A Little Skincare Haul

As someone who has been suffering with a fair few spots recently, I was on the lookout for some new skincare products that will clear my face of bacteria and keep my spots at bay. I like to switch up my skincare routine now and again; I think the majority of people do this whilst they search for the "perfect" product (I'm yet to find it!) 

Whilst I was in Boots the other day, I decided to try the Clearasil Hydra-Blast Gel Wash for £2.99 and the Clearasil Deep Cleansing Toner for £3.99 from the Daily Clear product line. I also picked up the Olay Complete 3in1 Moisturiser Night Cream for £9.99, as I had used the last of my Olay day cream, and wanted to give the night time one a go.

Clearasil Hydra-Blast Gel Wash
I tend to use this in the morning when I wash my face. It helps get deep into your pores, giving your face a thorough jet wash before you start your day. It tightens your pores and makes your face feel quite tight, so I recommend moisturising afterwards to get rid of that "botox" feeling.

It smells fresh due to its cucumber extracts and aloe vera ingredients, which are gentle on the skin and it has helped keep my breakouts down these past couple of weeks. It lathers up only slightly, which I love, as I hate getting bubbles all up my nose and in my eyes haha!

Clearasil Deep Cleansing Toner
I use this at the end of the day after I shower to remove any makeup left on my face. Again, it tightens your pores and makes your face feel dry (perhaps due to the alcohol content), so make sure to moisturise afterwards. I pour a few drops onto a cotton wool pad and wipe across my face, which helps remove any oil, dirt and bacteria that have gathered on the surface of my skin throughout the day.

Olay Complete 3in1 Night Cream
I like to put a thick moisturiser on before I go to bed to help my face recover from the moisture lost during the day and to allow my skin to absorb the cream overnight and keep my skin looking fresh. The somewhat magic three-in-one formula helps to hydrate, nourish and protect, supplying 24 hour moisturisation due to the anti-oxidants and a variety of vitamins (I don't have a clue what they mean, but they must do a good job!)

Have you tried these products?

Or have you discovered the perfect skincare products for your skin?

Thanks for reading!

How To Correctly Remove Mascara

Having mainly worn waterproof mascara for the past few years, I know first hand of the struggle it can take to remove the stubborn black formula from your eyelashes before bedtime. Especially if, like me, you like to put coat on top of more coats to make sure you get every single eyelash to look thick and long.

One thing you shouldn't do is rub your eyes viciously with a facial wipe, as the skin around your eyes is very sensitive, and by pulling on it you can loosen the natural elasticity underneath, resulting in wrinkles (I had previously done this for a few years, so I'm expecting to look 60 very soon ;)!!)

So I have composed a few tips to help you remove mascara in a safe, pain-free way.

♥ Decide which product you want to use; I recommend trying a variety to find what works best for you and your skin. 

♥ You can use an oil (such as coconut oil) to remove your mascara, by soaking it in a cotton wool pad and applying it to your closed eye.

♥ You can also use a cleanser/makeup remover (using cotton wool pads), by holding the pad onto your closed eye until the makeup has began to dissolve, and then by gently rubbing in a downward motion.

♥ But be very careful with this method, as you don't want to be getting anything in your eyes - it's a very sensitive area, so make sure you're not allergic to any of the products first!

♥ If you still have some mascara left on that refuses to come off, take a facial wipe that is alcohol free (I don't recommend this if your eyelashes are prone to fall out; this is just what I personally do, as I don't like to get the tiny hairy fibres from cotton wool stuck to my eyelashes).

♥ Place the wipe between your fingers and gently grab your eyelashes with it, whilst slowly rubbing. Be very careful, as you don't want to lose your eyelashes, but sometimes this is the only way you can get it off.

♥ You can also use the wipe to swipe your eyelashes as though you're applying mascara, which will help to remove it.

♥ After you're done, clean up any oily residue you may have and apply your favourite eye cream underneath and around your eyes, in case you have slightly tugged on your sensitive skin.

What method do you use to remove stubborn eye makeup? 

Do you disagree with the use of wipes?

Thanks for reading!

Tips & Tricks: Itchy Skin After Shaving

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen a few of my recent tweets complaining about my incredibly itchy legs! It's been really uncomfortable and it always occurs a few days after shaving with a razor. I've tried various methods that I've found online and I've tried things that people in the beauty community have recommended on my Twitter. I'm going to compile a list of things that may help you if you suffer from this too, including the one thing that helps me. Many of these didn't work for me, but they might work for you so it's worth a try if it stops you from itching!

When I first complained about this, I got told to stop using a razor as I'm "obviously allergic to shaving with a razor". But I didn't want to stop as it's the closest shave I can get, pain free! That may be silly of me and sound like I'm causing it myself, which I guess I am to some extent, but I was keen to find a product out there that would give me some sort of relief, without giving up the razor and my smooth legs.

