SKINCARE OVERHAUL!

Hello everyone! It's 2014 (a month late but still better than nothing!) And today is the 12th of February which means it's my birthday! I am now one year older and in the words of T-Swift - I'm feeling twenty-twooooooo! 

As I'm another year older, I thought hey, why not change up my skin routine? Followers will know I'm a severely oily skinned girl, but yes, in that photo above there is even an oil! The horror! I'm on a new skin journey for radiant, glowy skin, because even though I am oily, I've also got quite the problem with dullness. This post isn't going to be a review but a little sneak peak at my new routine, full reviews will come later.

That oil you see is the Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil, £10.99 (x) first of all, what a name! Second of all the smell of this is completely amazing. Being an oil I was first pretty scared to try it and had visions of me wiping this off my face and breakouts emerging! But seeing as I'm on a mission for radiant skin, I took the plunge, and boy I'm glad I did.

Next up is the Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator, £2.99 (x) As I'm quite new to this whole radiance thing I thought I'd buy a little tube to test this guy out. I've been using the Purifying range from Sanctuary for a while now and it's been doing me good so I thought it would be a good choice, and I've been surprised by the results after just a few uses. 

Nip+Fab No Needle Fix, £13.33 (x) was a bit of an accident, I was looking for the Glycolic Serum (x) and picked this one up inside by accident, but never the less it has been a pleasure to use! It promises to plump and volumise the skin and contains good old hyaluronic acid to provide moisture (The glycolic version is winging its way to me in the post as we speak)

Lush Dark Angels Cleanser, £6.35 (x) , Mask of Magnaminty, £5.25 (x) & Tea Tree Toner Water, £3.95 (x) These are all one of those products where you wish you took before and after photos! These used together are perfect to keep myself from becoming an oily mess whilst using all these other moisture inducing products. It was my first experience using skincare from Lush and I really am pleasantly surprised by the results I've had, and the mask is quickly becoming one of my favourites!

If you read back through my blog you'll know I'm constantly on the look out for something to banish the eye darkness! I'm starting to think my eye problems are all hereditary and it that case nothing I use will really diminish them to the point of no return, but Indeed Labs Eysilix, £24.99 (x) has come to my rescue! I've been using this twice a day for the past four days and I already see such a difference, and it's making me more confident to go outside without any concealer on! Containing lots of lovely peptides to help the skin, this is also becoming a quick favourite in my new skincare routine!

And then there's one thing that I double will ever change, La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat, £10.12 (x) a good old favourite that I don't think can do any wrong!

So, that is my new skincare routine that is actually doing something I can see to my skin, as I said reviews of everything will be coming at a later date after I've been using them for a little longer, but it all seems good from here. Also I'm sorry for being a terrible blogger, I am back now with a new found motivation and I will be posting regularly, promise!

SKINCARE | LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR MAT

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat, £11.90 (x)

As stated before, I'm an oily skinned girl and extremely self concious about it. I am a big lover of all La Roche-Posay products and so far haven't been able to fault one of them, and this is no exception! The product is a thin cream, and claims to have a long lasting mattifying effect, which I totally agree with. I use this after cleansing and toning my face, just dot a small amount onto my finger tips and rub into my skin, especially around areas which I find are most oily, such as around my nose and my chin.

If I apply this before makeup, I find it acts as a very good base and primer. My foundation looks a lot 'softer' if that makes sense, and it glides on easier, but also doesnt leave a greasy residue. It keeps my oil at bay and even after the intense heat we've been having in the UK recently, my makeup still stays flawless (I hate using that word it sounds so pretentious but it's true ahaha!)

It also claims to tighten pores and reduce sebum production, which I cannot vouch for as I do not use this everyday (For days when my skin feels a little dehydrated I use Hydraphase instead) but I do believe with prolonged use it could diminish pores, as it definitely mattifys my skin.

I would definitely repurchase this, and on Escentual its on offer for £11.90 down from £14! Go my fellow oily-skinned girls, go!

MAKE UP | URBAN DECAY DE SLICK

URBAN DECAY DE-SLICK MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY, £9 (x)

Going to be totally honest here, I'm an extremely oily girl. I can go maybe about an hour throughout my day before oil starts, and it's not even just around my t-zone... It's everywhere. I even get oily around my eyes which means that eyeliner and mascara isn't at it's best and really, being oily skinned makes me very self concious. 

