Wednesday 26 November 2014

First Impressions: Revlon Colourstay Foundation


Last week, I stumbled across this rather popular beauty product that I had never seen in Boots before. I've scoured the Revlon counter times-a-many but I never thought to try this before. 

So, anyway, here we go, first impressions:
I've been using this for a couple of days, and I've not really worn it for longer than 12 hours, but from what I can tell, it's going to stand a firm favourite on my makeup table.

This is a great colour match; it's also on the yellow side which counteracts any redness that I have. It's quite thin but I would say it's medium coverage. The only annoying thing is that it doesn't have a pump so everything just POURS out ... 

This says it's specially made for combination/oily skin, and I agree that it applies generally matte with just a hint of dewiness to add back that healthy glow. Sometimes i find that throughout the day I have to re-powder but otherwise I find it stays quite well.

I think they do a dry/ normal skin type and the different types so I think I'm going to try those as well.

Have you guys tried any of them?


Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Tuesday 25 November 2014

How to Control Oily Skin: Tip #4


Tip #4: Astringents as deep cleansers as exfoliators

Astringents are really great because the contain strong cleansing ingredients like salicylic acid which will leave your skin super clean. Even on my rather irritable and sensitive skin, I find that I can just about stand this if it's a small amount on a cotton pad. I do,  however, recommend to use this sparingly; on a nightly basis. Cleansing with this in the morning might be a bit harsh and it would be stripping away all the good stuff your skin has worked so hard to rejuvenate over night! 

I know what you're thinking: "astringents as exfoliators?" 
Well, if some of you rather common types had read my last post, it was about exfoliating to unclog pores. That was a great way to prevent blackheads, but if you, like me as well as many others, have allowed your skin to get just a smidge on the bad side of things, then a physical scrub probably isn't in your best interest. Advantages of a liquid form means that it will unclog pores and chemically make new cells come to the surface without irritating spots or spreading bacteria.

I would definitely recommend using this regularly, even if it's just for prevention- don't leave it till it's too late- right? I mean, I've used a whole bottle, as you can see, and I plan to purchase more. It's affordable and easily accessible in Boots.


Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Monday 24 November 2014

How to Control Oily Skin: Tip #3


Hey everyone,

Here we go into another post on How to Control Oily Skin...

If you haven't read the others, this is basically a series of posts telling you how I deal with my oily skin which can lead to problems like acne or shininess.

This week: EXFOLIATORS

If you have oily skin, an exfoliator will make a world of a difference. It will take off the layers of oil and dead cells that build up on the surface which will allow the skin to breathe and it will unclog the pores of any dirt; meaning less blackheads to deal with. Using an exfoliator often will reduce the oil build up on the skin leaving clearer, brighter skin.

This is the St. Ives Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub. £4.29 This one is one I recently bought but it's great and affordable so would definitely recommend.

*Word of Warning: if you already have a lot of spots, try not to use a gritty exfoliator because it might irritate blemishes, causing more spots or redness, leaving scars and it might spread bacteria around. *

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Stick around for my next post where I address exfoliating but without the physical headiness of the St Ives ones.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Maybelline Mascara: VERY waterproof




Hey everyone,

Starting off with a slightly off topic story: I went to my friends house for the night and left my MaxFactor waterproof mascara there so I didn't have one; the next day, I was in boots when a certain pink bottled mascara caught my eye.

"Great Lash mascara" it said, "Very Black Waterproof" it said.

So I thought, why not? I took it home and tried it on. I felt that it was quite hard to apply, the formula was thick and did not go on smoothly (or maybe I was just being a bit clumsy that day) It kind of reminded me of the Benefit They're real mascara- same small tapered brush (perfect for coating all the lashes); the same thick fibre-y formula (great for building up volume), the only thing being, this is about one quarter of the price.

