...SKINCARE ROUTINE // MORNING EDITION.

 

I've been helping a friend bump up her skincare routine over the past week and it got me to thinking that it might be time to share mine with you. It wasn't too long ago that my skincare 'routine' consisted of a quick sweep of a face wipe and a splatter of moisturiser in the morning. Now though, I couldn't imagine waking up, or going to bed, without treating my face to a good cleanse and a few layers of soothing, hydrating and let's face it, skin saving products.

So, today and tomorrow, I'll be giving you an insight into my daily skincare routine and I'd love to know some of your wonder products! This is how my morning line up looks...

Superfacialist Tea Flower Cleansing Gel // Origins United State Balancing Toner

In the morning I like to start with a gel cleanser as I feel it is more awakening than, say, a balm cleanser, which I like to save as more of a treat in the evening. This Tea Flower Purifying Cleansing Wash from Superfacialist By Una Brennan gives a good fresh, clean feeling without drying out the skin. One downside of it though is the smell. It's very floral and kind of reminds me of old ladies...

Next I go in with this AMAZING toner from Origins. The United State Balancing Toner is aimed at combination skin and serves to exfoliate away dead skin, and balance out oily and dry areas. I did wince at the price tag but after a week of using it, I knew it was worth every penny.

Botanic 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz // Origins GinZing Brightening Eye Cream // La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+

After a chemical exfoliant, as the guru Caroline says, it's time rehydrate the skin. I use this Toning Spritz from Botanics as it is organic, which is always a winner, and contains glycerin which is a natural retainer of moisture to keep your skin looking bright and plump!

To keep my peepers looking bright in the morning I've been using the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream which I got in an Origins set at Christmas. I find it great to use in the morning under make up as it has a pink, brightening tint which helps to hide my dark circles and really lights up under my eyes.

After waiting FOREVER to get my hands on Effaclar Duo to no avail, the release of the upgraded Effaclar Duo+ from La Roche-Posay came just at the right time and a grabbed it the second it hit the shelves. It's too early to tell whether its really working yet, but I've been applying this to areas where I have or have had blemishes to clear my skin up and chase away any residual red marks left behind by skin nasties. It's currently at an introductory price in Boots so get it while it's cheap!

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver // Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser

My daily moisturiser, and probably my favourite product in my morning routine is the delicious Origins GinZing Moisturiser and I know I'm not the only one coveting this little tub of loveliness at the moment! The gel-cream consistency applies so smooth and soaks into the skin so quickly which is exactly what I need in the morning when time is of the essence!

On days where I feel like my skin needs an extra boost, I smooth a small squeeze of this beautiful serum over my face and it instantly makes my skin as soft as silk and also acts as a primer, providing a perfect base for my make up. Forever repurchasing this stuff and I would recommend it to everyone. Oh, and it smells unbelievable!

So that is how my morning skincare routine looks. Are there any products that you couldn't live without that you think I should give a try? 

Come back tomorrow for a look at how I take care of my face at the end of the day.

X

...CURRENTLY COVETING // SEVENTEEN DOLL'D UP MASCARA

Seventeen Doll'd Up Mascara // RRP £6.29 @ Boots

After using nothing but Benefit They're Real Mascara for a good 2 months since I rediscovered it in the back end of last year, I was unsure whether I would ever use another mascara again... I kid, of course.

Whilst strolling through the aisles of Boots, desperate to spend some money, this curvy tube caught my eye and I remembered seeing a gleaming review of it in someones 2013 Favourites. This along with it's £4 price tag (it was on sale at the time) meant there was not a seconds hesitation and it found itself happily in my basket.

Seventeen's Doll'd Up Mascara more than surpasses its very reasonable price tag and in my opinion is the perfect day time mascara. The brush is thin and plastic, which I much prefer, and the wand itself is really long compared to a lot of others - I think this allows for better control when applying.

The formula is quite thin but makes for the most natural looking lengthened lashes. If volume is what you look for in a mascara then perhaps this one isn't for you, but for length I could not recommend it more.

'Seventeen' really seem to be upping their game of late, and I will definitely be sampling more of their make up products in the not so distant future.

...BUCK THE TREND.

MULES?! Seriously?!

Everywhere you look for SS14, fashion houses are offering up mules as the heeled footwear option of the season.

Alexander Wang - Image via Net-a-Porter

Seen on the feet of beauties gliding down the catwalks at Chloe, Altuzarra and Alexander Wang, to  name but a few, the immediate question that filled my mind was not 'When will they be mine?!' but rather, 'How the HELL can they walk so gracefully in those shoes?!'.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the beauty of the slick, minimal glossed offering from Wang, but any of that beauty would be overshadowed if I was to wear them by the awful, awkward scrunchy toe grab I would have to do in order to stop them falling off my feet while my heel flapped up and down due to the lack of support.

If my footwear choices this season are a toss up between this battle with physics or the humble flat, then I'm afraid this Summer I will be embracing my short stature and staying stylishly comfortable all season long.

What trends will you be avoiding this coming season?

X

...SETTING UP HOME.

With my relocation looming, I have found my mind wandering less on the topic of fashion and beauty and more on interior design and decor. Instead of my web browser history being over-run with the newest pieces to land on Net-A-Porter, it is now bogged down with Swedish shelving systems and bed linen.

Due to the likely limited space that I will have at my disposal, I am drawn to a highly stripped back aesthetic in order to keep an illusion of space in the room - No heavy, wooden wardrobes please! I won't be living in a loft apartment in New York, or a clean, whitewashed haven in Scandinavia, but a girl can dream and draw inspiration.

 

All images via Pinterest

...OH, HEY.

I know what you're thinking, 'Bit late isn't she?', and yes, I am, embarrassingly so! I didn't actually realise how long it had been since my last post. Not only has it been Christmas and New Year since, but it's also been my birthday and I am now the ripe old age of 25. 

When I was younger, I always thought that I would be a well-established adult by now, having succeeded in my post-University 5 year plan, and forged myself a successful and lucrative career... Well, that didn't happen, but then, when does it ever?

The reality is, I am just about to begin my exciting career and with this comes a pretty life changing relocation to The Big Smoke. I'm pretty sure every New Year that passes, everyone mutters those 4 magic words - 'This is my year!' - but, 2014, I truly believe that you will be my year, and so help me if you do me wrong.

Come with me on my journey through 2014, and the beginning of the rest of my life... Who knows, 2014 could be your year too.

X