What's On.. My Bathroom Counter?

Soap & Glory Wash Your Hands Of It Hand Wash - £5.00
The hand wash I use is of course a Soap and Glory one but I have decanted it into this hand wash dispenser to match my bathroom. I love this hand wash because it's non-drying and moisturising and of course, it smells incredible which is always a bonus.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser* - £14.25
My favourite cleanser. It's just perfection. I'm not going to go into too much detail as I've posted about it many times before but it really is the most wonderful cleanser on the market.

Vichy Normaderm Purifying Cleansing Gel - £10.50
Another cleanser that I love. I use this whenever my skin breaks out a little bit but as it's one of my favourites, I also keep it up their with my other 3 favourites.

No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser - £9.00
My daily morning cleanser that although I've had it since its release date and I've used it every day since, never seems to go down so great value for money. It's brightening, mops up oil and smells really fresh and clean.
The Body Shop Facial Brush - £3.00
I don't know why I have this - it's not very good at all. It's scratchy and horrible but I keep it up there because it looks pretty and shabby chic. I wouldn't recommend it though at all - unless you have very dry skin.

Pearl Drops Instant Whitening Toothpolish - £5.10
I don't have perfect teeth and currently, I'm getting them sorted out but anyone who's had them sorted out before knows how lengthy and expensive the process is. So for now, I'm keeping them as white as I possible can. This is a great product. It does make the teeth a little bit sensitive but it makes them look amazing in photos and is a great instant whitening solution.
The Cor Silver Soap* - £35.00
This cleanser is also one that is amazing and I'd say it's up there with the Liz Earle one however, it's very expensive. I don't have much of this left but I use it whenever my skin breaks out badly as it gets rid of bad skin in an instant. It's a miracle worker and a wonder product.

Colgate Max White One Active - £3.99
This is my daily toothpaste and it's another whitening one. Apparently it gets your teeth one shade whiter after just one week but I've only been using this for a few days so I can't really report on it. It does leave them feeling squeaky clean though.

Corsodyl Daily Defence Mouthwash - £4.69
This isn't the nicest mouthwash out there and I do have another in my drawers for when I actually want a nice taste in my mouth. But this really does the job. My gums do bleed quite a bit but since I've started using this they have stopped bleeding which is wonderful.
I do have many different things in my bathroom but this is just what I keep on my mirror counter. What are your bathroom essentials?
xxx
*PR Sample

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Five - My Skincare Routine & Favourites (The Basics)

Hello and welcome to the penultimate post in my 'Helping Blemished Skin' series.' I've really enjoyed writing this post and getting out my tips to you all. I know what a strain blemished skin can be on your life and I know I say this often but if I've helped just one person, I'll be very happy! I decided to do this part in two sections as my skin care routine is pretty big so instead of one big post, I'm going to do two smaller posts. I'm going to start off with 'the basics' which includes cleansers, toners and moisturisers. So enjoy!

No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser I've only recently got this cleanser but so far, I'm really liking it. It creates a really luxurious foam on the skin and melts away make up perfectly leaving skin feeling soft and looking skin free.

Dr Nick Lowe Purifying Foaming Cleanser* Another foaming cleanser which is pretty much the same as the No7 one. I do find that this one is a bit stronger and helps get rid of spots more. It's also better on the pores and closes them after it's been used.

Good Things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser* I keep this cleanser in my shower mainly because it smells beautiful. Whenever I go in the shower I will wash my skin after washing my hair (to remove any impurities left behind) and this one is really refreshing.

Avene Cleanance Gel* For a while I was using Avene's Cleanance range religiously and whilst I still use it, I'm a blogger and I enjoy trying out new products so sticking to one skin care range is hard. But this one is very trusty and I can always rely on it. It really helps with spots and keeps shine at bay.

