Wednesday 30 July 2014

5 REASONS WHY YOU'RE STILL GETTING SPOTS








































We've read all the bloggers' reviews, switched up our cleansers and toners, we've tried and tested every fresh face mask we can find in Lush, and they work! So why aren't we all running around flaunting our fantastic flawless faces? (top marks for alliteration!) Maybe our answer isn't hidden in the aisles of a drugstore? I'm no expert, but through personal experience and a bit of research, I've come up with some sneaky spot-causers which you may not have thought about!

1. BED Sleep is the greatest, it revives us when we're tired, it helps our skin to heal scars from existing spots and getting enough of it can even aid weight loss! But our favourite place in the world could also be the cause of our spots. When we get up in the morning we leave on our pillow lots of dead skin cells, sweat and bacteria, which can upset our skin when we return our sleepy heads to them. If you tend to sleep on one side of your face you may notice that side being more spot-prone. Just make sure you wash your bedsheets regularly to avoid this. (Also applies to towels, face cloths and the like!)

2. MOBILE PHONE: You tap away on it every day, probably more than you'd care to admit! It can't be helped that it gets covered in dirt and bacteria, so when your mate calls for a chat and your beloved device is stuck to your cheek for the next two hours, a minor breakout (normally along the hairline) is likely. Cleaning our phone is certainly not something we often think of, but a quick swipe with an antibacterial wipe may save you from your next nightmare spot.

3. YOURSELF: In accordance with points 1 and 2, pretty much anything that touches your face has the potential to cause a spot (who knew we were all so delicate?) This isn't rocket science, though! Wash your grubby paws, wash your hair, and try not to fall asleep in classes with your head in your hands. No problem!

4. DIET: Okay so I'll admit that this isn't easy to change, but it's easy to understand. Foods that are rich in sugars or fats can cause you to break out. What does help, though, is getting regular exercise - get the blood pumping, your skin will thank you for a good blood and oxygen supply - eating a healthy and balanced diet, getting all the vitamins you need from fresh fruit and veg, and drinking lots of water! While studying physiology as part of my course, I've learned that everything in our body is connected! If we drink lots of water, that aids digestion and we are rewarded with clearer skin!

5. HORMONES: Sadly, there's nothing that we can really do about this one. Most girls will be gifted with a brand new spot (or a few) around her time of the month, and in our teenage years, both boys and girls will have hormone imbalances which will cause breakouts. Stress around exam times can be tough enough already but this, combined with lack of sleep after pulling an all-nighter in the library is a recipe for disaster for your poor skin. Stress causes hormone imbalances which cause us to sweat more, this clogs up our pores, and we all know what that leads to..! I'm going to throw the word genetics in here too, because all of these causes I've listed applies to us all, yet some of us suffer with acne and some get away with just the occasional spot. We're all different but our genes control everything about us, including how spot-prone we are and how sensitive our skin is to different triggers. The only thing we can do is work hard to avoid spots in all the ways we can and deal with them when they do pop up, we're all in it together!

Let's just say, I wouldn't want to know the number of times I've touched my face while writing this post. Yikes!

Vicki x


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Photo used in this post was taken from Pinterest, link

Friday 25 July 2014

THE 'DO-NOTHING DAY' DUO




As I write this I am lying out in the garden with a glass of water with orange and lemon slices in, soaking up as much of the summer sun as I can. I've got a day off work today, we're having the greatest summer ever here in Scotland, and the only thing I want to do is enjoy this rare bit of sun, which leads me to this post. I'm sure we all have those bad skin days where, even though we aren't going anywhere or doing anything important, we can't bear to bare all! At least for the sake of the poor guy at the checkout of the local shop who may be the only person we meet!

So the base for my makeup today consisted of these two products, Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser and Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer. I'm not a primer kind of girl at all but after the massive hype over the Benefit Porefessional Primer I really wanted to find a cheaper alternative, and Baby Skin wasn't hard to find. It comes in the form of a clear, light gel which starts sinking in the second it makes contact with the skin, smoothing it over perfectly. It really does what it says on the tin (or tube) and you're left with a face as soft as a baby's! I really love the quirky looking packaging as well! My only complaint here would be that it doesn't smell of anything, but we can't have it all. 

I've recently repurchased this Rimmel concealer for maybe the third time, it's one of my favourite products ever, I'm also a big fan of the foundation from the same range. Like the foundation, this comes with an ever-so-subtle shimmer that can barely be noticed but gives you a nice wee glow to make you look refreshed even when you've been up half the night playing Kim Kardashian's new app which you've become completely addicted to (guilty!) It's got more of a blue than a pink tone so is great for masking redness and blemishes but not as good for covering dark patches under the eyes, but it does it's best! 

With a quick swipe of my favourite bronzer and mascara, I'm ready to face my, ahem, not-very-busy day! 

Let's be honest, I'll probably not even leave the house..

Vicki x


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Wednesday 23 July 2014

GLASGOW PHOTO DIARY

On Saturday morning I took a long, busy bus ride over to Glasgow to stay with my friend Naomi for a few nights, she is currently living there as she is volunteering with the Commonwealth games. One of our close friends was leaving to go to America for a soccer scholarship which was a fantastic excuse to get all dressed up and head out for a few drinks and a proper goodbye! 







Hangovers cured, we headed out on Sunday afternoon for some high-intensity shopping, but first I felt I had to bring Naomi to Tchai-Ovna, a super-relaxing Asian-inspired teahouse in the gorgeous West End of the city. As soon as you step inside you're met by the warm smell of cinnamon and a world of other spices, the small seating area is decked out with sofas with loads of cushions, low coffee tables and shelves displaying the most beautiful china. The tea menu is categorised by each tea's country of origin and even gives you some information on the health benefits of each type. We settled on the Indian yogi yogi chai which is a very sweet, milky and spicy tea.

So with our bellies full of tea we explored the cute little markets, café's and shops of the West End, including this little vintage shop, where we raked through the massive jumpers and cardigans. They had some lovely thick woollen blankets which I would have loved to take home if I'd only had room to carry them.

We also visited almost every shop on busy Buchanan Street, it was a lovely day so we spent some time watching the buskers. I had my very first Forever 21 experience in their 3-floor shop and was a bit overwhelmed! I didn't end up buying that much (considering the number of hours we spent shopping!) but my few purchases will surely make their way into a blog post soon!

Vicki x



Credit for photo 2 to https://www.facebook.com/tchai.ovna.9
Photos 1, 5, 6 and 9 taken by Naomi

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