Hangover Heroes

As seen from my previous post it was my 23rd birthday recently. I went out with a few friends to celebrate last weekend and I must say that heavy drinking is just not for me anymore. I don't seem to have a middle ground in between being slightly tipsy and full blown drunk and always end up feeling terrible the next morning, with a hangover that seems to last the whole day. An arsenal of super effective skincare on these occasions not only makes me feel better but also look a lot better too.

I am pretty good at taking off my make up before bed even when I'm totally sloshed and my skin always looks so much better in the morning if I remember to apply Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Serum (which I didn't this time doh!) It honestly makes you look like you've had a good nights sleep and helps battle the dullness, dehydration and blemishes that all arise from a late one.

The first thing I do in the morning is wash my face and apply a good clay mask, my favourite at the moment being Una Brennan's Pore Purifying Clay Mask, to mop up the oilyness in my skin due to dehydration and clear the pores from the extra layers of make up. It makes me feel a lot more awake and clean once I've properly cleansed with a good clay mask and makes my pores less obvious and my skin looking refreshed, balanced and more even.

I tend to not wear make up the next day so will put on a layer of Origins Drink Up Intensive mask which is so hydrating and soothing. If I do have to be somewhere and need to put on minimal makeup then I will normally reach for Una Brennan's Rose Radiance Day Cream which is deeply hydrating while giving a very nice glow and radiance to the skin. This stuff really works and looks lovely by itself or underneath make up. I've also been trialing Hydraluron from Indeed Labs which is a thin serum that sinks in very easily before your moisturiser and helps to lock in hydration as pure hyaluronic acid holds up to 1000 times it's own weight in water.

To soothe sore and achey eyes, I have been reliant on the Eye Refresher Roll On from Tropic Skincare. The roller ball is ridiculously cooling and soothing and also helps to depuff the eye area while nourishing with a thin formula.

Lastly I pile on the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, an old firm favourite that is more of a lip mask than a balm. It's super thick so protects your lips as well as hydrating them deep down.

What are your hangover heroes? xxx

Review: Una Brennan | Vitamin C+ Brighten Dark Circles Eye Cream |

£12.99 - 15ml - Available at Boots

Una Brennan products are one of the unsung heroes of the high street to me. I've seen a few products featured from time to time on other blogs but they have been few and far between. Una has a range for nearly every skin problem with products ranging from face masks to cleansing oils and they are a really good price for how effective they are.

This little tube of eye cream has lasted me absolutely ages considering it is only 15ml. I used to use it morning and night but over the last few months I've been using it as my day cream, letting Estee Lauder's ANR eye do the job for the evening. The packaging is clean and pretty with an easy to use tapered dispenser. I have had trouble in the past with concealer looking cakey and creasing a lot under my eyes, which is why I started to use eye cream. This particular product is hydrating without being heavy or greasy, meaning it sinks in fairly quickly and therefore make up sits really nicely on top. 

Dark circles are one of the big things that makes me insecure about my make up free face. I've tried literally everything from drinking more water to making sure I get enough sleep but nothing really seems to help. The combination of Vitamin C and caffeine is meant to reduce the appearance of dark circles and lines. That is why I was drawn to this product so much, however in terms of brightening up dark eye circles I haven't really seen a difference in the short or long term unfortunately. The formula does not have any light reflecting particles so it is not meant to be an instant fix but over time there hasn't been a dramatic improvement either. I don't have many fine lines but a few creases under my eyes have been smoothed out.

In terms of a budget eye cream this one is really light, hydrating and great for the day time but if you are looking for something heavy duty to battle dark circles then I'm afraid this falls short.

I would still repurchase this product however for its other benefits and there are quite a few things from Una Brennan's range that I would still love to try such as the cleansing oil and the Neroli eye cream. 

Have you tried anything from Una Brennan? What is your favourite eye cream? xxx

Take 3: Pond's Institute Skincare

Pond's Institute is an iconic brand made famous for their simple and affordable beauty products, so it was really exciting to receive a few of their products at the recent event they hosted. My skincare routine has been Pond's-centric for the last few weeks using the three products we got, which included the Cold Cream Cleanser, Green Tea Moisturiser and Eye Contour Cream. Below are my thoughts on each product, in the order I use them in.

