I'm baaaack! (again) from my few months away swanning around beaches, eating kebabs and cruising the fake paraphernalia in Turkey... oh and getting my boobs pumped up with silicon ha. Now i'm not sure what the 'blogger etiquit' is on speaking out openly about plastic surgery, i'm sure it's fairly frowned upon by the green welly brigade, but if you follow me on any type of social media you will know this post has not come as a big surprise, I have been extremely open about my ehem enhancements of recent and why the hell not, it's something I have dreamed and worked hard for, for a longggg time, i'm proud of myself (and them!) so why not share it with everyone... please note this does NOT mean I will be snapchatting you tit pics haha. 

I think there are so many misconceptions about plastic surgery and especially breast augmentations, people assume you are a vain, narcissistic attention seeker that just wants to look like a blow up barbie with Jordan sized bangers, for me personally this couldn't be further from the truth. Since about primary 6 when all the girls in my class started getting 'boobs' and buying there first bra's from Tammy girl I was still cutting around in my Woolworths vests, but was assured over and over it would happen for me eventually in time "you're still growing" (mum i'm 20 years old, let go of the cliche haha)
As I got older not alot seemed to change and it started getting me down more and more, especially when you have friends rocking GG's and i'm landed next to them with my micro sized B's, now I have not shaming girls with small chests in any way, in fact I think it can look really good! however my body was out of proportion for my size and frame it just looked stupid and it made me feel so unfeminine, to the point I was wearing 2 bra's at once with 2 pairs of socks stuffed inside on a daily basis, even if nobody was around and god forbid I ever take my bra off in front of anyone (sober), urgh the thought *shudders*  
So at 24 I decided to stop greeting about it and make a change...

After not a lot of deliberating I decided to have my operation done with 'Revatalize in Turkey' after reading and researching into past procedures, results, prices and as many reviews as possible I decided to go ahead and book it the same day. A lot of people have questioned my choice to travel abroad to have the surgery, as if I was going to turn up in a Mexican back ally to meet Dr. Pedro in the back of a van with his butter knife at the ready :|
With Revitalize they offer a second to none aftercare service, allowing me to stay in there specially designed Villa for 6 nights after my op. included in the price.
If you know me, you know I already have a soft spot for Turkey which helps but, it genuinely has some of the best medical facilities and professionals in the world and I couldn't recommend Revitalize, the team or my surgeon Dr. Tokat any higher, faultless in every way.

So it's fair to say I hadn't had much sleep the days running up to the op. and not because of nerves but pure 100% excitement (like that few days before Christmas before you knew it was just your mum and dad lurking into your room drunk scranning the mince pies) I travelled an hour to Izmir from where I had been staying, to be picked up by my driver and patient coordinator that took me on a short journey to meet my surgeon Dr. Tokat for the first time to have my consultation. Luckily I knew exactly what I was hoping for (450cc high profile) but depending on his examination I still wasn't sure if it was possible, we spoke in detail and he showed me a variety of implants and sizes then I was taken into a more surgical looking room so he could have a look at me, I was physically shaking at the thought of him seeing me bare (the lads about to root around inside my tits in an hour and i'm freaking over this part..christ on a bike). He made some measurements and scribbled all over me like a human whiteboard and it was over in the matter of minutes (aaaand breath)

I was then driven 5 minutes to the hospital where I met Tuba, she was going to be looking after me for my entire hospital stay, we clicked straight away and 10 minutes in we were talking about makeup and boys..and fruit? I had almost completely forgotten the reason I was there for.. until an abnormally tall Turkish man strolled in casually with a gurney and as if scripted to make me lose my shit simply says "..it's time" wtf?! time to shit myself more like. 

I was then given an injection to knock me out and the last thing I can remember was rolling into the operating room and seeing a trolley of implants and intense looking stabby cutty tools.. fuck, goodbye cruel world.

If you have ever had an operation before you will know about that strange post op. room where you are taken to come round... those 15 minutes of coming out of anaesthesia are the most trippy of your entire life, I genuinely thought I was dead haha... it doesn't help everything is obnoxiously white and bright in there, then I felt the pain in my chest and knew I most definitely was alive.

