Saving Face

Recently, my skin went through a really bad patch. The power of bad skin is unbelievable, some days I just didn't want to leave the house. You may think that's shallow but its the sad truth! I have combination skin, which is so pale it is prone to blotchiness. This also means that a mark often remains on my skin even after spots have been and gone.

I always thought of skincare as the boring, dull side of make up but it's hard to paint a canvas that is spotty, blotchy and just downright miserable! Cue new skincare routine.

• I have heard many good things about the Eliabeth Arden Visible Difference range and I have to agree. This cleanser (for combination skin) is brilliant. It contains little scrubby bits (technical, I know) which gently exfoliate the skin. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the packaging as I had to put it into another container. It originally came in a handy squeezy tube. A definite holy grail product which I will repurchase.
• The moisturiser in this range is nice and hydrating. However, I find it can sometimes leave me shiny. I like it but I probably wouldn't buy it again as I'm on the quest for the perfect moisturiser!
• La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo  is also a major skin saver. I've posted about it here, you need this in your life!
• I recieved a sample of Clinique All About Eyes from the beauty hoarder that is my grandmother. At 22 I probably don't need this per se, but I enjoy using it and I think it reduces the dark circles caused by the occasional late night!

• A mask I really love is Soap and Glory's the Fab Pore mask. It really does what it says on the tin. My pores are less noticeable and my skin looks clearer and brighter. I use it about once a week for 15 minutes.

• I use  The Body Shop Seaweed Toner  in varying amounts. It isn't a HG product really but it's useful to have around. I use it to refresh my skin on no make up days. It's a nice toner not drying and clarifying. 

This really isn't anything new but water is vital. Yes, it's boring and yes, I'd much rather drink something else ( like a cocktail)  but it's so good for the skin! I'm drinking at least a pint a day now and it really does help.

I hope this was interesting , I know I'm always nosy about other people's skin care routines! What are your favourite skincare products? 

An easy life

First things first, this is not a sponsored post. Just something that made my life easier. Or enabled me to internet shop even more than usual. Hmm..

Delivery charges are just one of the banes of my life (#firstworldproblems). I was once charged fifteen euro for a product to be delivered from England to Ireland. FIFTEEN!! Another delivery related problem is that I live in the back end of nowhere. My own friends can't find my house never mind the busy, stressed out delivery man.

So after hearing about Parcel Motel through the interwebs, I decided to investigate. I broke it all down, in case you're easily confused, like me.

1) You register with http://www.parcelmotel.com/, providing your home address and other details.
2)They then tell you where your local Parcel Motel pick up point is. This is where you will pick up your goodies.
3) Parcel Motel provide you with a UK address.
4) The next time you order something, use the address provided by Parcel Motel in the delivery info.
5) Your package is shipped to this address and when it arrives there Parcel Motel pick it up for you and deliver it to your local pick up point.
6) They send you a text (and an email- very thorough!) with a PIN code.
7) You go to the pick up point, enter your phone number and unique PIN. A little door pops open and you collect your package!

Photo link

It really is an awesome service. The first two stays are free (yipee) and after that it's 3.50euro per stay which I think is pretty damn good. Also on a lot of UK sites shipping to other parts of the UK is free (double yippee) meaning you only pay Parcel Motel's 3.50 for shipping.

Anything for an easy life eh?!

Monday Must Have: L'Occitane en Provence Volumizing mist for fine hair

Everytime I go to the hairdresser, no matter where I go, they all say the same thing about my hair : It's fine but there's lots of it. Unfortunately, my hair gets completely weighed down and it can be a nightmare trying to get volume.

Cute hair clips courtesy of Penney's

I bought L'Occitane's Volumizing mist for fine hair after Julie from Musings of a Make Up Maniac reccomended it as she has uh-mazing hair. Also I pretty much want to buy everything she reviews!

2-3 spritz' is enough to give volume to my fine hair and wake it up. There is a herbal-y smell from the 5 essential oils it contains which  fades fairly quickly so shouldn't be a problem for those who have easily irritated noses!

I can confirm this works as well on short hair as on long, having recently gotten my long locks chopped up into a pixie cut.

Side note: On a good day, I feel like Ginnifer Goodwin.
 On a bad day, Justin Bieber. Let's forget about that shall we?

This product is worth the rather pricey (for a volumising spray) 24.50e as a little goes a long way.

