I find that I don't need to cleanse my face with a heavy hot cloth cleanser in the morning; I'm not taking off a layer of makeup and grime which has built up over the whole day, I'm simply wiping away any oil and sweat (nice!) which has graced my face during the night. As you'll know I'm a bit obsessed with the Bee Good brand at the moment so it should come as no surprise that my current morning cleanse comes in the form of their cleansing water.
Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint Cleansing Water £10.00*
With ingredients like honey and mint, I find this so cool and refreshing; perfect for waking my face up in a morning. It leaves my skin feeling clean, ready to moisturise and apply makeup onto... as with most cleansing waters you just simply soak a cotton pad and then sweep across your face, no need to rinse afterwards. I have been using this also as a night cleanse for the past couple of days while I was waiting for a fresh supply of Bee Good Cream Cleanser but I have to admit that for me it wasn't really enough for a night cleanse. Although I think it would be fine if you didn't wear much makeup I do prefer the cream cleanser for my night routine as I tend to wear more makeup and my face can get quite oily.
Might seem extreme to some people buying the same pair of sandals in 3 different colours but I couldn't resist with these wide fit sandals from New Look. I go through a lot of shoes, I'm on my feet all day so they seem to wear pretty easily and I have wide feet so regular shoes sometimes aren't very comfy but this particular design are perfect; they're comfy, stylish and affordable... I'm so tempted to buy them in the coral colour aswell. I got all three of these pairs for a total of £23.97 which I think is an absolute steal for such a nice pair of sandals!
Wide Fit Sandals £7.99 New Look
If you've read my blog for a while then you'll know that I've been battling with acne for a number of years, only now does it seem to have given me a bit of a break. I still get the odd one or two but they're far more manageable than they ever have been. I have always asked myself why on earth I still have spots when I'm twenty-odd, and after much research I have come up with a few reasons as to why you might still have spots later in life... I'm no skincare expert but trust me I'm an expert at having spots.
if you've been reading for a while, you'll know that the above picture is very good compared to what my skin used to be.
Hormones:- this is the obvious one, if your spots are around your chin area and it's almost 'that time of the month' then you can probably attribute those to hormones. This is one of the reasons why I still get some spots.
Diet:- I noticed a massive difference in my skin when I started Slimming World; as soon as I started reducing my intake of high fat, high sugar foods my skin became far more manageable and the spots started to subside. The saying 'you are what you eat' definitely applies to me, if I suddenly eat too much sugar or fat my skin rebels and a few spots will appear. There might be certain triggers with your own skin; I've heard dairy can affect some people's skin so it is a case of experimenting and eliminating foods if you think it could be your diet.
Lifestyle:- stress and tiredness can make your skin rebel, if you feel like you're getting too stressed or you feel like you're not getting enough sleep try your best to get a day off or at least get a couple of hours to yourself where you can destress and have some me time! Also smoking & heavy drinking won't do your skin any favours; I'm not going to preach about it but if you smoke then don't be surprised if you have spots... like I said, your skin reflects the toxins which you put in your body!
Products:- Another fairly obvious one I would have thought; I make sure I'm really careful of what new products I use on my skin. If you spend time looking at different ingredients it may be possible to work out if there's a particular ingredient triggering breakouts. I generally find that thick creams clog my pores and I now make sure I avoid products which are alcohol based because they can strip the skin too much which makes it over produce oil which can also block your pores and lead to breakouts.
Pillowcases:- These are a breeding ground for bacteria and I would guess that lots of people don't change them anywhere near as much as they should do. I personally change my pillowcase every 3-4 days and I find it really helps my spot situation. If you find that you have more spots on one side of your face then your pillowcase might be the culprit! Also make sure you change your actual pillow when it needs it, as disgusting as it sounds, sweat and other things will penetrate into the pillow itself over time so it's a good idea to clean them or change them fairly regularly.
I do like to keep my handbag contents to a minimum but there are some things that I always carry around with me...
Superdrug Nail Shaper - If my nails look a little uneven it's because I have a nasty habit of biting them, so to stop myself being tempted to nibble I always have a nail file to hand!
Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm* - The first thing you need to know about this is that it tastes like ice cream. The second thing is that the formula glides onto your lips effortlessly without leaving a sticky residue; it leaves a nice sheen to your lips which I think is perfect for when your lips are feeling dry and you don't have the time or inclination to apply a colour.
Crabtree & Evelyn Caribbean Island Wild Flowers hand therapy* - I seem to go through numerous hand creams which never really get appreciated on here but this one had to have a mention. It smells amazing and leaves my hands feeling powdery soft; there's not of that sticky or slippery feeling for ages after application, it absorbs quickly and makes my hands feel lovely. I love the tube style too!
Bath & Body Works 'Cashmere Glow' fine fragrance mist - I couldn't go to the states and not go in a Bath & Body Works; it was my first experience so I spent a considerable amount of time choosing what I wanted. I got three of these fragrance mists and this is the first one I've cracked open since I got home; the bottle is big and it does take up a bit of room in my bag but I love it so much I can't resist not carrying it round with me. If you're off to the States you definitely need to take a trip to Bath & Body works, Cashmere Glow is a peachy vanilla kind of scent but they honestly have a massive choice of different fragrances you're totally spoilt for choice.
