Autumn Skincare Routine: Discovering Burt's Bees

I absolutely love the season change between summer and autumn. I get all excited just thinking about cosy nights, woolly blankets, comfy pjs, snuggly slippers and yummy hot chocolates. The change of season means a change in lifestyle, and that includes skincare.

In the summer, I like to keep things light. I have oily skin, which is a nightmare in hot weather. When the leaves start to fall and the air becomes cooler, my skin really appreciates richer products.

I’ve never used any Burt’s Bees products before, but these two products grabbed my attention as I saw they were over 99% natural.

The first is the Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream. Chamomile is known to help you to relax, which was perfect for me while settling down into a new job. And as it happens, soap bark is just a fancy name for shea butter, which is great for protecting your skin from the environment.

When applying this for the first time, I was initially wowed by the scent. It smells like a cross between Palma Violets, Love Hearts and Fizzers - three of my favourite childhood sweets! The second thing I loved was its creamy texture. It’s moisturising, but also fresh due to the scent.

In the evening, I usually take my makeup off with some wipes before applying the cleanser and leaving it on for around fifteen minutes. This gives it time to really soak into the skin. When leaving it on for longer, it feels cooling and does tingle slightly. Then after washing it off I can immediately see that it de-puffs my face, leaving it bright and radiant.

The second product I purchased was the Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Cream. Like I mentioned earlier, I do have oily skin so I tend to find night creams too heavy for me. Therefore, I use a day cream as a moisturiser, night and day. I went for the radiance cream as I wanted my skin to continue to look healthy going into autumn/winter, when it’s not as easy to eat fruit all day.  

The cream’s main ingredient is royal jelly, which is said to normalise the fat secretion of skin glands to reduce oiliness. It also helps with anti-aging. I apply this morning and night after I’ve cleansed, and love how it moisturises my face without overloading it with oils. My skin seems to drink up and then perk up!

Have you switched up your skincare routine for autumn?

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Life Changer #2 - Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Today I have another life changing product to show you. It's Real Technique's Miracle Complexion Sponge. I am already a fan of Real Techniques make-up brushes and was on the lookout for a drugstore dupe of the over-priced £16 sponge called the Beauty Blender.

Like the Beauty Blender, this sponge is a foundation and concealer applicator that you can pick up from Boots for just £5.99. You just dot your base on your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and then use the sponge to dab it in. 

It has a rounded body used for big areas such as the forehead and cheeks, a pointed tip for covering any acne or hyper-pigmentation and a flat side to get in the grooves around the nose and eyes.

The sponge blends flawlessly. I haven't experienced any sliding foundation or pore seeping concealer whilst using this. My base now appears more natural with all the tell-tale signs of harsh lines gone. It has really changed the way my complexion looks every day.

So there it is- my second make-up bag staple of the year so far!

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How To Get Perfect Skin #4

Hello Sunshines! Final step in my How To Get Perfect Skin series.

Step #4 - Powder

Rimmel Stay Matte: Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Translucent - £3.99 

Okay so you've already got primer on to make sure your make-up doesn't budge, but using a pressed powder on top of your concealer and foundation really sets everything as well as keep shine at bay. I recommend Rimmel's Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder. If you have oily skin, this is a lifesaver! I keep this on me at all times in case my face starts to look like a shine fest. 

Tip! 

While out an about, apply with a clean eyeshadow brush. You get more control over where the powder specifically goes. It also banishes dark circles under the eyes! 

I hope you enjoyed my How To Get Perfect Skin series and I hope I've helped! 

Soap & Glory Skincare Review

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean - £7.00

Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Facial Peel - £8.00

Soap & Glory Clear Here - £9.00

I've always loved the look of Soap & Glory products. The witty packaging just makes me want to buy it, although the products have been hit and miss. I loved the Clean On Me shower gel and the Pulp Friction exfoliating scrub is amazing. But I wasn't so keen on The Righteous Butter body butter. So on a trip in Boots a few months ago, I stopped at the skincare range. I desperately wanted to get into a routine that I felt completely happy with, so I thought I'd try these out.

Peaches and Clean
This is a cleansing milk that is made of a T-Zone formula packed with peach extract (that has skin smoothing fruit acids), quillaja bark (a natural cleansing soap) and jojoba oil (an emollient skin softener). Looking at these ingredients, I initially thought that I'd seen them in 99p cleansers in Home Bargains. It claims to have Detoxyboost technology (to help purify and deep clean) and Poreskrink R2 (for a clearer, fresher, brighter complexion). I wasn't entirely sure what these clever names meant but they sounded good.

I have to say I'm so glad I purchased it because I don't think I could live without it. It has cleared my skin and made my complexion a hundred times brighter. I use one pump and rub it all over my face. It says to rinse off with water but I find you get the best results if you leave it on. It also doubles as a make-up remover as make-up disintegrates at lightning speed.

5 stars from me.

The Fab Pore Facial Peel
I'd call this a face mask. Although, I was gutted that you have to wash it off- not peel! This claims to have an exclusive Poreshrink-R complex (God knows what that means) that is ideal for greasy spot prone or problem skin. Now this stuff works. It says to rub a grape sized amount onto your face and rub until all the green beads have disappeared (this feels amazing). You can then leave it on for either 5 minutes (for a quicky) or 15 (for an intense deep-cleaning facial). To be honest, I leave it on for half hour and it doesn't hurt. After I wash it off (again, I'm disappointed it doesn't peel) my face just feels cleaner, tighter and younger.

4 stars from me.

Clear Here
This is a lovely moisturiser that also works. It is supposed to smooth and protect the skin, prevent blemishes, reduce deep-down pore clogging, shrink visible pore size and fight spot-causing bacteria. I'm pretty sure it does all of those things. I love how it sinks in really quickly and feels cool on the skin. It just feels like it's working from the moment it's applied. It really does dry out blemishes. This is for oily/combination skin so I wouldn't use it if you have dry skin.

I would give this another 5 stars.

Overall, I was amazed at the high quality products that weren't that expensive to buy. They look pretty in my bedroom and I look forward to cleaning my face every day now that I have these in my life.

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Essie Jam 'n' Jelly Nail Polish Review

Essie Nail Polish 'Jam 'n' Jelly
Boots - £7.99

This is the first Essie nail polish I've ever tried. I always go through phases when it comes to nail polish because I'm not very good at painting them without it looking like I'd trusted a four year old with my manicure. I've never been able to get my nails looking professional until I found this product. I'd seen Essie nail polishes been raved about online but I knew they were hard to get hold of here in the UK. So when I saw they had come to Boots I had to pick one up! It's a bit pricey for a nail polish at £7.99 (when I told my Nan she thought it was ridiculous) BUT I have to say it was very worth it.

Gold star number one is the colour. I picked the shade Jam 'n' Jelly because it looked like a very wearable bright colour that would last me throughout the Spring and Summer, and I love pink. The colour is extremely similar on as it is in the bottle, but the more coats you apply the darker it becomes.

Gold star number two is application. No more messy four year old manicures for me! Even with my shaky hands it was extremely easy to apply. I applied two coats, and even though some stuff did get on my fingers instead of my nails (it inevitable), it's extremely easy to just peel off when the polish is dry. 

Gold star number three is staying power. Usually, most nail varnishes chip on the first day but this has lasted seven whole days! It has lasted through my guitar and piano playing, my ballet classes and my writing workshops and only now after a whole week is it starting to chip. 

This is a 5 star product for me, so I will be purchasing this in another shade (and then probably another one). Next mission is to find a pinky nude for my ballet show.