Pamper Perfection!

Sometimes when life and work gets a bit stressful I find that a really good evening of pampering is the only thing that helps me unwind and relax. I don't mean just a bath with a Lush bath bomb in it, I mean the full works!! To me, nothing feels better than taking all my makeup off after a long day and having that fresh, clean feeling! Depending on how my skin is whether it is a bit dry and needs some moisturizing or if it's breaking out a bit and I need some deep pore cleansing I pick out a face mask to pop on, I think it's so important when pampering that you focus on everything! After painting a mask on my face it comes to my favourite part of picking out which Lush bits I want to use in my bath, I like to really splash out when it is a pamper night, using bath bombs, bubble bars, bubble bath and everything in between, I love a bath with the brightest of colours and clouds of fluffy bubbles to soak in! I also love to use nights like this to use products I don't normally use like a doing a full body scrub and using a body conditioner. After running my bath and popping in all my Lush products I like to light some candles and put on some of my favourite music and just relax, maybe do a full deep condition on my hair and just enjoy being able to switch off and do nothing for a few hours! I always feel so much better after it, my head feel so clear and my body feels so relaxed!

Ipsy Glambag January Opening!

It's that time of the month again, the most glorious time of the month when I open my Ipsy Glambag! Every month it has been getting better and better and I love everything I got this month! I really enjoy it when most of it is makeup based because my skin can be really sensitive to using different skin care products that I end up not using them where as with makeup at least I can use it and try it out! Below are all the goodies I got!

OFRA Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil- This buildable eyebrow pencil is perfect for any skin tone, the more you apply the darker it gets. Really rich colour pigment and keeps all hairs in place but also doubles as an eyeliner or lip liner!

Pixi By Petra Mineral Duo in 'Lavender Bloom'- This duo contains two silky shades to be able to use together or alone. The mineral formula reflects away from imperfections and the gem stone hues enhance natural beauty! Beautiful shimmer and pigment these shades have a such a pretty lustre! You can apply dry for sheer colour or wet for more intensity! I'm so excited for this one!

theBalm Cosmetics Mr. Write Now in Scott Bordeaux (Deep Purple)- Long lasting eyeliner pencil with built in sharpener for always ready on the go looks! Satin smooth texture allows for beautiful application and the richest of colour! I already love this brand and i'm so excited to wear this!

Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths- On the go foaming cleansing cloths a perfect for those days when you don't want to do the whole cleansing routine! Infused with Icelandic glacial water it cleans away makeup dirt and oil!It fights breakouts and soothes skin as well as being perfect for travelling!

Beau Gachis Paris Smudge Brush- Perfect for creating a soft smokey eye look. Created with shorter bristles it flawlessly picks up just the right amount of pigment allowing you to control how much you want to use. It is also great to smudge out gel eyeliners!

Crazy For Coconut!

I received some really yummy new treats in my mailbox from an organic company called Prana! Seeing as it is the new year and lots of people are trying to change their lifestyles by eating healthy and exercising I thought I would share these new healthy snacks with you! Prana organic coconut chips are a great alternative to crisps, they are vegan, organic, gluten free and kosher which makes them the perfect snack to battle those salty cravings! They come in 4 fun flavours Jive (Spicy Chilli), Charleston (Barbecue), Hula (Sea Salt and Pepper) and Classic. My favourite is definitely the Classic, I love just the original sweet taster of coconut chips, they are perfect to sprinkle on top of yoghurt, mix with raisins and nuts or just enjoy one their own! They are nice and sweet with an unmissable crunch! In close running behind the classic flavour I'm also loving Hula which is sea salt and pepper, they are perfect if you fancy a salty snack but so much healthier, seeing as coconut has a natural sweet flavour it creates this really delicious sweet and salty taste! Although my sweet tooth wishes these came in desert flavours like chocolate and caramel I don't think they would be as healthy... So for now I'm keeping these close for any of those snack cravings!

An Etsy Adventure!

