#think I’ll also do some skincare and pamper myself before work~

[bewitching-666]

‘

[strawnarrries]

Hii! Can you write something likeyou just came out of the shower with your hair wet and see niall on the couch watching golf and hes like come here and y/n says but my hairs wet and hes like i dont care i just want a cuddle? Love your writting! ♡

thank you so much for reading! it means the world to me! also this ended up being a lot longer than i expected it to be but it's super cute so haha xx

you let out a sigh of relief as you walked through the door, happy that the weekend had finally begun. you had the worst week of your life and were so glad that it was finally over. you slipped off your shoes and hung your keys on the hook, placing your purse down on the kitchen island, planning on putting it away later.

you walked into the living room and saw niall sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone, some random show playing on the tv in the background. he turned his head to look at you, turning off his phone and tossing it next to him as he gave you a soft grin. the grin that makes your heart melt every time you see it, "hey baby. how are ya?"

you climbed on top of him and draped your body over his, straddling his lap and wrapping your arms around him, nuzzling your face into the curve of his neck, "ugh, I'm so glad this week is over"

his arms snaked around your back, holding you tightly against him, the warmth of his body radiating onto yours, relaxing you, "was t'day as bad as da rest?"

"I mean it wasn't the worst but it still wasn't good..." you began talking about the events of your day, feeling better as you talked to him.

"'m sorry ya had such a shitty week. 's there anything i can do fer ya?" he asked sweetly, running his fingers through your slightly tangly hair.

"no," you nodded, lifting up your head to look at him, "I think i wanna pamper myself t'night."

"i can pamper ya," he smirked cheekily at you

"noooo, not t'night" you grinned, scrunching your nose up and pressing your forehead against his

he giggled in response, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips. you loved spending time with niall but you also loved your alone time, especially after a stressful week at work, and niall knew and respected that.

you kissed him a couple more times before pulling back and saying, "so you're not allowed to come upstairs for a couple hours."

"what'rya gonna do up dere?" he asked, curious about how you've decided to pamper yourself

"mm, girly things. might take a bath and shave and do skincare. get myself all clean and perty," you grinned

"well i'll be down here waitin' fer ya when yer all done" he smiled.

"i love you"

"I love you too, petal"

after kissing him one last time, you made your way upstairs to start your night of self-care. a couple hours later and you had washed your hair, exfoliated and cleaned your body, shaved your everything, did a face mask, and moisturized, letting all the stress from this week wash away. you felt super relaxed, clean, and pretty. after squeezing all of the water droplets out of your hair, you slipped on some athletic shorts and one of niall's t-shirts. you walked downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, gulping it down. you saw niall in the family room watching golf (surprise, surprise) before he turned his head to the side and grinned at you, "c'mere"

"my hair's wet," you replied, sitting the bottled water on the kitchen island.

"I don't care, I jus' wanna cuddle," he whined, giving you his puppy eyes.

you smiled at him and walked over to him, getting on the couch and snuggling up into his side. he wrapped his arms around you and held you close, pressing a sweet kiss to the top of your head, not caring that your hair was still damp, "feelin' better?"

"very much so," you smiled, feeling even better now that you're in the arms of your favorite person.

[thedeskside]

Finally, Settle On A Skincare Routine

Great skin doesn't just happen, it's earned. You develop a routine, follow it and reap the benefits. There is so much noise out there demanding a skincare routine with strict rules, and then we're inundated with trendy innovative products. It's so easy to get lost in it.

I'm here to tell you that it's time to silence all of that noise, and finally settle on a successful skin routine for you. So, what exactly makes for a successful skincare routine? It's not about gathering all of the things and then using them up. A successful skincare routine depends on one thing, you. Just remember that results are NEVER instant when it comes to skincare. It can take weeks or even months to start to see results, but that only occurs with consistency.

Personalize Your Routine

Before committing to an intense 16-step skincare routine, let’s think about what you actually have the time for. What are you ready to commit to for the sake of your skin? It helps me to think about my skincare routine as an extension of my wellness. It makes me feel good to pamper myself and take the time to focus solely on myself and my needs.

My current routine takes me about 5 minutes to complete, not including my more indulgent days when I use a mask, or decide to sit in front of my backlit mirror and degunk my pores. No, you do not have to repeat this, but this is what works for me.

Think about how you can make your routine work best for you. That could mean separating your routine and products for day and night, or maybe it will feel better if you carve out a sacred beauty space in the corner of your room. What will actually help you create and stick with this routine? It’s helped me to remember my daily skincare routine by displaying all of my products in one area of my bathroom. That way, once I get out of the shower, I see it, and instinctively think to go there and start my routine before getting dressed.

Your Concerns

Trying to figure out how to build your skincare arsenal? You don’t have to go out and buy all of the latest launched formulas to achieve a successful routine. I am lucky enough to always be surrounded by beauty and skincare products for work, so I always shop my own hauls when I need to add or change something a product out in my routine.

Concentrate on products made for your current skin type, and targeted solutions to repair and fix any skin issues you’re facing. Something I always stress is also to ensure that the products you choose can be used together. Some common ingredients like retinol can irritate your skin when mixed.

It’s important to also think about how you plan on committing. Unfortunately, skincare doesn’t work instantly. You only start to see results after consistently using products for weeks, even months. That means you need to think of skincare as a long-term commitment and find a way to make it part of your daily routine. I use a paper planner to keep my life together, so I’ve included my skincare routine in my weekly habit trackers to help remind me.

High and Low

I promise you that you don’t need a $500+ routine to get the best skin of your life. It’s fine if all of your skincare products come from the drugstore. I personally like to blend some high and low. But I have had success with plenty of budget options as well.

It really isn’t about the cost. It’s about the ingredients, ritual, and dedication. Your routine doesn’t even have to be very involved. Every culture and trend plays by some kind of rules, you just need to find the products and routines that work for you. Even the most basic routine works, so long as you commit to it.

Very Basic Routine:

Cleanser

Toner

Moisturizer with SPF

Korean 10-Step Routine:

Oil cleanser

Water cleanser

Exfoliator

Hydrating toner

Essence

Face oil, serum or ampoule

Face mask

Eye cream

Moisturizer

SPF

My Current Routine

I start with a mild cleanser in the shower, unless I was wearing makeup. In that case, I use a balm or oil to break everything down—then I’ll cleanse. I’ve been using the Pond’s Cleansing Balm. Sometimes before I get in the shower I will use the Kopari California Glow Enzyme Scrub on my clean face. I do those on my worst skin days that require extra handling. I’ve been enjoying the Kinship Naked Papaya cleanser on an almost everyday basis. If I notice I’m breaking out, then I default to the Peach Slices Acne Clarifying Cleanser.

