Finding your skin type

A lot of people get fustrated when they cant find the right product for them (make up or skincare) or when something doesnt work for them as it does for someone else.. its all about your skin, obviously application helps too!

Which is why i wamted to write this.

 Something that may seem easy, but actuallly can be very more confusing than one might think. Although i have a beauty qualification, it is still something i found very baffling until i did some more research and took the time to actually care about it! BUT I am no means a expert or specialist.

Many types of skin and soo many types of products but which one is right for you?

Firstly if you are struggling i would suggest going to see someone (more than one actually) at a skincare counter and get their opinion. 

☆ Just because your skin may not feel dry doesn't mean it isnt dehydrated- some people mistake them for the same thing.

  Dry skin may feel rough or only come up in certain patches of flaky/scaly textures, it might look slightly more coarse than normal nd products may stick to patches. Whacking aload of cream on it isnt going to help, it helps if you use a oil or serum and a cream that is oil based to bring moisture back. When it comes to cleansing, i have found foam cleansers tend to dry your skin out more, so i would stick to a cleansing balm or something you know isnt drying.

 Dehydrated skin may mean your skin looks slightly duller and can some times be noticed if you have fine lines on your forhead from not drinking enough and staying, well... hydrated. This means you cant necerssarily use the same product as you would for dry skin, its best to use a serum and a moisturiser that is water based. 

☆ You could have a certain shine to your skin, it could sometimes be released sweat and not necessarily oily skin.

Oily skin is excess oil (excess meaning over producing natural oils) which can cause black heads and spots. Majority of people with oily skin will have open or bigger pores which causes it to clog easier sometimes causing said spots and black heads. Over cleansing your skin will not help this as your skin once its clean, has to restore the natural oils and starts to work harder the more it gets taken away.

Combination skin is probably the hardest to maintain as it requires you to balance your skin. You may sometimes be oily or some days you might have drier skin, like wise you could get an oily T-zone and the rest of your skin is dry. I find what is best is giving it products for dry skin and oily skin, so if you cleanse your skin with something oil free then your moisturiser could be oil based to balance o

ut your skin so you're hitting the right amount for each skin types.

Obviously a lot of people know when it comes to make up oil free products are normally for oily skin so you're not adding to the mass and your makeup wont go south and oil based products tend to be good for drier skin.. putting a oil free primer on oily skin is good because it normally means you've got bigger pores so a primer for oily skin tend to be oil free and mattifying whereas dry skin works better with a tackier textured, oil based primer so your makeup with press into your primer instead of your dry skin.

Again.. combination skin just means you need to combined a variation of products, so a mattifying primer with a dewy foundation or vice versa, if you really wanted to apply certain products to certain parts of your skin to counteract you skin type.

Having the right skin care routine can work wonders but what I will say is :

1. Try to switch your products up every now and then just so your skin doesn't get used to it (because that may cause problems)

2. Sometimes a simple skin routine could be what you need, why feed your skin more than it needs? When it could occasionally benefit from the minority of products on your bathroom shelf.

Again I'd like to say im not a professional, this is just what I have learnt and somethings that I find work.

If you are still intrigued about what your skin is truly like, you can always visit a few skincare counters to get a few different opinions.

Thankyou for reading.

Meg x

Beauty favourites that tested time

Every month there is hundreds of new beauty products that appear on the market and dont get me wrong I LOVE testing a new product in the works BUT that doesn't mean I forget my originals.

Here I am going to be talking about my oldies but goldies because there are still some products that I cant get over that I first fell in love with.

Lets jump in with a first favourite which is a high-street foundation. Rimmel 25 hour foundation is a lovely foundation however i will openly admit it wont last all day if you are up and about all day, other than that it is a lovely thick base with lots of coverage but still lets through a  natural glow, for those who like the best of both worlds.

Obviously I couldn't write this post without including collection lasting perfection because well it was one of the first concealers I bought and I still use it now. Its thick and creamy, that's all i'm going to say about that, because you should already know!

Rimmel long lasting lip liner, firstly they are retractable which are my fave kind of liners and the creamy texture to them are lovely to apply, these are pretty much the only lip liners I buy!

Estee Lauder sumptuous infinite mascara is a high end product I will always re purchase because its rare for me to find a mascara I love! I was shocked to fall in love with this 2/3 years ago when I realised it had a thin, plastic wand (not normally ma thing) damn was I surprised,  any time my eyelashes are looking on point, I'll be wearing this.

Maybelline falsies mascara, I feel like there was no drugstore mascara before this one, it was a fave for everyone and for everyone who didn't think so, you are doing life wrong. Such a basic mascara with a wand from the heavens that made it work! Obviously i like a bristle wand so that's a plus, but it also has great staying power, the non-waterproof formula stays just as good as the waterproof ones.

Malin and Goetz lip balm, one for all you dry lip lasses. I use this still to this day, lip balm is a thing you have about 100 of and apply constantly because you think its working but more than likely its just sitting on your lips, BUT this one I can actually feel it working even after all these years, minutes after having it one my lips they feel renewed. Also no stick which is what we all want. It has a protective layer which stops it from budging off your lips the second something touches it.

I feel like I have gone on a bit and could go on even more for another few paragraphs, I could.... but I wont for your sake.

