Get Unready With Me

As much as I love getting glam, I'm a comfort girl at heart. For me one of the best feelings in the world is taking your lashes off, taking your shoes off and relaxing. 

On a typical weekday if I've been at college I usually get home between 4pm and 5pm and if I know I have no plans for the rest of the day then this is when I take my makeup off. I always take my makeup off the earliest I can in a day as I like to give my skin time to breathe. To see what products I use to take my makeup off, take a look at my Skincare Routine (link here). 

Next step in my winding down process is loungewear. Comfies, loungewear, scruffs, cosy clothes whatever you call them they are bomb! My favourite loungewear are tracksuits especially the Roberta ones from Miss Pap (I have the grey and the khaki styles but I am slightly obsessed so I doubt the collection stops there for me!), also Victoria's Secret tracksuits are sooo comfy too! There's something about cosy clothes that make me feel so relaxed and honestly I just live in them!

Once I've changed into some comfy clothes, stripped off my lashes, taken my face off and shoved my hair into an incredibly failed messy bun or clipped the front of my hair back, this is when I really start to relax. I'll grab a cup of tea or some green tea (always the Twinings one with lemon!) and maybe some food and I'll flick through Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to catch up on what I've missed out on during the day. In the evening when I'm relaxed is when I usually reply to comments and I'll always be watching Coranation Street or Emmerdale (if not, it's Netflix!). 

Downtime is important and it's important to unwind and relax and let ourselves destress after a long day. I always find that if I come home and leave my makeup on as late as possible and don't properly relax before I sleep then I feel like I don't sleep as well if I would when I do go through a routine!

Hope you enjoyed reading this post, something a little different from the usual makeup post! Let me know how you like to unwind in the comments below! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Skincare Routine: Updated

Since my post last year in July about my skincare routine, things have drastically changed. And by drastically changed I mean that every product I was previously using has been changed for something else. I've found new products that work better for my skin and they have changed my skin for the better!

If you read my post about the Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment (click here if you haven't!) I mentioned that I did have problems with my skin towards the end of last year which was one of the reasons why I changed my skincare routine completely. I didn't know whether it was the skincare I was using or the makeup I was using which is was making my skin so bad, so I changed it all completely and now my skin's in the best condition it's been in for a very long time. 

Around January was when I made the change in my routine after watching Anna-Maria's (xammasi on instagram) video on youtube (click here) of what products she uses on her skin. She said she uses La Roche-Posay skincare and I knew I had to convert because her skin is flawwlesssss. To start off I purchased the kit which has a cleanser, toner and moisturiser. In the morning and at night I wash my face with the La Roche-Posay Effalcar Purifying Foaming Gel. I think this cleanser is the reason why my skin is looking it's best recently it definitely thoroughly cleans my skin and removes any makeup residue. It certainly is purfying as it describes. 

Following this cleanser I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Toner on a small cotton pad and sweep it over my skin to close my pores after cleansing. What I love about this is that it doesn't smell of anything as some toners can smell really strong like alcohol whereas this one doesn't really have a fragrance at all!

After cleansing and toning in the morning I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Moisturiser. This moisturiser is for unclogging the skin and anti-imperfections too! I like this moisturiser in the morning because it quickly mattifies but it's still hydrating so it's perfect for underneath makeup. 

At night after cleansing and toning I prefer a moisturiser that is more hydrating than the one I use in the morning so I use Clarins Hydraquench Cream. I've had this cream before and now I'm using it again it really made me realise why I loved it so much! It's so hydrating, sinks into my skin well and leaves my skin feeling amazing! 

If I use a face mask it is definitely the Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment. I won't go into too much detail about this because I did write a full post on this product and how I use it (click here to read).

Last but not least is lipcare. The only lipbalm I use now is the MAC Lip Conditioner. I think I've spoke about this before in a post but this is truly amazing. A tiny little bit of this goes such a long way and it is so hydrating. I apply this last in my skincare routine and leave this on whilst I sleep or whilst I do my makeup and then when it comes to doing my lipstick at the end of my makeup my lips are soft and hydrated (no one wants crusty looking lipstick).

That's my updated skincare routine. What are your favourite skincare products? Let me know in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Skincare Routine

We all love to think we've had a skincare routine for years, but for me I'd say that until a year and a half ago my skincare routine was rather part time! But now I can't even think about beginning my day or going to sleep without my rituals.

My morning skincare routine is slightly different to my night one, only because I prefer a richer moisturiser for my face whilst I sleep.

 I start my morning by using the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, I purchased this about 3 months ago so it is fairly new to my skincare routine but since using it twice daily I have noticed a big improvement in the condition of my skin! The smell is fresh and clean so it's great for waking you up in the morning (yes, even on Mondays!) and because it is a cream cleanser my skin feels well moisturised afterwards as well!

After cleansing I always reach for my Clinique Clarifying Lotion (I use number 2 for dry/combination skin). I found out about this product a few years ago by sneaking it off my mum and I've been in love with it ever since! It really does take away all the dirt and cleanser residue off my face and I never feel like my skin is properly clean until I've used it (honestly you'd be surprised what this product gets out of your skin when you think it's clean! Gross - but trust me on this one).

When my skin is squeaky clean I use Benefit 'It's Potent' Eye Cream. I never really thought that using an eye cream would make a difference however a year ago I realised that with all the eyeshadow brushes I shove into my sockets maybe I should give the skin around my eyes a little TLC too! This eye cream has cocoa butter in it so it's super moisturising however the best thing about it is that the product absorbs quickly into the skin - perfect for someone like me who likes to get their face on and attack the day with full force! By the time I come round to putting my makeup on the eyecream has soaked into my skin and doesn't interfere with the way my makeup sets around my eyes, love it!

 I then use my Lush Skin Drink moisturiser (I used to use Skin's Shangri La which was beautiful but a little too rich for under my makeup) I love how Lush products are made from fresh ingredients - it makes me feel so much better knowing that what I'm using on my skin is made from natural products! 

So that pretty much concludes my morning skincare routine so I'll move on to my nightime routine...

My nightime skincare routine isn't that much different to my morning routine, the only difference being is that instead of using my Skindrink moisturiser I use Bio-oil instead. So after I've taken my makeup off with the Liz Earle Cleanse&Polish I use Bio-oil on my skin before I sleep because it's richer than a cream so when I wake up in the morning my skin feels so silky and I know that the oil has been working it's magic whilst I've been catching my Z's. Since using Bio-oil I've noticed that my skintone has become a lot more even and although I don't use Bio-oil for scarring or stretch marks which is its primary purpose, I LOVE it for moisturising my face at night! 

Those are the products I use on my face every single day. However, two or three times a week I do like to use an exfoliator to get rid of any dead skin cells to keep my skin in tip-top shape! My favourite exfoliator currently is the Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream which is heavenly! Also, if my skin is having a bit of a bad day and needs a little pick me up I always reach for a face mask! I've been loving the Quick Fix Facial Purifying Charcoal Mask recently! I usually just apply it to my T-zone as this is my problem area and leave it to set before washing it off. 

SO! That finally concludes my skincare routine, I'll be sure to update you if I stumble upon any miracle products! Let me know in the comments what your favourite skincare products are! See you soon!

Rebecca x