Something for a rainy day

Ever since I bought my first Mac lipstick I have been in love. (It was Chatterbox fyi.) The colours, various finishes and the delicious scent of vanilla lure me in time and time again.

Unsurprisingly, when I was browsing the House of Fraser website on a dull and dreary April day and found that MAC lippies were £14.50 each (17.23 euro) I did what any sunshine-deprived, bored, procrastinating girl would. I bought three.

L-R Lady Danger, Fan fare , Blankety

These lipsticks were purchases I had been mulling over for a long time and this particularly rainy day tipped me over the edge! Anyway, less justifying, more swatches :)

L-R Landy Danger, Fan fare, Blankety

 Lady Danger is a orangey red colour which I have wanted FOREVER. It looks a teeny bit neon at times, as you can see in the picture below, but I think it's perfect for a night out. I usually hate matte formulations but this is bearable for that amazing colour!

Fan fare looks like a 'my lips but better' shade but it was a little more pink than I imagined. This often happens as I have very pigmented lips. It has a very very subtle gold shimmer and is a cremesheen formulation.

Blankety is a nude shade which is a lot less brown on the lips than it looks in the bullet, as seen in the swatch. It leans ever so slightly pinkish on me but it's a gorgeous nude. It is an amplified formulation (my fave) and wears very comfortably.

Fan fare

Blankety

Lady Danger


Which one is your favourite? :)

Monday Must Have: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

During my teenage years I was lucky enough to be blessed with good skin. However, this meant that acne as an adult was even more traumatic!

I have combination skin, which is pale and prone to redness. This also means that a mark often remains on my skin, even after spots have been and gone.

Luckily, I discovered La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo and it's a lifesaver! This really unblocks pores on my nose and chin in a way that nothing I've ever tried has been able to do. It also reduces the appearance of marks from old healed blemishes, particularly ones that I have been struggling with for months (MONTHS, I kid you not!).

I apply a thin layer of this, once a day, to problem areas after cleansing, leave for 30 mins and then apply moisturiser over it. I do think you need to apply a good moisturiser after as it can be drying.

However, a word of caution. I used this once in winter when my skin was dehydrated and I won't lie, it burned the face off me! One of my friends raved about it and I decided it was worth another shot and I am honestly so glad I tried it again. I'll never be without it!

Monday Must Have: Urban Decay Primer Potion Original

Urban Decay's Primer Potion Original is the one and only eyeshadow primer I've ever used. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right? I'm on my third tube now as whenever I run out, I remember exactly why I can't live without it.

I am cursed with oily lids, so eyeshadow is prone to creasing when I don't apply a base. This little beauty keeps my eyeshadow looking perfect even after a night out or on one of those (increasingly rare) warm days. Definitely a Holy Grail product.

This was 15 pounds for 11ml (17.75 euro roughly) on the House of Fraser website which may seem pricey but a little goes a very long way. I've gotten about 2-3 months out of a tiny 3.7 ml tube for example! I'm tempted to try out one of Urban Decay's skin primers next!

What's your must have this week? :)

Life in Pictures #2

Thinking...

Appreciating beauty...       'Venice Twilight'- Monet

Wanting..A room of one's own.

Drinking...M&S Luxury Hot Chololate

 

Reading (and loving)...

 

Devouring....
Honestly, if Carlsberg did Carrot cake, they couldn't beat this!

Pictures 1,3 from www.weheartit.com
Picture 2 from Google Images
All other pictures by me.

A long and winding road....

Over Christmas and New Year I was preparing for some important work experience relating to my future career.

Now that I am three weeks in, I can honestly say I have never worked so hard in my entire life.

A furry friend keeping me company as I work!

I have found this experience to be challenging, stressful and hectic but also rewarding in ways I cannot even put into words.

I struggled with the big question of  'what I wanted to be' for years and it actually caused me a lot of stress and at times,worry. That may sound silly but it was an important decision for me. I feel that a career can be an extension of who we are as a person. It something we are (hopefully!) interested in, something we dedicate time and effort to and is an area of our lives we want to achieve in.

We spend a lot of our lives working and I want to enjoy my work.

I am now certain that the path I chose is the right one for me and this knowledge is, in my eyes, invaluable.

One word: Yum

Yes, I'm really being good to myself...

All the serious stuff aside I had a great Christmas and New Year, and I hope you did too!

I will be back posting again next week with some beauty-ful reviews. Happy February! xx