Do you know those guys that pay massive fat women to sit on their chest? (I read alot of 'take a break' magazines) I can only imagine that pain would be a sweet relief from what I felt an hour or so after waking up. However after the anaesthetic completely wore off my adrenaline acted better than any pain killer prescribed, I was soo happy and even though I was bandaged up tighter than a ducks arse and couldn't actually see anything down there the prospect alone was enough, a quick drowsy snapchat to the world, ok now time to sleep... oh wait nah you ever tried to sleep sitting upright in a bed made of nails and fire- a.k.a hospital beds.

After waking up after what felt like 10 minutes sleep, I was woken up to the surgeon coming in to check my progress and after a suspect look at what I had done to my bandages in the small amount of time with soup, ice cream, chocolate, possibly egg and more soup he deemed I was fit to leave for the aftercare villa. I was chauffeured on a 30 minute drive and led up to my new temporary home for the next few days, it was amazing- air conditioning, a fridge full of food and drink, plasma tv's, magazines and if that didn't seal the deal, hammocks in the garden (i'm all about dem hammocks) if I wasn't set to come home after I would have booked myself in for an extra week! ha. 

The pain on day 3 was maybe the worst, nothing that any of my pain meds could resolve and moving around was really hard, even getting in and out of bed was exhausting, I remember dropping my hair brush and taking 15 minutes to try and pick it up, I was feeling useless and frustrated, keeping in mind I was still unaware of what size the surgeon had managed to work with and not being able to see any results... apart from the aftermath of swelling & bloating all over my body, (think Kim Kardashian when she is pregnant...minus the actual Kardashian part) 

Not even the roast dinner we were served could cheer me up out this mood.

It only managed to take me 10 minutes to get out of bed on day 4, which with all the emotions flying about was a proud moment... then you start thinking you can do other new shit like walk around more but soon realise you're a big swollen potato and you need to go and lie down and nap. 

All the days had begun to merge a little and I had totally forgotten I was getting my bandages changed and was going to see my new assets for the first time... right back out of bed (jesus)

Me and all my new bandaged up friends arrived at the clinic, all in antisipation of what our results would be (I was the only one getting breast augmentation) Eventually when it was my turn to be seen I could'nt wait for him to see me bare, in major contrast with just a few days prior, he agonisingly slowly unwrapped the bandages and guided me over to the mirror, almost immediately I burst out crying and he panicked, until he realised it was out of pure 100% happiness, I can genuinely say I have never been so overcome with joy in my entire 24 years, they were perfect... yeh a little swollen, yucky and bruised looking... but to me perfect.

After finally emotionally stabilising myself again, we were taken out to do a little shopping in the bazaar, some of the girls were a bit dubious as the night previous is when the whole Turkish military coup thing had taken place, but I wasn't phased I just wanted to go browsing for bra's... and fake handbags naturally of course. We were the definition of 'squad goals' that day, 7 bandaged up cripples from 24 to 64 shuffling around scouring for bargains with stitches and dressings coming out of all angles..mental ward's day out came to mind ha. If there is one piece of advise I can give anyone wanting to have this done is, do not go walking around a crowded market, I was banged and knocked all over the place...swear I had a sign on my back that said 'free tit punches' so had to relegate myself to sitting in a Turkish leather and rug store, happy days.

Final day in the villa (I left a day early) and I was actually a little sad to be leaving my fellow impaired friends that I had made, but my pain had gone down significantly and I was feeling great and full of energy again, but firstly I needed to go and visit Dr. Tokat one last time to get my bandages off and post op bra fitted. He checked over all my wounds, showed me my new massage routine and I was all done, it felt real..surreal and as sad and gimpy as it sounds like the start of something new.

I still have a long road of recovery in front of me, but it's getting easier and less painful each day yay.

Anyway, I doubt many of you have made it down as far as this and if so you deserve a medal because that was one hella' long post! haha and i'm not sure if it's even anything anyone is interested in reading about. I'd just like to add that I in no way believe this is something everyone should casually go ahead and do or needs for that matter, for me it was important to feel a certain way about myself and stuff I am working on. If anyone has any questions about anything or are thinking about having the procedure done, please just send me a message, i'm happy to talk openly about anything as i'm sure you are all aware ;) 

Yay, thanks for reading! x

So first off i'd best get the apologies out the way for my lack of posts the last month, I have been in the middle of exams and working my derriere off which left me torn between napping or blogging in my free time... and let's be honest naps are a necessity of life. However now i'm done i am free again to share my basic knowledge and general nonsense with you all.

