Credit to No 7 and a skincare update!

For the first time in a while (fingers crossed), I think I can declare that, my skin is in pretty good condition at the moment.
These are my current skincare products:

No 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser; Lush Tea Tree Water; No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum; Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream

I actually think that I will stick with this routine for the time being. It just seems to work for me. Here is a little more about what I think of each product.

No 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser
I have been in to hot cloth cleansers ever since I first used the Liz Earle one. They really seem to do the job and there is something about the whole regime that really leaves your skin feeling refreshed and yes, polished. I've also used the Soap and Glory one and the Botanics Balm. I have heard that the No 7 one is inferior to Liz Earle. I'm not so sure. I have nothing to complain about as far as the No7 version is concerned and it is so accessible, if you can find a Boots.

Tea Tree Water
This toner is billed to tone and detoxify oily skin with Tea Tree, grapefuit and juniper. Now, I'd say my skin is prone to dryness but I still use this product on cotton wool twice a day in a bid to keep any blemishes away. I also use it if my skin feels a little tingly just in case there is a nasty spot on the way. I just spray it straight on to the tingle and it seems to work. Still (fingers crossed again please) blemish free.

No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum
I have been wanting to incorporate a serum in to my skincare routine for a while. Serums no longer seem to be deemed as a luxury extra. They have actually secured a step all of their own in the ideal skincare routine. This one has always being on my radar. Who doesn't remember the headlines when it was first released in 2007 and proven to deliver its claims?!
This product claims to reduce 'the appearance of pores and smoothing lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks' so I'm hoping it is doing some work on my forehead lines (the work the Frownies shirked) but I haven't really noticed that yet or giving the issue too much attention as the main reason, I brought this product was for the resurfacing. Although I've got rid of those horrible blemishes that blighted me a year or so ago, sometimes my skin still looks a little harassed but this serum promises to 'Reveal younger looking, beautifully refined skin with this powerful blend of protecting and renewing ingredients' and yes, I think my pores look smaller and my skin looks smoother and more refined. Yay!

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream
This cream seems to be keeping my skin soft without annoying it. I use it twice a day and very occasionally, I feel a little dry around my forehead but that is soon solved with a fix of the Avene Soothing Moisture Mask. There are three big reasons why I like this moisturiser:
1/ It seems to do what a moisturiser is meant to in that it moisturises and keeps the skin soft
2/ It does its work without irritating my skin.
3/ This cream is so easy to use. It sinks in to the skin quickly meaning the face is ready to be made up quickly in the morning and there is no sticky residue on the pillow at night.
Hardly ground-breaking results but I can tell you it is fricking hard to find a moisturiser that delivers in such a manner.

I honestly think that the key to this whole routine is that it seems quite gentle. These products focus more on soothing and gently smoothing rather then attacking and scrubbing. My new routine and its products may seem a bit too simple, compared to some regimes and higher end products but all I can say is look back through my blog, I overlooked gentility and simplicity for a long time. I've used a lot of different skincare products and regimes and I do wonder if some sent my skin in to overdrive.

And also . . .
I really want to give the Boots No7 brand some credit. I have never really took much notice of No 7 before and have mostly only purchased make up brushes or nail polish from them when I've had one of the £5 till vouchers but recently, I've added more of their products to my daily routine and they have really stepped up to the mark.

I have already talked about the cleanser and the serum in this post but I should also give a shoutout to the Lash Adapt Mascara (see earlier post), I'm still loving it! Sometimes, I slap mascara on in the mornings without thinking about it and it is only when I'm taking pictures for this blog that I realise how fantastic this mascara is. It really opens the eye up and adds length. The only but is that as it has aged, I have noticed that this mascara does not behave quite as well as I believed (unlike Max Factor Lash Extension). In the rain, this mascara will smudge and layered up, it does sometimes clump a little on my lashes(contrary to its no clumps marketing claims). However, I'm not one to worry about a clump or two. The final look is more often then not what I mainly rate a mascara on and the wide eyed look produced by this mascara is up there with the best of them.

So at the moment, No 7 definitely falls on the right side of me and next time I need a new beauty product, of whatever nature, I will consider the offerings from No7.

What skincare products are you enjoying? What mascara should I try next? Ha, you know it is going to happen. I never stay loyal to a mascara for long.
Before I go, expect a post soon about my new dress. (This one! Click here!!) I have fallen for this one big time. I keep opening the wardrobe just to look at it!

X

High Street Finds!

So today, I did a little bit of shopping and I admit, I think I had some sort of Gok Wan moment where I was overwhelmed by what you can actually find on the high street at the moment.

