Hair Loss Recovery

My hair loss was so subtle and gradual that it only dawned on me one day while I was pulling my hair back into a ponytail, that the circumference of my whole head of hair in my hand felt much, much less than it used to.  I've always had annoyingly fine hair, or "fine...but lots of it" as my hairdresser used to say, but after that moment I became fixated by how you could literally see-through my hair when I wore it down, there was no density in it at all.  

Of course I took to Google (as you do...) and spent more hours than I would care to admit looking up causes for hair loss.  To be honest I'm still not entirely sure what caused it.  At the point I noticed it, I  was in the midst of my weight loss journey with Cambridge Weight Plan, which is a Very Low Calorie Diet, and can cause hair loss, but I was following one of their higher steps and still eating 'actual food', so don't feel I can definitively point the finger at that.  I had also gone much lighter with my hair, and wonder if the consistent bleaching weakened my already thin hair.  Of course it could be all of these things, or none of these things - fact of the matter was that it happened!

I have come across a few select products which have helped to strengthen my existing lengths, while nourishing my scalp and encouraging new growth and I had to share them with you.

First up is Shea Moisture Strengthen & Restore Shampoo.  I was initially drawn towards this as it is SLS free, but it has a cocktail of hair nourishing ingredients such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil to encourage hair growth, Peppermint to invigorate the scalp and Apple Cider Vinegar to clarify and regulate ph levels in the scalp.  Being SLS-free, I was convinced it would leave my hair weighed down and not totally 'clean', and no, I don't get that squeaky clean feeling on my hair when I use this.  It actually feels like there is some kind of residue left after rinsing, but my hair has never been softer or shinier, let me tell you.  I can only assume that it's rinsing out the excess dirt and grime on my hair while retaining the natural oils in my hair.  

I pair this with DGJ Organics Thickening Conditioner.  It has the most dreamy lavender scent which I am all about, but more than that it contains caffiene, which helps to stimulate the scalp and promote hair growth.  It's a lovely, lightweight texture, which means that it rinses out easily so I apply this from root to tip and make sure I massage it into my scalp for a couple of minutes to get maximum benefit from the ingredients.

As an overnight treatment, I have been enjoying the Shea Moisture Strengthen & Restore Treatment Masque.  It has a really thick texture, and smells sweet and slightly caramel-ly - it is like applying frosting to your hair (I have had many a cake-related dream while wearing this).  Like the shampoo, it contains Castor Oil and Peppermint, but is also loaded with Shea Butter which conditions both the hair and scalp.  It is intended to be used on the hair for up to an hour, but to be honest ain't nobody got the time to be hopping in and out of the shower all night, so I much prefer to apply this to slightly damp hair before bed then rinse out in the morning.  It leaves my hair feeling really soft and healthy.

Lastly, I have been trialling the new Nioxin Night Density Rescue.  This lives on my bedside table and is now an entrenched part of my night-time routine.  It comes with a pipette applicator and you need to use one full pipette dotted over the scalp.  I then spend a couple of minutes massaging this into my scalp.  The first thing I noticed about this was the small - it is just dreamy and even my husband mentioned how nice it was.  It promises increased hair density in 3 months so this isn't a quick fix, it's working on the scalp to help promote growth.  I have used this product for around 3-4 months now and I have some very noticeable new growth which I am certain this product has contributed towards.

I recently visited the hairdresser for some bayalage highlights (using Olplex - I wasn't taking any chances!) and I asked her if she could notice any new growth in my hair and she confirmed that I have around 3 inches of new growth.  When I run my hands through my hair I can feel a definite thickness near my roots where the new growth has come through.  

I hope this helps someone who might be going through hair loss or thinning hair. 

Products Not Worth The Hype

It's always disappointing when you lust after a product for ages and when you finally get your hands on it, it's so underwhelming you just cannot understand what everyone else saw in it.  Doing as much research as possible does help minimise any let-down, but I have come across a few products which, despite my almost obsessive trawl of Google/Instagram/Twitter etc. etc., still haven't lived up to the hype.  While it's never nice to slate a product or brand, I think it's important to be honest - not every product will work for every person.