So i am kicking back off with something that I have tested extensively on myself and spent many an hour researching- (inexpensive) teeth whitening. What is one of the first things you notice about someone when you first meet? maybe it's their hair, their shoes, the way they hold themselves? whatever it is without doubt their smile and teeth are high up on that list and for me i'd say it was the first things i'm drawn to, that may sound a little superficial but lets be honest if you have teeth that look like a set of yellow stained glass windows it's gonna be hard to get past that, althoughhh have teeth like a cave mans necklace that are pearly white i'd be prepared to turn a blind eye, haha. 

Most products advertised are going to promise you Simon Cowell-esk teeth after just a few uses... urgh lies, unless you go to the dentist and lay out some serious dollar for professional bleaching it's just not going to happen. Now we have that harsh reality out the way we can talk about realistic results.
Megawhite (above) is my most recent endeavour into the whitening world, I purchased this when I recently visited the scottish hair and beauty show and was coerced by the overly friendly sales woman promising me with her well rehearsed pitch 'outstanding immediate results with no pain, peroxide or sensitivity' and even though I knew she was merely blowing smoke up my arse I wanted to believe her so badly that I caved and handed over my £20 (usually £49...hmm) 
I was told to use this for five days straight for an hour in the evenings, seems simple enough, but if you have ever had to hold a gum shield in your mouth for more than 10 minutes you will understand how real the struggle is... felt like mike tyson had jabbed me in the jaw and well then there is the drooling, just be prepared to be in a vegetative state for the next hour or so. I was pleasantly surprised by the results I got from this as I wasn't holding out much hope, ok so it hasnt made them gleaming but i'd say it's lifted a shade or 2, maybe more like a strong stain removal effect, which is pretty much what you will get with all high street kits and pastes. See my results below.

Another product I have tryed in the past and that worked well for me was the crest 3d whitening strips a little more pricey at around £45 and can only be bought online as far as i'm aware at the moment in the uk. These are soo simple to use, just like little stickers for your teeth that you place on the front (downside with this method is that it will only treat the prominent front teeth and not catch the ones on the side) leave on for around 30 minutes, no fuss or mess. This isn't a quick fix treatment as they recommend you use it for up to 20 days, but you will start to notice a small difference after a week or so. These can make your gums and teeth a little sensitive though so best avoid if your into biting ice cream and brushing your teeth with ice poles.

 

Maintaining white teeth can be just as hard as actually achieving the results of white teeth, two of my favourite in expensive products that I swear by and use twice daily to try and up keep my results are, Oral B 3d white £3.50 and Colgate Max White with stain prevention mouthwash £5.00

Or be a super basic bich and make your own at home for alot less! 

Ideal.

 
baking soda & lemon;
Mix a few spoonfuls of baking soda with fresh lemon juice (or water) enough to make a gritty paste, then wipe over teeth with a towel or kitchen roll to make them feel dry, apply the paste to teeth using your toothbrush and leave on for 1 minute (3 if you're not using lemon) and very lightly brush in circular motions- use once a week.

coconut oil rinse;
Everyone will have seen an abundance of celebrities advertising 'coco white' between their teeth all over insta for £10 a sachet... fuck that, its just coconut oil. Fire down to holland and barret grab yourself a massive jar for a tenner. In the morning before brushing, take a teaspoonful of oil, ram it in your gub and swish it around and pull through your teeth for 15 minutes, then rinse and brush, easy peasy. This won't insanely whiten, but the acid in the oil can rid teeth of bacteria found in plaque that can cause that yucky yellowyness- use every second day.

banana skin;
so banana skins have other uses than just their slippery comedic value! rubbing the inside layer of a banana (or orange) skin over your teeth for around two minutes twice a day, the skins hold alot of minerals that bananas are so well known for and can be easily absorbed into the teeth, sweeeet- use as often as you like.

strawberries;
Another easy home remedy, cut and mush up 3-4 strawberries and mix with a very small amount of baking soda to create a paste (potentially alot tastier than the very first option) the acids in the strawberry work at polishing and whitening- use twice a month as can be abrasive.



Ok so thats all just my take on teeth whitening and the things that have worked in the past for me, I am in no way a dentist and have nooo idea what the lasting effects of any of the above have on teeth.. apart from making them white, any lasting effects meh i'll worry about later. And if you are just not into any of that or it seems like too much hassle, stay basic and stick with red lipstick, your teeth will never have looked whiter.

