origins super spot remover

I purchased this product a little while ago, when I payed the Origins counter a little visit and decided to splurge out on some of their products- sorry bank balance. Since I've suffered with acne for several years and it has only recently calmed down, my skin is far from perfect and I do still suffer from occasional breakouts. There isn't a day when I don't have a spot. During my teens, I felt very insecure about my skin, which I why I started wearing make up. I've tried so many spot treatments, some of them good, some of them very, very bad (I'm looking at you, clearasil!) and now I'm at the point where almost all of my acne is gone and, like I said above, my skin is looking pretty clear except for the occasional breakouts I suffer with. I do really feel like the condition of my skin has improved so much since I picked up an outrageous intrest for skincare, and I'm so thankful for that. So since I do suffer from some spots, I figured I needed to invest in a little spot treatment. Not one like clearasil, where you wash your face with such a drying product that your spots only get worse, no, but a little product that you could locally apply. I previously tried Lush's Grease Lightning, which was good, but I wanted to try a new spot treatment, so after reading Anna's and then Zoe's post about this little gem I was sold.

The good thing about this product is; it does actually work. Well now, I can hear you all thinking; aren't all these products supposed to work?! But you would be surprised at the amount of skincare that doesn't live up to it's claims. I don't know if I'm allowed to say it, but most of the time it are the cheaper things that don't do the job. There. I've said it.

First things first; this product smells lovely. It smells a little bit like tea tree, which is a smell I do absolutely adore. I apply this locally with a cotton bud, just to keep things hygienic, and from the instant you've applied it, you can feel it stinging. This makes me feel like it does actually work, although sometimes it starts burning and feels like my skin is melting off, so be careful with the amount you apply of this. I only apply this in the evening after my toner but before my moisturiser, since I find it a little bit drying. I used this on my flight to Tunisia two weeks ago and combined with the drying airco, it really didn't work well- I left the airplane with two extremely dry patches on both sides of my chin, haha. You can apply this two or three times a day, but be sure not to overuse it as I do find it can work a little bit too well, haha.

All in all it's a really good product which actually lives up to its claims and does what it says on the bottle. I really would repurchase this, although I might invest in the new Super Spot Remover Pads Origins came out with a little while ago. Have you used this? What did you think about it and would you use the new pads? Let me know!

holiday diary- soaking up the sun

So as promised, here are another few holiday pictures of the beach, the temperatures there, what I had to drink and the SPF I've been using on my face all holiday long, which I'm planning on still writing a post about! Not too much pictures this time as I don't feel like putting my whole life on the internet though. I slept quite a lot the past few days so I've finally got rid of the post-holiday-tiredness, however I'm feeling a little bit ill at the moment! Possibily due to university stress. I start the 3rd already and am so scared! If you've ever written/read a post about going to university for the first time please don't be afraid to link me to it in the comments below, haha!

I'm not feeling my blog at the moment. I know, I know- I've said this a thousand times before, but I just don't think the layout goes with the 'feel' I'm going for- if you get what I'm trying to explain. My interests change quite a lot and I do find myself reading more and more lifestyle blogs instead of beauty blogs, so I want to try and make this more of a lifestyle blog with just a few beauty features in between! Don't hesitate to send me some links to good lifestyle blogs as I'm constantly on the search for new ones! Also don't forget to follow me on bloglovin!

xoxo,
Charlotte

holiday diary- into the twilight

So I'm back from my twelve-day long stay in one of the most beautiful (but alsomost abandoned and sometimes very dirty) country I've ever been to- Tunisia. I've had a great time, walking down the beach with my feetsies in the ocean, sniffing the air and floating on the waves, jumping into the pool and just reading a good book with a cocktail in my hand whilst listening to one of the most beautiful sounds ever- the sound of water and land colliding. I ate the most gorgeous foods and most definitely gained quite a few pounds, but it was all worth it. I've mastered the art of healthy eating and will most definitely try to hold on. As much as I loved it there and miss the hot weather-it was 50 degrees yesterday, we checked when we were leaving at 5pm-, I'm also happy to be back at home. My own bed never felt so good and I'll be the happiest person alive when I'll finally be able to jump into my boyfriend's arms after having to miss him for the longest time we've ever been without each other. I missed my dog so much, and being away made me even more appreciative of my home. These are all pictures taken on the same evening, when we went to take a walk on the beach. It got dark very early there- 7pm, but we didn't mind. I'm sorry it are all almost the same pictures, but I'll be uploading part 2 of my holiday pictures and then maybe a 'what did I eat' related post somewhere this week. Let me now if you would like to see such a post!

