All your little summer dresses are packed away and you've pulled out your woolly jumpers. Yep its that time of year again and Autumn is a critical time to both repair the damage summer has caused to your skin & hair plus prepare for winter’s dry and harsher conditions. The chilly air can really dry out your hair & skin so its time to update your routine. So here are my top Autumn Hair & Skincare Tips 1. Cleansers - I love to use an oil based cleanser to help nourish the skin as well as melt away your makeup. There are loads of Hot Cloth Cleansers and balm's on the market at the moment and I use them with either a facecloth or a muslin cloth. This helps gently exfoliate the skin aswell as cleansing the skin. Some of my favourite include Soap & Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser, No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser and Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. 2. Water - Drink plenty of fluids...and no I don't mean alcohol. Try and increase your intake of water and herbal teas. This will stop your skin from dehydrating which can be caused by central heating and harsh weather. Peppermint tea with a slice of ginger & lemon is a great way to start the day and Choco tea ("ginger and cinnamon delicately mingle with the unmistakable essence of cocoa; warming body and spirit") is a favourite of mine on those cold dark evening. Oh and if your workplace has central heating try leaving a bowl of water beside the radiators to keep the air hydrated around you. 3. Exfoliate - Use an oil based body scrub in your shower routine at least once a week. The summer sun & chlorine may have left your skin feeling dry and flaky so start this season off with a full-body exfoliation session. Not only will you feel fresh but your skin will be free from all those old dry dead cells. Dry brushing is another way to exfoliate skin. It helps remove dead cells and improving circulation. 4. Moisturise - Its time to change from your light summer lotion to a richer cream. As the air becomes drier, your skin needs a thicker moisturiser. Creams provide a stronger oily barrier, which means they both reduce water loss from the outer layer of skin and provide hydration to this layer of skin at the same time. I love the Aveeno range or if you don't have the time to mositurise everyday then check out my last blog about Vaseline Spray & Go. 5. Sunscreen - Don't ditch the sunscreen just because summer is over. Use a moisturiser with an SPF 15 (minimum) or just apply a facial SPF before you moisturiser. This will protect your skin from the elements. Some of my favourites are Clarins UV Plus Protective Day SPF 40 and Clinique Super City Block SPF 40 which has a beautiful sheer weightless formula. You can wear it alone or as a makeup primer. 6. Hands, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes!!!! - Well hands really. Firstly buy yourself a good pair of gloves (and try not to lose them). These will protect your hands from the harsh cold weather. Secondly make yourself a hand scrub with coconut oil* or almond oil and sugar (brown or white). Simply mix together and then apply to your hands. Rub your hands together briskly for a few mins then just rinse off the sugar residue with warm water. Massage any remaining oil into your cuticles. This is a great little D.I.Y scrub and can be used all over the body. Make a big batch and store it in your bathroom in an old jam jar - just give it a little mix before its next use. Invest in a good handcream (& a cuticle oil if the budget allows) and apply it as often as required especially last thing at night. You can also pop on a pair of cotton gloves and leave them on over night. I promise you will wake up with super soft hands. *(Coconut Oil comes in a solid form and can be found in the cooking oil section of the supermarket. Not only is it an amazing oil to cook with - (its way better than sunflower/Olive oil) you can also use it as a hair mask (it liquefies in your hand) just apply to you hair (whilst cooking if you want - spoonful for the frying pan, spoonful for your hair), you can also use it to make up this scrub and it can help with weight loss. I KNOW super stuff. Just google it ) 7. Kissable Lips - Your lips will dry out big time in winter and the first tip is DON'T LICK THEM because this makes them worse. I done a blog on Lush lip scrubs and balms already but you can use the sugar scrub from tip No. 6 if you would so prefer (Its the exact same thing). Keep a lipbalm in your bag and apply it as often as required and keep a spare one beside the bed and apply it last thing at night. If your lips are very badly cracked and sore I think the best product on the market to use it the Blistex Relief Cream. Because it is a cream it sinks straight into the lips, is very soothing and relieves very dry cracked chapped lips. I generally use this at night so it gives my lips a chance to heal properly. And another little tip - if like me you suffer from coldsores (which can be caused by the cold, heat or being run down) then try a product called L-Lysine. I swear by these tablets. As soon as I feel the start of a coldsore I take 1000mg of these little miracle workers (amino acids) and BAM! my coldsore never even rears its ugly head. 8. Hair - From styling products, sunscreen, chlorine and sea water - Summer really does play havoc with our hair. Autumn is the perfect time to start afresh with your hair and the best way to begin is with a clarifying shampoo. (I like the Boots one and its easy on the pocket). Also get a haircut to trim away any damaged spilt ends. A good hair mask or hot oil treatment helps to restore moisture and elasticity to your sun dried locks. This is best done after clarifying the hair and will result in wonderfully soft & restored hair. Oh and another little tip - invest in a good hat & umbrella to prevent the dreaded frizz!!!!. So thats it! Eight hopefully helpful tips for you to help prepare for winter. Leave me a comment below if you have any questions or if you would prefer to ask me something on Facebook just click on the Facebook link at the top of the page. Thanks for reading Y'all :)