Thanks again to everyone for reading and messaging, I love love hearing what you think and what you are wanting me to write about or which topics you want me to cover, its amazing.

Recently i've been reading alot about taking care of yourself more, be it mentally physically just do something and make a change, big or small that's going to benefit you. I always like to think of it like when you are on an aeroplane and they say "please put on your own mask before helping others" how can you expect to have a positive impact on other people if you are not in a positive place yourself first.
After a pretty shitty week at work and feeling ill and sorry for myself I decided to slot in an hour or so just for myself. Now we all like to unwind and pamper ourselves in different ways, be it with a long hot soak and a glass of wine,going out for a run or simply just reading a book, I personally like to preen, yeh everyday I put on makeup and shower etc. but taking the time to actually enjoy what i'm doing is very rare and I don't do it enough. 
If anyone is interested this is what my little session consisted of; 

1) Turn off my phone- don't get me wrong i'm addicted to it, i swear i get phone related hand injuries from being on it so much, however scrolling through people posts and selfies stresses me out, I constantly compare my life to other peoples and I understand we all put our best foot forward online but it's nice to take a break from it all sometimes and realise their is more to life than likes and re-tweets.. i'm working on it.

2) Bleaching the fuck out of my upper lip, i swear to god I feel like i'm part of 'movember' ..every month haha and as much as I get embarrassed about it and almost all girls get it in some way or another and its never really noticeable to other people it just gives me a major confidence boost after I do it (i'm too scared to wax it because i'm pretty sure i'd go from 16 year old boy bum fluff to full on 5 o'clock shadow in one strip)

3) Tinting my eyebrows, my eyebrows are like Marmite you either hate them or you lie about liking them ha, they look like they are sponsored by nike but I deal with it. When I get the chance I like to spend a little longer on my 'brow maintenence' and tint them out, just to make them appear more structured and full... plus it saves me a shit load of time not having to fill them in, in the mornings, it's a shame it only lasts for a few days. Again this just makes me feel a little better.. how can you be sad when you have fleeky eyebrows haha. 

4) Body exfoliation, because who doesn't want to be soft and smell like cranberry's. 

5) Hair mask, all girls know their hair is their crowning glory and I know for a fact I abuse the shit out of mine with backcombing, straighteners, curlers, blow drying almost every day. 

6) Body Moisturise, when I have the time I like to lather it on then wrap myself back up in the towel and go and listen to my ipod and let it all sink in properly. Most of the time i will only slap a bit on my arms and legs, fire my clothes on top and get on with my day, ew.

7) Tan, my number 1 thing to do to make myself happy and feel pampered without a doubt. How can going from looking like a bottle of Wisemens to a golden all be it slightly overcooked McCain's chip in the space of 5 minutes not make you feel good. Ok so you kind of smell like a biscuit.. but i love biscuits and i'm totally cool with that.

Even just spending the time doing all that stuff made me feel a million times better. We all tend to put ourselves on the back burner a bit but, I think we can all agree we could do with taking that little bit extra time for ourselves more often. Do something that will make you happy, text the boy you like, get the damn dessert, go back and buy that dress you keep thinking about, fuckit do something for yourself because nobody else is going to do it for you.

 

Every girl will know that finding the right foundation is tricky business but finding the right foundation on a budget, well thats just a plane old nightmare but after working my way through what seems like the entire boots and superdrug back catalogue from collection 2000 (fail) to bourjois I have finally settled on my five faves.
However when choosing a foundation it's not just all about picking the right colour, you need to find one that works well with your skin type too, you could be wearing mac but it may aswel be miss sporty if you pick the wrong blend for your skin type. These are just the ones I feel work well with my awkward oily combination skin.

 Revlon Colorstay 24 hour
In Sand Beige 
£12.99 

The really good thing about colorstay is that they make it for all ranges of skin types so it's so versatile for everyone to use, plus they have a good range of shades so its easy to find one that suits you, winning. The consistency of this one is fairly watery and not too thick, it works best applied and blended with a makeup sponge wedge or my beauty blender as it doesn't really need to be worked into the skin so much. It gives a full coverage look without looking 'cakey' and can be built up if needed. My no.1 thing about this foundation is that it is so much less transferable and doesn't rub off on everything you touch like some others... so I can go shopping and try on all the white shit i want and not leave that bokey orange stain then put it back on the rail (don't be that guy) The only down side to colorstay is the packaging, it doesn't come with a pump so has to be poured out each time which can be messy and you end up using more product than you need most of the time or have bang it out like a ketchup bottle when its almost finished.. not ideal. 

