September Beauty Haul: Amie, Burt's Bees, MiaRoma and Garnier Mineral

I had a lovely day shopping last Saturday and want to share with you what beauty products did I buy. 

As I run out of my favourite Burt's Bees cleanser, I thought to give a try to a new one. This orange facial cleanser by Burt's Bees has a natural ingredient list and smells like an orange. I already tried it once, can say that after fragrance is bit strange, it doesn't foam, but skin felt nice and soft after use. I have a mixed first impression.

Another cleansing product for my face Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash. I tried it and I think it is more suitable as a cleansing milk. It is lovely, light and fresh. I will use it as I run out of my current cleansing milk. 

I told you in my autumn skin care post that I am looking for a face oil or/and serum. I am still researching which serum to buy, but already bought Avocado oil for my face. I will use it once in a while in the evenings instead of my night cream.

Another replacement Garnier Mineral InvisiCool roll on, hope it will do the job.

And the last beauty buy is Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil. I plan to use it in my new lip balm recipe. I will share it with you soon. This essential oil has refreshing and uplifting fragrance, I love it!

I hope you have enjoyed this type of post, let me know in the comments below.

Marija

Read more:

- Empty bottles post:
http://yourbeautyblog1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/empty-bottles-september-2014.html

- My autumn skin care routine:
http://yourbeautyblog1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/my-skin-care-routine-face-autumn-2014.html

Empty Bottles - September 2014

I finished some of my beauty products and would like to share with you what I think.

First my favourite facial cleanser by Burt's Bees. I just love it! This face wash has a very good and natural ingredient list; it is light and doesn't strip skin of its natural oils; has a lovely fresh fragrance and I can say that it is a value for money.  I will buy it again for the next spring/summer.

Here is the ingredient list for you to have a look at:
Ingredients: water, decyl glucoside, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) oleosomes, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, glycerin, royal jelly, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, hydrogenated jojoba oil, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, saccharum officinarm (sugar cane) extract, acer saccharinum (sugar maple) extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, citrus medica limonum (lemon) extract, fragrance, glucose, xanthan gum, citric acid, sodium chloride, lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase.

I used up Dove roll on as well, can't really tell you anything brilliant about it. Works well and has a nice fragrance. I don't spend much on my roll ons due to a big disappointment with a natural roll on. So from now if it works that will be good for me.

Another my all time beauty favourite I finished this months is Vicco cream. This cream contains turmeric and sandalwood oil, it is Ayurvedic and produced in India. I buy it in my local Indian grocer. I believe Vicco cream is good for oily/combination skin types. I like to use it like a night cream or in the summer as a day cream. It is creamy, orange colour, has a specific fragrance, I like it but I think some will find it overpowering. This cream I will buy again and again, one of the beauty products I haven't found substitute to yet.

And the last but not the least, I finally finished my Shine Control Papers from Superdrug. I don't know if they make them anymore even?! I used to buy them often, they are good when you are busy at work and you need a quick fix. I bought them before my maternity leave and they were in my make up bag for some time with out use. Glad I am finished with them. This papers give a nice matt finish; they are powdery, only one minus you end up having some powder left on the skin you need to brush off. 

I hope you have enjoyed this kind of post, let me know in the comments below!

Marija

My Skin Care Routine - Face - Autumn 2014

Today I wanted to share with you my recent skin care routine. I believe it is important to have a skin care routine and to change it with seasons and as you grow. 

I have a normal skin type. It can get bit oily in the summer time and bit dry in the winter months, but overall it is well behaved. I developed Utricaria after my baby boy was born, for some strange and unknown reasons. I took medications for a few months, but they just controlled the condition, didn't really cure it. So I stopped and now try to deal with it and hope it will go as it came. If you have a Utricaria condition in any way, I would like to hear how you getting on with it on a daily basis, feel free to leave a comment for me below.

Facial skin care routine - autumn 2014

Daily. 

Morning:

Gentle cleansing, at the moment I am using Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser. It is light, gentle, keeps my skin soft after use and it has a very good ingredients list.

I tend not to use toner in the autumn/winter.

After cleansing I am using day cream, at the moment I have Pure and Natural Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream. It has a good ingredients list. My first anti-wrinkle cream - it does the job as a moisturiser, but I can't say anything on anti-wrinkle part. If you know a good anti-wrinkle moisturiser, feel free to leave a comment for me below. 

I started to use sun protection for face, at the moment I am testing Avene Very High Protection Emulsion SPF 50+ for normal to combination sensitive skin. I mix it with my day cream and apply on my face, neck and upper chest. It is creamy, doesn't leave any marks and smell fresh.

I use eye cream, at the moment I have A'kin eye cream. It has a very good ingredient list, light in texture. I plan to post a review on all my products I use when I completely finished them, to tell you about my experience.


Evening:

In the evening I remove my eye make up with the eye make up remover, at the moment I am using Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Make-up Remover. For face I am using cleansing milk, at the moment it is Ayur Deep Pore Cleansing Milk, Indian brand.