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation
On paper, this foundation should be my holy grail; full coverage - check, lightweight - check, natural luminous finish - check, lasts all day - check...but no matter how hard I try I cannot get this product to work for me.  I have tried every conceivable way of applying this base, I've used fingers and brushes, primers and oils, tiny amounts of product, powders, setting sprays - I have tried it all.  The issues with this product start with application.  The pump dispenses the teeniest drop of product, which apparently is all that is required for the whole face.  Now, I'm under no illusion hat no matter how wonderful this product is, a drop of foundation no bigger than a couple of grains of rice just ain't gonna cut it to cover scars and redness.  However, use more than this and all hell is unleashed (well..not quite, it's just foundation..).   The problem with this foundation is that while initially it looks beautiful and flawless, it very quickly begins to almost separate and slide around on my face.    On my skin this happens fairly quickly, usually with the first hour of wearing it.  Less than ideal given the hefty price tag.

Bourjois Round Pot Blush
Blush is my absolute weakness, so the Bourjois stand draws me in like a tractor beam to their little pots of cheeky goodness.  I love the compact size of the products, the way they are subtly scented and the way the packaging matches the colour of the blush contained within.  All sounds good so far, right?  Unfortunately the baked texture of these products makes it nigh-on impossible to get payoff on my cheeks.  Seriously, you'd develop RSI in your wrist trying to get product onto the brush!  I have swirled, stabbed, and even scraped the damn thing and at the end of the day it's just not worth the hassle.  I've already used up far too many minutes of my life trying to get some colour payoff - I have even considered rubbing the little pot directly onto my cheeks..! Such a shame, as the colour I have (Sienne), is a beautiful muted pinky brown.  Let's hope Bourjois reformulate these soon.

Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade
My brows are very low maintenance.  A quick tidy up with the tweezers and a brush with a brow comb and they're happy.  Last year with my wedding approaching, and having decided that I wanted to do my own make-up, I thought I would treat my brows to a bit of extra grooming and ABH Dip Brow Pomade ( Pom-ade or pom-ad?) seemed like the ideal choice.  The colour is perfectly ashy, and it's relatively easy to apply once you realise that you need a very very small amount of this.  Plus, when it dries down it ain't going anywhere til you remove it.  The one major downside of this product is how quickly it dries out and becomes flaky and crumbly.  This, along with the fact you need very little means that it would be impossible to even make a dent in this by the time it starts to dry out.  Perhaps a smaller pot would be the answer?  Or a rethink on the packaging?

My tips for avoiding being let down (by beauty products....):

• Research.  Blogs, Google, Pinterest and Instagram are all good sources of information.  Check out swatches on different skin tones.  
• Don't rush.  There's always a fair bit of hype surrounding new releases, usually followed by a swathe of positive reviews.  If you sit it out a bit, you tend to find more honest reviews appear and you can make a more rational choice.
• Try before you buy.  This might sound obvious, but if it's available at a counter or stand, get yourself down there and ask the sales assistant to try the product on you then wear it for a few hours.  This will give you an idea if it's worth the splurge.

Are there any products which have disappointed you recently?

Frank Body Coffee Body Scrub & Balm

Taking cheesy selfies in the shower...perfectly acceptable behaviour..?!

A good body scrub is hard to find.  I have had high hopes for many a product only to be disappointed when, after scooping some product out of the tub, the grains immediately dissolve/rinse away before I can even start scrubbing.

When I first came across an article for Frank Body, I had pretty much given up hope of finding a good body scrub and instead had been using exfoliating mitts.  Don't get me wrong, they do a great job of smoothing my skin, but they can feel a bit harsh and were leaving my skin red and tender.  

This particular article I found touted Frank Body coffee scrub as a miracle product for those with various skin concerns, ranging from acne to stretch marks.  I had to try it!  I ordered up the An Original Introduction bundle which contains the original body scrub and body balm.  As a side note, the website is super cute and stylish, it's well worth a nosey.  I think the branding is spot on, it's a bit cheeky and a bit naughty, but without being seedy or sexist.  