 L'Orel Paris Infallible 24 hour
In Vanilla
£9.99

Firstly I have no idea why foundations claim to last for so long, who the hell requires to wear foundation for 24 hours? ew. I'm gonna go ahead and call b.s on those claims but I do know this wont budge for a good 10-12 hours, actually a great thing about this foundation is I feel like it actually gets better with time, it goes on quite matte but after about 2 hours gives more of a satin finish without looking too shiny. I'd say this gives a more medium coverage which is great for everyday use but again can be easily built up if thats your thing. The only downside is that the shade range is pretty limited with alot of pinky/peachy undertones which i'm not a fan of, although this shade worked well for me because of its cool yellow undertones. I apply this in the center of the face and work outwards with a sponge wedge, foundation or buffing brush it works pretty well with all three. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour
In Natural Beige
£7.99

25 hours? settle down Rimmel. Everyone and their granny knows this foundation, it was probably one of the first 'serious' foundations you ever bought and usually the decisions we make when we are 15 (especially with makeup) don't work well in our favour but this little saviour is the exception. This is my hardcore foundation, I always go with this if i need max coverage that I want to last. It has a pretty thick consistency that you need to work a little harder into your skin but it covers all traces of blemishes and blotches without having to add loads of layers. I usually wear this for nights out (hence the darker colour) because it is 'sweat proof' well to a certain extent, i'm not recommending wearing it to run a marathon but it works pretty well at concealing any traces of sweat when I am out in a club, leaving me to fist pump and slut drop until my hearts content ha. This works best for me applied with a buffing brush.

Vichy Dermablend
In Nude
£18.00

This is one of my newest additions and probably least well known. I first bought this when I was in Paris and stumbled across it in a pharmacy and fell in love with it straight away. It feels alot lighter than my other foundations (doesn't even really feel like you are wearing any) but offers the same full coverage and is an absolute dream to blend and unlike the others it makes your skin feel amazing after you remove it because it has specialized moisturizing ingredients. It is so good for concealing enlarged pores, redness, spots, dark circles the lot! So it might be a little more expensive but it is the ultimate lazy girl foundation it does everything for you without adding in more products and i'm all about that haha. I was using this so sparingly because I hadn't seen it sold over here and I didn't want to run out but I found it the other day in Boots (in the Vichy skincare section) so I will 100% be re-purchasing, fave. 

Rimmel Match Perfection
In Bronze
£7.99

Well my skin tone clearly is by no means 'bronze' but I picked this up in a bit of a rush and didn't double check the label and I guess someone had just put it back in the wrong section (you people belong together with the girls trying on white dresses that leave the bokey orange stains) So i just wear this when I have my tan on.. which lets face it is alot of the time. I like to think of this foundation as the more natural distant cousin of the 'rimmel lasting finish' (red lid) there are alot of similarities however this offers a lighter more natural coverage with a more dewy finish. It is also alot easier to blend as it has a lighter texture. I wouldn't recommend building this foundation up if you have oilier skin as it can tend to make it look a bit more shiny than normal urgh. I like to apply and blend mine with a makeup sponge wedge or beauty blender yay. 

•  In the past i've found it hard to match my foundation myself and testing it on your hand isn't alway very accurate in a shop, try going to a makeup counter and getting matched, ask to take away a sample of your colour and next time take that into boots or wherever and use it to compare and find the closest match. 
• Always make sure your skin is prepped for foundation, if it is just for everyday moisturizer is a fine base, just wait 5 minutes before you apply the foundation on top of it, but if you need the makeup to really last, apply a primer which will smooth out the surface, minimize the size of the pours and mattify your face.
•  Once I have blended my foundation I like to tap or 'stipple' all over to ensure i have covered all the nooks and crannies and it just give it a more airbrushed finish.
• Apply powders in downward motions over your face as this way it will sit better on the skin and flatten out those very tiny light fluffy hairs.
• Finish with a luminous powder to set the foundation, it wont suck the life out of your face like some matte powders do, translucent powder reflects the light helping the skin to glow and takes away shine without looking too yucky and dull.

