bloggers in Birmingham

Life - Change is Good

12:37:00 pm

It's been a while hasn't it, I hope you don't mind for the lack of normal posting in the last couple of weeks but you know when life just takes over, that. If you read this post you will already know I am spending my first month back in England with Charl from Ginger Girl Says and so far it's been really good, I am just so glad to be back in England!  It took me a couple of weeks just to adapt to British life again after being in Morocco for such a long time but I'm getting back into the swing of things now and have had lots to do keeping me busy, so I thought I would give you a bit of an update on all the exciting things I have been doing.


Since I got back Charl has been kind enough to invite me onto her radio show Ginger Girl Says on 6 Towns Radio.  It has been such a cool way to spend our Wednesday nights and is really just an extension of conversations we have between ourselves everything from Celebrity Gossip to our personal dating stories.  You can join us on Wednesday nights from 9-11pm here.

At the start of this week I spent what felt like two full days in Selfridges Birmingham, not that I am complaining, it was a pleasure especially with the brand new beauty hall.  It was my first visit since the re design and I was honestly gobsmacked, it is everything a beauty lover could wish for and more!  The surprise of lots of new brands was great, especially  Urban Decay and Charlotte Tilbury.  There is also now a Beauty Personal Shopping Service available with the lovely Rose, meaning your entire Selfridges Beauty Experience can be tailored to your needs.  I was lucky enough to meet Rose at an event in London just over a year ago and have to say she was absolutely made for this position, she is such a great addition to the Selfridges Beauty Department.  You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the beauty goings on.

Last Monday I spent the afternoon with Urban Decay.  Learning  more about their new launches and was lucky enough to have my make up done by their National Make Up Artist Karen, she is literally a magician with a make up brush!  It was really good to have a closer look at the products that had launched recently as well as the much talked about Naked 3 Palette which launched when I was away.  This little visit also made me completely rethink my foundation routine for summer, so there will be more about that very soon.



Tuesday last week was a truly great day.  I was invited by Dermalogica to take part in their debate as part of Selfridges Beauty Project to discuss the topic, Does The Stereotypical Notion of Beauty Really Empower Women?  We had two sessions throughout the day and I was delighted to be in the company of such inspiring ladies, it was really fantastic to see how beauty can empower women in so many different walks of life.  Doing things like this can really help to change the way people think about careers in beauty and to remove the stigma of it being a less academically challenging profession.  I would really love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below.



Something else really exciting happened on Tuesday, I met a guy who convinced me to let him take me for a coffee that same night, we went for coffee, walked around my favourite area of Birmingham and will be seeing each other again next week.  The day after we met the most beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived on my doorstep, the most romantic thing anyone has done for me in a long time.  Lets be honest girls flowers are always a welcomed surprise, I will keep you all updated on this situation.



Since arriving back from Morocco I have been shopping so much, I'm going to try and put together some kind of clothing haul as that is what I have bought the most of, having shops on my doorstep again has been far too tempting.  In the last little while I have also  received some really lovely items to feature here on the blog from Skincare, Body Care, Clothing, Accessories and Pizza!  I have so many exciting features planned and genuinely cannot wait to bring you some new and exciting content.  Myself and Charl are going out today to take some outfit pictures including some pieces we have picked up recently so look out for those in the coming week.

I hope you enjoyed this little update, if you like this kind of thing keep an eye on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter where I share little bits of my days, seven days a week! 

