Winter skin care must haves

 

 Aaahh, winter: my favourite season! I know, I'm crazy but....hey, what's new?!

The one thing I don't like about it though is the havoc it wreaks on my face. Cold weather skin care is hard enough to crack as it is, never mind for someone with uber sensitive skin living in a really windy country. 

Central heating, wind, temperature differences, rain, snow, they all contribute to messing up the hydration balance of your skin. What I need to pay particular care to is my face, most other areas seem perfectly fine. 

So here follows a compendium

Brand focus: Cocoa Brown

This won't be the first time I mention this brand, here you can read the review I wrote last year about their first ever product.

I have decided to share my appreciation of this brand with you because it deserves all the explosive success it is getting.
Its founder Marissa Carter has always believed in us bloggers and

La Roche-Posay CICAPLAST BAUME B5 - review

40ml

RRP €7.50

Firstly I wish to apologise for the poor quality of the photos, unfortunately I am going t have to rely on my phone for the foreseeable future so, please bare with me.

Cicaplast is one of those super cult products you will find reviewed on most beauty blogs and that is the kind of items I am generally weary of.

I was very intrigued then when

La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense review

Ladies with highly sensitive skin the world over: rejoice!

Before I left for my surgery in October, I was under  an enormous amount of stress and I was well aware of the fact the surgery, the waiting for the results was going to bring even more strain and that would have played havoc on my skin. So I made it my ONE mission to  find a proper, good product that would help me keep all that in check.
As an heaven sent a couple of weeks before I left I was given the chance to try this product for free and I somersaulted to the chance!

Veet minimising moisturiser for sensitive skin - review

Body hair: probably the  ONE biggest nuisance for women (after men/women, that is).
And just like any other woman, hair removal is just one of those personal care rituals that we all really wish we could skip....unless you and your skin can afford permanent hair removal treatments, in which case I am SUPER jealous of you.

I was a REALLY early developer and so my first hair removal experience was at the age of 11 and because I was way too scared to try shaving, I used a cream. Because summer in my home town pretty much lasts from April to October, I got through TONS of hair removing cream and when eventually I got tired of having to sit still for half an hour 2 to 3 times a week, I just naturally glided to shaving.
I have tried waxing and the good old silk epil but because my skin is too sensitive and my hair is too thick, those were just quickly discarded.
In my late teens I also tried laser removal and it scared me enough not to ever try it again in my life, sure hair didn't grow back for 2 months...but that's down to the second degree burns the treatment gave me.
So it's safe to say shaving is my number one method, much to my annoyance.

When I was in Italy for my photo shoot last September, a friend of mine actually pushed me to try the Veet minimising cream, as I honestly hadn't really heard much about it here in Ireland.

Effectively I have been using this for about 7 months, on and off, not a daily basis as recommended by the brand. To be totally honest I wasn't really expecting anything at all from this, as I now tend to be VERY skeptical when it comes to "non-aggressive" hair removing products.

Veet says:
"Veet Hair Minimising Moisturiser, used daily, reduces the appearance of hair re-growth & softens the hair so stubble is less noticeable. Veet Hair Minimising Body Moisituriser with ProMinimise, to effectively hydrate your skin up to 24 hours, leaving your skin feeling smoother for longer.

 Application: the one aspect I REALLY don't like about the product is its consistency, it's REALLY runny, and you need to be careful or the product will splatter all over your bathroom floor. Also because the lid top is flat, it always ends up covered in product which I have to wipe away and ends up being wasted.  I apply this after showering and I was very surprised to see that it didn't irritate my skin at all; after shaving I always have to be extra careful with what moisturiser I use, especially on stretch marks.
As for its "extra" moisturising powers, they are not actually THAT strong. I always have to mix in another moisturiser as otherwise my legs would be quite dry the morning after.
As I have mentioned above, I don't use this every day nor every time I shave, HOWEVER I have noticed my hair is nowhere as thick as it used to be before I started utilising this, and I also notice the difference between when I apply it after shaving and when I don't. It also makes for a much less annoyingly itchy stubble as well.
I think it could be improved by thickening it a bit and making it more moisturising.

Has anyone else tried it or plan to? Let me know.