I was so impressed with the workmanship and beading on this New Look piece. It looks so special (I think, exquisite is the word), it had to be mine!
If all the sequins don't fall off, this is gonna be an investment buy. It could jazz up any outfit. It is absolutely beautiful and certainly makes a change from my normal black cropped 3/4 length cardis.

As is this Kimono, also from New Look. I'm not normally one for print but this bird print is gorgeous and the fact that it is worked on a black background keeps me in my safety zone.
I don't think the camera has picked up how lovely this piece looks in reality (it looks too much like a night shirt on film!!). The sequins on each bird really draws the eye to the piece and adds that something more.

I'm thinking the earlier New Look item is more of a dressy one and will literally dress your outfit up. I don't think this kimono is quite so jazzy (although thinking about it, over a pencil skirt and tight black top, there is certainly potential) but I brought this one to lend my casual day to day uniform (yes, jeans and a couple of layered vests or tees!), a bit of style.

Clothes-wise, I also made some purchases in H&M. I brought two gorgeous dresses, roll on the Christmas parties and also, a trench coat. That's right, forget all I've said about trenches in the past. I absolutely adore the one I purchased today. I think it deserves a post all of its own but I just want to trial it out properly first as I have noticed over the last couple of months, that things seem to always look great in the H&M changing room and not so good when I get them home. Magic mirrors?! Maybe! However, I hope my new trench lives up to the reflection I saw earlier.

I will go off on a tangent now.

This is quite a recent purchase from H&M. Now since I've had it home, I've been wondering what to do with it. It doesn't seem to lie flat and the colour now seems much harsher then I originally gauged. Fail?! Maybe! Let me know if you've got this or any ideas how to style it. Pretty please!!


Back to today, I also went to Boots and stocked up on a few "essentials".

Due to the Frownie Fail and the fact that I seem to go through Liquid Gold very quickly (50mls in about 6 applications?!), I used my No7 voucher to get some of the notorious Number 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty serum which is billed to 'smooth[ing] lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks'. Fingers crossed.

I'm about to finish my Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream. This stuff is amazing. I tried the normal cream (I think, I picked up the body emollient instead of a face cream, by mistake) earlier in the year when Pixiwoo first mentioned the brand and wasn't overwhelmed but this face repair cream is brilliant. I have being using it as a moisturiser most mornings and evenings. Everything seems calmer. Very occasionally my skin feels a little dry between the brows (which is more likely down to the colder weather and possibly that I didn't moisturise so much when I used Liquid Gold) so every other night I have been layering this over the Avene Moisturising Mask (I normally don't wipe off the excess as instructed but instead let it soak in to my skin overnight) and the next morning any dryness has gone. It is very rare that I buy another tube from the same brand as soon as I've finished the last one. I normally swap it up but I'm so happy with Oilatum at the moment (and I'm also happy, toning with the Tea Tree water from Lush. I'm not sure what it is doing but I just know, it is doing good).

I also stocked up on a couple of John Frieda conditioning treatments, mini ones. I noticed how dry my hair was looking in the changing rooms possibly from the Mane and Tail. I have been using the Lee Stafford treatments and the VO5 ones up to now but have ran out so I thought I'd give these two a go this week and then decide what full size treatments to invest in. Got to say, back in the day, I used to love the John Frieda Brilliantly Brunette products. At the very least, I remember they smelt divine and I'm sure, there was a whole lot of shine too. Ooh, I will get back to you on that.

I also got the Daily Smooth, I actually think it might be my favourite smell ever and as for the moisturising function, bonus!;)

You will also see the Boots Christmas book is out, yay. When I was little, we used to go through the Argos book marking what toys we want. Yes people, I now do this in the Boots book but with beauty treats and such instead of toys (obviously!) and what is more, I take a whole evening to devour the book and then go back through to star my Christmas wishes. See, some things can be said for longer, darker nights.

Hope you are all ok and having a good week. I've got to say I've caught up with this series of TOWIE and I'm loving it. Also loving the Rachel Zoe Reports coming in to my inbox each day, inspirational even if I can't afford or access some of it, and Olivia Palermo's new blog and Undressed Skeleton which Kelly mentioned. Oh and I've dug some old blushes out and I can't remember if I applied Mac Blushbaby or Benefit Throb today but it looked really good and had some staying power in the drizzle and shopping whirl. I think it was Blushbaby!

Have you brought anything amazing lately? Have you tried the No 7 serum or Oilatum?

Take care

X