’ve watched or listened to some of our interviews on our podcast or YouTube channel, so you have some idea where we come from. Where we come from can benefit anyone, but some aren’t ready for what we offer. That said…let’s start with how great your email is.

The fact that you’re willing to challenge your knee-jerk reaction to what you saw is so great. Most of the time, when a person has a belief confrontation (a belief or story that reality “confronts” or offers counterfactual data in the “face” of the story) that person usually will react to the emotion instead of what’s causing the emotion. I’m pretty sure you don’t know what emotions are for (the vast majority of people don’t) but the fact that you’re challenging your initial feelings is a great indicator.

That you’re clear enough to write it down without defending how you feel, or more importantly, the story you’re telling, means you’re open to creating and then holding onto a better story. One that will, over time, create realities consistent with it rather than the stories responsible for the reality you now are experiencing.

So, this is why I said your email is great. You’re open. That’s half most of the battle. 😊

So here’s the thing about trans women: like you, they are going through a transition. That means, there will be times when they may appear more like they’d rather not appear than how they want to appear. Unlike any photo, or movie (doesn’t matter if it’s porn) or any relationship you see on the street that you’re not a part of, you are in this person’s unfolding life experience. So you are seeing all that she wants you to see….and all that she doesn’t necessarily want you to see.

How you respond to that in a large way will determine how she feels, then reacts to, her emotions/thoughts/stories about herself, then about you, about men (I know that’s unfair), about relationships, and about life. So you play a big role in this person’s life.

This is a big part of what we show our clients. You aren’t playing the biggest role in her life (she is) but you are playing the biggest role in your life, with her playing a subordinate role in yours.

In other words, you both are participating in creating the experience each of you are having. This is important background.

We tell our clients the following: when you first meet someone, you are a complete match to that person. If you remain in the feeling-place you were in when you first met that person, your relationship will unfold wonderfully. Most people can’t do that though.

Most people start allowing old stories to get activated, just like you’re doing here. We talk about story or belief “constellations”: a web of related stories one has, over time, fused with their attention. So at the slightest provocation, they get activated and when they do, it’s hard for someone who doesn’t know what we offer to do anything other than go along with the behavior pattern associated with that constellation.

In a situation such as what you’re experiencing, usually a guy will feel what you felt after seeing her with facial hair, activate his old stories about what "women" and “men” “are”, and what they’re not, what they have, and what they don’t, how they look and how they don’t look…even though, for example, there are PLENTY of non-trans women with facial hair!

Then they’ll activate stories about themselves: about who they are and who they’re not, about what they are and what they’re not, they’ll entertain "what if" stories about being out with such a person, being seen with such a person, and THE STORIES THAT WOULD GET TRIGGERED ABOUT THEMSELVES WHEN IN THOSE SITUATIONS….even though those situations aren’t happening, and don’t have to happen.

Faced with too much negative emotion and not knowing what that means, the guy, the usual guy, will ghost the trans woman. Or pretend to still be interested, but over time fade away. Or they’ll abruptly leave the woman with no explanation, or a bogus one.

Does all this seem logical? It should, because it happens all the time, which is why trans women have so many bitter stories they tell all over social media. Trans women aren't the only people subjected to such behavior. It’s universal.

Here’s the thing about the person you are “embarking on” a relationship with: when you first met her you were “hitting it off”. Now, you get to see and experience stories you have that will put the kibosh on this good thing you have if you continue putting energy into them. Your stories create your reality. Getting to see these stories is fantastic, if you know what to do about them, because if you didn’t know they were there, you couldn’t do anything about them. So this whole affair is a GOOD THING.

Although it usually isn’t thought of this way, “attraction” is an emotion. You felt that emotion because you were telling stories consistent with feeling that way. Now, after getting data that was, still is and is supposed to be helpful (data = the 5 O'clock shadow) you are no longer feeling attraction. That means you have activated a whole host of different stories (a constellation) about all the conditions of your relationships (and more) that if they happen, will be unsatisfactory to you.

The thing is, you are love in a body. But that love you are is UNCONDITIONAL. You feel love for others because that is what you are. But when you tell stories inconsistent with who you know yourself to be, you feel other than what you are (love). This is the work of a human: coming into synch with what they are.