Lil

Save Your Skin: La Roche-Posay melanoma awareness month Ireland

May is Melanoma Awareness month here in Ireland and La Roche-Posay have something to share with you, so first of, please go ahead and do me the favour of watching this:

This year they decided to particularly aim at men, as they are less likely to worry about sun screen and sun damage.
I have to admit I was gobsmacked by the numbers! 1 in 8 is A LOT!!!

If these stories snapshots aren't enough and you wish to read more about the impact melanoma has on people's lives, you can read about my own experience in this guest blog post I put together a while ago.

I would like to take this opportunity to launch an appeal to ANYONE reading: please, PLEASE DO use sun screen, DO keep an eye on your moles and DO get them mapped/checked once a year.
Everyone should do this, but especially those with a very fair complexion and moles.
I could go on for paragraphs on end but the bottom line is, we all know how dangerous the Sun is and what damages it can cause.
In the past I have persuaded a few people to get in the habit of getting their moles checked and if this post leads to at least one individual doing it, then my work here is done.

Melanoma IS deadly if not caught in time, and even if you're lucky to catch it in time, it's the most horrific struggle I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy.

I realise this post is a bit all over the place but my emotions are running high and can't quite get a logical hold of them, I apologise.

In case you wish to gather more information, you can visit the SOS Save Our Skin website.

Thank you for taking the time to read,

Lil

My winter essentials

Moisturisers

Vichy Aqualia Antiox Hydrating cream

You can read my review of this here . I use this as my daily moisturiser mixed with an anti redness cream.
As yup know my skin is super sensitive so you can imagine what the strong Irish cold winds do to it, team it with going from the cold weather to heated interiors, equals a very unhappy skin.

Here are the 2 anti redness products I use:

Roc Calmance Soothing Moisturiser

Read my review of this here .

Witch skincare Anti-blemish Redness Relief Moisturiser

Here you'll find my review.


Lip balm

My lips, just like my skin, are super super sensitive and need extra care in winter. My current lip balm obsession that has been going on since mid august is

Carmex moisture plus Clear

I am absolutely in LOVE with this!!!! love love love!!!! Go buy it people!!! It is a tad bit pricey but it's totally worth it!
My lips are very weird in the sense that most other lip balms I've tried before aren't hydrating enough or after a few weeks they just don't have the same effect on my lips anymore. But this is still making my lips super soft after so many months of usage. I've also tried the Peach version but I found it doesn't moisturise as much as the clear version, still VERY good but not as the good as the clear one.

Warmers

my faves being

ear muffs

and

a warm hat

I will show you the ones I'm loving right now in a post very soon.

Hot beverages



Gingerbread spicy biscuits
(preferably German)

Lights and scented candles
(this isn't actually just a wintery thing but it is especially appreciated during this season)

So these are my Winter faves, what do you think and what are yours?

Lil

An angel looking after your skin

Introducing the multi beauty awards winning Green Angel, ladies and gents!
They are a 100% Irish company (yay!!!) based in Co. Dublin and their range consists of unique hand crafted skin care, health, spa and hair care products which combine the rejuvenate benefits of “Seaweed extracts” (taken from five different seaweeds harvested from the unpolluted waters off the West coast of Ireland) with all the benefits of a variety of natural, high quality “Essential oils”.

For the summer they have released 2 new excellent products, here they are.

Sunrise Body Smoother with Natural Salt, Lemon, Grapefruit & Irish Seaweed Extract, €24.95 RRP

Green Angel Sunrise Body Smoother is an altogether luxurious product, which refreshes, pampers and rejuvenates the body’s skin leaving it smooth and velvety soft.
It contains natural ingredients such as salt, lemon, grapefruit and Irish seaweed extract which enhances the elasticity and smoothness of the skin. The natural salts help to exfoliate thus eliminating dead skin cells. Results are noticeable after just one treatment.
Green Angel’s Sunrise Body Smoother can also be used for manicures and pedicures. When applied the product leaves skin and nails looking smooth and healthy.