Anyway, I digress...a couple of weeks later the package arrived and inside the blush pink box were my goodies.  I literally ran to the shower, and for someone who doesn't run often, this is a big deal folks.  There's a bit of a knack with using this product; switch on the shower and get the skin wet, then switch the shower off and rub the scrub into damp skin for 5-10 minutes.  This seems like such a long time when you are loitering around in the shower, gradually freezing your tush off, but it's really important to leave it on to get the most benefit from it.  The first time I rinsed this off I was amazed by just how soft it made my skin, leaving a thin veil of sweet almond oil behind afterwards.  This thought was closely followed by pure shock at the state of the shower cubicle - it is a messy job and the coffee grounds were everywhere but, it rinses away easily and it entirely worth it.  I blotted my skin dry and then followed up with the body balm which is an unusual squeezable oily balm.  This is also a pretty special product and left me stroking my skin in a very unnecessary way for the rest of the evening.

I have used this product once or twice per week for the last couple of months (the website suggests continuous use for maximum benefits on conditions such as cellulite and stretch marks - this ain't no quick fix) and can't recommend it highly enough.  It has noticeably improved the texture and elasticity of my skin and I can imagine that the results will only get better the longer I use the scrub.

An Original Introduction - £29.95 from frank body

Bed Head Joyride

I'm really not very exciting when it comes to styling my hair.  I have very fine hair which seems to be shedding even further (eep!...but that's another post entirely) so creating some loose curls is about as fancy as it gets with me!  Styling products tends to either weigh down my fine hair or make it dry and crispy - do you feel my pain yet?  So when Bed Head got in touch to say they were launching a new product and sent me a sample, I was pretty sceptical...

Called Joyride, they describe this product as the World's first Powder Primer Balm.  It creates the perfect base layer for any style and keeps it that way. JOYRIDE primes the hair with a fine, invisible powder that adds texture and grip making styling and hold easy. So, get a grip and hold on, for the JOYRIDE of your life!

I was fairly convinced that this product would be a powder, something along the lines of the ultra-fine texturising powders so I was a little surprised when I cut open the sachet this morning to find a clear gel inside...that'll teach me to read things properly!

As instructed I applied this to clean, damp hair and concentrated on mid-lengths and ends.  Initially I was quite unimpressed as my hair didn't feel any different after applying.  I expected to feel some kind of tackiness or grit but my hair felt the same.  I went ahead and dried off my hair as I would normally - using my heat styler to smooth out my natural curls and add a bit of volume.  It was at that point that I could see that my hair had a subtle texture to it, almost like second day hair but without any oiliness.  I ran the straightener through to create a loose wave and found that I didn't need to use any of my other normal styling products to get the subtly defined waves that I tend to go for.  This product seems to have some level of hold in it, but feels like it's just your hair.  

I snapped a couple of quick selfies in the car before work, which accounts for my sleepy face!  Concentrate on the hair, people!

Hopefully this gives you an idea of the texture and lightweight-ness (yup..reckon I just made up that there word!) of the product in relation to fine haired types like myself!

I'm pleasantly surprised that I like this product, I was sure it would be too much for my hair texture.  However instead it seems to work with the texture of my hair really well.  

Bead Head Joyride is £16.95 = buy here

LUSH Sauchiehall 20th Birthday Celebration

Oh to be 20 again...

Earlier this week I was invited to head along to the Lush store at Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow to help them celebrate their 20th Birthday.  It was lovely to be able to have a proper look at the products - the store is usually pretty busy and it's quite tricky to have a good old mooch around.  

We were introduced to some of the Oxford Street store exclusives and boy oh boy do they have some amazing stuff.  I am hoping that they will consider rolling some of these out over the rest of the country, otherwise a trip to London may be on the cards.  My favourite was the Experimenter Bath Bomb, which was dropped into a small bowl of water.  I can only imagine how pretty it would be in a full size bath - like bathing in liquid rainbow!

