Winter Skincare Routine

                  

Although my skin is usually on the oily/combination side, during winter it seems to dehydrate and get super dry. It needs just a few days of cold temperatures, wind and blasting central heating and it becomes an irritated, red mess. 

I tend to change up and switch my skincare routine after each season, targeting a richer night time ritual during winter and a high sun factor focus during summer months.

I've swapped my regular cleanser and toner for an oil based cleanser: I'm utterly in love with the Shu Uemura Balancing Cleansing oil, with only a few drops massaged onto dry skin you can see all daytime makeup melt off in seconds. With a Liz Earle hot muslin cloth i take all the dirt away, leaving me with a clean, supple and hydrated skin. Instead of toner, i spritz a refreshing spray of La Roche Posay Thermal Water* - rich in minerals and antioxidants (selenium), soothes my skin without stripping. 

Whilst the skin is still damp, its time for a facial oil: this winter I've been reaching for Clarins Lotus Oil. Great for oily combination skin, so they will regulate the skin oil production while hydrate and nourish. I tend to massage it thoroughly with upwards movements to destress my features. I lock the moisture with the Vichy Aqualia Balm*, a very gentle and nourishing balm, rich in thermal water and with soothing and anti-redness properties. It may seem that its a lot, but i assure you that in the morning you will be having a smooth, hydrated and nourished skin.

If I'm extra dry or particularly irritated, i layer a generous amount of Lancome Nutrix* to regenerate and nourish. 

Once or twice a week i will apply a hydrating gel mask, like the Lancome Hydra Intense Gel Mask or Just a normal, simple face mask. Its like a bath for the skin! With its gel texture, rich in water it manages in just 10 minutes to lock in moisture and plump up the skin.

Are you changing your skincare routine depending the season?

Review: Lush Christmas - Cinders

This Bath Ballistic is also a lot smaller than your average bath bomb, around the same size as the So White

This one looks really pretty & i picked this up because of the smell.

When you smell this, is does smell really 'christmassy'. Lush describes it as a Spicy, Soda scented Ballistic.

Lush also claim that when you pop this in your bath, it fizzes and crackles as it has popping candy in it.

And let me tell you, it does!

I love Lush and I find a lot of their products are really moisturising and good for your skin, but with this, Unfortunately, It didn't really do anything to my skin.

(and it also leaves your bathwater a not-so-nice colour)

Overall, I think if you're after a genuinely nice, christmassy smelling bath product, this would be perfect. It did get me a little bit excited for Christmas.

42 sleeps 'til Christmas guys, 42.

♥

October Favourites

I know I don't do these every month, I find that alot of my favourites stay the same for quite some time, so I used to do one here and there. From now on I think i'll try and do one every month as a few of you guys really enjoy them and seem to like them alot, so here it is!

First up is the John Frieda - Sheer Blonde Moisturizing Conditioner.

I started using this conditioner about a month ago now, since i got Ombre done to my hair. I find this conditioner is super conditioning and leaves my hair super smooth and tangle free, it also has a lightening agent to give the hair a more 'blonder' blonde. Peronally, The best thing I find about this stuff is the smell! I don't know if it's chamomile or what but it's unique and quite lovely.

My second favourite is the Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick in (107)

This lipstick is a real dark-red, 'vampy' kind of shade. Since the Summer has actually passed, ive been loving these dark reds and berry shades. Perfect for Autumn!

My next favourite is this gorgeous scarf from Primark (Penneys) Its a tartan patterned, red and navy scarf. Lovely Autumnal colours and super warm!

    

Finally, My last favourite isn't a specific product, theres a few. 

As you may know, I LOVE lush. I love there Bath Bombs, there Soaps, Shampoos, Face Masks, Everything! These products listed below are my favourite Autumnal Lush products. Ill leave a link here so you can check out there amazing products -> https://www.lush.co.uk/

1.  Northern Lights Bath Bomb

2.  Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar (although it does leave your skin quite glittery)

3.  Cinders Bath Bomb

My Top 5 "Go-To" Blushers.

Throughout the past few months, I have been using the same handful of blushers over & over.

I don't have a very large collection of blush but its not small either, but I just keep going back to these beauties.

At some point, I am going to have to give my other blushers some well deserved attention but for now, I will share with you the ones that I use most!

Mac's Powder Blush In "Well Dressed"

A favourite of many, is MAC's Well Dressed. This has been at the back of my make-up collection for quite some time, and recently, while looking through I remembered how much I loved it. A lovely milky pink with slight shimmer. It goes on smoothly, blends well and looks good with ANY makeup look. Pale or sun-kissed, this blush will suit my skin whichever. 

Mac's Blush In ''Harmony''

Another blush I found at the very back, oops! This blush is perfect to contour or use upon your cheeks because it hasn't an orange undertone. It's a warm-brown really subtle and with the possibility to build up to achieve the tone that you want. 