Green Angel Pure Indulgence Body Lotion with Neroli and Chamomile, €14.95 RRP

Green Angel Pure Indulgence Body Lotion has take

n the healing and revitalising benefits of Irish Seaweeds and combined them with high quality essential oils to give an altogether luxurious product. This lavish product, enriched with Vitamin E will nourish, soothe, condition and tone the skin, leaving it soft and silky and beach ready.
Green Angel were kind enough to let me try the body lotion and I have to take a second to thank them for giving me a quick "holiday" somewhere exotic!The lotion itself is very, very fluid, it applies super quick, although it takes a while to dry.
The smell off it is something out of this world, I closed my eyes and I could see me relaxing on a tropical beach surrounded by the most amazing perfumed plants and flowers...indescribable!
Although the perfume is pretty strong when you apply it, you hardly smell it once it's dry, so it won't cover or spoil the scent of your perfume of choice.

Both products, as well as their complete range of fantastic products, are available in leading pharmacies and gift stores nationwide as well as through www.greenangel.com. For a full list of products and nationwide stockists click here.
Shipping and handling rate for deliveries within Ireland and the UK is €9.50 and is FREE for orders above €95.
For a quote on shipping rates for deliveries to countries outside of Ireland and UK you will need to get in contact with them.

Let me know if you have used any of their products yet or if you intend to.

Lil

Witch Skincare overview, part 2

Following from part 1.

Blemish Stick £3.16
Dabbed on blemishes as often as required, possibly as soon as they appear, you feel a slight sting but it means it's doing its job straight away, fighting and neutralising bacteria responsible for blemishes. A life saviour if you have blemishes prone skin. If I can find it any faults would be for the company to come up with a system to roll the stick up or down, instead of having to push on it with the cap to make it go down.
But other than that it's a great product!

Blemish Pen £5.10
Similar to the stick, but with a more targeting applicator, a very handy little brush, this gel is a handbag essential for break outs prone skins.
It won silver as Best New Skincare in the 2010 Pure Beauty Awards.


Exfoliating Face Wash £4.07
Probably one of the best exfoliators I've ever tried. It deeply exfoliates and cleanses without making my face red raw or smelling horridly, the granules in it gradually break down without scratching your skin. Skin is ready to be moisturised without having to wait for it to calm down. It's so good and gentle that my boyfriend has started stealing it from me(he thinks I haven't noticed, yeah right!).

Cleansing Wipes 25 £3.05
I am absolutely and completely in LOVE with these wipes!!!!
I absolutely love how they leave my skin so fresh, clean and absolutely soft, with no residue of cleansing product whatsoever!
AND!!!!! They didn't irritate my sensitive eyes AT ALL!

Concealer Stick £5.10
Unfortunately this turned out to be too dark for my skin tone. Ouch :-(

If you have any questions about my experience with this brand please don't hesitate to get in touch, and remember their website www.witchskincare.com

Witch Skincare overview, part 1

I was meant to type up this overview ages ago but something else and life in general ALWAYS got in the way.
But! I'm doing it now, so...

I won these on one of my fave blogs the lovely and gorgeous Stina's Chic Beauty Blog, go check her out and subscribe if you can. In the bitchy(for the bigger part) world of beauty blogging she is just a breath of fresh air! She doesn't mind talking to/helping less popular bloggers and is always the nicest.
Before I go ahead I would like to send Witch skincare PR Holly a massive Thank You, companies with nice PRs are SO under rated these days!!

Please remember this post reflects MY experience with these products and what might have not worked for me, could work MASSIVELY for you.

Witch hazel is a natural ingredient that naturally cleanses, tones and soothes, leaving your skin perfectly balanced, soft and healthy looking.
Witch products are suitable for most skin types, but it’s on oily or combination skin that the power of witch hazel can prove particularly effective.

You can find Witch Skincare in the UK & Ireland in Tesco, Boots and Superdrug and local chemists. It is also to be launched in Australia.
For more information you can check out their web site: www.witchskincare.com

Anti-blemish Skin Clearing Primer, 30ml RRP £6.99

It's a REALLY good primer and it does the job of many other primers that come at higher prices, with the added bonus of preventing blemishes too. Skin tone is evened out and those pesky pores appear smaller and smoother. You only really need a small amount so one bottle will go a LONG way! Stays on all day, your foundation will still look fresh and pristine when you remove as when you first apply it.



