6 Beauty Tips For Oily Skin

I have been blogging for just over 2 years now and one topic I never see enough of is tips on handling oily skin. Now when I was growing up my skin was ridiculously oily/spotty so a blog post like this (not to blow my own trumpet!) would have been very beneficial as a teen. Of course, I don't have perfect skin, but over the years I have learnt how to maintain and battle through oily skin, so I decided to write a blog post benefiting those of you with oily skin.

Oily skin isn't all that bad though we won't get wrinkles as fast! 

1. Don't Forget To Moisturize - It is essential to not only moisturize your skin twice a day but to be using the correct products to match your skin type. I use the Origin Ginzing Moisturizer, which is a lightweight, oil-free, refreshing cream that is packed with coffee beans to jump-start your hydration levels and Ginseng to give your skin a healthy glow. It is good to look for products that contain no oils and are lightweight as the last thing you want is to feel as though your moisturizer hasn't sunk into your skin. I did use to think to pay more than £15 was a lot for just a moisturizer but, since using this I can honestly say I would pay so much more to achieve nicer skin.

2. Exfoliate Once A Week - It is really good for your skin if you exfoliate it at least once a week, no more as it may do more damage than good. I like to use another Origin product only this time it's the Ginzing Refreshing Scrub (I swear I ain't sponsored I just love the brand!). This is such a light, not abrasive exfoliator that is perfect for oily skin. My skin is always left feeling clean, oil-free and glowing too. I like to use this before I apply my moisturizer and makeup, I must admit my face does look and feel a lot healthier when I use an exfoliator.

3. Prime Isn't A Crime - I've subconsciously always known that primers are brilliant for those of us with oily skin as they help keep your makeup from sliding off or shining as quickly. I have tried my fair share of primers over the years and some I would recommend is The Body Shops Insta Blur and Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. Both of which are gel/silicone textures which do my skin well compared to creamy primers. My makeup never slides off when I use a primer and I don't have to repeatedly touch up either so I definitely think this is an important step before you apply makeup.

4. Give Your Face A Finish - Powders are great for setting your makeup in place and giving you that matte finish for hours. Finishing sprays are good for refreshing your makeup, giving it a nice healthy glow and locking your makeup in place for hours also. So think of the magic your skin could go through using both! I definitely recommend finishing your makeup off with both of these, especially if your skin is partial to melting or shining after an hour or so. I use the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Powder and Urban Decay Setting Spray, and again I would definitely pay more if it's going to be beneficial.

5. Charcoal Face Masks - I have tried thousands of different brands, textures and types of face masks over the years but, one that I always return to are charcoal masks. These are brilliant for oily skin as they absorb up any excess oils and leave your skin feeling super hydrated. I like to use one of these masks every single week to give my skin a little bit of a treat. Over the years I've noticed they reduce a lot of redness, spots and blackheads too, so if you suffer from spots as well I would recommend trying one of these from any brands.

6. Blotting Sheets - Rather than touch up your makeup with more powder or foundation and irritating your skin by applying more to it, try blotting sheets. I always have a box of these in my handbag so whenever I need to erase my shiny chin I tap a sheet over it and it's gone! I definitely recommend popping these in your bag rather than a powder or concealer.

What beauty tips do you have for oily skin??

6 Amazing Beauty Tips My Mum Taught Me

Growing up I never used to really take on board what my mam or any other family member would advise me to do with regards to health and beauty. I would do it subconsciously but not really think about the benefits these tips would have in the long run. I suppose I owe my family a thank you for that one! Today I wanted to share with you some of the beauty tips I was taught growing up that have benefited me.

"Don't Eat Before Bed" - I think the golden health and beauty advice I was given growing up was to never eat past 6/7 o'clock. My mam never did tell me why not but as I got older I started to realise why and the benefits it has and doesn't. For starters it can increase your chances in gaining weight as your body is sleeping on that pizza you had an hour ago, it can be damaging to your skin (breakouts) or worse keep you up at night with insomnia. So the next morning you could end up looking rough.