A fellow beauty blogger on Twitter recommended that I try Aveeno cream, as it's great for dry skin and eczema. It's a moisturising lotion with natural ingredients which helps soothe my skin when I apply it after shaving. The reason I like this is because it's full of natural ingredients, so it doesn't seem harmful to my skin and because it's fragrance free, it doesn't give me further unnecessary irritation. The lotion claims to "immediately relieve" the skin and moisturise it for 24 hours. It's formulated with shea butter and has a "unique active triple oat complex containing finely milled colloidal oatmeal, oat oil and oat essence" (which is one of the recommendations I found online; to find an oat-based moisturiser as it helps soothe and moisturise the skin.)

I'm not saying this has 100% made my skin better; I still get a little itchy, but it has dramatically improved the appearance of my skin - the red spotty rash has gone and the irritation is down to a minimum. It helps rehydrate my skin, providing moisture and has helped soothe my skin. Try this out if you have the same problem and let me know if it has helped you!

If this doesn't help, here are various other methods you could try to give your skin some relief after shaving:

♥ Try changing your razor - a blunt razor could be part of the problem, as it's dragging on your skin and catching it, causing dryness and irritation.

♥ Try swapping your shaving foam/gel for a conditioner, as you could find that it's more moisturising and easier to shave with.

♥ Don't use a scented soap after shaving, or a scented moisturiser as the added perfumes cause your skin to become even more irritated! Try to stick to natural ingredients, like aloe vera (which is supposed to be fantastic for your skin!)

♥ Try to shave at the end of your shower or bath, as your hairs have had time to soften and it'll help with a smoother shave.

♥ Exfoliate before and after shaving - it gets rid of dead skin and will hopefully reduce irritation. It unclogs your pores from the shaving foam/gel you've used and helps prevent razor bumps.

♥ Be gentle; use short strokes and don't press too hard - you don't want to get any cuts! You're only shaving your legs, not mowing a field of grass! There's no need to add pressure to the razor.

♥ You could try shaving in the direction of your hair growth; I know you don't get the same close shave as shaving in the opposite direction, but it could help reduce irritation.

♥ Rinse your legs with cool water afterwards, as this will help close your pores. Pat your legs dry with a towel afterwards - avoid rubbing!

♥ Try looking for lotions and shaving foams suitable for sensitive skin - they usually say on the bottle but if you're not sure, just ask a member of staff at Boots.

I'm in no way a skin expert, these are just some methods I found on the internet that may work for you. If you still get irritated skin, maybe it's time to ditch the razor and use an alternative method of shaving. You can also visit your doctor or dermatologist who'll be able to tell you what to do!

Let me know if any of these methods worked for you; leave a comment, as it may help someone else! Also let me know what you think of Aveeno cream - it worked wonders for me!

BUY IT HERE:

 http://www.haveyouseen.com/4x43

Thanks for reading!

Skincare Favourites

You may have seen a few of these products in some of my previous posts, but I thought I'd allow them to sneak back onto my blog (as they are my favourites, after all!) I've included various face products that I enjoy using and those that I feel have benefitted my skin. We all know that we have to look after our skin; remove our makeup before bedtime, eat healthy, drink plenty of water and moisturise, but many of us are guilty of skipping these steps now and again, which as a result our skin appears to be in a not-so-great condition. (I don't know about you, but when I wake up after a day of eating non-stop junk food and fizzy drinks, I have quite a shock when I look in the mirror!) However, I'm now trained in the "skincare department" and I'm able to keep up with my skin's needs. So, here are a few of my favourites!

Nivea Lotion - Superdrug: £2.49
I tend to use this product at night, as I like allowing it to sink into my skin whilst I'm sleeping. You can use this product anywhere (face and body) and it has lasted me quite a long time. I use the normal skin version, but you can buy one for dry skin too. I love waking up to find that my skin is smooth and hydrated and it's all down to this little thing. It's also non-greasy, which is great for my frying pan face (eugh, what a thought!)

St. Ives Elements Moisturising Olive Scrub - Superdrug: £2.49

I use this scrub in the shower, as I find it easier than using it over the sink as I always end up with a green, gritty hairline! I tend to use this once a week to remove the dead skin cells from my face and also my chest, as I sometimes get a few spots here and there. I also love the fact that it has 100% natural exfoliants, therefore it isn't too harsh so you could use it daily if you wanted to.

Simple Cleansing Wipes - Superdrug: £1.99

There's a reason so many people love using Simple products, because they are cheap, work well and they are great for people with sensitive skin like myself. I find wipes the easiest to remove mascara with, as I hate using a cotton wool ball or pad as the tiny fibres stick to my eyelashes and get in my eyes! I love the fact that they don't dry your skin out, but instead they moisturise and leave your skin feeling clean and fresh!

