New Skincare Saviours + Make-up Storage Update!

My last post (which was a little while ago, oops sorry about that!) was my evening skincare routine and one of the reasons that I decided to do that post was because my skin was getting me down (i.e. stubbornly spotty!)and I wanted to evaluate my routine to see what I could change to help it. I also had recently gone to a Clinique skin consultation and was told my skin type (dry combination) and that my skin was quite dehydrated. This came to quite a shock to me because I always thought that I was more on the oily side of combination because of my frequent breakouts. I had always looked for products that were oil balancing and spot preventing which is probably why my skin got to be so de-hydrated. So, I came across some AMAZING products that have done my skin wonders!!! Some I stumbled across by accident and some I researched on YouTube and other blogs!

Here they are...

Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Face Mask



Oh my goodness, this is so good! I had been looking for a clay mask for absolutely ages. I knew that they were good at clarifying, purifying and drawing out impurities. When I saw that 'Good Things' new Manuka Honey range had one, I just had to have it. I love the 'Good Things' range (See my brand review post!) and I was super excited to try something new from them.

First of all it smells really good; it is not sickly but a subtly sweet and relaxing. It is really lovely and cooling and pleasantly tingles for a few seconds after you apply it. I am absolutely addicted to this stuff, I can't really describe it but I really think that it helped clear up my skin and make it look healthier. It is also an excellent price and doesn't have any horrid ingredients. (Click here to buy!)

 

Here, I have just applied the mask
 

Here, I have left the mask on for about 10 minutes and cannot move my face!

 

And here, my skin is all clean and re-vitalised and radiant! Yay!



It also claims to 'boost hydration' which just put the cherry on the cake! I also pretend that it is Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask because of the orange packaging and the vaguely similar name which satisfies me greatly (he he!). I knew however, that mud masks weren't known for their hydration helping properties so I started to use my beloved Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm (Click here to buy!) more often. But knowing how expensive it is, I decided to keep a look out on the web for an alternative. I did not feel that the hot cloth cleansers that I tested in my previous posts would do the job in terms of hydration and therefore I researched cleansing oils. I found recommendations for the 'Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil' from The Body Shop (Click here to buy!)

I went straight out to get a sample. As a side note, the people at The Body Shop are really lovely and are happy to give you a sample of anything that you would like to try before buying the full version. So, I tried the sample and absolutely loved it and had to go and buy the full size. It removed every little scrap of make-up (including eye make-up) as well as deeply nourishing and hydrating my skin. I spend a couple of minutes massaging it into my skin and then use a hot muslin cloth to take it off. I am completely converted and I really feel that my skin has more moisture and is conditioned. It is £10, which put me off slightly because I thought that it would run out quite quickly. But you only need one pump for the whole face. I do feel that it is quite rich and luxurious and therefore I don't feel that I need to use it every night. That brings me on to my final skincare saviour product...!

A new Neal's Yard shop has recently opened in my local town and the interior is a thing of beauty. I was gutted to find out that I had missed the opening day and more importantly the free samples that they gave out. So, I went in one day after work to pine over the Rose Beauty Balm that everyone is going crazy for on the internet. But its £37 for a 50g tub and I wasn't brave enough to buy it. I had been wanting to try coconut oil for while as I had heard about all the amazing beauty benefits it gives. I remembered Caroline Hirons (Click here to view the post!) writing a post about coconut cleansing and mentioning this Organic Virgin Coconut Oil in particular (Click here to buy!). Its £9 for a 300g jar and a little goes a long way! I use it just like my Emma Hardie as a cleansing balm and you just scoop out a lump and rub it in between your fingers and it melts into an oil. It smells divine (if you like coconut that is!) and I use it on alternate nights when I'm not using the Body Shop oil. It is uber nourishing and makes your skin feel so smooth and thirst quenched! I have also had an eye infection for a few weeks and my eye has been really sore. Because this product is 100% natural, its ok to use over the eyes and I found that it was really healing and soothing on my sore eyes. There are many other uses that I am yet to discover but I am really enjoying using it as a cleanser and even leaving it on over night as a mask to give my skin a surge of moisture.
I am currently testing some hydrating moisturisers/serums to help dehydrated skin and will report back with my favourites!

 

I also just wanted to mention a small update to my make-up storage (Click here to view 'My Make-up Storage' post!). I found this cute little orange cinnamon ceramic pot at a charity shop. Orange is my favourite colour and cinnamon is my favourite spice and smell so I just had to buy it. I don't currently have a use for it but I am thinking that I am going to put hair clips and/or bands in it as I am always loosing them! I found this spring onions ceramic pot at a car boot sale to go with my celery one. It is a little bit smaller so I thought that it would be perfect for my smaller make-up brushes!

Thank you so much for reading! I will try to make my posts more regular but I start my AS level exams next week (ahh!)