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Daytime Skincare Routine

I love skincare, but I’m always a bit hesitant to talk about it too in depth. Just because I think it’s such a personal, specific thing. I do review products, but generally it’s because I really really love them or I really really hate them 🙂 I’m definitely no expert either, so that comes into play too. But, I figured I would just go through another updated daytime skincare routine. It’s less committal and just shows you what I am using right now and why.

My daytime skincare routine is quite basic. I like to keep it pretty simple. I have oily skin overall, but the older I get the more dehydration I get too. The two ailments are conflicting completely, luckily nowadays there’s products out there that will help with both skin concerns at the same time.

I am obviously chatting about what I use and why I use it in video form. You can watch above or click here to go directly to my YouTube channel here.

Blogging and having to research products and of course being sent product to trial has for sure helped me on my skincare journey. I have to learn what works for me and why so I can talk about and hopefully point readers in the right skincare direction. What I am using right now is my summer daytime skincare routine, things would vary a bit in the colder weather.

For toner I am using the Pixi Rose Tonic.

It’s gentle, minimises redness and also helps balance the skin’s PH balance.

Eye cream is the Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour.

This is a brand I wouldn’t have gotten to try if I didn’t blog, but I really enjoy this eye cream. Exuviance is created by the people at Neostrata. They say it reduces puffiness and smoothes wrinkles. I like it because it’s a thin formula that absorbs quickly, but still leaves my under eyes hydrated and smooth. A lot of eye creams can be too rich for me, this one does the job perfectly.

For moisturiser, I use the Vichy Minéral 89 Serum.

It’s created with mineral water and hyaluronic acid. A lot of people would use just as a serum as it’s more a gel formula. For me it works brilliantly as a daytime moisturiser. It plumps my skin and skins in really quickly without leaving a residue that might interfere with makeup application.

As it is Summer, I am using a hefty SPF. This one is new to me, but it’s literally been love at first application. This is the Eucerin SPF 50+ Oil Control. Yep oil control.

This is the first Summer I think that I’ve been confident enough to use a stand alone SPF on my face. Usually the formula is oily and would have me a shiny mess within the hour. Not this though, and it actually feels really nice going on too. I apply this in the morning and then I’ll use a spray something like the Ambre Solaire Sensitive Mist over my makeup if I’m outdoors throughout the day.

Last but not least I always apply a lip balm before I do my makeup. What one it is does vary, but as the weather is so darn nice I’m using one with a high SPF at the minute. I am really liking the Shiseido UV Lip Color Splash with SPF 30.

The tinted ones are nice too, but I use the clear one on most days. It’s not sticky and lip colour applies nicely over top of it.

And there you have my current daytime skincare routine. Have you tried any of the products?

xxx

*PR SAMPLES INCLUDED****

July 1, 2018/1 Comment/by Gem

Haul, Youtube Video

Beauty And Fashion Haul

I put myself on a bit of spending ban for a bit. It didn’t go great, I still managed to spend money. And I use the blog as a reason to buy makeup too, don’t judge me 🙂 But, we have a little holiday coming up and the season is changing so that’s a good excuse to go shopping for both beauty and fashion stuff, right?

We’re only going on holidays for five days and we’re going to spend most of it chilling by the pool, so I didn’t need much for that. But an excuse is an excuse.

I ended up getting some beauty stuff from Penneys and Boots. I still haven’t let myself into Harvey Nicks to check out the Fenty stand. I know I’ll end up spending a fortune 🙂 Alot of the beauty stuff consists of mini products to bring away with us, but I did pick up a few other bits.

For clothes, I didn’t go too crazy. I picked up some bits in Penneys and H&M in store. I went into Zara thinking I was going to spend a fortune, but they had feck all here in Dublin. Some online shopping happened on ASOS and Boohoo aswell for some holiday bits.

I am going through a bit of a weird time with clothes at the moment. I’ve been trying to go to the gym a good bit lately. I haven’t lost tonnes of weight or anything. I still enjoy eating too much. But my body shape is changing every so slightly. So, I feel like I don’t want to spend a fortune on stuff that might end up not fitting in the near future.

Anyways, I shall stop rambling here. I do enough of it in the video :). As always you can click above to watch or click here to go directly to my YouTube channel.

Let me know what you think.

Gemma

xxx

September 27, 2017/by Gem

Skincare

Clarins Double Serum 2017

Let me start by saying, I’ve never used the Clarins Double Serum up until this year. It was created in 1985 and has be reformulated a fair few times over the years. I believe it has won many awards too and many people think of it as their holy grail. I am no skincare guru, but I know people like the awesome Caroline Hirons haven’t been too complimentary about the previous formulas. They contained mineral oil.

Fast forward to 2017 and another reformulation of the Clarins Double Serum. They took heed, and it now doesn’t contain mineral oil.

