Spot-On: Spotty Skin Saviours

With acne being my main skin problem, I know how disheartening it feels when you wake up with spots on your face. Being just one tiny one or acne all over your face, spots can make you feel really insecure and just plain ugly. I have been suffering with acne since my early teens and thought it had cleared up about a year ago, until last summer it suddenly all became worse. With ‘worse’ I mean so bad that I just couldn’t bear looking in the mirror anymore- yep, that bad. I decided to go on acne medication last February and it has been one of the best decisions I ever made. So far my little acne story- I might do a post with before and after pictures if you fancy?

Whilst suffering with really bad skin, I developed my own little routine which helped to calm my skin down. Acne is actually a bacteria, so products can’t really make it disappear, but they can certainly help and a good skincare routine is really indispensable.

To start your routine off right, a good cleanse is needed. I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar gel cleanser, which is suited for oily and sensitive skin- which your skin probably is if you suffer from spots/acne. This gel cleanser really gives your skin a good cleanse, although I do recommend removing your make up first with a separate cleanser and to use this just to thoroughly cleanse your face. It can, however, feel a little bit harsh on the skin and even make it feel sore sometimes (at least, that’s what it did with me), so if that’s the case I recommend switching it up with a more gentle milk cleanser or even a cleansing balm, since hydration is key even if you’ve got oily and acne-prone skin. You might only want to use this if your skin is really playing up. Another cleanser that’s really similar to this one, but more expensive, is the Origins Zero Oil cleanser.

On to masks. I’ve been using the Origins Clear Improvement mask since last September and if you use it regularly, it really does make a difference to your skin. It’s basically a clay mask which acts like a magnet and draws out all impurities. This may result in all of the nastiness of your skin coming out the next day, but regular use proves really useful and really pays off.

For more active break outs, the Origins Out of Trouble mask is really good. You can apply this all over your face or just on those active break outs. It feels really soothing and refreshing, and the nice tea tree smell makes this a really relaxing face mask. The following day, you’ll wake up with nice and smooth skin.

For that little extra boost of hydration, I recommend a serum. Estée Lauder’s cult product Advanced Night Repair is the one for me; this hydrates but also sinks into the skin really quickly, so you don’t get that greasy feeling. It makes your skin feel soft and smooth and makes spots disappear, whilst also having a scar-reducing effect. Hydrating and spot-banishing, a great combination, isn’t it?

For moisturiser, I recommend using something light which doesn’t clog your pores. La Roche-Posay Effaclar K has been a product I’ve always had in my skincare stash, just because it really does calm your break outs whilst also being really hydrating. Like the Effaclar Duo, this might worsen your break outs before it get better, but trust me; it’s worth it. You just need to hang on.

To finish of this little routine, you may also need a more targeted treatment. The Origins Super Spot Remover is a holy grail product of mine; this fresh-smelling product makes spots disappear over night and reduces scarring. You might only want to apply this at night, since it can leave a little white layer of dryness on your skin, but it really does work and I would say it’s worth the hype.

So that’s it for my little skincare routine for when I’m suffering with break outs or even acne. Being a little bit La Roche-Posay and Origins heavy, these are the products I would recommend using to keep those pesky spots at bay. I would also really recommend not using too much skincare products at once, like all beauty bloggers seem to do nowadays. They might have perfect skin, but that’s not only products; its genes, a good diet and just general luck. Trust me on this one; I used to apply waaaaay too many products and switch them up way to regularly, and it only made my acne worse. Now that I’ve got a little solid skincare routine and am really careful with switching up my skincare, and of course in combination with my acne medication, my skin has got so much better. What do you think of this little routine I’ve come up with? Any experience with the products?

A Haul; Part One, Beauty

Yesterday, me and my mom went to my old uni town to do some shopping. Housing a Sephora, a MAC store and all my favourite clothing stores (Zara, I’m looking at you), it’s one of my favourite cities to shop ever and even though I stopped going to university there, I find myself frequently going back there to do a spot of shopping, most of the time with my mother. It’s a really beautiful city, especially in summer, with all of the gorgeous buildings and there’s even a church that houses a book store- I know, cool, right? So when me and my mom went there yesterday, it was thankfully one of those sunny days and I knew beforehand that my bank balance was going to suffer.

I bought quite a lot of things, most of them which I had wanted for a really long time, so I will start with the first part; beauty stuff.

First of all, Essie polishes were on offer; 2 for €15, where they normally cost €11 (at least that’s what I think) each. They only had a limited set of colours, but thankfully, two of the colours I’ve been eyeing up were part of the offer. The first polish I picked up is ‘Meet Me At Sunset’, which is the most gorgeous orangey-red. Being called a dupe of Chanel’s Holiday, I knew I had to have it, especially since I prefer the formula of Essie polishes to that of the Chanel ones (more on that in this post). The second polish that I picked up was 'Chinchilly', which is just a gorgeous, gorgeous grey-purple colour which looks really good on every skin tone and is the perfect all-year-round colour.

The next items I picked up are two skincare items. I knew beforehand that I wanted to buy an eye cream, since my eyes always feel really sore and the area around them can get quite dehydrated. I was browsing the Clinique stand in Sephora and my eye immediately fell to the All About Eyes serum. It sounded exactly like the thing I needed and more. I also picked up the Turnaround Concentrate, which is something I’ve been wanting for absolutely ages after reading numerous reviews on it. It’s basically a serum which exfoliates dead skin cells overnight, leaving you with brighter and clearer skin upon waking up.

Now on to the make up. Since Sephora is leaving the Netherlands in June, all of their make up was priced at €5, except for their foundations and primers, which were €7.50. Sephora is one of my favourite stores EVER so I’m really, really, really, REALLY sad they’re leaving. I couldn’t leave without picking up one of their blushers, which are normally priced at €12.50 so it was a really good deal. I picked up Romantic Rose, a really nice pinky colour which goes really well with my blue eyes and blonde hair. I also really wanted to pick up the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, since Sephora is the only store in Belgium/the Netherlands that sells Urban Decay, but sadly, they were all sold out, so I opted for the Naked Basics palette. Since I’ve been wanting to experiment with eye shadows a little bit more, this seemed like the perfect option to start with, providing all natural and matte colours. You just can’t go wrong!

The next stop was MAC. The first thing I picked up there was their ‘Rebel’ lipstick, which was another item that I’ve been wanting for a couple of months. It’s a gorgeous plum colour, and I absolutely loved it. Lastly, I picked up their 224 blending brush. I actually wanted the 227 but the lady at the counter said the only difference was that the 227 is white whilst the 224 is black? I didn’t actually own a blending brush before (I know) so I’m really excited to get started experimenting with eye shadow!

So that’s all I’ve picked up beauty wise. My bank account is crying right now, but at least I’m absolutely in love with everything I bought! What do you think of my purchases?

Smoked Out

I’m not really an eyeshadow type of girl. Most days, I just chuck on some mascara and lipstick and I’m ready to go. I used to be one of those girls who wore a thick line of black liquid liner , and occasionally, I would wear a nude colour on my eyelids just for a little bit extra shimmer. This is why I don’t really own eyeshadows. Lately, I’ve been getting more and more interested in eyeshadow and I’m even thinking of buying some MAC eyeshadows, just so I can start getting more into wearing colour on my eyelids. I’ve been experimenting with the eyeshadows I already own today, and I thought I should write a little blog post on it.

For the base, I’ve dug out an old favourite of mine; the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. I bought this in the summer as I’m a sucker for a good ol’ blogging hype, and loved it at the time, but I have kind of forgotten about it. The smell reminds me of summer; it smells really fresh and fruity. I would say that the coverage is medium but buildable; it has definitely a lot more coverage than what I would usually go for, but I like a little bit of change from time to time. It leaves my skin kind of dewy and really fresh and radiant looking, and I would say that it does exactly what it says on the bottle. I also really like the packaging!