I was a big lover and fan of the other Urban Decay spray, All Nighter  (x) and when Debenhams had it's sale (I swear Debenhams always has a sale?!) I went to put that in my little online shopping bag, but then had a change of heart and thought I'd give this a go. Now being extremely oily, I thought that this would work as well, if not better, than All Nighter, giving that it is targeted towards it specifically... If you cannot guess already, I was a little disheartened.

It says it'll keep foundation and blush from slipping or fading and states 'Goodbye shine, hello vibrant long lasting make up' which sounds good, right? For me, it was more like just spraying water on my face. With the All Nighter spray, you kind of feel it tighten a little on your skin, not uncomfortably, but once it's dry you know you've sprayed it and it sets. With this one, I sprayed it and it sunk in. Which isn't a bad thing, but it didn't give me that sort of .. 'safety' I felt with the other one. It left my skin dewy, which is nice and I thought that maybe it'd just prevent the oil from coming through when the time come. 

About an hour later, I touched my face and just felt this oily texture to my skin, looked at my hand and to my shock, there was foundation on my fingers!! I looked in the mirror and I looked once again like a shiny mess... Now I don't know if this was because I myself am just that tad too oily for this to work, or maybe it just isn't worth it, considering that that is what this product is specifically for.

I did test this over a long period of time, and every time had the same result. I think if you're extremely oily, maybe just opt for the All Nighter spray as I know for a fact that keeps makeup in place perfectly for hours. This would maybe suit combo skin or just normal that suffers from slipping when in hot weather!

Overally, I'm pretty disappointed and I'm glad I only bought the small travel size bottle to test out, but at least I'll always have my trusty All Nighter to fall back on!

MAKE UP | URBAN DECAY 24/7 WATERPROOF EYE PENCIL

URBAN DECAY 24/7 WATERPROOF EYE PENCIL in PERVERSION, £14 (x)

Having started this blog to talk about all things beauty, I have no idea why I've left it so long to write about this little baby! I first heard about this on youtube and I remember at the time I had been getting so annoyed as I'd apply my eyeliner and then a few hours later it'd be out of my waterline! I had given up on the whole eyeliner game really and had come to terms with the fact that I would forever be touching it up wherever I was, until this came into my life. I bought it on a whim and I'm so glad I did!

The formula itself is very creamy and when you first apply it it really makes you doubt its staying power.. but believe me, once this sets, it's set. The formula also makes it a bit hard to sharpen as it seems to sort of.. Melt if it gets too warm? Don't really think melt is the right word, but basically it's creamy enough that you can blend it out to be smokey if you'd like to. This is in the shade Perversion which is the blackest black they have, and to be honest the blackest eyeliner I've ever used! They have another shade Zero which I think is less intense but I haven't tried it. Now, what makes this eyeliner so special is that it stays in the waterline until you take it off. It doesn't fade, it doesn't budge, it doesn't smudge up in the corners or give you panda eyes, it stays! I've also used it when I didn't have my liquid eyeliner to do a flick, and I fell asleep with my makeup on that night (Bad Kitty!) and when I woke up my waterline and flick were still intact! It literally shocked me so much that it hadn't even smudged or faded the tiniest amount, it was as black and bold as when I first applied it!

This is hands down the best eyeliner I've ever used and I will never go back to any other liner. I really want to try out some other shades and also some of the rest of the 24/7 range, such as the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Shadow Pencils. If this pencil can last on my waterline, imagine what they can do!

SKINCARE | VICHY AQUALIA THERMAL EYE ROLL ON

 VICHY AQUALIA THERMAL EYE ROLL ON, £14 (x)

Considering how much I rave on about this on Twitter I thought it was about time I reviewed this little life saver. After picking this up in my recent haul, I've been using it every day and night, and sometimes pairing it with the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Eye cream. I definitely have seen a substantial difference in the skin under my eyes in texture and in colour! I can only wish I had taken before and after photos.

The product itself comes in this squeezy tube with a handy rollerball which provides an instant cooling effect, which is awakening in the mornings and soothing in the evenings for tired eyes. My eye area, like most other peoples, is quite sensitive yet I have had no adverse reactions to this which is a relief as the reason I stayed clear of eye cream for so long was because of my fear of the dreaded eye milia! It's a thin, lightweight gel that is in no way sticky and it 'sets' quickly providing a nice base for eyemakeup without flaking or rolling up like some eye products can.