I was also treated to a delightful arm exfoliation using the Life's A Beach Body Scrub Powder, which is an unusual product in that it's mainly a blend of sea salt and sand.  I was stroking my arm like some kind of weirdo for quite a while afterwards - I couldn't believe how soft it had made my skin feel.

Lush also have a Spa.  Who knew?  Not me!  And by the sounds of it not just your run-of-the-mill soothing music and soft lighting kinda spa.  Lush seems to have considered the whole sensory experience with specially choreographed music, unusual techniques and spa-exclusive Lush products.  I must admit it sounds amazing, completely indulgent and I fully intend to treat myself at some point at their Spa in Edinburgh.

We got to try our hand at creating our very own Big Blue Bath Bomb, which is one of their hero products.  It contains arame seaweed, which not only softens your bath water, but the iodine helps to regulate your metabolism plus the lavender oil helps to calm and is an antiseptic - there's a lot of good stuff packed into that little blue ball!   If I wore a hat, I would take it off to the people in the Lush factory who make these all day (up to 200 per hour I'm told!), you need some serious arm muscle to smoosh it together to form a ball. 

Look at my wee face. 

The evening was rounded off by a game of 'Who Wore It Best?', getting creative using their range of knot scarves.  I panicked, folded the scarf up and tied it round my head.  Not my finest look let me tell you.  Needless to say I didn't win that particular game...

Lush kindly gave me a selection of products to try so keep an eye out for my thoughts on those in an upcoming post.  It was a lovely, fun evening and it was great to meet some rather awesome fellow bloggers too.

Do you have any Lush recommendations?  What are your favourite Lush products?

Loreal Infallible Matte 24 Hours

I first learned about this foundation when Sam Schuerman raved about it recently and I pretty much dismissed it as being one of the many products which never make it across to the UK.  So imagine my delight when I found myself (read: made a beeline) for the beauty aisle in Tesco and saw it sitting on the stand!  Day -made.  No seriously, it was a slow Saturday.  It was only £5.99, which I assume was an introductory price, so if you're curious about this product, I suggest you hot foot it down to Tesco soon.  

It claims to wear for 24 hours.  That's nice an' all, but where will it end with these ridiculous claims? 72 hour wear?! We will have to have the damn thing surgically removed from our faces next!

I really like the packaging; it's easy to control how much you use by squeezing out the products and it also has a narrow nozzle so there's no mess or overspill.  I picked up shade 20 - Sand, which would be suitable for those around a MAC NC25.  The foundation has a fairly firm consistency and I assumed that when I applied it, it would be full coverage.  But, it actually applies to a medium coverage which can be built up where needed.  I noticed that it doesn't become matte until it had dried down, which happens after about 5 minutes.  True to the claims, when it did dry down the finish was perfectly matte but I did find that I needed to add a bit of 'life' back into my skin with some strategically placed highlighter.  

Let's have look at some pictures.  The first is bare-faced (eek!), the second with all make up applied and the third is after about 8 hours, just to show how it wears after a significant amount of time.

Sorry for the extreme close-up in the last photo, but I wanted to get close in so you could see if the foundation had slipped or faded.  It does seem to have rubbed off slightly round my nose if I'm being uber critical, but apart from that it held up well and still looked good.  The finish changed from matte to more natural and skin-like, but without any oiliness.  If you're looking for a fairly affordable, long-wearing foundation you just might like this!

Glam Candy Blogger Event & Reader Offer!

A couple of weeks ago I was invited along to find out more about the Glam Candy Make Up School at the beautiful Papillon Salon in the heart of Glasgow.  We met the Managing Director of the company, Hayley, who was just lovely and shared the story behind the company.  Glam Candy offer various masterclasses and well as more professional courses for those keen to get into the industry.  Alongside the professional course, they also offer an agency service for new artists.  I think this is such a spot-on idea as I would imagine it's tough to get bookings until they become more established.