I am currently doing a research to buy my first serum for face or oil. I would like to start to use it in the evening, before applying a cream to fight with fine lines and help my skin rejuvenate while I am asleep. Feel free to suggest any good serum you know is works in the comment below.

After cleansing, I am using a night cream from Nivea (Pure and Natural Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream) or Vicco cream. Vicco cream is another Indian brand I love, I buy it in local Asian stores or pharmacies. I will post a review in the empty bottles post later for you.


Once a week:

I try to exfoliate my skin once a week, at the moment I am using St Ives Apricot Blemish Fighting Scrub, or clay face pack I got one from the Superdrugs Raspberry Exfoliating Mud Mask.

Once in a while I apply nourishing face pack, I have a Russian natural skin care brand, Natura Siberica, Instant Face Pack or I make one of my own from the kitchen supply. I will post some natural DIY face packs recipes as I go.

I hope you find this post useful as a guide for your own skin care routine. Just remember to buy products for your kin type and never over do it.

Marija 

One Week Water Drinking Challenge

I started my one week water drinking challenge, to find how 8 glasses a day can improve my looks and how I feel. I will try to update you every day as I go.

Day 1:

Here is me early this morning without make up, just out of my bed. I can say that my skin seems fine without 8 glasses a day, but I noticed my hair recently are falling out a lot. I don't know if it is result of not drinking enough of water, but I will let you know if it will change by end of the week of my challenge.

So, how is things with the water drinking?! 

It is so boring, really to sip and count glasses all day. I plan to make a note with 8 water glasses to tick each when I am done at least I won't think about it all the time. Maybe that why I never were good at drinking water, hope to get some fun from it somehow.

I can't report any visible difference, nor I feel any different yet.

Day 2:

I can say that it is easier to drink water today and I think I kind of crave it not try to force it in. So that is a good thing, hope to develop a habit after this challenge. Can't share any visible difference in myself just yet.

Day 3: 

Well, I am enjoying it now and believe I can keep it up after this week will end. I worked today and I can feel kind of lighter, bit more positive and full of energy. I can see some changes with my hair, collected much less from my brush this morning and evening.

Day 4:

Didn't do well today, just 6 glasses of water! This shows how easy to forget to drink enough water when you are busy. Hope to come back on track tomorrow.

Day 5&6:

I am doing really well, pleased with myself. Tomorrow will be last day of my challenge, can't wait to take a photo and see results. I feel good! 

Day 7+

Yesterday I completed my one week water drinking challenge. Here is me in the morning as I woke up.

I think it was a good idea to challenge myself to drink water and I believe I will keep it up. Can't tell you about any big difference in myself, but I think one week is not enough to actually see it. Overall I feel good: my skin was clear all this week, I didn't comb out as much hair and I had more energy to do my day to day tasks.

Can't wait to hear your experiences, do share in the comments below!

Marija 

Skin Care Essentials - Skin Protection

I believe in a natural, consistent and disciplined approach to looking and feeling good. 

The skin is amazing! To start with it is the human body's largest organ, it protects the other organs very efficiently, wards off infections and toxins on a twenty-four-hour basis and performs a lot of other amazing feats.

Most of us are born with normal skin, but genetics and lifestyle choices can compromise our skin's well being as we age. We can improve the health and vitality of our skin by improving our personal habits.

Start with a dedicated skincare programme, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fibre, face and body exercising, appropriate protection from the elements, adequate amounts of sleep and constructive stress management. I believe that making appropriate and consistent lifestyle choices is the key to looking and feeling good.

I have divided all my top skin care tips into six sections:

1. Skin protection
2. Nutrition and supplements
3. Exercise and deep breathing
4. Sleep and stress management
5. Skin care basics
6. Skin care secrets

Skin protection.

A good, daily preventative skincare regime is paramount if we want to maintain a healthy, glowing, youthful complexion. 

The skin is highly susceptible to many things, but the worst element it ever encounters is the sun. 

According to my research on the matter, the sun supercharges the normal ageing process dramatically. They rays of the sun unleash molecular mutants called free radicals. The sun's ultraviolet rays also wreak havoc on the proteins that would normally keep your skin smooth, flexible and strong. 

How many of us actually are protecting their skin from the sun?! Strangely enough and sorry for myself, I haven't used any sun protection cream on my face so far. I am about to turn 31 and started to notice that my skin has signs of ageing. It is amazing how this "ageing" creeps on you and one day you see tiny line here and there. 

I think it is time for me to get a sun protection for my face! Because neglect to protect skin from the UV leads to early ageing: dry, wrinkled, sagging, uneven skin, discolouration and an excellent chance of developing some type of skin disorder, which could include skin cancer. No, thank you!

It is time to be responsible for my own well being and:

• Avoid the most harmful rays of the sun. Stay in the shade from 10am at least 3pm;
• Always wear a protective layer of at least SPF 30 sunscreen to ward off ultraviolet radiation;
• Always protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat and wear polarised sunglasses designed to protect your eyes from the harmful ultraviolet radiation.

I will keep you posted with my experience in my skin protection adventure!


What is your best SPF cream?

Marija