Beauty

Beauty - How to Make Your Own Face Mask

12:22:00 pm

raspberry, honey, oats, cocoa powder,beauty, skincare, skincare for all skintypes, face masks, how to make your own fresh face masks, diy beauty, you are what you eat,

raspberries, oats, honey,beauty, skincare, skincare for all skintypes, face masks, how to make your own fresh face masks, diy beauty, you are what you eat,
beauty, skincare, skincare for all skintypes, face masks, how to make your own fresh face masks, diy beauty, you are what you eat, oats, honey, raspberries, blender
cocoa powder,beauty, skincare, skincare for all skintypes, face masks, how to make your own fresh face masks, diy beauty, you are what you eat,
raspberry, honey, oat, cocoa powder,beauty, skincare, skincare for all skintypes, face masks, how to make your own fresh face masks, diy beauty, you are what you eat,

In my time working for Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics one thing I am really thankful for is my increased knowledge of which fresh ingredients are most beneficial to my skin. I love so many of the Fresh Face Masks from Lush so I decided to come up with my own mask using a few of the ingredients from those, resulting in my ultimate fresh face mask.  My definition of the ultimate face mask would mean it was cleansing, exfoliating, soothing, anti aging, spot preventing whilst controlling oil but still allowing the skin to look radiant with a natural glow.  I know that seems like a lot to ask for in one mask but so many ingredients are known to help with more than one of these, so less ingredients are needed than you might think.

I decided on four ingredients known for their benefits to the skin,

Raspberries, rank among the fruits with the highest antioxidant strength great for anti aging properties when used topically.  They are also known for reducing inflammation, calming irritation and toning the skin.

Oats - an amazing natural beauty enhancer. They soothe and heal the skin, while reducing inflammation. Inflammation is one of the number one causes of premature aging, and while it all starts on the inside, reducing outer inflammation is also necessary for gorgeously radiant skin.  they are also very slightly exfoliating leaving the skin silky smooth without using something too harsh.

Honey - known as a natural cleanser which naturally exfoliates your skin to bring out a radiant and glowing complexion.  It is naturally antibacterial, so it's great for acne treatment and prevention, full of antioxidants which slow down the aging process whilst being super moisturising.

Cocoa Powder -contains antioxidants that work toward repairing damaged skin. This will make your skin softer, especially when paired with other ingredients including honey.  This also helps to absorb excess oil in the skin as it can be very subtly mattifying.

If you are reading this thinking it sounds good enough to eat, you would be correct.  Good for your skin and delicious, the best of both worlds.  I have been using this twice a week for two weeks now and love the way it makes my skin feel and more importantly look.  Immediately after use my skin definitely looks more radiant without being shiny.  This is by far my favourite DIY beauty product I have ever created, i love it even more than my DIY Hair Mask.

What would be the properties of your ultimate face mask?

Beauty

Beauty - Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser Review

3:30:00 pm


Beauty, Skincare, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Lush, Lush Let the Good Times Roll, Exfoliating Cleanser, exfoliating skincare, Cruelty Free Beauty,

Beauty, Skincare, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Lush, Lush Let the Good Times Roll, Exfoliating Cleanser, exfoliating skincare, Cruelty Free Beauty,


Exfoliation is an essential step in my skincare routine, I find that it helps my skin to look healthier, feel softer and ensures I get the best results from other products as it helps to remove dead and dry skin, ensuring serums and moisturisers are easily absorbed into the skin.  I use two exfoliating cleansers, one of which I will be reviewing today,  Lush's Let The Good Times Roll.

This little pot of joy, which made it's first appearance as part of the Christmas range a couple of years ago, has now been made a permanent fixture to the amazing skincare range in store and online, thank you to the genius who made that happen!

I like to use this every second day as part of my evening skincare routine once I have removed my make up. The vitamin rich polenta and gently exfoliating maize flour work together with stimulating cinnamon powder, to gently buff away any dead skin cells, leaving my skin really soft and hydrated with a healthy glow.
Lush describe the scent of Let The Good Times Roll as a buttery popcorn, which I agree with to an extent but to me smells slightly sweeter than this, more like toffee popcorn.  It's difficult to explain how delicious it smells, I urge you to visit your nearest Lush shop and experience it for yourself, thank me later.