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This is one area of my beauty routine that I always fall down on...Full body moisturising. It's just because I am a little lazy and I HATE having to wait for my moisturiser to dry before I can get dressed. Its hard enough to get out of bed in the morning so if I can spend an extra 10 minutes all snuggled up under my duvet instead of flailing around trying to let my moisturiser dry then I will be a happy bunny. So when I spotted this whilst out shopping last week I was very excited to try it. It claims that it will:
And I am delighted to say that "it does exactly what it says on the tin" You just spray it all over the body in a continuous motion, give it a quick rub to make sure it is absorbed and ta dah! you're fully moisturised. You can reach all the awkward places like the back of your legs and your back so no more neglecting these parts of your body and the best thing is you really can get dressed straight away. Your skin won't feel greasy and your clothes won't stick to you either!!!
It is available in 3 different types Total Moisture(Oat), Aloe Fresh and Cocoa Radiant (I got this one because I love the smell of Cocoa... it always reminds me of holidays). It is available from pharmaices nationwide and costs from €6.15 for 190ml. I will still be using my other favourite richer moisturisers and body butters (My favourite is Soap and Glory The Daily Smooth Lotion )at night when I can get straight into my PJ's but for convience in the morning this is a great product and one I will be repurchasing. Who wants lips like Cheryl Cole - L'Oreal Collection Privee Colour Rich Nude Couture Lipsticks20/9/2013 Ok I admit it...I totally only bought these lipsticks because Cheryl Cole's gorgeous face was on the poster. L'Oreal have just launched these 6 beautiful limited edition nude lipsticks and each one has their own ambassador. I bought 2 - Cheryl's Barely Greige which is a "subtly grey pink that discreetly enhances the beauty of a greige based complexion". Basically for brunettes with a fair complexion. And secondly I bought Julianne Moore for the obvious reason that we both have red hair and very fair complexions. Julianne's nude is a "delicate barely peach shade that enhances the radiance of pale pink based skin tones" There are four more -
With their beauiful black & gold packaging (very posh lookin) and suprisingly creamy non drying consistancy they look and feel like a lipstick twice the price. (They cost €12 approx) . There is a beautiful subtle sheen and a long lasting moisturising feeling and I am totally in love with them. (In my best Geordie accent - I totally feel like Cheryl when Im wearing it). So go check them out - they are gorgeous to wear everyday for work or amazing with a smokey eye for a night out. Let me know if any of you have tried them in the comments below.
Happy Shopping!!!! I am always on the look out for a new eye makeup remover and over the years I have tried my fair share of them. Mostly they are too oily or watery or sting my eyes and are just plain rubbish. My all time favourite has to be Lancome's Bi-Facils but it costs €28 approx and because of my love of smokey eyes and black liners I end up going through this stuff far too quickly. So as my hunt continues this is the lastest two products I have been trying out. Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for lids, lashes and lips (€20 approx from Clinique Stockists). This has being on the market for a number of years now and gets rave reviews all the time. It is a two-way makeup remover so you need to give it a little shake before use. I found this really brilliant. It melts away all my eye makeup even waterproof mascara without tugging or pulling and without causing irratation. You only need a small amount on cotton wool, hold it over your closed eye for a few seconds then wipe in a downwards motion and watch as it just sweeps away all your makeup. Because it does contain oil it can leave a little residue but nothing that a wet cotton pad cannot remove. Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover (€5.50 approx for 125mls). This is a fairly new product to the Irish market (Well I have only spotted it recently anyway). It is an oil free gentle cleanser suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. This is one of the better eye makeup removers I have tried and yet is one of the cheapest. Again I just soaked a cotton pad with the product and used it to remove everything from basic eyeshadows to mascara. I did have to bust into the cotton pads a second time to remove my waterproof liner though. But it left no residue and my skin felt clean and refreshed afterwards. The Clinique Take The Day Off is a brilliant product which removes all eye makeup first time but at €20 for a bottle I will be keeping it for days when I wear my waterproof liners and mascaras. Otherwise I will be using the Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover for everyday use because it is so affordable and works great for basic daily makeup. Let me know comments below if you like it or what is your favorite makeup remover.