When you get there (and you can) your love for others becomes unconditional. Even if they have a 5 O'clock shadow, you love them no matter what. It doesn’t mean you have to be with them, which I’ll get to in a moment when I talk about your expectations.

You can be with this person no matter how they look “right now” because “right now” is on a continuum of “becoming more and better”. She’s going to get better and better looking as she continues her journey. Along the way, you get to play a role. The question is, what role are you going to play? You don’t have to play one. Which leads me right to your expectations. (No tough love coming 😊)

You have expectations because they’re supposed to be met. Every one is supposed to be fulfilled. But that doesn’t necessarily mean instantly. Nor can they be met if you aren’t a match to them.

For example, let’s say you want a trans woman who looks like the girls you see in porn flicks: mostly feminine looking, “passable” and with a penis (I’m not saying that’s what you want, I’m just giving an example). But let’s say you don’t want a porn star, you want a trans woman who is professional and successful but looks like a porn star. Professional like a lawyer, or an accountant or something.

That trans woman, your ideal, is not going to tolerate someone who feels insecurity and fear about what others think about them. She’s not going to be ok with someone who is trepidatious about their own sexuality just because he likes sucking dick.

So listen, your expectations are meant to be fulfilled. But you must first become a match to the type of person you expect! If you’re not a match, you’re not going to meet them.

How do you know if you’re a match? Look at your now and what and who is in it. And who you’re being. It’s very easy to tell. And again, expectations will not be fulfilled instantly like magic. That’s not how life works. It’s gradual, it’s a process. Just like your friend’s transition is a process.

So what if she has a 5 O'clock shadow sometimes? Sometimes she doesn’t. Probably most times she doesn’t. Tell stories about how good she looks when she doesn’t and focus on those stories and watch how you find herself together with her more when she doesn’t have a 5 O'clock shadow than when she does.

Or, you’ll meet eventually a trans woman who is further along in her transition and thus more of a match to your 5-O'clock-shadow expectations. But remember what I wrote above about how expectations work: you first must become a match to them before they fulfill themselves.

Now, about judgement. Judgement gets a bad wrap by most everyone. But life experience is designed so that you get to choose what you want from what you don’t want. You do that by judging. So don’t besmirch your judgments. Just be aware of how you feel when you judge so you can tune your judging so you get what you judge you want instead of more of what you’re judging. How you do that is what I show my clients and is too complex to share here.

Anyway, you’re doing fine no matter what you decide about this situation. You clearly have more sensitivity to what’s going on inside you than most. Don’t be hard on yourself, and, above all, don’t think that trans women are scarce and that you MUST make this relationship work because they’re so hard to find. That’s the biggest story that trips up so many trans attracted guys, besides fearing what they are because they find themselves attracted to trans women.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

TTN

[khadeza-s]

Finally, my most requested post is live! I didn't want to release it until I was completely happy with all the products I was using so I could comfortably recommend them to you all. This will be a lengthy post but I’ve included lots of images so you don't get too bored just reading. Grab yourself some snacks as you might be here awhile!

Please bear in mind that everyones skin is different, something that works well for me, may not work well for you. You have to experiment with different products to find the right one for YOUR skin. Anything I refer to is specific to my experience and my skin. All products are linked - just click on the product names :).

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding products or anything else! Enjoy ♥.

DAYTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

All of the above products are part of my current morning skincare routine, I rotate them around every other week but I like to remain quite consistent with certain products to give my skin time to get use to them. It also allows the product to be effective. I find changing products around too often can make skin worse and you’re less likely to learn what suits your skin type. If you don't have a skincare routine and you're looking for one, I highly recommend trying one or two products at a time (one cleanser, one exfoliator, one toner etc). This way you're more likely to find one that suits you, and if something is causing you to breakout it’ll be SO much easier to notice which product it was and stop using it.

A “typical” morning skincare routine may consist of: Cleanser Exfoliator Toner Eye Cream Serum/Oil Moisturiser SPF

You dont HAVE to follow this routine, everyone has their own style of routine and some people may feel this is too much or like me you may not have time for all of this everyday!

