Skincare Routine

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish 100ml + 2x Muslin cloths £13.75   Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic 200ml spray £12.50  Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for Normal/Combination skin 50ml Jar £18.25

Origins Eye Doctor Cream 15ml £25

No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator 75ml £11    Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate 10ml Rollerball £19

Recently my skin has considerably improved in condition and I have been receiving a fair few comments on it. Im pretty sure it's down to this skincare routine which I have been using for around 8 months now. Before I started using these products my skin was very dry and recovering from a bout of adult acne which started a couple of years ago, my skin was dry, dull and covered in acne scars, yuk.

The cleanse, tone and moisturise    (picture 2)

You've probably seen this range of skincare a million times by now but I cannot stress enough how brilliant it is. Every morning and evening I slather my dry face with the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish hot cloth Cleanser and massage into my face until it almost disappears. Taking the muslin cloth under a hot tap, I start to buff it over my skin in circular motions until all the cleanser is gone. This cleanser leaves my skin feeling really soft and clean, the creamy formula contains rosemary, chamomile, coco butter and eucalyptus which smells delicious. Using it with the muslin cloth ensures a gentle daily exfoliation which has seen my acne scars almost completely disappear. 

After patting my skin dry I spritz the Liz Earle instant boost skin tonic all over, this is my favourite step,  with no alcohol, infused with cucumber and containing vitamin E this refreshing toner leaves my skin feeling super fresh and soothed, ready for moisturiser.

Before using my face moisturiser I dab a tiny amount of the Origins Eye Doctor Eye cream under my eyes. I then take a 20p sized blob of the Liz Earle Skin repair moisturiser and massage it into my skin. This moisturiser feels really rich and luxurious, it does take a little while to sink into the skin but once it has, it leaves my face feeling soft, balanced and non sticky. It contains natural actives including borage and avacado oil to moisturise and protect. 

Eye Cream  (picture 3)

Ok, so I know I'm only 21 but honestly I'm hugely scared of looking old before I need to, so last year I made a promise to myself to start taking good care of my skin. This included purchasing an eye cream to keep my under eye area hydrated. As an ex suffer of dry skin and eczema I felt this was essential. I say "ex sufferer"of dry skin under my eyes because thanks to this little (expensive) pot of loveliness I no longer get dry skin or eczema under my eyes, result. Origins Eye Doctor cream contains cucumber, rosemary, ginseng and green tea to help fight free radicals, hydrate and soothe the sensitive skin around the eye area. I dab this around the eyes orbital bone morning and night just before I moisturise my face.

Weekly treatments (picture 4) 

Because I use a muslin cloth on my skin everyday I already get a soft exfoliation, however once a week I like to use the No7 Total renewal Micro-dermabrasion exfoliator to help my skin renew and repair.  This is basically a home micro-dermabrasion treatment. The super finely milled micro-crystals work to take away the top layer of (dead) skin to improve appearance, tone and texture. I have been using this product for a few years now and it's one I will continue to use for years to come, the texture and appearance of my skin after using this is dramatic. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and has seen most of my acne scarring diminish, it really is amazing! 

The other product in my weekly treatments is the Liz Earle Super Skin Concentrate, this is a an intense blend of aromatic plant oils including softening argan and organic rosehip oils, soothing neroli, lavender and chamomile essential oils plus antioxidant natural source vitamin E. One night a week I skip moisturising in favour of this skin oil, I roll it all over my face before bed and leave it overnight to restore and balance my skin. In the morning my skin feels smooth, plumped and soft. 

So that's it, My skincare routine. Im really happy with all the products I use and feel no need to change or add anything new. Mainly thanks to Liz Earle it's no longer dry or dull, my acne scars are becoming more reduced everyday and I now very rarely get any breakouts, thanks Liz!!

Liz Earle Skincare is available at uk.lizerle.com or at John Lewis stores.

Origins can be found online at origins.co.uk or at Boots and House of Fraser Stores. 

No7 is available at all Boots Stores. 

Everyday Make-up

 select 720p HD for best quality by clicking this little cog here ^^

This is a quick video on my everyday make - up routine, hope you like it!

the weekend post - Cornwall

 Last weekend was spent in St. Ives Cornwall with Lucy and Lucy visiting Little Lucy's Mum. We spent our days pottering around the town, spending money in the Cath Kidston sale, eating too many cornish pasties and pony trekking around the cornish countryside, lovely.

what did you get up to this weekend?

In & Out Jan 2012

Rather than do a monthly favourites post I thought I would mix it up and do an In & Outs Video, letting you know what I've used up and have replaced this January. Hope you like it.

today's face

BareMinerals original foundation in Fairly Light     Nars bronzer in laguna     MAC eyeshadow in Rice paper     Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner     Rimmel Scandal eyes mascara     HD Brows palette     Maxfactor Lipstick in Red 

HD Brows

After years of having them threaded I noticed my brows getting thinner and thinner with each treatment, wanting a fuller look and brand new shape I went on a process that was frustrating, time consuming and not very pretty. I grew them out. Completely. 