Mac's Matte Blush In ''Frankly Scarlett''

 I got this sent to me last year I believe and I never really used it until now, Its a dark-ish red so perfect for Autumn and Christmas. I find this blush quite pigmented so a light hand works best. This blush may look frightening in the pan, but if you know how to apply it, it is beautiful. It is a very intense bright red with a slight pink colour to it. I find that if I am using a lot of bronzer this blush pairs nicely with it and makes it look like I was just out in the sun for awhile (but not sun burnt) . 

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush In ''Coral Reef''

... let's be honest, I bought it because the colour was so weird! But I thought, it's so crazy, it just might work. It is a super bright orangey-coral colour. But I actually ended up really liking it! It goes on sheer but is buildable. I have medium-fair skin and it worked well on me. Professional makeup artists often say that the brightest sheer blushes always look the most natural, and they are totally right! This colour gives my cheeks a natural flush!

I like to apply this blush directly with my fingertips and blend it out on the apples of my cheeks. The colour really does last, and if you’re looking to pack more of a punch, as I said, they’re super-buildable, as well. Revlon is one of my favourite drugstore brands, and this blush is just another chapter in my love affair with them. Just look how pretty

L'oreal Blush In ''Rosewood''

(I did take this image off the Internet because the blush I own, is so not in its original packet anymore! Dropped it and cracked so I'm keeping it in an empty MAC container.)

This is my favourite blush, it looks completely like a natural flush on me. It's the one that I reach for almost everyday. Its a really lovely, slightly shimmery medium antique rose with a slight punch of apricot which looks natural and warm. I just don't like the package, Like I said, mine broke a looonnng time ago, and the brush that comes with it is useless (as happens to every brush-that-comes-with-the-blush)

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

I just want to start off by saying I wasn't sent these items to review, I'd read all the hype and decided that I wanted to give it a go. 

Firstly, They have quite a large colour range, which in a way is good but I actually found it quite difficult deciding which one to buy because they were all fairly similar. 

This was my go-to foundation for quite a while. Bourjois actually had pretty good products and I think their prices are considered mid-end. It's no wonder that they have such great quality as they are a sister company to Chanel. My foundation shade was in 52 and I am around an NC20-25, closer to 25 though. The great thing about this foundation is that it's yellow-toned, yellow-toned foundation tends to give the skin a more healthy sheen thus the name really does what it claims to do. It also blends effortlessly on the skin and leaves you looking really nice and natural.

I don't think it dries to a powder finish though, this foundation was geared more to the normal-dry skin range but even though I have combination skin, it doesn't make any of my oily parts oilier and doesn't cling to dry patches either. Overall, this is a fantastic product. The coverage is medium but can definitely be built to medium-full.

My Favourite time of year!

Autumn is definitely my favourite times of the year! And alongside that, goes Winter (which calls for another blogpost) 

When you feel that first crisp breeze, you know that summer is gone and Fall is in the air. Every season has its upside; however, autumn has a particular beauty to it. Lovers of the season revel in its unique ability to turn the world into one big canvas with nature’s paintbrush.

From warm apple cider to camping trips, there are so many reasons to enjoy fall. Here are lots of things about the season that will bring out the autumn lover in you.

It means wearing boots and jackets,

 wrapping up warm, 

being cosy and layering. 

Wearing darker lipstick shades,

 wearing scarves and wooly hats. 

Crunchy leaves, pumpkins and bonfires.

 Rainy days and duvet days.

 Candles and baths, hot chocolate and evening getting dark.

 Halloween and horror films and evening walks in the crisp cold air.

I Love Autumn/Fall Tag

So I decided to do the I love Autumn/ Fall Tag, because let's face it, Summer is pretty much over. Autumn is definitely here, and there are quite a lot of obvious signs!

I found the questions on Ingrid Nilsen's (MissGlamorazzi) I love Fall tag Video, so here we go!

QUESTIONS:


1. Favorite Fall lip product? - Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm. It smells so good and super moisturizing. 


2. Favorite Fall Nail Polish? - I've been loving Essie- Bordeaux, its a lovely deep red colour.


3. Favorite Fall Drink? - I love Cold Coffee in Autumn, or a Chai tea latte is another fave.


4. Favorite Fall Candle?
 -  You might know, Candles are a massive weakness of mine, i love them! So I don't just have one, but FOUR. Yankee Candles "Red Apple Wreath" "Mackintosh Spice"  "November Rain"

& "Apple and Pine Needle"

5. Favorite Fall Scarf or accessory? - I recently got a new tartan scarf from primark/penneys which I absolutely love!

6. Favorite Halloween movie? - Haven't seen THAT many, but Hocus Pocus is a good one.




7. Favorite candy to eat on Halloween? - I Don't think I have one! but Haribo do good Halloween sweets! 


8. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?!
 - I have no idea.

9. What is your Favorite thing about Fall? - That Christmas is nearly here. And, of course layering and keeping cosy! 

Im going to tag:

Littlebeautysecretsblog.blogspot.co.uk

& glowta.blogspot.ie 

AND ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO DO IT!