Cold Cream Cleanser* // £4.07 //

The cult classic which many of you will recognise from your mum or grandma's dressing table, I've been using it in the pm to cleanse my face. It is a multi-tasker and can be used as a hand cream and hydrating face mask as well as a general cleanser. The consistency is a thick white cream featuring a delicate rose scent which is cooling when massaged in and I normally leave it on for a minute or so to hydrate my skin. I find it effective at taking off face make up but not so great with eye make up. It is recommended to remove the formula with cotton pads but I find it needs a warm muslin cloth or flannel to remove the product properly or you are left with a film on your face which I didn't like too much (I think that is down to the high mineral oil content). My skin is left feeling really smooth but I did find the texture to be a little heavy for my oily/combo skin so I would recommend it for normal to dry skin, although it didn't break me out at all. 

Eye Contour Cream* // £7.99 //

Fragrance free, this light weight cream is delicate enough for the sensitive skin underneath your eyes and great to use both at night and day underneath your make up. The targeted nozzle and squeezy tube makes it easy to control how much product you want to use. The formula is enriched with vitamins A, E and B5 which is meant to improve skin structure and hydration. I found that I could feel my eye contour tighten and firm once the cream was dry which I really liked but I didn't feel as though it gave me loads of hydration. It is also meant to be reduce puffiness although that is something I luckily don't suffer with so can't really comment on.

Natural Beauty Moisturiser* // £5.10 //

This was my favourite of the bunch and a new launch. A slightly pink tinged and fresh scented cream that features green tea antioxidants to nourish the skin, this moisturiser had a light weight formula which sunk in easily. I've been using it morning and night and I like that it provides the moisture I need without feeling heavy and makes a great base for under make up as well as the right amount of nourishment at night. For people with my skin type I would highly recommend this affordable cream as it lasts ages, is cost effective and is an all round great product.

Out of the three products I tried the moisturiser was most definitely my favourite, but there are also other creams being launched which target different areas of concern including mature skin, dry skin, anti-wrinkle and normal-dry skin. Pond's Institute prove that luxury can be done on a budget so I suggest having a perusal at their range next time you are in Boots and giving something new from their range a go.

Have you tried any products from Pond's Institute before? xxx

My Current Skincare Regime

At the moment I'm trailing some new products to mix in with old staples, trying to find the best routine for me. My skin has been a bit up and down recently - blemish prone, scaring and oily some days and really dehydrated the next, it doesn't really know what its supposed to be doing. I'm putting it down to stress and the weather, but while I'm trying to figure it out I've been switching up my skincare to remedy the problems and also try to make my diet more healthy (essays are healthy eating's worst enemy!)

My morning routine is pretty simple. I start by washing my face with Simple's moisturising face wash, which I've had for a while and am trying to use up, followed by Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner that I got for Christmas. It smells lovely but doesn't match up to my favourite Boot's Botanics and I don't think its done much to balance out my skin so far. A full review will be up soon though once I've trailed it a bit further. Then a nice layer of much hyped up La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo to tackle the blemishes is applied as a day serum/moisturiser, followed by a little Neal's Yard Frankincense Hydrating Cream if my skin is feeling really dehydrated. Finally a blob of Clarin's Eye Contour Gel for dark circles and prep the area for make up applied with my ring finger.

The evenings are a bit more complicated but my favourite time for skincare. The majority of my make up is removed with a micellar water and cotton pads, at the moment I'm using one by La Roche Posay. Then the Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser which came with the matching toner is used to thoroughly cleanse all traces of make up and dirt in conjunction with my new No 7 Cleansing Brush, my first foray into facial brushes. There will be a full review of this at a later date but at the moment my impressions of it are good. After using the aforementioned toner, I mix a few drops of Clarins Lotus Oil in with the Neal's Yard moisturiser for extra hydration. I am in love with this oil and cannot wait to give it a full review! Finally, any blemishes are zapped with Origins Super Spot Remover.