So a quick synopsis of what it is as of today. The 2017 Clarins Double Serum is as the name would suggest, two serums in separate chambers within one bottle. This means that they only come into contact when you are applying them to your skin. Clarins say this helps the effectiveness and means they can have more good ingredients, technically within one bottle. It contains 20 plant extracts with one extra ingredient, turmeric. Turmeric is noted for it’s anti ageing properties. It’s meant to work for all skin types, including sensitive skin. And according to Clarins, meant to ‘address all signs of ageing’.

Obviously, I can only tell you my experience with it. I have been using it religiously for over a month now. I went to the launch and very generously received a sample. First off after doing my research, I have realised I am using way too much of it! And this stuff ain’t cheap! You only need one pump, and pat it into cleansed skin. I have been using two, the shame! Although saying that, you can twist the nozzle for a small application or a larger one.

As you know if you’ve been around these parts before, I have oily skin. But I am also getting older (boohoo). I still get oily, but the dehydration in my skin is becoming more apparent. This has been a great go between for both of these instances. I’ve been using it most mornings on it’s own with just eye cream, and then in the night. Sometimes on it’s own, or with an oil over top for added hydration. It soaks into the skin super fast and doesn’t leave behind any residue. This is great for makeup application particularly. I personally love the fragrance, It’s quite clean and fresh. But if fragranced skincare isn’t your thing, I suggest giving it a sniff before purchase.

What I have found since using Double Serum is that my skin looks brighter and more alive. Even the mammy has commented on it, which isn’t a usual occurrence 🙂 It feels more supple too which is brilliant!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect miracles from skincare, or from any beauty products really. Most hype is just hype a lot of the time. But, I can hand on heart say I’ve noticed a difference in my skin since using it. Anti-ageing? I guess only time will tell, and I think you have to continuously use products to reap those benefits. Skin plumping and tightening are generally (in my humble opinion), temporary.

Overall though, I am bloody loving this facet of the Clarins Double Serum. It is pricey at around €90 a pop for 50ml. But, if you don’t over use it, like me, you should get a good amount of time out of a bottle. You can buy it from Brown Thomas here.

Have you tried Double Serum?

xxx

*****PR SAMPLE*****

August 30, 2017/by Gem

Hair

Soap & Glory The Rushower Dry Shampoo

Myself and dry shampoo have a really close relationship, yep you read that right. I panic if I don’t have one stashed in a drawer ready for use. I have oily skin, which means I have oily roots. Generally, the second day after washing my gruaig, I will need a spritz. I am always a bit reluctant to talk about hair stuff too in-depth. I am not great with hair. I know how to wash, dry and use a hair straighteners or a curling wand on it. That is the extent of my hair abilities. But I guess when it comes to hair care, I know what I like and what works for me, so I am allowed dabble in it, right? 🙂 I picked up the new Soap & Glory The Rushower Dry Shampoo for one reason. Purely because it had the familiar scent the brand are known for.

They call it their Signature Pink scent which consists of Rose and Bergamot. I am a big fan of it. I love the kitsch packaging too.

I have to admit I am not majorly fussy when it comes to dry shampoo. I just want one that smells good, sprays evenly and doesn’t leave my hair feeling like I was rolling around in the sand all day. Ok, maybe I am a little bit fussy… I can say that the Soap & Glory The Rushower Dry Shampoo ticks all of them boxes for me.

It smells really good (in my opinion). It sprays really finely on the hair, so it doesn’t make your fingers or hairbrush sticky as you disperse it through the roots. It does a great job at mopping up any unwanted oiliness in the roots of the hair and gives it a bit of a lift at the same time. It also doesn’t leave a white cast on your hair, once you don’t spray it too close and give everything a good rub in!

One downside of the Soap & Glory The Rushower Dry Shampoo. It only comes in a 200ml can. And you can go through it mighty quickly! The mist is fine, so you do tend to go a bit nuts using it.

Overall though, I am a fan! I will definitely repurchase. The Soap & Glory The Rushower Dry Shampoo is available in store and online here from Boots now for €3.89.

Have you tried it?

xxx

August 2, 2017/by Gem

Skincare

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30

Myself and Effaclar Duo have a very close bond. It is one of the only face creams that doesn’t interfere with my makeup and create extra oil throughout the day. I did a blog post last year here about the OG one and about their Unifiant (tinted) version. This post is dedication to the latest release, the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30!

As someone with oily skin, SPF, generally does not do very well on my mush! SPF on it’s own is a no go. It tends to be thick and doesn’t absorb enough into the skin. When it’s within skincare, it can still be like this and I just find myself getting shiny pretty much instantaneously.

Because of this, I have to guiltily admit, sometimes I go without SPF on my face completely, or I use a foundation with some protection in it. I can say hand on heart that the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30 has been a bit of a revelation for me.

It comes in the same 40ml tube as the original and smells the same. It has the same gel like formula but it’s definitely a little thicker in consistency.