I like to tone right after the shower. I like how gentle the St. Ives Clear Skin Tea Tree Toner is. I also enjoy a good exfoliator. When I travel I always bring along my First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. When I’m home, I take the time to use the INKEY List Apple Cider Vinegar Acid Peel.

Since I turned 30, I’ve been thinking about my past skin journey, and the problems I need to address now rather than later. FRWRD Skincare’s Mushroom Super Serum is seriously life-changing. It’s such a gentle formula. I like to massage it into my skin with my tourmaline face wand. If I’ve been breaking out lately, I’ll use Peach & Lily’s Transparent-C Pro Spot Treatment on dark spots, and follow up with my favorite eye cream—Kinship’s Brightwave Eye Cream.

SPF has become an important part of my routine. My go-to formula is Shiseido’s tried and true Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector SPF 42 Sunscreen. It blends flawlessly into your skin with a matte finish.

This post is adapted from an original post that I created for the Glitter Guide. Want to read the original post on GG? Click the button!

Take a look…

[seasonofthegeek]

Not Lost But Still Found

This fanfic trope mash-up drabble was requested through ko-fi by @ladyserendipitous for Chloe/Nino and the prompts “roommate au” and “makeovers.” Thanks so much for your donation!

___

Chloe shuffled into the living room and lifted an oversized gray hoodie off the back of the couch. She sniffed it and scrunched her nose at the less than pleasant odor. “Is this yours or mine?”

Nino cracked open one eye from his prone position on the couch and squinted at the article of clothing. “I don’t know. I think I wore it the other day though. I spilled ketchup on it from a burger.”

She scratched at the dried stain on the arm. “Yeah, I saw that when I put it on last night to go meet the Uber Eats guy downstairs because it was sitting here and my room seemed too far away.” She shrugged the hoodie on with a sigh. “It doesn’t smell great.”

“Mmm.”

She lifted his legs and sunk into the couch beneath them and then let them drop back onto her lap. “What are you watching?”

“Some home design show.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know where the remote is.”

“Ah.”

They watched three episodes of contractors finding surprise expenses in remodels before Chloe stirred again. “This is pathetic.”

“I know. Even only half done, their place is better than ours,” Nino replied.

She popped his knee. “No, I mean us. We’re pathetic.”

“Well, my fiance called off our engagement two days before the wedding since she’d fallen in love with someone else and you got fired from your dream job so I’d say we’re allowed to be pathetic.” He reached up to pull the bill of his hat down over his face. “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Nino, that was a month ago. Wait, almost two months ago now.”

“Yet it hurts like it was yesterday,” he muttered. “Amazing.”

“And yeah, it sucks about my job but obviously I’ll find another one. That stupid Claire isn’t going to be the end of me just because she stole my client list and spread rumors about bad business practices. I’m fabulous and everyone knows it.” She attempted to flip her ponytail and felt how stringy her hair was. “At least I used to be fabulous.” She slouched back and groaned. “Who I am kidding? No one is going to hire me as a personal style consultant now. I’m sitting here in a smelly hoodie and I’m not even sure if it’s mine. I’ve lost my mojo.”

“Maybe it’s hiding wherever mine is.” Nino lifted his hat and tossed it on the coffee table. “And maybe we have been sadsacks lately.”

“You think?”

“I’m never going to know love again but I guess I should try to smile more.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Victoria was a heinous bitch and I warned you about her before you gave her that ridiculous ring, just to set the record straight.”

“It really is your gentle kindness that keeps this friendship alive, Chlo.”

“She told you we couldn’t be roommates or friends anymore because I obviously can’t keep my hands off you even though that’s never been an issue with us. That was red flag number one. Well, no. That awful shade of coral lipstick she always wore was definitely the first flag, but--”

“Good to know I’m as unattractive as I thought.”

“Oh, hush. You know that isn’t what I meant.”

Nino dropped his legs off her lap and stood with a grunt. “I don’t wanna talk about Victoria. I’m going to go lay down.”

“You were literally just lying down.”

“Well, now I’m going to go lay down in my bed.” 

Chloe stood and followed him into his room even after he gave her a pointed glare when she crawled up beside him in the bed and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. “We can’t keep wallowing, Nino.”

He took off his glasses and handed them to her. “I can. You’re free to do whatever it is you want to do.” He sighed and turned on his side away from her. “I just don’t have it in me right now, okay? Please just let me...just let me be.”

She exhaled softly and slid out of the bed. “Okay. Take your time.” She set his glasses on the nightstand, turned the light back off, and closed his door as she left.

___

“I hope you’ve had enough time,” Chloe said as she threw open the curtains covering Nino’s bedroom window the next morning.

He swore and buried himself deeper under the covers. “What the hell, Chloe?!”

“I’ve been up for hours getting myself back into shape as much as I could here, but now we need to go out so I can finish and you can start.” She smoothed her hand down her sleek hair that hung just below her shoulders. “I think I need a new look for the new me and I want to do the same for you.” She saw a golden brown eye peek out from a hole in the mass of blanket. It squinted and then Nino was emerging reluctantly and grabbing for his glasses on the nightstand. 

“You showered,” he said with a slow blink.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve showered, you know,” Chloe sniffed. “But yes, probably the first time this week so I understand the surprise.”

“And you’re wearing makeup and clothes that actually fit.”

“Again, thank you for stating the obvious. On that note, we desperately need to do laundry later.”

He sat up and scratched his head absently. “What are you wanting to do?”

“I’ve called and set up appointments for us at the salon and spa in an hour. I had to pull some strings but we deserve the best of the best.”

“I can’t afford the best of the best right now.”

She smiled sweetly. “Daddy can.”

“I don’t like using your dad’s credit card. You know that. We aren’t kids anymore.”

“Oh please, it’s fine, I promise. He’ll be thrilled to see it being used for something other than take-out. He’s been begging me to get out of this apartment.”

“I don’t really want a haircut.”

“Well, you need one. You look scrappy and not in a hot way.”

“I’m not trying to impress anybody.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “And that, Mr. Lahiffe, is problem number one. Now, go get in the shower and I’ll see if I can find anything halfway presentable in your closet for you to wear until we can get you something better.”

“What do you mean better?” he asked warily.

Chloe grabbed the edge of the blanket and ripped it off the bed. “Go. Now.”

He rolled off the bed, grumbling under his breath the whole way to the bathroom. Chloe nodded in satisfaction when she heard the shower turn on and then moved to his closet with a scoff of disgust.

