Skincare & Make-Up Routine

Living Mindfully

I've had a shift with my thoughts around consumerism and material possessions; a combination of Covid-19 and personal development has really opened my eyes to the world that we live in. I'm mindful now when I make a purchase, and typically what I do is I will write the item that I think I need onto a shopping list and if I still feel like it's needed a few weeks or a month down the line, then I will make a purchase. 

I'm trying hard to live with less; I'm by no means perfect, but the intention is there and I am doing my best (I feel I've been saying 'I'm doing my best' to my kids a lot lately, it's hard being a single mum with a pre-teen and a teenager under the one roof!). I do wonder what the planet is going to be like in the future if we continue on our current path, and so I try and do my bit (I don't always get it right mind you, and I know I could do better/more).

Skincare & Make-Up Routine

Historically I had an all singing, all dancing skincare routine with various cleansers, moisturisers and a host of different types of serum. More recently, I have a cleanser and a moisturiser, and I will occasionally use a facemask. That's it. And my skin is still in good, some might even say great, condition. (I was actually complimented on my glowing skin the other week!).

A few other things that contribute to my skin - I don't drink alcohol and I also use a collagen builder supplement daily.

In terms of make-up, I've really pared things back in this department too. Partly for time reasons; I don't want to spend an hour getting ready in the morning - my priorities lie elsewhere and there's also the fact that when I'm travelling in my campervan (@veritythevw), I want to be able to travel light. 

I had also been working with a nutritionist on what I consume (not only in the food, but everything else too) as I was trying to do my best to ensure my Crohn's Disease didn't flare up again. Part of this had been giving thought to the toxins that I allow into my body... this includes the products that I put on my face/body.

My current go to products are:

• Tinted moisturiser (which has an SPF)
• Under-eye concealer
• Lipstick
• Eyebrow cream
• Mascara
• Eyeshadow (which I don't typically always wear) 

The products that I do use are vegan and I buy when I can from certified B Corporations. 

B Corps are companies, verified by B Lab, to  meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. There are 800 B Corps in the UK currently, and you can search the directory here. 

I get my pet food from a B Corp (Lily's Kitchen), toilet paper (Who Gives a Crap), clothing (Baukjen) and so on. 

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Current Skincare, Hair & Make-Up Favourites

Firstly, can you actually believe we're nearly at the middle of August?? The summer is practically over (what summer!?!) and the schools go back this week.

I had vowed to do monthly hair & beauty favs, but life is kinda busy and I've not managed to write these posts as frequently as I'd like. That said, I thought I'd share with you now my current favourite hair & beauty products. Maybe I should aim for these to be quarterly for the seasons, so this would be my "summer" edition!

First up is Origins Clean Energy. I've been really enjoying this oil cleanser. I use it in the evenings to remove my make-up ahead and surface dirt ahead of a second cleanse with Elizabeth Arden PRO Gentle Facial Cleanser. It's fantastic at dissolving eye make-up and I then use a warm flannel to remove it. For a while I was using baby oil over my eyes to get rid of stubborn eye make-up,  but this is a step up and it's just lovely and feels great on my skin.

Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil, £23.50

For hair care, it's got to be Ojon's Rare Blend Moisture Therapy Conditioner (turns out Ojon is now part of Origins!). This thick, luxurious conditioner is more like a hair mask than a conditioner and it's fantastic at injecting some moisture back into my hair. My hair feels immediately softer and sleeker after just one use. It smells slightly bizarre - it's hard to describe - but I actually quite like it.

Ojon Rare Blend Moisture Therapy Conditioner, £23 *

 
Finally for make-up my go-to product at the moment is the Smashbox L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Colour in Malibu Berry. It's a great colour that works well on both my lips and cheeks. The stick is really easy to use and at the other end there is a little sponge for blending (I'm finding it super useful for when I'm on the go or travelling). It's all very casual and you don't need to be precise in your application. In less than a minute and a few swipes, I've got my lipstick on and a bit of colour to my face. The colour is probably more one that I would use in Autumn... it has a lovely warm plum tones... but to be honest, the weather has been so mixed here in Glasgow that it actually feels like autumn right now. I've been wearing my North Face parka throughout the holidays!!