Anyway, later that day, I went swimming, forgot completely that I was wearing makeup at all. When I came out of the pool, I thought I'd like some beaten up panda, but, lo and behold, I looked fine. Apart from the occasional smudge under the lash line from when I had rubbed my eyes, the mascara hadn't smudged much at all.

After using a few more times, I realised that, when this mascara has dried, it really stays. When removing, you don't need a cotton pad drenched in remover; I just use a regular cleansing balm. It's because: after it's dried, it stays dry, it comes off dry too. When I look in the mirror while cleaning my face, it all comes off and all I get is a little bit of black around my eyelids.

This mascara is AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. It's just as good as the Benefit one and even though it's waterproof, it's not a hassle to remove.


Lots of Love,
Sophie 
xxx

Tuesday 18 November 2014

How to Control Oily Skin: Tip #2


Hey everyone,

I'm back with another tip on How to Control Oily skin; today's contender- moisturising.

A lot of people who have oily skin feel like they should scrub their skin squeaky clean and then just leave it; completely avoiding moisturiser. This will dry out the skin; causing it to produce more oil and, if they have sensitive skin, the skin will become angry and irritated.

I like to use an oil-free moisturiser like this one by Neutrogena: this is oil-free which means it doesn't clog pores while hydrating the skin. This is quite thick but applies easily and skins in quickly. Under makeup, it stays matte and gives an almost velvet texture; perfect for controlling shininess. Grapefruit is a fruit which has the perfect acids for counteracting oily skin and so cleansers with grapefruit are also great. This means that as well moisturising the skin, it combats acne under the surface.

The main thing to take away, is that it's important to moisturise, no matter how oily your skin is.

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Friday 14 November 2014

How to Control Oily Skin: Tip #1


Hey everyone,

So I today, I wanted to address something that affects me, and probably many others.

I have very oily skin, especially on the forehead and t-zone (basically above your eyebrows and down your nose; the T shape down your face)

It becomes a problem because:

1. The oil clogs my pores which can result in many whiteheads appearing on the skin (basically small, colourless bumps on the skin) which are a pain to get rid of. And when you have oily skin, they are pretty much unpreventable because they just keep appearing.

2. Makeup looks fine in the morning but as the day progresses, it either gets shiny or just disappears. When makeup gets mixed with oils, it blocks pores even more and can cause more painful; more red spots on the skin.
If you have oily skin, you will probably always get some blemishes, and I know for me: I never don't have blemishes to worry about. Even if you don't wear makeup, during those teenage years as people call them, skin will just get oilier, creating more blemishes.

An obvious solution would just be to keep washing your face throughout the day - if you don't wear makeup but, if like me, you have sensitive skin on top of that, then your skin can feel tight and irritated and uncomfortable.

Oil absorbing sheets are a good solution: you can get them from most Boots or Superdrugs. They're basically thin sheets, sometimes soaked in salicylic acid (which can kill bacteria and clear skin). Because they absorb the oil, they will instantly remove the oil and any shininess on the face. These are great for a quick fix in the day and will keep the skin clearer and less oily.

I will be writing some more posts on how to keep the skin clear if you have oily skin.

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Disappointing Product: Garnier Micellar Water


I don't normally write posts like this; I had originally planned to write a "rave" post about this much hyped product, but here I am, unfortunately, rather disappointed.

Many high street brands have to tried to formulate a "dupe" for the Bioderma, for example, the L'Oreal Micellar Water. I absolutely LOVED the L'Oreal one, and maybe thats why my expectations were higher for this one, but I just did not enjoy using this at all. Maybe it's because I've used better makeup removers since the L'Oreal but still...

I haven't used much of this at all, I have found that this is far too stripping and leaves my skin feeling tight and I get that stingy feeling when I used harsh chemicals on my skin; not like a water at all. This doesn't remove eye makeup very well; I've found that I've had to rub really hard to get my mascara off. When I do use this, I feel like I have to use another cleanser after to really clean my skin, because even not wearing makeup, this does not clean your skin at all.