What are your skincare staples? xxx

Review: Boots Vitamin E Eye Cream

Vitamin E eye cream //15 ml // £2.54

After finishing up Clinique's All About Eyes ages ago, I never got round to purchasing another eye cream. That was until a few weeks ago when my skin became really dehydrated due to the colder weather and I went on a mission to find some products to solve this (see that post here). In particular, my under eye area was very dehydrated leaving my concealer looking cakey and dry.

I don't really know much when it comes down to eye creams so I wanted to start on a low budget to ease myself into them. All I knew was it needed to be hydrated and if it combated dark circles that would be a plus. I spotted this in Boots and as it was super cheap, enriched with vitamin e and claimed to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness within 4 weeks I snapped it up.

Over 4 weeks later after using this morning and night, I've come to the conclusion its nice but that's about it. Nothing amazingly good or terribly bad, but to be honest for such a good price I didn't expect miracles anyway. I like the packaging as it is a squeezy tube with a thin funnel which allows ease of use and ensures you don't get too much product at a time. I also like that it has an SPF15 in the formula for the day time and I can vouch for it's claims to moisturise as it has definitely helped with the cakey problem. In terms of the dark circles however, I havn't seen any difference to be honest. I would have at least expected a little bit of change but I suppose you can't have everything (at least not for this price). I luckily don't suffer from puffiness around my eyes so can't really comment on that but it has been gentle enough to not aggravate them. The quality for money is great as you get a lot of product and it is also the perfect size for travel.

All in all, this is a standard eye cream for a very good price. If you are looking for something simple without anything too specific to combat this is a great option. I definitley don't regret buying it as it has helped to moisturise that area but in future I'm looking to purchase Benefit's It's potent! or the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair for eyes (I professed my love for the serum here) for more specific issues.

Have you tried any products from this range? What eye creams do you like best? xxx

Delights for Dehydrated Skin

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair // Origins Drink Up Intensive // Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish // Boots Vitamin E eye cream // Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief // Neal's Yard Frankincense Hydrating Cream

A few weeks back, I noticed that no matter how I applied my make up I always ended up looking cakey. Even the most moisturising of my bases were no longer dewy and just weren't sitting right on my skin. I realised that together with being ill, the colder weather and central heating, my skin had become dehydrated. As I have a relatively oily t-zone I would usually shy away from hydrating products, but I have learnt that there is a difference between dry and dehydrated skin. Combating the problem of dehydration can also help to balance out oilyness which is a plus point for me! I had a few products already in my arsenal but picked up a couple more to get me through the colder seasons.

For cleansing, Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish is a great natural choice for all skin types to take off make up and cleanse skin with a creamy formula including cocoa butter to nourish skin. The two part system keeps skin soft and radiant - this is my second bottle and will definitely always have a spare in my stocks. Advanced Night Repair is my serum of choice as it delivers hydration yet sinks in quickly and easily. It has quickly become a holy grail product for me and I alternate it every other night.

Over the top of my serum is a new purchase. My first product from Neals Yard (after hearing Hannah rave about them!) is the Frankincense Hydrating Cream, which I use as my night cream. It is rich and takes a little while to sink but a little goes a long way and I've been impressed so far. For a lighter alternative or as a day cream, I've been using a little pot of Clinique's Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief which I was previously using over the Summer. As it is a gel like consistency it is light yet hydrating and leaves skin smooth and primed for make up.

For an intense boost once a week or so I bought Origins Drink Up Intensive mask - I tried the original formula before and enjoyed it but thought this one would really suit me for winter. It smells amazing and again a little goes a long way. Finally, for my eyes is another new purchase, however this one is more purse friendly! Boots Vitamin E eye cream is my first eye cream in ages and I have been using this morning and night to help my concealer sit better under my eyes. Not the most amazing of creams but definitely not the worst.

That's my round up of what I've been using to treat my skin recently, what products would you suggest for this time of year? xxx