Hip Hip Hooray

I know whilst I was in the midst of my teenage years, if anyone had mentioned oil and skincare to me in the same sentence, I would've ran a mile in the opposite direction. So what's changed? 

Everyone seems to be jumping on the oil bandwagon these days, when it feels like not so long ago we were trying to strip our skin of all the oil it had. Well this is seemingly where we've (I've) been going wrong. By stripping the skin of its oils, it is then is forced to produce more and that's where we begin our horrid, oil/stripping/more oil being produced cycle..

Recently I have been trying out Trilogy's Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, it started off as more of an experiment but over four weeks in, I am still using it and what's more I'm liking the results. 

Just a little FYI, I have an oily T-Zone and prone to adult acne around my jaw line and I have been using a couple of drops of the oil nearly every night. 

In the first few days of using it my spots went kind of crazy but in a good way, they all came to the surface and then cleared up quite quickly and my skin has been quite good since. 

The main overall benefits I am seeing are the scabs where old spots used to be are healing up much more quickly than before, they just flake (eww) off instead of being scabby for weeks, making my foundation application much easier and old acne scars are fading much quicker as well.

My skin has been slightly less oily and with my fine lines, I don't really see any difference but I think that would probably take more than 4 weeks to see any positive effects, well they haven't gotten any worse, that's positive I guess!  

A couple of drops of Rosehip Oil

Immediately after Rosehip oil has been rubbed into the skin, no icky oily residue.

It's not greasy in any way and is quickly absorbed into the skin.  I've actually been putting it on my décolleté and loving the youthful glow it gives! It's also handy for my cuticles and dry knuckles. 

If your dubious about trying an oil because you have oily skin, don't be, go for it. But I would definitely recommend a plant based oil, they have smaller molecules, which means it is absorbed into the skin faster than minerals oils. Mineral oils also have a nasty habit of sitting on top of the skin creating a barrier and clogging pores, eh. no. thank. you! Little random fact.. mineral oil is also referred to as liquid paraffin and is derived from crude oil (like where petrol comes from) don't think I'd like to put that on my face. 

Rosehip, Jojoba and Hazelnut oils are a few good ones to look out for. Rosehip for more mature skin with fine lines, Jojoba and Hazelnut more for oily young skin.

My skin feels much healthier and happier since I've been using this. I will definitely be continuing to use this little fella and keeping an eye out for more positive results, especially with those fine lines and possibly testing out Jojoba and Hazelnut as well! 

Bedroom black

Over the past year I have been steadily growing my collection of Charlotte Tilbury goodies and one of those goodies, as you've probably already guessed, was her Rock'n'Kohl Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil in Bedroom Black.

When trying it out for the first time I was actually quite shocked by how good it was, now my expectations were pretty high as her other items have been sooo good but this did not disappoint.  It just glides on the eyes like well a lipstick or liquid (guess the clue is in the name) it just seems to melt into your skin at the point of contact, which means no tugging on the delicate eyelid area.  But at the same point it doesn't transfer, you have a small amount of time to play with the product, blend it out or create a lovely smokey eye but then once it sets that's it.  Perfect!

I also like using this product to tight line my upper eyelid and to use in-between the lashes as it is so soft and creamy.  It has also been a dream to use on my waterline as well, as I normally avoid wearing eyeliners in my waterline due to the fact that my eyes are super sensitive and they are very prone to becoming red, super quickly, if you get those rogue floaty bits in your eye (you know the ones) when using eyeliners in waterline, but my eyes don't seem to react with this eyeliner and there are minimal/no floaty bits when applying this in the waterline.  Yay! 

The consistency of the product very much reminds me of a gel eyeliner but in a pencil format, which I really like.  And the colour pay off it amazing, its bedroom black alright!

It has been my go to product to create a black flick, like above.  And to create the tail of the flick I took some product from the pencil tip on an angled brush, I used a MAC 266, to get that sharp tapered end, like how you would use a gel eyeliner but I find this much easier to work with.  It doesn't transfer onto my eyelid when I open my eyes and it stays put all day long.  This little beauty certainly has been a pleasant surprise. 

 

Copperlicious

Coppers and I have an attraction.. When I see them, I just need them, I have to have them, they make me feel warm and fuzzy inside and I have the most strange urge to want to eat them.  Random.  Anyone else?  Mmm ok, moving on. 

So when I saw that Sugarpill Cosmetics had brought out nine new loose eyeshadows and one of them so happened to be the most beautiful copper called Penelope I just had to have it!