___

“I feel ridiculous. Why do I need to be so dressed up to get a haircut?” Nino tugged on the collar of his shirt and Chloe pulled his hand back down. 

“Stop. And it isn’t just a haircut. We’re getting the works: facials, massages, skincare treatments. We’ll get fluffy robes to wear and comfy slippers and it will be so wonderful.”

“Then why do I have to be dressed like this?”

“Because it’s all about image.” She straightened and rolled her shoulders back.  “You deserve to be pampered and you know it.”

“Is that what you told your clients?” he asked, keeping in step with her as they neared the salon.

“Mostly.”

He nodded. “So I’m going to get the personal style consultant Chloe Bourgeois treatment today, huh? I feel honored.” He was surprised to see her cheek go pink.

“I just thought it might be a nice way to ease back into things,” she admitted.  “And I also thought you could use the day out. I know I can.”

Though spending an entire day being touched and prodded by strangers and trying to make forced polite conversation sounded in no way appealing, Nino smiled down at his roommate. “Thanks.”

___

“Can I tell you something I haven’t admitted to anyone else yet?” Nino asked. His voice was hushed as they lounged in the reclining chairs of the waiting room while their mud baths were being prepared.

Chloe rolled her head lazily to the side and looked at him with one eye. “Mmhmm.”

“I knew Victoria was cheating on me before I caught her in front of Adrien.”

She opened both eyes and sat up so she could lean closer to him.  “What?”

Nino dropped his gaze to his lap and twisted his hands into the ends of the sash of his robe. “She wasn’t exactly stealthy. I don’t think she was really even trying to hide it, but I never confronted her and she never said anything so I just...” He exhaled and it was a long, tired sound. “And then when Adrien and I went back to the apartment to grab some of the wedding stuff and she was there with that other guy in our bed...” He shook his head. “I couldn’t keep ignoring it.”

“If Adrien hadn’t been with you, what do you think you would’ve done?”

He dared a quick look at her. “Are you asking if I still would’ve married her?”

Chloe nodded, pursing her lips.

“I don’t know. Probably.”

“Good grief, why?”

He was quiet for a long time as the spa music played softly around them. “I guess it just felt nice to feel loved and I wasn’t sure if I would get the chance again.”

“Nino Lahiffe, if that’s supposed to mean you aren’t a catch or something equally absurd, I’m going to smack you.”

“Do you think they’re going to take us back soon? I feel weird sitting here in just a robe.”

“Don’t try to change the subject,” she demanded. “You’re great and I won’t let you say anything less about yourself.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my roommate.”

“That’s another thing. Do you think I would live with you if I didn’t believe it? I deserve the absolute best. I’m saying it because it’s the truth and I’m your friend,” she corrected. “Your best friend actually. Adrien can take a backseat because we both know it’s true.”

___

“Wow, you look...” Nino trailed off and shook his head as he stared at Chloe. “I really love the new hair.”

She bit her lip and reached up to let her hand hover beside her head. “It’s a little shorter than I was thinking. i’m not sure how I feel about it.”

“You look really pretty,” he assured her. “I think it’s a perfect new look for new you.”

Chloe straightened and look in the mirror. “It is perfect, isn’t it?” She lifted her chin and nodded in his direction. “And now for you. Anthony, please work your magic on my sweet but clueless roommate. He doesn’t realize how gorgeous he is. Look at what’s he let happen to his hair.”

The stylist clucked his tongue and moved behind the styling chair, spinning it to face the mirror. “I would literally kill him for his eyelashes. Lift them right off his face and prance off to the club to get me a new love.”

Nino grimaced at Chloe in the reflection and she stifled a laugh. “I think I’d have to fight you, Anthony. I like them just where they are.” And suddenly it was Nino’s turn to blush.

___

Nino tried to busy himself with reading labels on the many products lining the shelves of the nail portion of the salon. Chloe insisted he get a pedicure and manicure and he had to admit they’d both been enjoyable with her at the station next to him. She’d gossiped with the technicians like old friends and for the first time in months, he saw the spark of real happiness shining through her eyes when she looked over to smile at him.

Leaving no stone unturned, she was currently sitting at a vanity station and having her makeup professionally done so Nino was doing his best to stay out of the way and not look too bored. He didn’t initially mean to eavesdrop on her conversation with the makeup artist but now he was straining to hear their words while seeming to concentrate much too hard on the ingredients list of a  bottle of moisturizer.

“It isn’t like that between us,” Chloe said. “We’ve been friends since we were kids.”

“So what? Sweetie, I’m looking at him and you’ve got to get with that. Your palettes are made for each other. I can see the pictures now and they would be fabulous. Is there some rule I don’t know about that says you can’t date him? Close your eyes.”

Nino had to keep himself from glancing back at the women but he shifted a little closer and picked up another bottle to pretend to study. 

Chloe’s voice was much lower when she spoke again and Nino held his breath as he tried to listen. “He knew me back when I was...I wasn’t always...” She scoffed. “I just don’t think he’d see me that way and honestly, it’s fine. I’ve got more prospects than I know what to do with.”

“Hell yeah, girl. And even more when I’m through with you. Oh! I can’t believe we haven’t talked about this yet but did you see the pants Anthony is trying to pull off today? I might hire you just to help the poor man.” 

Nino set the bottle back on the shelf and moved further away from them. Chloe’s words bothered him. Did she really think he still thought of her the way she was when they were younger? She’d changed so much; they both had. It wasn’t fair to put that on him. The people they were back in their younger school days would never be as close as they are today.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard a familiar throat clearing and turned around to see his roommate giving him an expectant look. 

“Well?” Chloe prompted as she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Am I absolutely gorgeous?”

Nino took in the smooth lipstick and dark eyeliner and thought about how nice she also looked in the bumblebee pajamas she liked to wear around their apartment. “You always are.”

___

“Please don’t make me go to another store,” Nino groaned. “I’m so tired.”

“Don’t be a baby,” Chloe huffed as they were chauffeured down the street. 

“I’m not being a baby. We’ve been going all day and I’m exhausted and I now own clothes I never imagined owning and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“I think you’re trying to say thank you.”

He chuckled and looked at her. “Are you really wanting to go more places?”

“Just one and then we’ll get dinner.”

“Chloe...”

“Just one,” she insisted. “Sit back and shut your eyes and we’ll be there soon.”

“The things I do for you,” he sighed dramatically.

They rode in comfortable silence to their next destination and Chloe roused Nino from the light doze he’d fallen into. “Come on, we’re here.”

He blinked and opened his door to look up at the brightly lit sign of his favorite music store. “What are we doing here?”

She rounded the car and hooked her arm through his. “You did a lot of things I like today so now we’re going to do something you like.”