L'Oréal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution - Superdrug: £3.32

I know that you've probably heard so much about this already, that you're understandably sick of it! But I had to include it in my 'Skincare Favourites', as ever since a friend introduced it to me, I've been quite obsessed with this product. Not only does it dissolve your makeup, but it removes impurities, tones and soothes your skin - hat's off to it, it's got me through some troublesome skin times. I use this after removing my makeup with wipes, as I know that wipes don't necessarily remove all traces of makeup from your face, but this product helps remove the rest! It's just a shame about the packaging, as I find that you end up pouring too much out of the bottle because of the design.

Tea Tree Face Mask - The Body Shop: £10.00

I was hesitant to buy this at first, as I didn't know how tea tree would react with my skin and whether it would start burning to the point where I worried for my face (okay, slight exaggeration!) But I thought I'd give it a go and now it has decided to creep it's way into my favourites (I don't blame it to be honest!) I try to use this once a week, as I love the way it makes my skin feel afterwards. I keep it on for around 10-15 minutes and my skin ends up looking fresh and feeling cool. It tingles quite a bit, as most tea tree products do, but not to the point of worrying about my face hehe!

Olay Total Effects 7 In One Day Moisturiser -Superdrug: £9.99

I love this moisturiser and again, you may have seen it in one of my previous posts when I raved about this product. I use this every morning before applying my makeup and it leaves a nice glow and it also smoothes my skin. It's SPF 15, which is good for obvious reasons as it adds a slight protection from the sun. It's also age-defying, which you're never too young for!

I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm still trying to figure out whether to separate each photo with text in between or have all of my photos together, with text underneath. 

Which do you prefer reading? Leave a comment if you wish! :-)

Thanks for reading!

Favourites At The Moment

Okay, so this is my first proper blog post, ahhh! I've decided to do my first post about my favourite products that I have been using recently; I will tell you a little bit about them and why I like them etc.

(Soap & Glory 'Butter Yourself' Smoothing Body Cream)

Boots: £10.50

Now that it's nearly winter and the wind has picked up here in the UK, my skin has been suffering due to the weather. My skin has become quite flaky and dry, therefore I've needed to make sure I don't forget to moisturise! I love putting this on after I have been in the shower - it makes my skin feel super soft and clean! It is quite a thick body butter, so I prefer to put it on in the evening rather than the morning.

Also, Boots have been selling their annual Christmas gift sets; you will be able to find some Soap & Glory sets, I'm hoping I get one for Christmas!

(Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Age Defying Day Moisturiser With SPF 15)

Boots: £9.99

Moisturising the face is also very important and recently I've been using this handy little thing. You may wonder why on Earth I'm using anti-ageing products at 18, but it's better to start early than too late! Hehe.

It comes with a pump, which is great at controlling how much product you want to use. It's also a very light moisturiser and absorbs into your skin reaally quickly, which is useful if you apply it before you do your makeup (which is what I do!) It's also SPF 15, which is pretty handy seeing as that's all skin experts go on about these days, protecting your skin from the blinding glare of the sun etc!

(L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution)

Boots: £4.99

This product is great at removing makeup and impurities and I usually use this at night! I apply it to cotton wool pads and wipe all over my face - it makes my face feel reaally clean and makes sure all of your makeup is gone, as wipes don't always do the job!

Another great thing about it is it's suitable for sensitive skin - yay!

(Pearl Drops Pro-White Toothpolish)

Boots: £3.60

I've been getting frustrated with my teeth recently (weird I know) as they seem to have lost their colour! Let's face it, everybody wants white teeth! Normal whitening toothpastes weren't really doing anything for me, so when I came across this in Boots, I decided to buy it to see if it would make an improvement.

After a couple of weeks (maybe even less) my teeth started to look a lot whiter! I was really pleased with the results, which is why it's one of my favourite products at the moment! However, the only disappointing thing is that if you have sensitive teeth (like me), after a few weeks of brushing twice a day, my teeth started to ache a little bit. From now on, I'm just going to use it now and then when I need to, not everyday! BUT it still improved the colour of my teeth!

(Kate Moss: Lilabelle Truly Adorable) 30ml

Superdrug: £9.99

I recently got this as a birthday gift and I've been using it everyday! I love the musky scent to it, combined with a sweet apple scent. It's very girly! I recommend this if you are thinking of getting a new perfume!

Thanks for reading my first blog post (that is, if anyone is reading it) hehe.

I'll be posting regularly, so please follow me and leave comments! It would mean a lot!

Thanks!!