Loving La Roche Posay!

Since discovering La Roche Posay at the beginning of the year, I have been buying more and more of their products. My newest ones are Effaclar Mat and the Thermal Spring Water. I find all of their items really suit my skin and know if I have a blemish, I can reach for my Effaclar K and the spot will be gone within a few days. 

All La Roche Posay products are paraben free, 100% hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and all are tested on sensitive skin. I have oily/combination skin and it has been so disgustingly greasy this summer that I felt I needed to do something about it, I swear as I get older its getting worse! Although I have been told its good to have oily skin as it means less wrinkles when I'm older! 

The Effaclar Mat comes in a 40ml tube and a little goes a long way. I find that a tiny pea sized amount will cover all of my face and I have a big face :). As predicted it is suitable for sensitive skin and oily skin prone to imperfections and shine, which I'm hoping is code for 'really greasy skin'! The problem I find is that I can't use products intended for oily skin as they then strip too much oil out and leave it even lilies but with dry patches. I have come to the conclusion that my skin is dehydrated( I have my hydraluron for that) so I need to address that first to balance my skin out. The Effaclar Mat claims to help control shine, reduce sebum production and the appearance of pores therefore creating an oil free texture and smoother skin. I have only been using it for about 3 weeks now but my skin has definitely improved. It feels softer and I don't need to apply powder as often as I previously had to and my makeup seems to sit nicer/last longer. This is probably a combination of all the new products I have been using but I like to think that the Effaclar Mat has helped. 

Thermal Spring Water 150ml- I don't know what made me buy this but I found myself picking it up again and again so thought I should just purchase it. The idea of spritzing your face with water is a strange one and I feel a bit indulgent for doing so (my boyfriend thinks I should save money and just throw Evian at my face everyday). I have to say though, my skin seems to love it and it soaks in a treat. It's supposed to soothe sensitive skin or skin that is easily irritated by outside factors like the climate and contains minerals and trace elements to soften and soothe. I use it after washing my face and before I put my Hydraluron and moisturiser on. 

Xx

Alpha H Liquid Gold

Alpha H is an Australian brand created 20 years ago. It is a family run company and over the years have developed products for men and woman and all skin types. I was first introduced to the range from watching QVC (I am addicted!) and one of my beauty therapist friends suggested I try Liquid Gold as I had spots around my chin and jaw line. 

Liquid Gold contains glycolic acid and liquorice extract to gently resurface the skin and is great for scarred or dull skin. I use it every other day at night on a cotton pad and gently wipe it over my skin. It tingles for a few minutes as the glycolic gets to work. When I first used Liquid Gold, I came out in more spots but my skin tends to do that when I try a new product and it settles down quite quickly. I now use it every so often when I have an outbreak of spots but my skin has really cleared up a lot since using the Liquid Gold. I really recommend using it, it is suitable for all skin types. I first used it when I was 21/22 and it is a great addition to my skincare routine. My skin feels really soft the morning after I have used it and it definitely improves the look and tone of my skin. 

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel

Hi guys! I've been so manic recently with work and writing blog posts. I have a whole list of products I want to write about as I'm always discovering new ones or rediscovering old favourites. I know there's tons of blogs out there with info on the same things as mine but I still like to write and inform you of my opinions as everyone is different. 

Today I want to tell you about the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel. I don't know if I have mentioned before that I used to use really rough exfoliators as I have oily skin and thought they would help, turns out I was doing more damage than good so I switched to more gentle products. This seems to have worked as I have far less blemishes and less greasy skin as I'm not over stimulating my oil glands or stripping my skin of its natural oils. I bought this peel as part of a set a while back, I'm a sucker for sets with full size products and little try me sizes. This peel is the 15ml size which is actually not that small, you only need a little amount of this product for it to work its magic. 

The packaging is clean and smart looking and looks expensive standing on my shelf. The peel itself is a cream consistency which can easily be spread across the face, avoiding the eyes. I leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes to do its thing before I remove it with warm water and go on to use a facemask and then moisturiser. It leaves my skin looking fresh and clean, removing the rough skin and dead skin cells that clog up my pores. I am running low on this product so I will be sure to pick one up when I go to the beauty show next weekend eeeek can't wait! That's a whole other blog post in itself as we go for the whole day and I always come back with more than I need but I do pick up some Christmas presents along the way! 

Drugstore and Tk Maxx Haul!!

I have been meaning to post these products for a few weeks now but only just got round to it! I went to Boots to pick up a few bits and pieces but ended up spending just over £100.. Oops! :) Then i went to Tk Maxx and my boyfriend kindly bought me some products.  In my defence, I will use everything I bought and quite a few of them have been on my wish list for months! (Desperately trying to justify spending so much in one go). 