CLEANSERS

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Cleansing Fix

I LOVE the NIP+FAB products so much and I’ve written a whole post on them here. I use this cleanser for those mornings when I still have traces of makeup on my face or when I have more time go through skincare steps (weekends mostly or my days off). This also helps fade away blemishes and really cleans the face well.

GARNIER - Pure Active 3 in 1

This product was purchased purely on recommendation (@mary.s.khan)! Maryam has the most beautiful skin and she said she had been using this for years. I was quite skeptical as I’m not keen on 3in1 products as I find they don't work well in all that they claim however this has surprised me and I find its so convenient for those morning where my skin needs that extra step that I just don't have time for! This is a wash, scrub and mask! Pretty impressive, huh! The only thing that I dislike about this is the smell, its not terrible but its not appealing either. It works really well and leaves skin feeling super soft and refreshed.

EXFOLIATORS

Clean&Clear - Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub

I have been using this product for the longest time! I always take a break from it after about 6 months of continuous use and then return to using it again. The reason I do this is because I feel if you use a product for too long it just stops being as effective as your skin gets use to it. Its such a gentle scrub so for me its more like a face wash than a scrub/exfoliator which is why its perfect for everyday use. I honestly don't have much time in the morning to complete a longggg skincare routine but I use this as much as I can and it makes me feel super awake and refreshed. I noticed it really did brighten my face over time, blemishes faded away and my skin looked so much more clear. The is one of my all time favourites and its so affordable. I will do a separate review on this if you’d like me to, let me know!

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

These are great, especially if you're on the go or don't have much time in the morning. I usually use these after cleansing my face with the clean and clear mentioned above. Then while getting dressed or rushing around I use one of these cleansing pads! It will gently exfoliate your skin and contains glycolic acid which is great for those of you with pigmentation, uneven skin tone or acne prone skin.

TONER

La Roche-Posay - Serozinc

Ive been wanting to try a new toner for ages and I saw this used by a lot of bloggers and mentioned on Instagram stories too. But then I saw it on Kaushal’s Insta live (@kaushalbeauty) and she spoke about how amazing it is. I HAD to purchase it, she is one of the sweetest most beautiful bloggers/youtubers, literally my favourite. Im so glad I got this, it sprays on perfectly with a generous amount but not drowning my face. It also dries really quickly too so you don't have to wait ages before applying the next product. Another lovely instagrammer (@zbeauty158) mentioned how she had gone through several bottles and had purchased backups after trying this because she loved it so much! Ive been using this for weeks now and would highly recommend this! OR empty rose water into a spray bottle to use as a toner!

EYECREAM

The Soapery - Organic, Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter

So since Sophia (@phosbeauty) mentioned Shea butter I had been thinking of purchasing it. She did a whole Instagram story on it! And I'm pretty sure most people that follow her purchased this! She can convince you to buy anything. Obviously I had to purchase this..I have been also been using Shea Butter as an eye cream since Rehma (@rehmabeauty) mentioned it! Go check out her Instagram and her blog too where she mentions using Shea butter! It doesn't smell very nice as its raw :( it did put me off however I use the smallest amount for my under eyes as its SO moisturising. My concealer glides on like a dream after applying this first! It melts so easily as soon as you work it into your skin. If you have any small sample pots or old eye cream pots you can use these to fill up with shea butter like I have here!

MOISTURISERS

Lacura - Caviar Illumination Day Cream

I have a separate post on this moisturiser here, but I have been using this for months now and absolutely love it! So many of you purchased this after I recommended it on my Insta, I hope you all love the cream as much as I do!

Charlotte Tilbury - Charlottes Magic Cream

I have so many of these as my bestie works at CT and theyre honestly briliant. I do feel the full size pots are very over priced but you are getting what youre paying for. HOWEVER, there are just as great products in stores that cost way less. Lacura for example, is very luxurious without the hefty price tag and works just as well!

SPF

GARNIER - Ambre Solaire Face and Body Lotion

Im not going to lie, im really bad with SPF! I know you skincare addicts are probably thinking OMG WHAT and you most likely want to tell me off! BUT i know, and its SO SO important to wear SPF. ESPECIALLY if you're using acids in your skincare routine but you should be wearing SPF regardless! I get really lazy and think if my moisturiser and foundation have SPF i can skip this step (oops). When I DO wear SPF I change them around, I have one from no7 and a few from other brands. This is the one Im currently using from Garnier. It sits really nicely on the skin and makeup applies well on top too without it looking a weird colour.