I'm leaving for uni at 3 September (which I'm sooooo nervous about!) so I'll have one week left before I'm going to live on my own. Exciting times ahead!

xoxo,
Charlotte

a little holiday treat

When we had a little spare hour left at the airport before boarding our airplane, me and my mom naturally decided to check out the little shop in the tax-free zone there. It's a very small airport, so they only had the basics there- booze, cigarettes, books, magazines, perfume, a little stand of OPI nailpolishes and just a tiny little bit of Chanel and L'Oréal make up. I had never smelled the Bronze Goddess Capri fragrance before, so I thought I would give it a try. It smells so lovely, it's the perfect light summer scent and it already has become one of my favourite perfumes. I love Estée Lauder and this has got to be one of their best perfumes, ever. I always have a thing with holidays ant scents- when I take a product with me on holiday, the scent of it becomes the 'scent of that holiday' and whenever I smell that scent somewhere else, it always does remind me of that holiday. Last year I had that with the Chanel Vitalumière Aque foundation and L'Oréal rose skincare line, and now I'm having the same kind of 'experience' with this perfume and my Origins A Perfect World cleanser, haha! The only downside of this perfume is the longevitability. Yes, yes- I know that it's an Eau Fraichen, which is basically the perfume with the shortest longevitablity and the lightest smell, but still. I feel like it disappears after 20 minutes!

The other product I bought is a very well-known, almost famous product; the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (the normal version, although I would looooove to own the gold one!). It can be used on your body, but also on your skin and hair and I've been using it for all three purposes- it gives my arms a nice glow which is perfect for summer, it makes my hair feel al soft and smooth and leaves it frizz-free (haha) and mixed with my nighttime moisturiser I feel like I wake up with skin as soft as a baby's little butt. I've wanted this for quite a long time now, after my mom pointing it out for me in a magazine and seeing it on quite a few fair of blogs, but they never had it in my local pharmacies. So when we saw they had it in stock in the airplane, me and my mom were pleasantly surprised! She uses it too and loves it.

Sorry for the bad quailty of this picture! I've just quickly taken it with my phone because I couldn't really be bothered to get my 'proper' camera out (oopsies haha!) and also didn't really had the time!

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think about them?

xoxo,
Charlotte

chanel prettiness

This is a little bit of a 'different' blogpost. Firstly, the pictures are taken with my iPhone. I really couldn't wait to show you these beauties because I'm in love with Chanel, it's probably my favourite high end brand! Secondly, I didn't actually buy these myself. My mom got them for when she leaves on holiday in a few weeks, and she just wanted to treat herself to some brand new Chanel goodies. So it's not my stuff, but it's just so pretty I really wanted to show you!

The first thing she got was the Soleil Tan de Chanel in Sable Rose, and my god, this is probably one of the most gorgeous blushers/highlighters/bronzers I've ever seen! You can use all of the colours separately, or you can blend them all together, which is what my mom usually does. The packaging looks gorgeous- like all Chanel stuff does- and it's just all in all a wonderful product!

The second thing she got was the Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour lipstick in Insouciante (which means carefree). It's the most gorgeous nude pink lippy, and like all Chanel lipsticks, this feels really moisturiser whilst also is pretty longlasting. It comes in a really gorgeous and unique lipstick tube which you need to click on before the lipstick gets out- terribly explained, I know, but you have to see for yourself! You can't see the colour that well in these pictures, unfortunately. She also got a free little make up bag! It's so cute and comes in handy really, really well.

What do you think of these purchases? What are your favourite Chanel products?

xoxo,

Charlotte

the importance of double cleansing

Okay, I'll admit it; I have become obsessed with skincare over the past few months. I used to be a girl that would take off their make up at night and cleanse and moisturise in the morning, just because I 'had to'. I sometimes even wouldn't take my make up off before I went to bed, which showed of course in my skin- it looked horrible. I have talked about my acne in the past on this blog, and those bad habits certainly didn't improve it! However, since I discovered more and more beauty blogs I became more interested in skincare and I do now have a proper cleanse, tone and moisturise routine. I also scrub my face twice a week and put on face masks, and god, I'm enjoying it! My skin has been looking better than ever, so I thought it was about time I would share something I recently discovered with you and which has, without a doubt, definitely made my skin feel and look a lot better, more cleared up, brighter and just generally great; double cleansing.

It has been common in certain Asian countries for women to double cleanse in the evening, and I even read that some women use 17 (!) products every night, just to cleanse their face! Now, seventeen products might be a little bit too much, but it's still really important to cleanse your face well, and since it has improved the condition of my skin so much, I'm going to share the reasons you should double cleanse and 'how' you have to do it with you! I also want to stress that I'm not a dermatologist; everything I'm sharing with you I've learned purely because of reading blogs/doing my own research.