Any way I hope you enjoyed my post of products that have got me through from the start of my beauty life and will forever (hopefully) be on this list.

What beauty products have been your day ones? Mwah!

Megan
    X

My night time routine

Beauty sleep is one thing we all need a great deal of, whether its to revitalise you for the day ahead or as part of your chilled night in.
I have a few things that I do before I get into a nice snug bed that helps me to wind down and relax to enhance my maximum beauty sleep.

After a long day of doing whatever I've been doing first thing is to run a nice relaxing bath, this is my wind down time with a candle and maybe a glass of wine or a nice hot drink .. time to catch up on some YouTube videos. Of course I use my much loved Soap and Glory scrub and body wash and my trusty Wilkinson Silk razor to feel refreshed an like a women again.

Then its time for my skincare routine. I start out with my Liz Earle cleanse and polish to remove any left over dirt or makeup and follow it up with using a scrub, I like to use Garniers Pure Active 3 in 1 scrub or Clarins Gentle Refiner.
On to the most important face product which is a night cream, I've been loving No7 Protect and Perfect Night cream but some nights I'll pop Clarins Hydra Quench cream face mask on and let that sink in through the night, its good to switch it up a little!

Time to get in some Pjs and hop in to bed with a glass of water and I like to do some light reading before I sleep so I have a scroll through some blog posts and jobs a gooden, BUT there is no point of trying to get a good night sleep if you're tackling a lumpy mattress in your dreams, that's why its important to make sure you have a great up to date mattress that's going to help you sleep not prevent it, like the Leesa Mattress.

Each step is on your way to a better beauty sleep that's why I love having a night time routine that will help me conquer the morning to come.. especially a Monday!

More information about Leesa Mattress here.

Night Night Lovelies

Meg x

Empties // Beauty products

So i thought i would do my first Empties post, so you can see whether i've been loving these products or not. I thought this time i would do it as a video instead of a blog post, so here is my very first You Tube video. Be patient. Here.

Thanks for stopping by.
Meg x

A pamper before the party

Going out, whether that be with the boyfriend, friends or family is great but what i find is the best part of going on a night out is getting ready before hand, if anything it gets me more excited and i love feeling relaxed and refreshed. A few steps i find a must before i go out:

I tend to do my body first before my hair and face so.. First things first (im a realist) i have to jump in the shower, make sure my body is fully exfoliated with Soap and Glory's Flake away and my legs are hairless, after washing my hair i let most of it naturally dry before blow-drying.

I use Garnier ultimate blends body lotion all over my body before tanning or if i want something thicker i use Soap and Glory's righteous butter especially on my elbows, knees, hands and feet where tan tends to stick a bit more. I tend to use Bondi sands Foam Tan but i sometimes substitute it for St Moritz medium foam rubbing in circular motions with a tanning mitt excluding my face.
 After the majority of my body is dry and the tan has set in, i make sure my toenails are painted, even if im not wearing sandals or peep toes it still makes me feel a bit more put together when my tootsies are painted and it saves me doing it another day.

 If needed i'll wax my eyebrows and upper lip before cleansing my face with my Liz Earle cleanse and polish and then finish my cleansing routine which you can see here. I then apply a gradual tan to my face like the dove face and body Dermaspa summer revived mainly because its a tinted lotion so it works alot better on the face.

  My go to hair style when i go out is big curls, i do love big curl and i create this look really simply with my Nicky Clarke heated rollers and i just leave them in until the rest of me is completely ready and they have fully cooled down.
Lastly i'll do my makeup and after I've done everything i'll do my nails, sometimes i'll just paint them or have acrylics depends what i'm feeling.

I love the feeling of getting all made up it really puts me in the mood to go out and just lifts my spirits, a spritz of perfume and im ready to go.

What extra bits do you do before you go out?
Meg x

My travel bag

As I am currently on my way to Plymouth and I am changing trains in London.
I thought I would write a post about some travel bits and bobs.
My bag is very different on a day to day basis than from when I travel.

Travelling around London, although a very lovely thing to do, can be very unhygienic with the amount of people around.

First things first, hand

sanitiser or hand wipes especially if you are catching a tube or bus its a must.

Ear phones and magazines is another essential although being in London is very time consuming there can be a lot of travelling so its a good way to keep yourself occupied.
Snacks.. Whether you are working, shopping or have errands to run it's always best to have something in your bag to munch on in case you are too busy to stop.. We don't want to be getting light headed now do we?

I will definitely recommend for those who are staying the night or for a few... TAKE A SUITCASE! I will tell you now that you will hugely regret not taking something with wheels, getting to and from your hotel or if your accommodation doesn't look after your bag while waiting to check in/out... Your whole body will thank you, I mean you're quite lucky if you are staying with family.

Dry shampoo and minimal makeup bag is a must for me, I always take my normal over sized make up bag but I like to have a smaller one with essentials in just in case I feel gross and need a top up. Saying that I would say face wipes is and essential if you are a makeup wearer for the fact that I know how cakey your face can feel after you've been sat on a train, plane or car for a while.. a face mist would help also to re-hydrate.

I'm pretty sure I've forgot a few little things that you just chuck in your bag and forget about!

Happy travelling! 

Meg x