“Well, this is uncharacteristically fair of you,” he teased, walking them to the shop door.

“I know. Don’t go spreading it around. I only do stuff like this for the friends I really, really like. The list is quite exclusive.”

Nino grinned down at her. “So me?”

Chloe felt her face warm. “You,” she nodded.

___

Nino couldn’t put his finger on what it was but something definitely felt different by the time they dragged themselves into the apartment that night. It made him feel uncertain how to act but then Chloe dumped her keys and purse by the door like she always did and the universe shifted back into its comfortable place. 

“We can go through all our stuff in the morning,” she said with a wave of her hand after dropping her shopping bags on the couch. “You can wear that blue suit with the gray shirt tomorrow.”

“We aren’t doing this again tomorrow, are we? I don’t know if I--” Nino’s words were cut off when Chloe unceremoniously shoved two fingers against his lips.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’m going to go back to my old stomping grounds and round up some clients again because I’m ready to kick ass. I’d like your help if you have the time.”

He reached for her wrist to pull her hand down but found it hard to release it. “I have the time,” he said softly. 

They stared at each other and Chloe’s breath hitched in her throat. Electricity surged between them and then Chloe’s phone began to vibrate in her other hand and the spell was broken. He let go of her wrist and she stepped back quickly and answered her phone with a breathless greeting.

Nino swallowed hard and gave her a wave before retreating back into his room. The universe he shared with Chloe teetered on the edge of the unknown for a moment and then became still again, not quite back in place but not falling yet. 

Buy me a cherry coke?

[vita-rays]

AM/ PM Skincare Routine

So first of all I��m going to apologize for taking like a month to do this post when I said I’d do it in a few days.  I got pneumonia a few days after making my last post, then had bad reactions to multiple medicines I was taking for my asthma, then I got an ear infection, and then Friday I got a 24hr stomach flu thing but!!! I’m here to finally share my current skincare routine that has helped me clear my skin and keep it cleared, while also keeping it balanced! (I have combination and acne-prone skin)

So let’s get into it!!!

AM Routine

So for my morning routine I try to keep it simple, so it only has about five steps.

1. CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. I LOVE this cleanser.  It doesn’t foam up as much as other foaming cleansers, so it doesn’t strip my skin and leave it feeling super dry and tight and it’s non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores or cause more acne if your skin is prone to that.  Along with this, it has a lot of moisturizing ingredients that make your skin super soft!!

2. Thayers Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Toner with Cucumber. This toner is awesome if you have acne or sensitive skin.  It doesn’t dry out your skin like plain witch hazel does because of the aloe and cucumber, and those ingredients also help calm the skin instead of just making it dry.

3. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. I started using this a couple months ago after seeing a lot of good reviews for it.  I was hesitant though because of the fact that it’s made of bee venom and snail mucin, which sounds scary and gross, but gOD is this stuff worth it.  It has a more gel like consistency than a lot of other essences, but it doesn’t go on super thick or sticky.  It really helps balance my skin and helps to keep the oily parts of my face from getting too oily and also moisturizes the dryer parts.

4. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream. CeraVe is gonna pop up a lot in this post because I love their products so much.  I have sensitive skin, especially around my eyes so thicker and fragranced eye creams make my eyes burn real bad.  This eye cream is thick, but it’s unscented and gentle so it doesn’t bother my eyes AND it actually works (it takes a couple weeks to see results though).

5. Garnier SkinActive SPF 30 Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid. I’ve been using this moisturizer daily for a couple years now.  It’s kind of runny and not super thick, so it doesn’t make my skin super oily.  It also doesn’t leave a white cast on my skin like a lot of other moisturizing sun screens (like CeraVe’s does, unfortunately).  It has a slight fragrance, but it’s light enough that it doesn’t bother my skin.

And that’s it for my morning routine!  It’s super short and only takes like 10 minutes MAX.  My night routine is a lot more involved though, lol.

PM Routine  

Okay so my nightly routine is literally just... so extra and I absolutely love it.

1. L’Oreal Micellar Cleansing Water. I wear a lot of waterproof eye makeup and using the cleansing oil I use on the rest of my face mess with my eyes, so a couple weeks ago I started using this take my eye makeup off and it works pretty good!  You don’t have to do a lot of rubbing and it doesn’t make my eyes super dry.  The only thing is that it leaves a kind of oily feeling behind for a few minutes, but I usually rinse it off anyways.

2. The Face Shop Natural Rice Water Light Cleansing Oil. This cleansing oil is step one in my double cleansing (which everyone should be doing) has been in my nightly routine for like.... a year or two now?  And it’s awesome.  It’s light enough that it doesn’t clog my pores like some of the thicker cleansing oils do.  It gets pretty much all of the makeup off my face and makes my skin feel super soft as well!  Rice water is really good for fading the dark spots that acne leaves behind and I think this has been one of the key products that’s helped me with that!

3. CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. 

4. Exfoliate/ masks. On Tuesdays and Fridays I exfoliate with Ebanel Ultimate Brightening Peeling Gel.  This is only the second peeling gel I’ve tried but I like it.  Peeling gels are way better for your skin than physical exfoliants because they don’t scrape and rub at the skin.  It sounds gross but when you rub a peeling gel on your skin it picks up the dead skin cells and turns them into these little... pills of grossness that you rinse off with water.  On pretty much every other day of the week I use a mask, and I’ll try to make a post about my favorites soon!

5. Thayers Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Toner with Cucumber. 

6. Instanatural Vitamin C Facial Toner. So I use a second toner in my PM routine because I wanted to add vitamin C into my routine because it’s good for fading dark spots and minimizing the look of pores and lemme tell you this stuff is amazing.  It makes my skin feel so soft and helped with my acne, acne marks, and pores in like a week.

7. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. 

8. Nature Republic Soothing Moisture Aloe Vera 92%. Aloe vera is really, really good for people with sensitive skin and acne.  It’s super lightweight and soothing and no matter how hot wherever you keep it is, it’s always going to feel cool on your skin when you put it on.  I’ve also noticed that it’s helped fade my dark spots too, which is awesome.  Also, this stuff is super cheap and you get a lot of it, too, because I got the tub I’m using around this time last year and I’m just now starting to finish it up.

9. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. This is a recent addition to my PM routine, but boy howdy is it a good one.  I always kind of thought that The Ordinary was over hyped, but it’s so worth they hype.  It’s cheap and it works!  This serum is specifically for acne-prone skin and it helped clear up my skin when I was taking like three different steroids when I had pneumonia a couple weeks ago, that’s how good it is.