From Boots:

Essie Nail Polish in Fifth Avenue- I would describe this as a coral red, although my boyfriend thinks its pink?? Gorgeous colour, easy to paint and lasted a week on my fingernails which is good for me considering I take off client's nail polishes every day. 

La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat and Thermal Water- I've been wanting to get a Thermal Water for a while now as my skin can sometimes feel tight before I put my makeup on. I just happened to see the Effaclar Mat while I was in Boots and decided to get it. I have oily/combination skin and La Roche Posay products are good for this, I can't wait to try them. 

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Eye Roll-On- I have needed an eye product for months but couldn't decide what to get. I have used so many eye creams and gels that haven't really done what I need them to. I have dehydration lines around my eyes and puffiness and dark circles which this gel claims to eliminate so fingers crossed! 

Hydraluron Moisture Booster- So glad I finally bought this! Skincare guru Caroline Hirons recommends this, as do a few other bloggers and YouTubers. I will use this under my moisturiser morning and night. 

Rihanna Reb'l Fleur Perfume- Bought this so I stop using my friends one when I go to her house! Love love love this, I'm usually really picky with perfumes as I don't like to be overpowered by fragrances but this one is perfect for me. 

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes- I needed another one of these mascaras as my one is nearly all gone. I like the brush and how easy it is to build up. 

Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick- I've seen people rave about these on YouTube so I'm looking forward to using it and reviewing it. I bought the shade 'Peach on the Beach'. 

Tangle Teaser- My hair is so long now that its ridiculously hard to brush all the way through. I dread brushing it as its really thick and I try brushing the ends first to stop splitting it but its still such a chore! I hope this will end my pain! 

Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner- My conditioner ran out and I always seem to go back to this one every so often. I love the Aussie range of products and find they really suit my hair. 

Tk Maxx-

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Uplifting Body Lotion- always wanted to try the Cowshed products but have never treated myself. This smells really fresh. 

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment and Argan Magic Restorative Hair Mask- randomly picked these up to tame my lions mane! 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream SPF 50- Picked this up to use when I go away as I need to start looking after my skin in the sun. 

A bit of a boring post but I will be doing blog posts on most of these products when I get the chance to try them all out. Lets face it, I need to use them all religiously to rid myself of the guilt of spending so much eeeeek! 

Xx

My Skincare Routine

It's about time I wrote a post on the cleansers/ creams etc I use. I have a big basket full of cleansers/toners/masks/serums/moisturisers... The list goes on! You name it, it's in there. I go through phases of using particular products then switching to something else although at the moment I'm trying to use up a lot of them so that I can use the new ones I get for my birthday and Christmas ( which is coming round way too quick). 

For cleansing I am switching between two products- Bioderma and Elemis Pro Radiance Cream Cleanser. I use the Bioderma when I have makeup on as it gets rid of every last little bit and only takes a few minutes. I use the Elemis cleanser when I have hardly any makeup on or none at all, it's thick and smells gorgeous. I just massage it over my skin and then rinse with warm water, followed by the L'Occitane Immortelle Essential Water. I love this stuff! I just have the sample size as it always comes in a box or bag along with full size products I order but that's plenty big enough as I took it on holiday in my hand luggage( I am addicted to using it). Just spritz it on your face after cleansing and it instantly refreshes it without that horrible drying affect toners have. I don't like using toners as they strip my skin and I don't like the tight feeling they leave behind. My skin is quite oily and dehydrated but I don't like stripping the oil off it as it then makes my skin go into overdrive and produce more oil! I can't win really! :) 

Currently I am using up my L'Occitane samples of Essence Sublime and the Angelica Hydration Cream. I'm hoping that by using these my skin won't be as dehydrated and uneven. The Essence Sublime reduces redness, evens skintone, tightens pores and gives the skin an overall fresher and smoother look. My skin does look better and my pores aren't as visible, it also soaks in very quickly so my skin clearly needs and loves it! The moisturiser is light and fresh and not at all greasy so it ticks all the boxes as far as I'm concerned! If I'm suffering from a few breakouts, I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar A.K Targeted Breakout Corrector which seems to reduce the redness of my spots and makes them heal quicker. Also every night I use the RapidLash eyelash growth serum which I was a bit dubious about to begin with buy it really had made my lashes grow! I bought it a few months ago when I had my eyelash extensions taken off as my natural lashes have always been short and horrible. It took a few weeks for me to notice a different but it has definitely thickened and lengthened my lashes.