Current Skin Care Routine

After finally getting blinds put into our bathroom I have found I am spending a lot more time on my skincare as I don’t have to rush at the fear of everyone nosying in. 

So, this week I thought I would share with you what products I use and how I have found using them.  I do want to point out that I am by no means a skin care expert or anything like that.  I simply use the products that I have found work best for my skin. Now we have that bit out of the way, let get into the post! 

I am not one of those girls who used loads of different products morning and night as I have found that putting loads on my face can make it worse as I strip and scrub the natural oils away.  So I use about 3-4 products morning and night.

For my morning skincare routine I start by using the Clinique anti blemish solutions cleansing foam. One pump is plenty which means it’s lasts ages, so is great value for money! This is definitely my favourite part of my skincare routine as it leaves my skin feeling so soft and fresh. 

                        Clinique anti blemish solutions cleansing foam - £19.50 

https://www.boots.com/clinique-anti-blemish-solutions-cleansing-foam-125ml-10065311

I then move on to my under eyes and as I am quite insecure about my dark undergrad circles I use the Simple soothing eye balm.  I only use one pea size amount under eye and pat it gently across the bags. After a few days of this I have found it really has brightened this area making me feel more awake! 

  

                                                Simple Soothing Eye Balm - £4.02 

https://www.boots.com/simple-kind-to-eyes--eye-balm-soothing-15ml-10073270

I then finish my morning skincare routine with the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream.  I spent ages trying to find a moisturiser that wasn’t too heavy for wearing during the day and helped keep my makeup on.  This one is perfect! It is light weight, not too oily meaning it holds my makeup well and a little goes a long way making it great value for money!

                                        Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream - £45

https://m.bobbibrown.co.uk/product/14007/12761/skincare/moisturiser/hydrating-face-cream

For my evening skin care routine I do very much the same as morning.  However, before using the Clinique anti blemish solutions cleansing foam I go in with the Clean and Clear blackhead clearing scrub.  I have always struggled with blackheads on my chin and nose in particular.  After a few washes using this and they are really starting to disappear!  Unlike other scrubs I have tried, this one makes my face feel clean but doesn’t leave it dry.  Much like the other products I use, this one is great value for money and it really does do what it says it should! 

                                Clean and Clear blackhead clearing scrub - £3.99

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face-Skin-Care/Cleansers/Face-Scrubs/Clean-%26-Clear-Blackhead-Scrub-150ml/p/31178

I then use the Clinique anti blemish solutions, Simple eye balm and finish with the Clinique moisturising lotion.  I have used this moisturiser for years! But compared to the Bobbi Brown one, I find this much more oiler so I prefer to use it at night.  I find after the scrub this helps sooth and hydrate my skin overnight and come morning I feel my skin is refreshed and hydrated for another day! 

                                               Clinique Moisturising Lotion - £31

https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123070751499_-1

So, that is my current skin care routine and favourite products!  I would definetly recommend trying some of these and with christmas coming up (yes I am thinking about it already...) it could make a great gift idea either for a friend or for yourself! 

I would love to know if you have tried any of these products or what skin care products you would recommend in the comments below! 

Getting back to the gym

During lockdown I wanted to keep fit and healthy, so I tried to do lots of home workouts and runs.  However, after 4 months of this and a few running injuries I began to lose motivation and stopped doing it.  Lately, I have been feeling really sluggish and as if my day has no purpose, so this week I decided it was time to get back to the gym.

 

Although I enjoyed doing home workouts, there is something about the gym that gets me more motivated to work hard.  Maybe it’s because I am surrounded by people getting fit and healthy and it pushes me to do the same! That’s why instead of continuing with home workouts I wanted to go back to that surrounding as I knew it would push me.

 

My mum is a manager of a gym and so told me all about the safety measures in place such as boxes around workout areas to maintain the 2 metre distance, sanitising stations and extra spray/ blue roll to clean equipment before and after use. Although I knew what was there, I was still a little nervous as change can always be daunting.

 

Despite the clubroom looking emptier and the gym covered in stickers and markers as soon as I saw all the friendly staff and got started, I felt great! It was such a good feeling to get back into it and it was quite funny to see how much weaker I was having not done exercise in a while.

 

My favourite thing to train at the gym is legs and bum and although I do use the machines, I prefer to do most of this on a mat using a resistance band and my own bodyweight.