On to the eyes, I’ve used the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour in 35 – On and on Bronze. This is a really nice brown cream eyeshadow, which I applied with my finger to create a nice eyeshadow base. You can apply this lightly for just a tiny wash of colour, but the colour is also really buildable so you can also use this for creating an intense smokey eye. On top of that, I’ve been using the YSL Waterproof Eyepencil. I got this in a set and even though I’m not really one for kohl eyeliners, but this one is really creamy and pigmented. I drew a thick line on my upper eyelid which I then blended out using a little blending brush, to make it blend into the cream eyeshadow.

On top of the eyeliner, I’ve been using my favourite colour out of the Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel Palette (which is sadly enough the only eyeshadow palette that I own- I know what you’re thinking + it's looking gross, I'm sorry!). The colour I’m talking about is the fourth colour on the bottom row, starting from the left. It’s a really nice, shimmery cool dark brown colour. I think the quality of this palette is really good, especially for the price; the eyeshadows are really pigmented. I blended this together with the cream shadow and the eyeliner to create a more intense ‘smokey eye’.

On the lips, I’ve kept it neutral with just a tiny bit of MAC’s Dazzleglass Crème in Sublime Shine (at least that’s what I think it’s called?). It’s a really nice coral lipgloss which came with the Illustrated collection, together with the Ravishing lipstick I blogged about yesterday and another lipliner. I don’t really like the formula of these, because they’re quite thick and sticky, but the colour is absolutely gorgeous.

So this is my very first attempt at using different eyeshadows to create one eye look. I’m not that happy with it, but I think it’s a good start. Do you have any recommendations for MAC eyeshadows? What are your favourites?

Three... Spring Lipsticks

I thought I'd show my face on here for once... Please be gentle, for I'm a really insecure lil' birdie

I am a big lover of the good ol’ bold lip. To me, lipstick can put your whole look together, which is why it’s my favourite beauty product to buy (except for blushers. I do love a good blush). On a day to day basis, I tend to go for more neutral shades just because they’re easy to just throw on and you don’t really have to be careful whilst applying. I do, however, find that I’m more partial to a bold lip as soon as the sun comes out. It just makes me happy.

The first lipstick I’m wearing is a YSL Glossy Stain in number 11, Rouge Gouache. I featured this in my Flawless Face, Bold Lips post and it is still one of my favourite lipsticks, ever. Being a liquid lipstick, I just adore the formula, which is long lasting and easy to apply. It does smell a little bit like paint (cue me smelling a lipstick at 9am trying to describe the scent) and does hurt my lips just a little bit, but after all I really love the colour and the formula so it’s a winner in my eyes. YSL lipsticks are also just gorgeous and I can’t wait to get my hands on another one, being a Glossy Stain or one of their Rouge Volupté lipsticks.

The second lipstick does kind of resemble Rouge Gouache, but it’s not pigmented as much and the formula is a lot less-wearing. I’m talking about the L’Oréal Rouge Caresse lipstick in 202 – Impulsive Fuchsia. Being a cool bright pink, Impulsive Fuchsia is a really nice springtime colour which is much easier to wear than the YSL Glossy Stain. If you want a little pop of colour on your lips without having to worry about lipstick on your teeth, this is the perfect option for you. It feels a little bit like a lipbalm and keeps your lips supple the entire day, which makes it more of a tinted lipbalm. This is perfect for going on a lovely spring adventure!

The last lipstick is a MAC cremesheen lipstick in Ravishing. Ravishing is a lovely neon-ish coral colour which is a great alternative for a nude lip, because it has the perfect pop of colour without being too overwhelming. This is the perfect lipstick to wear with a smokey eye, since it’s not too bold, but also not boring. The cremesheen finish makes it glide on smoothly and your lips feel really moisturised, but it also means that it’s not that long lasting. It’s the perfect summer colour and even though I didn’t really like it when I got it at first, I now wear it almost every day and I have really grown to love it.