Much like the LRP Hydraphase, I have found this roller ball a little life saver! I thought that the lines around my eyes were a sign of early aging (God forbid, I'm 21!) but after learning they were dehydration lines and knowing starting an eye care routine would help, I'm seeing a lot of difference in such a small amount of time! Aswell as lessening my dark circles and making the skin around my eyes feel a lot stronger, I can pop this in my bag for non makeup days and whip it on if I feel like I need a bit of waking up!
 

SKINCARE | LA ROCHE-POSAY HYDRAPHASE EYES

LA ROCHE-POSAY HYDRAPHASE EYES, £14.50 (x)

After my little hunt for a miracle eye cream, my first port of call being the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Roll-On, I thought I'd venture out yonder. My dark circles are caused by, I think, staring at a laptop screen for most of my life and the fact that I don't really ever sit in full daylight at any one time (I like my mood lighting, ok?!) That and a lack of water, so extreme dehydration is on the cards. I also get dry on my inner corners which makes applying eyeshadow a bit of a faff.. No one lines flakey eyelids (Is that even a thing?! Eugh) Apart from upping my water intake, and in general trying to take better care of my little eyeballs - less rubbing those sleepy, straining peepers - I didn't really think an eye cream would do much damage, and if it didn't do anything at all then I hadn't lost out on much!

The formula of this is a clear, light weight gel that is easily absorbed around the eye area. I apply this in the morning and at night before bed and have been doing so for about a week now... and I'm quite amazed to say, I do see some results! The underneath of my eyes are lightened quite substantially and I've been finding myself having to use less concealer. My inner corners are also not as dry and I feel like the skin around my eyes is a lot stronger and more hydrated. I don't know if my results were so dramatic simply because I'd never used an eyecream before this and I'm reaping the benefits early, but boy, I'm not complaining!

 Hydraphase Eyes contains Hyaluronic Acid which is a molecule that attracts and holds water in the skin. It also contains Caffeine, a popular component in eyecreams, which is an antioxident that helps with swelling.

Under-eye bags were never really a problem for me, so I can't say how good it would work for that, but if it's working for the rest of my problems I don't see why it wouldn't help!

Overall I feel like my eye area is more hydrated, looks brighter, and I'm really impressed! Go La Roche-Posay!

MAKE UP | ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR

ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR, £27.50 (x)

Having extremely oily skin I can't seem to find a nice dewy foundation that doesn't leave me looking shinier than a disco ball 5 seconds after I've applied it. I dabbled in primers, but nothing has seemed to work, and my beloved Illamasqua Rich Liquid, no matter how amazing it is, leaves me greasy if I don't set it well with a powder. Powder isn't something I love, and so I always strive to look for a foundation that I can just put on and leave as it is. That's where Estee Lauder comes in handy!

They've recently added to their shade range which confused me a little at first and I'm worried I may of purchased the wrong shade, but the nice lady at the counter in Boots told me if it was wrong I could bring it back, which is definitely news to me! Back when I was 16 I used to wear this all the time, it was my holy grail, and then I'm not really sure what happened but I think I just ran out and never bought it again. Now 5 years later (5 years, oh Jesus!) I have returned. I used to be shade 1C1 'Shell', and now 1C1 is called 'Cool Bone' I assumed the colour would be the same and the name had just changed but it seems a little more yellow than I remember, but blended well it looks fine on my skin.

The foundation itself is a liquid, and many reviews I've seen seem to compare it to 'wearing a mask'. It's true, it's high coverage stuff, but you only need a small amount of this product and I think that's wear people go wrong. I usually buff this into my face with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, or use my hands. Yes, my hands. It can get a little messy, but the overally effect is very seamless and blended. I'd compare it to how you warm Studio Fix concealer with your fingers - if you use your hands with this it warms into the skin much more and that helps with making it not look mask-like.

Now for the best part - in my opinion. Doublewear is the only foundation I've ever used that I don't have to powder, or touch up during the day. I've also maybe slept in this (Once upon a time! Don't kill me) and woken up to a nearly flawless face... Now if that's not long wearing, I don't know what is.

For me this is the perfect everyday foundation when just used minimally, build it up it is perfect for a night out.

Have you tried Doublewear? Are you a fellow lover, or a hater?