I get asked quite alot alot to recommend a product that can help with skin tone & texture and even out dark spot and pigmentation. There are a few products on the market such as Clinique Even Better Range, Lancome's new DreamTone and Vichy Idealia but I really like this range from Aveeno. The Positively Radiant range has been specially formulated to brighten and even your skin tone and texture. The active ingredient contained in all of the below products is Soy. Soy has been shown to reduce blotchiness and hyper pigmentation with its potent antioxidants and hydrating properties. All of the products are gentle enough to use on a daily basis for skin which looks smooth and radiant and all are suitable for sensitive skin. There are 4 products in the range including an exfoliating cleanser and a boost serum. Its easy on the pocket with all products under €15. Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Exfoliating Cleanser - This is a great gentle exfoliant which can be used everyday to reveal your skin's natural radiance. It contains naturally active Soy Bean which has been proven to improve hyperpigmentation & blotchiness and leaves your skin feeling smoother and looking brighter. Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Skin Brightening Moisturiser SPF15 - This moisturiser has been clinically proven to even skin tone and texture. It contains light diffusers which instantly boosts skin’s natural radiance and is a beautiful lightweight cream that makes a great base for your makeup. Aveeno Positively Radiant Triple Boost Serum - This serum contains naturally active Soy extract. Soy is rich in natural antioxidants such as Vitamin A and E which are know to fight free radicals to keep the skin looking younger. This hydrating serum has been proven to refine the texture and tone of your skin as well as reducing brown spots which can occur with age or sun damage. Skin is left looking bright and radiant. Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Brightening Cream - This light textured fast absorbing eye cream has been clinically proven to visibly improve the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. It contains light diffusers which instantly boost’s skins natural radiance and revitalises the skin around the eye area. In a recent survey by Easy Living Readers 91% of women who tried these products saw an improvement in the radiance of their skin and 9 out of 10 felt their skin was hydrated and smooth. So if you are looking for something to help boost skin radiance and even out skin texture and reduce pigmentation then these are the products for you.
Let me know in the comments below if you have tried any similar products and what are your thoughts on them. Happy Shopping!! This is another great offering from Marissa Carter and the Cocoa Brown Family. It is described as "A no nonsensse scrub for rough areas such as feet, ankels, knees, elbows and hands". I personally used it all over the body. The back of the packet gives full instructions on how to use it and has loads of helpful tips also. It has quiet a running consistancy so it can be used on dry skin which gives a deeper exfoliation (Ideal to remove any old tan). You just apply the scrub in sweeping motions backwards and forwards and they quicker you do this the deeper the exfoliation. It can also be used on damp skin in the shower which makes it perfect for people with sensitive skin or if you would just prefer a gentle exfoliation. Please excuse the grotty feet but I wanted to show you a before and after photo. I had the Bronze Express Spray Tan applied for my sister's wedding and it took alot of work to get it off. That is until I found this wonderful little pink packet of stuff. I used it on dry skin and gave myself a really good scrub all over. I then jumped into the shower and washed off all the lovely pink gel which now had turned a yucky dirty brown. I couldn't believe the difference and how quick and effective the scrub worked. I was like a shining new penny!...Well I was pale and ghostly like again anyway. My skin felt super soft after using this scrub and even the little red bumps I get on the top of my arms looked a 100's times better. It really is a fantastic product but my only niggle is that you can only buy it in a sachet. I hope they bring it out in a bottle or tube so I can keep it in my shower and use it as part of my regular shower routine. It is available from most pharmacies & Penny's (basically anywhere you can buy Cocoa Brown tans) and cost €2.99..Let me know in the comments if you like it as much as me or if you have any other recommendations for me. Happy Scrubbing!!!! |
AuthorLover of all things beauty, Makeup Artist, Blogger & Wife . I am always on the look out for the perfect makeup or the best beauty product so keep reading to follow my never ending quest! Categories
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