We were introduced to Carol and Nikki from the Pro Artist Team.  Nikki showed us how to achieve a couple of looks; a beautiful neutral smokey eye and a Christmas party-appropriate purple sparkly look.  Nikki really knew her stuff, especially when she started pulling out her palettes - it was a blur of Lorac, Hourglass and Anastasia Beverly Hills! I got a bit giddy at that point and before I knew it I was in the make up chair and Nikki was teaching me how to achieve the perfect eyeliner flick and smoking up my eye look with the Lorac Mega Pro palette!

We were kindly gifted a brush set and I have been really enjoying playing with them all.  In particular I have been enjoying using the fan brush, which I have been using both to contour and highlight as it seems to both concentrate the product and blend at the same time.  I also love the little spooley brush for taming my brows and the small shader brush for smoking out my liner on the lower lash line.  The angled brush is soft and fluffy and is ideal for crease work.

They have given me a cheeky little discount code for all my readers too! Click on over to Glam Candy now to snap up the deal, whether it's for someone else or for yourself...self-gifting is totally justified at Christmas!

They have also kindly invited me along to one of their Masterclasses in the new year, which I'm really looking forward to. I'll keep you all posted on what I learn!

June Favourites

I don't normally post about monthly favourites, but there have been a few products I have really been diggin' this month, so I fired up the camera and blabbed on about them!

You can check out the video below, or click here to see my YouTube Channel.

Lust list #1

This is a first for me, but I enjoy these kinds of posts.  I've also got those skint-before-payday blues so thought a spot of virtual hauling may cheer me up!

1.  Clinique CC Cream

Normally i'm not sucked up to the BB/CC hype, they always seem like glorified tinted moisturisers.  However, I've seen some decent reviews of this and now I want to try it.  For reference, i'll probably hate it!

2.  Living Proof Prime can't find a UK stockist *cries*

Not a brand I have heard much about, but again this product is popping up on a few blogs and those who used it seem to think it does extend their styles.  I'm not sure my hair has a style at the moment, but if it extends my time between washes then i'm sold.

3.  Stila Countless Colour Pigment 

The beauty of these products makes me want to weep.  I mean, look at them, all tempting like little pots of make-up art.  Need to get my mitts on these before they dissapear.

4.  China Glaze Hunger Games Collection

Somehow this totally bypassed me when it was released, nut i'm a big fan of the film and an even bigger fan of nail polish, so it's meant to be, no?

5.  Barry M Gelly in Prickly Pear

Have slipped another nail polish into the list as, for some reason, i've been looking for a lavendar polish.  I already have a couple from this range and the formula is good, so this is next in my basket.

Hope you enjoyed this post.  Let me know what you're lusting after and link me up!

Beauty Resolution #3 - Learn to Love My Skin!

Can you believe I am still posting about my New Year resolutions?!  I had a bit of bad news so have taken a step back but I really wanted to post about this before the month of January was up.  I'm sure they say that by this date, most resolutions have been broken, but i'm happy to say i'm still going strong! Hurrah!

In the past few years my skincare regime has been scaled down and down until, at the end of last year, all I was doing was cleansing and not even applying moisturiser!  I can hear you all tutting in disapproval!  In return, my skin repaid me by either being super oily or flaky and dry.  It was clear it was time for a routine!  I've made a few new skincare purchases recently, let's have a look..

First up I am still using the very last drops of the Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil.  I previously reviewed this here and am happy to report that I am still loving this product.

I've been lusting after the entire Origins range since a concession appeared in my local Debenhams.  I am a little bit obsessed with applying oils to my face so decided I needed Origins Clean Energy Cleaning Oil in my life.  I actually bought the pump as it doesn't come with one, and I'm glad I did since you only need 2 pumps max.  It's really easy to use, just massage into dry skin, splash on some water to emulsify then I normally remove with my Emma Hardie Cleansing Cloth.  Not only does it smell divine, but it literally melts away make-up and doesn't strip the skin nor leave it oily.