Anti-blemish Redness Relief Moisturiser, 30ml RRP £6.99
This is a green based anti-redness product which would have usually seen me run a mile, as they all are too tinted for my skin tone. Yeah they combat the redness, but they also make me look like a ruddy mutant!
This one however didn't, which REALLY positively surprised me, clearly you need to be careful and not use too much, but otherwise the green tint really does disappear upon application. Unlike other anti-redness products, when applied on red areas it doesn't sting or feel overly cooling, but just pleasing, you feel like giving out a sigh or relief...and you do when you check your face and see no pink/red areas.
It's incredibly light and it almost has the texture of a gel, it is that light. Your skin is left soft and smooth.
I will definitely purchase it after this one runs out.
Both thumbs are up for this one!!


Anti-blemish Pressed Powder - Translucent, 10g £4.99
This one will be particularly good for oily or combination skins, it absorbs excess oils and leaves you shine free. I wouldn't personally recommend it if you have dry skin as it will make it slightly more dry and ashy.
It gives a light to medium coverage and goes very well with really pale skin tones as it's not too yellow, orange or pink.

Anti-blemish Tinted moisturiser - Light, Medium Or Dark, 30ml £5.99
I didn't have much hope in this as generally tinted moisturisers are too dark for me, and unfortunately this was one of them. My redhead friend tried it and unfortunately it was too orangey for her as well.

Stay tuned for part 2

my going away beauty bag

The whole flying back and forth to Ireland for about 2 years has taught me to pack light and the essentials.
This was my beauty bag for the 10 days I was away and it's usually not very different to this.

The body shop seaweed mattifying face lotion with SPF 15: my current face cream for the summer. I like it A LOT because it's light and non-greasy, what I need for the warmer months. I also like the smell a lot, when I apply it I close my eyes and the fragrance takes me to a nice exotic beach, the seaweed smell is quite strong.
TRESemme extra hold hairspray: I only use it for my bangs which lately have become very rebel and need extra help to stay in place. Plus I was staying at the beach cabin with almost constant sea breeze, so...
VO5 heat defence taming spray: back home is VERY humid so I need this before straightening my hair, plus it makes it very soft and smell very nice
random alcohol free deodorant(we all use/need it...).
Lacura eye cream for all skin types: current (and future) super cheap(€2) but super amazing eye cream.
Adidas fruity rhythm: love love love this perfume!!!!

The only things missing are my sun creams and after sun that were already at the cabin, I don't need them here in Ireland so I left them there(it saves room in the suitcase too!).
So here goes, essential and light.
What do you pack in your beauty bag when you go away?

S&G Girligo does go...EVERYWHERE!

I had, had my eyes on this for a good few months but at almost €10 and it only being 250ml and a spray(therefore not taking long to finish) I was very reluctant to try it.
But last week during a day trip to Galway I found it amongst the Soap & Glory products at 1/3 off the price (I usually can't find any of the S&G stuff I wanna try here in Dublin when they have promotions on) so I thought it was time I finally gave in.

I REALLY wanted to love it as I think the concept is GENIUS, especially for people like me that cannot be bothered with moisturising every single day, twice a day and wait for the damn thing to dry.

The lotion itself has the S&G trademark lovely smell and I feel when you apply this you really don't need any perfume. Once spraied on you don't need to spread it much and it doesn't take very long to dry. Also I was surprised to feel the day after my skin was softer than when using their butter .
So all is super cool....apart from the stupid bottle: if only the tiniest of drops of product gets on it, then it's totally unholdable, unmanageable and slides everywhere! I think it's shape doesn't help much has it has no grip whatsoever.

I REALLY like it, I LOVE the concept, I love how quick it dries but the bottle is really a big downside...

Ooops I stick it again...

Soltan Moisturising Suncare Spray SPF30 75ml review

I recently found myself in need of some sun care lotion because the weather here is getting better and better, so for the summer and for when we go to my boyfriend's parents' in the countryside and spend a lot of time outside I need some protection. I'm still debating whether as always I should go back to Palmers butter with spf20 for the warmer months, or stick to normal moisturising and then sticking some sun block on.
In the mean time I decided to get me a little bottle of sun protection anyway, and let me tell you....it's sending me straight back to Palmers....at the speed of light!
I've used Soltan products before and for the hot sticky summer days back home in Italy I swear by their aloe vera gel, especially if kept in fridge, which is why I went straight to their section in Boots. plus the travel size bottle appealed to me because it can easily stuck in the bag without weighting it down. And the plus of all pluses: it has a 5 star UVA rating which never hurts, especially with skin like mine.