Let The Good Times Roll is a completely different texture to any other cleansers I have used, this different approach makes it really fun to use.  I just get a pea sized amount and mix in the palm of my hand with some water, creating a paste, I then massage into my skin for about a minute and rinse off with warm water.  What I love about this is you can control how scrubby you want this to be depending on how much water you add when making the paste.   Some exfoliating skincare products have often left me feeling the need to moisturise instantly after use, like they strip my skin of any natural oils and moisture.   This is not the case with this one, after rinsing my skin feels deeply moisturised but not oily, it's fantastic.

I was using this for about six months,  and have gone through three 100g tubs in that time, finishing my last pot at the end of March.  As the formula is preservative free it is recommended that it is used within three months of being made, Lush make this really easy to remember by placing stickers on each little black pot, these detail when it was made, who made the product and when it should be used by.  I know people use this after the recommended use by date but personally I wouldn't do this.  It may feel okay to use but the results will not be as effective compared to a fresh batch,

As I mentioned I finished my last pot of this around the end of March and have not repurchased as now the weather is warming up a little, my skin is feeling less dehydrated and will gradually become oilier as we come into summer.  I think for my skin this is most effective when it's colder outside.  I am now using an exfoliating cleanser that is in my collection all year round and will be sharing it with you very soon.

This can also be used as an all over body cleanser, I haven't tried this as I like to save it all for my face, please let me know if you have and what it was like in the comments below.


Beauty

Beauty - Kiehls Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face and Eye Cream Review

3:30:00 pm

Kiehls, beauty, Kiehls Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face and Eye Cream Review, skincare Review, Should I be using anti wrinkle products, how to improve fine lines and wrinkles, Skincare,

Kiehls, beauty, Kiehls Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face and Eye Cream Review, skincare Review, Should I be using anti wrinkle products, how to improve fine lines and wrinkles, Skincare,

Kiehls, beauty, Kiehls Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face and Eye Cream Review, skincare Review, Should I be using anti wrinkle products, how to improve fine lines and wrinkles, Skincare,
















Kiehls, beauty, Kiehls Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face and Eye Cream Review, skincare Review, Should I be using anti wrinkle products, how to improve fine lines and wrinkles, Skincare,


















Wrinkles and fine lines, everybody hates them but unfortunately everybody gets them, including my twenty two year old self.  Since late last year I have began to notice fine lines appearing around my eyes, it absolutely terrifies me, sadly it's only a matter of time before they start appearing all over my face.  Well I have taken action, I have been trying out the Kiehl's Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face and Eye Creams for the last six weeks, in a bid to improve the appearance of the fine lines that have annoyingly surfaced and to prevent to further wrinkles appearing.

When I first seen these the packaging really stood out to me, there is something about the copper packaging that gives it a slight vintage feel, which I love.  The inner section that protects the product inside and keep it fresh, just ooze luxury give very high hopes for results from the creams themselves.  The packaging for this product is definitely the only vintage quality of this product, the product inside is excitingly new and current.

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the Wrinkle Reducing Face Cream, don't worry I will explain why.  As I said I have been using this for around six weeks, only as part of my evening skincare routine, as I like to use a more mattifying cream in the morning.  I thought that while I was sleeping and the skin is more actively repairing itself that the cream would have more chance of being effective, although I'm positive it would work just as effectively during the day.  As I have very few, if any, fine lines or wrinkles other than on my eyes I didn't expect any immediately visible results from this.
At the moment I am using it more to prevent future fine lines or wrinkles than to correct those already there. Kiehl's claim that it helps fortify skin’s elasticity and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, resulting in smoother skin, refined looking texture and less visible pores.  As I anticipated, there are not a huge difference in my skin on the wrinkle front, as I don't have any major issues but my skin does feel noticeably softer and my pores are visibly reduced, which is reassuring that it is working.  The only negative thing I have to say about this cream is the scent.  It is not my favourite and for the life of me cannot pin point which of the ingredients it may be, but the way it makes my skin feel outshines the less than delightful smell.