Cor Silver Soap* If money was no object this would be the only cleanser that I would use. It is just wonderful. It has real silver inside it and will help out any skin problem. When it was New Year, my skin was awful and I hated going outside. But when this came in my letter box, I used it two times and my spots had been reduced significantly and had completely disappeared within 2 days. It's a completely lightsaver. It works really well at getting rid of blemishes and it foams up into a beautiful luxurious foam which is very moisturising and gentle. The only problem is, it's very expensive. Don't get me wrong, it's worth the money. I just don't have the money to keep buying it unfortunately.

 Proactiv Revitalising Toner* You can view my full review of this product here.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 & Anti Blemish I'm a big fan of Clinique's Clarifying Lotion's and I've been through quite a lot of them even though they last a long time. The Anti-Blemish one is great as it really does help with scarring and spots but sometimes, it can be quite drying. So I normally alternate between the Anti-Blemish and 3. Although these aren't described as toners they're used at the same time a toner would be used. The only difference is, these Clarifying Lotions exfoliate the skin so they're very good for scarring.

Liz Earle Instant Skin Boost Tonic* You can view my full review of this product here. (I'd also highly, highly recommend the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish which you can see reviewed in the same review as the Skin Boost Tonic however, I couldn't include it as I don't have the bottle with me at the moment).

Avene Cleanance Lotion* This toner is very refreshing to use and when all of the Avene products are used together, spots literally don't show anymore.

Dr Nick Lowe Sebum Control Cleanser* Another very refreshing toner that helps with enlarged pores and excess oil.

No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream & Day Cream These moisturisers are very moisturising but also help control oil. They sink into the skin lovely and smell beautiful too.

Proactiv Repairing Day Lotion* You can view my full review of this product here.

Avene Triacneal* I use this as a night moisturiser when my skin breaks out. It helps eliminates breakouts and also improve the appearance of scars. After using this for a few months I noticed a massive improvement in the way my scars looked - they're not as red and prominent anymore.

Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care If I need a bit more moisture then this is moisturiser I turn to. It's very hydrating but also light on the skin.

Good Things Miracle Mattifier Lotion* If my skin is looking very oily then I turn to this moisturiser. It controls oil throughout the day and also smells beautiful.

Dr Nick Lowe Oil Control Day Cream* Another great oil controlling moisturiser that sits lovely on the skin and provides a great base for make up.

Garnier Pure A Anti Blemish Moisturiser This used to be my 'go to' moisturiser. It's not very moisturising but great as a base for make up and it really controls breakouts.

Avene Cleanance Emulsion* This moisturiser is very strong so whenever I have an active breakout, I'll use it. It's moisturising, controls oil and sinks into the skin very well.

Proactiv Daily Oil Control* You can see how I use this product here.

These are the most of the products that I have with me a university. I don't stick to just one set skin care routine and like to change products depending on how my skin is looking and feeling. If I have an active breakout, I'll use stronger products. And sometimes, my skin can be very oily and other times very dry - it's almost as if my skin has bi-polar disease! If I could only recommend one one cleanser, one toner and one moisturiser these would be the Cor Silver Soap, the Liz Earle Instant Skin Boost Tonic and No7's Beautiful Skin Day Cream. Although these products aren't solely for blemished skin, they're very good at regulating the skin and balancing it out. But as I've mentioned previously, finding your own skin care routine can take a very long time. So be patient! I'll be posting the second part of my skin care routine very soon.

xxx


* PR Sample

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Two - Getting Into Routine

Here is part one of my Helping Blemished Skin series. In case you've just stumbled across my blog, here is my introduction post so you can find out more about this series.

A skincare routine is essential for healthy looking skin and without one, it's very rare that your skin will be clear. There are three (sometimes two depending on your preferences) essential steps to a skin care routine with a few extra add ons depending on your skins needs. I'd just like to say now that I'm not a dermatologist and I've never been trained in skin care. What I know is from my own experiences and what I say may not necessarily work for your skin as every skin type is different. When I'm explaining some of these steps, it may seem like I'm talking to you like a child but I thought I might as well go right back to the basics! The products featured in the pictures are my favourite products and I'll be going into more detail about each one of them in the my skin care routine post.