After almost 4 patient months and willing those sparse areas to hurry up, my brows looked something like the above, not very attractive but at least they were all there. The next step was to get the tidied up, this is where HD brows came in.

"HD brows is a high precision procedure that transforms even the most over plucked brow into a perfectly shaped eyebrow, dramatically enhancing your facial features. This isn’t just shaping and tidying – some would say that HD brows amount to eyebrow artistry." - HD Brows

Trained HD brows technicians use 7 steps including, waxing, threading, plucking, tinting, trimming and defining to create the perfect eyebrow shape. The treatment lasts between 30-45 minutes and includes a full consultation to help you chose the right shape for you. 

I trusted Becky from Bella Beauty in Little Stoke, Bristol to carry out my treatment and I couldn't be more happy, she was really lovely and helpful and very skilled in the art of eyebrow shaping!

The treatment costs £30, lasts for around 45 minutes and included full consultation and aftercare advise, you can contact Bella Beauty on 01454 270269.

or to find a technician in your area visit hd-brows.co.uk

and here are the results........

                                                  Grown-out messy brows                                                        New HD - Brows

Love my new eyebrows!!

Has anyone else had HD Brows or tempted by the treatment?

Cookies and Creme

Mittens: Market stall    Duffle coat: Next    Bag: H&M

Peter pan collar top: Primark    Blazer: H&M

Skirt: Topshop    Boots: Topshop Allegra's    Watch: Swatch

Being a cold day today,  I naturally had to wear my racoon mittens. Today was spent having a lie in, pottering around town buying stuff to make cupcakes (more on that later) and tidying the flat. not massively exciting but hey ho. 

As you can probably notice I have had my hair coloured! I got a bit bored of the blonde and it had damaged the ends of my hair so much I was fed up of the frizz and general bad condition of it.

so a trip to Salon Services and an hour or so later I have dark hair again, and I love it! (thanks Mama) She also chopped off a good half an inch off the bottom to get rid of the really broken ends.

I also got my eyebrows sorted hurrah! All that patience growing them out for the last 4 months has certainly paid off for these new HD brows - blogpost to come soon. 

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend, Im off to bake some primrose bakery cookies and cream cupcakes from their new ipad app!

It's love : Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe

Xen-Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe Lotion

£29.70 at feelunique.com

Yes I'm a Xen-Tan convert and now addict.

I bought this back in October, drawn in by it's "moisturising properties" and "scent secure" which the tanner I was using at the time (St. Moritz mousse at £2.99) lacked in these areas. 

This retails for a ridiculous price, lets not beat around the bush here, at £29.70 for 236ml this stuff 'aint cheap. But here is why I love it:

Doesn't require a tanning "routine"

I hated the thought of having to shower, scrub, dry, moisturise, wait, tan, wait, moisturise every day after, repeat every other day. I just couldn't be bothered to be plain honest. This tan doesn't require endless scrubbing and moisturising, it goes on smooth and streak free, contains moisturiser and fades evenly. No longer does tanning my skin require me to schedule in a 3 day, pain the rear routine. 

Moisturising

For dry skin suffers this stuff is magic, It is  "Enriched with Ginko Biloba, Green Tea extract, aloe and Shea butter, Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe is a real treat for skin, leaving it feeling wonderfully nourished and smooth" and unlike St. Moritz mousse it doesn't cling to my pesky eczema patches as it fades. Gone are the days of having to constantly scrub and moisturise to keep my tan even. 

Do I smell stale biscuits?

Not here you wont, well for the most part anyway. This version of Xen Tan contains "scent secure" a new ingredient that works to "lock out" the smell of the DHA (The ingredient that gives you the colour) When applied this smells like rich vanilla and coca butter, however as it develops, a very faint whiff of something sweet and a little biscuity comes through,  generally only lasting for an hour or so. My boyfriend calls it "caramel biscuit". 

It's not orange!

However much of this stuff I wack on it never goes orange. It gives me a nice deep olive hue, dark enough that I only need one layer to give me a subtle glow, but not too dark I look like I've been on the beach for a week. This works for me as I don't really use  fake tanners to make me look "tanned" I just find that one layer in the winter stops me from looking like a walking corpse!  

Pictured here with it's partner in crime: The Poundland tanning mitt. 

And now the bad:

The price

Almost £30 a tube is definitely not a bargin in my eyes, however since buying this tube in october and using at least once a week the bottle is only slightly dented and will probably last at least another two months. After dong a spot of research I found it's main competitor, St. Tropez Lotion is only around a fiver cheaper at £25.50 for 240ml of lotion. 

Longevity 

Xen-Tan boast that their lotions last for up to 10 days, this is definitely not the case and I do have to top up my tan every 3-4 days to keep a certain colour. If this stuff did last a week, I certainly wouldn't have any qualms about the price tag, because in every other way it is the perfect self tan.