Acne Tips and Tricks

We all get the odd blemish now and again but full blown acne is a whole world of it's own, I suffered (and still suffer) with acne quite badly so I'm sharing these tips in the hopes they might help even one person.

The first real tip I can give to anyone suffering with acne is to give up dairy products, why are you eating/drinking the breast milk of another species anyway; just try giving up dairy for one month and I promise you will notice a difference. I first heard of this whilst working on my final year project at university, my project was on the use of essential oils to treat acne and part of that was to research into the cause of acne which led me to the best piece of knowledge I've come across.

The other magical tip I have is the double cleanse, if you're willing to lather rinse repeat with your hair then why not for your face? I like going in with a cleansing oil and then following with a creamy cleanser, I think that using an oil is also vital for breaking up and removing make up. A lot of people with acne think that an oil cleanser will make things worse but it's quite the opposite, the oil really helps to keep the skin clean without stripping it.


Supplements are also key to keeping the skin acne free, Omega oils are probably the most important as skin often produces more oil when it is lacking.Other supplements I'd suggest are selenium, folic acid and vitamin E. Taking these regularly help a lot with the skin and they're not too expensive if you shop around.



The one big thing I would say is to speak to your GP about it and see when they can do to help, taking a topical prescription treatment can really bring the big guns to the game. Other "drugstore" topical treatments that I've found to help are Soap & Glory - Dr Spot and La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo +. Some spot treatments can leave the skin dry and dehydrated so keeping it moisturised is important, dry skin can also lead to spots so it's vital to find the balance.


Making sure you steer clear of any junk food and keep to  healthy diet is also important as it helps rid toxins from the body, ensuring you get enough water is critical as well. Drinking lots of water is excellent for the suppleness of the skin and also ensures that the skin is regularly hydrated.

The big advice you get given but can never stick to; don't pick! If you do need to pick at a spot I'd suggest using an extractor, these can be picked up on eBay and  because they apply even pressure to the skin they reduce scarring.

The next tip I shall bestow upon you is facial masks, they don't need to be applied all over the skin and can instead just be applied to the areas that require a little maintenance. I like to have a variety of masks and I find clay masks to be my favourite. They really help to dry out any under the skin cysts that tend to creep up on you, we all hate those little blighters. Some of my favourite masks are Soap & Glory "The Fab Pore", The Body Shop "Blue Corn Mask" and the Kaeso Deep Cleansing Mask.

Another helpful thing to do is to wash your make up brushes and pillowcases regularly, also try to keep your phone clean (I use hand sanitizer spray for this), as bacteria on surfaces can be spread to the skin and cause problems. This also counts for your hands; keep them clean and try not to touch your face too much.

Make Up Brushes 101

Make up brushes are key to getting that perfect finish for your make up, I don't spend a huge amount on brushes as I'm more of a budget girl; so I thought I'd give you the run down of my make up brush collection.

The first honourable mention obviously goes to Real Techniques, the Chapman Sisters definitely got this right. There are a multitude of brushes to "collect" from sets to individual brushes, they are amazing quality and are seriously affordable. I have the core collection (minus the contour brush that I lost, devastated), the starter set, the expert face brush, the blush brush, the kabuki brush and the powder brush. These are my go to brushes for day-to-day use as they give me the most natural look with the perfect finish.

The So Eco set are my second in commands, they are so soft and beautifully made. I got this set at Tesco when it was on offer but it can now be found on Fragrance Direct; the set contains a finishing brush, a blush brush, a foundation brush and an eye shading brush. The eye shading brush I'm not a fan of but the rest are sheer perfection. These brushes an be picked up for around £15 so they're more mid scale price.

The last set are my eBay bargains, these are a set of 10 brushes that are pretty good quality for the price; I wouldn't use them for foundation application but for blush/powder they're a dream. These are definitely one I'd suggest for beginners and people on a tight budget, you can pick them up through various sellers on eBay but the ones I got were from here.

I like to keep my brushes in separate containers so I can find them easier and I picked mine up for around £2 at various places but any old tin will do! To keep my brushes super clean I like to wash them every 1-2 uses with Dr Bronners Magic 18-in-1 Soap, you can pick this up everywhere in so many different scents but the lavender has to be my favourite! You can pick the lavender scented one here.

Crayon Confessions

I have a confession: I love anything make up related in crayon form, from lip crayons to concealer crayons I am a big kid. I have a huge collection of various make up crayons so I thought I'd give my loves and loathes

on the crayons of the make up world.

The first crayon that truly amazed me recently is the Soap & Glory - KICK ASS: Blur & Brighten Crayon Concealer  (£6.00 - Boots). This is super handy as a quick pick me up for the eyes, I got the shade Light and I find it excellent for those pesky under eye circles. The formula is creamy and blends easily, it isn't too shimmery and looks natural plus it lasts all day .