There are so many ways of working with and applying foundation, everyone likes to do it differently and has there own ways that work for them. This is just mine, I hope it can be a little helpful and not too basic. I'd love to hear what works for you and any suggestions or recommendations.
Thanks again for reading x

Remember when dream matte mousse was a thing? everyone just wanted to have a chalk matte face and being shiny was an absolute sin... well loong gone are those days (thank god) because now its all about that glowing highlight or what some girls like to call strobing you know the type, the ones with 'MUA x' in their insta description even though they have only done their aunts makeup once for a christmas night out.. yeh that type- i digress. Highlighting specific areas on your face can really lift and brighten dull skin, the goal is to get a reflective, dewy kinda look that makes you look like you have just moisturized. Don't make the same mistake as I did when I first started using highlighter, I applied waay too much and in all the wrong areas it looked liked I had just come back from the gym, sweaty chic doesnt look good on anyone. Depending on what texture highlight you are working with if its cream, powder or liquid, always apply it on top of the same type of base powder ontop of powder etc. 

By I 'heart' Makeup
Blushing Hearts in colour Peach Pink Kisses

Superdrug £4.99



Probably my most used highlighter, it is soo bright and maybe a little on the unnatural side (when has that ever stopped me ha) it is fairly sparkly which i know is not everyones thing, i only use the lighter half to brighten and sometimes i apply a little of the darker pink on the apple of my cheeks... depending how glowy i'm feeling. 

By I 'heart' Makeup

Blushing Hearts In colour Godess of Love

Superdrug £4.99

This highlight has more gold peachy tones in it and is a little more subtle and less glittery than previous. I usually only use this on the bridge and tip of my nose. 

These are both (above) triple baked products, which in simple terms means that they start of as a cream and are 'baked' and dryed down to a solid which leaves you with a more creamy, velvety texture. 

As these start out in liquid form it means they can be used dry or wet although i've never tried it.

By Pure Colour

In colour Pink

New Look £6.99

Ok so the name doesn't really give much away but this is such a beautiful product, it is so glidey.. is that a thing? And it goes on so light but is easily buildable if you want a more dramatic look. It is described as 'pink' but i think its got more silvery white tones to it than anything else, the pigmentation is great and really pretty. It is fairly sparkly which is something you tend to find with the lower end highlighters but nothing thats ever bothered me. 

Makeup Revolution Highlight Palette

In colours- Peach Lights, Pink Lights and Golden Lights

Superdrug £8

I have to put it out there, this is one of my favorite affordable makeup brands, they have so many amazing products I can't get enough of! They only trade in superdrug at the moment but have so much more options on their website. 

Having a highlight palette is such a great idea because not only are each of these amazing on their own but blend so well with each other, I love using all 3 together.

Peach Lights (middle) - very bright and pigmented, works well on a light skin tone and goes nicely with a coral blush.

Pink Lights (top) - probably my brightest highlighter, very strong lilac tones, I like to save this one for nights out as it is a little too dramatic for daytime... even for me ;)

Golden Lights (bottom)- an amazing smooth subtle gold tone that is easily buildable, goes well with a dark contour.

(you can also buy each of these separately for £3.00 Vivid Baked Highlighter range)

 Pure Colour

Illuminating Stick

New Look 

£5.99

The powders kind of steal the show when it comes to glowing skin for me, but some days if i am not wearing much makeup I do like to blend in my cream illuminator to add a healthy, dewy effect that really brightens up my skin and face.

I personally always like to apply highlighter with a fan brush as it is alot more accurate and you don't end up with product in the wrong areas, it also stops it from looking cakey or blocky which is handy. If you don't have a fan brush just use a regular soft blusher or bronzer brush and pinch it to elongate it when you are applying, yay!

I really believe highlighter suits everyone so find the right one that works for you, sculpt the shit out of your face and show off what you've got! 

And if I have to write the word 'highlighter' ever again i'm going to impolde and leave a big sparkly, shiny, glowing mess all around this place haha.