I have some very exciting news to share on my blog today! I have recently decided to embark on a little Etsy adventure with my mum! I wanted to bring a little English touch to peoples homes, I have been working on lots of different cute home bits and have finally opened my Etsy shop called The Little English Rose! I wanted to start off small to see how they do but I have lots of plans in the works, the first two pieces up are both wooden hanging hearts decoupaged with Emma Bridgewater pattern with a little piece of twine to hang them up! As well as being really cute little home pieces they also make really sweet gifts! If these do well I am excited to try out different shapes and pieces with all sorts of different patterns! Head on over to this link to take a peek! https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLittleEnglishRose?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Clean & Clear Pore Perfecting Morning Routine!

I have never had really terrible skin growing up but I do always seem to suffer with blemishes and blocked pores, just like many people do. I'm always uncomfortable and feel the need to cover them up or hide them away but some days I really don't want to put lots of makeup on and pretend they are not there. The last few weeks I have been feeling really contentious about my skin and the condition it has been in but I try to remind myself that I am being really silly, why should we feel bad about the way our own skin looks? They are only a few spots. Everyone gets them and so I shouldn't feel the need to cover them up or hide away because its's natural and it's just me! Rather than looking at covers of magazines and feeling upset that I don't have skin that appears to be perfect like theirs, covered in makeup, I have decided that I should just embrace my skin for the way it is! It’s okay to let everyone see the real me.

Clean & Clear came to my skin's rescue when they sent me their Pore Perfecting Morning Routine. It really helped me understand how important it is to take care of your skin and to be able to clear it up and feel comfortable! It has also really helped me understand 3 important steps to better skin and what to use. Up until now, I had been lost in a world of what to use and in which order to use them but nothing has been easier than their 3 step routine that has been leaving my skin feeling so much better.

It all starts off with Step # 1 Cleanse using the Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser. Simply squeeze a small amount of this pore cleanser on to your hands, lather up and apply to your face. Avoid contact with your eyes, swirl it around your face, and once rinsed, pat your face dry. It leaves you feeling a fresh tingly sensation. My face felt really cool and clean after using this. I love the fact that it cleans your skin of any oil, dirt and makeup up that might be on your face after a long day and having that really clean feeling makes it feel like everything has been completely removed. I just wish it would lather up a bit more than it does. It is more of a cream lather than a bubbly lather which I prefer so I can really feel where it is on my skin, but that has no effect on how clean it leaves your skin!

Step # 2 Tone with Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Astringent; this is simply a toner for blackheads. I didn’t realize how important it is to tone in your morning skin routine, this is where I used to become lost. It's really important to get any dirt that is left in your pores and all you have to do is soak a cotton pad with this toner and wipe all over your face, focusing on your T-Zone where all the dirt really builds up. This contains salicylic acid which is a medicated ingredient to help your pores and blemishes. I find that this has a little bit of a medicated scent and I wish it did smell a bit nicer because the moisturizer also has the same ingredients but has a lovely scent. So it is best not to put too much on the cotton pad or it can become too much around your face but it's a step that can't be missed because it really helps to clean out your pores.

Lastly is Step # 3 Moisturize with Clean & Clear Essentials Dual Action Moisturizer containing acne fighting ingredients! This face moisturizer helps treat and prevent breakouts and spots but keeps your skin moisturized. It is oil free which means your skin doesn't feel oily or greasy after using and all you have to do is apply a small amount to your hand and massage into your skin. It smells lovely and leaves your skin soft to the touch but be sure not to over use it as it does contain medicated ingredients.

I can't thank Clean & Clear enough for sending me this little box of skin rescue, not only has it helped my skin but it has really helped my understanding on how to properly take care of my skin! Getting into a good skin care routine and taking good care of my skin are so important because it means I can embrace not having to wear makeup when I get a blemish. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3 for you to have a good skin care routine too because Clean & Clean has lots of different routines for your skin type, hopefully you can all embrace your natural skin too!