But, if you give it a couple of minutes, it does sink into the skin without feeling tacky or leaving a white mask on the skin.

It of course has SPF 30 and protects against UVA and UVB rays. It’s also kind to imperfections too. Now as it’s a moisturiser rather than full on sunscreen, it does mean that it doesn’t protect for as long and we generally apply it in a thinner layer. And it’s not water resistant. So it’s great for general day to day wear. But, if you’re heading to the beach or spending a lot of time directly in the sun, proper sunscreen is still the way to go.

The important part for me though that it doesn’t make my makeup slide off completely. I do get more shiner than I would if I use the original version, but nothing like I would if I was wearing full blown SPF.

Overall, I am a fan of the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo SPF 30. It’s a great middle ground for me. It means I have some sort of decent protection on my face day to day, while out and about. I don’t feel as exposed.

It’s available now in pharmacies nationwide. The general price is around €19 or so. I found it on Feel Unique online here for the best price.

Have you tried it yet?

Shout out to Rosie for all the help as always 🙂

xxx

****PR SAMPLE****

July 24, 2017/1 Comment/by Gem

Skincare

Night Time Skin Care Routine Currently

I already spoke about my current day time routine here. It’s only fair that I throw my night time skin care routine into the mix too 🙂

I am very proud of being someone who removes their makeup every night before sleep. No matter how tired (or typsy) I might be. For me, it’s like brushing your teeth, it just has to be done! I am not really one for makeup wipes. If I am feeling really lazy, I’ll use eye makeup remover and micellar water and call it a day. But for the most part, I like to actually wash my face.

This for me, is my current night time skin care routine. I do change up products every now and then. It’s of course part of what I do. I don’t have majorly sensitive skin either so it usually doesn’t affect my skin too radically.

I do like to extra exfoliate a couple of times each week. I’ll usually use the Waxperts Wonder Pads (which I reviewed ages ago here), or the Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer Pads. These contain AHA’s so I stick to using them at night.

If I have a breakout I use the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, which I have a review of here. It’s a bit gimmicky, but it seems to do the job. And it dries down on the skin, so you don’t get it all over your pillow which is a bonus in my book 🙂

I wear waterproof mascara on the daily, so before I wash my face I usually remove my eye makeup with an oil based cleanser.

I have been using the Botanics All Bright one for literally years. It does a great job at getting even gel liner off without too much rubbing. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and it’s as cheap as chips. You can buy it from Boots here.

For cleansing, at the moment. I have two in my bathroom. The Garnier Pure Active 3 in 1.

This can be used as a face wash, to exfoliate or a mask. I usually use this in the shower. I can wash my face with it and then pop some on as a mask while I go about my business. It is kaolin based so it dries on the skin like a clay mask. It’s been working really well for my oily skin.

If I am just washing my face and not showering I have been using the Yonka Cleansing Gel. This feels really gentle on my skin.

It is also like a spa in a plastic bottle, it smells bloody amazing.

For toner, it’s generally just the La Roche Posay Serozinc which I speak more about here. I always have a bottle of it in my skincare stash.

I use the same eye cream both day and night. My go to one over the past year or so is the La Roche Posay Ultra Toleriane Ultra Eye Contour.

I really like this stuff and it’s not super expensive either. I have a full review of it here.

Because I cannot get too heavy with moisturiser during the day because I am so oily. I usually make up for it in my night time skincare routine.

At the moment I am using (and really enjoying) the Hylamide Low Molecular HA Booster.

It’s basically a serum that contains hyaluronic acid. It helps hydrate without weighing down the skin. It’s an extra step in my routine but my skin is reacting well from it. My skin is feeling a little plumper and more hydrated without my pores being clogged up. You can buy it directly from the Deciem website here.

After that settles in, I apply a light layer of the Image Vital C Hydrating Facial Oil.

It just feels so nice. I pat a dropper amount into my face and neck. Although I am oily, I do have areas of dehydration so I use the serum and the oil in the evening to help with that. The Vital C is formulated for dull, tired skin but also suitable for acne prone skin that is healing. Image skincare is stocked in salons throughout the country including Millie’s here.

The final step in my night time skin care routine then is just lip balm. I usually just use some Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.

I have a full review of this here.

And then my night time skin care routine is completed and I am ready for bed 🙂

xxx

March 27, 2017/by Gem

Posts

For toner I am using the Pixi Rose Tonic.

Eye cream is the Exuviance Age Reverse Eye Contour.

And there you have my current daytime skincare routine. Have you tried any of the products?

xxx

*********PR SAMPLES INCLUDED************

Overall though, I am bloody loving this facet of the Clarins Double Serum. It is pricey at around €90 a pop for 50ml. But, if you don’t over use it, like me, you should get a good amount of time out of a bottle. You can buy it from Brown Thomas here.

I already spoke about my current day time routine here. It’s only fair that I throw my night time skin care routine into the mix too 🙂

*PR SAMPLES INCLUDED****