Smashbox Blendable Lip & Cheek Colours, £25 *

 

* I received a selection of Ojon and Smashbox products to try, however opinions are honest and my own

 

 

Skincare - Elizabeth Arden PRO, a Review

I have been trialling the Elizabeth Arden PRO High Definition Radiance Try Me Kit for a few weeks now and I thought I'd let you know how I got on.

Elizabeth Arden collaborated with Joe Lewis for Elizabeth Arden PRO. Joe Lewis is a chemist & cosmeceutical skincare researcher and is the founder of PRIORI Skincare. My sister swears by PRIORI and I had always meant to try them but just hadn't got around to it. If you haven't heard of Joe Lewis, or PRIORI, then take my word for it that he's a big name in skincare.

As a scientist myself, I love that the Elizabeth Arden PRO products have been developed by a scientist and have been clinically proven. 

The range is based on the Skin Health & Beauty Pyramid Philosophy; the pyramid base comprises of 'fundamental' technologies for daily skin protection. 

"Everyone concerned about improving skin health and beauty 

must be committed to a lifelong lifestyle that includes 

daily protection against sun and environmental exposures"

Next up from the base is the core of the pyramid; these are the 'need to have' technologies for skin transformation. Finally at the top are the 'nice to have' ingredients. You'll see below that for each of the products I've been using, they have their own pyramid diagram which shows you in red the key ingredients and where these fit into the overall picture.

This Try Me Kit comes with the following: 50 mL Gentle Facial Cleanser, 15 mL Age Defying Serum and a 15 mL Triple Action Protector SPF 50 and has an RRP of £70. Elizabeth Arden PRO is a salon only brand; they are stocked in Glasgow by Ellen Conlin Hair & Beauty.

The cleanser removes make-up and gently exfoliates the skin leaving it soft and glowing. I've been using this twice daily as a second cleanse after a cleansing oil. The cleanser is to be used sparingly around the eyes. So with this in mind, I used the oil to remove eye make-up and surface dirt followed by a second deep cleanse with Elizabeth Arden PRO.

The serum is designed to defy the signs of aging and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with a combination of ingredients. AHAs can cause sun sensitivity so I was recommended to use the serum only at night-time.

Finally the Triple Action Protector, SPF 50, is what I've been using after cleansing each morning. This is a tinted sunscreen suitable for all skin types. I like to think that I have good skin and I do think that using an SPF has a lot to do with this. I lived abroad for a year and a half when I was little and we wore sunscreen every day. I rarely am out in the sun without sunscreen as my foundation/base layer has an SPF, although it's not as high as 50. It's a really good habit to get into and I was actually reading an article in the hairdresser the other month about a lady who was insisting that her children at age 9 or 10 years old wear SPF daily on their faces. This is also something that my kids dad has requested. Despite living in cold, wet Glasgow we still have harmful UV rays. I'm now 33 years old, but I think I look younger. Someone that didn't know me recently thought I was in my late twenties... this made me happy!

After all my spiel above, you'll be wanting to know how I got on...

My skin is definitely smoother, softer and perhaps even a bit brighter - noticeably so across my cheeks! I've had a breakout of a couple of spots on my chin again which isn't great (stress or hormones!) but the rest of my skin is lovely. 

The cleanser smells clean and fresh. The directions say to lather and massage over the face. I found it didn't lather very much, but it's a nice consistency and I washed this off with a warm flannel before patting dry. Immediately after using it my skin feels softer.

The serum smells a bit strange, and it's yellow in colour and runny in consistency. If you look closely it also sparkles. But don't let that put you off, once it's on you can't see it.