B. Confident - Hyaluronic Acid Spritz

Ive been spraying this on my face before makeup and some days after makeup. I havent been using this religiously everyday as I was a little wary at first in case it broke me out! I have very sensitive skin but so far it has been OK. It is a little drying for the skin if used a lot but for the girls with oily skin this is great for you! The girls with dry skin, I wouldn't recommend this for you at all. It really does make your highlighter pop when sprayed on top! However I think I prefer the NYX setting sprays.

You’ll notice I haven't included a serum for my morning skincare, I honestly just don’t have time on a normal day to day basis as I’m ALWAYS in a rush! When I have time I use the serum which is included in my nighttime skincare routine below.

NIGHTTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

I spend more time on my skincare routine at night as Im not in a rush like I am in the mornings! Cleansing your skin at night is very important. Your skin will repair overnight whilst youre sleeping so these steps are JUST as important as your morning skincare. Everyones nighttime routine differs but mine typically consists of:

Cleanser (pre cleanse/cleanse) Exfoliator (acid) Toner Eye Cream Serum Moisturiser/Oil

CLEANSERS

Pre-Cleanse

Garnier - Micellar Water (Oil-infused Cleansing Water)

Micellar water is great for removing makeup, especially eye makeup. Eyeliner can be very stubborn and I find this works perfectly using cotton pads. I remove my eye makeup first and then the rest of my makeup on my face too. I then go in with wipes.

Simple - Cleansing Wipes

These are amazing! They are slightly more expensive then your standard wipes but my skin absolutely loves these. I use one wipe all over my face after micellar water and this removes any makeup I may have missed. These wipes are also great if you have breakouts. Simple is such a great brand for sensitive skin!

Cleanse

Lush - Ultraband Facial Cleanser

You definitely need to be double cleansing if you have been wearing SPF and makeup all day. Just micellar water/wipes aren't enough and once you start double cleansing you'll notice why! I love Lush products and this cleanser has been amazing. It leaves my skin baby soft and so moisturised. Sometimes I don't want to apply anything on my face after using this as it feels so so soft! This product is so creamy and melts into the skin, after applying it all over my face I wipe away the cleanser with a damp face cloth. Ill be writing a separate review on this cleanser! Let me know if you've tried this.

EXFOLIATOR

NIP+FAB - Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

I use these pads twice a week maximum as they're VERY strong. But I feel like they're really effective for my skin. Full post on this here.

TONER

Ayumi - Rose Facial Toner enriched with Glycerin

You can get this without the glycerin in too as just rose water which is great as a toner aswell. I have been using this for quite some time and I love how it leaves my skin feeling so plump and moisturised. The glycerin works as a humectant which is why it attracts more moisture onto the skin. So if you have dry skin this is great for you. Its also great for acne, wrinkles and fine lines.

EYECREAM

The Soapery - Organic, Unrefined, Raw Shea Butter

Same as my morning skincare routine, I also use this at night! LOVE Shea Butter ♥.

SERUM

NIP+FAB - Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Serum

One of my favourite serums, it will leave your skin feeling so plump! Review here.

MOISTURISER

Lacura - Caviar Illumination Night Cream

You can read my thoughts on this here. I am still loving this cream, its nearly finished now :(.

OILS

Ayumi - Almond Oil & Castor Oil

For the days my skin feels really dry or the days when I've had heavy makeup on from a photoshoot, I drench my skin in almond oil! And OMG, it feels and looks amazingggg in the morning. Try it, you'll love it! I also use castor oil at night on my eyebrows and eyelashes to help them grow and I've seen a big difference. You have to be patient! I made my brows way too thin once and used castor oil every night and they grew back so much quicker than I expected! I don't feel like it helps with thickness but it definitely helped with length. Almond oil is also great for your under eyes if you suffer from dark circles, but again, you need PATIENCE. It won't happen over night.

Hope you all enjoyed reading about my skincare routines! I was going to add the masks I have been using but its already so lengthy so that will have to be a separate post!

For everyone that managed to get this far, THANK YOU for reading ♥.