While unwrapping it, I felt slightly ashamed of myself, did I really need another copper eyeshadow?  I mean I do already own MAC's Copper Sparkle albeit a vintage one but then I swatched it and my question was answered, yes,I did need this in my life.  

Left- Sugarpill's Penelope, Right-MAC's Copper Sparkle (no filter)

The colour is just delicious and it is different to Copper Sparkle, I find Penelope much easier to wear, either with a more natural look or a fully amped up copper look, it is just lovely or should I say.... yummy. 

The swatches above are straight onto my skin, no primer, the pigmentation on both is amazing!  I find Penelope has a slightly more pink tone compared to Copper Sparkle which is slightly more of a bronze tone.  I personally think that's why I find Penelope easier to wear as it suits my skin tone better, but if you want more of a bronze tone I'd say Copper Sparkle is the one for you. 






Penelope more intense look

To make Sugarpill's Penelope more intense I used MAC's painterly paint pot as a base and wet a flat brush with MAC's Fix+ and packed it onto the lid.  I then lined the eyes with black eyeliner. 

I must admit I thought it was totally going to crease and flake off but it didn't! I was super impressed and it lasted all day!  Maybe it was the painterly base, I will definitely be trying this application with other loose shadows I own and see if I have the same positive outcome.  


Penelope neutral look

For a more neutral look I used Charlotte Tilbury's Champagne Diamonds all over my lid and used Penelope on the outer V corners of my eyes, just packing the loose dry eyeshadow on and blended them together with a large fluffy brush, I lightly lined my lash line with a brown liner and added some more Penelope on top to define the eyes.

I can't wait to try out loads of different looks with this versatile loose eyeshadow, next I think I will be using a dark base, or maybe even mixing it in with a green smokey eye could be cool, oh the possibilities are endless!

Bioderma, how does it work?

The Back Story

I love make-up, I love everything about make-up, how it can make you feel, how it can be transforming, magical, therapeutic, expressive, an outlet and sooo much more to sooo many different people.  I just love make-up. 

The only thing I dislike about make-up, is taking it off.  I used to dread taking off my make-up, due to the fact it would hurt.  To be clear it would hurt my eyeballs, yes my actual eyeballs, as I have extremely sensitive skin and most of all eyeballs, if any make-up remover/cleansers got in them, one ouch and two I would look like I was ready for a casting of the black swan.

The Hunt

I scoured the beauty world to find something that wouldn't react with my eyes, and yet take my make-up off properly.  So in turn I tired a lot of make-up removers/cleansers.  A lot.

And I'll tell you what, eventually, with the help of the delightful thing called the internet and YouTube, I found it!!  I found the one, the one that has helped me get over my one and only dislike of make-up.  I discovered BIODERMA Crealine H2O. 

I think if memory serves me correctly I was watching one of Lisa Eldridge's YouTube video's and there is was.  I was intrigued, I trust her opinion, she knows her stuff, so what was this mystical bottle?

So I researched it, purchased it, used it and well it was.. glorious!!  It was like heaven!!  It just kind of, dissolves your make-up, even water proof mascara and best of all no pain if it gets in your eyes.

But how?

BIODERMA is a French Pharmaceutical company whom specialises in dermatology, basically they have super intelligent people working on things for the skin that actually work.  They have a range of products which I would like to try more of but first things first back to BIODERMA Crealine H2O. 

As the bottle was in French (didn't do too well at French at school) I didn't really understand what it was and how it worked, I was so very intrigued.  It was like water but got rid of waterproof mascara?

Actually even after reading the English translation I still didn't quite understand it, micellar water?  What is that?  So I have asked the help of my beloved husband whom is a Pharmacist and has a much higher grasp of Chemistry terms than myself to explain it to me in a way I would understand..  So here goes.

How it actually works? (in layman's terms)

BIODERMA Crealine H2O is basically like some of the two part oil in water make-up removers/cleansers that you shake to mix up, but with a little extra magic thrown in. The main ingredient is water, at a higher ratio than most other removers/cleansers. This is due to it being a micellar/micellaire water based cleanser.  It is also free from SLS, parabens and benzoates, which are known to cause sensitivity reactions.   Good to know. 

So what is micellar/micellaire water?  Basically the oil part is wrapped up into little spheres (a micelle) by a surfactant. The easiest way to explain a surfactant is to think of a sperm, yup just like that. So the head is attracted to water and the tail is attracted to the oil, this attraction forms tiny spheres of oil with the tails going in and the heads facing out, protecting the oil from grouping together in the water.  Just imagine a load of sperm all around the oil or an orange covered in cloves. 

