Skin Deep

The thought of having a bathroom shelf to myself was something that filled me with delight. I would place all my skincare items on said shelf, routinely cleanse, tone and moisturise and would have the skin of an angel. Cue reality. Like a lot of people I find it quite difficult to stick to my skin care regime rigidly however, I know it is important the closer I get to thirty! I have been using Liz Earle products for nearly two years. Their products were one of my early blogging discoveries but I'm sure, like me, you'll have read copious amounts of posts on the infamous Hot Cloth Cleanser. So this post will focus on Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate and on a recent purchase Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant.

Product 1:
I was at a Dermalogica event recently and came away with the Daily Microfoliant. I was looking for a product that wouldn't aggravate my sensitive skin so this seemed like the best option. The adviser said it would be helpful for getting rid of under the skin blemishes which I have a lot of round my mouth and chin and for exfoliating the dry skin on my jaw line. The product is a rice based powder; you decant a small amount onto wet hands and rub together to create a frothy paste which you massage into the skin after cleansing. It has a very distinctive smell but the consistency is nice. First confession; I haven't used it everyday. In fact, I used it religiously for about a week and a bit but it brought out so many imperfections that I cut back on the "daily". I'm hoping persistence is the key with this product and that if I try again I will be on my way to angel soft skin by week two.

Product 2:
The above is a roller ball travel sized version of Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate. The product is designed to be used at night. It smells gorgeous and contains argan oil (if it's good enough for our hair then it's good enough for my face). The instructions state that you should apply the oil all over the face, inhale the "aroma" then massage upwards and outwards for visibly plump and smooth skin. I use this product on average of once a week but have found myself going to it more often over the winter months when simply moisturising hasn't been enough. I'd love to get the full size version as it has a pump dispenser but it's pricey at £40.25.

What does your skin routine consist of? What are your miracle products? Share ladies, share! ... The world will be a prettier, plumper and smoother place if you do!

Turn Your S. A. D. Light On

I bought a pair of work trousers from Asda today. Bog standard, boot-cut, bargain basement £12 trousers. I have not worn anything of the boot-cut variety since 2010 when I had my interview for my current job and traipsed to Next for a suit and matching jewellery. The item was rarely worn again for several reasons 1) it's not really my style 2) whenever I did wear it pupils asked if I was going to a funeral and 3) it restricted my ability to lark around playing "Bear in the Woods" and such like (yes, this is what I do on a day to day basis). I mention this because I am having one of those days where I feel utterly bleugh! We were recording in class today and I caught a glimpse of myself on camera and I felt completely drab and that forbidden word... old. I slept in this morning and in doing so went to work wearing yesterdays make up and a pair of petite trousers. The worrying thing about this is I am not petite therefore teamed with a pair of chelsea boots I looked like an urchin who had grown out of her clothes especially when I threw on my two sizes too big, sheepskin charity shop jacket. A great man once said, "Success is dependent on effort"... if only I could find it.

Effort is my enemy this month because everything seems to require so much of it. January is the month we take stock of our lives. We reflect on the year past and look to what we are going to achieve in the year ahead and tell ourselves we'll do it as better human beings (I will cleanse, tone and moisturise every day. I will use my gym membership more often). Only, January is such a shitty month to make the effort. It's dark, it's cold and everyone's skint. Tomorrow I have promised I will get up when the alarm goes off. I will put my make up on properly and attempt a proper hair style. I will eat breakfast and make up my packed lunch and I will put on my new work trousers and a pair of heels even though I want to live under layers (for layers read duvet) until the dark mornings cease.

I'm not unhappy. In fact I've got lots to be happy about and I am and it's a nice feeling. I suppose I'm just a little S. A. D... And wanting to crawl under the duvet until spring is not helping me become a "better human being" however, it might mean more confessions are made from under it!

For more information on S. A. D. see this website: 
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Seasonal-affective-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx 

Sparkle and Shine

Dress - TFNC £35 // Cape - Vintage

Happy New Year! I had many blogging plans over the festive period but somehow they failed to come to fruition. My two weeks off instead alternated between cooking, drinking and lounging. In fact the majority of my December has consisted of cooking and eating; hence the large amount of winter weight I am carrying (and trying to tackle with Weight Watchers, which I will post separately on). The above pictures are from New Year's Eve and my bosses 1920s themed fiftieth birthday party respectively. I was lucky enough to borrow my friend's grandmother's sequined cape and considering said friend is in her sixties then the cape was truly special! I bought the TFNC dress from a new boutique that has opened up in my town called Maggie's Farm. They sell a mixture of new, vintage and reworked items and have stores in both Dunfermline and Dundee. Their items are very on-trend, stocking a number of web based brands such as TFNC and Love. It's really refreshing to have a boutique like this open in a town where there are a very limited number of fashion stores.

I have a few new posts up my sleeve; lots of things I want to say and wished I had said over the past few months so hopefully the new year will bring me the time and the thirst for blogging again!