Help: Skin care

Hi everyone!

So I think its safe to say I am a skin care noob. I'm embarrasingly one of the those people who use make up wipes to remove my make up at night then go straight to bed. Saying that though, since Christmas I have got into using the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which I love! I also moisturise my face daily using the Simple Light Moisturiser.

I need some help on recommending some effective high street skin products to establish a better skin care routine. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

I currently use the Loreal True Match Foundation, but am looking to try out another drug store one. So any suggestions on that also would be handy.

Eikc.

'Pamper Evening'

Hi everyone!

After a long stressful week of being a student I like to treat myself with a pamper evening at the weekend. However, because of the exam period at the moment it has to be a quick session!

I like to start by having a shower and using the TRESemme Thermal Recovery Treatment Masque. As I dye my hair every few months, I like to make sure I keep it in good condition. This masque is very hydrating and leaves my hair feeling very soft and healthy. It is great to use if like me you often use heat on your hair. I leave the masque on my hair for about five minutes then wash it out.

I then moisturise my skin with the Palmer's 'Intensive Relief body lotion'. It definitely does the job of hydrating your skin leaving it soft, however it has quite a greasy consistency and I find it takes a while to dry making it a bit awkward. One thing I particularly like is the scent being cocoa butter! I would love to try a new body moisturiser so if you have any favourites that you use please leave a comment below! 

I then move onto my face. I like to use my 'Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish'. It has definitely been a revolutionary product in the skincare world. It's great for all skin types and all ages. Its perfect for taking off any left over make up, including the hard to remove products like waterproof mascara. The cleanser itself is very creamy and is plant based. It consists of two steps, as the product suggests, it involves both cleansing and polishing the skin. The polishing step works by using the muslin cloth which comes with the product. It removes any dead skins cells that might be there and exfoliates your face, leaving it feeling very clean!

During the exam period my skin tends to break out more due to stress so I like to use a face masque. The one I have lying around currently is the 'Montagne Jeunesse Anti Stress Chocolate Masque'. I think I seem to be going with the theme of chocolate smelling products in this post! I tend to leave it on between 10-15 minutes, basically until the masque has set. Then I just wash it off with warm water. My favourite masque by this brand is the peeling off ones. Weirdly I find it quite satisfying peeling it all off after! This masque is great for unblocking pores, allowing any impurities you may have to be drawn out. 

To lock in the moisture I apply a small amount of Simple's 'Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser'. I think this is a great moisturiser and doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy after application. What's great is that its perfect for sensitive skin which is fab for me as some skincare products can be too harsh for my skin. 

I then finish off with my nails. As I already have my nails done, I like to prolong them as long as possible. To do this I use CND's 'Solar Oil Nail and Cuticle Conditioner'. This was something my Mum introduced me to and it definitely does make a difference on how long my nails last. I apply it to the cuticles and nails every day, what it does is it penetrates and protects the nail and cuticle area, making the nail stronger and keeping them healthy. I actually really like the almond scent of this product. The product itself is made of a range of different oils and also includes Vitamin E. 

That's it for my pamper evening as I have to get straight back to revision!

What does your pamper session consist of?

Let me know as I'd be really interested to know.

Eikc. 

Topic of controversy

I think the topic of whether private school is better than state school is a controversial topic. Having gone to a public school I definitely don't feel I have missed out on anything by not attending private school.

liverpool.tab.co.uk/2014/01/17/why-private-schools-are-better/

I came across this article written by an individual at the University of Bristol expressing her views on private school in relation to state school and how'd she'd prefer not to go to school with the "yobbos" at state schools. According to her article, "some things only money can buy - and a good education is one of them." Whilst I understand private schools have smaller classrooms to achieve greater one to one interaction I don't think its fair to say that individuals who attend public school won't gain a good education. What amused me most was how she stated that private schools receive higher grades than state schools then concluded it was because "they are cleverer", irony at its best.
Whilst my school did not have "stables and squash courts" like these apparent private schools, I still believe I learnt important life lessons such as "leadership" and "being a team player". There were plenty of other activities I could partake in to learn the same lessons..