Now in the case BIODERMA Crealine H2O the surfactant is such a small size that the micelles they form can't be seen by the naked eye and so it appears clear. When you put it onto a cotton pad and remove your make-up the surfactant (mixed with the water) and oil both help break down the make-up, the oil parts removing oil based (waterproof) make-up and the water part with surfactants removing the rest.  There are also a few lovely things in there that help firm and refresh your skin as well. 

Try not to think about sperm next time you are taking off your make-up and please note there is NO actual sperm in BIODERMA its just an analogy.  If you don't understand it, don't worry, just think of it as fairy dust in water. 

Why I love it?

Because it makes taking off my make-up a joy.  Just put some on to a cotton pad, put it on your eye, leave it there for a few moments and wipe away, your make-up comes off without any scrubbing, rubbing or soreness.  My eyes don't nip, no redness and what's better is my skin adores it.  I feel actually clean after using this and it feels like there is nothing on my skin, no slimy oily residue, no smell, nothing.  Must be those little micelle thingies working their magic. 


See no rubbing required!

Another major plus, you can reapply make-up straight away.  As with some make-up removers, if you try and reapply your make-up after taking it off, it will just slip right off your face but not with this bad boy it's like a completely fresh face to work with.  Yay!! 

This is by far one of best things I have ever purchased.  I just couldn't live without it.  If you are considering trying this, go for it.  It has lived up to every positive review I've read and more.  I love it!! And Beautylish has just started stocking it as well, which will hopefully make it a lot easier for everyone to get a hold of! Whoop whoop! 

 

Lucas' Papaw Ointment=Magical

As a make-up lover,  addict some could argue, I have a habit of collecting lip balms, you know, picking one up here, another there and never actually finishing them, they either get lost or left in a handbag or just discarded.  

 

I went through this phase for a long time up until the day I got introduced to Lucas' Papaw Ointment..  And that's where the hoarding habits ceased..  Well for lip balms anyway!

 

This product is just magical, long gone are the days of dry, chapped and blistered lips.  It soothes them and actually nourishes them, quite often when using other lip products I had the feeling that they would just sit on top of my lips and not actually do very much, but you can feel Lucas Papaw Ointment relieving your scabby, yucky bits and in no time at all you'll have the most baby smooth lips that I never thought possible, especially for myself. 

 

But it doesn't just stop there, oh no, it has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties so you can use for a wide range things like on cuts, nappy rash, boils, gravel rash, splinters, insect bites and loads more.  I even use it on my puggie's noses, if they are ever looking dry, I just rub a little bit on, et voila.  No more dry cracked soreness. 

As you can see by the nibbled tube in the photo, if they had it their way they would eat the stuff.  This might be because it is made in Brisbane Australia out of fresh fermented fruit and has a base of wax and pharmaceutical grade petroleum jelly.  Personally I don't get any smell from it but as my puggies love them some fruit maybe that's what their picking up. 

One small thing is that I wouldn't recommend wearing it if you are going out in the strong sun as it doesn't have any SPF but apart from that use it to 'til heart's content, it also works a dream on relieving sunburn.   

 

Above is what it looks like out of the tube, it doesn't look that special but believe me it is magical.  I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for this little gem.. Well still buying lip balms I guess.. 

 

Thank you Lucas' Papaw Ointment for years free from dry cracked lips and coming from a matte lipstick fiend, this says a lot!  

 

Loving a blog with Bloglovin...

I'd heard of bloglovin and seen the sexy little lady at the side of people's blogs but never really thought much about it.. Until the day I set up 'Pink Lips and Pugs' and I went into crazy pug lady mode researching everything and anything blog related from camera angles to html code and somewhere in between I learned of a pretty cool little thing called bloglovin..

In short, you simply sign up via e-mail or facebook and through bloglovin you are able to follow loads of different blogs, from travel to fitness, interior design to beauty, its sooo cool! Handy thing is you'll get informed when the people you follow upload new blog posts and you can read them all from the same place. With pretty pictures and easy browsing on any device what more could you want? If it sounds like your cup of tea and you'd like to follow me.. You can click the link below or the foxy lady at the side of my blog.. You know, the one with the + as a nipple!!  (love it!) Or you can download the app for you iPhone here.

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