Small Jewellery Haul!

Today whilst waiting for my train at Waterloo I popped into Accessorize and found a few things I couldn't help but buy! So I thought I would share them with you. (I think I have a problem, I shop way too much). However, I was really happy with my purchase's because not only are the pieces just beautiful but they're also sterling silver.

The two pack of studs were £10

The small hooped earrings were £6

The ring was £14

I also managed to get a student discount of 10%! Click here if you would like to get a student discount card which you will be able to use in store and online.

Hope you liked this post! Thanks for reading..

Casey xoxo

My Skin Care Journey Part Two - What You Need to Know About Oily Skin & Some Shopping!!

I have started to learn about what products are for what skin types and what chemicals are good and bad for different skin types. I have come to realise that I could save a lot of money if I start to know what to look for in a product rather then just buying it on a whim and then seeing if it works for me.

If you haven't seen part one to this 'series' of posts I am writing, please click here so you know where I'm at!

For someone with oily skin you should cleanse twice a day. This will stop your face from building up with; dirt and excess oils. Cleansing options for people with oily skin would be gel cleansers and soaps (specially formulated for the face). Products such as cream cleansers and balms have oils and would just create more of a build up on your face (so therefore, would be recommended for dryer skin).

Products which contain glycerine are a thumbs up for those with oily skin as they help the skin to attract moisture. Which is what the face will need.

Steaming the skin will help to open up the pores. It has been recommended to add herbs. For example thyme of lavender. I haven't yet tried this but would like to soon.

You should exfoliate once a week perhaps before doing a clay face mask. Exfoliating will get rid of any dead skin cells, and a clay face mask will absorb excess oils on the skin. The right clay face mask can work wonders for blackheads around the T-Zone area and help draw out any other impurities!

Toners!.. A lot of people don't know what they are and what they do. I will be honest, I only learnt recently, myself. Toners help your pores to appear smaller (Who wouldn't want that?!), they also give your skin a smoother texture, remove any dead skin cells, dirt, oils and bacteria. So they are ideal for people with oily skin. The best type of toner is cold water, it does the job that most shop bought toners would do, and its free! Not only that, but anyone with any skin type can use this method.

Treat your face delicately throughout your skin care routine. Don't scrub at it too hard and make sure you blot it dry. Try not to touch your face too much (defiantly not with dirty hands!!!!!) as this will accumulate dirt and bacteria causing you to break out.

Moisturisers.. Well if you have oily skin defiantly go for a water based moisturiser (and for those with dry skin try and go for an oil based moisturiser). Moisturisers which are (noncomedogenic) formulated to prevent clogged pores are ideal for those with oily skin, they will allow your skin to breath. Going for a moisturiser which leaves a matt finish will also help your skin to have less shine. When applying your moisturiser massage it in with your fingertips. It will help your skin to look healthy. You may also choose to use an eye cream which will help to hydrate your eyes and improve their appearance (dark circles and puffiness).

Lastly but defiantly not least, using a lip balm is absolutely necessary. Chapped lips have never been 'in' and never will be. So keep them moisturised also ladies!

I started to browse online at different brands and products I may like to try; Soap and Glory, Origins, Lush, The Body Shop, First Aid Beauty (also available here) etc. I found looking online allowed me to have some time to look through ingredients of products, as well as their reviews. I then bought some of the products. I am still in the process of shopping for new products to implement into my skin care routine.

In my next post I will be showing you what my new skin care routine is and how it is going. I will also be reviewing the products in as much detail as I can!

Thanks for reading!

Casey
xoxo

Uni Students!

Lets face it, if you have a blog or enjoy reading other peoples blogs, you probably love to shop. Well I do anyway! Being young and a student it's a great feeling knowing you have saved a little bit of money here or there. So I just wanted to quickly let you all know about something called Uni Days!

You can sign up here and you will receive a card which will give you discounts from shops such as Topshop, Missguided, Urban Outfitters, Motel, Benefit, Asos and loadssss more!

Be sure to sign up!
xoxo

My Skin Care Journey Part One - DIET

It's obvious that if you want to look good and feel good, you need to live a healthy life style. I always knew that my eating habits needed to be improved, but it was also always something I never got round to. After reading my 'Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual' one morning, I put my foot down and decided that now is the time to start introducing more healthy foods to my daily diet as my skin is not at its best. It's oily and I have some blemishes so a healthy diet is key. I am not trying to change my diet drastically, I am just simply trying to improve my health. I would much rather pick up a bar of chocolate than I piece of fruit, so I rarely get my five a day.

