My Evening Skincare Routine - The Products

My top 5 daily night skincare products

Welcome back to this weeks post! I am pants at timing my blog so this week there will be a bumper edition of post, chatting you through my night time regimes (face/body). Today, dear reader, it is all about the face!

Something to note is that I have a combination skin type, its not my t-zone that is oily its my chin and underneath my eyes...how strange, but the rest of me is decidedly dry so I struggle with skincare because I find my face requires two different types of moisturisers, until I discovered my first pick: The No7 normal/oily day cream (that I naughtily use both morning and night.)

No7 Normal Oily Day Cream

The consitency of this is just lovely, it is very nourishing on the skin yet lightweight, non greasy and sinks in immediately, I use it every morning under my makeup and once I take all my makeup off at night it is the one thing I cannot go without.
Do not confuse oily skin with not needing a moisturiser, infact it is often the skintype that most needs to be nourished as (and I am guilty) it regularily gets stripped by anti-blemish gels etc. aslong as you get a moisturiser with zinc (oil control) y'all be fine!

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser

STEP 1: Cleanse. I am a lazy make-up remover..erer so I choose hot cloth cleansers (I previously used Liz Earle but I am currently trying out No7 - Liz Earle smells better and is slightly more exfoliating? But No7 is still really good and does the job). I do this step either in the shower, just apply onto my dry makeup'ed skin and rub in, run the hot water tap, pop the muslin cloth underneath and voila panda eyes to squeaky clean.

Garnier Essential Soothing Eye Make-up Remover

 STEP 2: Removing that pesky eye makeup. Eventhough I have just cleansed with the hot cloth my lashes refuse to budge so I used the Garnier 'Soothing Eye Make-up Remover' with a cotton pad just to get the last mascara and eyeliner off the sensitive eye area that I didn't want to rub with the hot cloth.

Botanics Clay Mask

 STEP 3: The Mask. This is something that I use every other night so I've included it in my nightly routine because, unlike an exfoliant that I use weekly it is a regular. This one by Botanics is perfect for open pores (a classic sign on my combi-skin) and I feel like it just lifts everything out of my pores and all the dust from the day goes, leaving my skin SUPER soft. Plus I love how it feels as it dries on the face...
I was actually recommended this by a customer so thank you as its really inexpensive and works a treat.

The Body Shop Serum for Blemished Skin

STEP 4: The Serum Step. I have only recently introduced this into my regime as the blemishes I have had in the past leave little red patches on my face, unnoticable with makeup but without they bother me and I always look to prevent/treat rather than cover. This serum is very light weight, smells lovely and is kind to my skin.
*I will do a proper review of it once it has been in my regime for a few months

FINALLY its back to my moisturiser, like I said I use the Day Cream in the Night just for convienience, No7 is all hypoallergenic and super light weight but most importantly skin type specific range so I never wake up in the morning greasier than when I went to bed! After having this in my regime for a long time I have noticed an improvement in my skin and a lessening in the number of blemishes, possibly down to the zinc and witchhazel in this product.


And there we have it, a run down of my skincare regime! Tomorrow there will be a night time bodycare regime ft. my favourite products that I have loved for ages and one that is the cheapest and most effective product I have ever used! Stay tuned...

Lizzie

Real Techniques Review, Really.

I really like the brand Real Techniques for lots of reasons, the brushes are durable, wash easily and come in some great sizes and colours. I feel the best part of the brand is the fact that Sam and Nic Chapman (the creators of the brush) are ever present and available on YouTube offering real time tutorials with the brushes, giving both ideas and care information for the brushes. 

I chose this brush to review simply because I believe the Kabuki is such an underrated brush! It's fab. I use it for foundation, blush, bronzer, blending, concealer (when I slide the metal bit up to make the brush become firmer) and for powder to finish.

The retractable part is just so much fun to play with but it also has some great practical uses (apart from the obvious keeping the brush clean!). My favorite way to use the brush is with the metallicbit slid a little up, compressing the brush into a still super soft but denser tool - perfect for concealing and pin pointing areas. 

Ever the lazy makeup wearer the appeal of this brush is huge, I can apply a full face of makeup with it as-long as I apply the bronzer/blush at the end, sliding the metallic hold fully down, releasing the bristles and the angle they are cut allows for a precise application along cheekbones, apples of cheeks and temples. I am a fan. I think the only thing this brush doesn't do is eyes but if you are (like me sometimes) feeling too lazy to pick up more than one brush then I'm sure eye shadow is far from your mind. 

Here's a little tutorial as to how to keep the bristles of the brush lovely and clean.

1. Pull up the metallic rim at the bottom of the brush hairs

2. Place the lid over the top of the metallic slider that you have pulled up - there is a ridge that you can put the lid on.

3. Slowly push the lid down, the metallic part will slide down with it...

4. Voila! One perfect kabuki brush ready to be dropped into your handbag.

So there it is, the Kabuki Brush,  portable, practical and completely adorable. Retailing for £11.99 on Boots.com which is where I purchased mine!
http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Retractable-Kabuki-Brush_1457794/

My most favorite(est) non beauty item.....ever....

Yes. It's that great. I love this item THAT much and whilst planning this post I was trying to word why I adore it so much, I came up with:

1) It's idiot proof. 

2) You get instant results.