Thanks so much for reading, the support has been amazing I really do appreciate it so so much x

So we all want that glowing,radiant, youthful, pore free, blemish free, straight out of a magazine skin that everyone seems to have but us! but how the hell do we get it?! well apart from photo shopping the hell out of our skin (guillty) where do we start...
cleanse-tone-moisturize, these are the 3 main steps you need to follow twice a day.
Now if you are anything like me the thought of coming in from a long day then having to faff around with your skin might not seem ideal, but after just using face wipes to take off my makeup for years and being unhappy with the way my skin looked this was a revelation and by no means is my skin perfect (faar from it) but the differences i have noticed since changing up my routine has been a blessing. 
Although skincare is not a 'one size fits all' situation I wanted to share the products that I use and that work well for my oily/combination skin.
  





Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleaner
Superdrug, £4.50 

Daily

I like to start of with this foaming cleanser which is amazing for  removing any dirt buildup and makeup. It is so quick and easy to use, splash your face with a bit of water, squirt 1 pump (more than enough) onto tour hands and work into the face and neck just like a face wash and rinse with cool water, 40 seconds- job done. I prefer this to my previous oil based cleaners as I don't feel like it leaves a residue on the skin, just a nice squeaky clean and refreshing feeling that I crave after having a full face of makeup on all day. This is great for all skin types as there are no harsh or artificial ingredients, all natural babyy.








Botantics Radient Youth Microdermabrasion Polish
Boots, £7.99

once a week

(first of apologies for the acquired image, I have just finished my tube of this and need to go and buy some more asap!) 
When choosing an exfoliator it is important to find one that has micro grains in it which means it is alot more lighter and gentle on the skin and not so abrasive, some of the thicker exfoliators can cause more damage than good, eek! apply a small amount of this to a damp face and rub in circular motions all over (including the neck) to get rid of any dead skin cells and make your skin soft and glowy. 1 minute-job done.

Dead Sea Mud Mask
Superdrug, £3.00

1-2 times per week

Now this is an added treat I use twice a week (after cleanser) to cheer my skin up a bit if it's looking a bit, well shit haha. It is a setting mud mask which is best suited for us that are prone to a little outbreak of clogged skin and helps control oilyness. Alot of people make the mistake by applying 1 mask all over where it is not required, my cheeks and under eyes are a little dryer so I only stick to using this on my T zone and sometimes apply a more nourishing mask to my dry bits. 5 minutes- job done.

Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner
Superdrug £3.30

Daily

Next up i use this simple toner, apply a few blots to a cotton wool pad and use in upward stroking motions all over the face and neck (being careful around the delicate eye area) This will just get rid of any leftover makeup or cleanser that is left on the skin and will tighten and close pores prepping the skin 1 minute- job done (it is important to use toner before to get the most from the next stage- moisturizer) is great because unlike alot of other toners I have used in the past it doesn't give you that nipping sensation and wont leave you with that 'plastic face' feel after you use it.

Re-Gen Moisturising Cream
Amazon, £4.00

Daily

Now this is my major go-to product, I tell everyone I can about this, my little moisture miracle. Now granted the packaging doesn't inspire me, its all a little sad however don't be fooled, this little moisturizer works wonders on all skin types! It is a creamy consistency but so light, so it doesn't feel like you are clogging up the skin and it works as an amazing base for makeup, just work it 2 minutes-job done. It also has oh just a little added bonus as it is from the makers of the original 'bio-oil' it has active ingredients to reduce the appearance of scarring and blemishes with anti-wrinkles properties all built in!what more could you really ask for. AH-MAY-ZING.

Simply Sensitive Hydrating Eye Cream
Boots, £2.99

Daily (at night)

To get the most out of my eye cream I apply this in the evenings with my ring finger before going to bed, it will just give your sensitive under eye skin that extra boost of moisturize. 20 seconds- job done. Moisturized/Hydrated skin is less prone to wrinkles so always slap the eye cream on before bed!

Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll On
Boots, £8.00

Daily (in the morning)

(ah excuse the lack of labeling, this product had lasted me a lifetime and has been subdued to a little wear and tear)
This is best applied in the mornings to reduce any puffiness and is a great wake up for swollen tired eyes 20 seconds- job done. I like to keep mine in the fridge overnight for that extra cooling effect. I'm not sure about reducing the dark circles but if like me you are not a morning person this will work wonders as a wakeup boost! 



And thats pretty much wraps things for my basic skincare routine. As I said these are the products and routine that work well for myself, yet are still cost effective and efficient.
I have so many exciting blog ideas and hacks i want to share, so check back in again soon, yay. Thanks so much for reading!