I've also been going out without any foundation on! I've been using the tinted Triple Action Protector, then adding a little concealer onto my chin and under eye area and that's all. It doesn't give much coverage and depending on what I'm up to, I do sometimes still use my bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in addition to the SPF 50. I've filmed myself before I started using the product (I just need to find the footage... ooops!) and I'll do another little video to round it up. So keep an eye on my YouTube channel too.

Thank you Ellen Conlin Hair for the complimentary Try Me Kit. As always, opinions are honest and are my own.

Beauty - April Favourites

Last month I shared my March favourites, and I'm back this time with my April favs! I'm a bit disorganised, so apologies that we're now halfway through May already!! I will attempt to get these posts out at the start of each month in the future!

I'm going to pick 5 products that I've been loving and give you a bit of a blurb on each of them...

1. Urban Decay NAKED 2 Palette, £38

I am really slow to join the NAKED palette bandwagon. For some unknown reason, eyeshadow is not something I've really bought lately. For the past couple of years I've been wearing the same three MAC shades. So with my MAC shades nearly empty (they lasted well!!), I decided it was time to invest in something new and I chose this NAKED 2 palette. I love it. The shades I've used so far are very pigmented so it doesn't take long to build up a good colour.

2. bareMinerals Stroke of Light, £22*

 

I'm still loving this Stroke of Light wand from bareMinerals and have been wearing it daily. It's definitely worthy of a place in my monthly favourites.

3. Origins Original Skin Serum, £32

 

Now that I'm nearing my mid-thirties I'm happy to invest in my skincare products; and I'm hoping that it shows as my skin is in pretty good condition now. I had been using Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum but given my new love for Origins I thought I would try their serum. The Origins serum has a thinner consistency compared with Merumaya and if I'm honest I'm not sure that I notice much of a difference between the two in terms of how my skin looks and feels. Both products are priced similarly too. From the marketing, the Origins is probably targeted at a younger market whereas the Merumaya is perhaps aimed more at anti-aging. Anyway, I've heard that using a serum is better than no serum, and that in fact the serum you use doesn't really matter so much; whether this is true or not I'm not sure. 

4. Dior Diorskin Star Foundation, £32.50

You may remember from my March favourites that I've been wearing the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, but I was seeking a foundation for my make-up bag and decided to try this Dior one.

It goes on really easily (I have a little sponge that I use which I picked up in Kiko whilst I was in London) and I like that the foundation feels lightweight on the skin and yet gives good coverage.

5. Jo Malone, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense, £100

This perfume has been on my wish list for a while now and I caved and bought myself a bottle. It's gorgeous. Perhaps more of a Winter fragrance or for night-time as it's a heavier scent but regardless of this I've been wearing it every other day or so.

* I received the bareMinerals Stroke of Light as a PR sample. All other products I have purchased myself. Opinions as always are my own and are honest.

Beauty - My Evening Pamper Routine

Last weekend I had a rare night to myself and so I decided that I would have a relaxing pamper evening. It was bliss!! In case you missed it, here's the vlog:

Beauty - My Current Products for Dark Under eye Circles

Dark under eye circles have always been a bugbear of mine. I dislike them, a lot. As a super busy working, single parent I'm exhausted pretty much most of the time. I've not been sleeping well lately either and I'm a bit self conscious of my under eye bags (although to be fair, I bet a lot of it is in my head and they're probably not as bad as I think). I've got into a great routine for my skincare but I hadn't been using any eye creams so I thought I would see what was on the market to prevent and cover up my dark circles.

As an aside, I have read that your sleeping position can help prevent under eye bags, and that instead of sleeping on my tummy I should be sleeping on my back. Also, Victoria on Twitter (@Butterfly_Craft) has rightly pointed out that drinking lots of water will help. Another reason why I need to up my daily water intake!