In my opinion it comes down to how much the individual wants it to whether or not they will gain success. A student at a state school has just as much of an equal chance of knowing someone who can introduce them to an opportunity to a student at private school.  I believe some individuals can benefit from having private education due to whatever the circumstance may be, however something which always irritates me up is the narrow mindedness of individuals who believe in order to gain good education you must possess the class of an elitist.

Eikc.

What I do to unwind.

Around this time of year, I tend to become very stressed so there are now a few things I like to do in order to unwind.

Candles. And lots of them. I like to turn off the main light and have the side light on with all my candles lit. It makes the room feel a lot calmer. 

I've recently got on the Spotify premium bandwagon (a few years late) and have subscribed to a months free subscription which I have so far thoroughly enjoyed. As soon as the month finishes I'm going to subscribe to the student deal of £4.99 per month for Spotify premium. I've made a playlist of chilled songs that I like to listen to, including; Mumford & Sons, Temper Trap, Bombay Bicycle Club etc. 

If I'm not listening to music I love watching Criminal Minds or New Tricks. Anything to do with crime I love watching. 

What do you do when you want to relax?

Eikc.

Baking #1 - White Chocolate Cookies.

Hi everyone!

I thought I'd share one of my favourite baking recipes! I constantly bake when I'm at home from Uni and stumbled across this recipe for white chocolate cookies. They were very popular in my household and I was told to make them again ASAP.

I had originally found the recipe online by Nigella Lawson, however I slightly changed the recipe myself! 

Things you will need:

Firstly weigh out your margarine, sugar and syrup, place in a bowl and sit it over a pan of boiling water.

Wait for it to melt, then remove off heat. Then add the egg to the mixture and stir. Put aside.

Next measure out the dry ingredients, the baking powder, the flour and a pinch of salt. Here you can get away with adding a few drops of vanilla extract in as well. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the wet ingredients and again stir. 

Put the bowl in the fridge to chill for about half an hour. At this point set your oven to 175 degrees Celsius and put baking parchment on a tray ready for the cookies to go on. After the mixture has chilled in the fridge, take it out and add the chocolate (chocolate should be cut into small chunks). 

Spoon tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared tray, making sure to leave space for them to grow in size. Make sure you gently push down on the top of the cookie before you put it in the oven.

Place in oven for a total of 12 minutes, check the cookies after five minutes making sure you turn the tray around. These cookies are meant to be soft and squidgy and will harden a bit when cooled. Before you place them on a rack to cool, leave them a few minutes so they don't fall apart when you try and transport them.

And there we have it, massive tasty white chocolate chip cookies. Recipes makes about 9.

Let me know if you like the baking posts!

Eikc.

Yankee Candles.

I've always wanted to buy a Yankee Candle, but what always gets me is how expensive they are. Are they infact worth the price? I decided to opt for the small candle, and it was around the £5-6 mark, because it was one of those ones which had been opened for people to smell. The other small candles were amount the £8 mark. I was drawn to the clean cotton smell in particular and am now obsessed with lighting it whilst I do revision. It has such a fresh smell and definitely makes the room you're in more homely. Although I loved it, I am a student and am on a budget so will experiment with different brands. I'll be sad when I've finished this candle, though I think they're great for a present for someone.

What's your favourite brand of candle? 

Eikc.

New Year Resolutions.

Hi everyone and happy 2014 to you all,

I thought for my own benefit it might be nice to try and think of a few New Years resolutions. 2013 was a mixed year for me, both good and bad things occurred. I'm hoping 2014 brings a bit more positivity and good luck.

The first thing I want to do is to stay motivated in my academic work. I'm a Psychology student and although it is interesting, I often lose interest and motivation in terms of studying.

The second thing is to stay positive regardless of the bad things that may happen in day to day life and to remember things will get better. 

The third thing is to motivate myself to keep up this blog, a lot of hobbies I start, I often leave behind after a short amount of time. I want this blog to be something I can be proud of and for it to become a hobby of mine so that I can add to it whilst procrastinating from work. 

What were your New Years resolutions?

Eikc.