All Used Up...

I was inspired when Fee at MakeupSavvy did an all used up post some months ago and vowed to start collecting my empties and do the same. It's taken a little while and unsurprisingly there are more skincare items than cosmetics (I don't like to use anything up) but here's e everything I've recently used up..

The question is.. would I buy it again?

Soap & Glory 'Some Like It Hot' Thermal body scrub

I love thermal products! It seems a little bit magical, doesn't it? Well it does to me and the instant warm sensation of this scrub had me hooked.. at first. Unfortunately the heat barely lasts 10 seconds and after that it's just your average body scrub and I wouldn't pay £8 for an average body scrub. I did discover toward the end of the tube a lot of grey liquid which got extremely hot on contact with my skin so I believe that it was all stuck in the top on the tube, unfortunate because if it had all been like that I would have really liked this product!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

This s a firm blogger favourite but it took me a long time to pick it up and even longer to actually use it. I tried it a couple of times and it was ok but nothing revolutionary so back in the cupboard it went and n to the next cleanser I was. I revisited Liz Earle in November and began using it on a daily basis, the key to this stuff is regular use! My skin had never been smoother/clearer and I have since repurchased this! I do begrudge paying £23 for 200ml but I will continue to until i find a replacement.

Mama Mio Boob Tube

I loved this, I really did! I used it when i was pregnant and I'm not sure if it made a different to the firmness of my bust as I lost my baby weight but the condition of my skin improved after only a couple of days. Unfortunately this is one pricey lotion at £29.50 for 100ml and that is just out of my budget for essentially a body lotion! If ever I have the spare cash or it is gifted to me I will be very happy to be reunited but for now.. It's just not worth it.

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

Regular readers will know my feelings on this wonder-stuff and needn't continue reading this section but would I repurchase? Yes, Yes A thousand times YES! I use it as a moisturiser, I use it as a treatment for blemishes and for £2.99 you can't afford not to try it! You won't be disappointed.

Garnier Cleansing Wipes

Just rubbish. There's not a lot to say about cleansing wipes, they either work or they don't and these my friends.. do not! They are too dry to wipe ANYTHING and I would absolutely not recommend them! They are only £2.99 but it was £2.99 I wish I hadn't spent.

Herbal Essences Smooth & Soft Mask

I tried this and the tousle me softly at the same time and both really impressed me! As drugstore haircare goes Herbal Essences really know their stuff! I would buy this again if I wasn't so in love with my Aussie and Macadamia stuff but never say never and I would recommend them to any of you considering a drugstore mask. My only advice would be to shop around.. you can usually find these on offer somewhere, currently that place is Superdrug where they're half price at £1.95

Garnier BB Miracle Skin Perfector

This was £9.99 when it launched but I haven't seen it anywhere for more than £7.50 for months. I would repurchase it full price though again and again. It's supposed to be a 'BB' cream but not knowing exactly what to expect from a BB cream i would describe it as the best tinted moisturiser I ever tried! It diffuses imperfections and evens out skin tone while giving the illusion of a makeup free face.

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer 

This stuff is really good. It's dubbed as an industrial Strength Concealer and I've always had one in my makeup bag since I discovered Benefit about 8 years ago. It hasn't always been my go-to but it's been nice to know it's there if I need it. I would have said I would repurchase had it not been for a very recent acquisition. Soap & Glory's Kick-Ass concealer knocks this out of the park at it's just £10 as opposed to £16.50. Sorry Benefit, you've been beat!

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

This was my pressed powder for 2 years! I have lost count of how many I've bought over that time but given that it's only £3.99 I didn't mind repurchasing. It didn't do anything life changing but it was a good value pressed powder that held my makeup and kept me relatively matte for a good portion of the day. As I said I have repurchased in the past and wouldn't rule it out for the future but I just replaced it with 17s Shine Control version for the same price and am preferring that right now.

Maybelline One By One Mascara

This was my favourite mascara for most of last year. It was the first mascara that seemed to really work with my stubby lashes and do something a bit special with them. It really opened my eyes (literally) and I would definitely repurchase. My last mascara buy was the Volume Million lashes from Loreal which I also really like but I will purchase the one by one next to see which is really my favourite.

What are the products you repurchase time and time again?

Miss BB

The Secret To Super Clear Skin?

In the late stages of my pregnancy I wasn't sleeping so well, I spent hours watching YouTube videos on the widest variety of topics imaginable but one I randomly stumbled upon I actually found really useful. I love Ruth at AModelRecommends.com but I'd never watched her videos before. I trust her advice when it comes to product recommendations as she's tried so many different brands and seems to really know her stuff. I will link said video at the bottom of the page, it's really insightful but as she says she has combination skin and is 30.. not everyone's skin will react the same way to the products she uses. I am not 30 but I'm not teenager and children definitely take their toll so I think what she recommended will work for me.