Here's what I have in my bathroom right now, a mix of concealers, brighteners and skincare products...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, £5.49

This is my budget favourite and I've purchased this a few times from the high street chemists. At £5.49 I think it's great value for money.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener, £20

This creamy product doesn't feel too heavy under the eyes and it gives some coverage. It's available in a variety of shades, so it was easy to get a good colour match for my skin tone.

bareMinerals Stroke of Light, £22 *

This product immediately brightens up my under eye area and I've been using it daily since receiving it! Really easy to apply and blend in. Depending on how bad I feel my under eyes are, I'll either use this alone or on top of a concealer.

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector, £29

I haven't used Kiehl's before but I spotted a review of this product in Psychologies magazine and decided it was worth trying. Out of all of my recent purchases, this is the one that is most expensive and it's the one that I'm torn over. The formula is tinted so it immediately brightens dark circles but it feels a little chalky/powdery and I think this product can make my under eyes look worse, especially if I'm having a dry skin day. It's more of a skincare/make-up hybrid product so perhaps with prolonged use it will help with the root cause rather than just act as a concealer. I doubt I'll buy this again, sorry Kiehl's. I was given a tester of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye cream which has a lovely thick consistency for applying before bed and if anything I'd rather buy this than the Dark Circle Perfector.

Origins GinZing eye cream, £23

This wonder cream helps perk up my eyes and the natural ingredients help to de-puff the under eye area. It looks pearlescent in the pot, and when applied to your under eyes it helps brighten up dark circles. A little goes a long way, so I can see this little pot lasting me a while. I use this every morning when I apply my moisturiser and once it's absorbed (which doesn't take long) I apply a concealer or brightening product.

* I received the bareMinerals Stroke of Light as a PR sample. All other products I have purchased myself. Opinions as always are my own and are honest.

Beauty - March Favourites

Here are my March favourites, with a wee vlog at the bottom too :-)

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask

After my success with the Origins Super Spot Remover, I went on to purchase the active charcoal face mask. This mask acts like a magnet to draw out impurities from the skin. I've been using it weekly, and I've gotten into the habit of applying it whilst the kids are in the bath of an evening. Multi-tasking at it's finest! It does feel rather strange on the skin as it dries, but it really does seem to do the trick. I've been using the Super Spot Remover less and less now and I'm rarely applying concealer.

Origins Clear Improvement, £23 for 100 mL

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Face Mask

I bought this overnight face mask recently as part of a limited edition gift box from the Origins counter at Debenhams. I had wanted to try the charcoal face mask (above) and it made sense to buy the gift box as I got a few products for just £30 - the charcoal mask, this overnight face mask, a modern friction exfoliator and a facial brush. Anyway, this overnight mask has such a lovely thick consistency and it really is fantastic at injecting some moisture back into my dry skin. I've not been using Origins products for very long, but I really am enjoying this brand.

Origins Drink Up Intensive overnight mask, £23 for a 100 mL tube

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

I got a small tube of this from Asda in their sale to replace a tube that I have finished. It really is the best product for chapped skin and I love putting this onto my lips before bed. It's a skincare classic, and probably something that I'll always have kicking about.

Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, £26 for 50 mL

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue

Complexion Rescue launches in April but I was sent a tube of the Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream to try and I am super impressed. It ticks all the boxes for me and I think this is going to become a permanent feature in my make-up bag. It's so easy to apply, feels lovely on my skin and gives just enough coverage. You'll find my full review here.

Complexion Rescue, £26 for a 35 mL tube

Batiste Dry Shampoo

I wash my hair maybe twice a week after working out. In between washes, a few sprays of this dry shampoo can work wonders. It's great for making my hair feel a bit cleaner, improves oily roots and gives it a bit of oomph. Again, another staple item for my beauty shelf.

Batiste, £4.99 for 400 mL

Beauty - Hand & Nail Care

I'm pretty good now at looking after my face... I've a regimen of cleanser, serum and moisturiser and then I've got an exfoliator and face mask that I do weekly.

