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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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! 

How to get Perfect Skin #3

Hi! This is step three in my 'How to get Perfect Skin' series. Make sure you read step one and step two!

Step #3 - Concealer

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer - Boots - £4.19

This is the one beauty product that every girl needs (yes, this is a need) in her make-up bag. This concealer is called Lasting Perfection by 'Collection' (used to be Collection 2000). It claims to last 16 hours. I have yet to put this to the test (because I need my beauty sleep) but I can say it does last all day long. I've even gone surfing and it's kept my acne scarring from showing through. 

First of all, you need the right shade. There has been a few sunny days in Wales recently, so my hands have tanned, but oddly (and unfortunately) my face never does so I go for the lightest shade which is 01 'Fair'. I also find that I like concealers slightly lighter, especially if your using it for your under-eye baggage because it brightens like a real-life Photoshop! 

I'd say the texture is quite creamy and velvety. It is thick but that's definitely what I want in a concealer- it has to conceal!

Here it is in action! Definitely faking the 'perfect skin' because I have broken out like crazy over this last week! So there's me and my lovely fiancé, Andrew who's turning twenty this week. This was before going out for an early birthday meal with our friends. This concealer is my life-saver! 

Keep checking - the fourth and final step will be up soon! 

How to get Perfect Skin #2

Hello guys! This is post two in my 'How to get Perfect Skin' series so if you want to see step one click here.

Step #2 - Foundation

Bourjois Paris Healthy Mix Serum - £10.99 at Superdrug

Shade 51 - Vanille Claire

After applying my primer, I go straight in with foundation. I used to use the regular Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation which was my go-to throughout sixth form but then they brought out this lovely bottle of delight. I've been using this for about a week and I love it because it feels so much lighter on the skin, which is perfect for summer time and for people who hate cakey faces. 

Because this is a 'gel formula', I expected it to be more of a gel-like consistency, but it just feels like a lighter version of a foundation (can you tell in the picture above?). Some people say the coverage isn't as good as the regular foundation, but I honestly think it covers just as well without blocking your pores and producing breakouts in the first place! 

Bourjois call it a 'treatment' that uses '3 super fruits - lychee, goji and pomegranate'. It's supposed to 'erase signs of fatigue, even out the complexion and revive its radiance'. It even claims to give us '+69% more radiance after 4 weeks of use!' I'm pretty sure they're not lying because I've had tonnes of compliments on my skin recently. I definitely haven't had as many breakouts as I usually do which is such a good sign. 

It's semi-matte so people with extremely oily skin should avoid this, but because I'm middle of the road with my oil-levels, it just gives me a radiant finish.  

Keep your eyes peeled for Step #3 of How to get Perfect Skin. 

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How to get Perfect Skin - #1

Hiya lovelies! I'll be doing a mini-series of posts on how to get the perfect skin. Everyone wants flawless skin (but it's very hard to come by naturally!) so over the series I will show you a variety of products that will help you fake it. 

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer- £6.99 from Boots

Step #1 is extremely important and if you use this baby it'll make a huge difference! This lovely product is Rimmel's Fix and Perfect Pro Primer. It claims to have 5 in 1 results: 'smoothes, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies and protects' and I agree with all five. 

I use this after cleansing and moisturising using Soap & Glory's Peaches and Clean and Clear Here (you can see a full review of both products here).

When you first squirt it out it actually resembles a moisturiser. Its consistency is thick and creamy (as you can see in the image above) but it really sinks into the skin and enhances it. If I didn't have acne scarring, I'd be happy wearing this without any foundation. It leaves the skin glowing but is also a mattifier. It's a bit like a thick BB cream without colour. 

Downside is the quantity. There's only 30ml in a tube for £6.99, but you don't need a lot of product to cover your face. Upside is that it does what it says on the tin (or tube) and it keeps your make-up in place all day long, which is amazing because if you're like me you either can't be bothered or don't have time to smother foundation on twice in one day!

Keep your eyes peeled for Step 2! 

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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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