Well I'm telling you guys this is a big fat FAIL! And I'm SO mad that I'm now stuck with this, at €6.something I can't just throw it out can I?! ....or maybe I will.

Thankfully last week I only had my neck/chest area and my forearms to protect or I REALLY would have risked getting slightly burned as I would have NOT put up with this on more areas.
First of all just because it's a spray it doesn't mean you don't have to spread it, if anything you possibly have to go back and forth more than a normal cream before it dries. In fact, it actually NEVER dries despite claims of being easily absorbed, I felt sticky even after 3 hours when I went to re-apply it. Thank God I wasn't on the beach and not covering myself in this or I DREAD to imagine the feeling.....
It claims to not clog pores which is easily achieved by the fact that it sits on top of skin and not in pores....
Good point: it's water resistant, but so resistant that it took me quite a bit good of scrubbing my hands with tons of hand detergent before I could get MOST of it off my fingers and palms.
It left an awful looking white cast, and if you can notice it on my skin, I dread to imagine what it would look like on anyone with pigmentation.
And don't get me started on the "moisturising" bit of the name: couldn't be any further from moisturising if it tried!
STAY AWAY FROM THIS GUYS!

Roc Calmance Soothing Moisturiser

Redness calming/erasing products is one of the kinds of products I get asked about the most on YouTube, here, Twitter and e-mails.
This is my second attempt at calmin moisturiser, you can read about the first here.

First of what is so cool about this is that it's NOT GREEN!!
This RoC product really does its job of reducing redness, I LOVE IT! However it doesn't do that if you're spending most of your day outdoors, after 10 hours redness will sstart to show. But that's totally ok to me, I can re-apply if necessary.
So the getting rid of redness side gets the thumbs up.
As for the moisturising side of it I am 50/50, only because I have dry skin. Other people with less dry skin say it's totally fine as a moisturiser. Personally I have to add a bit of my face cream to it to get some nice moisturising.
I have been using this for 3 weeks and when I don't use it, the reduction of redness is noticeable, although not greatly.
When I first apply it I definitely feel the soothing sensation, my face feels cool and soothed.
The fragrance is fresh and doesn't bother me, although it is easily covered if you're using perfume, hairspray or foundation.
Unfortunately I can't give you a retail price as I bought mine off Amazon UK for about €10, but I'm pretty sure there's a chemist near you that sells RoC...or do like me and buy it on-line.
This gets the complete thumbs up from me !!!

Let me know if you've tried this before or if you are going to and what do you think.

Lil

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter review

Yes, I confess: never before had I tried Soap & Glory
Why I hear you ask. Easily answered my friends! The main reason is their products are usually a lot more expensive than the correspondant products I normally use, and secondly because of my skin's sensitivity and attitude to break out just because, I'm always very weary of trying new skin care products....especially in a period like now where I've been unemployed for ages and aren't exactly swimming in cash.
Last week I had an appointment which was postponed when I was already there, which gave me about an hour to kill and because I hadn't brought a book with me to go sit in a cafe with a nice cup of something, I decided to just walk around the nearby shopping center. And with it being 10am it was practically deserted, always a plus for someone like me that hates small crowded places.
I decided to wonder in to Boots, not the one I usually go to, and to my surprise, despite being half the size of my usual one, they had a lot more skin care and make up brands!
I wondered around and found a pretty big Soap & Glory section. My "you have to save every penny" gear kicked in straight away....however I was able to try something small and cheap: a 50ml tiny pot of their body butter, for only 3 euros: BARGAIN!
I put it to the extreme test: application after a shower during which I shaved my legs. ANY body milk will burn to death after I've shaved so for that reason I have for months and months now stuck to my Palmers butter.
I have to say though that this little S&G mate didn't burn AT ALL! The fragrance in it didn't cause any eye watering during application nor after. The butter is so fluid it almost feels like a body milk minus the alcohol. It dried very quickly leaving skin soft and nice smelling the whole day.
The next day however skin definitely needed more hydrating, which doesn't happen with Palmers.
Maybe I should try the S&G one for dry skin....hmmmm?