Now the Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream is the stand out product from the the two for me, there are no mixed opinions on this one, I adore it.  Unlike the face cream, I have been using this in my morning and evening skincare routine, its so light that it doesn't effect the way my make up sits, at all.  As I have developed a few fine lines around my eyes I was hoping this could slightly improve them but I wasn't expecting a miracle.  I was pleasantly surprised, within three weeks of using this twice a day the fine lines were much less apparent, I was delighted.  It does have the same scent as the face cream but I really couldn't care, this stuff is magic in a pot.  I have seen positive results within the first three weeks of introducing this to my routine, imagine the benefits of using this for a longer period of time, how could I live without this.

The hunt for the perfect night time moisturiser that helps correct the imperfections my skin develops with age, is still life long search.  I will always try new ones just in case the next one I try is better than the previous, so it is unlikely, that I will repurchase the Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Face Cream.  I will continue to use the 1/3 of a tub I have left as I like the way it makes my skin look and feel it's just not life changing.  Or is it? With a cream that is used to prevent and reduce the chance of getting fine lines and wrinkles in the future, how would I know it does or doesn't work until I stopped using it? The Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream, comes with no concerns of effectiveness.  I love this a lot and will more than happily use the small amount I have left, if another product doesn't stand out to me in that time I will repurchase, life of a beauty blogger I suppose, the possibilities of the perfect product are endless, but this eye creams comes pretty close to being irreplaceable.

Have you found the perfect Moisturiser?  If it corrects redness, smooths, reduces pores, adds moisture without being too greasy or heavy and smells nice, tell me about it in your comment below!



*I was gifted this product for consideration of review which as you know never affects my honest opinions featured in reviews.

Anti Blemish Lotion

Beauty - Skinetica Anti Blemish Lotion Review - Revisited

3:15:00 pm

Nearly a year ago I reviewed Skinetica, you can read that review here.  At the time it was popping up everywhere with mixed reviews, so I came to the conclusion that it definitely works better with some skin types better than others.
  I still really enjoy using Skinetica for when I experience breakouts.  I don't use it as an all over toner anymore, the only reason for this being I have enjoyed trying different toners.  Having enjoyed it so much I wanted to spread the word and had a bottle to spare.  I gifted my Auntie Sinead a bottle last April, as she was complaining that her skin wasn't at it's best.  This is what she had to say;

Hi Gemma,

I just wanted to write to say thank you so much for the gift of anti-blemish skinetica.

Being in my mid thirties and having a problem with spots for the past 5 years I am just delighted with the results after using this product.

I have used a variety of blemish treatments over the years and even used an anti biotic solution prescribed by the doctor, none if which cleared my skin and in fact probably made my skin look and feel worse!

For me anti-blemish skinetica does exactly what it claims on the bottle "soothes calms clears" it is reasonably fast acting and kind to my skin. After about 4 days applying the treatment, every 12 hours as directed, my spots have cleared up leaving no red marks or dry skin.

I am so pleased with the results and very grateful for you taking the time to provide me with a product that you thought would benefit my sensitive skin.

I will not hesitate to ask for any skin care advice in the future, thanks a million!!

Warmest regards,

Aunty Sinead xx

I wanted to share this with you as Sinead's point of view really surprised me.  With her skin being so sensitive I did have a slight worry she would react, but after explaining this she was still excited to try it, thank goodness she gave it a try.

Have you ever gifted somebody a product that dramatically changed their life?


Full of Grace Review

Beauty -Lush Full of Grace Solid Serum Review

11:09:00 am


Hello Everyone,

So last week I shared with you the first couple of things I use in preparation for using one of my favourite face masks, which you can read HERE.  Hopefully you enjoyed those and will be glad to know that today I will be telling you all about the next product I use

This stage in my routine is something really special and makes the whole experience more like an at home spa treatment, I find it really relaxing and slightly more pampering than just applying a mask on its own.

