Wednesday 17 September 2014

My Skincare Routine

I'm one of those people who loves 'routine' posts and videos- I love finding out exactly what products people use, whether they're any good, and getting ideas for things that I might want to try. I thought I'd do a post on my skincare routine as that's something I find really interesting to read from other people, so hopefully some of you will too!
As a quick disclaimer, I have normal to dry skin, although it has a tendency to become extremely dry in the winter months. Up until a couple of years ago I had little to no skincare routine- I removed my make-up with the Clean&Clear Blackhead clearing cleanser and that was it. No scrubs, no moisturisers and no masks. My skin was ridiculously oily, which I now realise was my dehydrated skin trying to overcompensate although hormones probably played a part too. As soon as I started a proper 'routine' I noticed a huge difference in the quality of my skin as well as the way my make-up sat on my face and I haven't looked back!




Morning
My morning skin routine is really simple- I figure if you cleanse properly at night then you only need a quick refresh in the morning. Plus, I don't have time for a complicated routine in the morning, I love my bed way too much for that! All I do is rinse my face with a foaming face wash. At the moment I'm using the Nivea Refreshing Facial Wash Gel, although to be honest I'm not particularly fussed about what brand I use, just as long as it foams nicely (I don't feel like it cleans my face otherwise). I know that lip products don't really count as a skincare routine, but I moisturise with a heavy-duty balm morning and night as part of my routine so I thought I'd just throw it in. Carmex does the job perfectly and really prepares my lips for lipstick and gloss in the morning. I'll then apply my moisturiser. I either use the Clean&Clear Dual Action Moisturiserwhich I featured in my August favourites- on hot days, or when I feel I only need something light. During winter, or on particularly 'thirsty' days I'll use something heavier. At the moment that's the Esteé Lauder Daywear which does the job, but to be honest I probably wont repurchase due to the price- £40 for 50ml. I've tried other brands that perform the same for less.

Evening
My evening routine is a lot more lengthy so I'll go through it in steps and tell you a little more about each product:

First, I use the Garnier Micellar Water and some cotton pads to remove the bulk of my make-up. I haven't ever tried Bioderma, so I can't comment on whether it matches up but I think it's fantastic as a first cleanse. It's gentle but removes the majority of my make-up including on my eyes and it's a fab price for such a big bottle (around £4 for 400ml), so a definite winner in my eyes.

Then I'll cleanse my skin using either a gel or hot cloth cleanser. At the moment I'm using the No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser and I'm really enjoying it, although I'm not crazy about the strong rose scent. Luckily it doesn't linger after use, so I can live with it. The cleanser applies as a gel, but turns into an oil as you massage it and then to a milk as you wash it off. It breaks down all make-up residue, and because it turns to oil, it really hydrates the skin. Usually as soon as I wash off my cleanser my skin is crying out for moisturiser, but it has been really comfortable since using this.

At this point I'll often use my Olay Regenerist 3 Point Cleansing Brush with some more of the Nivea face wash to make my skin is thoroughly cleansed. I don't do this everyday, but it's great for days when I've worn heavier foundation. We all know what a nightmare that Doublewear is to shift! I was interested in getting a Clarisonic, but wasn't sure how I'd get along with it and it's a lot of money to spend on one item. I've had this about a year, and really notice a difference in my skin whenever I go a while without using it. If I'm religious with it, I find my skin is less bumpy and uneven, more glowy and any spots clear much faster. The only issue I have is that it's a bit abrasive for dry skin types and that's why I only use it 2-3 times a week. If you're interested in a Clarisonic but are on a budget, I'd definitely recommend you try one of the drugstore alternatives.