What's your verdict guys? Ever tried this or the one for dry skin?

Lil

Vichy Aqualia Antiox Hydrating cream review

I have to say this cream is a bit of a mystery. Why you might ask. Because it doesn't seem to be featured in any of the international Vichy web sites. They all feature the other 3 products from the line, but not the pot cream.
Hmmm....mystery mystery...
Anyway! At the beginning of january I went home for a couple of weeks and whilst I was there I ran out of face cream. I was using the Aqualia fortifying and soothing 24hr cream before and I had my mind set on trying something else from Vichy as I have trusted them over the years.
So I went to my pharmacy and asked for advice to the great pharmacist who's known me since I was 4 and she recommended this.
As I always do, I would quote what the brand says about the product but as I said it couldn't trace it on the website.
I'll just quote what the box says: it's paraben free(which is always good), SPF 15 UVA, ingredients include Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Pure Citrus Polyphenol™.
So it claims to super hydrate really dry skin(tick) especially of the sensitive kind(tick tick tick), protect the skin from UVA rays(woohoo) and from environmental/pollution agents.
If you thought I was in love with the previous Vichy cream I was using, well....what's more than "in love"? Super duper in love? Whatever it is I'm IT with this cream!
Whilst I was home the temperature never rose over 3 degrees, same here, especially with the 90km/h winds we had last week; under normal circumstances with these conditions, at the end of a day spent out and about, my face would be quite battered, red and kinda burning from the sun/wind/pollution. The other cream kinda targetted this well, but this one REALLY is magic! My skin is nowhere near as red and burning as it's well protected.
The cream goes on a bit thick at first but as you start to massage it into the skin, it melts instantly! It doesn't take ages for it to dry and it really does hydrate your skin all day long!
I have to say I also noticed the wrinkles around my eyes have also improved, although I don't know if that's one of the aims of the cream.
It has a tiny bit of a smell but it's nothing major really.
If you want to try it, and I suggest you do, I would recommend buying it online as you will get it a lot cheaper than in shops(I paid €25 for it in expensive Italy, my guess is it's around the same in rip off Ireland).
Let me know if you have tried it or are going to.

Lil

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Fortifying & Soothing 24Hr Hydrating Cream review

This has been my face cream of choice since july and I couldn't be any happier!
As you know I have the most sensitive(and dry!) of skin so finding the right face cream is REALLY hard.
extremely disappointed with the limited choice Boots gave me regarding face creeams for sensitive skins, I got fed up and decided to go to the chemist's. Turning to a chemist for beauty is something I would often do back home but for some reason I haven't got into that habit yet over here. And I really should because I couldn't have been advised any better!
I went in and I asked for a face cream for VERY sensitive skins, light and possibly with an spf; she focused on Vichy straight away (I had a very bad burnt hands experience a few years ago whilst trecking in the Alps and Vichy was the one to sooth and alleviate pain a bit), so I was quite happy with that.

Vichy says:

"Ingredient Innovation:
Vichy Thermal Water + Activ Hyaluronine™, patent pending, combination of hyaluronic acid and lipidure proven for lasting moisture. Micro-encapsulated and delivered in a "sprinkler-like" system for 24Hr hydration. In a comforting yet refreshing cream that melts into skin. Non-greasy. Non-sticky.

Results:
For up to 24 hours, skin is intensely hydrated with moisture, feels soothed and comfortable, visibly fortified, with increased radiance.

Dermatological Standards:
Allergy tested. Formulated for sensitive skin. Tested on sensitive skin under dermatological control. Paraben-free. Non-comedogenic.."

I say: "HELL YES!!".
My skin DOES feel hydrated all day long, it is VERY light weight and it does dry pretty quickly, you just have to be careful not to apply more than needed or it'll take ages to dry and feel greasy. A very little goes a very long way and one jar will last you for ages!
The soothing effect is VERY good I have to say after a long day outside, be it in the sun or wind exposure.
And hey, it is also paraben free!

Great product!

Lil

TAG: skincare routine

From A Paradox Of Ego & Self Doubt

✿ How many times do you wash your face daily?