Full of Grace Serum Bar

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Full of Grace Serum Skincare Review

Full of Grace Serum Bar looks just like one of the Lush body massage bars but do not be confused, this little beauty is all for your face, it is about half the size of one of the solid shampoo bars . This was developed for using in the Lush Spa's during the Validation Facial Treatment. It was created to be very special and luxurious for use during facial massage, that could be worked into the skin with ease without it feeling too heavy or oily.

Packed into this product are so many amazing ingredients that help with so many different aspects of your skin. This was created by Helen one of the Lush founders. She started by taking fresh rose petals and soaked them in water, creating the calming rose water.  Mixing this rose water with murumuru butter, capuacu butter and almond oil, created the base of Full of Grace. These all work really well together and leave the face feeling moisturised and supple. You would think this bar couldn't get any better, well fortunately for us, it does. Helen also managed to work in some fresh portobello mushrooms for their vitamins and antioxidants and calamine powder to cool the skin whilst controlling excess oil. After adding a blend of only the best essential oils Full of Grace was completed and ready to take on the world.

I like to use Full of Grace prior to applying my chosen face mask for a number of reasons;
  • It makes the application of any face mask smooth and effortless, it just glides across the skin making for an even layer every time.
  • A serum helps other products work into the skin and go deeper, so this helps the ingredients in  face masks be even more effective, allowing you to get better results from face masks.
  • It makes the removal of your face mask a pleasure revealing moisturised, supple skin every single time.
  • It can also be used as a moisturiser and I love applying this underneith my night cream, when my skin is feeling particularly dry or irritated, allowing my skin to feed on the ingredients as I sleep.
Using Full of Grace could not be more simple, I just take the bar in one hand and glide it across the other, the heat of your body slightly melts the serum bar leaving the perfect amount of product on the palm of your hand. I then massage this into my skin in upward motions until my entire face is covered. As you only ever use a tiny amount this little bar last forever.

One initial concern was that it may be too oily for my oily/combination skin but the calamine powder actually helped to control the excess oil I experience on my t-zone area and it is easy to control than ever before. Serums I have tried before now all were basically a mix of water and silicone, Im delighted Helen managed to make one that was made entirely of natural ingredients that contains no preservatives. I have now been using Full of Grace since April 2013 and couldn't imagine my face mask routine without it.
Do you use any serum in your skincare routine, which one do you use and why?


Gemma

x


Lancome

Event - Lancome Introduction to Skincare

5:25:00 am

Instead of my usual Skincare Routine post this week, Id like to share with you a skincare based event I have been to recently, hope you enjoy.

A couple of months ago I received a very exciting tweet from Lydia, the Business Manager of Lancome, in Selfridges Birmingham.  This lovely lady wanted to get involved with some local bloggers and raise interest and product knowledge of the brand.  This will be a monthly event concentrating on different areas each time, this month it was Skincare. It will include 6 local bloggers who I have chosen, I do apologise that I cannot pick everyone and to keep it simple it will be the same 6 bloggers taking part each month.


To me Lancome is a brand associated with ladies in their 40's and beyond and truthfully I never payed much attention the cult favourite products or new launches.  This is the case with many ladies in my age group and this is what Lydia hopes to change.  This is because Lancome have some of the most high performing, high quality products and they are just not shouted about enough in the beauty world.  Yes they come with higher price tag than your high street favourites, but you pay for quality right?

When we arrived Lydia greeted us and got us all seated behind the counter, she even got us some drinks and nibbles which went down a treat with all of the girls.  She asked for a volunteer and I jumped at the chance, I really had been feeling ill all day and had the same make up on since I left the house early in the morning and appreciated the relaxing experience.