3) It's aesthetically pleasing (this is important to me.)

4) I feel a little more talented than I possibly am.

5) I feel a little cooler when I use it than I possibly am.

6) I can keep the final result, forever!

7) 100% smug satisfaction guaranteed.

It is the Fuji-Film Instax mini and mine is in cheery yellow with a little yellow rope for those 'omgthisissunsetissohipsterletmetakea...oops' moments. I must admit I debated the pro's and con's of owning one for a very long time - constantly adding and removing from my amazon basket and it came down to walking past a camera shop, feeling stuffed and sleepy after a birthday meal and the cheery yellow lured me in and soon enough I was walking out £80 lighter (it came with films!) - they got me when I was weak.

I find for tech purchases, more than beauty/clothing, I need that little extra convincing; maybe because I can't wear it and show all of my friends, maybe because it won't enhance my face/body but I feel this is the one purchase that has enhanced my 'street cred' (hhmmmmrrrphh) - I'm sorry I feel hipster and cool and it compliments my checked shirt and ripped jeans (outfit of the day to follow...).

Could it count as an accessory? Wait and see...

I won't talk you through the flash, the lens, the settings because, frankly, I don't understand them myself. If it's cloudy it flashes 'cloudy', sunny it flashes 'sunny' - it senses it for you; see I said idiot proof... All I know is it does it in yellow cheery style (other colours are available, but why.) 

I bought a Polaroid camera a while ago from someones boot for a fiver and funnily enough that ended as dodgely (not a word recognised by the dictionary - dontcha know) as it started. Despite great initiatives like the Impossible Project film is expensive for the old Polaroid and the one I bought only used film that I could find for £40 and above - for 10 pictures...I would have to start charging the people in my pictures...

Top tip, the Polaroid 300/600 cameras are the cheapest to run and easily tested if you really want to be loyal to the '90s grunge vibe but my advice is NO go to Fuji-Film, let them catch you looking at your Amazon Basket all sleepy and stuffed of food and press that 'Proceed to Checkout' button...you won't regret it.

'My First Love' Sun, Sun, Sun.

So the weather is gorgeous and to celebrate I'm going to dedicate my first blog post to Sun care, protection and my favorite 'must haves' to enjoy the sun!

I am naturally a milk bottle, blonde hair, freckles - I am a few rays of sun from becoming crispy bacon so this is a category I have a lot of experience in! I still love to tan but I know the sun is the number one cause of premature skin ageing and with this and the pain of sunburn in my mind here are my summer skincare scorchers.

For the face...

I go for this No7 Protect and Perfect 'Intense' Facial Sun Protection in SPF 30. 

I love this because it has anti-ageing in it along with a 5* UVA rating (those rays are the ones that cause melanoma and skin ageing!) and it is also hypo-allergenic which means its tested against all known allergies to prove it won't irritate the skin...perfect!

It smells nice, absorbs easily and at £14 it is not too pricey either so all in all I really love this product.

For the body...

I choose this gorgeous Piz Buin 'Tan and Protect: Tan Accelerating Sun Lotion' in SPF 15.

As I mentioned in my intro I am PALE so when I get the chance to tan I make the most of it! This cream has Medium UVA and UVB protection and it moisturises as well as protects which prevents the dreaded peel the next day (the leading cause of tan loss). It is water-resistant but I would always reapply after a dip in the sea/pool just for safety! 

It prices at £17.99 so it is a middle of the road price range, bordering on the pricey (BUT!) there is usually an offer on such as buy one get one free...which leads me on to body product numero 2...

This is the Piz Buin Tan and Protect Tan Accelerating Oil Spray in SPF 15.

I find it non-greasy despite it being an oil product but that's probably because my skin drinks it in the heat! It does all of the same things as the Lotion and has a special product called 'Melitan' which enhances natural tanning (Bring it on...). With its 3* UVA rating it isn't as protective as the No7 facial sun protection but I find my body is less prone to burns than my face and pop a little Face Sun Cream on my chest to protect from that dreaded sun induced wrinkling (and crispy baconing.)

Also £17.99 but FREE with the BOGOF offer! Thanks Boots.

For the recovery...

For my aftersun I choose Hawaiian Tropic 'Silk Hydration and Soothing Aloe Gel' in the Coconut Papaya scent.

Can we just talk about how good this smells. It does. Really good. It also does good, with its ribbon affect it offers '24hrs moisturisation' although I'd say more like a nights worth, the next day my skin is thirsty again after I punish it under the sun! The best thing about this is it actually helps to preserve the tan you work so hard to attain in the 2 weeks of sun you get. It contains Shea Butter with is super hydrating and the Aloe Gel calms the skin, all good things. I <3 this.

The extra...

This was a bit of an impulse buy and now I cannot stop eating it. YES eating it, it tastes so good. But its proper use is a Hawaiian Tropic Lip-gloss in Island Berry with SPF 25 in to protect the lips from dryness, an area of the body I know I always forget to protect. 

**(No-one looks good all golden brown with blisters on the lips, NO holiday romance for you...Goodbye Pedro.)**

I can't say it's done wonders but I've only used it twice so watch this space and maybe it will make it's way back into my blog in a Monthly Favorites!

So that's all for this blog post, happy sunbathing, enjoy the sun safely and I hope these recommendations keep the crispy bacon and leather where they belong.