I've been dipping my toe into face masks recently.  Well, not my actual toe, but my proverbial toe...!  During a recent jaunt round Asda I spied the nspa 5 Minute Magic Mask.  It has a bit of an odd texture, like a thick cream with little micro beads in it.  The idea is that as you apply the mask you rub in circular motions to burst these little beads, which releases more good stuff onto the skin.  This is a bit tricky to master if i'm honest, as I'm usually a fan of the smooth-and-go method when applying masks.  This requires a systematic smoothing and rubbing therefore takes a bit longer, but it's no biggie.  I did notice a fair bit of tingling with this mask, but nothing uncomfortable.  My face feels smooth when I rinse this off, but I need to trial it a bit longer to see if it does anything else.

Normally I wouldn't really pay much attention to Clinique as a skincare brand, their 3 step system just didn't do anything for me and I pretty much wrote them off in terms of suitable skincare.  However, they've really stepped up their game recently and I am now using the Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector and the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Remover.  I wanted to incorporate an eye cream into my routine since i'm not getting any younger, plus my dark circles aint getting any lighter.  This light texture tinted cream is dispensed through this metal nozzle which is lovely to use.  Are my dark circles gone?  Well, not exactly, but i'll stick with it.  I'm using the Dark Spot Corrector as a primer before foundation and it feels lovely on the skin.  It does seem to fade those horrible spot scars more quickly too which is a bonus!

My most recent purchase was the Keihl's Over Night Biological Peel.  I can be a bit lazy therefore i'm a fan of anything that I can slather on before bed and requires minimal effort from me.  At the moment I am using this 3 times a week and I must say, my skin feels nice and polished in the morning when I rinse this off.

I have my beady eye on a few other products but I think I will hold off til we go to Florida (in 3 weeks!!!) since many of them are US brands which I suspect will be cheaper over the pond!

Do you have any skincare recommendations?  In particular masks/treatments...remember, i'm lazy! :)

Beauty Resolution #2 - Blog More!

Following on from my last post about my first beauty resolution, I thought I'd share another with you...

#2 - Blog More

I know, I know..every blogger and their cat has this resolution, but I figure there is room for that particular bandwagon for me too!

I've never been a regular blogger. I envy those who blog multiple times a day. I wish I was that organised, had posts all scheduled and ready to go...but I'm not. For me, blogging is quite an organic thing; sometimes I could blog for hours and at other times my blogging mojo disappears and my little corner of the internet becomes very quiet.

So, what are my plans then?

First up, I am going to make full use of times where I feel like blogging. Now, I realise this does seem like I am stating the obvious, but what I mean is that I will draft up posts while I'm in the blogging groove and that way I should have a pool of posts ready to put the finishing touches to and make live. Easy!

Next thing is to keep a notebook in my bag. I'm always thinking up ideas for posts and things to review, but I am so forgetful that writing these ideas down as they happen should help me focus. Plus, it'll help me to plan what I need to photograph, which brings me to my next point...

I'm not a fan of Winter for many reasons, one of which is the fact that from Monday - Friday I seem to go to work and come back from work in the dark! The natural daylight is long gone by the time I get in from work. This makes photographing things for my blog really difficult, as I want you to be able to see the true colours of things I'm talking about without it being all dark and shadowy. So, I am going to dedicate a hour or so over the weekend to photographing things for my blog. That way, I'll have all my photos ready for during the week when I have time to blog.

Lastly, I want to set some goals for my blog. I want to blog at least once a week. When you consider that I currently blog, at most, once a month I think that is manageable for me. I also want to increase the traffic to my blog through posting more and promoting myself more through social media. I do this sporadically at the moment, but I want to try and be more vocal during the #bbloggers twitter chats and such like.

Do any of you have any other tips for being more organised to blog more?

I have one more beauty resolution to share with you, so stay tuned for that very soon!

Take care x

Beauty Resolution #1 - Make Up Clear Out and Spend Less

Happy New Year girlies!!

It's that time of year again where we all make our resolutions for the coming year.  I've made a few beauty/blog related ones which I thought I'd share with you, starting with...