Sophie, Clare, Amy and Helen 
Lydia started by removing my make up with Galateis Douceur, a cream cleanser, something I don't normally use as I prefer a cleanser to use with water.  This was lovely and removed my make up with ease leaving my skin feeling fresh, but not as squeaky clean as I like normally.  She followed with Tonique Douceur, a toner suitable for my combination/oily skin, I loved how soft this made my skin.  
Next was a product that I had never used before from Lancome or any other brand, At Lancome everything starts with Genifique.  Now serums or concentrate are something that never really appealed to me due to most of them being targeted towards anti ageing and I still concider myself young enough not to worry about wrinkles. This was my opinion until the Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate was applied to my face, my skin felt velvety and looked radiant and skin more even, this was after minutes of applying, I can only imagine the effects of long term use.  The next product pretty much blew me away to be honest, this was the Hydra-zen Neurocalm Moisturiser, I suffer with redness and almost immediately this calmed down this redness and I was so impressed, I have never had a moisturiser do this before.







 So now my face was completely free of make up (excluding my eyebrows and eye make up).  As I was travelling home by train and am not brave enough to walk through the city with a bare face yet, Lydia reapplied my base using Lancome's make up range.
She started with Le Base Pro which I would describe as the Lancome version of Benefit's Porefessional (read my porefessional review here). It has the same texture and applies the same but is unscented and is clear in colour. To create an even, natural looking base she used the brand new foundation and corrector duo Teint Visionnaire.  This foundation was just phenominal, it gave me a coverage I was comfortable with but made me look radient and glowy.  I really wanted to purchase this foundation but it is out of my budget at £36, so this will be on a wishlist for when I have some extra money.  Lydia finished the look with a dusting of bronzer and some blush to give me a healthy glow.




Overall, im sure I can talk for all the girls, when I say we had a fabulous time and learned so much.  Concentrating on skincare is becoming more of a lifestyle than a routine for me and all the information Lydia gave us just confirmed how how important it is.  You can cover up blemishes and problem skin with all the make up you can buy but underneath your skin will still be the same.  If you pay more attention to skincare you wouldn't need to wear as much make up as there would be no problems to conceal.  Skincare is becoming more of a priority to me than make up and coming from me this is a bold statement.

Lots of Love

Gem

xxx 


*Thanks to Amy at PYT for taking so many lovely pictures and allowing me to feature them on Button's Blog.

Clarisonic Dupe

Beauty - No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush Review

10:53:00 am

Morning lovlies, 

You might be wondering where this has come from as it was not in My Skincare Routine Product Introduction, there is a reason for this. I bought this at the beginning of the month after I had started this series, but had to include it as this is a big part of my daily routine now.  

Before I purchased this I had ever used a facial cleansing brush of any type, I had longed to own a Clarisonic after reading a review of it HERE.  As much as I longed for the Clarisonic my budget does not allow for such   purchases especially as I wasn't really sure it would suit my skin, so when I seen this budget dupe I knew it was my time to decide if this type of product would work for me.

No 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush 
Available here £24.95 (This was on introductory offer when I bought it at £15.00)

 The appearance of this cleansing brush is delightful, I love how clean, simple and compact this is.  It is shaped to fit in your hand perfectly and with only two AA batteries powering the brush head it is quite lightweight too. 
The brush head may look scary to some, myself included. I have not suffered with acne since my early teens, only the occasional monthly spot on my chin and jawline (damn you mother nature), but I was worried using this may cause my skin to panic and have a breakout as it looks like it could be quite harsh on the skin and more exfoliating than just cleansing, I was wrong.  The bristles are really soft and on my oily/combo skin this didn't feel harsh or too at all.
The brush has two speed settings, the first one being slower than the second, these are set with button on the handle.  1 click activates the slower setting, 2 clicks activate the faster setting and 3 clicks turn the device off.