Another change I have decided to make is drinking! Nope, I'm not talking about alcohol. I'm talking about my intake of water. On a day to day basis I don't drink enough. *Sips glass of water*. So now I am trying to make sure I get my 1.6 litres a day. I say 1.6 because according to The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that is the recommended daily amount a female should drink.

Dehydration is one of the causes of oily skin. When our bodies get dehydrated it is only natural that they will try and hold onto the water. One of the ways our bodies will do this is by producing a layer of oil on the skin, making us look like disco balls! Whether you have oily or dry skin, normal or combination skin, drinking enough water everyday is key for your health anyway. So you should make sure you're drinking what your body needs. Speaking of drinking, alcohol can be another cause of bad skin, so if you have bad skin and drink of a regular basis, have a re-think! 

Part of being healthy is exercise, I will be honest, I am far from active. However, I do walk quite a lot. On days where I am in the house with nothing to do (which isn't very often) I would like to get out and go for a half an hour walk at least. I'm sure the fresh air would do me good too. (I'm so lazy. Am I really going to do this?!)

I decided to go to my local supermarket and purchase some healthy food supplies. Some of the things I bought are above; almonds, fruit and seed mix, greek yogurt, raspberries, wholemeal pitta bread, humous, pink lady apples, raisins, honey and malt loaf. 

It's now thursday, and I have made these slight changes to my diet since monday. Knowing I have been eating healthier has made me feel quite positive about myself. I just hope I remain this way and that my skin starts to improve!

Come back soon for my new skin care routine! 

Thanks for reading!

Casey xoxo

Update and Skin Care Series!

I have become more and more interested in makeup and was thinking about doing a makeup course in the summer. However, for now I plan on teaching myself more about makeup and practicing on those around me. Once I have extended my knowledge myself, I will then re-consider doing a makeup course.

'Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual' - £25 from Waterstones

Firstly I decided to go to Waterstones to look for a book which could help me learn more about makeup.  A lady in the store pointed me in the direction of the 'Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual'. Bobbi Brown says this book is for everyone. From beginner to pro. I would highly recommend it because she doesn't just tell and teach about makeup, she also talks about the stuff that goes with it, for example; equipment, skin care and preparing the face for makeup. Which is all just as important.

I have had this book for about a week and hadn't actually had a chance to read any of it yet, due to a busy schedule at uni. This morning I managed to have a sit down and I started to read the chapter about skin. At the moment my skin is oily and due to hormones I have some blemishes. I want to come up with a new skin care regime ASAP!

After reading and finding out lots of new things, I decided that I  could do a series of blog posts on skin care. Not only to help myself but hopefully to help some of you guys too! I will be aiming to cover information about all different skin types, but we will see how it goes! If there is anything you feel I should try to cover or that you think could help me, please let me know. I would be really grateful! 

I hope you come back to my blog to read this series I plan on doing.

Thanks for reading!

Casey xo

Lipstick Queen

Lipstick Queen is new to me. I had never seen the brand before until it recently came to my local John Lewis. Nor had I heard or seen any other beauty gurus talk about it. Everything about it; from the amazing packaging to the beautiful colours made me want to try it. I had been eying it up for quite some time until I finally caved in and made two cheeky purchases.

The packaging is beautiful and the lipsticks feel 'weighty'. They feel expensive in your hand which makes the experience of using them feel even more special.

The ones I decided to buy were; 'Sinner' in 'Bright Natural' and 'Bright Rose'. They retailed for £20 each, which to me is quite expensive. So this was definitely a treat.

I have never been brave enough to rock a red lipstick before and I thought that red wasn't really a colour for my skin tone. After talking to the lady at the counter, who was amazing, I actually spent quite a while talking to her about makeup and the makeup industry. She told me I should look for lipsticks that don't have a blue undertone. It seems like a really basic piece of information, but I'd say I'm still quite new to makeup and have a lot to learn so I did not know this.

Top- 'Bright Natural'  

Bottom-'Bright Rose'

'Bright Rose' has a yellow undertone. I have fallen in love with it and can't wait to wear it. 'Bright Natural' is like the name says a 'Natural' lip colour. It's like a perfected colour of my lips. They are long lasting, very moisturising and very pigmented (it does exactly what is says). 

They have also recently bought out a new liquid lipstick. I would love to try them in the future. 

For anyone wanting to try a higher end lipstick I would definitely recommend Lipstick Queen. You will not be disappointed! 

Thanks for reading!

Casey xo