So this is my lipstick line-up for the next few months. If the snow and cold ever go away, that is. I can already imagine myself hopping through a nice field of grass, flowers in my hair and my white dress delicately floating around my body… Or maybe that’s just my imagination going crazy because of all the bad weather we’ve been having lately. Oh well. What are your favourite bold lipsticks? Do you like my picks?

Operation Hydration

With the snowy spring days we’ve been having lately, we’ve all been feeling a little bit under the weather. To give our moods and our body a little bit of boost, we could use just that little bit extra hydration to keep us in check before the warmer days are well and truly there and we can embrace the lighter lotions and potions. Take a look at my hydration essentials…

First up is our body. After stepping out of a really hot bath or shower to warm us up after a long, cold day, our legs and arms can often feel really dry and sore. To combat the dryness of my limbs, I use the Nivea Soft Milk body lotion, which is a thick cream that still absorbs into your skin really quickly and makes you feel all smooth, especially after shaving. A few times a week, I mix it with the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse dry oil, just for that little bit of extra hydration. After that, I also use one pump off the stuff, warm it up in between my hands and apply it to the ends of my hair, which have been looking rather dull and dry lately.

For the face, I’ve been using the Nuxe Masque Frais Hydratant on pamper nights. After exfoliating, apply this onto dry skin and you’ll wake up with plump and hydrated skin the next morning. You can leave it for ten minutes and then wipe it off and use your regular moisturiser afterwards, but you can also just let it on and then it’ll work as an overnight mask.

I’ve also traded in my regular moisturiser for a more heavy duty one. The Nuxe Rêve de Miel moisturiser is a really thick cream, filled with all sorts of natural ingredients that do wonder for the skin, such like honey, argan oil and shea butter. I use this both day and night and it makes a massive difference to my skin, which looks more glowy and radiant after every use.

For make up, I’ve been swearing by the Erborian BB Cream (review here!) which I’ve been using every day since I got it. It’s moisturising and leaves a really dewy finish to my skin, which I absolutely love. It covers up all imperfections whilst still being a ‘skincare’ product. For a little bit extra hydration, I’ve been mixing it up with the Laura Mercier Oil-Free tinted moisturiser (review).

So this is my hydration-heroes line up. What are your holy grail hydration products?

Essie 'Lilacism'

Sausage fingers galore!

When it comes to nailpolishes, I always tend to opt for more pastel and neutral shades. I just believe that they look better on my (really pale) skin tone, and those are just the colours I prefer wearing, combined with a really nice and neutral outfit. I really want to bring more colour in my wardrobe as well as my nail polish collection, but for now I think I’ll stick with the pastels and soft, more feminine shades.

Essie ‘Lilacism’ is a shade I’ve been eyeing up for a good while. I was put off of buying it at first because I do already own OPI’s ‘Do You Lilac It’, which is also a nice pastel lilac colour. I thought the two were very similar and didn’t think about buying Lilacism until now, almost a year later. I saw someone on Instagram wearing it, and I immediately fell in love; it didn’t look that similar to my OPI nail varnish, so I decided I needed Lilacism in my ever-expanding make up collection.

Lilacism is a lot lighter than Do You Lilac It, but they do resemble each other quite a lot. It comes across as a really soft pastel colour, whereas the OPI counterpart can look quite harsh. I think I prefer Lilacism; I believe the colour looks better on me. The finishes of both nail polishes are quite similar, as well as the lasting power. They both last quite a few days (if I do use a basecoat and topcoat, that is), so it’s really just a matter of colour taste and maybe your skintone.

Overall, I’m really happy I picked up Lilacism and I still think there are a few other pastel colours I need in my collection. I do really regret not picking up Absolutely Shore and Bikini So Teeny from Essie’s Spring/Summer collection last year, so I do hope they will release them again sometime soon (I am aware that that is most unlikely, but a girl can dream, right?!). Essie have also released a new shade called ‘Go Ginza’, which is part of their Spring 2013 collection and looks a lot like Lilacism, but still a little bit different. Essie polishes are my all time favourite. What are your favourite nail polish brands? Any pastel shade recommendations?