 "This clever cleansing brush gently exfoliates and deeply cleanses the skin, removing more dirt, oil and make-up than manual cleansing alone. Easy and quick to use, discover super clean, soft, radiant and healthier looking skin in less than 60 seconds." - Boots.com

I use this with my Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean (read the review here).  I don't use it every single time I cleanse only at night and alternate between the different speeds depending on how much make up I have been wearing.  On heavy make up days I use this on the faster setting and on light make up days I use it on the first slower setting.  If I have had a make up free day I do not cleanse using this brush.  This is just my personal preference and Im sure depending on your skin type you could use this more often or less often its completely down to you.
Using this with my Peaches and Clean has been working perfectly for me even though these are recommended for use with a foaming cleanser, I didn't want to change my cleanser as it works so well for me.


Using these two together leave my skin feeling soft and deeply cleansed more so than ever before. In the first few days of use I did experience a tiny breakout on my jawline but this was more than likely down to mother nature than a reaction to the brush, after this I have not experienced any other breakouts at all.  My skin looks healthier with no make up on, with reduced redness and more even skin tone. This is such a huge improvement that I no longer wear foundation to work at all, only concealer and some powder on my nose. This makes me feel like im being good to my skin when I use this like my skin is saying thank you by rewarding me with no spots and better skintone. 

Tips for use (I am not an expert)
Tie your hair up, it gets caught in the brush and tangles - not cool
Do not use for longer than the recommended time of 30-60 seconds
Remove eye make up before use, I feel this would be too harsh on the delicate eye area
Do not press the brush to hard onto skin, this will stop the brush from moving and damage the effectiveness of the brush
This is not recomended for overly dry and sensitive skin, I do not have dry or sensitive skin so cannot comment on this

For a fraction of the price of a Clarisonic I am delighted with the results, but I am now more curious about the Clarisonic because if I can get such amazing results from this I wonder what the results would be like from something over 100 pounds more expensive, does the price matter?

Lots of Love

Gem

xxx

My skincare routine

Beauty - Is Only Skin Deep

5:00:00 pm

Hi Hunnis!
Hope you all had a lovely weekend, mine went far to quickly for my liking, but they say time flys when your having fun.
Iv been saying for a while I wanted to start a monthly series and I have decided on 'My Routine'.  I will cover skincare, haircare, bodycare in the next few months. These will all start with an introduction to the products I use followed by reviews on the products included in the intro. I will also do an extras post for products I use every now and then for an added boost and equipment I use.  The first week of the month I will cover skincare, the second will be haircare, third week is body care and the forth will be any extras.
 I wanted to start with skincare as this is something I am very new to, for years I was really niave to all the amazing products that are available and only used baby wipes and a face wash. My knowledge and interest in different skincare products has increased hugely since discovering blogs that feature skincare regularly such as Pampered Prince and Tattooed Tea Lady.  With this new found knowledge and interest of what products would suit my skin and how they could improve it have seen my skincare routine improve and I have come a long way since my baby wipes and facial wash days.


Above are the current products im using in my skincare routine, please note the word current as I chop and change some of these products monthly or when they are finished so I can try out new things in the hope of finding my wonder products.
Make Up Remover - Simple 'Kind to Skin' Eye Make Up Remover
I only use an eye make up remover as I expect my facial wash to remove all traces of make up at the end of the day.
Facial Wash - Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean/Purity Exvoliating Facial Wash
I use these two on alternative days so one day I use Peaches and Clean and the next I use the Exvoliating Facial wash.
Toner - Skinetica Blemish Clearing Lotion
I use this as my toner/lotion every morning and night, as it is intended.  This is a permanent fixture in my routine.
Eye Cream - Murad Hyrdo Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes
This was a sample I recieved in the #bbloggersxmas goodie bag so I am just trialing this at the moment. Eye creams and gels are something I am quite unsure of and very new to.
Moisturiser -  Dermalogica Active Moist/Soap and Glory Wish Upon a Jar
I use the Active Moist as a daytime moisturiser and the Wish Upon a Jar as my night moisturiser at the moment, this is only intended for 21 day use at a time but im naughty and dont follow them rules.
I hope you are looking forward to this series, which product are you most excited for me to review?
Lots of Love
Gemma
xxx