Step 1 - Cleansing

Cleansing the skin is so important for everything, not just people with blemished skin. In the morning it refreshes your skin and removes all the dirt that has crept into your pores overnight and at night, it removes your days make up to prevent your pores from clogging up and causing breakouts. The face washes above are my favourite and when it comes down to telling you about my skin care routine, I'll go into more detail about these items. But as you can see, 2 out of the 5 items are foaming cleansers and these are said to be the best for blemished skin. I don't understand why and I believe that any form of face wash can work. The Cor soap is actually a soap and soaps aren't exactly highly recommended for the skin but this soap is a miracle worker and like a normal soap, it doesn't dry the skin out.

Step 2 - Toning

It's arguable whether or not toning is an important step in your skin care routine. I personally do tone and that's mainly because I like the feel of it. It leaves a tingling sensation on your skin and you removes any excess make up or dirt that your cleanser may have missed. Be careful when choosing a toner though as some contain a lot of alcohol that strips the skin and makes your skin a dry mess.

Step 3 - Moisturising

Possibly the most important step in every skin care routine. Moisturising provides an excellent base for make up and balances the skin out. What I've come to notice with blemished skin is that using a moisturiser aimed at blemished skin isn't necessarily that good as they tend to strip the skin of its natural moisture and once again, leave it a dry mess. If you do have blemished skin, I'd say go for a moisturiser aimed at combination skin as this will prevent your skin from shining whilst retaining its moisture. It'll also not block up the pores and therefore won't allow breakouts. Unless of course you have very oily skin then go for a mattifying moisturiser. My favourite moisturisers also includes a No7 night cream; I believe it's important to have a separate night moisturiser as your skin is completely different whilst sleeping.

Step 4 - Exfoliating

I generally exfoliate two times a week and I do this to remove the dead skin cells from my skin. It's important for people with blemished skin to exfoliate in order to unblock the pores and prevent further breakouts. Another reason I exfoliate is because I do have skin scarring which my blemishes have left.. exfoliating regularly will eventually get rid of these. They do tend to go after a few years but there's no harm in speeding up the process is there?!

Step 5 - Face Masks

I absolutely love using face masks! I use them around 2-3 times a week and depending on how my skin feels depends on the type of face mask I'll use. I either use a peel off face mask, a clay mask or a nourishing mask. A peel off ones is one that applies clear, dries and then you peel it off (the clue is in the name). After this, all the impurities have been drawn out of your skin and you're left with refined pores and clear skin. A clay mask is similar except from it's basically clay that you apply to your face, leave to set and then wash off. It helps to close the pores up and it leaves your skin feeling super soft. And finally, I'll use a nourishing mask whenever I have an active breakout and this is because my breakouts are painful most of the time and these help to nurture the breakout.

Step 6 - Speciality Products

By speciality products I mean spot treatments. These are important in your skin care routine but finding one that works for you is definitely a challenge. Spot treatments are wonderful as they're concentrated and really help to clear up active breakouts. You apply them straight to the spot once or twice a day and the spot is generally reduced within 5 hours and gone within 3 days.

What does your skin care routine consist of?

xxx

Today's Mail

Today I made my way back to university for New Years Eve and I got a few things in the post. However, two products particularly caught my interest and attracted me.

Trilogy Face Care Vital Moisturising Cream SPF15

I've just used this on my skin and it is truly beautiful. It's rich but sinks into the skin quickly.. it left me skin feeling gorgeously soft and like a baby's! I can't wait to use this properly!

Cor Silver Soap

I'd  never heard of this before and as soon as I saw it, I googled it. What I've found is that it's a soap for the skin that perfects it and reduces blemishes. My skin is an absolute state at the moment so I'm eager to try this out. Expect a full review soon!

Has anyone tried these products? Particularly the Silver Soap..

xxx