The other 2014 release that I loved was the No7- Pop & Glow cream blush (£9.95 - boots), I got the shade Mango sorbet which is a lovely peachy shade  that is easily blended and looks super fresh and natural. This comes is three shades and there is also a highlighter too, these are really handy for a quick application and I'd definitely recommend them.

The next crayon type I wish to discuss are eye shadow crayons, I've tried most of them and there's only two budget ones I'd recommend. The first are the Rimmel Scandaleyes, I only really like a couple of the shades mainly matte ones and I find the shimmery shades crease far too much. My favourite is Trespassing Taupe which is a beautiful matte brown, the shades I like are  Bootleg Brown and Bad Girl Bronze. The other brand I'm currently loving that Icovetthee recommended are the No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define, they are creamy and absolutely beautiful; I have the shades Cool Mink and Velvet Truffle.

Now on to the main crayons that have been everywhere the past year or so; Lip crayons, those beautiful mystical creatures. I have an abundance of these in various shades and finishes, my favourites have to be the Seventeen lip crayons that I got in a set of four at Christmas. They are super moisturising and pigmented plus they last longer than most others I've tried.  The other brands I'd suggest are the new Collection Lip Butters, the Barry M Hi Shine Lips and the Revlon offerings. I've found a few other cheaper options in the form of the Chit Chat range at Poundland and the Primark range.

Foundation For The Pale Skin Ladies

Having pale skin can be a bit of an issue when looking for a foundation, I've had many sales assistants match me to foundation shades far too dark for me just to make a sale; I've since started doing research online to find shades that are a better match before going out to buy them. That's why I decided to share the best pale foundations I've found.

I'll start with the cheapest, I picked this up in the 99p store but I'm pretty sure you can find it online; It's the Maybelline WHITESTAY UV whitening foundation in Snow White. It says whitening but I can't say I've noticed any whitening affect, to me it's just the perfect sheer pale foundation. It has a lovely velvet finish and has a good lasting power, this is my go to foundation for everyday use.

Next is Jackie Oats from LUSH; this is a pale full coverage foundation when used from the jar but when mixed with your moisturizer it does give a sheer coverage. My only problem is that this foundation has a smell like playdough, I'm really sensitive to smells so this did put me off but it's a great foundation if you're a full coverage pall skin gal.

On the more high end scale is the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H in 005, this foundation gives a lovely coverage and last for ages on the skin; this is my go to foundation for events and special occasions. It's pricey but is certainly worth it for the best pale foundation I have found.

Rimmel Match Perfection in Light Porcelain, this is a great drugstore foundation for those of us who have the complexion of a vampire. It's the palest of all the drugstore shades I've found, even the other Rimmel formulations in Light Porcelain are much darker than this offering. Perfect for a cheap pale skin fix!

One that isn't so pale but is light enough to pull off during the summer is the L'oreal Nude Magique in Porcelain, this is the best finish I've found in a drugstore foundation, it leaves a skin like velvet finish which lasts really well. I totally agree with them that this foundation is weightless bare perfection.

I hope this helps any of my pale ladies in search of a new foundation.

The Boots Reduced Section Bargains

On a recent trip to Boots I saw a mountain of hair products on their reduced section so of course I had to bag myself some bargains! I thought I'd show you what I picked up!

Firstly I picked up the Nisim Fast - (Fortified Amino Scalp Therapy) Shampoo and conditioner duo for £2 (Normally £29.99). This set is supposed to reduce breakages allowing for longer hair, it is Sulfate and Parabens free (although coming from a scientific point of view Parabens aren't the devil they're made out to be and are actually vital to most products).


I got the Schwarzkopf Essence ULTIME - omega repair intensive mask for £1 ( normal price £5.49) for damaged/depleted hair. This mask is supposed to reduce split ends by up to 95% and repair damaged hair cells.




The next things I picked up were from Umberto Giannini Incredible body range; The Root Boost Volume Spray For Big Hair, The Thickify Dry Shampoo For Big Hair and The Full Volume Hairspray For Big Hair. I'm super excited to try these, I got them all for £1 each (normal price £5.49 each) and I'll try anything that claims to give volume.







The last two things I got were both volume boosting shampoos both for £1 the first one was the Mark Hill - Big It Up Volume Shampoo  (normal price £5.49) and the other was the James Brown Photo Fabulous Volumising Shampoo (normal price £6.99) .







I'm always on the look out for bargains in the reduced sections as I don't like spending lots of money on products I may not like or that may not work so it's a good way to try something without paying full price.