My night-time moisturising routine consists completely of No7- whoops! Over the years I've tried loads of variations, but if I can find something that works then I'll stay loyal. Plus, No7 is quite reasonably priced (especially with the £5 off voucher ;) ) so it's a win win. First I use the iconic No7 Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum. To be perfectly honest, I don't really notice a difference in my skin, but prevention is better than cure when it comes to anti-aging and the reviews speak for themselves. I then apply the No7 Youthful Eye Serum (same reasons as above), before finishing off with the No7 Protect and Perfect Night Cream which I love. Seriously, I've never used a moisturiser like it. I started using it last winter when my skin was going through a particularly dry phase -you could actually see the dryness across my nose and forehead...ick- and nothing else worked. Two nights of using this and I was sorted, and I've been using it ever since. I'd go as far as to say this is one of my Holy Grail products. And if it prevents any pesky wrinkles then that's a bonus ;)

Finally, I'll use a mask once a week as part of my pamper night routine. At the moment I'm using the Quick Fix Exfoliating Scrub Mask which promises to get rid of blackheads and blocked pores. I've only just started to use this, but it seems promising, so look out for a full review sometime soon.

And that's it! Phew, that was a lengthy post! I hope it's not too boring. If anyone has any recommendations for a new day cream or any thoughts about any products mentioned then please let me know :)




Monday 15 September 2014

Herbal Essences Clearly Naked Range

Along with the majority of the public, I like to know what is in the products I use. The demand for hair care which is free of silicones and parabens is huge at the moment. Unfortunately many of these products are incredibly expensive and hard to find, and with so many reasonably priced hair care products on the shelves it becomes all too easy to just select one of those.
 
Well step forward Herbal Essences with their new Clearly Naked range, which is free from all colourants, silicones and parabens. At £4 for 400ml, they are much more reasonable than many of the alternatives and -being available in drugstores and supermarkets- much more accessible. At the moment, many places have an introductory offer on too- I got mine for £1.99 in Tesco, and I've heard of similar offers in other places. There are two varieties: moisture and shine, each containing a shampoo, conditioner and dry shampoo.

 
 
Being paraben-free , I didn't expect much of a lather from the shampoo, but I was pleasantly surprised. Does anyone else feel like their hair isn't being cleaned unless the shampoo lathers? It's probably silly, but I definitely feel that way! When I washed out the shampoo, my hair didn't feel any more knotted than usual, and the thick conditioner did a great job of sorting out the tangles. Although it is silicone-free, I still found it really hydrating and lightweight. The scent is yummy- white tea and mint- and while I don't usually like minty products, I really like this one as it's quite delicate, and not at all overpowering. The scent also sticks around after drying which is fab, as I don't often find products which do that.
 
I've used the products three times now, and have consistently enjoyed them. They don't weigh down my hair, and I'm still able to go my usual two to three days between washes. I have quite dry hair, and it definitely feels nourished. A big thumbs up from me!

Friday 12 September 2014

Foodie Friday: Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake

Another Friday, another super simple recipe from me! This is one of those cheap but filling ones that fall into the comfort food category without being too unhealthy, although I do have a fair amount of cheese in here but you could easily leave that out. But then what's a pasta bake without cheese...
I know the whole point of a pasta 'bake' is for the pasta to be cooked in the oven, but that's just so time consuming that I find it easier to just boil it as normal beforehand to pretty much halve the total cooking time.



Preparation time: 10 minutes                                                  Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 chicken breast fillets
200g pasta (any shape)
200g broccoli
1x 400g can of cream of chicken soup
1x ball of mozzarella
50g cheddar
Method
1. Wrap chicken in foil and bake for 20mins at 200 degrees centigrade/ gas mark 5.
2. Cut broccoli into smaller florets and cook along with the pasta for 10-12 minutes.
3. Drain pasta and broccoli. Take chicken out of the oven and cut into chunks. Combine pasta, broccoli and chicken in a casserole dish.
4. Pour over soup and mix into the pasta. Fold in cheddar.
5. Arrange mozzarella slices on top and bake at 200 degrees centigrade for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Doors Open Day

This weekend was Doors Open Day across Renfrewshire. For those who don't know about it, it's basically a couple of days where you can gain access to various buildings, tours and events that aren't usually available to the public for free. In addition, museums, art galleries and restaurants/pubs usually take part in promotional events too. It's a good wee day out doing something a bit different, and the fact that it's free is a huge bonus! The Glasgow version will take place from the 15th-21st September, and I'll leave a link to that at the end of the post for you all to have a look at and see if anything takes your fancy.
 
