Skin Care | After Shower Routine

Yes, yes that it actually me post shower, no make up, just in towels. Wow don't I treat you guys. Anywho, this post occured to me whilst doing my after shower routine (funnily enough) and I thought well I will just do the pictures now and see how we go... So there you go, that's the story of the picture. Again, you're welcome.

So, what do I do after the shower? Well I always find my skins feels dry after showering. It's not as bad since using L'Occitane Shower Oil but it still needs something so I pop on Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Lotion. I love Nivea, whenever a moisturiser doesn't seem to be working I always go back to it - you just can't beat it as far as I'm concerned. It's a lotion rather than a cream, which I prefer as it doesn't feel so heavy, and really my skin isn't overly dry or flaky so a lotion works fine for me.

For the face, I love cleansing after a shower. I always forget to take my make up off before it, so a quick swipe of Bioderma and what's left after the shower (usually panda eyes) it's all gone. Then, onto Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - a cleanser I've gone back to lately. A beautiful cream cleanser that's fresh and beautiful on the skin. Then I moisturise the face - at the moment I'm loving Vichy Aqualia Thermal* as it's super super hydrating and not oily or greasy - so perfect for my oily skin. 

So, apart from the dodgy after shower picture, I think it all goes very well and very smoothly! Smoothly... get it, smooth skin... I will stop now.

What's your after shower routine?

Lazy Girl Guide to Skincare

I'm ridiculously lazy when it comes to skin care. My philosophy tends to be the less time the products take me, the happier they make me. So, this is my skincare regime at the moment - or as I'm putting it, my lazy girl's guide.

Morning
So, my alarm goes off, I hit snooze, it goes off again, snooze - this goes on for a while until I drag myself out of bed and grimace at my face in the mirror. O joy! The first thing I do is use my Natio Gentle Cleansing Wipes* to give my fave a quick refresh and cleanse. It's full of natural products such as green tea and chamomile and it just helps to get rid of whatever make up residue may be left from the day before.
Next comes my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo - I know, it's not on the picture (I left it at the boys like an idiot) but this has become a real staple is spot busting for me. I pop it on everyday in the morning and it works at cleaning my pores as well as minimising the blemishes I do have. Not only that but it works as a fab make up base. Then I moisturise with my Fade Out White Original Moisturising Cream* to replace all moisture that my Effaclar Duo has taken out and to brighten up my face, ready for the war paint.

Evening
Here comes the laborious task of taking my make up off. I hate doing it and it always makes me a bit sad. The best make up remover I have found has to be Bioderma Crealine H20, it's a micellar(?) cleaner, so water based, great for your skin and a genius at removing make up. I use this with a huge baby cotton pad so not to waste pads - one will do my entire face. If I need an extra dose for eye make up I use the usual round pads.
Then comes the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, just to double cleanse and remove all horrible grit and dirt. I don't double cleanse every night, mainly every other otherwise I feel it's a bit harsh on my skin so I try to keep it to a minimum. Again, an all natural cleanser and probably the most hyped in blogger world. Then lastly I pop some more of my Fade Out White Original Moisturising Cream to pop some much needed moisture back into my face. Poor face!

So that is my routine, it's not a huge one and it's definitely not a religious one - hence the lazy girls guide! This tends to be working really well for my skin at the moment. The Natio Cleansing Wipes* are a new addition that have restored my faith in face wipes. They are really gentle and really fab at cleaning your skin and keeping it nice and refreshed. I would definitely recommend them.

I do use other bits and bobs every now and then, for example every two weeks I use Origins Out of Trouble Mask and the weeks I don't use that I use an exfoliator, such as The Body Shops Vitamin C Microdermabrasion. Just for those times my skin needs an extra bit of help.

What's your tips for speedy yet fab skin routine?

Liz Earle Mascara Base

Liz Earle Lash Care Intensifying Mascara Base £10.50

I've been wanting to try something from Liz Earle's new make up collection and when I spotted this I thought "why not". I've never tried a mascara base before, I've not even really heard one of felt the need for one but the blogger in me was curious. So a tenner later and voila - it was mine.

It's a creamy consistency and applies onto the lashes really easily. I pop it on before mascara and it separates my lashes as well as instantly lengthening them. It feels a bit weird having white lashes but it doesn't last long. I pop mascara over the top and voila. 

I have it helps keep my lashes separate, even with the most clumpy of mascaras and helps to hold it for long then usual. Perfect!

Not only that but my lashes feel so soft. Whenever I touch them, instead of getting stiff mascara lashes, I get soft natural feeling lashes. A winner with me.

So I managed to live 22 years without this, and I could probably live without it - it's not a definite need but I don't want to live without it. I'm loving this product and would definitely recommend it. It's just a genuinely lovely product, again, by the lovely Liz.

I'm off to Cardiff this weekend so forgive me if I'm a little silent this weekend (me, silent at the weekend?). Yes I know I usually am - apologies! I am attempting to schedule posts for you so fingers cross they work! 

Have you ever tried a mascara base? Which would you recommend?

Wishlist: Skin Care

Since starting my blog I have become more and more conscious about skin care and what I'm putting on my face. Which has been a god send for my skin, not so much for my purse as it seems I have expensive taste as you'll see from my wishlist!

Most of these products are a wish either from bloggers reviews (mainly Anna) or from using other products from the brand, or by using samples.

#1. Entire Zero Oil Range for Origins: 

Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser £17.00 for 150ml

Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner £17.00 for 150ml

Zero Oil Oil Free Lotion £23.00 for 50ml

I got a sample of the Oil Free Lotion when I recently purchased from Origins and I've just fallen in love with it. My skin has never felt more moisturised and it helps to balance out my complexion. I'd love to use the rest of the range to try out to see if they were as good as the Liz Earle cleanse/toner collection and which combinations go well together. I am however definitely buying the lotion once I've next been paid.