All Year Round Lip Saviours

Lip balms and other lip products are a staple for me, I suffer from dry cracked lips all year round and with my love of lipsticks I require a lot of maintenance. I thought I'd do a round up of my all time lip saviours, some I have used for years and others are a recent find but they're all damn good:

Nuxe - reve de miel
This is my go to lip balm when I'm in desperate need of soft lips fast, even after one application of this you can really feel the difference. It is expensive at £9.50 but it will last you a long time if you use it correctly (by this I mean not smothering it on in a huge layer that wastes a lot of product). I've recently picked up the stick version which I think I prefer for on the go application and think it will waste a lot less product. The stick version is slightly cheaper at £5.50 and if you want to test it out I'd suggest getting the stick form first. The only real problem with this is that it isn't available from many places but Marks and Spencer do stock it in their beauty halls.

Soap and Glory - Smooch Operator
This is probably the closest you can get to a "dupe" of the Reve de Miel, it comes in the same style little pot and gives pretty much the same results, although this is missing the amazing scent. This can be picked up at Boots for £5, but I picked mine up when it was on offer; and is well worth it plus a lot easier to get your hands on that the Nuxe offering.

PapayaGold - Paw Paw
I picked this up after I saw Lily Pebbles mention it (again I picked this up when it was on offer, I'm a thrifty kind of gal) and I'm so glad I did, this can not only be used as a lip balm but also helps with those pesky dry patches. I use this around my nose when it gets sore from Hay Fever and this is also widely available at Boots for £5.99.

The Body Shop - Lip Butter
I have loved these little beauties for a long time, they've got me through a lot of chapped lips nightmares; they are so creamy and smell amazing. I have multiple flavours and I love them all, I think it's good we are given the variety of flavours so we can mix it up a little bit. These are available in The Body Shop for £4 and come in every flavour you can dream of, my favourite has to be blueberry!

The Body Shop - BORN LIPPY Lip Balms
These are the balm version of the butters, they are more of a thick consitency and stay on the lips instead of sinking in like a butter would. I prefer these for when I'm going for a make up free day but just want a sheen to the lips. Again these come in all the flavours you can think of and are just £2 each at The Body Shop.

Rodial - STEMCELL super-food glam balm
I got this lip balm free with my copy of Red Magazine and it's a beauty, It is very moisturizing and stays on the lips for hours, it's supposed to have lip plumping properties but I've not really noticed any plumping. For me his is just a good on the go lip balm that gives a nice velvet finish and leaves your lips feelong lovely. You can get the full size at allbeauty.com.

Malin + Goetz - Lip moisturizer
This was another magazine freebie that I got this month, I got a little set of 3 Malin + Goetz product samples and this was one of them. It is very similar to the Rodial one in consitency and finish but I find this one to be just that tiny bit more moisturizing, I like this for when I'm going to bed to smother over the lips to have them looking fabulous the next morning. You can find the full size of this at SpaceNK.

Magazine Freebies

I love magazines, I like reading all the beauty sections, What the celebrities are loving, What's worth buying and most of all I love a good freebie! I'm going to give you a run through of what freebies I picked up recently.




Instyle - £3.90

The freebie this month was a sample tube of the Neals Yard Geranium and Orange hand cream; this cream is like heaven. The cream smells amazing and leaves your hands feeling so soft and smooth. The full size costs £10 and can be bought at Neals Yard. 
Will I be purchasing the full size: Possibly when I run out of my super stash of hand creams.


Elle- £4.00

Elle's freebie this month was a little sample set of some Malin + Goetz skincare, there was:
The nourishing lip treatment - an amazing lip balm that has fast become a favourite
Full Size = £10.00 at SpaceNK
The grapefruit face cleanser - a gel cleanser that I like to use for my second cleanse
Full size = £25.00 at SpaceNK
The vitamin E face moisturizer - a light moisurizer that isn't too scented.
Full Size = £36.00 at SpaceNK

Will I purchase the full size: For the price probably not, I may stretch to £10 for the lip balm though.





Marie Claire- £2.50

I've been wanting to try the Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth face balm for a long time so when I saw a free sample in one of my favourite magazines it was like fate. This face balm deserves all the hype it gets, it's so soft and gentle yet removes all make up residue; I've been using it as a second cleanse as I don't want to waste it but this is a definite on the shopping list. The full size costs £20.00 from Debenhams.
Will I purchase the full size: YES!

Red- £4.00
Red were offering a free Rodial STEMCELL super-food glam balm, -Lip balm with their latest issue and although I don't usually read Red I figured I'd give it a try. This lip balm has become my go to product for preparing the lips for my lipstick and it works wonderfully. The full size costs £9.95 at Allbeauty.com
Will I purchase the full size: Probably when this runs out.