Tone it up

Following on from my previous post, I want to talk to y'all about toners. When I was younger, my mum used to use a toner to help take the last of her makeup off and it definitely had a high alcohol content. These days toners are designed more to enhance the skin, hydrate, exfoliate, you name it a toner can do it. 

The two toners I'm going to mention are recent additions to my routine after using up my Lush Tea Tree Toner which I love (review will come soon). 

A trip to London meant that I could finally get my hands on Pixi Glow Tonic. After almost every beauty blogger in the biz has spoke about this, I thought it was about time to give it a go for myself. Some of you may ask, what the f^@! is an exfoliating toner, well let me please explain. 

Pixi Glow Tonic, available from Liberty's beauty hall, the Pixi boutique just off Carnaby St or Pixi online £18

An exfoliating toner is a liquid that has acids in to tackle uneven skin tone, texture and blocked pores. Don't be scared by the word acid, it isn't the strength of a chemical peel and it won't make your face fall off. Pixi is mild enough to use on a daily basis. If you read my last post you would know that I have oily combination skin that is prone to breakouts. So this toner is great for me as it will help skin turnover, which will make me less likely to have blocked pores and therefore breakouts. Having only used this toner a few times I can't say if its a life changing product, but so far I can see my skin looks clearer, more even and less bumpy which is making me rather pleased. I have tried the Clarins Exfoliating Toner before but I didn't see a huge difference in my skin, however my friend swears by the stuff. Other products that contain glycolic that I've not tried are the Malin and Goetz soaked glycolic pads, Nip & Fab soaked glycolic pads and P50. 

Caudalie Eau De Beaute 30ml Available from Space NK, £11.50

Another cult product, this spray toner (not really a toner but hey ho) is so lovely. I use it after I've cleansed and spray it directly on to my face and let the lovely smell take over for a few seconds. It is very botanical in its scent, I feel like I'm at a spa whenever I use it. Caudalie also make this in a 100ml bottle. It claims to tighten pores but I'm not so sure, I just like to use it as a little moisture boost before my next step. 

Toners that aren't pictured here but deserve a mention include the Avene thermal water and the Lush tea tree toner. I have just ran out of both, but I absolutely love them. Avene is very calming on the skin, I like to use this if my skin is looking a bit angry and red. The Lush toner is also fantastic for spraying on to the face or on a cotton pad, and the tea tree oil content make it perfect for keeping spots at bay.  

Take it off

So my first couple of posts will be about skincare, as I'm exploring using my camera so I figure that stills are easy, plus the fact that this blog has been started on a greasy hair, no makeup day off work.

Today I want to discuss cleansers and the importance of cleaning your skin properly. Until I was at university I used to use makeup wipes to take off what was on my face, I didn't moisturise afterwards or anything. But as I got into the full swing of the party lifestyle in Manchester, I noticed that my skin was struggling to cope with the lack of moisturiser and sleepless nights.

I'm 23 now. I have oily combination skin with open pores. I get shiny throughout the day and am prone to blackheads and breakouts. Mmmmmm delicious. Even though this is the case I tend to avoid products that target my skin type. Anything with alcohol in is actively avoided and foam is a no no (thank you Caroline for changing my life). I am also quite sensitive in some respects, my eyes get very sore (not from the products mentioned below), I react to certain ingredients that can be found in MAC's Face & Body foundation, as well as the Smashbox ones, and more recently I have become very reactive to chocolate. Sob. 

So you're probably thinking well if you don't use alcohol and foam, what do you use to clean your skin?!?!

Well here they are. 

From left to right Garnier Micellar Water, Super Facialist Cleasing Oil, Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, REN Clarifying Clay Cleanser.

So first lets discuss taking off all that makeup. I use the Garnier micellar water on cotton rounds to get the majority of my makeup off. For those who don't know, a Micellar water is an oil and water hybrid that doesn't have an oily feel. The oil dissolves makeup in an instant, making this stuff perfect for quick removal. It also comes in a giant 400ml bottle for £4.99 from Boots or Superdrug! I use this every time I wear makeup and a bottle lasts me about 2 to 3 months. 

Una Brennan Superfacialist Vitamin C Brightening Cleansing Oil, £10.99 from Boots

I use waterproof mascara for the simple fact that my eyelids get oily and I cannot be doing with the transfer, that and they DO hold a curl better, as Vivianna has taught me from my very first beauty blog reading days. Therefore removal can be a task. This is where the cleansing oil comes in. This fruity smelling, silky oil breaks down waterproof mascara in a matter of seconds. I just pour some into my hands and massage my eyelashes, wet my hands to turn it into a milky texture then rinse off. This can also be used as a pre-cleanse all over the face which I do sometimes when I'm feeling extra lazy, however it must be followed by a second cleanse such as the one below. 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, available from Liz Earle online, larger Boots stores and stand alone Liz Earle boutiques

Obviously Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish has a cult status and its not without reason. I have used various cream cleansers in place of this, and nothing transforms my skin or keeps it looking and feeling  clean and soft. The smell of this is also incredible, the eucalyptus oil gives it a gorgeous clean scent. So after I've used my micellar or oil, I apply about a 2p size blob of this to a dry face. I massage it in with my hands until I get bored, then use a damp muslin cloth to take it off. I find because I have oily skin, the exfoliating nature of the muslin works for me, but for those with sensitive skins I recommend a flannel. I have used Aroma Actives, no7 hot cloth cleanser, Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel, Pure hot cloth cleanser from M&S and none of them work for me as well as this. I can rub this right into my lash line and it never makes my eyes sting. I have gone through countless 100ml pump bottles and now I'm on to my second 200ml squeeze tube. 

REN Clarifying Clay Cleanser, £19 from Space NK

REN is one of the most amazing brands I have come across. Every product is paraben free whilst also being absolutely kick ass at what it does without an extortionate price tag. Now some would say that this is an expensive product but for me the results make it worth it. I use this for my morning cleanse. I use one pump on a dry face and massage it in to the skin. It smells heavenly, like lavender and other gorgeous botanicals. The clay content leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped and drags all the dirt out of my pores, like a lighter version of a mask. It is one of the few products I have tried where there is an instant visible difference to the texture of my skin. This cleanser doesn't get enough attention in my opinion, it should be up there as holy grail for any girl with oily skin.

What products do you like to use for cleansing? Any that I should check out? 

It is so simple

I have had this blog for as long as I can remember but I was never in a place where I could commit to writing about something, as I didn't know what really got me fired up. 

At 23, I can say that I've found a few different topics that I really feel passionate about, passionate enough to write about them on a blog for the world to see. I believe in the phrase 'If you do something, don't half arse it. Use your full arse', which is what I want to do with this blog. I want to fully commit to writing about things I love, whilst also hopefully inspiring all of you to make good choices for you and the lives you lead.

I will be writing posts about beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, food, and my life choices. Basically, what I feel has given me the good life I lead now. My life hasn't always been sunshine and roses, in fact in some aspects it has been quite the opposite. Everyone is fighting their own battles and I have come out of mine victorious, without getting too deep (we have only just 'met') I feel I lead a life that is happy and fulfilling now, and I want my readers to do the same. I named my blog someone like Laura because out there on the big Internet there will be someone just like me, who can relate to the things I'm saying about the things I enjoy. Thats what I love about the Internet, it makes us all connected in an amazing way! 

So cheers to a new blog! I hope you find what you are looking for here, and if you don't, then maybe a future post will hold what you need! 

Love,
Laura x