 

I also love to do HIIT workouts as they are more fun than cardio but still get my heart racing and work all areas of your body.  Over lockdown I discovered the Chloe Ting workouts and they are amazing!  I know she advertises these as a way to target specific areas or to shred, but I don’t do them for that reason and more just to keep active.  I like them as she shows an easier and harder way of doing each exercise so if I am feeling tired that day I can do the low impact one.

 

Now I am back at the gym and hoping to stick at it, one goal I want to set is to improve the strength in my arms.  I am not joking when I say I have no strength in this area…I can barely hold my own bodyweight up and struggle after two knee pushups! So, I will keep you updated on how this goes.... wish me luck! 

Due to being back at work full time and having other bits on during the week I have decided I am going to try and go to the gym 3 times a week.  I feel by doing this I won't get bored or too fed up of the gym as I would do if I went everyday. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this post, please like and comment if you did.  I would love to know what your favourite workouts are!

Daily Makeup Routine

I have always loved doing my makeup and recently when my cousins came to visit,I had so much fun showing them what products I use every day and how I do my makeup.  I remember when I was about 16 and I was watching endless Youtube videos and reading so many blogs about makeup and which products people liked to use and how they did their makeup on a daily basis.  So, as a follow on from my blog post about my Current Favourite Makeup Products, I thought I would share with you my daily makeup routine. 

I do want to point out that I am in no way a makeup professional and this is just how I like to do it with the products I like and what works best for me. 

I am going to chat about what products I use and what I use to apply them here and If you would like to watch how I put on my makeup, head on over to my blog @sweetpea97.blog and check it out! 

Before I do my makeup, I wash my face and moisturise (I will chat more about this in a future blog post).  I always find this helps my makeup apply better and stay on longer. 

When doing my makeup I like to start with the base as I find if I get the base right the rest just seems to follow suit. 

First off I use the collection lasting perfection concealer in the shade fair to cover my under eye bags and any spots. I swear by this concealer and have used it for as long as I can remember! It has such good coverage and is a bargin price!  I use my Beaty blender from Real Techniques to blend this in. 

                                                                   Superdrug = £4.19

Next I go in with the RIMMEL Lasting Finish foundation in the shade 200 soft beige.  I have used this foundation for years as I feel it sits well on my skin and blends perfectly to give a natural look.  I have switched between using a damp beauty blender and a brush to blend this in but at the moment I like to use the Real Techniques expert face brush.

    

                                            Superdrug = £8.99

As I feel a bit more insecure about my under eyes, I like to go back in with the collection lasting perfection concealer to brighten this area further. 

To set this all, I use the Rimmel stay matte powder in the shade translucent.  I find this sets my foundation and concealer really well and doesn’t make it look cakey. 

                                            Superdrug = £3.99

I then continue with my base and move onto bronzer which has been my favourite thing to apply this summer to give my face a bit more and look more alive! I current use two: HOOLA bronzer and NARS Laguna.  I find they are both easy to apply with the HOOLA being more pigmented so I try to use a bit at a time and build.  I like to use the HOOLA to add the initial colour to my face but I do blend it out a fair bit as I find it does have more warmer tones and can make me look orange if I don’t.  I then add the NARS Laguna to make me more alive but not look so orange as it has more cooler undertones to it. 

John Lewis = £27.00

NARS Cosmetics = £31.00

Once this is blended I like to define my cheek bones with the Sleek contour kit and an urban decay contour brush.  I try to use cooler tones as I have quite pale skin and this is perfect! 

                                            Boots = £5.00

I then move on to blusher and I am currently loving NARS orgasm as although very pigmented, when applied a little bit at a time gives your cheeks a lovely rosy glow with the hint of gold in it. 

                                                                  John Lewis = £25.00

To finish my face I use the Sleek highlighter palette.  Sadly they don’t have the one I use so I couldn’t show a picture, but they are very pretty shimmery shades and creamy so easy to apply with your finger. 

I then move on to brows and use Benefit Full Proof Brow Powder in the shade medium with a real techniques angled brush. It is great for getting that ombré affect and the colours are very pigmented so last all day. 

                                                               Boots = £22.50

To set my brows I use the gimme brow which again I have used forever and often just wear this on its own too! 

                                                Boots = £22.50 

Mascara is definitely my favourite makeup as I feel it completes my look and I love how it opens up my eyes.  I have tried a few different brands both high end and high street and am currently living Benefit Roller Lash.  It is not too clumpy and is easy to apply with a great applicator. 

                                        Benefit Cosmetics = £22.50

I then finish with a bit of lipgloss and ta da, makeup complete!

I hope you enjoyed this post and the video over on my Instagram, if you could give this post a like and comment your favourite daily makeup products that would be great!