I have recently started using my Liz Earle cleanse and polish again after writing it off as too much hard work and not really seeing a marked improvement in my skin. I have used it for about 3 weeks and in that time the closest I've come to a breakout is a little, rash-like patch of blemish "threats" on my chin which never developed in to anything. I have always suffered with hormonal breakouts and they are usually around my chin so if this cleanser can prevent those it is absolutely a winner in my book. Of course the true test will come now that I am no longer pregnant and benefiting from all of those lovely hormones that give you glossy hair and great skin... will it continue to work so well? I am ready to persevere.

Anyway... Ruth mentioned Liz Earl as one of her favourite deep cleansers, suggesting you leave it to soak for several mites before buffing it away with a muslin cloth or Clarisonic (I wish). She attributes her clear, healthy looking skin to this daily deep cleanse and one more thing...

Overnight Exfoliants.

I'll admit I am a total skincare novice. Just as I think I have it sussed I hear something like "overnight exfoliants" and realise I am still so far from well educated in that field. There were a few bits and pieces she mentioned that I was already aware of, one of which was that if you totally strip your skin of oil it will then over-produce more to compensate.. leaving you with a much higher chance of break outs. It took me a really long time to realise how important it was to replenish the moisture in your skin even if you are oily. I am so used to my night-time moisturiser that the thought of using anything that leaves my skin feeling tight or dry is definitely out of my comfort zone but if a model recommends, what can we mere normals do but follow, right?

The main point Ruth was trying to get across in the second half of her video was about cell renewal. As we get older this slows down and leaves our skin looking dull. Since she's used exfoliants she has found it appears brighter and her other products are allowed to penetrate her skin more deeply and therefor work more effectively. The exfoliants she talked about were all Glycolic acid based. Now as i said.. I'm no expert (which is why I am linking her video) but I've seen a lot of products on the market recently trading off this ingredient so I was already semi-aware of the benefits. Lot's of bloggers have reviewed the Sanctuary's peel off mask (part of a 30 day skin renewal system) which I've been dying to try and after Ruth's video I am absolutely convinced it's what's missing from my routine.

I am probably going to start off with that as it is a mask and allows me to still wear a regular moisturiser to bed but if I see any results whatsoever I am almost certainly going to have to try Ruth's "Hero Product", Liquid Gold. She had already raved about it on her website and for those wanting her full review as well as great places to buy you can find that here.

I understand I'm not giving you any new information here, it's a lot of regurgitated recommendations really but for those of you that don't follow amodelrecommends.com I couldn't let you miss out on her fantastic advice, you really must get over there for yourselves! I also wanted to let you know this is the new skincare I will be following over the coming weeks/months (we'll see how it goes) so if you see a great improvement in my skin you'll know why. I will of course review the routine once I have first hand experience but for now.. here's what I'll be using...

As it is I use my Liz Earle and alternate my Clean and Clear moisturiser with Soap and Glory's Wish Upon A Jar so the only changes I'm making are introducing a facial brush (I don't feel the muslin cloth really leaves my skin as smooth as it could be) and the Glycolic peel. I am very interested to try the liquid gold but I'll start with the Sanctuary mask and see how I go. 

*for stockists click on the photos to be taken to the website*

Here's Ruths video as promised...

Have any of you tried Glycolic Acid on your skin?

Miss BB

My Daily Skincare

Hey There! I have recently become a little bit skincare obsessed. 

I've never been into cleanse, tone and moisturise and that lark, mainly because my skin has been acne prone and so any treatment I gave it was targeted to those needs. I've come to realise lately that I am not getting any younger and eventually (hopefully) my problem skin will improve but I may find that the lack of care I've taken   catches up with me. So... I've taken steps..

It was 3 for 2 in superdrug on L'Oreal so I figured there was no better time to try their skincare range.

There are lots to choose from but I plumped for the Triple Active.. I may move on to the Youth Code if I get on with this as I've heard very positive things.

So thats my 3 step..

But I needed an eyecream, right?

I picked this Bliss one up in Debenhams better than half price! It was reduced from £24 to £7! Bargain! 

I can't tell you if it's doing anything yet but it can't hurt!

Now I am still true to my old faithful Clean and Clear moisturiser for night time... it works wonders on blemishes while keeping your skin soft.  

And I am totally loving this new Garnier Body 7 day moisturiser.. it's totally amazing and smells devine.. again this is on offer in superdrug right now! 

So that's my current skincare regime..

I'm liking it so far but am always on the look out for new things..

what are your fave skincare buys? 

XOXO