Why should I do it? I once read somewhere online that 'You wouldn’t take a shower with your clothes on would you? No, you have to remove your clothes first before you can wash your body', and honestly, that's the best quote I've ever read regarding the importance of double cleansing. First removing your make up with an oil based cleanser or a micellar solution (NOT make up wipes!) and then thoroughly cleansing it with a facial wash, a balm or a milky cleanser will make your face cleaner than ever and thus results in more beautiful skin. It's not that hard; with only removing the make up, dirt, sebum and other not so nice things on the surface of the skin, there will always remain some nasty things on your skin. You can't get all of it off with just one cleanse! The second cleanse will not only remove the nasty things on the top layer of your skin, but will also remove dirt out of your pores so you're all things nasty will certainly be gone.
I know what some of you are thinking right now; if I just remove my make up and then use a toner, will it also remove the excess make up? The answer is NO, it will not. A toner doesn't cleanse your pores, it only cleanses- again!- the surface of your skin!

How should I double cleanse?
That's simple, but first you need to understand the difference between a make up remover and a facial cleanser. It's easy; you use a make up remover to remove all of the make up and dirt of that day- doh!-, and you use the cleanser afterwards, to cleanse your skin and pores. It mostly says on the bottle. Make up removers are mostly oil based or milky, or you can use my favourite type of make up remover- a micellar lotion! There are plenty of them, my favourite being the blogging-famous Bioderma Créaline/Sensibio H2O. It basically 'eats' away all of the make up, and you practically don't even need to use water, however I do recommend rinsing your face afterwards because I personally feel like the dirt is still on your face if I don't! Just soak a cotton with make up remover, whipe it all over your face and eyes and rinse. It's not that hard and only takes 30 seconds!
A cleanser can also be milky, but it can also be a balm, a facial wash etcetera. Don't use foaming cleansers though, as they are breeding ground for bacteria thus spots and break outs! You just use your hands (be sure they're clean though!) and massage the cleanser onto your face. Massaging it in will not only be more effective, it will also stimulate your circulation thus making your skin look brighter and clearer! Rinse it off and you're ready to tone and moisturise. The cleanser I'm currently using is Originas A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser, which is great as it doesn't make my skin feel too stripped, but also removes all things nasty perfectly.

And there you go, you have double cleansed your face! The routine should be taking 2-3 minutes, and then you're ready to hop into bed with freshly cleansed skin and have a well deserved beauty sleep! I also want to stress that you only need to double cleanse in the evening, when you're wearing make up or sunscreen on your face (however I personally do it even if I don't wear any make up, but that's not necessary, it's just something that I like to do!) and you can use the same cleanser to cleanse twice, like only a milky cleanser. That's perfectly fine, but I personally prefer using two separate cleansers! It's up to you in the end!

Sorry that this was such a rambly and long post, but I just thought I would share my personal findings and experiences with you. I hope you liked it!

Do you double cleanse? Is it something you haven't really adapted into your skincare regimen and did this post make you change your mind?

xoxo,
Charlotte

sunday thoughts #2

Crappy iPhone picture! Sorry!

001. I went to sort out my room for uni on Wednesday and it has made me all excited. Even though the furniture is kind of ugly, I made it all pretty! Too bad we weren't able to attach my canapy above my bed, boo, but we're going to see if we can find a way to sort it out! Even though I'm excited to go living on my own, I still feel sick everytime I think about going to university. I'm not very good with new people, and I'm so scared I won't be able to 'settle'. It's kinda weird to explain, I'm scared I'm not going to fit in. I really hope I'll like this course (I have to, aha) but I hope everything will be alright in the end and that I'm just feeling healthy nerves!

002. My boyfriend just left my house over an hour ago and I already miss him. He stayed at my house for four days and three nights and we had the loveliest time! It was our 20th motnh anniversary yesterday so we 'celebrated' that with a huuuuuge ice cream and a long bike ride since the weather was really, really good! I'm just feeling a little bit poopy now because I had to leave him behind, haha. I love him so much!

003. I don't really have much else to say. This week has been quite boring to say the least! I feel so bad about myself for not having a summer job. I went to a job interview in the end of June and the guy told me I wouldn't have to worry, that he would emloy me etc. but he never called me back! I feel so useless and bored, and I could really do with the money, especially since I'm going to uni. Ah well.

004. I'm not really feeling my blog at the moment. I'm so rubbish with HTML etcetera! I want some cute twitter and e-mail accounts, a better profile picture and I want to have another about me section, but for now, this will have to do! Honestly, I just can't be bothered most of the time to change something about it haha, but I'm feeling very bad about my blog at the moment. Changes will have to be made!

What have you been up to this week? I've also (finally!) started reading the Hunger Games and I think I'm addicted! Makes a change out of all the 'heavy' literature I usually read/have to read!

xoxo,
Charlotte