Showing posts with label essentials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label essentials. Show all posts

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Festival Beauty Essentials

So I'm off to X Festival in Cardiff on 13th June which is going to be really fun, the line-up looks amazing! Whilst I was planning my outfit (I'm very organised), I had a great idea for a blog post. With summer fast approaching, I thought this would be the perfect time to write about my summer essentials. There is nothing worse than being at a festival in the heat, dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and having greasy hair, so here's some of my favourite products to avoid these kind of results from too much partying! They're also available in miniature, so great for travelling if you need to pack light! Enjoy, x

Dry Shampoo - As if walking around with dirty hair was bad enough, it's even worse when it looks and feels greasy! The best way to avoid this at a festival is either 1) Wash your hair stood underneath a cold tap, or have your friend throw litres of water over your knotty mane for it to then (if you have hair like me) dry with super frizz and triple the size it would be normally be OR 2) use dry shampoo! When you can do your hair no more, apply some dry shampoo. My favourite brand is Batiste, but if you are on a bit of a budget then you can pick up this item for less from most beauty retailers.

Primer - When I asked my friends for their thoughts on this blogpost, they didn't believe that primer was an essential, which is something that I would have agreed with up until now! I've started to wear it every day, (I have two; One for a hint of foundation) and I can really see the effects. I just see primer as an alternative to foundation - great for a festival in the heat! If I had to recommend a product, I would suggest Rimmel's 'Fix & Perfect Pro Primer' - it makes my skin look smooth, feel soft, and brightens my complexity.

Sun Cream - Nivea, everytime! This stuff works brilliantly and smells great. I prefer using either a cream or spray, as I find that is the easiest method of application. I can't express just how important it is to protect your skin!  

Wet Wipes - Wet wipes are your savour; Use them for everything!!  If I had to choose a favourite brand it would either be Simple or Halo. I love wipes from Halo because they have lots of different wipes for different types of jobs, but they can work out quite expensive, retailing at £1.09 for 10!! As long as you have some form of wetwipes, you'll be ok.

Fake Tan - At one point or another, those pasty legs will have to come out to catch the sun rays, so apply fake tan before you leave. I find it best to exfoliate my legs before and after application so the tan lasts. Although I've not really experimented much with fake tans, I love the mousse from Primark. It smells nice and I can enjoy the effects for a small price of £2.50!!
Glitter - I'm not 100% sure if you'd class this as a beauty essential, but it's definitely a festival necessity. Glitter makes every looks fun and colourful, so bring plenty of it.

Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful, if you would add / change something about this list, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

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Monday, 20 April 2015

Turtorial: Homemade Face Masks

Hi everyone, last week I mentioned in my skincare routine post that I use Mask of Magnaminty from Lush; And whilst I do love this product, it can be a tad on the expensive side so below I've listed 3 of my favourite homemade facemask recipes! If you're on a budget, this is a great idea and so cost effective! Have a dig around in the kitchen cupboards, and enjoy x
1. Oatmeal Facial Mask -
Combine a TBSP of finely grounded oatmeal with a TBSP of plain yoghurt, and then add a small drop of honey into the mixture. Once all ingredients have been added, apply a thin layer to your face and leave to set for 10-15 minutes. Finally, rinse with warm water. This should give you a quick pick-me-up and leave your skin not only looking better, but also feeling it!! Apply moisturiser after for the best results!

2. Honey, Cinnamon and Nutmeg Face Mask -
 First, mix together 1 TSP of cinnamon and 1 TSP of nutmeg. Now add 2 drops of honey, and you're ready to go! Ingredients can obviously be adjusted to suit, but I find this combination works best. I usually leave this facemask on for 15 minutes, however, at the first sign of irritation wash off! What are the benefits of this face mask? Honey acts as a natural antioxidant, soothes skin and fights acne caused by microbes! Nutmeg reduces redness and inflammation caused by acne, and cinnamon can plump the skin by bringing oxygen and blood to the service. Cinnamon also unclogs and opens the pores by removing excess oil from the skin's surface. This mask is great for lightening blemishes, and reducing the appearance of scars. Although cinnamon is great, it can also cause major irritation and even an allergic reaction on the skin, so I would advise doing a patch test beforehand.

3. Ice Cube Facial Massage -
Ok so this isn't exactly a face mask, but I guess it can be described as a facial?! I recently read about a routine that I wanted to share with you, and now that it's the beginning of summer, this is the perfect time of year to try it out! Simply wrap ice cubes in a paper towel and massage your face in a circular motion for 1-2 minutes just before bed. Although this doesn't sound very pleasant, ice has a long list of benefits and can do wonders for your skin! Here is a list of just some; Minimise pores, control oil production, smooth complexion by easing the appearance of wrinkles, fight acne, promote blood circulation and help heal blemishes. There are plenty of ingredients that you can also include to suit your skin type too:
Dry Skin? Add Mint 
Oily Skin? Try adding sage
Wear make-up every day? I do! Include a TSP of olive oil to the water before freezing. The oil will nourish and smooth your skin.

Top Tips -
Always wash your face, and remove any make-up before applying face masks to receive the best results!
-  Some ingredients mentioned may cause irritation, so always do a small test patch before applying it onto your face.
- If big oats aren't for you, grind them down so the mixture is a lot finer.
- When adding honey, run the spoon under a hot tap beforehand. It makes it a lot easier to pick up and drop off the liquid.
- Place a strainer in your sink to catch the oats when they've washed off.

Please feel free to comment if you found this tutorial helpful, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,
Yvette Marie xo
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