10. Complete Organics Organic Marula Oil. Okay I know it seems really counter intuitive to use an oil as thick as marula oil on acne-prone and combination/ oily skin, but hear me out.  Using non-comedogenic oils on your skin can actually help your skin produce less oils.  When you put oils like jojoba oil or marula oil on your skin, it kind of tricks your skin into believing that there’s already enough oil, so it won’t produce as much, so moisturizes the skin without clogging up your pores.  Marula oil is also high in fatty acids that really hydrate your skin and reduce redness.  It’s also good for fine lines AND makes your skin super smooth as well!

11. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream.

12. CeraVe Skin Renewing Cream Serum. This has got to be my all-time favorite skin care product because it targets so many different things.  I started using it after reading that retinol can help with acne and minimizing the look of pores, but I wanted to get a retinol that wouldn’t dry my skin out, as a lot of strong retinols have the tendency to leave skin dry, red, and flaky.  This serum has hyaluronic acid along with moisturizing ceramides in it that prevents this from happening.  I started using this also about a year ago, and even though it didn’t work immediately and it alone didn’t clear my skin, it’s one of the major products that did.  If I go even a day or two without using this my skin starts to act up again, so it’s definitely one of the major players in my skincare routine.  All the moisturizing ingredients in it also make my skin feel super smooth and soft, which is another plus!

13. AcneFree Sulfur Mask. AcneFree is one of the best drugstore brands I’ve come across, no lie.  I don’t use this as an actual mask because sulfur is too drying for my skin, but I do use this as a night time spot treatment and it works so well!

So that’s my AM and PM skin care routines.  My nighttime routine is SUPER long, and probably looks super intimidating to some of you who are just getting into skin care, but let me just say that:

1) I didn’t start out my journey in skin care with this long-ass routine.  I’ve built this routine over the last 3 or 4 years by slowly adding more products to it.  No matter how excited you are about starting a routine, introducing a huge number of new products to your skin is going to make it angry.  It’s better to slowly add more products over a couple of weeks or even months so that if your skin starts acting up, you know what product caused that, and so that your skin will have time to get used to a product before you add a new one

2) It’s so worth it.  Having a long skin care routine might seem time consuming and annoying, but after you see the results of all of your hard work, you’re going to start loving it.   Like it’s nice to be able to see my skin finally clear up after 12 years of struggling with my acne and skin problems and I absolutely love coming home after work and doing this routine because it’s super relaxing and it just feels nice to pamper myself, especially after a really hard or stressful day.

Taking care of your skin is super important and even if you don’t develop a huge routine like these, just doing the basics of cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen is going to help your skin so much!

[beckiboos]

Seasonal Acne

Ok I’m making this post because literally there’s barely any info for this type of acne (the one I had) and of this post just helps one person go

“Oh that’s me!”

Then I figure it’s worth it.

This is going to be a long post so I’ll post the rest under the cut. 

So what is seasonal acne? Well as the title suggests it’s acne that only appears in winter or summer the rest of the year your skin is relatively normal and then there’s THAT season where your skin goes INSANE. It’s bumpy, red, sore and THE ITCHING. Oh god THE ITCHING. I have had acne in winter, EVERY WINTER for I dunno... 6 years or so? Every October/ November it would flare up and wouldn’t calm down again until April/May. I would do what every person does, I went to the doctor (who didn’t listen when I said its only in winter) they prescribe shit, it doesn’t work, in fact it gets WORSE, but then it goes away on its own, so you figure it EVENTUALLY worked right? They say it gets worse before it gets better? You try every cream, supplement under the sun and nothing seems to make a difference.

Except this year. It’s currently February normally I would be in hell right now, this would normally be the worse part of winter for me but my skin is looking clearer than It has since I was a teenager. (Ironically when my skin was at its best)

So here I’m going to tell you how I cleared my winter acne. (Sorry if yours is the summer one but I think it’s the opposite of the winter one and more similar to regular acne skin) but luckily seasonal acne is the easiest to treat and there’s no worse before it gets better, it will just start healing so that’s good right? No horrible PURGE. (Gah I hate that)

Luckily for you I’m not going to suggest any over the top expenditure (ok there’s one but it’s NOT essential), in fact the most expensive item that’s essential, you may already have.

So why am I getting acne in winter?

Ok despite everything you have ever read about acne, winter acnes MAIN problem is... your skin is dry. You heard me, DRY. In fact it’s PARCHED. In winter the central heating kicks in, harsh weather attacks your face and you start taking hotter baths and showers. Not good for your skin! So all those drying acne products? Ain’t gonna work for you, it’s going to make IT WORSE. Seriously, even if your doctor prescribed it, don’t use the drying creams (I wouldn’t normally recommend NOT listening to your doctor, but in this instance I would, doctors just hear ACNE and prescribe these drying, peeling creams and acids and it’s WAY too harsh for seasonal acne, I’m not sure most GP’s are even aware of seasonal acne, they won’t know the difference, the stuff my doctor prescribed literally burned my skin) so back away from those drying and harsh chemicals. I’m going to tell you the things you DO need.

Vitamins

Specifically the most important for seasonal acne is vitamin D, in winter you may live in a place (like me) that doesn’t get enough sunlight in winter so you won’t absorb any vitamin D in the winter months from being outdoors, even if you don’t have seasonal acne I would recommend everyone take a vitamin D tablet in winter months if you live in a sunless country. I suggest a good D3 vitamin. A good multivitamin and zinc tablets are a must for any acne prone skin too as acne prone skin lacks zinc and other vitamins, chances are if you’ve been trying to help your acne you’re already doing this. 

A humidifier

I’m afraid this is one of those “must haves” for seasonal acne, one for your bedroom and have it running at night while you sleep, your skin WILL THANK YOU for the extra moisture, I use a essential oil diffuser and just run water through it, they are about £22 on Amazon, silent and if I forget to run it at night, I can literally see it on my skin the next day, it will look dull and dry. If you already have one I suggest you go and get this plugged in and start pumping out that much needed moisture! 

Ponds cold cream

Omg THIS STUFF is AMAZING. Make sure you get this green one NOT the pink one. I can’t get over this product it’s SO GOOD. This cleanser I can’t live without I will use it FOREVER. It’s about £9 for a giant tub (I get 3 for £20 on Amazon, sorry you can’t get it in stores in the UK, Amazon is your best bet) and it’s an incredibly moisturising cleanser, for parched skin this is a MUST. I got my sisters onto it too because it’s so gentle as well you can put this on your eyes to take off makeup and it doesn’t sting your eyes at all. It’s also good to use as a mask and hand cream... honestly for people with dry skin this is a holy grail item.