Usually twice

✿ What is your current make-up remover?

Speedy Care wipes for the face(and eyes when I'm travelling, AMAZINGLY gentle on my super sensitive eyes) and also The Body Shop Camomile eye make up remover, it's AMAZING on waterproof mascara.

✿ What skin type do you have? (dry, oil, combo)

Dry despite the aount of moisturising and water drinking, and it's also super super sensitive

✿ What is your current facial wash?

Garnie Body Tonic and exfoliating gloves

✿ Do you exfoliate?

Yep, I use exfoliating gloves plus Garnier Body Tonic, or my shower gel mixed with sugar, or often the gloves are enough. Once every 3 or 4 days

✿ Which moisturiser do you use?
For my body I use Palmers butter, for my face I use Vichy Aqualia

✿ Do you use eye cream?

I use Garnier Ultra Lift roll on

✿ Do you, or did you, have acne prone skin?

I used to have very bad acne, often resulting in cists, but it wasn't a skin problem, it was deeper, an hormonal inbalance. It totally cleared when I started taking the pill

I tag EVERYONE!!!!!!
Leave me a comment with the link if you decide to do it.

Lil

Garnier UltraLift with Pro-Retinol Anti-wrinkle firming roll-on

Our friends at Garnier HQ say:

A complete skincare range enriched with naturally derived Pro-Retinol, specially designed to target pronounced wrinkles.

Anti-wrinkle firming roll-on
Our first anti-wrinkle roll-on with Pro-Retinol derived from nature; target wrinkles where they are most visible.
Its precision applicator and formula help target wrinkles where they are most pronounced.
- Crow's feet
- Forehead
- Lip contours
- Leaves skin feeling firmer

I say: "Holy moly, it DOES!!!!".

I pride myself as being someone who has always looked after her skin, especially because I'm aware of how easily my "special" skin can get damaged.
I have always tried my best to protect it from atmospheric agents and the Sun, but no matter how hard I tried, there was something I could have done nothing to prevent: wrinkles!! Around my eyes, on my forehead and nose.
And the reason why I couldn't do anything to prevent them is because they were caused by years and years of almost constant squinting that comes with my condition.
I never really cared much about them to be honest, as they weren't too bad, but the stress from the last year or so has really worsened them and made them deeper. Fortunately they didn't grown in number, "just" in depth.
As you may all be aware I am not exactly swimming in cash and because I always thought cheaper end anti-wrinkle products wouldn't do much, I just didn't bother trying to fix them.
Until recently, when checking out the Boots website for reviews for another product I stumled upon this little baby and its uber brilliant reviews.
Honestly? I was curious... I thought "how could such a cheap anti-wrinkle product get such great reviews?!". So I put my researching cap on, and found an ocean more of extremely positive reviews. It goes without saying I found myself reaching for a little short of €12 in my wallet and buy one the following time I got near a Boots.
Well...let me tell you, I was ASTONISHED!
I was positively surprised because my super sensitive eyes didn't shed a tear nor did even realise I was putting something around them!!! Fantastic!
I also REALLY liked the application: the little metallic ball soothes and cools down the area around your eye SO well! Bye bye cucumber slices.
As for the results, after about ONE hour I could already see a difference in the wrinkles under and beside my right eye(the "worst" one)!
After about a week I could see results in all the areas I was using it and I considered myself satisfied had it not improved any further. Only...it did! It's been now about a month and the situation is as follows:
- under eye wrinkles completely gone under my left eye and almost completely gone under my right one
- crow's feet only slightly visible if I squeeze my eyes really tight(which I never do anyway)
- lines on the forehead are almost gone too, although I think in order for them to be gone completely I should probably stop being so Italian when I talk
- lines on the nose are half as deep but I reckon that's because there's no flesh whatsoever under the layers of skin, it's just bone.

So, if I had to give this little miracle a rate from 1 to 10, I would probably go for... 11 !!!
I shall most definitely purchase again....or maybe not. Seeing as it's doing such a great job, I may not have to look after those lines for a while yet after the little "bottle" is empty.
I would most definitely recommend this to anyone who will care to listen.
Thanks for reading

Ciao for now,

Lil

My first TAG!!!