#1 - Make Up Clear Out and Spend Less

I have a lot of make-up.  That isn't a boasting statement, rather an addicts admission!  In the beginning of my obsession, I would splurge on high-end make up however, at some point this turned into buying copious lower end (or drug store) make-up.  We have some cracking cheaper brands of make up in the UK and I just can't help myself when I'm in Boots or Superdrug.  Hence I have reached breaking point (quite literally) in my make-up storage and am forever rooting around in piles of make-up to find what I want.  This also means that some much-loved-yet-forgotten items get hidden and therefore not used.  This makes me sad, and very ashamed that it's come to this.  So today I decided a good old New Year's clear out was in order!

To start, I sorted out my make-up into different categories; Keep, Bin, Back to MAC and Sell.

Keep - Anything I love and will use was kept.  I also kept some limited edition items, even although they don't get regular use.

Bin - Anything that smelled or looked funny, was separated, broken or just unloved (frosty pink lipstick anyone?) got chucked.  This included some random, scratchy brushes! Go me!

Back to MAC - MAC Cosmetics have a scheme where if you return empty packaging, with the exception of some items, you can swap them for a lipstick.  In the UK you need 6 separate items, however I believe this varies in other countries.  I save mine in a drawstring bag so they don't get lost or thrown away by mistake.

Sell - I have some bits and pieces of make-up that are in good condition, but that I just don't love any more   I plan to either do a blog sale, pop them on ebay or maybe take them along to a car boot sale.

I then re-organised everything into the drawer.  I had a damp cleaning cloth to hand to get rid of any dust or dirt.  I have the Malm Dressing Table from Ikea, which I use to store the majority of my make up.  I love the idea of the dividers that you can get for these however can't justify the money right now so instead I've used various different boxes and baskets that I had lying around.  It houses my make-up perfectly and I can pretty much see at a glance what I have.

At the end of it, I had a large plastic bag full of stuff to go in the bin, and a smaller basket of stuff to be sold.  And seeing all my make-up looking tidy and organised, well, that made my heart happy!

Spending Less...

I figure that now that my make-up is all visible  neat and tidy, perhaps I will be less inclined to spend.  Where I do buy make-up, I want to be able to justify the purchase to myself.  I'm going to cut out unnecessary spending in Boots/Superdrug because I'm bored/sad/happy/it's a day ending with a 'Y'.  Buying 345 drugstore foundations to find one as good as a £30 high end foundation is just crazy!  And I do that...a lot!

I'm not imposing a spending ban on myself, because I have zero willpower.  I am banning myself from regular browsing in Boots or Superdrug, unless I know what I am going in there for.

I'm hoping that by the end of the year this resolution will have become a habit.

Have you made any resolutions?

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

I don't very often post about skincare on my blog.  I think it's because i'm not normally wow'd by such products.  So after using this little gem for over 3 months and still loving it I thought it was worthy of a blog post all of it's own.

I first heard about this product on YouTube.  The girl had suffered from acne and was left with scarring, and this was the product she swore by.  That's all the persuasion I needed so I hot-footed it to Holland and Barrett, which is one of many stockists of this product.  Here is a link.  I paid £16.55.

20ml of product doesn't seem much, but when you consider that you need only 2-3 drops per use, it really does go a long way!  I have slotted this into my night-time routine...I say slotted like it's a lengthy and complicated routine..but it isn't!  I basically cleanse as normal and while my skin is still slightly damp I apply 2 or 3 drops of the oil and massage it in for around a minute.  My reasoning behind the massage is that it'll increase my circulation and well...it feel's nice!

One thing to be aware of is the smell.  Since this is pure, rosehippy oily goodness it doesn't have any added fragrance.  It therefore smells, to me, like vegetable oil.  At first this really bothered me, but somehow it's less noticeable now.  Just something to be aware of if you have a sensitive nose!

So what has this done for my skin?  Well after my first use I woke up to plumped up, super-soft and hydrated skin.  I honestly couldn't stop touching it!  I suffer from the odd spot or breakout, and found that this helped to fade those ugly red-brown scars more quickly.  I also fried my back a little on holiday and mixed this in with my moisturiser and it really helped to calm the skin and hydrate it.

I'm sure as we descend into Winter this product will help regulate my skin and prevent that dry, flakiness that seems to occur.

I'm very impressed with this product and i'm keen to explore the Trilogy brand further.