A good moisturiser

This is just the one I use, I love The Ordinary products they are so cheap! But really any good moisturiser that your skin likes will do, try and get one with HA (hydrochloric acid) for deep moisture. (Remember your skin is DRY, stay AWAY, from acne moisturisers I’m telling you)

Extra moisture

Amino acids + B5 £5.90

Another The Ordinary product for you this is just an extra boost of moisture for my skin, I really like it, this has really helped speed up the healing of my skin (and has been great for hyperpigmentation too) I wouldn’t say this is an essential product but I really like it.

A good exfoliant

Gotta slip off those dead skin cells!

Dry skin = flakey skin = blocked pores = acne

Try and get one without those plastic beads though, they are bad for the environment. I use this apricot scrub once a week. (Don’t use more than twice a week, you’re just going to hurt your skin)

Acne dots

This is the only spot treatment I actually DO recommend, especially in the beginning when you change your skincare routine (I used these in the beginning for a few weeks but I don’t need them anymore) see I don’t like the gels and spot treatments because it seemed to cause more spots around the ones I was trying to heal, so I liked these little overnight patches so then you ONLY target the spot (and not attacking all your skin) your spots reduce in size by the morning and they aren’t super drying, there’s lots of different brands out there, but they‘re basically all the same.

The luxury item (it’s gonna get weird)

Now this is a light therapy machine, I bought this a few years ago in an attempt to cure my acne and found it... lacking. See my skin was still super dry so when I used to use this on my sore and bumpy skin it seems to aggravate my acne and I would have fresh spots every morning so I stopped using it (after being £250 out of pocket I was disappointed) my problem as well I couldn’t find anything to USE with it, moisturisers absorbed too fast, I tried to use oil and my skin HATED THAT. But I have had it a couple years now and I thought I should try and give it a whirl again now I figured out my acne... but I didnt want to order the companies “special” gel, it’s expensive and takes a while to arrive from Singapore and then I had a thought... a WEIRD thought admittedly but what I needed was lube. You heard me. LUBE. You need something on your face there’s going to keep the machine gliding over it, it needs to be water based... so I ordered my first bottle of lube (called Lubido if you can believe😂) and tried it... it was amazing. I’m not kidding you my skin GLOWS the next day after lubing my face and using this in the blue light (acne light for killing bacteria) the machine seems to drive the moisture deep in the skin, I try and do this every night but it’s helped my skin sooooo much and now I can use the yellow light to help the scarring. So this item I wouldn’t say is essential for seasonal acne as it’s very expensive but it’s helped my skin a lot (now I’m using it correctly) have a look around I’m sure there’s cheaper ones now than when I ordered mine.

Love and Affection 

Well maybe not literally but this is just a reminder that you are looking after your skin not punishing it. I can't tell you how many set backs I had in figuring out seasonal acne because an “expert” or some spa lady told me. “No, stop moisturising your skin so much you need tea tree oil” or that I need to “dry out” the acne. NO. thats not how seasonal acne works. Its not a one acne fits all. Dry skin can cause acne just like oily skin can. In fact your skin may become oily because its dry. So put down the tea tree oil, go get a moisturising mask, and treat your skin kindly. PAMPER THY SELF BITCH. 

So there you have it, my little guide to saving winter seasonal acne skin (and my little reminder of what I use for when next winter comes around) it will take a few weeks for you to really start seeing the results (remember it takes 4 weeks for any skin care change to start taking affect and also it takes this long for the vitamins to start taking real effect too) honestly you will feel it befor you see it, because your skin will be super soft (and it was all rough, clogged and bumpy and sore before) I hope this helps someone, wish I had seen a post like this years ago so I would have figured out my acne wasn’t like ordinary acne and saved myself a lot of pain but hopefully I can help someone else who was wondering why their acne seems to flare up over and over again.

[peterjordanus]

AM/ PM Skincare Routine

   So first of all I’m going to apologize for taking like a month to do this post when I said I’d do it in a few days.  I got pneumonia a few days after making my last post, then had bad reactions to multiple medicines I was taking for my asthma, then I got an ear infection, and then Friday I got a 24hr stomach flu thing but!!! I’m here to finally share my current skincare routine that has helped me clear my skin and keep it cleared, while also keeping it balanced! (I have combination and acne-prone skin)

So let’s get into it!!!

AM Routine

So for my morning routine I try to keep it simple, so it only has about five steps.

1. CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. I LOVE this cleanser.  It doesn’t foam up as much as other foaming cleansers, so it doesn’t strip my skin and leave it feeling super dry and tight and it’s non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores or cause more acne if your skin is prone to that.  Along with this, it has a lot of moisturizing ingredients that make your skin super soft!!

2. Thayers Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Toner with Cucumber. This toner is awesome if you have acne or sensitive skin.  It doesn’t dry out your skin like plain witch hazel does because of the aloe and cucumber, and those ingredients also help calm the skin instead of just making it dry.

3. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. I started using this a couple months ago after seeing a lot of good reviews for it.  I was hesitant though because of the fact that it’s made of bee venom and snail mucin, which sounds scary and gross, but gOD is this stuff worth it.  It has a more gel like consistency than a lot of other essences, but it doesn’t go on super thick or sticky.  It really helps balance my skin and helps to keep the oily parts of my face from getting too oily and also moisturizes the dryer parts.

4. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream. CeraVe is gonna pop up a lot in this post because I love their products so much.  I have sensitive skin, especially around my eyes so thicker and fragranced eye creams make my eyes burn real bad.  This eye cream is thick, but it’s unscented and gentle so it doesn’t bother my eyes AND it actually works (it takes a couple weeks to see results though).

5. Garnier SkinActive SPF 30 Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid. I’ve been using this moisturizer daily for a couple years now.  It’s kind of runny and not super thick, so it doesn’t make my skin super oily.  It also doesn’t leave a white cast on my skin like a lot of other moisturizing sun screens (like CeraVe’s does, unfortunately).  It has a slight fragrance, but it’s light enough that it doesn’t bother my skin.

And that’s it for my morning routine!  It’s super short and only takes like 10 minutes MAX.  My night routine is a lot more involved though, lol.

PM Routine  

Okay so my nightly routine is literally just… so extra and I absolutely love it.

1. L’Oreal Micellar Cleansing Water. I wear a lot of waterproof eye makeup and using the cleansing oil I use on the rest of my face mess with my eyes, so a couple weeks ago I started using this take my eye makeup off and it works pretty good!  You don’t have to do a lot of rubbing and it doesn’t make my eyes super dry.  The only thing is that it leaves a kind of oily feeling behind for a few minutes, but I usually rinse it off anyways.