"Don't Pick Your Skin" - Kinda grouse but all kids get curious right? If I was ever touching my teenage spots my mam would tell me to stop otherwise they will scar. Oh my, how right she was. I did suffer from a couple of spot scars that have healed, but thankfully I listened to her otherwise my skin could of been a lot worse! Don't give in to temptation it is worth it in the long run.

"Don't Wash Your Hair Every day" - I used to get paranoid about having greasy hair so if I washed it two or three days in a row my mam would pick up on it and tell me I am not letting my hair breathe. It is so important not to wash your hair daily as you are stripping your hair from the natural oils, allowing colour to fade quicker and damaging your hair!

"Wear Sun Tan Lotion" - I used to rebel against this a lot, I thought if I didn't apply lotion I would automatically go red which would turn brown. Stupid I know. I always put SPF lotion on now if it's sunny because I now know how important it is as you can damage your skin as well as increase the chance in skin cancer. It isn't 'cool' to rebel against applying SPF lotion.

"Change Your Bedding" - Growing up I used to hate changing my bedding, whereas now I love it! I didn't change my bedding as often as I should have grown up and I can see why it is important to do so. You sleep on pillows that will gradually start to build up of bacteria from your hair or skin, grouse right? So it is important to change your bedding frequently. I do it at least once a week and I've noticed I get a better nights sleep too.

"Your Makeup Looks Too Dark" - Alright we've all been there as a teenager, starting to get into makeup and unsure what shade to go for. I bought a foundation that was too dark for my skin but, before I ever left the house my mam would tell me if my face looked decent or not. This was to probably save embarrassment outside and to acknowledge makeup a lot more. It has definitely saved me in the long run!

What beauty tips did your mam/family teach you??

Valentine's Day Makeup Essentials

I could have sworn it was Christmas a week ago right? Can't quite believe we are almost half way into February! With Valentine's Day literally just days away and a lot of us girls will be digging out our impressive makeup look, I decided now was the perfect time to share some of my Valentine's Day makeup essentials, which can be worn both during the day and evening.

Makeup Revolution Goddess of Love Highlight - If you are out to impress someone or just want to achieve a healthy glow that'll come up lovely in photographs, a highlighter is perfect. I always reach out for the Makeup Revolution highlighters because they are so inexpensive and easy to apply. Just a dab into a makeup brush and onto your cheek and brow bones and poof! Done. It doesn't last all day but it does give you a really nice finish for hours and looks lovely in photographs.

MAC 'Chatterbox' Lipstick - One of the first MAC lipsticks I ever purchased was Chatterbox so it has been in my drawer for quite some time and yet I still absolutely adore it. This is the perfect pink lip shade for both day and night depending on the rest of your makeup. This glides on my lips so easily and lasts such a long time! I much prefer a pink to a red for Valentine's Day makeup.

Makeup Forever Aqua Matic Eyeshadow Sticks - Not usually a fan of eyeshadow sticks but these two 'metallic golden taupe' and 'satiny flesh' shades have changed my mind. These eyeshadows can be found at Precious About Makeup* an online destination store for professional make-up artists and beauty fanatics, offerings the best brands on the market. These eyeshadow sticks are perfect for creating a natural and subtle makeup look that only takes a few minutes. They are super easy to glide on the lids and create a lovely shimmer that lasts a good few hours. These are great if you are in a rush and don't have time for playing with eyeshadow palettes.

Too Faced Blushing Heart - I definitely mentioned this in last year's V'Day blog post and it is no surprise I am mentioning it again. I love this blusher! Just swirl your blusher brush into the product and apply to the cheeks to create a healthy, shimmery finish. I like swirling my brush into all 3 of the shades to create a beautiful finish. You only need a small amount as a little really does go a long way and it will stay on your cheeks all day long without touch ups!

What is your v'day makeup essentials??