There were lots of events across the county, but we just spent the afternoon in Paisley as that was where the main attractions we wanted to see were. We started off at the Paisley Museum and Art Galleries, which I've never been to before but was definitely worth a look. The Glasgow museums are better, but I really enjoyed the exhibits about the history of Paisley and about the Coats family, who were the aristocrats of the area. It finally clicked why so many things in Paisley are named after them!
 
 
We then walked down the street to the Thomas Coats Memorial Church (see the Coats theme?!), which was stunning inside. We had really gone there as there was a photography exhibit on, which gave me loads of ideas on improving my photography skills. Then we popped into Hamishes Hoose for a bite to eat as they were offering a free dessert with every Doors Open guide but the main courses were so big we actually couldn't manage a dessert! I had steak pie and my boyfriend had haggis, neeps and tatties and both were super tasty. All mains were BOGOF too so the bill ended up coming to £13- we would have been the same price if we'd went for a McDonalds! I'll definitely go back, but might skip lunch that day so I have room for dessert!
 
The last attraction we wanted to go to was the re-opening of the Grand Fountain in Fountain Gardens. This was the event I was most excited about- don't ask me why, I've just got a thing about pretty fountains. The fountain has just gone under restoration and looks amazing. There was a gazebo with a display depicting the restoration process and the difference is astounding. I just hope it stays that way!



Glasgow Doors Open Day: http://glasgowdoorsopenday.com/

Do you have anything similar in your area? Will you go to the Glasgow one?

Monday 8 September 2014

Seventeen Falsifeye HD Mascara

My all time favourite mascara (along with the majority of the population) is Benefit's They're Real, but as someone who religiously changes mascara every three months due to very sensitive eyes it can become a very expensive habit to keep. I'm always on the lookout for a drugstore alternative that I love, but have never been able to find one. Previously I've been using the Clump Crusher by Lashblast and I liked it, but it's an American brand and the UK equivalent is double the price.

While picking up some essentials (and non-essentials!) in Boots the other day I came across the Seventeen Falsifeye HD mascara. In the past I haven't liked Seventeen mascara at all, and generally avoid them but remembered that Fleur de Force had spoken about it quite positively in a video recently. I think Seventeen are really stepping up their game recently and I've been impressed with quite a few products recently so thought it would be worth a try.
 
 
And I love it! It's a bit early to say whether I love it more than They're Real but it's definitely the best drugstore alternative I've found. The brush is very similar- plastic and conical with a mixture of short and long bristles. The only major difference with the brush is that it doesn't have the little ball with teeny bristles at the end but the cone shape means it's thin enough at the end to angle and catch eyelashes in the inner corner. The formula is quite wet, which I prefer because I find it less clumpy plus it doesn't go crumbly and flake off throughout the day.
 

 
Lashes are well defined, lengthened and hold the curl all day. For those that like the fluttery look, this would be the perfect mascara to try out. It's available from Boots in either black or brown/black for £6.99 for 9ml and is more often than not on some sort of offer, so you're bound to get it for less. I think I'll be sticking with this one for a while! :)
 
No mascara

 
One coat on my right eye

 
 
Two coats on both eyes
 
 
Have you tried this mascara? What's your favourite drugstore mascara?



Friday 5 September 2014

Foodie Friday: Chilli Con Carne

In the past couple of years this seems to have become my signature dish, it's the only thing I can cook better than my mum can so people always ask me for it when they come over! I think being able to make a good pot of chilli really gives you a good starting ground when it comes to cooking because it's just so versatile: have with rice, make nachos, chilli cheese fries, on a baked potato, in tacos, quesadillas etc. The list just goes on and on! Plus it's healthy, filling and cheap too, so a definite winner in this household!
 