Wouldn't recommend this- and I had such high hopes for it :/ ah well

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Monthly Thoughts #4

Wow, November already?


After my monthly favourites were online, I knew that another edition of the MONTHLY THOUGHTS were due, and woah do I have a lot to say this month.

November, eh?  Shorter days, less sun, last month of autumn. I always know that Winter's coming when I walk outside, and I breathe. And I see the condensation of my breath creating a small cloud of mist in front of me. And I know it's winter.

Anyway, I've been trying to find a "style" for my blog: mainly what backgrounds for my photos and how I edit them and all that because, I realised what I hate most about writing posts, is taking photos. But that really shouldn't be the case, photos are meant to be interesting, breaking up the otherwise endless text. Recently, I was enjoying using fashion and beauty pictures on models, but that was mainly picking up trends- and I was stuck for when it came to my own monthly favourites. I thought that is should be professionally plain, have good lighting and show the product. I haven't found a place yet so bare with the changes but honestly, I'm just trying to work things out.

Anyone else have the problems or answers to these problems?

Another thing, I thought I had been writing quality posts, getting better each time, but I can't help notice my follower count dropping. And I know that it's not all about the followers, but I still can't help but wonder why my extra effort is deterring people? hm well, I guess it's not that big a problem, but any ideas?

On a happier note, as I've said, time and time again, Autumn is my favourite season and I've been completely immersing myself in an autumnal mood. One of my favourite things this month has been listening to Spotify playlists: if you go to "Browse" -> "Genres" -> "Mood" and listen to the music that will instantly fill you with warmth and put you in a good mood. My favourite is Autumn Acoustics, so go ahead, give it a listen.

(call me sad but i love these playlists because they're organised into genres like mood, rock, focus and then sub genres and then playlists that are labelled with what they make you feel :) organisation heaven spotify )

Lots of Love
Sophie
xxx

Monday 3 November 2014

October Favourites

The end of yet another month, and almost the end of my favourite season :(. Wow I'm going to have to do something special before the end of autumn...

For now though, lets talk about what I've been loving this October:



 




Neutrogena Visibly Clear Moisturiser £4.99

This has been my moisturiser of the month and although I got it recently, I've been saying differences in my skin. This is oil-free so doesn't clog my pores overnight but still moisturises my skin enough that I don't get dry patches. This leaves a kind of velvet/matte finish, so it's great to put makeup on top. This has grapefruit extract and salicylic acid which helps fight acne so I would recommend this to anyone with oily and acne-prone skin.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip balm £9.50

This lip balm has been much loved throughout the entire beauty community, in fact, I don't know anyone who doesn't like this, and I can see why. Since the days turned colder, my lips had been so chapped and dry but then I used this and saw results overnight. This is nice and thick and kinda tastes like lemons...

L'Oreal Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara £10.99

This mascara is AMAZING. It builds volume and length without leaving any clumps at all , and stays on all day. Trust me, I've worn this for the whole day, not even remembering that I had mascara on and it didn't judge one bit. Definitely definitely try this out!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Mineral Foundation £22.52

I used to love this back in Spring but since I've been using liquid foundation for ever, I thought I'd try this out again, and I have to say that this does not disappoint. I still love this, it gives a natural finish but makes the skin look that bit healthier and has brilliant coverage that lasts the day. The only sad part is that I think I'm running out, I need to get some more, and fast.

Bath & Body Works French lavender candle £13

This half-term, I've been hiding out in my bedroom, watching netflix or reading my book, and this candle tops it all off. The lavender scent is so relaxing and basically makes you want to sleep but it's really strong, so don't go for it if you don't love Lavender...

...that is, if you can find it, i can't seem to find it anywhere. the link is to the website but I think that it might have been limited edition because I've had it a while. Bath and Body works candles are all amazing so definitely go try one of the other scents, especially the Christmas ones :o

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx