Nightly Skincare Routine

Over the past few months I have really upped my game with regards to skincare. I gradually added new items to m nightly routine and its paying off! I have some additional products on order that I intend to add to my routine in the very near future, which is exciting. When these items arrive I will do a quick post to showcase them first and then do a full review a few weeks after. I can’t wait to wave goodbye to my pores for good!

The first step in my routine is to completely take my makeup off. I am currently using the Garnier Simply Essentials, Soothing 2 in 1 make-up remover. I have repurchased this a few times as the 200ml bottle seems to last me ages and for around £2, I cannot complain. One or two cotton pads removes all my makeup easily, including all of my eye makeup. I did try and purchase some Bioderma at the weekend when I visited the new Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar in Liverpool, as the new store has a Beauty Mart. Sadly, it was sold out. I have spoken to quite a few other people who tried to purchase Bioderma from the new HN with no luck! After Christmas I will be purchasing a big bottle of Bioderma, probably from Ebay, and adding that to my routine, but until then Garnier is doing the job!

Next, I wash my face with Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea. I got this as part of a little set from Origins that contained miniature sized products from The Perfect World range for around £20. From the set, this is the product I liked the most, and it has also lasted the longest. It leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and I love the scent. It smells so natural and fresh, it makes me want to drink white tea! When this runs out I will be purchasing a full sized cleanser from Origins.

The next step is a biggie, I apply five drops of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex to my face and neck. This is a step in my routine that I have repeated every day since around the end of September. Estee Lauder claims that the women who see the best results from this product use it every single day for a long period of time. I intend to put this claim to the test! The almost ointment like formula sinks into the skin immediately. I am now about halfway through my 30ml bottle, and will be repurchasing.

The moisturiser I have been using to follow my ANR is Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser. I recently purchased this, as I wanted a proper all-rounder of a night cream. Nothing to do with targeting specific problems, just something that was going to moisturise my skin overnight and leave it looking healthy in the morning. This product definitely does this. This moisturiser, along with the rest of my skincare regime, leaves my skin looking more clear and radiant. It definitely doesn’t have the horrible dull grey look that it used to have when I removed my make up. I’m not about to go out bare faced any time soon, but I do feel my skin looks a LOT healthier than it has done. I just hope that it continues to improve over time.

Just a little end note, I have included the Origins Super Spot Remover treatment gel in the photo, as I use this only occasionally when I have a spot coming. This definitely tones down spots. I find that rather than completely removing the spot, it tones it down, reduces redness and after it comes to a head it heals fast. It makes what would be a massive spot, a very toned down spot that you can control and conceal easily and makes what would be a smaller spot, almost disappear.

As the bottle is so small, It is a pricey product for the 10ml you get. One of my friends recently used a 99p Skinology spot remover gel from Wilko’s and said it has completely cleared her skin up! So it may be worth giving that a go before splashing out at Origins!

If anyone wants to post a link to their nightly skincare regime post then please do! I love reading about other people’s routines and about what products are working for them! 

The Ultimate Festive Lip - Estee Lauder Pure Color Vivid Shine, Forbidden Apple

I have never been one to rock a bold lip colour, ever. I have had several attempts, randomly buying any old red lipstick and whacking it on, only to spend the day feeling paranoid that it didn’t look right and constantly checking to see if the colour had smudged halfway across my face. I have tiny lips, so usually felt that a bold lip colour didn’t suit me at all and stuck to experimenting with eye shadow instead.

However, recently I have been trying out some red and purple lip glosses, the hint of colour with a glossy finish has allowed me to get used to wearing a slightly bolder lip- and I’ve loved it!

All of this led up to my purchase of Estee Lauders Vivid Shine lipstick in Forbidden Apple. As soon as I tried it on I loved it, as the name suggests, it’s a high shine finish which means it doesn’t make my lips look too thin. It is a deep dark red with flecks of both gold and silver glitter running through it, meaning it suits most skin tones and looks SO Christmassy!!

This is a long wearing lipstick and I like the fact that due to the glitter, I can actually feel it on my lips, so I have a good idea of when I need to reapply it without having to check in the mirror every fifteen minutes. Also, when it wears off, it does so without flaking or going patchy. The colour just gradually wears away on the lip.

I have been applying it with my Ruby & Millie 6mm lip brush. It's a shame that Ruby & Millie no longer sell brushes, as I have had quite a few of theirs for years and the quality is excellent. However, I do have the Chanel angled lip brush #33 on my Christmas list, as I am sure that an angled lip brush will give me a more accurate application. 

All in all, I love this lipstick! I can’t wait to wear it all over the festive season and I will be cracking it out at every opportunity. I now have my eye on ‘Violet Electra’ from the Vivid Shine collection, which has the same high shine glittery effect, but in a deep violet shade. Hopefully I will feel brave enough in a couple of weeks and I can treat myself to it.

Sadly, I could not find this shade online, but if you pop to a counter like I did, they are likely to have some in stock. You can find Violet Electra and the other shades from the Vivid Shine collection here.

My first blog post....

Here is my first post! It has been a long time coming, for at least 18 months now I have been an avid reader of countless different beauty blogs! I have picked up some amazing tips from bloggers and discovered new products that I had previously never considered, and now use religiously! For this, I am grateful and I want to start a blog to similarly, share my experiences with other beauty-obsessed people.

I have been a lover of make-up for as long as I can remember, but over the last few years this obsession has grown to include skincare, nail art and hair products. So expect to see plenty of posts about all of these within my blog!

Some background about me; I am “twenty-something”, originally from the Wirral but I have lived in Manchester for the past five years- and I love it here! I am a final year fashion student who works in the beauty industry part-time. When I graduate, I am planning to do a MUA course, so any recommendations from other bloggers about courses they have done would be amazing. I would love to hear about other people’s experiences to help me with my decision on where to train!