 

Contrary to popular opinion, chilli isn't really that hard to make, it just takes a while to cook. You can start the cooking process and go off and do other things just as long as you remember to come back regularly to give it a good stir. You could also substitute the mince for a variety of different beans and pulses to make a veggie version, and this would probably be much quicker to cook. My version isn't very hot because I'm not a spice lover, although it does have a tiny kick. Obviously you can adjust this to your personal preference though.

Anyway, enough gabbing and on with the recipe!
 

Preparation time: 15 minutes                 Cooking: 60-90 minutes

Nutritional Stats (per serving)
kCal: 380, Protein: 36g, Carbs: 24g, Fat: 17g (6g sat fat), Salt: 1.7g



Ingredients (serves 4)
500g beef mince
1 onion
2 peppers (any colour)
1 garlic clove
300ml beef stock (made with one cube)
400g chopped tomatoes
400g kidney beans (or similar- I used chickpeas this time)
1tbsp tomato purée
1tsp paprika
2tsp chilli powder (or more if you prefer)


Method
1. Brown the mince in a small amount of oil.
2. Chop the onion and peppers into small pieces, add these to the pot and cook through for about five minutes.
3. Add the garlic, paprika and chilli powder, stir and allow to cook through for just a couple of
minutes.
4. Add the beef stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato purée to the pot and simmer for approximately an hour. Check it and stir every so often. If it gets too dry add some more water, but I've never had this happen. What you're looking for is for it to thicken slightly into a rich sauce.
5. Add a drained can of kidney beans or similar for the last few minutes cooking.

Serve!

Easier than you thought eh? ;) although it does take a while to cook, this is one of those dishes that's perfect for you to make a huge batch of and portion it up for the freezer. Usually, I double the quantities I've given above and it means I get eight meals out of it, with only having to put in the effort of making it once :)

Wednesday 3 September 2014

The 100 Mile Challenge

A few weeks ago, I started a quest dubbed Operation Lazybum in a bid to improve my body confidence, fitness and general health. I plan to do a proper update on this next week, but just wanted to do a quick post today to let you all know that I've given myself a (not so) little challenge which I hope will give me the motivation to continue with Operation Lazybum.



I plan to walk/run/swim 100 miles during the month of September, averaging around 3.3 miles a day although there may be days where I do more or less than others. This is quite a daunting prospect for me, as I've only recently got back into the habit of exercising and even then it's only been a couple of times a week for about thirty minutes at a time. At my fitness peak (two years ago) I remember looking forward to exercising, wasn't lethargic during the day and was pretty happy with my body and I'd love to get back to that although I think it's one of those things that's easier said than done. Hopefully this will give me the kick-start I most definitely need!

As I write this, it's the 3rd of September and I've stuck to the challenge perfectly over the last couple of days. Since Monday, I've done 9.6 miles. Of course, you always have tons of motivation for the first little while but I'm desperately hoping it sticks around!

I'll check in frequently to let you know how I'm doing, and of course will post my results at the beginning of October. Wish me luck!

Have any of you challenged yourself with regards to exercise? How did it go? 

Tuesday 2 September 2014

The £1 Makeup Brush

While picking up a couple of essentials at my local Poundland I spotted a few makeup brushes on the shelves. I've never seen these before, so apologies if this is old news! I actually passed right by them because I automatically assumed they'd be rubbish, but I reconsidered and picked one up with the thought that at least if it was terrible I'd only wasted £1. The range included a foundation, kabuki, powder and blush brush. I picked the angled blush brush because I thought it would probably be the most versatile.
 
 

Whilst I'll admit that it isn't my favourite brush in my collection, for the price it's actually quite a nifty little tool. I've used it to apply sheer foundations, as a stippling brush, for contouring and of course for blusher and it does the job well. I think the pink at the top of the bristles is a bit tacky, but I don't hold it against the product as it's sturdy and well-made. So far, I haven't had any bristles fall out and it held-up fine after washing.

The rest of the products in the range are brushes that I already have from other brands and most definitely don't need, but if they were to expand the range I'd certainly buy some more and think they're more than worth the £1 price tag.

Have you tried any Poundland makeup tools? What did you think? Would you consider trying them?