One part of my body which is neglected is my hands.

And yet, your hands are the part of the body which you use the most and they also show your age too.

The skin on my face is lovely and smooth (most of the time anyway!) whereas my hands are cracked and getting wrinkly.

Gloves

Wearing gloves definitely helps neglected hands. In the cold harsh weather, the skin on your hands can very quickly get cracked and sore. I've got a super cosy pair of mittens that I just love. I also picked up another pair of multi-coloured mittens in the Sainsbury sale at the weekend and they were just £3. I've not got a photograph, but if you keep an eye on my Instagram then I'm sure they'll appear soon!

Moisturiser & SPF

I've been using the Merumaya Hydrate & Protect Hand Cream (£12.50 for 50 mL). The consistency of this product is nice and thick yet it does absorb super fast. The cream also has an SPF which helps prevent against sun damage that can age the skin. Already after just a few uses I can notice a difference in the condition of the skin on the backs of my hands.

Massage

When I rub in my hand cream I give my hands a little massage. I do this for a few reasons. One, it's relaxing. There's something lovely about taking a minute out to massage your hands and taking some deep breaths. And then secondly, it improves the circulation - ideal for me as I have Raynaud's Disease - but this will have secondary effects of improving the condition of your skin.

Vitamins

Due to my Crohn's, I don't absorb Vitamin B12 and I have to get 3 monthly injections of this at the doctors. I suddenly realised that maybe I should  be taking a multivitamin as I've been pretty tired this last week or so. I'm fairly sure that this will help with the condition of my skin and nails even though it wasn't the motivation for me to start taking it.

Drink Plenty Water

Drinking water is essential for clear, hydrated skin and of course this goes for your hands as well as your face and body. This is something I need to work on as I know that I don't drink enough water each day.

Nails

I think that when my nails are painted, my hands look a lot better. It doesn't need to be a colour - even just a clear polish I think makes a huge difference. I've been using Sally Hansen Diamond Shine which dries really quickly - I love it. I'm not sure it has worked to protect my nail colour as my polish chipped within 24 hours last week which was disappointing. However I think that was as a result of the nail polish (Leighton Denny) rather than this base/top coat as I haven't had a problem with any other polishes. What's your nail polish recommendation for a zero chip formula?

Sally Hansen, Diamond Shine from John Lewis, £8.40

I was sent a Merumaya Hand Cream for the purpose of this review. As always, opinions are my own and are honest.

Beauty - My Skincare Update

The condition of my skin has improved dramatically over the past few weeks.

I even went out the other day without concealer on... now that's saying something!

I just wanted to very quickly share with you what products I've been using that have seriously changed my life...

I've been raving about Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum and I've recently added in the Merumaya Luxury Facial Wash. I also purchased this Origins Super Spot Remover:

Origins Super Spot Remover 10 mL, £15

The combination of these products seems to have done the trick for me and my typically spotty chin has cleared up. It's still not perfect, but it's dramatically different to what it was like a few months ago.

I've included the evening skincare routine that I filmed when I was in Copenhagen at the start of the week and you'll find my previous evening routine filmed at home here.

What skincare products have you been raving about? I'd love to hear your firm favourites.

Sarah x

Dry Skin, Aveeno & My Evening Routine

We were sent a lovely parcel from Aveeno with a copy of their new book, Bye Bye Dry Skin by Penelope Harper. My daughter sometimes has eczema and dry skin on her wrists, but she is reluctant to put on the cream for some unknown reason! The Bye Bye Dry Skin book has been brilliant at helping explain why it's important to use the moisturiser and I've had much more success at getting her to cooperate nicely with me to use them. 

I've even been using the moisturising cream myself as part of my evening skincare routine. It's been great at keeping my skin hydrated and soft now that the weather has been getting more harsh.

P.S. If you're interested, you'll find more details on Merumaya here in Lorna's guest post and on BareMinerals here.