#2. Alpha H Liquid Gold £31.50 for 100ml

This is an 'Anna's' fault product. After watching her recent skin care video I fell in love with the idea of product. The fact that it's an overnight to resurface and firm you skin and is recommended as an anti-acne product, it sounds perfect to me. I went straight to the nearest website to purchase it until I saw the price. This is a spanner in the works for me, I'm so dubious to buy any skin care for over £25 in case it doesn't work. But I'm still dreaming about this product.

#3. Clinque Stay-Matte Oil-Free Foundation £21.50 for 30ml

I've been using a sample of this in Ivory for the past two weeks and am totally sold on this product. It lasts, gives great coverage and doesn't make my skin break out in oily patches or acne. This will be another pay day treat for me as I haven't found another foundation that matches my skin tone as well and does exactly what I want from a foundation. It was love at first contact!

#4. Caudalie Beauty Elixir £10.90 for 30ml or £32.00 for 100ml

Now this is another recommendation from Anna however I'm dubious to purchase as it's had mixed reviews across the blogosphere. It's meant to smooth away lines, tighten pores and refresh your skin, as well as helping to set your make up. All with a spritz! Would love to try it but for the price it's a pretty pricey mistake to make if it doesn't work for me.

#5. Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser £18.55 for 50ml pump

Couldn't have a skin care wish list without Liz Earle! Even since I tried Cleanse & Polish and the Toner, I can't live without them and this is the recommended moisturiser to go with. I've been using the Origins sample as stated above but I'd quite like the full set - as with the Origins one! Bit greedy me opps!

I would love to know if you'd tried any of these products and what you made of them - see if you can convince me to sway either way of purchase - to buy or not to buy! The moneys fate is in your capable hands!

Which of these would you recommend?

May Favourites

Have been somewhat inspired by a range of blogs to do a little favourites post that I'll pop up at the beginning of every month to show my favourites posts from the month before.

One of the reasons I'd really love to do this is to let people know what I loved writing or trialing, my favourites products or outfits or just what I loved in May. I love reading this on others so I thought 'why not?!' so here I go :)

Here are my top 5 posts from May

First up is my review on Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser which you can find here. The reason I chose this for number one is just because of how much I truly love the product. I has become a staple in my skin care routine and cannot recommend it highly enough.

This is somewhat sentimental for me as it was the first review I was asked to do by the brands PR company (and what a lovely PR company they are!). It was a very exciting moment for me, I love Links & the Olympics so was the perfect first review which you can find here.

Probably my favourite outfit post to date. I just love this dress from New Look - it's so flattering and has definitely got me loving the waterfall trend. Was a lovely event I wore this for as well (my Pappy's 80th) so just a great post for me. Loving the outfit which you can see more of here.

The reason I love this post is because it was slightly different for me. I love photographing my jewellery and the accessories I wear within outfit posts so this was great to do one specifically on the jewellery I got from Accessorize. I really love the photos (specifically the one above) as well. See more here.

This isn't one of my most highly viewed posts, but I just love this outfit. The Topshop dress is so so cute and one of my faves and this post also reminds me of what a great day this was. Take a peek here.

Which of my May posts did you like the most? Have I missed your favourite?

Liz Earle Love Letter

Be prepared for a little bit of a love letter with this post. I'm sure you've seen many many fantastic posts about Liz Earle and one of these particular products... But I love it so much I just have to share my thoughts with you lovely people!

You guessed it, it is Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser which was very kindly sent through with a free sample of Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

I was so excited to try both of these and they came in their own little Liz Earle bag, all wrapped in gorgeous tissue paper. I'd recommend it just for its presentation...

I have been holding off on reviewing this to see how it actually works as usually skin products take a little while to actually do anything on my skin. I've been using both for just over a month now and this is what I thought :)

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I got the 100ml pump starter kit for £14.25. I got the pump over the as a) it was cheaper and b) it was recommended to be by jemimaandted that the pump lets out just enough cleanser to cover your face so no chance of wastage. It came with two muslin clothes as well which was very handy and thoughtful of Liz :)

Ok so you pump once onto your hand and massage it gently into your skin over your eyes, face and neck. Then using the muslin cloth, rinse it in hand-hot water, wring out and then polish off the cream with the cloth. Finish by splashing your face with cold water.

I love the smell of this product, it's the first element of it that I feel in love with. It's just so pure and fresh and just smells chamomile which I love. It's so easy to apply and comes off really easily. It removes make up as well. It recommends you use in morning and evening, however I have just been using it before I go to bed. Once you splash your face with water and dry my face just looks so much clearer already and has literally NEVER felt so soft. I just feel cleaner.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic*

Mine is a mini 50ml sample size which came free with my above purchase (usually £5.25) but you can buy larger sizes and you can also purchase this as a spritz.

Now, I had never used a toner before and had no idea what it was meant to do other then tone (duh Lisa!). This product is meant to refresh, sooth and brighten your skin and I can assure you, it does all three.

You pop a small amount onto a cotton pad and sweep it over your face after using Cleanse & Polish (alternatively spritz onto face and body if you have the spritz). Again, I usually only use it at night as I have found it's quite hard to pop make up over the top of it.

Overall I have fallen so in love with these products. My skin looks so much clearer and brighter and smells fantastic after use. I just get into bed and sniff and hmmm yummy!

I accidentally stopped using this for a few days (bad Lisa) as I just got a bit lazy and tired and my skin really did suffer as a result, it really does make a huge difference. As soon as I started back up again it was bye bye oily skin, clean skin!

I would definitely recommend these products, even with the price tag as it really is worth it and it lasts for ages. I really cannot wait to try other products from this brand!

What Liz Earle products do you love?