6 Apps That Will Save Your Life

Not literally are apps going to save our lives, I mean that would be pretty weird/intriguing if they could right? But on a more serious note, I have gathered a variety of apps that I think could save you so much stress, time and get you more organised with your life. These are apps I have either used before or are using right now that have benefited me and are perfect to download for New Year.

1.) MyFitnessPal | Let's get the healthy app out of the way first, MyFitnessPal is an app that keeps track on what you are eating a day. This is great if you are wanting to find out the nutrition on the food you are eating and whether it is good for you. It can also count how many calories you are consuming which is good if you are maintaining your weight. 

2.) Hydro Coach | If you forget to drink enough water throughout the day this app is perfect for you. Hydro Coach is a drink reminding app that tracks your intake of water and alerts you if you need to drink more. It can get annoying with the notifications but it does the trick!

3.) Mint Money Manager | With Christmas done and dusted a lot of us are trying to keep track of where our money goes. Mint is one of the best apps to track your spends as this app can link up to your bank accounts and break them down with weekly bank statements.

4.) Calm | If you find it difficult to switch off or get a good nights sleep Calm is the perfect app for that. This app can help with anxiety, relax you and get you a good nights sleep with soothing music and scenes.

5.) Valued Opinions | Sign up on a desktop and download this app to fill out surveys on the go and receive a reward for doing so. I like this app because if you are travelling to work and have 20 minutes to kill you could fill out a survey and receive a couple of pounds. It may not seem much but it adds up until you can receive store vouchers, it's technically free money so!

6.) Jurassic World Game | This game has taken over my life recently to the point where I almost spent money to receive more points! You build your own dinosaur theme park and train them up to fight against other dinosaurs to win money and unlock levels. Such an addictive game!

What is your life-saving app??

5 Reasons Why Chocolate is Good & Giveaway!

With Valentines Day just around the corner, a lot of partners will be popping into chocolate stores for their loved ones and buying the largest heart-shaped box of chocolate they can see. The gesture is cute but a lot of us will still be feeling the Christmas guilt and the thought of delving into more chocolate is terrifying for our figure. Today I am going to share with you 5 reasons why chocolate is in-fact good for you and also I have a delicious box of Valentines Continental Chocolate giveaway kindly sent from Thornton's.

1. It's Good For Bones - Just when we thought chocolate only makes us fat, a small bar of white chocolate contains one-sixth of the recommended daily allowance of calcium. We all want healthy, strong bones right?

2. Fights PMS - Chocolate contains magnesium which can help with cramps and increase energy. Have a couple of pieces of chocolate if you have a cramp and it'll shift the pain in no time!

3. It Doesn't Always Make You Fat - WHAT? Yep, you heard me. People who eat chocolate on a regular basis are actually thinner than those who don't (an American study reported). It's all about balance after all.

4. It Good For The Heart - I don't know about you but I will definitely eat chocolate if I know it's going to prevent white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels and help restore flexibility to arteries.

5. It Makes You Feel Better - It contains PEA which is the same chemical that your brain creates when you feel like you are falling in love. It can encourage your brain to release feel-good endorphin's.

There are numerous other reasons why chocolate is good for you but those are the ones I think are important to remember. Thornton's is one of my favourite go-to brands for chocolate and they have kindly sent me a box of one of their Valentines Day chocolate range worth £25, which one of you lucky ones could win!

Find out more about Valentines Day with a lengthy blog post from Thornton's (here) that contains different ways to spend VD broken down from budget/who to spend it with and even some baking and gift ideas for him/her.

Giveaway Rules!

• UK Giveaway only
• The giveaway ends on the 29th of February giving you just under a month to enter
• The winner will be notified via Twitter and must respond within 3 days of being notified - if not it will be given to another entry
• Please don't follow and then unfollow I am aware of how common this is so I will be keeping an eye out for any funny business!
• The more media you follow the more chance you are to winning!
• And lastly good luck!

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