Aaaawwww I'm SO excited!!! My first EVER TAG!!!
Thank You to the lovely Lisa Marie at http://lisamarie337.blogspot.com for tagging me :-)

Anyone feel free to do this and leave a link in the comments box so I can read it

* What's your Favorite Makeup Look?
I don't have just one. I love a simple mascara, neat liner and highlight as much as I love a bold colourful look or a classy smokey.

* What part of your Body do you Love?
That's very hard to answer... I guess my hair must be the part I like the most. I also really like my fore legs because they are very athletic from all the years of sports I've been doing. I REALLY like my bum as well, it's perky and round without being too big.
Until recently I used to REALLY love my boobs, it used to be my fave part, but then because of stress and anxiety I have lost quite a bit of weight very quickly and unfortunately the chest went south a bit.

* Who is your beauty Icon?
I have to be honest with my skin and natural hair I have always found it hard to find a beauty icon to "copy". Having said that there are a few women I REALLY like admire. First of the amazingly gorgeous Marilyn Monroe, stunning! Then I would go for Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Pamela Anderson and Bridget Marquardt.

* What Beauty Product makes you Feel instantly Good?
I have a few:
Palmers body butter because it leaves my skin super soft and it makes me wanna take a bite out of myself, it smells so nice.
Mascara & brow liner: because they instantly give colour to my otherwise "dead" hued white lashes and brows and even if I don't put on any other make up, I still look very well put together.
Face coloured powder: I rarely use foundation for a variety of reasons, and powder is the subsitute. I love how it instantly hides all the veins around my eyes and on my lids.
Lip balms: I have VERY dry lips and I have the very, VERY bad habit of constantly toying and playing with my lips, Plus I hate the feeling os "stuff" on my lips. Anything other than a balm or a lip gloss would just be a waste of time and money.

* How do you look after your skin?
I guess the answer has to be split in 2 parts: body and face.
Face wise. Until three years ago I used to absolutely DESPISE my face skin. I used to have the most horrible cistic acne that no cream or drug would clear. Then after years of doctors trying to talk me into it but my mother saying no, I finally decided to do some tests: turns out I had the most horrendous hormone inbalance which was causing the horrible acne. Well I was put on the strongest contraceptive pill on the market and ever since I probably get one break out a month. Now I ALWAYS get complimented on how perfect my skin looks and that I really don't need any make up. I scrub my face, like the rest of my body, about twice a week with Garnier Body Tonic Sugar scrub, or with a gentle shower gel mixed with sugar. Sometimes I will even do a concuxion of sugar and olive oil for my face. I have recently started to use scrubbing gloves as well.
I don't use any cream at night because my face needs to "breathe" at night. During the day if I know I'm going to be mostly indoors I use Vichy Aqualia, otherwise a face cream with SPF. I have very recently started using Garnier Ultra Lift anti wrinkles roll on and it's the most amazing product EVER!!!! Fantastic results after ONE day.
As for my body as I said I exfoliate twice a week and then use a body butter, I have been using Palmers with SPF.
When I was 18 I had skin cancer, it was the hardest time of my life and something I would never ever want to deal with again, which is why now I take extremely good care of my skin and try to protect is as much as I can.

* What is your Signature Scent?
Here is the thing. I find most scents SO overly priced it's ridiculous! And there's way too much choice out there. So what I do is I let other people buy me scents as presents. It's a lot easier for me! For the past year or so I have been using JEan Paul Gaultier 2 a lot.
I am addicted to anything that smells of vanilla or caramel/cinnamon. (candles, soaps etc)

* What's your hair care secrets?
I wash my hair once every 4 or 5 days(and no, it doesn't stink nor looks manky) just so not to ruin it. I use a protective product before drying and styling my hair, and I just don't use too many products that may attack/damage it. Shampoo, conditioner, heat protecting spray and then if I'm after a particular style, a bit of hair spray or wax.

* How do you pamper yourself?
I can't really afford to pamper myself much, really. Other than routine skin/hair care, I do my nails myself about once a week.
Sadly, that's all.

* Finally How do you have a Beauty Philosophy??
This question is really open to so many different answers. I think beauty is everywhere around us and each and everyone of us feels it differently.