2. The Face Shop Natural Rice Water Light Cleansing Oil. This cleansing oil is step one in my double cleansing (which everyone should be doing) has been in my nightly routine for like…. a year or two now?  And it’s awesome. It’s light enough that it doesn’t clog my pores like some of the thicker cleansing oils do.  It gets pretty much all of the makeup off my face and makes my skin feel super soft as well!  Rice water is really good for fading the dark spots that acne leaves behind and I think this has been one of the key products that’s helped me with that!

3. CeraVe Foaming Cleanser.

4. Exfoliate/ masks. On Tuesdays and Fridays I exfoliate with Ebanel Ultimate Brightening Peeling Gel.  This is only the second peeling gel I’ve tried but I like it.  Peeling gels are way better for your skin than physical exfoliants because they don’t scrape and rub at the skin.  It sounds gross but when you rub a peeling gel on your skin it picks up the dead skin cells and turns them into these little… pills of grossness that you rinse off with water.  On pretty much every other day of the week I use a mask, and I’ll try to make a post about my favorites soon!

5. Thayers Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Toner with Cucumber.

6. Instanatural Vitamin C Facial Toner. So I use a second toner in my PM routine because I wanted to add vitamin C into my routine because it’s good for fading dark spots and minimizing the look of pores and lemme tell you this stuff is amazing.  It makes my skin feel so soft and helped with my acne, acne marks, and pores in like a week.

7. Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence.

8. Nature Republic Soothing Moisture Aloe Vera 92%. Aloe vera is really, really good for people with sensitive skin and acne.  It’s super lightweight and soothing and no matter how hot wherever you keep it is, it’s always going to feel cool on your skin when you put it on.  I’ve also noticed that it’s helped fade my dark spots too, which is awesome.  Also, this stuff is super cheap and you get a lot of it, too, because I got the tub I’m using around this time last year and I’m just now starting to finish it up.

9. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. This is a recent addition to my PM routine, but boy howdy is it a good one.  I always kind of thought that The Ordinary was over hyped, but it’s so worth they hype.  It’s cheap and it works!  This serum is specifically for acne-prone skin and it helped clear up my skin when I was taking like three different steroids when I had pneumonia a couple weeks ago, that’s how good it is.

10. Complete Organics Organic Marula Oil. Okay I know it seems really counter intuitive to use an oil as thick as marula oil on acne-prone and combination/ oily skin, but hear me out.  Using non-comedogenic oils on your skin can actually help your skin produce less oils.  When you put oils like jojoba oil or marula oil on your skin, it kind of tricks your skin into believing that there’s already enough oil, so it won’t produce as much, so moisturizes the skin without clogging up your pores.  Marula oil is also high in fatty acids that really hydrate your skin and reduce redness.  It’s also good for fine lines AND makes your skin super smooth as well!

11. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream.

12. CeraVe Skin Renewing Cream Serum. This has got to be my all-time favorite skin care product because it targets so many different things.  I started using it after reading that retinol can help with acne and minimizing the look of pores, but I wanted to get a retinol that wouldn’t dry my skin out, as a lot of strong retinols have the tendency to leave skin dry, red, and flaky.  This serum has hyaluronic acid along with moisturizing ceramides in it that prevents this from happening.  I started using this also about a year ago, and even though it didn’t work immediately and it alone didn’t clear my skin, it’s one of the major products that did.  If I go even a day or two without using this my skin starts to act up again, so it’s definitely one of the major players in my skincare routine.  All the moisturizing ingredients in it also make my skin feel super smooth and soft, which is another plus!

13. AcneFree Sulfur Mask. AcneFree is one of the best drugstore brands I’ve come across, no lie.  I don’t use this as an actual mask because sulfur is too drying for my skin, but I do use this as a night time spot treatment and it works so well!

So that’s my AM and PM skin care routines.  My nighttime routine is SUPER long, and probably looks super intimidating to some of you who are just getting into skin care, but let me just say that:

1) I didn’t start out my journey in skin care with this long-ass routine.  I’ve built this routine over the last 3 or 4 years by slowly adding more products to it.  No matter how excited you are about starting a routine, introducing a huge number of new products to your skin is going to make it angry.  It’s better to slowly add more products over a couple of weeks or even months so that if your skin starts acting up, you know what product caused that, and so that your skin will have time to get used to a product before you add a new one

2) It’s so worth it.  Having a long skin care routine might seem time consuming and annoying, but after you see the results of all of your hard work, you’re going to start loving it.   Like it’s nice to be able to see my skin finally clear up after 12 years of struggling with my acne and skin problems and I absolutely love coming home after work and doing this routine because it’s super relaxing and it just feels nice to pamper myself, especially after a really hard or stressful day.

Taking care of your skin is super important and even if you don’t develop a huge routine like these, just doing the basics of cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen is going to help your skin so much!

First published here: AM/ PM Skincare Routine

[talonted]

Another month, another Skincare Shake Up! I think skincare is one of my favourite things to talk about, I love discovering new products and get really excited knowing I can share them with you. There are some proper gems in this month’s post (hello, new affordable liquid exfoliator!) so let’s get going!

Before we get into this month’s Skincare Shake Up, I have a quick question for you. These posts are always ENORMOUS as I try a lot of products and love skincare so much that I get a bit carried away talking about it! So I’m wondering if it would be more helpful/manageable to have this information split into two posts: separating the morning and evening routine? Or maybe putting basic skincare in one post and then all additions (bodycare/face masks) etc in another post? Let me know in the comments, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts!

EVENING ROUTINE:

Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. You’re probably bored of hearing about this cleansing oil in so many Skincare Shake Up posts, but I just love it. And true love lasts a lifetime (super friend points to anyone else who hears Emma Thompson saying that in their head!)

After my success with DCL last month (you can read about that HERE), I was keen to try another product from them. The DCL C Scape Enzymatic Gel Cleanser* contains natural enzymes, sugar, and fruit acids to remove dead skin cells and brighten the complexion. It is a really thick gel and this put me off a little bit, as my skin hates anything too heavy. I don’t know if it was this that made my skin feel quite warm afterwards but I limited its use to 2-3 times a week just in case. It didn’t induce a flare up, it just made my skin a little bit warm, but as soon as that passed it felt very soft, pampered and clean without feeling stripped. Maybe one that’s best for those without sensitive skin!

Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic 5% Glycolic Acid* – I was so excited to try this as the beauty world has been flipping out over it. Dubbed as an affordable dupe for the Pixi Glow Tonic (a review on that coming next month so I can compare!) as it also contains a 5% concentration of AHA. It’s only £5.99 which is bananas considering the prices of most liquid exfoliants. If you have sensitive skin, chemical exfoliators are much better for us than physical scrubs but it’s just about finding the best one for you. This one is very gentle and I didn’t get any prickling, heat, or flare ups from using it. It’s also vegan friendly – bravo! I’ve been using it 3 nights a week and I love it! If you want to dip your toe in the chemical exfoliant water then this is a really affordable way to do it.

Dermalogica Ultracalming Mist* I think I’ve mentioned this mist in a previous Skincare Shake Up but I love it. Dermalogica’s Ultracalming range is very highly regarded among the rosacea community and this mist is one of my favourites from the range. I wouldn’t say that mists are a must-have but they are great at calming and soothing skin that feels tight, hot, or prickly – something very common with rosacea – so I love them.

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Every time I use products from the Simply Pure range I am amazed by the quality considering how affordable they are. The Simply Pure Hydrating Night Serum* is only £3.99 but is wonderfully light, quick to sink in, and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth with no stickiness.

I’m still using the Kalme Night Repair Cream* (you can read my review on it HERE) but as the weather has turned slightly colder I’ve needed some extra help, so I’ve been mixing in a few drops of The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-oil*. The latter is a great option for you if you like the results of oil but not the oily (!) feel of them. The consistency of this is exactly as you would expect from the name: a thin, more watery version of an oil that sinks in like a serum and leaves the skin feeling absolutely dreamy. I’ve been using this as night, but due to the lighter formula I think this would work in a morning routine as well.

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I can’t remember how long I’ve been using the Nuxe Rêve De Miel lip balm but I cannot imagine I’ll ever give it up. It’s thick, slightly gritty, and matte which will put some of you off, but for me it’s the best. I wear a lot of drying matte lipsticks and this is what saves me. This pot is nearly done… luckily I have two back ups – I did tell you I loved it!

When it comes to masks/treatments I’ve been using the Cure Natural Aqua Gel once a week as an exfoliator and it is the most bizarre skincare product to ever feature in a Skincare Shake Up! You apply the gel on dry skin and as you start to massage it into skin, disgusting little balls of ‘dead skin’ start forming. There is some debate over whether this is a genius product that really works, or whether it’s all just a chemical reaction that forms the rolls… but my skin feels absolutely incredible afterwards: so smooth and soft. As an experiment I used it twice in a row, and there were definitely fewer ‘balls’ produced on the second use, which makes me think that maybe it is actually doing some form of light exfoliation. Fair warning, this product STINKS of alcohol and may be aggravating to those with really reactive skin, although personally I haven’t had any issues. Interestingly, I’ve heard that the Body Shop have a version in their Vitamin C range that does something very similar (THIS product) so maybe I’ll try that! Let me know if you’ve used it, I’m very intrigued…

I bought the Topicrem Ultra-Moisturising Body Milk in Paris and although it does ‘smell like old ladies’ (according to my tactful and brutally honest husband) I love it. It’s lightweight (which doesn’t irritate my keratosis pilaris/chicken skin), doesn’t make my stick to the bedding, and makes the skin on my body look like I take much better care of it than I actually do!

  MORNING ROUTINE:

When I wake up, I’ve either been using the DCL gel cleanser or the B. Pure Micellar Water* to give myself a quick once over. I’ve been waxing lyrical about micellar waters for years and this is a brilliant one if you are on a budget or don’t get on with my holy grail (Bioderma, FYI). It’s just as quick as make up wipes and so much better for your skin, this also works as a make up remover/first cleanse.

On days when I was wearing make up and leaving the house I used the Simply Pure Light Emulsion Moisturiser* with the Dr Sebagh Rose De Vie Serum* on top. They layer well and sink in quickly, meaning I can move on to my primer and make up without worrying that everything was going to slide off! This impressed me just as much as the night serum I mentioned earlier, but as this is a moisturiser it’s a little thicker. It’s still a great price and a really good simple product that does what it says it will. It does contain SPF 15 but you should obviously still be using an added SPF (I’ve included my current favourite below). I feel like the Dr Sebagh product should say ‘serum’ in bunny-rabbit-ears on the packaging, as it’s similar to the Body Shop product from earlier: an oil/serum hybrid. I was expecting a traditional serum and was a bit thrown by the pipette and oily consistency! It’s very pampering and delicate on my sensitive skin but I’m not sure it gives me enough benefits to warrant the price, but having said that I only use a few drops a day so this bottle would last AGES. I know I have some readers who love their effective but luxurious skincare and this would definitely fall into that category.

I wasn’t sure whether to include The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver in this Skincare Shake Up as I think it’s branded as a primer/skincare hybrid. Vitamin C can be a little bit tingly and sometimes my rosacea hates it, so I introduced this very carefully but thankfully had no issues. My skin felt a little bit prickly the first few times I used it but there was no flare up, redness, or heat. It’s a very silky almost greasy feeling gel, so if you’re not a fan of that silicone-y texture then you’d be best to avoid this. I think it did help my skin to look more radiant and glowy but I didn’t like the way it felt under make up so I think I might try some of the other products from the Body Shop Vitamin C range instead, to get that glow without the weird texture!

On days when I wasn’t leaving the house, I used the Simply Pure Hydrating Serum with the Bioderma Sensibio Forte Cream* on top. This has a thicker consistency and I liked to apply a little bit more than I needed to – almost like a face mask – so that I could continue to massage it into my skin as I had my morning coffee. I love the Bioderma Sensibio range and find it really helps my skin when I’m recovering from any flare ups.

For SPF, I’m still in love with the Bioderma Photoderm AR Tinted Cream SPF50+*. It’s so light, slightly tinted, and doesn’t make my skin feel clogged or suffocated. It’s appeared in previous Skincare Shake Up posts but I wanted to include it again. It’s love love love!

The final item in this Skincare Shake Up is the Dr Hauschka Almond St Johns Wort Soothing Body Oil*. I am the laziest person when it comes to caring for my body but I am trying to make a proper effort now that we’re getting into colder weather. I’m going to be honest, I hate the smell of this oil: it’s very herbal and strong, but the way it makes my skin look and feel is so worth it. Plus the smell doesn’t linger so I just suck it up for the first 30 minutes or so!

And we’re done! This Skincare Shake Up was a bit of a mixed bag: a little bit of luxury, some very affordable gems, some hits, some misses. What skincare treats have you discovered or relied on this month? Let me know in the comments below, I love to be enabled!

Lex

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Skincare Shake Up September 2017 Edition Another month, another Skincare Shake Up! I think skincare is one of my favourite things to talk about, I love discovering new products and get really excited knowing I can share them with you.